Blog 4/1/2010--Rest day 3

From the computer in the Sanderson, TX library:

 

It may be April Fool's Day, but no fooling, we're resting.  Yesterday's blog explains why.  After three hard, long, hot, windy, hilly days, I, for one, cried 'Uncle.'  In theory, the wind is supposed to be strongly out of the east--in our face--today anyway, but so far--1:00 pm, it's not all that strong.  Tomorrow the weatherman is talking about 30 mph tailwinds--maybe more.  He doesn't seem too good at predicting the wind around here though, so we can only hope he's got it right for tomorrow.  We hope it's just enough wind to really blow us down the road but not so much it's scary/unrideable.  There's just not much to break the wind here in the desert--like a tree or a bush once in a while.  In fact, part of the difficulty yesterday was a near total lack of shade the entire 55 miles from Marathon to Sanderson.  Combined with the altitude and wind, water evaporated out of me faster than I could replace it.

 

So today is a recovery day.  If I had a coach, for once he'd approve of what I'm doing.  Eat and drink a lot, stretch, maybe some self-massage, clean/lube the bikes and check the tires for cuts, go for some nice walks to let the leg muscles do something other than go in circles.  I've found I need to use a lot more hand/body lotion here due to the dry weather, and while I hardly ever use lip balm at home, here a half-a-dozen applications each day isn't enough.  Sometimes smiles hurt.

 

Three or four times a day we have conversations with other travelers.  Some are cyclists on the same route as we are, but quite a few are motorcyclists--lots of vacationing H-D and Gold Wing riders along the way.  They are generally a happy, chatty bunch, often smokers/overweight, all of whom are amazed/awed at what we are doing.  But we still share a kindred spirit since we're all on two wheels and exposed to the elements.  We roomed next to a couple on a Gold Wing last night and the guy was chagrinned to find a big nail sticking out of his tire.  He pulled it out and was surprised to find no leak--the nail went in at an angle.  But he was still convinced the tire has to be replaced.  I tried to explain what we bicyclists know--that either it holds air or it doesn't, and since the cords obviously weren't damaged, he'd be fine.  He remained unconvinced.

 

The proprietor of our motel raises snakes and albino cats!!  But he's a really nice guy, very friendly and happy to talk.  The cats are just fine, but we took a pass on checking out the snakes, and Kathy quite sincerely hopes no strays wriggle into our room.

 

Speaking of Kathy, she points out that one thing this trip teaches is patience--not one of my best qualities as a rule.  Whether it's waiting for food or, more importantly, knowing the next town is still 25 miles up the road, there's not much you can do to hasten its arrival other than speed up--which isn't too viable a plan when rationing one's water, energy and stamina just to get there.  You just have to be patient, keep those pedals turning at a pace you can sustain, and wait out the road--even though sometimes it's awfully disappointing when the town isn't around that next bend, or--as things often are here--you see the town but turns out it's still 7 miles away!

 

Sanderson, TX is a dusty, dry desert town that owes its existence to an highway intersection and a railroad siding.  Not too much supporting the town other than tourists as far as I can tell.  It is the county seat for Terrell county and has schools--they must bus in kids from a long, long ways off, though exactly where they're living is a mystery--certainly not along the road to Marathon!  The streets are lined with yuccas, cactuses, dirt and stone, and about half the houses and half the storefronts are clearly uninhabited.  There are two restaurants serving lunch and dinner, but none serving breakfast--so we made do at the one business almost any town can support--even in the desert--the conveninece store.  Our proprietor says you can buy land here for less than $300/acre.

 

A reader asked if we use much bike food or energy drinks.  Hardly any, to tell you the truth.  Kathy uses some GUs, and we carry emergency Clif bars, but in general we eat 'real' food and drink water--lots of water here in the Chihuahuan Desert.  Often on long bike trips we get tired of eating the same diner food day after day.  Not so this trip.  Almost every meal has been a winner, and I think this is mostly due to having the choice to eat Mexican food in every town.  Breakfast burritos, homemade salsa, great enchiladas, and chips obviously made in-house. You can't judge a book by its cover, and the same is true for restaurants, especially Mexican restaurants.  Some great food in some pretty run-down looking places.

 

So tomorrow morning we'll be back to tip-top shape--as our bikes certainly seem to be--and we'll press on.  We've done 1275 miles, averaging 80 miles for our 16 riding days and a tad over 60 a day if the three rest days are included.  We're more-or-less on schedule and thanks to the wonders of modern chemistry, not too sunburned either.