Ride Day 14

Yesterday I gassed out on my ride up the mountain. I was weak, had lots of cramping and had no wind or energy. I am not sure what went wrong. Maybe I have just pushed it too hard for an old man like me. I might need more rest to recover from the harder days of riding. I tried to eat well and get the things like protein and potassium that I know I need. I pigged out after I checked into the campground at Viajas Indian Reservation.

After my stop at Starbucks yesterday I rode another ten miles or so before I stopped for the night. The campsite was clean and had all the facilities including good showers and a pool. But I just showered and then laid in my tent eating and drinking. I was still getting cramps even just being in the tent resting. I rested until 5:30 in the morning then I got up.

I broke camp and headed up to the top of the mountain. The scenery was nice with a thick layer of fog in the lower valleys and the peaks standing proud. The first thing I had to do was backtrack to the freeway about 3 miles uphill then 8 miles were also uphill on I-8, just one of the few areas they let bikes on the interstate because there are no other roads. Then I did the next thirty miles on old 80 which mostly ran along the side of I-8. It was a hard ride with a good 3000' of climbing and a few downhill rushes.

I did poorly again today on the hills. My legs are still weak and started cramping while I was on the freeway. I toughed it out to get somewhere to camp but now I am taking it easy for the next day or two up at the top of the mountain. I am the only one camping there. There is a restaurant right next door where I can watch the NCAA games this afternoon and try to rebuild my health a bit. I will try to eat as healthy as I can and hope that I can beat this cramping and weakness problem. The next part of the ride is downhill then mostly flat through the Imperial Valley. I hope I get better so I can enjoy the ride more than I did the last two days of riding which were serious hard work for me.

I tried to add pics but the wifi is not up to it so pics will have to wait till later.