Daily Summary

Three Big Climbs, Three Big Downhills

Today was the hardest day yet. We were climbing for around 70 miles of the 100! Each hill was longer than the last and each downhill was too. We were a bit slower due to the climbing and so were pedaling for close to 7 hours. With breaks, it was almost 9.5 hours.

The good news is that the gradient was pretty mellow. Only the top couple miles of each big climb were steep enough to cause us to really work notably hard. But, it was still tiring. The final hill was about 32 miles of climbing and then about 12 miles of descent. Those were the longest continuous climb and descent I have ever done.

The worst part of the day was the fact that I thought it was downhill all the way to town. So, I was mentally done with the ride before I realized I had to pedal in the final 8 miles.

Believe it or not, this was just a warmup for what’s coming the next two weeks. I would call these foothills. We haven’t hit the mountains yet. We are all dreading a few of the days upcoming because the hills will be steeper.

The most interesting part of the day was when the final downhill had construction, and they had a 2 mile section down to a single lane with flagmen. They let us take up the rear of the group of cars we were with. That meant that we had about 10 minutes with no cars coming up on us. Then, the next batch of cars would come by in a bunch and then none for another 10 minutes. It made the final miles more relaxing.

How Did The Ride End Up 100.07 Miles?

So, the official course was just over 98 miles. In cycling, two big targets are a “century” of 100 miles or a “metric century” of 62 miles / 100 KM. Several of us couldn’t stomach being 98 miles and change. So, right before town, I rode up and down a neighborhood street a few times until I had enough done to top out just above 100 at the hotel.

I know that seems crazy, but I wasn’t the only one to add on that extra mile. Call it a symptom of a competitive, type-A personality. I really wasn’t enjoying myself by that point but not doing it would have bothered me more than just getting it done. Hence, 100.07…

My leg did the best it has so far. I only noticed it a few times the first 40 – 50 miles. It started to annoy me regularly the final 8 – 10. But, given all the climbing, distance, and pedaling duration, I think that’s a win. I just need to keep focusing on my form and not push too much. I was able to test my leg and push hard on the last hill and get my heartrate up really high for the first time all week. 

The Sights

It was another terrific day. It was only chilly in the morning for about an hour and by 2 hours in, the sun was out strong. We were all pretty hot by the end of the day.

One neat fact about Walla Walla that I learned in the morning is that apparently every mile you move away from the mountains can mean almost an inch per year difference in rain in that area. That explains why there were few farms and then tons. Things quickly go from good to bad for farms.

The first picture shows what things looked like just outside Walla Walla. A lot of wheat and farmland. The next picture is the first rest stop in Waitsburg. If you zoom in on the building behind me you can see an old school business.

The scenery was amazing once we left there and you can see a picture that was typical for many hours. I rode by myself for several hours in the middle and just enjoyed the scenery by myself with cars few and far between.

We went through another small town and happened upon the oldest courthouse in Washington. Then, outside town there was a huge Jolly Green Giant on the hill. You can see the information sign as to why that odd thing would come to be, as well as me posing with the mascot sign. The final picture of the series shows the image on the hill. Zoom in to see it more clearly.

Lunch was in Pomeroy. You can see me by the welcome sign on main street as well as a picture of the street where I was standing. Lewis and Clark are a big thing out here. The park where we ate had a sign saying it was where an important meeting happened. 

The last images are of the scenery approaching Clarkston and then the welcome sign. The welcome sign was just before I pulled into the neighborhood to get the extra mile in.