A blog for and by a group of certifiable and committed cyclists (aka, Cyclopaths) from the Puyallup, Tacoma, and Seattle area. Follow The Puyallup Cyclopaths' adventures as they ride in the mountains of the Northwest and beyond.
One of my favorite rides is the Skate Creek loop ride which was scheduled for today! 11 Cyclopaths showed up! The ride goes from just outside Ashford to Paradise then down Stevens Canyon over Backbone ridge and loop around to Packwood then up and over Skate CreekRoad back to the cars! It is a very scenic but challenging ride!I was tempted to do the full ride but with my wife and I leaving Thursday I thought riding only to Paradise and back to the cars would be best! I will leave it up to the group to post info on the ride! I want to focus on my upcoming ride! Thursday about 5 am I will start riding from Puyallup to see my daughter Heather and her husband Frankie in Colorado Springs! Because of some other commitments I have only 12 days to cover the 1,430 miles. A pretty ambitious plan. This adventure is clearly the most difficult thing I have ever tried! Needless to say I am excited to get started but very nervous about it is going to go. My biggest concern is about my neck. I have been in Physical Therapy for 4 weeks and am even trying Accupuncture! The pain usually starts at about 49 miles and gets progressively worse the longer I ride! I have ridden 3 days back to back 100 miles plus but have suffered for several days afterwards. Trying to do 12 days in a row of 120 miles daily probably is unrealistic!Fran and our dog Baxter will be meeting for lunch and overnight so I have that security! If I can only ride 50 each day then that is what I will do!When the weather forecast for next week came out and 90 degree temperatures expected here I was not too excited! That probably means 100 degree temperatures through Eastern Washington Idaho and Montana. Heat like that will make the days longer and harder!My route follows I 90 all the way to Butte Montana then south through Yellowstone and the Tetons. Then angling Southeast to Rawlins, Wyoming then south into Colorado through Breckinridge and over Hoosier Pass 11,500 ft and then east to Colorado Springs .I hope to do a daily post! Your positive thoughts and prayers are greatly welcomed!
I Hope today was an Omen for the rest of the trip!
The ride went better than I could have ever expected! Started at 4:50 and road smoothly up 167 to 18. Traffic was heavy but no real issues until I was heavily hocked by a transit bus for absolutely no reason!I am on the shoulder bothering no one and the bus driver just felt it necessary to vent his dislike for cyclists ! I wish it wasn’t that way! It didn’t seem to take long and I was to Tiger Mt. It started to mist and the roads quickly turned wet. The 3 mi climb went smoothly and it wasn’t long and I was on I 90. Lots of trucks went racing by and soon the mist stopped!I spent time reflecting back on the ride Tom Peterson and I did a few years back when we did the Old Courage Classic route! I even remember talking at length about Tacoma Tennis Club and what it was like managing it! It would have been great to have his company!To my amazement my average speed for the trip was over 15 mph when I reached the top of the Pass.Fran and I hand planned on meeting at the Cle Elum exit for a quick lunch and bottle exchange! I had only 30 miles to go and I had over 2 hours to get there and a gentle down hill. I will be early!About 1/2 way around the lake I was waved down by a lady construction worker who explained that I could not ride through the next 4-5 miles because of construction and very limited space!Luckily she offered to give me a ride through that area! A good friend of hers is a cyclist!After I started riding again I started reflecting back 44 years ago when in my little KARMAN Giants I drove this route regularly when I was a student at Central. Doesn’t seem like it was that long ago!As a tennis player in college I hated how the wind would blow every day and always from the NW ! Today it was a huge blessing! The wind was blowing me to Ellensburg!!At the exit before Cle Elum I saw a car pulled over and two people looking my way! I assumed they must be looking at something behind me!I checked my mirror and saw nothing. After I was passed them (going 27)I realized it was a teacher at my school and his son cheering me on!I felt bad I wasn’t able to stop! I stopped at the Cle Elum exit and called Fran! She had been detained and hadn’t left yet!Luckily I had enough food and drink and just kept riding! With the wind and slight decent it was like being in a paceline with the Cyclopaths! It was exciting and fun! I tried not to put in too much effort knowing I have 11 more days of writing!I bet the drivers going by could see my grin!My average speed kept going up and up! Finished in Eburg at 17.5 !From the top of the pass I averaged over 22 mph! Unreal!!!The next was stiff and painful but not horrible so I have survived one day! Won’t be so lucky again!Thanks for all your positive thoughts and prayers! The adventure is off and running!
