"Well It Can't Get Any Worse!"...Or Can It?

Alright folks-the time has come to hear about Days 3,4 & 5.  Dad says that if I say "they were the worst three days of my life" (which I have said multiple times, actually) that I'm being dramatic.  But let's just say they were extremely difficult days.  THAT'S putting it lightly, for the record.  Anyway, here we go.

Day 3:

We started off the morning at the same spot we ended the previous day.  We had finished at a beautiful spot on the road with the wind at our back.  However, we were thrown for a loop when the wind decided to change directions on us and come at us from the North.  These winds were very strong winds that never seemed to let up.  Not only were we dealing with the winds, but we were also climbing uphill.  All day.  Every time we stopped for a break, I just wanted to quit.  It was absolutely exhausting.  I can't explain how frustrating it is to work as hard as you can, pedal for hours on end without any chance to coast, and only travel 20 km in 2 hours.  Each break, Dad and I got less and less enthusiastic.  See pictures for proof...

The best part was Mumsie would set up a little spot for me each time we took a break with an orange juice, a  snack, and my blanket to keep warm.  Yes, that's right-keep WARM.  It was oddly quite cold (another thing that threw us for a loop) with the wind and the higher elevation.

Hi, I'm Annika and I'm really good at fake smiling when all I want to do is throw my bike off a cliff.

This is the "restaurant" we ate dinner at.  What a perfect way to end the day...

Still nursing the wounds every night, thanks to Mumsie!

Despite the rough weather, we went 82 km.   Needless to say, it wasn't our best day and we were exhausted, but we were hoping that the following day would be better.  IT WASN'T. 

Day 4:

The day began with strong headwinds from the North.  Dad was not very optimistic and his first words when we got out of the van were "I'm not sure if this is going to work."  I'm sorry what?  What am I supposed to do with that?  We could only go 5 km before we had to take a break because it was so cold and the winds were so strong.  Eventually, we were able to do 10 km at a time, but it took us almost an hour to do each 10 because of the winds.  I captured a bit of our experience in a lil' vid.  Please notice my Dad's level of enthusiasm.

  

After eating lunch in the car, we kept on climbing up to the top of the summit which was 7,580 feet.  We were thankful for the downhill riding afterwards, but the shoulder was so bad with the rumble strips and guard rails that it was difficult to enjoy because I had to constantly use my breaks in order not to go over the edge or ride into traffic.  We arrived in Ely, Nevada and kept riding for another 26 km.  In total for the day, we did 111 km which was significantly better than the previous day.  However, my body was definitely feeling the stress.  Dad and I enjoyed the hot tub at the hotel and again, hoped that the following day would be better.  IT WASN'T.

Day 5:

I am sad to report that I think today was Dad's least favourite day of riding. Ever.  The wind was the worst he has ever experienced and we were moving at a very slow, painful pace.  We were moving at an average speed of 10 km an hour and we were still facing hills.  Imagine you are in a spin class on a bike going the fastest you can go at the hardest level possible and then continue doing that for 2 hours.  That's what it feels like, according to him.  Although, I'm not sure when my Dad has ever taken a spin class...Either way, it was awful.  To me, it felt like I was riding my bike through molasses. This is how we were feeling after the first 14 km.  

After this video was taken, we kept riding for another 7 km.  Dad let me have a chance at breaking the wind, and it felt like I was in the middle of a hurricane.  It was as if no matter how hard I pedalled, my tires would not move.  Eventually, it just became too difficult to carry on.  It was too hard on our bodies (especially our knees) to work against the wind for so long and the elevation combined with the hills and cold weather became unbearable and unsafe.  The elevation was so high that we were experiencing symptoms of altitude sickness (the antidote for altitude sickness is not to work your body the hardest that it's ever worked continuously for hours on end).  For the first time in all of his touring history, my Dad decided it would be best if we called it a day.  I couldn't believe it myself, but when the van started shaking because of the wind, I knew that it was a smart decision.  We drove to Wells, a small town in Nevada and as we were driving we were even more thankful that we stopped because the shoulder completely disappeared on the road and there was a lot of highway traffic.  The wind picked up even more speed and it eventually reached 45 miles/hr.  Check out the video below to get a little taste of what we were facing...

Also a little tidbit for you all: As soon as we are done biking for the day, I like to change out of my biking clothes and get into something more comfortable.  The problem is, there isn't really any place to change so I usually hide behind the car and wait until there is a significant gap between cars so that nobody sees me.  Today, Mom captured the moment on film.  Fantastic.

The scenery was beautiful on the way back and I tried to appreciate it rather than feel disheartened and discouraged.  I have come to change my mindset when it comes to this trip because I have realized there are so many things I cannot control that can make it more than just "challenging" to ride a bike 100 km a day.  We worked really hard this morning and though I was disappointed we had to quit after only 22 km, I am still thankful that I am here seeing these new places with my parents.  I'm looking at this trip as a "character building" experience and trying to enjoy the ride!  LITERALLY.

Dad trying to demonstrate what it felt like to fight the wind.

It's hard to stay discouraged when you're riding alongside such natural beauty!

Please pray for us as we move forward on this trip and hopefully encounter some friendlier environmental conditions!  We are still LOVING LIFE and enjoying our time together.  I'm hoping the next post will be a little bit more positive, but who knows!  I suppose this is the life of a diva...always unpredictable!

A