Monday, July 16, 2012

7/16/2012 Day 1 AKA The Ride From Hell

I don't even know where to start.  I guess the beginning would be a good start huh?  We went to bed around 9 p.m. last night, our intentions were to get up @ 4am and be on the road by 5 a.m.  I guess the getting started part left us not sleeping to well. Waking up every few hours until finally 3 a.m. came and   then enough was enough we just got up and started getting things ready.  Fun fun right? We finally got on the road at about 4:55 a.m.  Yeah team, it was supposed to only be a 4 mile ride to the trail, so you would think we would be there in about 20 minutes right?  HA wrong again.  If you know anything about D.C.  it is nothing but traffic and stoplights every time you turn around.   So yeah we passed a homeless person sleeping on the step with a buggy. It made me so sad.  then we were a bout a mile away from the trail when the bag fell off Ashleys bike.  Yeah not a good start. We did pretty good until the last mile, there was a detour which is where it all started. The roads all ran together and you couldn't tell what was what so more or less we were lost for about an hour.

Then when we finally got on the trail we passed some campers under the bridge and we were so happy the journey began.. then we come to the end of the trail, we were like what? Furious, was not the word. I looked across the river and low and behold there was another trail. So after a few not so pleasant nice words we turned around and had to climb a gigundo hill with our bikes, it was so steep we had no choice but to walk it up.

So we go to the other side and then started second guessing if we were even on the right trail, so we sat there for a while trying to ask people, but the people in D.C. no offense but they are dumb, they had no flippin idea about the c&o trail, yet they were riding on the same path as us.  Here there are two trail that are side by side and none the least we ended up on the right trail.  It was a long, long frusterating hour.

The biking was going pretty well until we got to about 12 miles, that's when we had to walk our bikes up steps.. yeah it took two of us to carry each bike up and then go back down and grab the other one. not very pleasant, thats 50 lbs plus what ever the bike ways so my guess was 70 lbs if not more.  Hmm I didn't weight train guess I will have to keep that in mind. so the journey continued with the detour, when the detour ended we found out we had to go down 2 more flights of steps.. let me tell you carrying two bike down stairs fully loaded was not an easy task.  When we got to the second flight i almost lost my bike,  and on my ipod the song The Climb by Miley Cirus song was playing and Ashley was like how fitting, it was like your IPOD new.. lol but anyways there were these 2 guys who helped us get our bikes down the second flight. and believe me we were thankful.

so we get a few more miles and 2 frogs jump out in the path and I scream, didn't see them so Ashley was not to happy with me.  She says you scream if you see a snake or a bear not frogs. Lol

After a little further we came to the most beautiful waterfalls. That really helped lighten our moods from all the issues we were having.

we rode uphill, in mud, in gravel and sand...  with 50 lbs of weight on our bikes.  I really had to ask myself what the heck was I thinking...

All I can say is miles 40-60 were horrid, I didn't think I could go on anymore.  My legs ached with every pedal, it was blistering hot! we must of drank 2 gallons of water each no joke.  Just as we reached the end of the trail my husband was pulling in.  Perfect timing.  i literally had tears in my eyes, crying. purely exhausted.. First stop was Sloppy Tacos.. delish especially when you haven't eatin breakfast or lunch and its 2:30pm.  Then we headed to a relative of Jims and we will be camping in ac tonight.  I am forever grateful for her hospitality.  It is about 95 right now and its 5:30pm.. so I The total time on the trail was 9 1/2 hours.  but only 7 were spent riding, everything else was issues and we took maybe 3 or 4 breaks.  and they were not long at all.  Trust me, 10 minutes tops. I am very tired, and honestly don't feel like blogging anymore, considering we get to get up and do this again in about 11 hours..  I can honestly say I don't feel like doing it, but we definately won't be riding no 60 miles.  I can't add pictures today because I am not at home so they may have to wait until the end of the trip,  But we are alive and in the recovery stage.

Warning riding on gravel for 60 miles at 90 something degrees is not nice on the rear.. My Body aches, and sleep is needed.  I will try and post more tomorrow but for now, it's time for SLEEP!

ps sorry for all the typos or if this doesn't make sense, but i am exhausted!




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