Mac and Cheese 1200km

Driving home from the Mac and Cheese 1200k on Labor Day, Steve asked, How do you feel completing your first solo 1200k and completing all the required rides for the RUSA cup?" I guess... excited, good?! "Well, you don't act like it." I brushed it off as lack of sleep. Steve asked again later in the week, and I said some bullshit answer and played it off as recovering hard which caused him to say "you're lacking any and all emotion from this. It's like your emotionless!" He was right. I felt numb. I felt exhausted going into Mac and Cheese, and the ride completely drained me to nothing. This wasn't a physical tired, because to my surprise my quads felt back to normal by Tuesday evening and this wasn't a sleep tired either. It was different. I could barely make it threw the days at work and everyday tasks like changing the llama water became overwhelming. I spent more time on the couch the week following Mac and Cheese then I had combined the entire year. A week and half after Mac and Cheese I finally went to the Doctor. Back in June I didn't talk about my crash at the IN 600k much. Mostly because we went from 600k to National Homebrewers Conference to a bike camping vacation. At the urgent care clinic two days after my crash the focus was on my shoulder as I was having problems lifting my arm and holding weight. Because my headache had gone away by Monday and because I wasn’t having obvious signs of memory loss no additional attention was given to my head. Guys, I hit the pavement hard, harder than I want to admit. I cracked my helmet. I dented my helmet. I blacked out. I didn't know why I was on the ground. I stood up, slapped a band aid on my bleeding elbow and kept riding. I couldn’t lift my water bottle out of the cage without severe tear jerking pain in my shoulder. I’m lucky steering felt like a neutral numbness. I played nausea and headaches off as Indiana heat and humidity and the lack of eating and I didn’t tell anyone. The amount of effort to focus on my cue-sheet was pure exhaustion and I was stopping every twenty miles to take a five minute nap. Should I have stopped? Probably. But, I don't regret that I kept going. The Dr. explained the impact caused the back part of my brain to take over. Anyone who knows me well knows I'm already an anxious person. The crash caused anxiety to completely take over and for the last three months I've been running in flight mode. I remember less than a month post crash telling people I felt different. People told me, "You've always been like this" or "You're fine." Except I wasn't. And the more I ignored it or payed it off as something else the worse it kept getting. I didn't feel like Lydia, I wasn't acting like Lydia. I was forgetting small details that I normally have no problems with. I started not being able to fall asleep at night, or I would wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep. At least once a week I was waking up soaked in sweat. Several minutes deep into my appointment with the Dr. I realized what I thought were asthma attacks were actually panic attacks and the Dr confirmed this. She also said it's not completely clear in the research but most believe that the night sweats were panic attacks in your sleep. Anxiety robbed me of enjoying my biggest ride of the year. I robbed me of riding with others more than I did on that ride. It gave me more than one panic attack and it left me feeling utterly exhausted. So here's my ride report full of people, places, excessive worry, and all the other crazy events that going all with a grand brevet. I remember places and people but not so much how I felt.

Two Days Out

Two day before the ride I was up early triple checking everything I needed for the ride. I was taking my drop bag items with me in a backpack to Manitowoc, WI, the end point of the ride. Steve, who was volunteering for the tide, was taking my bike and front and rear bags with him to the official start in Ludington, Michigan the next day. At exactly 8 am I pulled open my small town's post office door and picked up my new rear bag. Talk about cutting it close! Lucky for me it's a perfect fit! I feed the animals and hugged all the cats (fine, I hugged them like two or three times, but that doesn’t make a crazy cat lady) before leaving.

Steve had ridden his bike to work that morning and I drove there around 10:00. I decided to ride the bus from Lafayette, Indiana up to WI because it was so cheap at only $35. I knew I would not be fit to drive a vehicle home after the ride and renting at car seemed like a waste of resources and money. My ticket said to be at the bus stop at least a hour prior to departure. WHY? WHY? I sat inside the Lafayette bus station for about half hour before starting to worry I would miss seeing the greyhound bus pull up, so I sat outside on a hot black bench in the full sun. The bus pulled up about five minutes late. I was surprised to see the bus full of people considering there was only one other person getting on with me. Several of the other riders had been traveling since Georgia! I had to ask a lady if I could sit next to her. She gladly gave up her window seat because she was so cold. Thank goodness, I was burning up. I picked the wrong seat. If you didn't know, I'm a 30/30 introvert. It's probably why randonneuring appeals to me because I don't mind the sometimes lonely miles. I like being by myself. The nice lady talked for at least 90 minutes about her life, her kids, her career, and her Walmart bicycle.

We arrived in Chicago about two hours after leaving Layette and I had about a 2.5 hour layover until the next bus. I had already researched all vegan restaurants within walking distance and was headed to Native Foods Cafe. Ugh, why did I pack so much crap? I started sweating under the weight of the bag. At Native Foods Cafe I ordered "Chicken" and waffles and a side order of Mac and Cheese. Whew, my wimpy tongue could not handle the sriracha maple syrup! I made it back to the greyhound terminal with plenty of time in hand.

Unfortunately, the next bus was delayed. I can't remember how long but long enough for me to start panicking if I was going to be stranded in Milwaukee tonight. Since I purchased my train ticket well in advance I was able to board relatively first. I was getting off at the second stop of the several stops the bus would make so I sat towards the front. My backpack didn't fit in the storage above forcing me to pull out some of my stuff. I sat next to the window and worked on finishing my RAIN ride report. A middle aged man asked if he could sit next to me. Sure! This man was even more talkative than the lady on the previous bus. Once in Milwaukee even with the late start out of Chicago I still had around two hours before the next bus. I walked across the river about 0.5 miles to the Public Market, where located inside was another all vegan restaurant called On the Bus. I got a salted caramel pretzel ice cream cone and a Italian sandwich. Both were delicious!

I walked over to a nearby brewery next called Broken Bat Brew CO. The brewery had just reopened after a steam value exploded a few months ago pretty much melting the place. I ordered a flight and loved the coconut porter. The other porter tasted questionable.

It was dark by the time I started walking back and I missed a rain storm that came through earlier. I would learn later that the storm was quite big and tornado warnings were issued in Manitowoc while I was leaving Chicago. Scrolling facebook at the brewery I learned the name of the other rider that would be riding the bus with me, Luis from Vancouver, Canada. We chatted at the terminal and on the way to Manitowoc. Our stop was the second stop after leaving. We were dropped off at a gas station a few miles from the hotel. Michelle and another volunteer came and picked us up.