One of my favorite views on the route at Elk Heights!
Waterfall going up Snoqualmie Pass!
Who is this old guy ready to get on his bike and try and ride 1400 miles in 12 days?
Day 2 Ellensburg feedlots to the Ritzville wheat fields 114 mile and 3,566 ft of gain and 18.6mph
After yesterday’s fast ride I didn’t expect today’s ride to top the 17.6 mph average but it happened and I am grateful it did. Started a little later today to be more sensitive to Fran and left at 5:35. The sun was already up and warming the air. Just 6 miles down the road we passed the small town of Kittitas. It is where Fran grew jump and her mom lived there for many years and memories of trips to see her. She was a very special lady who survived the concentration camps in Poland ! On the decent I tried out a new technique .I sit on the top tube but instead of crouching down like you see some of the pro riders do I just sat upright! My neck enjoyed the position as it gives it a rest from stretching out. Controlling to bike especially as it hit above 45 mph is a little more challenging. I did hit the brakes a few times to control the speed some!The long gentle climb to the top of ridge rewarded me with views of the massive wind turbines! The visitors center didn’t open until 9 so a tour was not an option!After crossing the Columbia river I was treated with a long gentle climb but a nice view of the iron horses on the ridge! Fran went up to get a closer look later but the route is pretty sketchy.Once up on the ridge the road flattens out! Wonderfully smooth pavement and the suction of trucks and cars flying by kept my speed higher than normal. My average speed kept climbing and climbing and topped out at 18.9 before the hills outside Ritzville slowed me down . I was lucky to go that fast because by 10;30 it was already 80+ degrees. Fran stopped and gave me a new water bottle but I failed to put on my ice neck tube sock! I regretted not putting it on as the temperatures continued to climb and the heat started to really tire me out! I put in a greater effort at the end than I had wanted to!Tomorrow I finish crossing Washington state and entering Idaho! I hope for a cooler day!I hope all the Cyclopaths have a great ride tomorrow up to Sunrise! It is one of my very favorites! Enjoy the no car day and do let your ice chest get stolen!Leon
The wind farm.
My new invention to block the sun from my face and yet not trap the heat!
Day 3 Ritzville to Kellogg Idaho 122 mi 3,593 ft of climbing and 18.0 mph
The weather forecast was for 54 degrees to start the morning! I was shocked to see it 46! Headed out no real wind and not much traffic!In 2 hours the temperature was only up to 54 but for me that was fine and much preferred over the 80 degree temperatures of the previous day!Was making good progress hitting Spokane in 3.5 hours. Then my luck changed! A state trooper pulled over yelled at me and demanded I get off the freeway even though it is legal!In the meantime Fran drove by where I was! Luckily she came back and found me and gave me a 3 mile ride to the outskirts of town!Back on the bike cold and stiff! Soon I was warmed up and rolling along! Took a few pictures of Post Falls! Tomorrow they are having an Ironman race there. I wonder if Lanny is here!Beautiful area! Soon I had a 2 mile climb followed by a 4 mile climb! The temperatures stayed in the low 70’s so it was pretty comfortable !Found out today a total now of 3 Orting Hs staff have now seen me on the ride!My neck really bothered me today I hope tomorrow is better!Take care All!
Kellogg to Missoula 128 mi 4,900 ft of climbing 15.5 mph
Wow can things happen from one day to the next! I was used to smooth shoulders and lots of traffic to help drag me along and favorable winds or no wind! All of that changed today! After leaving Kellogg I faced a headwind, bumpy shoulder and an uphill grade! By the time I got to the top of Lookout Pass at 4,700 ft I had been riding two hours and covered only 24 miles!Yesterday I had covered 37 miles at the two hour mark!From there my average speed did increase but far below the other days! Less traffic, no favorable wind, bumpy road and perhaps a tired Leon!In addition my neck was a big issue today!at 45 miles my neck was really hurting and nothing seemed to help! I was real discouraged and not sure if I was going to be able to complete the ride. Fran luckily came buy and I took some Advil and put on my neck ice sock to cool me and possibly help the neck! Within 30 minutes the pain was much less and I was able to concentrate on riding!The bumpy roads and unfavorable wind continued but was able to finish the ride!Tomorrow will be a real tough day with 145 miles and a Major climb in haystack pass near the end!
