quasigeostrophy | Part 6: Ashford Mill to Furnace Creek, 45 miles

I was tired of PB&J, but I didn't feel like I could handle much else. One of the volunteers at the Ashford Mill stop suggested a Slim Fast (well, a Costco reasonable facsimile, anyway). It was liquid. It was 300 calories. I had two. Chocolate. A short rest, and R and I were ready to press on. We chatted along the way, getting to know each other. The course was less crowded - I think there were maybe seven riders behind us, still toughing it out. The weather got better as well - the sun came out, and I think the temperature must have gotten to around 80 F by mid-afternoon. Those lousy climbs on the way out turned into nice descents, and I got my average speed for the ride up to 11.6 mph by the end. The climbs I had to endure on the return just didn't seem as difficult, either, after the big hill to Jubilee Pass.

R and I continued together for most of the way back. We stopped at the same rest stops, where I stuck to the Slim Fasts. He had no measure for the mileage, and asked me repeatedly, every time we would round what looked like a familiar point, if Badwater was around it. Nope, not yet. That did seem to take a while. At Badwater, I tried a turkey sandwich. Not going to happen. I ate about half of it and my stomach just kept telling me I needed to stick to more easily digestible food for a while longer. They also had sodas at Badwater for the return, but just the thought of carbonation made me queasy.

After Badwater, R got ahead, and rode on in with another pair he caught in the last five or six miles. I had another near-mishap almost in the same point where my shoelace got wrapped in the morning. I was near the top of the last climb, just over a mile from the finish, when an RV passed me without moving over. I swear I thought I felt the mirror less than an inch from my helmet.

I made the turn, and flew down the last mile. Sheesh, I'm going 35 mph. Am I going to miss the turn into the ranch and make a fool of myself at the finish line? I maintain control, cross the road, and as soon as I pull in the cheers and applause went up, and I was surrounded by a contingent of Indiana riders, all offering high-fives. All but one, that is. E came over beside me and gave me a hug. "You did it!" she shouted. "Now, don't you feel great?" J was also there. He congratulated me, and let me know that he at least rode back, and didn't pack it in at Ashford Mill, so he finished with 90. I don't remember much of what I said. I'll have no famous celebration quote, but oh well. I did it. I rolled across that finish line at 5:50 PM. And, I was not last.

S came over and tried to put my finisher medal over my head with my helmet on. She actually managed it. Then she handed me a "Finisher" t-shirt. Two of the faster guys from Indiana offered to walk my bike back to the truck for me, but first I had to pose for the "official" finish photo. I let 'em have the bike, and meandered my way back behind them, talking to E and J and others along the way. Time for a shower...