Back at the hotel, we headed to the rider central in the basement where we received our drop bags, our helmet sticker, our frame badge, a water bottle, and our brevet card. I had a room to myself. I organized my drop bags and then climbed in to bed. I found it difficult to fall asleep because the riders in the room next to me were having some lively conversations. I think at one point they were talking about gravel rides.

One Day Out

I got downstairs too late for the hotel breakfast which was ok, I wasn't hungry. I was just in time to turn in my 2nd dropsack though. The first drop sack was staying with the riders as we crossed Lake Michigan on the ferry, SS Badger. I chatted with a few riders then walked down towards the ferry terminal stopping at cafe for breakfast. I had a veggie wrap with potatoes.

I made it to the ferry terminal just in time to see the Badger pull up. I was quite surprised to see how long it took for the Badger to unload compared to the ferries we had been on in the PNW. We boarded the ferry and headed to a section towards the rear for the rider's meeting. I sat on a couch and was joined by a group from Florida. We chatted and I let them know I'm going to be in their state in January and was hoping to do a brevet or a perm pending the brevet schedule. Without missing a beat and with enthusiasm one of the guys said you just made five new friends. We'll ride with you any time. I'm retired my schedule is pretty much free. After the pre-riders' meeting I exploded the ferry and meet some new rando friends. A little over half way into the ride I felt like I was going to throw up forcing me to sit outside and stare at the horizon. Feeling better I tempted fate and headed upstairs to redeem my meal voucher coupon. The young girl serving the food gave me extra mushrooms since she didn't know if the guacamole had dairy in it or not, any since I wasn't getting meat, and all the desserts had dairy in it. In the back of my head the whole day I was worried about Steve forgetting one of my bags for the bike or the even the bike itself or being late and me missing the bike inspection.

The crew on the ferry decided the bikers could exit prior to the cars. As the ferry was docking, Steve called and we waved at each other. The ferry docked and I meet Steve in the parking lot near our truck. He remembered my bike and both bags, whew! Watching the 30 some other riders get off the ferry was pretty cool to see. We drove a mile to the hotel, and once there my bike passed inspection, hooray! I didn’t take Steve’s offer to go visit the lighthouse. We’ve seen it before on a previous vacation. I received breakfast for in the morning which was oatmeal, dairy free yogurt, granola bars, and some pastries. They roomed Steve and I together although I was willing to room with other female riders if it made things easier. I doubled checked I had what I wanted in both my rear and front bags, laid out my clothes for in the morning, and went to bed.

Day 1 Ludington, Michigan to Mackinaw City, Michigan (Over the Bridge) 230 miles

Photo credit: Vincent Dominguez

I slept decent considering it was the night before a big event and being in a strange bed. I showered and tried to french braid my hair but failed miserably. After a second failed attempt I settled for a simple braid. The temperature was in the i don't know what to wear zone where I thought I would get too warm with all my cold weather gear but too cold without it. I settled for only my long sleeved woolie over my RUSA jersey and my new Jules Thread shorts that don't really match my jersey but I couldn't pass up the clearance price! I wasn't hungry but forced myself to eat some breakfast. I was ready to get the ride started! I didn’t feel nervous and unlike every gravel race we rode this year I didn’t have an emergency nervous poop. Steve helped me lug my bike downstairs and I headed over to the start line. I found Michelle and had her sign my card with about ten minutes to go. I noticed the sprinklers had turned on at some point between me getting hot water for my oatmeal and now. I’m sure that caused some excitement. There was a countdown start and we were off into the darkness.

One of my favorite things about night riding is see all the tail lights light up the road. We left Ludington, Michigan which is a small harbor town halfway up the mitten on Lake Michigan. The route took us north out of the city and then on the east side of Ludington State Park and Hamlin Lake, a man-made 12 mile long and 2 mile wide lake. I was a little chilled and wished I had put on my leg warmers. Since I was with a group I didn’t want to stop. This was the first time I was using my new wahoo elemnt in the dark. With my lighted googles it made seeing the display just fine. My map holder was wet with dew, and I was thankful I printed my cue sheet on waterproof paper. I have never drafted with a group as large as the one I was in and I was a little nervous being smack in the middle and focused hard on not fucking up anyone’s day. The gopro song I attached to our DK200 video, Rock Steady, was playing in a loop in my head. Their were no rules in the paceline and it would fall apart at each hill. I thought I had lost the group and was working hard to bridge the gap, failing to realize I was pulling another group for several miles. We bridged the gap and I somehow got pushed to the middle again. Wowzers, what a temperature difference, much warmer towards the back of the group. I felt for the tandem as most of the riders passed them on the hill only to turn around and have to pass us on the downhill and flat. Our route continued north passing through Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area and Manistee National Forest. Steve and I have camped before in Manistee National Forest to watch our friend race a 100 miles in a mountain bike course. The mosquitoes on that trip were relentless and I was miserable from so many bites even with heavy duty bug spray. I was pretty happy that with the group we were cruising at 17 mph into the first control stop in the town of Manistee. The first control was a BP gas station and a small group of riders were leaving as the group I was in arrived. I’m guessing there were maybe around 30 of us or so. The line to get your card stamped was extremely long so I headed to the bathroom first. I really didn’t have to go but knew I wouldn’t make it until the next control. The sun had just rose and I decided to keep my wool on. A group was taking off just before me and I hurried to stay with them, but I got stopped by traffic on the Chippewa highway and lost the group. A few other groups would pass me but I would lose them on the hills. The route continued north before going around Portage Lake. There was a slight headwind from the NNE but nothing too horrendous and with going in and out of forested areas with was hard to pick up. I snapped a photo and some video passing Arcadia Lake and Marsh Nature Preserve after our first bigger climb of the day. The yellow velo and I would cross paths several times today. I would catch him on the up hills and he would leave me in the dust on the flat and down hills.

Photo credit: Vincent Dominguez

The second big climb was about 50 miles in and left me breathing pretty heavy by the time I reached the top. A volunteer was parked at almost the top of the hill, Inspiration Point, which was also at the Arcadia Scenic Turnout. I stopped briefly to catch my breath and let my legs stop burning while quickly grabbing some video and pictures. I continued up the hill before plummeting into a exciting downhill through the Arcadia Dunes along the scenic highway.

