Day 11, Mile 892: Monument Valley, Utah

Today I biked: 65 miles (of the 117 mile route), about 4500 feet climbing, substantial headwind again!

Cumulative: 10 biking days, 818 miles, about 40000 feet of climbing, wildlife: coyote (2x), road runners, elk, raccoons, wild burros, wild horses, prairie dogs, lizards, small snake, countless other rodents and birds, desiccated bobcat in Grand Canyon Caverns (and others saw some bighorn sheep in the Black Mountains).

Today was both absolutely agonizing and absolutely thrilling. It was a long route, 117 miles with lots of climbing. First we climbed out of Tuba City, then spent the morning gradually climbing up along Black Mesa and towards Monument Valley on the Arizona/Utah border. Absolutely stunning scenery the entire day.

I was having a hard time from the start. I decided to get in the van for a few miles to give me a little boost and so I would get into lunch #1 (we had two lunch stops today) not too terribly late and having a chance at finishing the day before dusk. But even that didn't help much. I trudged against the wind all morning and got to a point that felt like bonking (bike term for running out of sugar in the muscles--a completely debilitating condition) even though I was eating regular and keeping hydrated. I just ran out of steam and the last five or ten miles into lunch #1 were just agonizing (and the climbing and headwind made it that much worse) and dead slow. So I got in the van and rode to lunch #2 stop, at the beginning of Monument Valley and 20 miles out of our destination of Mexican Hat, Utah. My body said no way, but I rode it anyway and it was really fantastic.

These decisions to hop in the van are indescribably difficult. I am already soooo disappointed that I am not biking every single mile. But at the same time, I want to maximize the total number of miles I ride on the trip without injuring myself. So you trudge on mile after mile debating and debating, trying to decide if you are just lacking willpower, in which case you should tough it out and go on, or if you are on the verge of hurting yourself and risking the rest of the trip and indeed your physical wellbeing. I hope I have chosen wisely. In the end, a 65 mile day with lots of wind and climbing is not too shabby, anyway.

The last 20 miles were fantastic, despite my physical condition. Tomorrow, I've already decided to spend a lot of van time so I can recover before the Colorado mountains coming up.

(I have lots more photos but not a good internet connection. I'll have to post them later.)