DAY 3, Tuesday July 4
Day 3...went to bed last night and fell asleep around 9:30. I woke about 2:30, but did doze and was rested until I got up at 4:30. Figured I would get to the bathroom first....not to be, Chester, the 75 year old rider was in the Ladie's bathroom. I did my duties and then crawled back to bed until the wake up call at 5. The small church which is hosting us did a great job with breakfast and Elizabeth, the Pastor's wife, was a great help, along with other members of their church in hosting us for the overnight. We had a service last night which was very nice, impromptu and informal.
Before we hit the road I called mom to find out about my father who had a knee replacement last Friday. I had been nervous about calling, and with the 4 hour change it is hard to call the east at a reasonable time. Mom says that he is doing well, the procedure went well and he should be home on Thursday. She will have a busy task for the next few weeks playing nurse.
We hit the road by 7...heading for the Coquihalla pass. Weather was warm but on the cloudy side, which is good for cycling. The first climb to get from Hope to Merritt was the steepest!! I didn't have any problem and once we got to the Coquihalla, I figured that was it. NOT SO. We climbed for almost 47 km....and although the climbs were long, they were not too steep so it was doable. The roadies set up lunch at a side road. Then the weather blew in....bringing rain. It got a tad cool as we were wet and sweaty from riding and then the cool rain. We unloaded bags at this point to find jackets. Bob and I had been thinking ahead and packed our gear in our day bag, however it was located in the "back van"...the one that stays behind the last rider. We continued on to Merritt, with more climbing and downhills. The most difficult thing to get used to was sharing the highway with the transport trucks and all other vehicles that were whizzing by at 120 km average. At times I felt that the transports were only inches from my legs. I did settle in and became comfortable, but cautious. The Coquihalla claimed over 30 cyclists to flats, me being one of the victims. That caused Bob and I to become the last riders because at first we tried to pump up the tire thinking that it might have just been an air leak...not to be. So tube back off and a replaced. We have yet to find the hole, but will work on it after dinner. We managed to make great time and caught up and passed the last third of the group. The biggest thrill was the 13 km descent into Merritt....man, I have never done 13 km so fast in my life. I managed to keep my speed at 62 which I felt comfortable with.
We arrived at our accommodations Cross Roads Community Church where we found our quarters on the floor. We will have dinner and breakfast here so it is good that we don't have to change locations. We found the local recreation centre where we went to sit in the whirlpool tub...man that was soooooo nice. Bubbles for my muscles.
The roadies and other helpers are so terriffic for this tour. They are at the intersections to show us the turns, and encourage us at all times. They set up water and snack stops so we can always replenish our food and bottles. I made sure that I ate and drank every 15 minutes...I had 3 bananas this morning. Now that was a sight, trying to peel a banana while cruising along at 36 km and jam it in my mouth. Some ended up on my cheeks.
Anyhow, day 3 down with a 118 km ride for today. It was terriffic.
Before we hit the road I called mom to find out about my father who had a knee replacement last Friday. I had been nervous about calling, and with the 4 hour change it is hard to call the east at a reasonable time. Mom says that he is doing well, the procedure went well and he should be home on Thursday. She will have a busy task for the next few weeks playing nurse.
We hit the road by 7...heading for the Coquihalla pass. Weather was warm but on the cloudy side, which is good for cycling. The first climb to get from Hope to Merritt was the steepest!! I didn't have any problem and once we got to the Coquihalla, I figured that was it. NOT SO. We climbed for almost 47 km....and although the climbs were long, they were not too steep so it was doable. The roadies set up lunch at a side road. Then the weather blew in....bringing rain. It got a tad cool as we were wet and sweaty from riding and then the cool rain. We unloaded bags at this point to find jackets. Bob and I had been thinking ahead and packed our gear in our day bag, however it was located in the "back van"...the one that stays behind the last rider. We continued on to Merritt, with more climbing and downhills. The most difficult thing to get used to was sharing the highway with the transport trucks and all other vehicles that were whizzing by at 120 km average. At times I felt that the transports were only inches from my legs. I did settle in and became comfortable, but cautious. The Coquihalla claimed over 30 cyclists to flats, me being one of the victims. That caused Bob and I to become the last riders because at first we tried to pump up the tire thinking that it might have just been an air leak...not to be. So tube back off and a replaced. We have yet to find the hole, but will work on it after dinner. We managed to make great time and caught up and passed the last third of the group. The biggest thrill was the 13 km descent into Merritt....man, I have never done 13 km so fast in my life. I managed to keep my speed at 62 which I felt comfortable with.
We arrived at our accommodations Cross Roads Community Church where we found our quarters on the floor. We will have dinner and breakfast here so it is good that we don't have to change locations. We found the local recreation centre where we went to sit in the whirlpool tub...man that was soooooo nice. Bubbles for my muscles.
The roadies and other helpers are so terriffic for this tour. They are at the intersections to show us the turns, and encourage us at all times. They set up water and snack stops so we can always replenish our food and bottles. I made sure that I ate and drank every 15 minutes...I had 3 bananas this morning. Now that was a sight, trying to peel a banana while cruising along at 36 km and jam it in my mouth. Some ended up on my cheeks.
Anyhow, day 3 down with a 118 km ride for today. It was terriffic.
posted by Unknown at 9:32 PM
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