Our second control stop was at mile 62 at a Shell station in Frankfort. I got my card signed, ate some food, went to the bathroom, refilled my water bottles, took my wool off, and put Steve’s sun sleeves on, all of which took about twenty minutes. Along this next section I slowly caught up with Geoff, a rider from a Carolina. I think south...but not the same region as some of the other riders from Carolina. We rode along with Lake Michigan to our left and passed several lakes on our right and joked about stopping and joining in one of the yoga sessions happening at one of the lakes. Geoff stopped at a gas station and I kept going along not wanting to stop until the information control. I have never been to Sleepy Bear Dunes before and was excited to see it. I forgot to take a photo as I passed the dune which looked much larger than the dunes in Silver Lake, Michigan. I rested at the information control and ate a bunch of my snacks before hitting the road again.

I climbed a smaller hill getting to see Lake Michigan in the background before speeding down and going around Little and Big Glen Lake in along Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore before the route took us slightly southeast towards Traverse City. Just outside Traverse City we would climb the tallest hill of the day. It wasn’t too steep just long. I caught up with the yellow velo again. I made a instra story video part way up the climb. I had climbed this hill before as I recognized the area from our bike camping vacation a few years ago. I knew once I climbed the hill we would coast straight into the city. I was excited because I was hungry! I knew I was going to stop at North Peak Brewing Company and have a portabello mushroom burger or the mushroom pizza. As I was coasting towards the city my GPS yelled at me that I had missed a turn, huh? Ops, We were taking a bike path into the city. Chris, yellow velo, and I pulled into the third control of the day a holiday gas station at the same time at mile 118. There were several other riders here as well including the tandem team. I was surprised to see Steve there and freaked out a bit because I thought he was suppose to be the sweep vehicle for most of the day. The goal was to never see Steve today because if it did it meant I lost the game. He laughed, and said he was only the sweep to control stop one. Tom, the RBA from the Detroit Randonneurs signed my card. He remembered Steve and I from the AAA ride last October. Steve said he just had lunch at North Peak but would go back and eat lunch with me. I made a mistake leaving the control and ended up on the very busy road instead of the bike path.

I made it to North Peak and was nervous leaving my bike without a lock. I think I scared the waiter explaining that I was racing the clock and need everything to go as quickly as possible. I ordered the burger and fries and drank a whole glass of water. I devoured the burger and fries leaving nothing left on my plate. I was relieved my bike was still at the rack when I got back outside.

Leaving the city, the route followed several bike paths. A one point a mountain biker tore out of a parking lot just in front of me. He turned around and laughed! It was Steve. He stopped at a bike shop and was taking a bike for a spin. He rode with me about a mile before turning around. Continuing on the bike path, I remembered being on the same path that went along Traverse City State Park. We camped there three years ago after having a rest day in Traverse City and visiting many of the cities Breweries. A little further up the path I climbed a hill to see the Grand Traverse Bay. The path ended at Bunker Hill road, another area I recognized. We continued north on Bates Road that took us on the west side of Elk Lake and after rounding the top we made our way over to the west side of Torch Lake. I’m pretty sure on our vacation we missed one of these roads and went several miles out of our way and decided to travel up the the east side of Elk Lake which wasn’t too horrible because we got to stop at Short’s Brewing Company.

It was pretty uneventful all the way until the next information stop at mile 149. Vinny, a rider from the Seattle area, arrived just after me. He was happy I was there because he had lost his pen. We rode together for a few miles but he’s a much stronger climber on the hills. Damn flat Indiana land! North we rode all the way to the top of Torch Lake and through the town of Eastport and straight north for another ten miles before turning northeast towards Charlevoix. Just before turning northeast on a series of hills I meet up with Chris again. He was having mechanical issues. Vinny rode on and I decided to stay. I said I could hold things or shine a flashlight. My hand are also much smaller and might be able to reach into tight spots easier. Chris wasn’t sure what was going on. Another rider from the Detroit randonneurs stopped to see if he could help. He had mechanical issues back in Traverse City and luckily our traveling mechanic was able to help him. I called Steve to see if he could coordinate getting the mechanic to Chris. I gave him Chris’s number and exact location and left Chris with some baby wipes for his very greasy hands. The guy from Detroit, ah I can’t remember his name, rode with me into Charlevoix. He shared how he got into randonneuring and some of his most memorable rides. The fifth control stop was at mile 179 at a Holiday gas station. It was freezing in the gas station. I quickly grabbed some chips and a naked smoothie. I rounded out my meal with some applesauce, and squeezable. I couldn’t stop shaking and since the sun had set officially while I was at the control. I decided to put my leg warmers and wool back on. The detroit randonneur left a little before me but not before gifting my a pin. He thanked me for all the pulling I did on the way to the first control. On and off on the way to Petoskey I again recognized several of the roads. I enjoyed having the wahoo elemnt at night. It definitely was easier to stay on route vs just a cue sheet. The route had us going on several bike trails coming into Petoskey. Steve had sent a text asking where I was, I replied pooping in Petoskey not knowing he was relaying the message onto volunteers wanted to know my location as well. And now you know. Petoskey was the sixth control stop at mile 196. A few miles from the control I got a little lost staying on the path in Bayfront Park. This was the same time that a car followed me into the parking lot and pulled up next to another car with its headlights on. Suspicious meeting at 11pm at night? I was quite surprised to see so many people out on the bike path late at night. Most were young couples holding hands with one another. There was this older middle aged guy with a creepy mustache walking his bike. After passing him I heard a weird creek. I’ll admit I picked up my speed a bit in this section. I keep my multitool in my front bag in a very accessible spot and if anyone or thing tries to harm me I will stab them with it. A while later I came across several sprinklers going off in the path in front of me. After studying the sprinklers for a few minutes and careful calculations I made a sprint for it at the perfect timing. Woot, Woot not a single drop! I was thankful again for the wahoo as I think I would have gotten lost without it going around the airport and back on the main roads. A few riders I met later on riding with just a cue sheet did indeed get lost at that point. The miles went fast as I “knew “ the roads.

