Today was "Dress in Red Day" and riders wore predominantly red-colored clothing to honor those who have passed on from AIDS and people who live with HIV. Riders decorated their helmets with red feathers and garland and wore clingy satin dresses, tutus, teddies, slips--anything red. Knowing that it would be hot, I opted not to layer myself with costume pieces, but rather chose simply to wear a red jersey and red bike shorts.
I rode out about 8:30 A.M. after breakfast--scrambled eggs, French toast, potatoes O'Brien, sausage and milk. It was muggy, but not too hot at a somewhat coolish 70 degrees. I had learned from the previous day that I needed to cool down at each pit. So today, I decided the next pit would be my only goal. Rather than thinking of a single 77-mile ride, I would approach the day as six shorter rides. Each pit would be the beginning of the next ride and I would take the time to cool down, stretch, and start all over again.
Chipotle Stop - Rochester, MN (8 miles from camp)
We had a pre-pit stop this morning at the Rochester Chipotle. The terrific Chipotle crew greeted us with fabulous fresh fruit, coffee, scones, muffins and big hugs. Latin dance music blared loudly like a night club as riders danced, mingled and took pictures in celebratory spirit.
Pit Stop One - Douglas, MN (15 miles)
"Welcome to Dodge City" was the theme, with crew members decked out in western gear and Miss Kitty serving as hostess. Their Ten-Most-Wanted photo collage warned they might be up to no good, and a card table was set up for playin' some poker and drinkin' some whiskey. The "whiskey" was iced coffee... and many patrons partook of the faux firewater.
Pit Stop Two - Pine Island, MN (28 miles)
Pit 2's Cabaret theme flashed as much red as they could possibly dream up. Crew leader Carter Averbeck, dressed as their Emcee in a red and black pinstripe suit. Joyce Mundahl and Echo Thoren were the Scarlett Sisters, with balloon-festooned costumes ready for popping. Once you popped a balloon, you were able to read the message tucked inside.
By now you could feel the rising temperature as the pits grew hotter. Crew members as well as riders were dripping sweat. Gatorade, ice and water were being steadily consumed. Today would prove to be the hottest riding weather.
There were often long stretches of time where I found myself riding completely alone. Another cyclist could not be seen for miles ahead or behind me. Often, to pass the time, I would sing to myself. Not too loudly, as I didn't want to scare the cattle. Riding between pits two and three today, was one of those lonely times. But instead of singing, I began to contemplate why I was doing this. Why was I out here in this terrible heat, dreading the next hill, tying to find a comfortable position on my seat for another few miles? And in a larger sense, why was an event like this important. Did we have to ride 300 miles? Couldn't we just raise the money because it's an important thing, and the right thing to do? I spent an awful lot of money myself on this ride. New tires, a new seat, biking clothes and gear that I didn't have. Everything I bought for this ride was an attempt to make the ride more comfortable... to make the journey more enjoyable. And that's when it hit me. The money we raised for the benefiting agencies was for exactly the same thing. It would help people living with HIV make it over that next hill, that next obstacle; to make their journey more comfortable, and hopefully more enjoyable. We ride to challenge ourselves not just physically, but to understand the journey and to learn and spread compassion for those living with a dreadful disease. And for a while... that epiphany made it so much easier to ride.
Pit Stop Three/Lunch - Holden, MN (50 miles). Yes, that's right, I'm not making this up... Holden, MN
at Pit Three in Holden, MN