Stage 18
7/20/06
Morzine-Macon
197 kilometers, about 125 miles
Hot, hilly, and fast
The temperature was over 100 degrees F today and we drank plenty of liquids. Fans of Mark will be happy to know that he is back.
He was feeling a bit under the weather until lunch. Then, he sat down on the van, ate a McDonald’s cheeseburger, and suddenly, he was back.
Mark went on the attack and wound up the blue train to 28 miles per hour. Coach Josh looked up and said, “Where’s that been?”
Some wanted to slow down. Most people wanted the ride to end, so Mark stayed on the front until lungs were burning and legs were aching. When his mighty pull ended, Jimmy Railey took to the front and kept the train rolling. Patrick finished the job, and we got to the hotel early enough to watch the Tour on TV.
It’s funny to see the riders on the same roads we were on yesterday. We know the turns. We recognize the fat fans in small, black Speedo bathing suits.
A week from now, we will all look back and wish we were here, having our bottles made for us, riding epic climbs, having grand adventures. But this little note will serve as notice that all of us are tired.
We don’t have much left in the tank. We pedal hard, but do not travel as quickly as we did in the beginning of the trip. We hurt all over, and some places hurt more than others.
Everyone has an issue, the most common of which is an overuse issue. The only true cure for that is rest, and that is what we all need.
Tomorrow is the time trial, the day after, we roll into Paris. Everyone has enough gas in the tank for those two rides, but I don’t think there is much more than that.
Last year, as a way to force himself to recover, Coach Josh cut all the cables on the bike. He figured that if he had enough energy to restring the bike, and go for a ride, he would be properly recovered.
Often, the thing that separates the amateur athlete from the professional is attention to detail. For Coach Josh, this means paying close attention to his chain. While many people are wandering around in the morning looking for another croissant, he is scrubbing his chain clean with a rag, applying oil to it, and scrubbing it clean some more. He spins the cranks backwards until he feels the friction disappear. He’s especially keen on this treatment on big climbing days.
Tonight, we are staying in two different hotels, so we won’t have the team dinner together.
Morzine-Macon
197 kilometers, about 125 miles
Hot, hilly, and fast
The temperature was over 100 degrees F today and we drank plenty of liquids. Fans of Mark will be happy to know that he is back.
He was feeling a bit under the weather until lunch. Then, he sat down on the van, ate a McDonald’s cheeseburger, and suddenly, he was back.
Mark went on the attack and wound up the blue train to 28 miles per hour. Coach Josh looked up and said, “Where’s that been?”
Some wanted to slow down. Most people wanted the ride to end, so Mark stayed on the front until lungs were burning and legs were aching. When his mighty pull ended, Jimmy Railey took to the front and kept the train rolling. Patrick finished the job, and we got to the hotel early enough to watch the Tour on TV.
It’s funny to see the riders on the same roads we were on yesterday. We know the turns. We recognize the fat fans in small, black Speedo bathing suits.
A week from now, we will all look back and wish we were here, having our bottles made for us, riding epic climbs, having grand adventures. But this little note will serve as notice that all of us are tired.
We don’t have much left in the tank. We pedal hard, but do not travel as quickly as we did in the beginning of the trip. We hurt all over, and some places hurt more than others.
Everyone has an issue, the most common of which is an overuse issue. The only true cure for that is rest, and that is what we all need.
Tomorrow is the time trial, the day after, we roll into Paris. Everyone has enough gas in the tank for those two rides, but I don’t think there is much more than that.
Last year, as a way to force himself to recover, Coach Josh cut all the cables on the bike. He figured that if he had enough energy to restring the bike, and go for a ride, he would be properly recovered.
Often, the thing that separates the amateur athlete from the professional is attention to detail. For Coach Josh, this means paying close attention to his chain. While many people are wandering around in the morning looking for another croissant, he is scrubbing his chain clean with a rag, applying oil to it, and scrubbing it clean some more. He spins the cranks backwards until he feels the friction disappear. He’s especially keen on this treatment on big climbing days.
Tonight, we are staying in two different hotels, so we won’t have the team dinner together.
posted by joe berkeley at 8:53 AM
2 Comments:
man, i stumbled onto your blog one day too late, i would have come out and cheered you guys on, you road through my little town today!
good luck for the last few stages!!!
I'm impressed with your site, very nice graphics!
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