A one point along a wooded stretch I heard a very loud crash in the woods. I immediately thought bear. I started ringing my bell and saying “I’m a friend not food!” over and over. I convinced myself that bears weren’t around here and it was probably just a herd of deer. A few miles up I saw a very strange creature on the right side of the woods. It was about the height of a horse, and very bright white. My first thought was a horse, then white llama, but neither would be out in the woods. So I’m pretty sure I saw a unicorn, and no I was not hallucinating! I passed by a church I recognized Steve and I stopped and ate some food at the pavilion on our vacation. I knew I was really close, and once I got to the T on wilderness road it would be less than 10 miles to the finish of day one. On our vacation there was only one paved way into Mackinaw City and I remembered the way. As I turned to follow wilderness park road my wahoo started blinking angrily a bright red. HUH. Go straight…..it’s gravel...or never mind they paved it. Oh, a hill from a dead stop….why? The route then turned onto a bike path and there was tons of debris from the storm the night before. I entered the city. Everyone was asleep. There were no cars or people going about. The route took us down the main part of town and I started dreaming about fudge. We continued straight into Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park, (Steve and I toured the lighthouse here) giving us a great view of the bridge. I had never seen the bridge at dark before. I stopped and took a picture and saw Steve had texted me. I decided to want to text since I was less than a mile or so from the last control for the day. The last control was at Oldies BBQ. I was greeted by some volunteers outside when I arrived just before 2:30 am. They were transporting bikes across the bridge via a trailer. I grabbed what I needed off the bike and headed inside. There were two volunteers inside, Lynne and Sarah. The chef started cooking me a black bean burger while I looked over the side options. Sadly, there were no veggies and the beans were full of bacon. I settled for a baked potato topped with the cherry BBQ sauce. Steve came in! I chatted with him about how I was riding in a sea of veterans that most having been rando riders for several years and completed more than a five grand brevets. Lynn said, “everyone was once in your shoes!” I could not figure out why the black bean burger was taking so long to grill and started to panic that I was cutting too much into my sleep time. I ate two more potatoes before the burger came out. I’m glad I ate the potatoes because the after two bites of the burger I couldn’t stomach anymore. It was probably the worse black bean burger I had ever had. Steve was hungry and didn’t care so he finished it. Steve had been transporting riders over the bridge. Since there was less than ten riders still on the course Steve was relieved of his duties after taking me across the bridge. I walked out to the truck and immediately started shaking from the cold. I cranked the heat up in the truck but still had a hard time getting warm. My memory going across the bridge was a little foggy. I’m not that fond of heights and I can’t tell you how thankful I am we didn’t have to ride across it!!! I don’t think I would have been able to do it with the height, length, wind, and grated bottom. At the hotel I was given my overnight bag. There was much debate of which room to put me in. There was one bed available in a room with another women in it but she had been asleep for awhile. The last female was probably going to come in after I was sound asleep. They were running out of rooms and didn’t know if they had enough for Steve and I to have one to ourselves or not. It was finally decided Steve and I would share a room with another volunteer after I said no worries we are all adults. We can change clothes in the bathroom. I felt like our room was the farest from the central location. I set my clothes out for the next day, refilled my food and water, showered, and crawled into bed and slept for three hours.

Day 2 St. Ignace, Michigan to Manistique, Michigan (Shipwreck Coast) 187 miles

The alarm went off and it took about 15 minutes for me to roll out of bed and get dressed into my Dry Dock Brewery jersey. I couldn’t find my hairbrush so I attempted to finger comb my hair and failed miserably. I brushed my teeth and grabbed my things as I headed back to the meeting room as Steve snored away. I ate a giant bowl of oatmeal, and a container of yogurt before locating my bike and loading the day 2 map. I got started about 30 minutes later than I was hoping according to a timeline I set for myself a week ago. We would have a kinda tailwind out to the lunch point and then the winds would shift and we would have a headwind for the rest of the day. The temperature wasn’t too bad in the morning and I was comfortable with just by wool long sleeve under my jersey. The overnight was in St. Ignace which is the southern most point in the UP. The route took us east just long enough to hit the Huron coast line (Evergreen Shores) before we turned north. I stopped to take a picture after a coast downhill and to instagram that I was back on the road. The route cut west then took us north through the Sault Ste Marie State Forest towards the northernmost point of the Upper Peninsula to a town called Whitefish that would serve as the first control stop of the day at mile 76. Whitefish is the site of the sinking of the 800 foot laker Edmund Fitzgerald in November of 1975. Our route followed a highway for most of this day, which I was not a big fan of because while the shoulders were generally very large the traffic was still moving at a very fast speed and most would not even move over slightly. My legs were awake for the most part within a couple of miles. At about mile 25 I had to pee really bad and unfortunately there was not a good spot to go along the road. There was at least twenty feet from the road to the tree line with waist high misunderstood flowers in the way. I thought about just stopping and using my she-wee and peeing off the bike like the guys sometimes do, but the traffic seemed a little much for that and with my luck a cop would probably drive past. Oh look a cop, haha! GPS alerted me that at the turn at mile 32 were services and I tried to think of anything else besides having to pee. Just so you know hills seem 10x worse with you have to pee.

I gotta pee, ahhh!!!

I got to the store and saw some other rando riders there. My fingers were crossed that one there was a bathroom, and two that no-one was in there. I quickly found the bathroom and barely got all my clothes off. Relief. There was a knock on the door and the voices of several people. I start pulling up my bibs up when somehow they got caught up in my bra. I panicked as the minutes started to tick by and I’m dancing around like a crazy person. I finally got my bibs straighten out and threw on my wool long sleeve and opened the door to see the whole crew of Florida rando riders staring back at me. Nervous smile. I straightened my wool and put my jersey on. I browsed the store for some snacks since it would be another couple hours before lunch. I settled for some chips. I ate a few with some squeezable baby food and applesauce from my bag. The clouds were looking questionable. Some riders decided to put their jackets on and I decided to tempt fate. I thought I would get too warm with my jacket on and the clouds looked I would play the game jacket on jacket off with them.

I set off and it wasn’t long until the Florida riders caught up with me. I rode with them a bit. They are very consistent riders. It started to sprinkle. They stopped to put jackets on and I decided to tough it out and keep going. The Florida riders eventually caught me a little while later. I rode with them a bit but couldn’t keep the pace on the hills. No big deal. The rain started coming down harder. I was too stubborn to stop and I had to keep flipping my bag lid up to get rid of the pooling water because I was too stubborn to stop and fix all the cords to prevent this. I’m not exactly sure how long it rained, maybe an hour or two. I saw a sign that read “watch out for moose next two miles”. I texted my co-workers as one of them was born and raised in Michigan. “You didn’t tell me I would encounter Moose on this ride!” Also why do I keep seeing signs at stores advertising for bear bait? OMG! It probably was a bear last night!

