Thanks to Lissa for being my ride along today. I got a shout out at her spin class too!!! We had a chat later to clear my head and look ahead to the end point. Also Sandy! Thanks for riding with us yesterday! It was so nice to connect and hear your stories of your ride experiences.
I’ve been at this for over a month and it’s feeling a little like Groundhog Day-the movie. Rise and grind. Bike, eat, sleep. Also leaving Wisconsin after a rest day, all my visitors and well-wishers was hard to do. It would be so easy to ride to the nearest airport and head home- ITS SO CLOSE! This was a closed loop in my head as we left yesterday in the dark, in the rain. I don’t think anyone likes riding in the rain. I was concerned about thunderstorm cells that I saw entering our area so I decided to Sag in after lunch- mile 55. The storms never manifested but I got to do laundry, rest and eat more to rev up for today’s ride of 120 miles. Here we go again!
Here I sit in my kit, eating yogurt on my bed at 0615. I have a few minutes before I can bring all my bags and bike down, fill my bottles with ice water and head out. My plan is to break up the day by van stops and music. I’ve missed listening to music! Prince got me through eastern Wyoming and the rain prevents me from using/accessing my phone easily. Thick waterproof gloves also make gripping a metal bottle and eating hard too. No rain in the forecast today!! Wooohoooo! I can hope that the wind and rain from that hurricane down south doesn’t make its way up to our route by the weekend.
Ohio here I come! State #10!
You are sooooo amazing..you have made it across the western mountains, the windy plains, the friendly Midwest, and by the time your read this entering into the “Eastern” states and headed now to the Atlantic Ocean. That airport in MI while soooooo close would have been sooooo far from your P2P journey…glad you kept on pedaling easterly!!! Proud of you girl!!!
How do I ride along with you? I’m envious.
Crazy I know.
Did you read the article about Courtney Dauwalter?
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/sep/25/courtney-dauwalter-ultrarunner-greatest
Motivated by the puzzle, “She cherishes visits to what she calls ‘the pain cave’, the mental place she goes when she reaches her physical limit. She visualizes an actual cave, walks in, picks up a chisel, and starts chipping away. If needed, she’ll stay in the cave for hours.
“Going into the cave is my whole purpose of signing up for a race. I don’t go there in training, so I feel lucky to visit in a race,” says Dauwalter. “On the start line, I want to get into that cave as quickly as I can and spend as much time as I can, making it bigger.”
Dauwalter sees the same cave every time, returning to the exact spot she left off and keeps chipping away. Visiting the cave is a tool to keep moving forward and believing in herself, not a distraction. By focusing on swinging the chisel again and again, Dauwalter sends signals to her legs to keep going. Although unintentional, the pain cave is a near perfect allegory for the process of ultrarunning. It’s a craft that takes years of dedication and consistency to master, just like digging a huge cave.
It’s biking, running, being. Love you.
Chiseling away, with you and all of your community and family.
Mila Gerson
You can do it. Alyean and Bri bri will celebrate with you in Corning. Maine will be here before you know it. Enjoy the ride❤️