At 1/6 into the ride Zeke was pooped. Still, the route was oh so compelling. Plus I have an association with how an occasional big effort day, the ones physiologically perhaps too taxing, sure seem to make for inflection points. In other words, that blowing up from time to time can be positive. I especially remember Don coming back in our sophomore year from a sucky erg test to just kill it the next time. Same thing at the start of my junior year with a 96 mile bike ride with M T (because holy cannoli we texted back and forth first time in decades like just the other day), Todd, Swig and a few other guys I can’t remember. Their common denominator was this ride was not as rather unusually long. See I had stayed to 20 miles rides over the summer and for that and other reasons too complex to comprehend, all basically involving lack of thought at the core unfortunately, also didn’t consider nutritional needs for such an endeavor; then Todd graciously shares a banana at a break which I can taste today and for which I continue to feel grateful. The muffins from the store at the turnaround spot were scrumptious. You know, the ones that come 4 to a plastic container with huge sugar crystals made with ingredients probably swept up from the floor. To give an idea of what that ride was like, those muffins were quite a while after I completely stopped taking the lead in the line as I was doing all I could to keep up anyway. Meanwhile, Swig powers off alone with 20 miles to go. Yes, to recap, at the top of Explorer first time through I acknowledged I was at my limit. The ride down looked too good to pass up and I was itching to experience Bittersweet the other way. Overall it was good and big surprise tiring. Parts of me normally copacetic were aching then as now and I’m sure I was panting for 80% of the nearly 2.5 hr ride / hike a bike. Does that add up to inflection point? Very glad to safely arrive back at the bus all in all.

Before embarking on that madness I met a #vanlifer who was just returning. He’s local and recommended Sweetwater. That name… I believe Mme Awesome and I rode there in 2018, both enjoying the time. Maybe that’ll be next. Not tomorrow though. I’m calling out sick.