Today I quit, just a little bit. But it's OK.
We woke up in Cameron, in a church. I was already really really cooked. Dealing with things off the bike, but also things on the bike - I was up to 11 flat tires, and I had gone to bed the night before at 8:30 just to try to catch on some sleep. But we woke up to a double rainbow, and the team mechanic had changed both of my tires and tubes, and I decided that I would just take the day as it came - whatever happens, happens. We got in the vans for a short trip across a dirt road and I started out for a 56 mile ride into the Grand Canyon, telling myself that I would go as far as I could but that it was OK if I had to stop. Normally we don't let people get in and out of the vans, but because of the way today was going to work, we had to ride into the park on our bikes, which meant that if I had to stop in the first half of the day, I would have to get out of the van and start riding again. But the first part of the day turned out to be really nice actually. The highway was busy but it had a wide and flat shoulder, and the riding was uphill but not very hard. I did end up getting a slow flat at about mile 15 but I just powered through it and changed it at the rest stop and kept going. Every mile was a minor victory. You have to understand that I've never just gotten in the van, of my own volition. I've been forced to get in the van, by things like mechanical failures or a wreck or weather that made us stop, but I never have just said "hey, I'm done, put me in the van".
So we get to the entrance and I ride on in. I'm tired but the weather is still good and I get a couple of amazing shots of the Grand Canyon. I'd been here once before but only briefly. There was now about 20 miles left. Unfortunately, at this point the rain came back. When you're on a bicycle, even a little rain can be a problem, because you get wet, and then, because you're moving fast and exposed, you get cold. I have a condition where I have bad blood flow to my extremities, so getting cold can be a real problem. I powered through it, but it just kept raining and getting worse. About 10 miles from camp, I realized I was shaking and getting hypothermic. The road was great, smooth and nice but undulating up and down and on the downhills I was shaking like a leaf. I pulled over at a little turnout and thought about what to do and considered hiding under a tree, but just then the van came by with Jeremy driving and...I got in. He didn't even question it or wait for me to ask, he just threw my bike on the front and I got in. It was the only decision to make and I'm glad I did it.
I'm proud of myself for coming as far as I did. I'm writing this on the afternoon of the next day so I know how the story ends, but for the moment I'll just say this: we all had a camp meeting at the little grocery store up here in Grand Canyon Village, and we all decided as a team to get a hotel in Williams, about 60 miles away. It was glorious; we had a hot tub and a restaurant and I ate Indian food with Bill. It ended up being a great way to end the day.
So, yeah. I finally got in the van!
