Race Across Oregon training ride DAY 2

Lisa is a self professed "not a morning person", and an early start for her was going to be 8:30 AM.  It took a couple of cups of coffee to get her going in the morning.  ;-)

While Lisa was getting coffee, I talked with the staff at the Blue Mountain Mini Market, our 24 hour gas arrangement for RAO to make sure we were still good to go.
Having taken care of the morning business it was time to get going.

The temperature was comfortably cool, with only a hint of swirling wind.
Lisa pedaled off, continuing the gentle downward slope,with soft verbalizations concerning impending wind issues.

We had hoped to pedal the RAO route to Antelope rather then turn at Fossil as originally planned. It would give her about 140 miles to pedal today, and close the loop for her since she rode to Antelope on last week's ride. We would make the decision when we got to Fossil based on Lisa's legs.

Lisa's spirits weren't as high today.  She was tired, poor sleep related mostly, but also the miles from yesterday still were being felt.  While the general grade was downhill, there were some gentle rollers. The wind was hinting at a busy day, swirling around.  While we continued west, the wind would at times be a headwind, at others be a tailwind, and sometimes even being dead calm.  It all made for a less friendly Lisa, smiles we not as forthcoming today.

It was some awfully pretty country though.  This would be the easiest 45 miles of the 2016 RAO, There are no climbs, and the landscape slopes generally downhill as we follow the John Day River.

Like most of us, Lisa does most of her training rides solo.  I had been direct following her since we turned onto Hwy 395, and it was making her feel uneasy.  She asked me to leap ahead and go for a bike ride.  I jumped ahead to Dayville, and hopped on the bike.

I rode almost 3 miles back and met Lisa, then we rode together back to Dayville, and continued onward. She was noticeably slower today, especially on the little hills that we were encountering. I mentioned it and I think she had just about enough of my over cheerfulness, and told me to just pedal on.  I got on my aerobars and pedaled.  Within a very short distance I had lost sight of her in my mirror.  I pedaled a bit more for good measure, then turned around.  The road had wide shoulders here and good sightlines for the most part.  I knew that Picture Gorge was coming up where those amenities would be absent.

I'm sure that she'd appreciate me behind her again there.

I waved as I passed her and just kept going back to Dayville.

I attended to a call of nature and stopped to read a roadside geological marker.  I guess I should have been more cognizant of time.  She had already passed through Picture Gorge before I caught back up with her. With the holiday traffic, and one less then friendly driver, she was now more accepting of a follow vehicle.

Lisa was wanting a rest break and was hungry.  We agreed that a stop in Mitchell would accomplish both her goals.  I drove ahead to Mitchell to scope out opportunities. Along the way I realized that my information to her about "no significant climbs between here and Mitchell" was not correct. When I reached Keys Creek Summit, I parked and rode back to her to correct my information.

I rolled down the hill for 2.5 miles until I met her, then rode 2.5 miles and 361 ft back up.

She rolled down the fast descent to Mitchell, I drove ahead to scout.
We ended up at a small cafe and each had a chocolate milkshake, and she had tater-tots as well.  Hey, it's all good when you are biking!  The cafe was feeling the crunch of holiday "crowds" and being short staffed.  Our stop stretched much longer then necessary for food, but was just about right for Lisa's rest period.  We sat on the sun drenched lawn and visited.

Immediately after Mitchell we'd be turning off of Hwy 26 and onto Hwy 207. There would be no need for direct follow there, so I jumped ahead to Service Creek, 20 miles ahead, and hopped on the bike. Lisa would have some significant climbing in her first half of this segment, before enjoying a screaming descent to Service Creek.

 I figured I'd have some time.

Rather than ride back toward her (UP that screaming descent!) I decided to ride the more gradual climb toward Fossil.

9 miles out with 1656 ft of climbing, 9 miles back, all down hill.  18 miles total.

With her less than gung ho attitude toward riding today, and the long drive home for both of us, I had decided long ago that I would not pressure her to continue to ride.  When she wanted to stop, we'd stop. She doesn't need any advice from me on how to stay motivated.  I thought she might ride to Fossil then pull the plug, however, when she got to Service Creek and saw that there was a big climb to get there, and a 25-30 mph headwind,  she said it was enough.

I loaded her bike up, and we drove back to Condon and her vehicle.  The weekend of biking would be a bit shorter than planned, but it was still good.  She got to experience the section of the RAO route that she will be racing in darkness, and I got a first hand look at Willow Creek Rd and a talk with the Blue Mountain Mini Market.  We both got home just shortly after dark, rather than midnight.  All in all, a great weekend!

.........Road Bike.....Rollers.............MTB..........Lifecycle......Total
Today .........30................0...................0.......................0............30
Jan...............0................0...............,...0.......................0............0
Feb..........124...............0...................0.......................0...........124
March......277................0..................0........................0..........277
April......559................0..................0........................0..........559
May.........414...............0..................0.......................0...........414
YTD...... 1371...............0...................0.......................0..........1371