Day 14 - Gillette WY to Custer SD, 115 miles, 4000' cumulative climbing

Yesterday after the ride, hanging out in the bike wash area drinking a Coke, another rider said something like "I thought they said I'd be getting stronger".  Suddenly it occurred to me that what's going on is that yes, we are all getting stronger (one of Lon's theories is that riding your way into shape has multiple benefits), but with 14 consecutive long days in the saddle, we are also getting tired.  So it's a balancing act now, to figure out how strong I feel vs how tired my legs have become.  Somehow I think this will become more important as the next few days go by.  We have our highest mileage days starting in succession on Monday with 145 miles, so getting enough rest between rides is even more important.
Today was similar to yesterday, in that it seemed like it would be an easy day compared to the previous few.  And the first 30 miles was a breeze, flat as a pancake and very little wind.  Sunny again.  We've had lots of sunshine which is a very good thing.  After the first refueling stop though, the wind picked up and the climbing began. As you can see to the left, not huge climbs but rather lots of long rollers.  Until after lunch that is.  Then it got tougher.  The big climb over the last 25 miles was actually a series of mile-long grinders, so I was feeling pretty worn out at the end.  We rode into South Dakota this afternoon (the late-day climbs were in the Black Hills).  So now I've ridden my bike in state #34.  The list is getting longer.

Roadside Blackeyed Susans

Maybe the getting tired thing is making even the easier days seem tough.  Hard to tell.  I'm still enjoying all of it, but it's more of a struggle to ascend hill after hill than it was a week ago.  Nonetheless, two weeks in, things continue to go extremely well.  The camaraderie among riders and crew has continued to build and if there are any personality differences among folks they're doing a good job of hiding it.

Stats for Week 2                                                Trip so far

796.1 miles ridden                                             1498.4 miles ridden
28,000' total climbing                                         60,620' total climbing  
2 broken water bottle cages replaced