Today was sunday. kelly and her kids and their boyfriends left today. matt really wanted us to see the race route so we went on a ride and drove a portion of the bike route. i guess i thought i might know how hard it was. i had no idea! you CANNOT fathom what this ride was like unless you saw it and even then we drove it in a car while it was very windy and he was on the bike for 9 hours.
my camera was being very weird, not adjusting to the bright sunlight so these pictures are not very good but you might get a glimpse of what matt saw.
the road just stretched out ahead without anything in sight for miles and miles
we drove a section of it that was 22 miles, it was so long and so desolate with many steep hills and the wind blowing like crazy and then he had to do that twice, i would have quit on after the first loop! (well i wouldn't have started but you know what i mean) the mental factor in that is unbelievable!
we stopped at a few spots to feel the wind and the bumpy road, there was a lot of beautiful scenery but those 22 miles (twice) there were no cheerers, aid stations or staff. just a truck that drove by on occasion to make sure everyone was still going.
matt said this hill was particularly daunting, it was a switch back that then went straight up (twice)
more long stretches of road, just miles ahead where you can't see an end or even a town.
matt had thought about doing the route before the race but he said he never would have been able to finish it knowing that that course was so hard and loooong! if i would have seen it i would have been a ball of stress all day knowing what he was enduring!he is doing great, a little sore in his neck and shoulders from leaning forward on the bike but that IV does amazing things, helping you to rehydrate fast and letting your muscles recuperate much faster and i think it helped his stomach a lot.
i am sure he will be ready to take on a new challenge any day now!
