Rose Pedals . . .: Hello, Virginia!

Monday, August 5, 2013
Day 30 - Elkins, West Virginia to Harrisonburg, Virginia
106 miles
10,556 feet of climbing

Today was a big day on this Tour. Our route today consisted of nine climbs in the Allegheny Mountains, which required over 10,000 feet of climbing. The weather was, again, perfect - sunny, cool and relatively calm winds. Within the first 20 miles of today's ride, we rode up and over 4 climbs: Cheat Mountain (elevation 2,550 ft.), Shavers Mountain (elevation 3,760 ft.), Middle Mountain (elevation 3,180 ft.) and Rich Mountain (elevation 3,350 ft.). We also climbed Shenandoah Mountain and South Fork Mountain. Essentially, we spent the entire day climbing and descending. The last climb of the day was the most challenging - an 8-mile climb . . . which started right after our lunch stop at mile 75. The first few miles of riding after lunch are always tough. I refer to it as "lunch legs" - getting back on the bike after sitting for 15 to 20 minutes and eating. It takes some time before your legs are back up to speed. Having to start a big climb on "lunch legs," however, just adds to your body's confusion between the digestive process and making the legs work. The great thing about this climb was, not only was it the last climb of the day, and not only would we have accomplished one of the most difficult days of this Tour, and not only would most of the remaining 23 miles of the route be downhill . . . but at the top of the climb - at mile 83 - we would cross over into the state of Virginia, which is the last state of our Tour! So, needless to say, it felt great coming up and over the top of that last climb. The 4-mile descent was sweet! Steep with many twisting turns. There wasn't much traffic and there was good visibility, so you could really let it fly. After the steep descent, there was a nice gradual descent through the forest, which was really pretty and serene. From there, it was about 15 miles or so of riding through a couple of small towns before we reached our hotel in Harrisonburg. We had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant with fellow riders Greg and Zach, a father-and-son team who ride a tandem. Greg and Zach are an inspiration. When this Tour is complete, Zach, age 23, will be the first person with Down Syndrome to have crossed the United States on a bicycle. Not only is Zach an amazing cyclist and athlete, he is a fantastic person who always has a smile on his face and is ready with a "high five" for all of us before, during and after a ride. I recommend checking out Greg's blog about Zach and Greg's ride, at zachsgreatride.blogspot.com. When we went to pay for our dinner tonight, we were told that our check was taken care of by two of our fellow riders, Ed & Tom, who were also dining at the restaurant. This group of people we are riding with are not only exceptional riders, but also very kindhearted. You couldn't ask for a better group of people with which to spend 32 days. Well, after 10,000+ feet of climbing today, I'm ready for a good night's sleep. My legs agree. : )