Round and round we go

****Scott emailed me this post today (1/15)****

Day Totals: 134Km

Avg. HR: 125bpm

Avg. Speed: 24.6 km/h (thanks to the convoy)

Song of the Day: Weezer – Island in the Sun

The day finally arrived. The idea firmed up at the end of 2009, rationalized through the first half of 2010, and finally committed to in late May of last year is now a reality. In some ways I could believe, in others not so much. I slept like crap the night before, partly because of nerves, partly because I needed to get this thing going to see where I stood.

The morning started out with 5am breakfast at the hotel. Standard fare, but without the chesse I have come to like quite a bit. I laid off of the roasted tomatoes this morning as my stomach has been a bit fickle as of late, but really laid into the whole weat pita with butter and honey. Breakfast of Egyptian Champions. A mug of green tea washed it all down and I raced back to the room to change into my gear (I’m not one for dining in my workout clothes even if they are clean). For once I was well organized and quickly donned my most comfortrable bike shorts (thanks Boure) and a jersey I hope nets me some free beer – the official Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale jersey from Stone Brewery. With that I was ready to rock so we headed to the lobby to join the growing mob.

We laughed, we stood around, we laughed, I went to the bathroom and got stuck in the stall. Yeah, that’s right, the lock was jammed and I was momentarily trapped in the stall. Actually it was about 7 minutes. I finally sat back down on the toilet, and with that the shotty construnction of the door allowed it to shift slightly and I forced it open. Go figure. Roll-call, chasing down of unsettled room bills, and final instructions were next on the docket before we finally rolled out.

We rolled through some part of Cairo on our approach to the pyramids at Giza. I visited them earlier in the week, but this time was different as we approached from a different side and got to ride through the desert to view them at a different angle. Most stopped for photos – I did too – but I also tested my arabic on the procession of camel riders accompanying us. I failed that test, but their smiles were encouraging.

A few group photos and we were underway. Almost. First I had to put on arm warmers and my jacket because the temperature was only hovering around 50 degrees. Yes, it’s true – you can be cold and have shrinkage in Egypt. I wish I could tell you it was amazing and surreal, but apart from the awe of “holy shite we’re starting this thing” the riding was less than optimal. We rolled along a heavily polluted canal and onto the expressway where the police had commandeered a lane of traffic for us. The views of the old buildings were interesting and I was very psyched to roll over the Nile, but the pollution was very, very thick and we were all relieved when we finally turned off of that road to a lesser, remote highway. Convoy riding is challenging with all of the starting and stopping, but nobody was injured and finally we were given our final instructions for the day: ride straight on this highway for 90km.

From that point forward, I rode with a rider named Paul. Orignally from the UK, and now living/working in Beaver Creek, he had a lot of great stories to tell about the ski life. It also turns out he’s quite an accomplished athlete and a complete animal. Check out his website: yeshesmad.com. I asked him if he had ever rode ~435 miles in 6 days and he told me that he recently rode 880 miles in 4 days from the southern tip of England to the northern tip of Scotland. Great riding companion and I wish him the best in the race (he probably only rode with me because of the fact that today was a non-timed stage).

The cold continued, as did the wind which shifted from head to tail. At one point we managed ~28mph on flat roads with my heart rate barely cracking 130 beats per minute. I need more of that… The scenery consisted of rolling sand/dirt hills, no vegetation, and the ocassional burned car flipped over on its roof.

We finally arrived at camp and well, what can I say, we are in BFE. Really, we are camping in the middle of a sandy expanse that stretches at least 50 miles. The earth is not so sandy as it seems to be a finely ground, clay-like substance. Fortunately only the crust is firm and the tent steaks penetrate without issue. I set up my tent for the first time ever (it broke in the final week when we were trying to bug-proof it) and it’s very nice. It probably won’t stay that way for 4 months, but one can hope!

Dinner was a massive portion of pasta bolognese. My dinner mates were Bastien from Holland, Horst from Germany, my father, and a few people whose names I have not committed to memory yet. Come on, give me a chance here. I’ll get them – I promise. People fleed for their tents immediately after dinner as if a tornado was coming. I opted for one of the special business “shovels” and made my maiden deposit in the Egyption desert. Sorry, but it’s a part of camp life that needed recognition.

Tomorrow morning is a “Mando” stage which simply means that racers cannot scratch this stage from their overall time. 105 miles. Should be interesting.