Friday, June 15, 2012

Queen City

Gull Lake to Chaplin - 146 kms

So I was slightly soggy when I rolled out of Gull Lake.  I liked that little town and it reminded me a lot of the town that I grew up in.  The morning was cold but the wind was hauling in my direction so I got out on the road really early.  Took a break in Swift Current to play on my computer and then for lunch in Herbert.  Relatively uneventful day and I was off the rode in Chaplin at about 2 pm for some well need rest.  Chaplin is really really small.  There is a bar, a small store and a restaurant on the highway and that is about it.  The streets are dirt but the people seem nice.  I went to the 'store' but the pickings were very very slim.  I was hoping to get some good bread but hotdog buns were all they had.  No Veggies but they had some watermelon and chocolate milk so I bought those and had pasta for a second night in a row.  I will have to get some good cheese and bread in Regina because all that was here were hotdogs and pizza pops.  Then I slept and slept and slept.

Yesterday I learned:
- Alpacas look funny shaved...
- I am not going to get a good Brie in small town Saskatchewan

Chaplin to Regina - 162 kms

So this morning I got up to ugliness and I wanted to stay in bed.  It was pouring and windy...very windy.  I waited till about 9 am and it eased off a bit. The rain had stopped but the wind had not and the wind was 35ish km/h right in my face.  I could barely hold 20 k and hour and I suffered the 85 kms to Moose Jaw.  By the time I got there I was smashed...knees sore and hip flex-ors stiff as hell. I was wanting to pull the rip cord but I had made a goal of Regina today and I wanted to make it.  So after getting some food I hit the road again for the final 80 k.  About 20 k from there I was blowing up and the wind that had died a bit had picked up again because of all the thunder storms that seemed to surround me.  I was suffering...  For the first time on this trip I wanted to stop riding. Bonking is something that I have experienced in the pass and I was closed to the edge at this point.  For those that don't know bonking is similar to hitting the wall in running.  Basically my body was out of sugar and energy.  Luckily there was a gas station and I was able to stop and grab a coke and a few other random items I would not normally chose.  Just before I went inside a little boy and his mom were going in as I was fiddling with my bag looking for my wallet.  I waved at the little dude and he looked at me and asked "Are you an adventure?"  I was a little taken aback and asked him "What gave me away?" and he said "You have a beard and all your bags!"  He was awesome.  After a brief conversation with him and his mom I stuffed my face and was back on the road with new motivation.  I took two things away from that conversation.  First HE SAID I HAVE A BEARD!  Wooooohoooo  its growing!  and second the thought of me as an 'adventure' had never occurred to me.  It was awesome and pumped me up for the next 20 k or so...  When I think about it now I am sure his parents had told him homeless people were adventurers to avoid a difficult conversation and I looked homeless.

About 20 k after that I was getting that bonking feeling again and the wind had doubled its efforts.  I was almost in my granny gear.  Its absolutely nuts how much wind my bags and upright position push. I am used to be able to be really low and out of the wind on my race bike and it was so crazy that if I stopped pedaling for a second I would stop immediately. The other thing that was a slap in the face was I could see Regina in the distance and no matter how hard I pedaled I could not get any closer.   Three more things helped me get through that last forty kilometers.  My friend Tara is racing in Banff Bike Week and she did well and was texting me her results.  This got me thinking about racing and gave me a little bit of energy and I thought of past races.   Second was my friend Jennifer was texting me motivational pictures with saying such as "hang in there"  Cheezy but it helped!  Thanks to both of you.  The third thing was the strategically placed T.M. sticker on my bike.  Every time I hung my head from fatigue I would see the sticker on the top tube and that pushed me on.  Thanks for that Brett.

Today was way longer than it should have been and I feel like I climbed up Cycpress 15 times back to back with no breaks.  I am hoping tomorrow will be better for wind and I can ride easy to recover from today.

I AM AN ADVENTURER

Today I learned:
- Pop Tarts are awesome, easy to eat and a solid kick in the pants.  Thanks David Gerth for the pro tip.
- I look homeless
- Wind in the face is not cool








3 comments:

  1. Yoo Jordan

    As I speak the Queen's Anglais fluently. Bonking means something completely different lol. May the winds dissipate in your favour as you head east and may the sun warm yer skinny ass!

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  2. quite an entry. i don't know how you do it. welled up again!

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  3. Pop tarts are awesome! I'm going to start eating them before hockey!

    Glad to see you're doing well. Keep it up!

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