68 miles in 8hrs 45mins (incl. another Subway stop, one food stop where the pic was taken and NO PUNCTURES!!!)
Total distance - 2,521 miles
After yesterday's hellishly frustrating and boring day, surely today couldn't be any worse.
Well, to start with it did try. Having 'lost' an hour having crossed into New Mexico and with fixing the punctured tubes this morning it wasn't until shortly before 11am that I set out on the wet roads in full wet kit again. After yesterday's wind forecast having turned out to be a NNE headwind instead of the SSW forecast tailwind I was hoping that today's might be wrong as well and not be delivering the 5-10mph SE headwind that was forecast. It was wrong again, probably nearer 15mph but definitely SE'erly. I was very wet even after only 7 miles when I stopped for a morning Subway. Thankfully the rain eased up during that time but when I got back outside I realised I was cold. It was only 10C excluding the wind-chill. I thought this was meant to be the desert and am beginning to think I may have been a bit premature in sending home so much of my warm weather kit last week. The relentless headwind combined with a gradual 800ft climb on rough road surfaces made for a painfully slow 30 miles up to the continental divide - taking me nigh on 4 hours. Crossing this 'tipping point' gave me a real lift, which I was really in need of given the past few days. Then came the 'descent' which felt like anything but with the wind continuing to claw at me and the final 8 miles were a full out 12mph 'sprint' to get to the motel before the the downpour that was racing towards me reached it. I made it by only a couple of minutes, but my legs are paying for it now.
As for the scenery today, it was a touch better than yesterday but I think I've only taken about 3 or 4 pictures since I left Flagstaff on Wednesday and I now understand why the US Government chose Los Alamos for doing so much of it's nuclear testing. I also think that they, perhaps, should have used a bigger bomb.
Regarding the new bike, I did get your comment, Pete, asking about it. Well It's a Specialized Tricross Comp. I'll give a more detailed review once I've done a few more miles on it but my first impressions are - I really miss my Cannondale!
On a brighter note I was ecstatic to see a large 'Asian Buffet' sign next to the motel. $9.95 for eat all you can which was just what I needed. Now I may have looked fairly slim and healthy when I walked in but little did they know my capacity for the stealthy destruction of the buffet bar. I am The Ninja Buffet Eater!
