Day 1
Day 1 down, in bed about to go to sleep. I’m completely drained but wanted to at least give a min-recap! Great day overall. Got to Chocolate World 7am, had breakfast & pastries, my friends and family were there to watch me be introduced as part of the opening festivities (awesome Go Amy sign – thanks JJ!), and by 8:40 we were off. It was cold. I met so many cool people riding- survivors, supporters; I rode mostly with Liz and realized how much quicker a ride seems when you are chatting. There was so much positive energy all around. It was hilly and windy but I felt like most of my training rides were hilly and windy so I was ok- well, until mile 50 or so when riding into the wind started taking its toll and just sucking the life force out of me. We all kept plugging away as best we could and it became apparent late in the day that we were at risk of arriving after dark. A van scooped me and a few others at mile 80 and hauled us to the end (8 miles early) but by that point I was useless except for coasting downhills and even that at some point would have become dangerous. At dinner I felt better to hear everyone who had done the ride before say this was the most challenging day they had seen over the past few years on the tour (so bascially we all kicked butt:)
So quick recap: Temperature- Cold; Conditions- Windy; Route-Hilly; Miles ridden-80; Candy Bars consumed-2 (I’m counting Twizzlers as a bar here); Massages-3, Times Amy popped her Chain-1; Deer Fatalities- 2 (one hit my dad’s car on the way to Chocolate World, the 2nd I heard about 2nd hand happened during the ride); People-Awesome. I’m sure there is so much more to report but I’m spent.
So now I’m under the covers, signing off, getting ready to wake up and do it again tomorrow:)