Missoula to Whitehall 146 mi 4685 ft. Of climbing 15.0 mph Very long and hard day!
I was on the bike by 5:25 and welcomed with 55 degrees! After an hour later the temperature dropped to 46 and I had to dig out my heat packs! The sun was fairly high in the sky but the big hills around Missoula kept the sun from hitting me and warming me up! Once it started warming up it made it into the mid 80’s . Way to warm for me especially on a long hard ride!I was working pretty hard trying to make good time so not to get stuck out in the sun any longer than I needed to but that strategy was foiled when I hit a strong headwind about 45 miles from Missoula and unfortunately the road was basically straight into the headwind for 45 miles! My mph dropped dramatically! I remember going 10 mph and yet had 135 Watts being generated on flat ground! I then noticed my rear tire didn’t seem right! Yep a slow leak flat! I called Fran but she was aways away and I road for 4 miles to meet her! Frustrated and discouraged I changed the flat and was bitten 4 times by mosquitoes !Back on the road I was relieved that the wind had slowed!With my ice neck sock on I tried to make good progress!I have been disappointed that Ihadn’t seen much wildlife , alive that is!Today I saw a Red tail fox, skunk, owl, deer, ground squirrels and assorted birds but all as road kill.As a car driver you probably wouldn’t notice but the road from Missoula to Butte is a long gradual climb going from about 3,400 feet to over 5,300 feet! I had no idea Butte was a mile high!I finally made it to Butte but had 25 more miles to go and one major obstacle! Homestead Pass which is about a 4 mile climb that goes up to 6,700 feet! Sweating profusely I checked my Garmin and it said 92 degrees! I am sure it was probably only 85 but I was very hot!It has a long beautiful descent that I greatly enjoyed!According to my Garmin and Mapquest I expected to only have 2 more miles to our nights stay!To my shock and anger I had 7 miles to go! Normally that would be no big deal but I was so tired and so anxious to get off the bike that I screamed out loud, NO!Well my longest mileage day is behind me! I hope this was my hardest day!
Pink clouds over Missoula as I leave town.
Recent heavy rains and melting snow has this river overflowing!
Whitehall Mt. to West Yellowstone Be careful what you pray for!
After arriving at Whitehall we were hit with a ferocious thunderstorm! Lucky I wasn’t caught in it! In the morning there were still lots of puddles!The first 2 hours went pretty well but then I hit a stiff headwind that went on 59 miles! It caused me to go 10-12 mph for a long time! It still had aways to go and loosing confidence and even entertaining having Fran pick me up!I actually started to pray that the wind goes away! In about 5 miles the wind slowed and then stopped but then I looked yo and here was a significant climb in the brutal sun! Sweat rolled off me even with an ice neck sock!Actually I would rather deal with a climb but it sure was ironic! The climb was caused by a 1959 earthquake ! The wind returned at the end of the climb and stayed with me to the hotel!Very hard.
Day 7 West Yellowstone to Moran 2 National Parks in one day! 107 mi 4,737 ft of gain 14.6 mph
Left at 5:30 46 degrees and within 7 miles to temp went down to 29! Was able to witness an incredible sunrise!Even though well dressed and heat packs in my best mittens I was still very cold! Lucked out and found a heated restroom to warm up in! From there I saw an elk and within 5 ft of s Bison on my way to Old Faithful! I was able to time my arrival to see it explode but it was a weak one!From there it was a long climb to over 8,000 ft and then had to deal with 5 rollers to over 8,000 ! It wore me out!The rest of the ride was uneventful except for the beauty!I wish I had s day off tomorrow! The body is real tired and sore. 5 more days to go if I can make it!Instead of writing more hear I will let the many pictures I took tell the ride!No internet yesterday so I will try and write yesterday’s ride now!
