8 done and 3 more possible. I am certainly ready to end this foolishness. My brain came up with all kind of excuses to not ride this AM. The alarm went off while I was just on a bathroom break from sleep. I don’t look at the phone alarm when I get up the normal 1 or 2 times during the night. The main reason my mind provided for not riding was that it was dangerous and having these no-ride thoughts might be a prediction of an accident. Luckily I was able to fight through and get out. Finished up the second batch of cherries. I will be happy to buy cherry yogurt for the last few days. I have only found it at Walmart. I think I also need a little beer resupply. The best stuff in that area comes from the supermarket on the Hotel Road at like Kilometer 8.5.
Tuesday I tried to find the Casablanca group but did not see anyone at 5:30 and decided I had better cut my losses and race over and take the known quantity at Elite. This time I had more confidence that I was in the right place and just had to be more patient. Again, if no one came at 6, I could still catch the 6:15 Kilometer zero bus. No lights in sight at 5:30. A little later a car pulled into a parking lot that I think is Club Casablanca. I folloed it in and sat on a wall. No one got out? Another truck pulled in, let a woman out, she went in a door and the man who had been sitting in the truck followed her in. The man seemed to be dressed to bike but? Another car pulls in and parks in front of the building. I walk around. This is the group. Car after car comes. Some say hello. This is a much more educated group. Most can speak English and ID me as what I am. One man introduces himself and says the coach, Jesus, will be along soon. He tells me they ride Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. The coach shows up and says hello to me but does not really engage me. At 6 there are at least 5 women and 25 men, a couple really tall but no foreigners that I can see.
We take off, I have a little trouble establishing myself at the back. Finally the last of the talkers passes me. I keep letting a gap form to encourage them to pass but there is real danger in this strategy. If the hammer goes down, it will be easy for them to catch the main group but very very hard for me. The pace rises. I am concentrated on making it to the first 5K. I struggle on the little hills. I just make it to my next goal with them, 9K. There are 2 or 3 red lights after which I have a terrible time catching back on. I have to give up just before we reach my next goal at the Ferris wheel and 13K. A man is pushing a woman and she is falling back. She pulls over and I pass her. Soon she and the chase care pass me, she is drafting the chase car. It does not work. I pass her and the chase car pulled over. She gets in the car and they pass me again.
I understand better why I was able to ride with this group for a couple Ks out at the end of the Hotel Road a few days ago. I have to struggle but I can hold their pace. What I can not do is survive the stops and starts. Stopping is no problem. It is getting back up to speed. They work hard at it also. They get out of the saddle and really crank. But once they catch up, they are not pant breathing with screaming legs. After I do this a couple of times, I lose the will to continue the suffering.
There is a pot hole I have been hitting regularly. I think it is just at the archaeology site. I really have to pay attention to see where it is. It is a bike breaking one! The lights were out for a section about 20K. I experienced the same darkness attack on my first ride last Wednesday and was able to warn Dan about it on our Thursday ride. But then the lights have all been on for a couple days. It is a short section and I was able to make it through. I have to slow down and just have faith that the road is ok.
I saw a couple riders returning on the other side of the Hotel Road. I made it to the Blue Sphere and up the hill onto 307 North. There is some dirt on the shoulder and some places with a curb so that I really am riding on 307, luckily in the 3d lane. No water obstacles. A couple dogs on the bike path but they paid attention to a truck that was just delivering workers. One dog later barked and gave a little chase. Finally I am passing club Casablanca and realize it is an exercise facility. The parking lot in the back is packed. I stop and take a picture. Herman? the driver for Casablanca, who did the driving for Monica Sunday, had come over and shaken my hand before we left. Now he is here again and takes a picture of me in front of Casablanca. Why is he here? Does he stop chasing when the sun comes up? I was surprised that I did not see any of the other riding groups on my way home. 6:15 Bus may go back along Hotel Road but I think Elite and Casablanca come back the same way as I did.
There were a couple riders at Elite when I road by. I stopped and talked to one man who said they were just back and had been riding at 38-40K. Is very fast. I have mentioned before a man with a football type helmit. He was there. I have an image of him as slow but who knows. Walking by bike home past lasts year’s hostel, just to see if I can see any guests on the balcony, two women are walking dogs toward me. They are dressed in bike cloths. The one says “Tom?”. She introduces herself as Ellen. 2 years ago she was the rental contact at Elite. I still use her email when I contact Elite on the normal bike rental page and no one gets back to me. She had just done the Elite ride and probably left the dogs in the car? I was back at the house just after 8am.