i'm not dead. not quite anyway. pulled out of st augustine airport about 7:15. taking an easy pace, not pushing myself, not suffering, stopping at the various checkpoints to see what was there, who was there, taking photos (which i will upload at a later time) hit the midpoint about 10:15, earlier than i thought. "midpoint" was 44 miles.
keep telling you, IT'S NOT 150 MILES, IT'S MORE. but once you're at that level, what's a few more miles? actually paused for a second at the 'century' turnoff, had a brief hallucination of myself, on the ground, stars on eyes, bicycle spoke through my heart with dirt being tossed on my face. shook my head to clear it, continued on the plebian pathway
saw tandem recumbent, a family on a pair of tandems, an old 1970's style recumbent, junker bikes, top of the line megabuck bikes, many teams, some of whom found their noses slightly out of joint when a certain not-so-young punk passed them. [preens slightly, fluffs VERY sweaty hair]
i should have been much more tired than i was. i can say that now, i've showered and rested. going to take the shuttle bus to dinner at a certain point, take more photos.
oh yeah, skipped the pool party, started raining about 10 miles from the finish point, so... maybe 12:15 or so, when i got over the SECOND drawbridge.
yes two drawbridges. some of you may know about my inclination to anxiety attacks when crossing bridges or elevated roadways. don't mention it that often any more, had behavioral therapy for it years ago in order to be able to get my driver's license. in fact, i hardly ever think about it any more. well, the first drawbridge. as i pedaled over it, i looked down through the grating, saw the choppy water and panicked. deep panting breaths, cold sweat, muscle tremors. yes i realize those can all be attributed to extreme exertion but soon as i got back on land i was fine.
the 2nd drawbridge, longer, because of the rain, we had to walk across. five bikers had skidded out before i got there. so dismount and walk. on a narrow pathway. with grating to my left and a low railing to my right, whitecaps underneath. you know part of my mantra, "up down, up down, one foot after the other, that's it. you can do this, half way there, 3/4 way there, you are over you are done you are fine" well it's playing in my head nonstop, just the way adam taught me years ago. got over, rode around on the grass to relieve the tension.
oh great. i get to do it all over again tomorrow.
well, at least my life insurance is paid up. girls, remember me fondly. make a chocolate cake in my honor. a triple layer cake. with vanilla mousse filling. don't spend it all in one place.
robyn
ps: reached the finish point about 1:15, an hour earlier than i estimated at my BEST time.
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