Two days after the long day

Bracketville to Camp Wood Texas 3-30-2010 48 more miles on Texas Chip Seal. It rattles everything on the bike, it rattles the bones, the waterbottles, the hands and rattles some more. We are getting into the Texas Hill Country. It is greener with rolling hills. We passed some immense ranches today and saw sheep, cattle and huge vultures eating roadkill. Yesterday I think I was surprised I could even get back on the bike after the 111 mile day and was just amazed all day that I could still ride. Today was just a fight to keep going even though the wind was not bad and the terrain was rolling hill fun. My legs need a long break. Tomorrow we are doing some steep and serious climbing. Let's see 39 miles - if I just walk the bike the whole way I could finish in 10 hours. We have that much daylight, maybe I will just walk it.....

Sanderson to Del Rio Texas 3-28-2010

The longest day of our ride, 111 miles. I did it, I did it. The weather was great, wind was not a big factor. Some headwinds, some crosswinds but most tailwinds. Yes. Lots of rolling hills and of course Texas chipseal. It really rattled our bones.

Marathon to Sanderson Texas, March 27, 2010. We turned left our of the hotel parking lot and rode for 55 miles and turned left into the Outback Oasis Hotel. There were no towns or services in between. It is really desolate in this part of the world. The ride was fairly easy with a tailwind most of the way. Now we are resting up for the big ride tomorrow - 111 miles to Del Rio. I have been trying to help my legs recover by rolling on a styrofoam roller that someone has. It is supposed to help the circulation. I will probably also do some ice.

The lady who owns this motel keeps a room ful of live snakes just off the lobby. I glanced in but have not spent any time there. This motel is provides the basics, nothing like the hotel where we were last night.

For those of you who have not been following me on facebook, let me just say that this ride is harder than I ever imagined. The first couple of weeks I really struggled. It is better now and I am feeling stronger. I am learning to accept the wind and try to have a conquering attitude toward it instead of just wishing it would go away. I am accepting Texas chip seal as a road surface, the positive aspect is that the vibration improves the circulation. In this more desolate area the traffic is lighter which is a plus.

Fort Davis to Marathon Texas

Yesterday was a rest day. I spent part of the afternoon changing my front tire that I mended about 10 days ago with a dollar bill after I hit some debris on the road. It was the first time I did the work with someone prompting me. I also put in a new tube, just to make sure everything would be in good shape. This morning my new tire was flat. The tube had a faulty stem. Later in the morning I had another flat tire. The second tube also had a faulty stem. I have had 6 flats altogether and am tied for first place in the flat tire derby! Not an honor I wish to have. We are int he wilds of the Texas outback. There is nothing here except ranches and an occasional RV Park. The roads are chip seal, widely used in Texas. Rough. The traffic has been light and the headwinds strong and mighty.

Our hotel tonight, the Gage Hotel, is amazing. Built in the 1800's and refurbished in the 1970's very excellent accommodations.