Today, we were riding our bikes through Highland Park, IL and I kept thinking we were still in New York or somewhere far away from home. Then it would hit me - I am less than an hour and half's drive from home. Crazy!!
Yesterday was our team's first official century. Overall it was a great day. We got up bright and early from our hosts in South Bend and I was feeling great. Legs were feeling loose and I was excited for another stateline crossover. The first 40 miles flew by. I literally couldn't believe we arrived at lunch in about 2 hours, even with Kate suffering her first flat on the side of a pretty busy highway. I biked with Angela Parrotta (Momgela), Kate, and Liz and we played funny "would you rather" games. A great way to pass the time.
After first lunch, we were well on our way to Chicago and soon to enter Gary, Indiana. Of course, at lunch I spoke too soon saying that the roads were just incredible and that we'd probably be at our next lunch stop (mile 80) in 20 minutes, give or take. Well, after stopping at a gas station en route and having an impromptu dance party in the front parking lot (did I not mention we're known for this?!), we definitely not expecting the terrain Gary, Indiana would throw at us. WORST ROADS EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have never been so angry at an inanimate object/state/state government as I was when I hit Gary. Pothole after pothole. I literally felt like my bike was getting a physical beating from the road. As a safety precaution, we always call out loud holes, gravel, or any other possible obstruction that could cause damage and/or an accident. Once we hit Gary, we basically had to give up on that because the whole 33 mile stretch of road we were on was a disaster. So, Gary, Indiana, if you're reading this, invest some money into your roads!
My back has been bothering me a bit, especially when we bike over 50 or 60 miles. Part of the problem, I suspect, is that the base model for our bikes is a men's frame. Given that I am a woman, and not a very big one at that, the width of my handlebars causes me to overextend my arms causing upper back pain. To help alleviate this problem, I adjusted my handlebars up and it seemed to be helping during the day. However, after I hit probably my millionth pothole on US HWY 12 in Gary, I took a huge jolt to my bike, causing my entire handlebars to completely shift position. I was super worried that I had done major damage to my bike, but fortunately I only had to readjust them to finish up the ride. I wasn't as comfortable given all the shock my shoulders were absorbing, and by the end of the trip I was pretty uncomfortable.
However, the after we made it through Gary, the ride once again redeemed itself. We got to bike into Chicago on the Lakeshore path for the last 10 miles and it was absolutely beautiful! We took many a pit stop to get out, dance, and take pictures all along the shore of Lake Michigan. We arrived at our destination: St. Paul's United Church in downtown Chicago. It was located in a wonderful part of Chicago. As I was grabbing my tote, who else but Roger Ebert drove by (or rather, was chauffeured) down the ally I was standing in. Two thumbs up for celebrity sitings!
Jamey Gaston's mother happened to be in Chicago visiting her family and cooked us a delicious meal! We all gobbled it up in record time, as usual, and headed out for a night on the town. A few of us went and hung out and a nearby pub and got the delight of meeting Kate Terry's aunt Peggy! We all had a blast and had the privilege of an extended curfew: midnight! We definitely lived it up and were excited to know that we were allowed to sleep in until 9 am, given that we had a shorter mileage day today, only 46 miles into Grayslake, IL.
I was assigned sweep today with Andrew Corcoran. Because yesterday's 105 mile ride went so well, and quick!, I anticipated we'd arrive, even being sweep, in little time. Since the mileage was short, we collectively decided to skip an official lunch and load up on Clif bars until we arrived at our host. Bad idea, at least for me.
We hit the road at 11 am, approximately 4ish hours later than our normal departure time. To begin with, one of our riders took a wrong turn within one mile of leaving and went four miles out of the way, leaving us waiting a half an hour for him to get back on track. I definitely didn't mind, because Chicago's not a bad place to hang out, but the humidity was pretty bad, and I was anxious to get to our host - basically because I feel the same way a child does on Christmas Eve, except instead of looking forward to presents, I can't wait to see Janesville!!!!!
We were lucky to run into not one, but two lemonade stands on our way. The first one was being run by a group of siblings. As we were quenching our thirst, the grandmother of the children stopped over and took pictures, names, and found out about our organization. She was so excited about all of us stopping that she was going to call the newspaper. Love it!
After many stops, a little hillier terrain, this 46 mile ride was a five hour adventure. On only two Clif bars, I'm pretty sure I was near bonking during the last five miles. It doesn't help to also lack the ability to sweat in 95 degree weather. Thanks for those genes, Mom!
The trip ended on a great note, though. We arrived in Grayslake and we were delighted to find amazing, amazing food on a beautiful lake provided by Mark Broz's family. Honestly, the family contributions on this trip are insane!!!! I gobbled up a delicious Italian vegi sandwich and dipped into the lake. Then, only an hour later, it was dinner time hosted by Wildwood Presbyterian Church. It's air conditioned and they've provided us with sleeping mats! Deluxe!!!
Anyway, I'm going to hit the hay early tonight so that I'll be refreshed for a 72 mile day into Janesville. I plan to get in before 3, get showered up, whisk myself over to a massage at 5:30 (I'm so lucky), and get picked up by my boyfriend shortly after! I can't wait!!! It's going to be a great next couple of days!!
No comments:
Post a Comment