The camp site was much quieter Saturday night and I was much more tired so sleep came fairly easily. When I woke up Sunday morning I did what I always do, I doubted whether I would ride or not. I was sore and tired and not looking forward to 3 more hours on the bike. But again I did what I always do, I made myself get on the bike with the thinking that if I still felt bad at the first rest stop then I could quit. Of course I know that if I make it to the first rest stop there is no way I am quitting. So I got up, dressed, ate a banana and some orange slices, drank a coke and filled my hydration pack and water bottle. I found a spot in the middle of the pack and lined up for the start.
Again it was a slow easy roll out and a beautiful day. The ride through town and the 3 squares was perfect. My fatigue was obvious in the slow pace I was riding but I was moving forward and that is what mattered. Then came bridge number one and I immediately doubted my ability to get over it. Once I got on the bridge I thought it wasn’t so bad but I was definitely feeling every pedal stroke. At the top I stopped to take a picture and a drink. Then I geared up and tucked in and flew down the other side hitting at least 35 mph and thinking, “this is why I ride a bike.” I just coasted as far as that effort let me go and then slowly started pedaling again. At the first rest stop I found a couple of Advil to numb the pain in my knees and chatted with a couple of friends then headed out for the flat serene ride around this small island. There were homes for sale advertising deep water docks all over the back side of the island. I was tempted to run off one of those docks for a quick swim but seeing the water changed my mind and I had a ride to finish.
I rode with Diane a good part of this leg. She is the mother to Erin of Team Erin’s Fight. She does both Georgia bike rides and a MS Walk every year. This is one devoted mother. Team Erin’s Fight is a top fundraising team in every event they participate in. Jack and Erin were two of the van drivers that kept me motivated both days of the ride. And their jersey’s are orange so I love this team.
At the second rest stop I was pretty much done but I knew there were only 9 miles left so there was no quitting now. I chatted with Jack and Erin for a bit, refueled and headed out. I knew the 2 bridges were coming up again and I was way tired but small things that happen make a big difference. The Chatham county police shut down an entire lane of traffic so us bike riders could stay safe from the island to the bridge because we had to make an immediate left at the bottom of the bridge. This was way cool but a little nerve racking. I kept thinking, “If I have to get off and walk part of the bridge which side do I walk on?” We had the inside or left lane so walking to the right like you are supposed to would put me next to the traffic the cops were diverting. If I walked to the left then I would be up against the center line and cyclists would have to pass me on my right which is a cycling no-no. The only way I could resolve the dilemma would be to stay on the bike. So at the bottom of the climb I kept repeating The Lord with Provide, The Lord will Provide because I had nothing left in my legs at this point. As I got close to the top and out of gears I was about to unclip and walk the last 10 yards or so when a SAG van came up beside me with Amanda ringing a cowbell and yelling “You go girl, you got this.” I put my foot back in the pedal and kept going. The Lord provided.
The rest of the ride was flat and easy. I rode with a couple of different groups at different times and when I got through the final square I had this burst of energy that I have no clue where it came from but I took off toward the finish. Once off the bike I actually felt better than I did that morning when I got on. I ate part of a turkey sandwich a whole orange and drank a very cold very refreshing coke. I got my completion certificate and lapel pin, took down my tent, loaded the bike up and headed north to Atlanta. Of course I stopped at Cracker Barrel on the way home and ate a huge plate of eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy and grits. After all I deserved some comfort food at this point. And I even splurged on a glass bottled coke on the way out the door.
MS ride accomplished!! I raised around $1000 and pedaled 95 miles. I joined the movement and hopefully someday MS will stand for mystery solved. You can still make a donation at my personal webpage on the MS site: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/GAABikeEvents?px=2046377&pg=personal&fr_id=8120