The day started with a .5 mile warmup to a 18 mile climb to 9,600 feet! It took me just short of 2 hours and a 8.8 mph average! Things went pretty smoothly for another hour and then my electronic shifter stopped working!Luckily it was in a usable gear that I could keep riding! No cell service to call Fran so I just kept rolling along! At 61 miles Fran caught up and we recharged the unit! The light went off after 15 minutes! I was amazed it did it so fast!By now it is in the mid 80’s and still a long way to go!A few scenic spots but mostly high prairie grass lands with cattle! In 1.5 hours my neck sock is dry with no cooling so having Fran class was terrific!Progress was slow but sure! The ride to this point was unique in that virtually no wind helping or hurting me! I thought how weird is it that in a state known for its strong winds I was experiencing very little!At dinner last night the waitress told us 90% of the time the wind should blow in the direction I was headed!Shortly after my thought about the wind the wind started blowing against me!I screamed and scared some cattle!Then my shifting into the big gear stopped ! I started shifting less frequently hoping to be able to finish before it totally quit!With just 5 miles to go my shifting totally stopped and then I had a blowout! With it 92 on the car temperature gage I called Fran and called it a day! Real hot and exhausted!After 8 days of riding and 4 to go I have ridden 963 miles and climbed over36,000 feet!My nobody feels it!Fewer pics today but Fran did see a grizzly at the top of the Togahee Pass!
From a very cute Lander to old and rundown Rawlins Wyoming 127 miles ( all with wind)
I am no longer going to talk to locals about wind in area roads! For the second time I was very mislead! Bike shop told me yesterday that there would be no wind in the morning and that the wind when it starts would be with me the whole way!The first two hours was directly into the wind and the wind got stronger and stronger as the day went on but Never a tail wind! Mostly cross winds sometimes it helped but mostly seemed to hurt!I was continually looking up the road hoping and praying the road would turn so that I could get a tailwind but the prayers were not answered but I was given the perseverance to hang in there!The route was not very scenic so not many pictures ! Into Colorado tomorrow if all goes well!I almost aborted my ride early today when there was a long section of highway where the shoulder was under construction and closed! In addition there was a strong side wind! Unfortunately Fran was ahead of me and with no cell service I had no way of contacting her! We now have a plan if it happens again! Thankfully the drivers were patient and kept me safe!Disappointingly I have seen very few cyclists even though I am on one of the most popular cycling route! I saw a group in Yellowstone and today I saw 3! Stopped and talked to a gal going east to west cross county ! Pretty fit young gal camping on her way!impressive!The lone person going my way through all 9 days was someone I passed in the construction area and it just wasn’t wise to try and converse!Cycling like I am doing is a long day with a set routine! I thought some of you might be interested in reading about it!Up at 4:40 get dressed and start oatmeal breakfast at 5 and on the road by 5:30 or so! Fran would try and sleep in and then get up have breakfast, take care of Baxter, and pack up stuff! Normally she would catch up to me around 8:30-10:00 resupply me with fluids,grab some more food, and make my ice sock before I hit the road again . Typically she then would meet me a couple hours later for more of the above twice more! She then goes to the hotel and checks in! Typically I arrive between 2-4pm! I immediately drink some chocolate milk and make myself some lunch! I then shower, elevate my legs and then try and take a 1 hour nap. When I get up I get my 5 bottles ready for the next door and put my food for the ride in my hip pack. I then wash up my clothes in the sink and hangout in the sun to dry! Fran and I then head out for dinner. On return Pump up my tires and charge up my tail light, I pod and tail light!While laying down I then try and brute this blog, check the weather, and try and catch up on emails and Facebook comments. I then spend minutes stretching my neck and then to bed by 9. This schedule is repeated day after day!9 days now completed and 3 to go. Hopefully I can finish it up. My son in law Frankie is going considering joining for part of one or two days!I hope that happens!
It was a lucky day for me! After a short stint on the freeway I headed south towards the Colorado border!Weather was cloudy and cool, which I was grateful for considering the last 4 days has been in the 80’s and 90’s! The traffic was light and the road was smooth! My left quad has been bothering me to I tried to not press to hard!Looked for wildlife but with not much luck!Green pastures with plenty of cattle at this 8000 ft plateau . Soon I noticed a gentle breeze behind me and I welcomed it!Ahead of me I could see some threatening clouds but avoided any rain. I kept checking my mirror and even though I was making good progress I could not shake them! They also looked more threatening! At 3 hours Fran caught up with me and also expressed concern for the weather! I dug out my rain jacket and hurried on! Even though I was gradually climbing I was making good progress ! Along this section I saw 16 cyclists all going the other way and all loaded up for camping! I stopped and talked to a couple from North Carolina going cross country doing 50-60 miles a day when I told them I was doing 120 a day he wanted my picture to add to their blog! I would have loved to talk to them all but the weather kept me from doing that! I felt sorry for all the cyclists as they are heading into the wind and the likely storm! 2 hours after our first meet up Fran shared she saw a bunch of ground squirrels, 3 deer, 2 bald eagles and a Wolf! Wish I had!When I was about 25 miles from our hotel the wind speed increased! It was clear to me that either the road was going to continue in the winds path and I would probably outrun the storm or the road would turn and the wind would greatly slow me down and let the storm catch me!As my good fortune would have it it mainly followed the wind!Watching the grass blow in the wind made me think of the “amber waves of grain”! It was beautiful to watch possibly only because I was going with the wind. At one point the road did make a 90 degree turn and the wind was so fierce that with some gusts it would blow me a foot to the left! It was starting to get dangerous! I was getting ready to call Fran for a ride when the road turned 90 degrees back and I was sailing again! Didn’t take long and I was in the hotel room when thunder and lightning hit! For all my complaining about the wind the last few days, I was very lucky today! I reflected on what happened to the other cyclists! After lunch and a short nap Fran and I headed out to look for moose as this is the area of great concentration of moose!Unfortunately we had no luck so just had dinner at the Moose Cafe! Good meal but no consolation for seeing a moose!Just two more days! I hope my quad will hold out!Tomorrow my son in law is getting up real early to drive to Breckinridge and then ride towards me! What an incredibly nice thing for him to do!Excited to see him and have someone to ride with!Bed time is here!
