Day 42: Long Summer's Nap

July 17, 2022 in Rawlins, Wyoming

I actually don't have pictures from today, so here's one from last night at the hot springs.

This morning's 5 am wake-up feels like it was 10 years ago! Time is really weird on Bike and Build. We often say that every day is a week and every week is a day, and that really is an accurate description of how it feels.

I rode with Corbett today, and we had an easy and super lovely ride. We talked about our siblings, where we wanted to live, how hard Bike and Build is, and just really bonded. I hope we ride together again soon.

We spent about 20 miles on I-80, which was a bit stressful. There was a big shoulder to ride in, and Corbett did a great job of helping me look out for cars and debris in the sketchier parts. Once we got through that, we were pretty much there!

When we arrived at the host (by 10 am), we learned that the showers were being worked on, so there wouldn't be water in the building for a few hours. Around the same time, though, we got donated pulled pork sandwiches and fries, so I was too distracted by the food to be dismayed about smelling bad.

I laid down on my sleeping pad for a power nap around 12 and didn't wake up until 4:15, so clearly my body needed a lot more rest than I've been giving it. What's even weirder is that I am still tired, and I don't expect to have much trouble falling asleep!

Between my nap and dinner, I got my laundry ready to be washed, stretched, and finally showered.

We all went out for dinner tonight, and I had the first real mac and cheese of the trip! It was kind of mediocre, but being out with friends and getting hot food was welcomed. Once we'd returned to the host, I just got ready for tomorrow, and I'm planning to go to bed as soon as I post this.

Tomorrow, we are biking just under 85 miles to Jeffrey City, which is a ghost town. Literally the only functional building there is a bike hostel, which is where we will be staying. There will be Trans-Am riders there as well, many of whom we've run into a bunch of times throughout the trip.

One of my teammates let me know that there will be 22 mph crosswinds tomorrow, which will make the going very difficult. My goal for tomorrow is to grant myself the grace to decide it's too windy to bike. I expect the main reason people get off the road tomorrow will be if they feel like they are being blown into traffic.

That being said, there's plenty you can do to mitigate how much crosswinds effect you on your bike, like switching your hands to your dropbar for more control. I'll try that if it gets scary, and as always I'll put my safety before my desire to finish a ride.