Leadville to Breckenridge
41 miles
I'm a woman, and women change their minds.
I am extremely sad the ride is over, and I'm not going to stop riding. I can't wait to get on my bike again.
But it won't be the same. Even though this was not my best bike event and I didn't do the entire ride, I'm going to miss the daily challenge, and I'm going to miss pushing myself more than I think I can go. I'm going to miss the camaraderie of other cyclists who like spending their vacation grinding their knees up a mountain. I'm going to miss the sea of jerseys that match the one I'm wearing or one I left at home. I'm going to miss passing one or two cyclists a day on a mountain slope. I'm going to miss seeing the one-armed guy pushing his way upward. I'm even going to miss the bananas, trying to stuff all my gear in my bag and shaking water off my tent every morning. This has been a great vacation, and I don't want it to end.
Today's ride went well. I was tired by the top of Fremont Pass, and I was more tired every time I had to climb after Frisco, but not like yesterday, and not to the point I wanted the ride to end.
I didn't use any of the rest stops today, which is really amazing for me. I did stop plenty of times for photos and just to catch my breath or stretch my back. By the end, I was having trouble with my back, but I dreaded the end of the ride.
That is, until we turned the corner in Breckenridge and began the final mile. I could see an archway up ahead, and my heart leaped because I was going to be able to get off my bike, go home to a real shower, a real bed and air conditioning. As we got closer to the arch, I read the letters "Cemetery."
Well, not quite the ending I was looking forward to...
Now my clothes are clean and put away, my hair is untangled for the first time in 7 days, and in a few minutes, I'll get to see the pictures I took throughout the week. I should be really excited.
But I don't have to get up and take down my tent in the morning. I don't have to be in the next city before the SAG wagons sweep the highway. And I don't have to drink Gatorade again until I do another organized ride.
I'm going to miss it so much.
bikemaster: jrnylst at att dot net
