Fast and Steady

Preface: loving the hotel and the internet, not loving the fact that the pictures won't upload.....

And so on we blog. This morning we rolled out of The Plaza just after sunrise to avoid the brutal heat of Nevada, and after averaging 12 m.p.h. rolled into Fallon, NV, around noon. Our ride this morning, through a large basin, was the longest stretch of flat we have seen to date and included a gradual downhill slant allowing us to bust out some easy miles. The scenery was terribly arid and desolate, which made it biker friendly and an interesting contrast to the environs of California. While previously we were surrounded by ginormous pines towering above us, steep climbs, and subsequent downhills, this morning's basin didn't even offer a small bush to pee behind. Towns were few and far between with populations less than 100, and yet each had its own casino with an all you can eat buffet. We don't think many mammals naturally live in the area, although there were a fair number of squished snakes on the road and significant rumble strips.



We were so fast this morning, we had lunch after we arrived in Fallon. Lodgings were donated generously to us by the Best Western in town, and they even stocked our room with water and chips, which was a nice treat!! Let's take this moment to talk a moment about food. So while cycling on average 8 hours a day (today being a magnificent exception!) we estimate we are burning roughly 7,000 calories. The question thus becomes, how do we replace all of this energy?!? The simple answer is quantity and frequency. Our day begins with breakfast, which usually includes bagels, cereal, juice and/or, and including, fruit. This morning breakfast was provided continentally by the hotel and even included a toaster for Dan's bagel. Each day we all travel with at least 2 servings of fruit and 2 power/cliff bars, a camel back full of water and a minimum of 2-3 water bottles. Lunch is sandwiches, more fruit, granola bars, and usually a dessert of sorts. Once again fruit and bars are stocked and we head out for an afternoon of more cycling. Dinner consists of vegetables and starches if we are near towns, but if away from grocery stores, lots of pasta, nuts, left over lunch foods, squished treats found in paniers, and another sweet. Last night, Alex and Dan prepared a super healthy dinner of salad with tons of vegetables and barbaque chicken on top. (Salad as a dinner is still under some debate by members of the team, but was accepted yesterday since there was meat. It is traditionally thought that salad is not a meal, but rather an appetizer.) For dessert we had the last of the Mama Morris cookies, which will be greatly missed!! Obviously our diets have some variation when we are closer to civilization occasionally including ice cream and cheesecake for example, but these splurges are rare. It is of note also that watermelon is consumed at least once a day as it is Dan's favorite food and assists in the hydrating process.

All right, well that is that for now. The plan for the afternoon is to catch some ZZZs, hit the hotel pool, shop, and prepare some dinner. Tomorrow will begin our climb out of the basin heading through some salt flats and also the equivalent of the Top Gun training region with all sorts of loud planes soaring overhead; it will be our longest day pushing us just over 100 miles! Camping is in the cards, so once again, don't hold your breath for the next post; it's looking like you all will next hear from us in Utah. Sorry there are no photos for you to enjoy. Hope all is well. Till next time. Signing out, Jen, Sarah, Alex, Russ, and Dan