The route took us NNE so that at around mile 60 the route passed a gorgeous area where we saw the Tahquamenon River on the left and Lake Superior on the right. This was the first time I had seen Lake Superior. I couldn't see Canada across the water. The water looked cold and the waves harsh. The route followed the coastline all the way up to Whitefish. We passed through Paradise and I remember thinking this sure doesn’t look like Paradise at all. Maybe it is called Paradise for being the wild blueberry capital of Michigan or was it the US? But who likes blueberries that much? I remember see many houses for sale and seeing many empty stores on this section of the route. About seven miles out from Whitefish I started seeing other rando riders. The route would double back on itself for about ten miles. I rang my bell at every rider, heehee. I was at peace that even though I left about the same time as many of the riders I was seeing they were about one hour plus in front of me. I think I rang my bell at at least 30 riders. I made it into Whitefish and the place was very busy with tourists.

Steve was there. I took off my wool and laid it in the sun to dry a bit. I went inside for lunch. Nothing looked good. I picked at my pb and jelly sandwich, ate all my hummus and pretzels, ate some of my soup (Steve ate the rest because it was just too heavy for me), and ate some cookies. I went to the bathroom and reapplied some chamois cream since the rain probably washed most of it off. I stayed at the control longer than I should have. A few riders arrived while I was there. Steve asked if I wanted to go check out the lighthouse or the shore, and I said if I had more time yes but for a now a quick photo will have to do. I got back on my bike and rode off. I saw a tandem on my way out and yelled tandem but the guy next to the bike didn’t even look at me.

Heading back south, I saw three riders Nigel, Chris, and Geoff. The scenery for the rest of the day is a blur and I would have love hate relationship with the forest pending whether it helped block the headwind or make it feel like I was riding in a wind tunnel. Ten miles after leaving Whitefish I stopped in Paradise and put my leg warmers on. As usually I had a difficult time getting them over my shoes and this time I fell backwards on my butt. At least my bike was laying down and I wasn’t trying to hold that up at the same time. After Paradise the route turned SW and headed through Tahquamenon Falls State Park. At mile 102 we pass the lookout for the Taquemenon Upper Falls. I felt pressed for time and only stopped to take a photo of the sign and eat some snacks. Steve got some shots at the falls though.

The route traveled along highway M-123 which curved in and out of Lake Superior State Forest and Newberry State Forest. The highway made me a little nervous because while again the shoulder was huge and there was a rumble strip traffic was moving very fast. The second control stop was in Robert’s Corner at mile 128. I arrived about 7:30 pm and was starving! The cafe was still open and very few patrons were still inside. Steve was asleep in the truck but eventually came in to join me. There wasn’t much on the regular menu I could eat so I ordered a bunch of sides. I ordered french fries, mashed potatoes, rice, and green beans. I contemplated getting a piece of cherry pie too. As I ate a flood of text messages came in mostly from my co-workers about the moose sign. Brittney was very resurring that it wasn’t just bears and moose I would need to worry about but also wolves. Great! Larry and Michael from Jersey (I think, east coast for sure) came in about 20 minutes after me. Service took forever and all I could think about was how this was cutting into my sleep time later on. I was only hoping to stay about 30 minutes but with the slower service it ended up being more like 50. Michael and Larry had just gotten their meal when I was getting ready to leave. I thought about waiting and riding with them since the sun was now setting. I was conflicted. I knew I needed to keep moving if I wanted to maintain getting at least three hours of sleep. What if I waited and couldn’t keep up with them? What if I got sleepy and laid down for a few minutes and became moose, bear, wolf, or mountain lion dinner?

The sun was setting fast as I left. The route took us down some country roads to avoid a busy highway with a narrower shoulder. Unfortunately, the route eventually had to rejoin the highway to avoid sand and gravel sections. Where it rejoined was a safety checkpoint manned by Jeremy. “Do I pass? Do I pass” There wasn’t much traffic as I traveled on this section but the traffic there was again was moving very fast. Later on the temperature dropped and I could barely make out through the shadows the water from Manistique Lake. I started to get sleepy, so sleepy I was starting to swerve. Stay awake Lydia! You’re surrounded by forest with who knows what is lurking inside. Most of the time the act of looking for a safe spot to nap usually wakes me up. I remember being in the state of there but not really there, swerving a little, then seeing two red reflectors which I was pretty sure were tail lights up in the distance. It was around 11 pm so the chances that those were rando riders was very high. I started to “chase” them down. The next section of the route followed a road that curved along the Manistique River on one side and marsh like area on the other. Up and down and twist and turns squirting through the fog I would still get small flickers of red lights. It crossed my mind that I might be hallucinating but if I was it was keeping moving at a good pace. I also thought I could be seeing reflectors from mailboxes but the mailboxes never came. I arrived at highway 77 and stopped for a minute to give my butt a small rest. Across the street were several bikers (motorcycle bikers) chatting and having a good time. I hollered out to them asking if they saw some riders come through not long ago. They replied with not even five minutes ago! We chatted for a few minutes before I set off again.

The final control stop prior to the overnight was at mile 165, about ten miles south on 77. I arrived at the closed gas station and saw two volunteer vehicles. I approached the vehicles and saw no-one in either for I couldn’t see Jeremy sleeping toward the back of the van and the other volunteer had his seat leaned back so far I couldn’t see him in the dark. I contemplated snapping a photo in hopes that would be good enough for my card because I didn’t really want to wake them. I rapped on the window tentatively. One more tap before the volunteer woke up. He was so polite. He offered me food, water, and even a chair to sit down. I sat for five minutes then decided I needed to get going because I was starting to shiver. The next 22 miles went by extremely fast and I didn’t get sleepy as I traveled SW to the overnight in Manistique which is right on Lake Michigan.

I arrived at the overnight at 2 am. I was rooming with Steve again and he had already went to bed. On the menu tonight was a mexican dinner. The volunteers had saved me a whole pan of cheesy enchiladas and I was heartbroken telling them I don’t eat cheese but thankful they thought of me. Ron, from Indiana, was volunteering and it was so awesome to see a fellow rider from Indiana. He served me a giant plate of rice, green beans, corn, chips and salsa, mexican bean salsa dip, chips and guacamole, and chocolate chip cookies. Eric the mechanic and another volunteer were deep in conversation about all the different rando bikes lined up on the bike posts. I sat down and ate everything and went back for seconds. No other riders came in while I ate. I grabbed my drop sack and made the long journey to my room. It always felt like I had the furthest room from control central. I’m pretty sure this was the hotel that had stairs. Don’t trip Lydia! I laid out my clothes out, reset by bags, showered, and crashed for three hours.

