Quick shout out to Amy for being my ride along today! Thank you for your support Amy!!!
Another rough day in the books and my second van ride from lunch. The A team left at 0700 and kept a good pace line together all morning. The wind! The wind was a 20-30mph crosswind from the south with gusts to 40+. We spent over 20 miles of the 55 miles I rode on I-90 (boo) and I found I couldn’t take even one hand off my handlebars for fear of being blown off the shoulder into traffic. I also couldn’t reach for water or calories easily and got behind there too. Then after lunch the route would take us directly to a headwind into Badlands N.P. In the 90 degree heat I did not want to do that for another 60 miles despite the promise that the winds would shift to a possible tailwind, eventually. And it never relented or shifted.
So here I sit in the comfort of the van in intermittent A/C and assist in support for the guys riding, refilling water, offering sunscreen and scanning the vastness of the badlands. I saw buffalo, prairie dogs and a prairie grouse that took shelter from the wind under the trailer.
I was initially pretty upset at myself for getting in the van at mile 55. I even cried a bit in frustration at how hard it was, how unsuitable these conditions were, how I felt unsafe and unable to really make it work in these conditions. How I really didn’t want to do this today and suffer for hours and hours. Why? I can say “No, not today. I get to choose.” And as the day wore on and I was helping out on the course, I felt more certain this was the right choice. Maybe because I’m the only woman out there and have some sense left in me? Those who continued on the course were nearly blown into traffic, unable to control their bikes in the gusts, and the descents were dodgey.
Later, the van was further populated by three others who didn’t want to get hurt or had enough by mile 76. About half made it in on two wheels. I hugged one friend who was sobbing and exhausted and stated that this was the hardest ride of his life. We can do hard things, yes and it doesn’t matter why. And now it’s over, it’s done, you are home and safe. Be kind to yourself. Put the kettle on and have a cuppa. Sit in the gentle sway of a rocking chair. Reflect and learn from that which was hard and worthy of your tears. We can do hard things, yes. and sometimes we don’t have to either.
