July 2008 Trip

July 2008 Trip

Iron Butt Ride to Denver, CO

followed by a nice leisurely ride home...

I have done several "unofficial" Iron Butt rides in my earlier and healthier days, several strung together during one trip, but I had never done the record keeping and submitted it for official recognition. Something that I wanted to rectify on my way out to Denver this summer.

I knew that it would be a hard ride for me given my current condition. I have not done any long distance riding in years, and my body has suffered multiple indignities in those same intervening years. But I wanted to try...

The bike was up to the task, that I knew. I now know this bike inside and out, literally, having rebuilt it by hand from a salvage wreck. Since this bike is earmarked to be my new sidecar tug once I get things pulled together, I had taken it apart even farther than needed to ensure the condition of the clutch, bearings, and other major components which will be more heavily stressed under sidecar duty. The rear wheel/tire has gotten some comments from those in the know. The original was trashed in the crash that eventually led it to my hands, so I opted to go to the dark side right away to give better traction and tire wear when eventually paired up to a sidecar. It would be ideal for a long-haul down the freeway, but I was not sure how it would handle once I got it onto the two laners that I intended to take home...

But what about me? Was I up to it?

What if I had a problem in the middle of nowhere?

It had happened before and with unpleasant results...

I decided to prepare well, make sure that I was well fed and rested before I left, and hope for the best...

As it turns out, it WAS harder than it used to be... Even on a cushy bike that can gobble up miles of slab like no other that I have ever owned.

I almost quit my quest in the middle of Nebraska at hour 14. I was spent, and still had miles to go. This is nuts! What was I thinking??? My legs had been varying between aching and burning in pain no matter what position I tried or what I took to try to relieve the pain. But at least it had kept me awake... Now I found my eyes closing without my realizing it as I rode.

I had to stop...

It was colder than I had anticipated in the higher elevations at night. It has been so long since I had done this sort of riding that I had failed to remember this basic idea. It gets cold at night in the mountains...

In the middle of the night, with my rain gear over my mesh riding suit and with an emergency blanket wrapped around me I slung myself into my hammock in a wayside. Cold and tired, I felt that I had been defeated.

But those emergency blankets really do work, and in short order I was toasty warm in my blue cocoon and sleeping soundly. Thank you Nebraska highway department for conveniently spaced posts!

I awoke with about 4 hours of sleep to a brilliant sunrise and a family of mule deer grazing on the sparse grasses growing on the slope above me. They barely took notice of my presence as I watched them.

Thinking that I had slept away my chance to make my 1,000 in 24, I took out some granola bars and my camelback and snapped some photos of my impromptu "campsite".

Once back on the road and reoriented as to how far I had actually made it across Nebraska before "hitting the wall", I realized that I still DID have a chance of obtaining my goal!!!

The miles were much easier now, my mood lighter, but my left knee still hurt like hell... Gotta remember to pack some padding underneath it in the hammock to keep it from folding backwards like it wants to do occasionally...

Almost dropped the bike trying to get my left leg down at the fuel stop in Cheyenne Wyoming before making the turn south to Denver. Last fuel stop, and still plenty of time left.

I am going to make it!!!

Rolling into the last fuel stop in Denver felt sweeter than any of those other long-distance rides from my youth.

Maybe because it was more of a challenge at this point of my life. Because I had overcome what has been keeping me down. I avoided having a crippling stop from one of my frequent migraines in spite of the stress and strain on my mind and body. I had overcome the pain that I live with daily and which gets worse when my legs are not elevated due to the blood vessel damage, I had endured it, and come out the other end in spite of it.

Someday I may even file the paperwork to get my certificate. But I already own it where it counts...