Day 3 Manistique, Michigan to Green Bay Wisconsin (The Wild West) 201 Miles

This was the hardest day for me mental and physically. There was no snoozing the alarm this day, I got right out of bed. I put my LEL jersey on and packed my drop sack. I still didn’t know where my hairbrush was and made no attempt to tame my hair. Lael Wilcox didn’t wash her hair for 17 days while she was riding the TABR and no one gave two shits. I would be fine. I grabbed my front bag and headed down to command center for breakfast. I was still a little full from the night before but the first control stop was pretty far so I ate some oatmeal with dried cherries, yogurt, and juice. Several riders were leaving about the same time and I spotted a few other LEL jerseys. I left around 7 am and just outside the hotel I stopped for a photo of the sun rising over Lake Michigan. Pretty much all of today’s climbing was concentrated in the first 90 miles. After our highest peak around 90 miles the topography map for the second half showed lots of downhill and a flat finish. The morning was slightly cool but not cool enough for warmers. A full sun came out and I was glad I put some sunscreen on before leaving. 6 miles in we had an information control at Indina Lakes State Park. We continued west through the Hiawatha National Forest.

Around 30 miles I had pee really bad and there was no waiting to the nearest public bathrooms. I took advantage of a farmer's access road behind a tree line. Did I mention today like yesterday we were travelling on a busier highway with fast traffic in more headwind? The shoulder was very wide and had a rumble strip. There was a no trespassing sign on the gate. I hoped they didn't have a camera mounted anywhere, but I’m pretty good at being as discreet as the boys. Not even a few miles down the road I got my first ever flat on a brevet. There was no mistaking it was a flat tire as within a minute there was no air left at all. Karma? Probably. I cried because this was the first time I had to change a flat tire not in a controlled environment. I had trouble getting the tire off. Why didn’t I do more grip training exercises after winter? I found the culprit very quickly, a two inch long piece of wire. I didn’t bother with patching. I just threw a new tube in and got the tire back on except for about 2 inches. I struggled hard core. Luckily, Larry and Michael passed and helped me. I got the wheel back on and started climbing another hill. I had a minor panic attack here. I was worried about being a little behind the “schedule” I had set for myself and it wasn’t like I would be able to pick up time later on. The wind was coming from the SSW and we were always traveling west or south. We continued west just skimming the top of both Little and Big Bay del Noc.

Around mile 43 there was a restaurant and gas station in the city of Rapid River. Since it had been about four hours I stopped to grab some water, food, and use the bathroom. I was surprised to see so many riders here. I thought surely I was bringing up the rear by a long shoot. Many were having second breakfast at the restaurant. After yesterday’s experience at the other restaurant I opted for whatever I could find at the gas station to save some time. Back on route, I stopped briefly to take a photo and video of a sandhill crane. It was the closest I had ever been to one.

Heading southwest, in Gladstone, I almost missed a turn but my gps yelled at me within seconds. At mile 71 in Bark River southwest of Gladstone, I stopped at a convenience store and ate some food from my bag. There were a few other riders here and left a few minutes prior to me. As I was leaving I saw Nigel and Chris ride by. There were really moving today. I’m guessing they were on a mission to get more sleep than they had the previous two nights. I rode with them for a little while until they stopped to get some ice cream. Throughout the whole day I would occasionally ride with others but it was never for very long. Around 3:30 or 2:30 I can’t remember exactly where the transition from eastern to central time zone was but either way I noticed I was feeling really warm and I noticed my arms were getting very red. Crap! It had over 8 hours since I had put sunscreen on. I was still wearing my old reading glasses and I laid them on top of my front bag. When I grabbed the sunscreen out of my rear bag my front wheel tried to take off. After putting on sunscreen and my sunglasses I saw a couple riders coming up the road. I hopped on my bike and rode on. I traveled with them and eventually Chris and Nigel again as well, but got dropped on the short punchy hills. Four miles down the road I realized my didn’t have my reading glasses. I never put them back in my bag. Dammit! I used them at night under my night goggles with lights on the side. Someone asked if I was going to go back and get them. I laughed and add 8 miles? Hell, no!

I was surprised to see about ten bikers at the first control stop at mile 95 in Faithhorn. Lunch was an authentic western saloon. I remember the ride organizer’s mother was celebrating her birthday today and wished her a happy birthday. I refilled my water bottles and went inside and sat at the bar. I was a little chilly inside. My lunch was separate from all the others. I picked at the PBJ sandwich and ate all the chips, carrots, and pretzels and hummus, and chocolate chip cookies. Before leaving I used the washroom. My bum was just beginning to feel a tiny bit sore so I applied some more chamois cream. I'm pretty excited that my butt didn't get sore until over 500 miles! Everyone else had left by the time I was ready to leave. I knew Geoff and yellow velo Chris were still behind me but didn’t know if anyone else was either. I didn’t know how far behind they were but I assumed I was looking at another night traveling alone. Earlier in the day I was getting sleepy and I had downloaded the next radio app in an attempts that singing some tunes would help keep me awake. Luckily it did. Not long after I left the saloon did I have to play some music. I don’t remember much of the route or miles as we headed south going through Escanaba River State Forest from Faithorn to the next control which was an information control at River State Park at about 130 miles.

Photo Cred: Richard Burnside

I saw the sign with the phase on it that I need to write down on my brevet card and briefly stopped. I noticed the volunteer van but really didn’t see any volunteers. Then I heard them holler at me. There were quite a few there! They were so excited to see me. I admitted that today was a rough today and I had had a flat tire. Jeremy quickly got the pump and aired my tire from 30 psi to its normal at 40 psi. Katie gave me one of the best hugs I have ever received and said how proud she was of me. She said some other things whispered in my ear as I tried not to cry in front of everyone. Richard insisted on taking my photo. After eating some food, filling my water bottles, and a life check response back to Steve I was on my way. The volunteers are amazing! Even though I was one of the last to pass through they made me feel like a superstar and unstoppable. Richard even gave me his number and said if I get sleepy to text him. He was running sweep and he would let me nap in the car for a bit. I learned Geoff DNF’d at Faithorn and I was super sad. Yellow Velo Chris was a few hours behind me. I pedaled off in the grass back towards the road and joked if I fall “Don’t tell Steve”.