The weather forecast in Walden was for 36 degrees at 5:30 so I decided to delay my start to 6:30. When I woke up it was 31 and there was frost on my windshield! Knowing the Frankie was meet me I dressed warmly and headed out! Within 40 minutes it was 40 then went down to 36! All went well as I started to climb to Rabbits Ear Pass! Some headwind but not for two long! The sky was clear and not much traffic! The descent into Kremmling was very different! The view was wonderful but the traffic was very heavy and no shoulder! I now understand why the Adventure Cycling route doesn’t follow this road but a 15 mile detour! Luckily I was heading down and things went smoothly!In Kremmling I met up with Fran and had s quick stop knowing Frankie was not far away! Last fall Frankie married my youngest daughter Heather! I knew he was a good guy but today he proved to be real special!He woke up at 5:30 and drove two hours to Breckenridge to then get on his bike and ride towards me! He road 45 miles until we met up! The 45 miles back to Breckinridge, our hotel and Frankie’s car went by much easier than expected! The miles seemed to fly by even though they were not easy miles! Most of the way we either had a nice shoulder or it was a bike path! We had a great chance to talk about many topics! We were both good and tired when we arrived in Breckenridge! What makes Frankie’s effort even more special was the fact his longest road ride was 34 miles on mostly flat and today to greet me to Colorado he road 90 miles and did over 3,000 feet of elevation ! What a guy!!! I am so grateful to him for this gesture and so glad my daughter found such a special guy!After some chocolate milk and a quick shower we headed to the local brewery for a wonderful dinner with Baxter and Fran!What special day! Didn’t take as many pictures as I should of but here are a few!Next and last stop is Colorado Springs !
Finally day 12! My body has been pleading for this day! New aches and pains seem to be showing up daily! Mentally I was tired too! Riding alone day after day and to keep going physically and emotionally when the body is tired and wants to get off the bike is hard! Emotionally you are also drained from the battles with the wind, terrain and traffic !As a true Cyclopath I couldn’t resist the temptation of time trialing up a climb!Breckenridge is at 9,600feet and at the base of Hoosier Pass at over 11,500 feet! The Trans American cross country bike route goes over this pass as it’s highest pass too!The temperature was 42 degrees when I left at 6:15 but seemed to get pretty cold even though I was working real hard! The base of the 10 mile climb is not very steep so I felt like I was making good progress! I checked the temperature and it had dropped to 30 degrees. (Well Leon just keep working hard and you will warmup, I thought)I then checked the elevation gain and found that progress was much slower than the distance! Well, that must mean it is going to get a whole lot steeper! That would turn out to be very true! Tired, sore, and breathing heavily I kept up the battle!Soon the temperature was up to 40, which I was glad of ! I alternated between standing and sitting to try to give relief to the tired muscles! My power output was low but after 11 days of riding and being at 10,000 it is probably understandable! I tried to concentrate on full breathing but it was a struggle!Eventually I could see the top which was in bright sunshine ! I wanted to speed up knowing the pain would end soon but there didn’t seem to be anymore energy to surge forward! Finally the top arrived and I collapsed over my handlebars are the pass marking ! It took me awhile to catch my breath and to take my pictures.
