One and Done

Quick version:   One day on Tour Divide. Overheated, threw up, couldn't eat the next morning. Weak, frustrated & back at home.

Lordsburg

Waiting for 8

Good start on Friday morning, lined up with Mike G and Mike J whom I've ridden with before and several new folks. Got to meet Larry H. He's a great guy and awesome he's attempting this at 76. We had a little moment of silence for Mike Hall, and then we took off at 8am.

It was hot, always hot. I felt pretty good, took the camelback with a lot of iced water and tried to drink all the way to Hachita. Stopped there at the new little market for some drinks, and I downed two orange sodas.

I felt ok going to I-10, still a hard ride even though it's on pavement. You see the trucks on I-10 from about 6 miles away and think "I'am close" and no, you're not. But you finally get there. That little frontage road piece on the side of I-10 went well, even with a bit of headwind. As I got in, Mike J was leaving and Mike G and Evan were there. We all cooled as best we could, bought a bag of ice and split it up and everyone had cool water and headed out.

Not sure why my wheels came off, but I just suddenly ran out of energy. Evan went ahead and I rested for a few minutes. Rode a few more miles and got to a gas line crossing where there was a pole and some boxes bolted to it. It made for a shady spot and I tried to get a gel down. And I threw up. Not good, out in the middle of nowhere, mostly empty stomach, hot.

Cooler than in the sun

I lay there for twenty minutes, might have drifted off. Got up and rode past Thorn Ranch and up the hill to make the left onto Separ Road.  Then I saw something on the side of the road and it was this black lab dog out there also. He was thirstier than me, had been lying in the only mud spot I had seen yet. He came up to me, I put some water in my hands and he drank that, and then took a big 16oz swig from one of my water bottles. I couldn't spare any more for him, and I left and he followed me for a quite a while. No phone reception out there, finally called the High Desert Humane Society folks and left them some information, hope they find this fellow.

Hope they found this guy

Wind was blowing at me and I camped, knowing I wasn't even close to making Silver.  Beautiful moon rise and breezy making the tent flop around. I got up and left at about 3 am, and struggled into Silver City at maybe 7 or so. Headed for the Adobe Springs Cafe and ordered some breakfast, but I could only eat a nibble at an egg and a tiny bit of some tortilla. Stomach still flopping around. If you can't eat you can't ride and I barely made it to a hotel.

Got a hotel room, cleaned up a bit. And then just started shivering and breathing hard. Really wanted to finish this year a couple of days better than last, and just didn't feel like hanging around in Silver City for a couple of days to feel better to head into the Gila, so I called Jeff from Hachita and got a ride home. On the way back, Jeff dropped off a bunch of water & food to two guys who were touring and who hadn't gotten to pavement yet .. they were pretty red.

Coach Jen had recommended I get a rehydration at a clinic, I probably should have done that, but yesterday I couldn't even think of riding the bike to wherever that would have been, I was just in too big of a hole ( physically and mentally ).  Lost 6 pounds some place.

Kinda the mother of all "splats". Feel like I let myself & Coach down, lots of great expectations going out the window, but there it is.

Wish everyone still riding to have a fun and awesome ride. The finish is really really worth it and quitting sucks.