Day 3 Report

Total Miles 51.0

Average speed 13.2mph

Total Ascent 655m

 

My first half century of the trip! Before I start the report I thought I'd make mention of jetlag. I'm in a timezone that is 8 hours behind the UK. What has this done to me? So far I have not been able to sleep through the night - I keep waking at about 2am and then it's dozing for the rest of the night (here's hoping for tonight!). Second thing is I've found it very difficult to eat a proper evening meal. This is not a good thing because I need all the calories I can get. I suppose this is because it's the middle of the night back home. Thankfully I was fine tonight and ate like a bear. Mexican again - me gusta mucho!

 

I thought I might do this report and at the same time give you an idea of the routine that is starting to form.

 

Today began with the by-now-very-boring-but-essential stretching. The lack of appetite in the evenings has made me super ravenous in the mornings. So I went to a health food cafe I'd spotted the night before and surprised the waitress by not only going for the breakfast special (3 eggs, veggi sausage, hash browns tomato etc) but also going for a large oatmeal (like porridge) to start. This was duly destroyed along with a large coffee.

 

I usually take a few minutes to let breakfast digest and check map / route etc and then set off about 10. This is also a time to pick up any supplies/snacks required for the day.

 

The morning session is bedding down into a 30-35 miler taking about 2 and a half hours in the saddle but longer than that in real time as I stop regularly to stretch, eat, drink, take a photo or 2. Today in particular I was stopping a lot. There was a lot of climbing in the morning - this can be bad as it is tempting on a hardc climb to get frozen in gritted teeth, back bent to the task mode. This is not good for the back so more stoppages are required.

 

The morning ride was actually stunning. Tree lined roads, not too busy and a first glimpse of sea, coves and bays.

 

I also managed to stop at a recommended bakery in a place called Bay view. 2 pastries duly devoured (second breakfast!) and a welcome refill of a water bottle.

 

Shortly after joining a more major road (with very fine hard shoulder attributes) I stopped for lunch.

 

Note - much of the routine forming is very much similar to that employed by Gavin and I on LEJOG last year. I don't honestly think I could manage this trip with0ut that experience under my belt. The legend lives on!

 

Lunch is usually a leisurely hour with coffee. Topping up on sun block and chamois cream is essential... and stretching (of course!).

 

So far my afternoon sessions have been pretty short but I always feel a load better after lunch and it's been tempting to push on further for a 70 or 80 miler day. Discretion is the better part of valour, however. Those days will come.

 

This afternoon was just under 20 miles on a fairly major road. Apart from the couple of view stops I was concentrating on the traffic. Although there was a hard shoulder it was a bit small in places to just as well to pay attention.

 

So finally into Oak Harbour I spin. I'd been stung in the past by taking the first motel I see and being miles from the centre of town. I think the expectation is that everyone will have a car and unlike home there's plenty of room to just build out so why not? This time i went right on into town and was rewarded by a very accomodating family run motel that are letting me use their own PC for this right now! 

 

A day can't go by without a trial though and having bought an unlocked nokia quadband at home for this very purpose I thought all I had to do was get a sim and away I go. My own pay as you go sim ran out of money today so it's getting urgent.

 

I found myself at a Radioshack (had to buy a livestrong band out of respect for Lance) and after consultation with the assistant decided that AT&T was the best option (best coverage right down the coast versus Tmobile). The only option however was to buy a phone as they didn't have sim-only deals. BAH! Luckily there was a phone for $9.99 with $15 top up (bargain!).  However, the poor shop lady took about an hour to get it set up on the free phone (after discarding the first phone for a replacement and phoning up the AT&T helpline to sort it). She even tried the sim in my nokia phone and tested it by calling the shop phone. The only problem is that it is now not recognising the sim! BAH - I'll have to go back in the morning!

 

I'll try to post some more photo's when opportunity arises. As for tomorrow, weather is meant to be scorchio again - yawn ;) and I get to go on a ferry. This is not cheating because bikes don't go very well throught water.

 

PS thanks to eveyone who has sent me good luck messages, I'm afriad I won't be able to thank everyone individually. Keep them coming they really help.

 

Until Tomorrow....