WILLARD TO JORDANELLE -Salt lake city, DAY 20 - A CENTURY RIDE 160 *

Sunset on Friday night, it was beautiful to see.

Saturday July 19th 2008, Day 20
Well, the day has arrived that we arose with the MOON, yes the moon was still over the lake when I awoke. Still over the lake when I was eating breakfast, and still over the lake when I put my foot into my shoe into my clips on my bike.


Now let me tell you, 4:55 is quite early in the morning and the sun was most definitely not up over the mountains just yet…I really tried to sleep until 5:30…but it just wasn’t happening….see many people were anxious and worried about today’s ride. And with no undo forethought, for the ride was 160 km, the first hundred into Salt Lake City, and then the next 60 km of on and of climbing into the camp ground we are staying at for two nights, up to the elevations of 7000 feet. We gained 2522 feet today.

The first hill, 5-6% incline for about 10-15 km, the second, a little bit worse and a little bit longer….then when rounding the corner on the last stretch into the park, another HILL that was monstrous, for by then your quads are burning, your legs are nearly jell-o, and your brain is telling you to stop…GET THIS, my shoes left cleat was broken since the 60 km mark, thereby leaving me with only one foot that clipped it…making it just a little more challenging for the already challenged….kidding….it was just harder to ride, for I couldn’t use my left leg to pull up on the pedal, my right leg compensated, and now I fear, I will have a bigger right thigh then my left. I will be purchasing new clip cleats for Mondays ride!! When we passed by the cycling shop we saw in one of the towns we were going by, it was closed of course…so we just kept pedaling.

Today, we started out with Steph, Sarah and I. WE ride comparably well together, and since Steph’s knee generally holds her back, it was good that I was gimpy with one clipped shoe and one not…made for an interesting team! Sarah went ahead on the hills, and made it to camp before us…although I did enjoy riding with her the first 100 k of the day….its so weird how you can go from one day, 56k last week… to over 156 the following week. The body is an amazing machine, and the extent that you can push it or make it do. A CENTURY… my first CENTURY ride… 160 km and it was quite the ride with hills and

SALT LAKE CITY....and the olympic games park.

This is where we are camping, i took this shot from the one side of the mountain where our gear trucks and kitchen trucks are parked. Via the shortcuts and thistle laden paths you can get there in about 805 steps...i counted...if you go around the long way its averaging 1200 steps....better to take the shortcut although it leaves you quite dusty and short of breath for the grade of the one climb is near 25%...good thing we don' t have to bike that one.



You can almost make out the tents on the other side.... quite a ways a way, although it makes for interesting camping conditions....