85.5 miles
85.5 total miles
6:08:59 bicycling time
13.9 mph average speed
Menomonie, WI
I just came down to the camp entrance to cheer in the last riders, and I feel like a total doofus for crying every time. It's just so cool, seeing these people working so hard to finish, and seeing about 200 people here to cheer them on. Come to think of it, I was tearing up when I finished (around 4:30), too--there was a cheering section even then.
The sag wagons and sweep vehicles are getting applause, too, and they deserve it. There are a lot of them, and they always honk and cheer as they drive by. [Ed: found out later that they don't actually honk, so as not to scare the riders. Don't know why I thought they did.]
The day started with the opening ceremony, which was nice. I thought the empty bike being led out was good, and it definitely touched a lot of people who have lost friends and family to AIDS, but it didn't really touch me. I was more moved by the speeches from the three agency heads representing our beneficiaries. One of them said that as we were struggling up the hill by Stillwater, we should remember the people who struggle to get out of bed. And it's true, and it's inspiring. How can I complain about bicycling up hills when I'm able to do it? I'm healthy, I have lots of friends and relatives who gave me money and have been cheering me on for months--that's a terrific support system, and it's more than many people have. I'm feeling incredibly blessed right now.
After the opening ceremony we left, of course. That was an adventure. There are about 1,200 riders this year--apparently a good number dropped out for some reason--and that's a lot of bikes to get out onto the street. I was toward the back because I needed to get air in my tires, but it was still a mass of people for the first few miles.
We rode past the Capitol and onto a bike path, which was nice. Except--after about 6 miles I got a flat, in the rear this time, caused by a piece of glass. Someone stopped to help, and I did pretty much everything--yay me--and got back on the road. Dead last.
(OK, we just cheered a commuter, complete with tie. We're getting giddy. And we're looking forward to getting the last six riders in.)
Anyway, it turned out that there were some advantages to being last this early. The riders were much more spread out. I was able to pretty much ride at my pace and pass people occasionally instead of being hemmed in by tons of people. By the first pit stop, I was still toward the back, but there were maybe 20 people behind me, and I was pretty sure I'd finish on time.
I forgot to say, one really cool thing about St. Paul was how many people came to see us off. There was a good crowd on the Concordia campus for the first few blocks, and there were people all along the first few miles. It was really a lift--especially after getting up at 4:30 a.m.
So I hit the first pit stop and the second, and so far it had been a nice, easy ride. The big hill was right after the second stop, but the rest of that segment wasn't bad. Wisconsin is a very pretty state--lots of rolling hills and trees. When I was leaving the third stop, I noticed that my rear tire was low and pumped it up. At lunch, same thing. Yes, it was a slow leak.
The pit stops are marvels of organization. They have plenty of food, water and Gatorade, and the porta-potties are, well, tolerable. The crew is absolutely incredible. Each stop had a theme, and they really went all out. And speaking of volunteers, they had lots of traffic people giving directions and stopping traffic at busy intersections, and that helped a lot. It's always a lift to wave and smile, on top of the practical side.
Things got very hilly after lunch. There were two more hills--after Stillwater--where I ended up in the very lowest gear, pedaling like mad. And there were plenty of other not so steep but fairly nasty hills. And two downhills where signs were posted saying, "Steep hill, use brakes." Those were fun.
At the last pit stop there wasn't a line at bike tech--oh, yeah, each stop has bike repair and medical in addition to refreshments--so I had them replace my leaky inner tube, along with the tire, since I wasn't happy about doing 445 more miles on a tire with a hole. They thought it would be fine, but it was a peace of mind thing.
The last 13 miles into camp was sheer torture. Very, very hilly, on already tired legs. No one was moving very quickly; we were all gearing down and spinning. I was playing tag with a recumbent--he'd pass me on the downhills; I'd pull ahead going uphill. But it did, eventually, end. Thank heavens. And I didn't have it as bad as Sue, my tent-mate; she was a little behind me, and apparently a sign blew down and she, and others, missed a turn. She ended up doing 90 miles instead of 85. It might not sound like much of a difference, but at the end of the ride, it's huge. Actually, I (and some other Team Canticle riders) missed a turn, too, early on, but it only cost us 3/4 mile.
Camp is pretty low-key. I found my bag and set up the tent (while Sue was getting lost), then had dinner and took a shower (heaven!), then came out here. Sue and I will probably both be ready for bed pretty soon. It's been a long grueling day. And I did get some sleep last night, but nervousness kept me up some.
I think that's it. Tomorrow I'll have to carry a blank sheet of paper to take notes; it seems like so much happened, I can hardly remember.
And here comes the last rider, complete with motorcycle escort. The last sweep vehicles are just now coming back, at 7:50. Everyone is heading back to camp. I only hope all these riders' tents are already set up. They're going to want dinner, a shower, and bed, and that's it.
And I'm going to head back to the tent. I only hope I survive tomorrow--it's supposed to be even hillier.
On to Day Two
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