Miles Ridden: 73.4
Avg Speed: 14.8 mph
Avg Heart Rate: 117 bpm
Climbing: 1,142 ft
Calories Burned: 1,891 (need to recalibrate)
Hot and humid ... flat ... tired ... second wind ... eager for rest day
Today' route and map --
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/40966549
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| One Last Picture From Last Night's Rodeo |
73 miles is 73 miles right? Well, not quite. Today was the same mileage and similar terrain as yesterday, but could not have been any different. What changed? The temperature for one. The body for another. I felt tired from the get go and was yawning quite a bit. I rode my own pace and really cut it back. We had strong cross winds that became head winds for about three miles on two separate occasions. That made me more tired and the increasing temperature and humidity really began to take its toll. The first SAG was not until mile 40, but I stopped at at town around mile 24. I practiced the drink and dump method ... drink one bottle of water and dump the other one over my head, neck, and back.
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| Small Pond Early In The Day |
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| Lots of Large Farms Today |
The only SAG came in the town of Canistota at mile 40 and included a first for me ... chocolate milk during a ride. Several folks had said it was a great way to go. I found it very refreshing. Ice laden bandannas were also a hit. Karen uses that technique on hot days in Maine. I stayed with the drink and dump approach. Following the SAG my energy level started to significantly improve and I kicked it up some. Mike set up a water stop around mile 50 and I filled up as the heat was pretty strong. I felt better and better with each mile and was able to finish the last 20 miles very strongly. Even with the late second wind, my average was just under 15 mph. That said, I still was in around Noon.
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| We Could See The Rest Stop Coming For A Long Time |
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| Large Silo and Processing Location in Town |
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| Another Farm On The Way Into Sioux Falls |
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| Cows In Mud In The Middle Of The Rud |
Sioux Falls is a major metropolis ... over 175,000 people. The last few miles were pretty busy and saw a few folks from our group go down from oil slicks and bridge joints. We focused on not getting to comfortable at route wrap before dinner. The rooms were not ready given our early arrival, so I headed to Sonic for a light lunch and mileshake. The area is very built up and includes numerous retail, hotels, and restaurants ... typical city/suburban sprawl like you would find out east. I spent a quiet afternoon watching the Tour and napping. Dinner was at a local buffet. A few folks headed for night caps, but I opted for a night in with a movie (French Kiss) and a a few long phone calls with my girls and friends Sue & Bob (they are in Alaska after driving cross country in their RV).
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| Sioux Falls Skyline |
Not a lot of pictures today ... not as much to see. Rest day tomorrow ... ahh.
Good night moon ... good night heat ... good night water ... good night South Dakota sprawl (who would have thunk that) ... good night rest