The route became pretty flat even though it was following the Menomonie River which was the border between Wisconsin and Michigan. I had some music going and tried to match the tempo to keep my pace up. The sunset was amazing across the water. After dark as I neared Marinette I could have swore I heard a pack of wolves not too far in the distance causing the hair to raise on my arms. Thanks Brittney for telling me about the wolves! It was a lively jazz band playing on a stage across the river. After crossing the river in the city I crossed over into Wisconsin and totally missed the welcome to Wisconsin sign. Just outside the city was the final control stop before the overnight at mile 148. As I was getting my stuff out Larry and Michael showed up. They had went to the wrong gas station. It was freezing inside the super nice gas station. I’m pretty sure this is one that had a huge selection of food and healthier foods at that. Larry proposed we stay together for the remainder of the ride. They said they would ride whatever speed I was comfortable with. This was a great situation for both of us. Riding with others would help keep me awake and moving while they had the benefit of my gps giving us turn by turn. I quickly refilled my water bottles, used the bathroom, and ate some snacks so they didn’t have to wait on me too long.

Larry is a great story teller and conversation was super easy. I definitely felt better than I would have riding alone and going much much faster. Michael is pretty quiet and I wondered at times if he was just following Larry’s taillight in front of him. They had gotten lost and added several miles the first day and have been trying to catch up ever since. Looking at the topography on my gps the route was flat except for this really weird sharp peak. I was convinced it was a giant ass hill with an insane percent grade and at the top was a secret control. Larry laughed! I know there’s going to be a secret control tonight Larry I can feel it! The route went sw to the city peshtigo before heading straight south along the Peshtigo Harbor State Wildlife Area. We then traveled along the coast of Lake Michigan and the Green Bay West Shore State Wildlife Area on our way south to Green Bay. I could feel the temperature change depending on how close to the lake or not we would be. Sometimes it would be hair raising cold for a few tenths of a mile then back to feeling warm and comfortable. Richard and the other volunteer riding with him would pass us throughout the entire night. They had also texted Steve letting him know I was traveling with two others and they would keep a close eye on us all night. I’m told Steve immediately relaxed and went to bed.

Further down the road, we saw vehicles parked on the side of the road and thought there was some construction or something. It ended up being a secret control! The volunteers logged our passage. I think I remember Ron being there. About 15-20 miles out we stopped to put some warmer gear on and go to the bathroom. OMG Ladies, I can’t sing enough praise about the shewee/go girl/freshette. There was no trying to find a poison ivy less wooded section away from the road and the group so no one would see my bare arse. Nope, all I did was just turn my back and peed off the side of the road except like the men. My jerseys are long enough no one can see a thing. The remainder of the miles went by so fast and I was starting to get excited about dinner. All we knew is that it was Italian night. I was dreaming of a giant bowl of spaghetti. Heck, I would have been happy with just a bowl of noodles if the sauce had meat in it.

Once in Green Bay we were shocked at how many people were out and about for being well after midnight. The outside of bars were packed with people. I almost hit a pedestrian as she ran drunkenly across the street to pet a dog. We stopped at the bridge on Fox River to snap a photo of a brightly colored bridge a few blocks over. We finally made it in just after 2 am. Outside the dining room was a rider sitting on a bench. He wanted to leave and start day 4 but the ride organizer would not let him leave until 4 am. The control stops after the overnight do not open until a certain time and there was concern about this being a holiday weekend in a city with a high DUI rate. Sadly, the Italian night was pizza. The ride organizer handed me a plate of rice, black beans, kale, and veggies. I thanked her. I never want to be “that vegan” and I’m thankful for all the accommodation that were made for me. I shouldn’t have gotten my heart so set on pasta. I devoured the food on the plate and waited a few minutes. Yup, still starving. Michelle was moving the pizza somewhere else when I asked for a box. I told her I was going to scrap the cheese off and eat the crust. Larry, Michael, Michelle, and Geoff and I all chatted about how weird of a sport randonneuring is. What other sport would a partner be glad their partner was traveling with sometimes complete strangers of the opposite sex. Or how no one cares about letting one rip. Slice after slice I peeled the cheese off and ate the crust until I ate the whole pizza. I told you I was hungry! At some point another rider came in waiting to leave and Michelle was very firm no one was leaving until at least 4 am. The rider said she needed to make accommodations to which she replied she was very clear on the website, in emails, basically everywhere the intents of this ride. Many areas were very remote and she did not have the personnel to have us spread out. I grabbed my drop bag and headed to my room that I was once again sharing with Steve. Not exaggerating here but pretty sure our room was the furthest possible from the dining area yet again. The room was on ground floor next to the pool. I thought about sneaking a dip, but sleep. Like the night prior I laid out my clothes, re packed my bag, and showered. And once again I set the alarm for three hours.

Day 4 Green Bay Wisconsin to Manitowoc Wisconsin (Say Cheese!) 135 miles

I don’t even think Steve heard me get up. I quickly changed into my favorite and most comfortable kit, my mermaid kit by Jules Thread. My hair was a tangy greasy mess so I either always had my cap on or helmet. Again there were several riders leaving around the same time I was, most of them were averaging two to three additional hours of sleep though. Nothing looked good at breakfast and I really wasn’t that hungry considering I ate an entire pizza crust not long ago. I drank some juice and ate a silk yogurt and grabbed a bagel to go. Someone grabbed my bike for me. Yellow velo Chris came in as I was leaving just after 7 am. He looked exhausted. The route took us on a bike path to exit the city along Fox River. It was a comfortable temperature outside but the first several miles it felt like my core was on fire. My extremities were cool.

The bike path was flat but it felt like it was all I could do to get into double digit speeds and even then it felt like I was going through mud. We hit the steepest of the hills we would encounter in the next few miles. I can’t tell you how many times I calculated in my head how fast I need to go in order to make it on time. I was nervous that I hadn’t even hit the headwind section and I was having this much difficulty. At nine miles there was an information control at Scary Cheese. Brain, a rider from California, caught up with me. He was having achilles issues. We chatted for a bit. We hit a steep hill and I almost wanted to walk up it. My hips screamed. Brian was a bit in front of me and there was no-one visible behind me. At the top of the hill I had what I thought was an asthma attack but it was really a giant panic attack. I’m thankful noone was around me because they would have probably called 911. It didn’t last too long and then I ugly cried for about a mile. All of a sudden my legs woke up, my core wasn't on fire, and I felt much better.

The south had taken us south out of Green Bay all the way to Scary Cheese before turning NNE. In Pine Grove just outside Bellavue was the first control stop of the day at mile 20. I grabbed a naked smoothie and a gatorade. Some volunteers were there and snapping photos. The Mark Thomas Express Train tried to convinced me to ride with them but I declined. I was so sure that they were going much faster than me. Strava flybys revealed they really weren't and I would have been fine. I needed to eat something as I didn’t really have breakfast that morning. Brian left a few minutes before me but got turned around leaving the control and doubled back as I was leaving. I guided him the correct way. We rode into the next control together at mile 43 a Exxon Gas Station in Casco.