Top of Hoosier Pass! 1:07 Strava climb ! Top 10 in my age group. The pass as you can see was in brilliant sunshine and 48 degrees! I left shortly later and headed down the other side!The next 30 miles went smoothly . Soon I could see the smoke from an area forest fire! The smoke didn’t seem to bother my breathing but it seemed to be everywhere! The smoke continued for the next 30 miles. The temperature started to hit the 70’s
Forest fire smoke!
Not healthy breathing ! My progress seemed to be pretty good but a had a new nagging pain in the back of the left knee! I stopped twice to lower the saddle the reduce the pain but with now luck!Finally at my second stop with Fran I put some ice in my knee warmer and that seemed to help! Fran and made a decision to have her meet me at the city limits sign to avoid some of the holiday traffic and potential danger! At the entrance to Pikes Peak drive I saw Fran waving frantically!i stoa day she explained the shoulder was very dangerous up the road as traffic was changed fro 4 lanes to 2 and that the shoulder was full of rocks, sand and gravel After some discussion that I should load up the bike and drive the 4 remaining miles instead of risking it! As we drove down I was very happy Fran had come back and stopped me at that point! After 1406 miles and 56,134 feet of climbing with an average speed of 15.7 It was wise to stop at that point! I MADE IT!!!!!
Pikes Peak!
Me at Heathers pleased to be done with this arduous but valuable adventure
Wow did it feel good to not climb back on the bike!
Here are some reflections on my trip!When I originally planned the trip I planned on doing it in 14 days to complete the 1,400 journey! Some family issues came up and if I was going to get to do the trip in 12 days!I must admit an extra 20 miles a day scared me!This spring I developed a neck issue and was in significant pain after 50 miles! Prior to leaving I was using physical therapy and acupuncture but with limited success ! I was fearful it was going to be my undoing ! On leaving I did get a neck traction machine to bring with me! The machine has prove to be a lifesaver as the neck pain has been limited ! My left leg adductor became inflamed three days ago hurt some on the ride but mostly afterwards. Then the back of my left knee started hurting and both are still bothering me today! The other real sensitive area is my groin which after 89 hours in the saddle sores are evident. Frankie is a PT and he dry kneeled me today! It seems to be be helping with all three areas!( not groin)My sister lives only 30 miles away on a cattle ranch and we had a wonderful visit today! We went for a short walk and that was enough for me! Not sure when I will get back on the bike but not for a few more days!Some stats:1406 miles in 12 days56,134 ft of elevation gain15.8 mph ( I was pleasantly surprised with this stat)3 flats36,050 calories burned while riding Biggest disappointment: I was yelled at by a Washington state patrol man yelled at me and forced me off the freeway even though it is totally legal.Biggest thrill: Being able to ride 49 miles with my son in law Frankie to beautiful Breckinridge! Biggest surprise: How much the wind and how smooth the road surface not only effected my traveling speed but also my mental outlook!Drivers by and large were cooperative but am still amazed about how some hock at you when you are doing nothing wrong and how some when there is no oncoming traffic still pass you not moving over 1 inch!Easiest day: Day 1 with fresh legs and a strong Ellensburg wind.Hardest day: Day 5 from Missoula to Whitehall 143 miles 4,600 ft of elevation gain,a 3 mile climb (Homestead Pas 10 miles from the finish in 90 degree temperatures. Took me 9:45 of riding time! Thunderstorm hit one hour after I made it to town!Least attractive town: Rawlins Wyoming. No evidence of community pride in public or private buildings.Most attractive: Breckinridge probably wins but Lander Wyoming was very cute! Nice people and cool shops!Worst accommodation:West Yellowstone a small cabin with no air conditioning and uneven floor for $235.Best accommodation: Breckinridge but the valet parking was a real pain ! Both Fran and I found lots of outlets a bigger priority than you would think!Keys to success: for any multi day challenge like this recovery is a big key! Most days I started at 5:30 so that I could avoid the heat of the day and had more hours to recover for the next day! This caused me to work harder than I would have liked to!Fran would have enjoyed going on some walks/hikes but I had no energy for that! You need to try and stay off your feet once the ride is over! All of these blogs were done on my phone while lying on the bed or floor!The tube ice socks were a lifesaver for me! Those hot days were greatly helped with Fran being able to supply me with it !Thanks for all of you who have followed my adventure and have written kind words of encouragement !Thanks and have a wonderful and safe 4 th of July!Leon
