Tough Day
Day 7 - Tuba City, AZ to Kayenta, AZ (72 miles with 2,700 feet of climbing)
On paper, today looked relatively easy. We had done longer rides with more climbing, and we figured this would be a breeze. However, we did not take into account several factors. First of all, we are all hurting a bit including sore necks, shoulders, butts, hips and knees. Second, our trip to the Grand Canyon yesterday zapped some of our energy. Third, we lost an hour of sleep when we crossed the time zone. Fourth, we are all tired. Last, but not least, we had a head wind the entire day, which can be demoralizing. We would all rather climb a mountain before riding into a headwind.
Including all these factors, we had a tough, slow ride but managed to finish before noon when the temperature was 93 degrees. Shannon rode the first 32 miles and Robin rode the rest. The entire ride was on Navajo land. There was not much to see, which is why there are not many pictures. Robin and I were so glad when we crested the final hill and saw the McDonalds where we were meeting Shannon. The golden arches were a sight for sore eyes (and legs). When you are hot and tired, there is nothing better than unlimited refills of Coke at McDonalds.
Since we could not check in, we opened up our laptops and phones and started planning the next 5 days. The wifi was not great a McDonalds, so we took everything across the street and completed the job in the hotel lobby. We are so good at planning routes and booking hotels, that we can do it anywhere. After we checked in, we hit the pool, to relax and spent some time stretching our muscles. We plan to get pizza for dinner to carbo load and go to bed early. Tomorrow is another day and we look forward to feeling better.