Photo Credit: Vincent Dominguez

I didn’t stay long since I had plenty of nutrition and hydration and the next stop was only 20 miles up the road. Brian and I continued to ride together. Sometimes one of us would go faster than the other but would always wait at the turns. At one point a turn took us down a gravel road. Michelle had said if at any point you are on gravel longer than 20 feet you have gone the wrong way. Our cuesheet and gps said we were suppose to be on this road. A quick facebook check showed that it was indeed the correct road. A road crew had laid fresh gravel the day before. With bigger tires on my bike I felt like I was flying threw this section. What I love about riding in Wisconsin is that some areas the hills are long and gradual on both sides. My hips definitely appreciated this as the day went by on the up side and my butt on the downside. We arrived at Renards Cheese, an information control at mile 63, around 1pm. There were several riders there getting ready to leave. I asked the Mark Thomas Express Train how fast service was and they said not very. I went inside and took a peak the menu. I decided it wasn’t worth wasting the time to wait for a veggie sandwich that probably wouldn't be very good since veggies were not their specialty. I told Brain I was moving on and that I would take longer at the next control and hopefully we would meet up there.

As I neared Sturgeon Bay and got closer to the coast of Lake Michigan I could really feel the wind. What’s another day with mostly headwinds? I was told later we had 600 miles out of 776 miles of headwinds! I reminded myself that I had been thru worse and that I would make it today, all I had to do was keep moving. Some of the route looked familiar to me. I wondered if I rode some of these same roads on the Million Meters of Milk last year. On a small hill a truck laid on his horn. He passed giving me more than three feet but laid on the horn again. I waved and he gave me the finger out his window. All the cars up to this point had been very courteous. The Mark Thomas Express Train was getting ready to leave as I arrived at the control a BP gas station. They again invited me to ride with them. I said I didn’t want to hold them up I needed to eat something and go to the bathroom. I would have hated for them to wait for me for ten minutes and then drop me on the first hill! A McDonald's was attached to the gas station and I ordered and devoured an entire large fry. Larry and Michael we there too and I rode out with them. There was another California rider that I had ridden with on and off throughout the day but I can’t remember his name! The route would take us straight south along the coast of Lake Michigan all the way to the finish.

It was slow going in the headwind but progress is progress. The final control stop was in Algoma at mile 92. I made sure to stock up since last stop before the end was just an information control. The sky was looking stormy so I threw my jacket on. It was hard to appreciate the coastline as it was getting very foggy. It was a stark contrast from the last time I was here on Million Meters of Milk when the greens couldn’t get any greener and the blues were the brightest blues I had ever seen. It was very slow moving in the straight headwind. I was nervous riding on the highway because it was raining and foggy. Cars don't expect to see cyclist on the road in these conditions. I could barely see Larry and Michael who were less than ¼ mile in front of me. The weather was really strange in that it would be really cold for several miles then it was like you hit a wall and it was super warm and vice versa. It rained off and on for the remainder of the day. I laughed when I passed two ducks having the best day of their life in a little water puddle in front of a barn. I lost Larry and Michael on Lakeshore Road.

Michelle warned us that we were not allowed to stop on this road and we had to obey all traffic laws. Of course as soon as I turned on this road I had to pee. Another agonizing five plus miles with having to go to the bathroom. I’m not sure how at every turn or y in the road where I thought I would be out of a straight headwind I was somehow still going directly south. It was messing with my mind. In front of a power plant and before turning on nuclear road there were some volunteers in the road. I stopped briefly because my butt hurt. Jim said, “you fuckin’ amazing, you know that?” I smiled and muttered thanks. I didn’t know what else to say. I pressed on. Nuclear road was a very bumpy road and I held a coast at 12 mphs almost the whole way so my butt wouldn’t absorb the shock.

The last information control was at mile 123 in Point Beach State Forest. I wrote the answer on my card and started to update Steve. A mosquito army came out of nowhere and I left like a bat out of hell. There was a group coming in behind me. I’m not saying I finished updating Steve while riding or if I pulled over later and tempted fate again. The sun was just setting as I rode along in the forest. I saw several deer on the road side. I got a second wind and pushed the pace faster than I had the last three days. Steve would call this sandbagging. It happened at LEL too.

I missed where I was suppose to get on a bike path and saw Larry and Michael looking at their cue sheet. I hollered I think I’m suppose to be over there. I hopped the curb and joined them. I took the lead and pushed the pace. Woot, so close to mac and cheese and beer! I lost them in the fog. I caught up with a group of four that I had seen occasionally since Algoma. I past them to avoid the speeding up, braking, and coasting. My light is super bright so I was very confident going around the twists and turns on the bike path. I got slightly lost coming off the trail less than a mile from the finish. Coming into the finish I couldn’t figure out how to turn my music off. Steve was there as well as a few other volunteers. They cheered and hugged me. I told Steve if Larry and Michael didn’t show up in ten minutes I was going back out to find them.

The few hours after the finish were a whirlwind. There were photos inside and outside. I went downstairs where most of the riders cheered! I received my Mac and Cheese medal and my RUSA 20th anniversary ride medal. Katie signed my card and gave me a big hug. Regina warmed up some vegan mac and cheese for me. To her disappointment I didn’t share any with Steve. I chatted with the Florida rando riders and well as the group from Jersey. After about an hour I couldn’t stop shaking so I knew I needed to go and shower. HAHA! Seriously, how did I pull the short straw again? Our room was up the stairs and at the very end of the hall. I slipped when stepping into the tub and fell which freaked Steve out. After reassuring him I was fine he left to grab my bag from the truck. I was going to go back down to wait for Yellow Velo Chris to finish but I could convince myself to walk down the stairs or put anything on except my pjs. Steve went down though. I uploaded all my rides into Strava and fell asleep on and off. I learned that Chris finished less than 15 minutes late and was super sad. I fell asleep soon after that and didn’t hear Steve come back in the room and crawl into bed.

Mac and Cheese was a great confidence booster for me on my journey to PBP. I know what my strengths are as well as my weaknesses that I need to attack this winter. The volunteers were amazing and supportive as well as all the riders. Steve has official chased me through three different states this year and one of those states twice. I'm better now and I'm slowly making progress to getting back to my normal self.

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