13 March 2014
Brawley to Blythe, California
91 miles (Total Miles = 245)

I know surprisingly little about physiology given that I majored in Biology but I’m guessing it’s not right that we haven’t peed, nor even had the urge to pee, in 9 hours of cycling. And it’s not for lack of hydrating. There’s been water and juice and electrolytes and more water, but the input is definitely not equaling the output. I hope this sounds as much like the great holiday that it is.

Today is all about the miles – 91 of them in all – and The Dips. These are capitalized as they are worthy of attention. If you ask me, the best kind of dips are those that go with chips. These were not those kind. These were the kind that rolled you down a steep incline and then part-way up the next steep incline. That doesn’t sound so bad, and after 30 miles of straight and flat, may even push the envelope of fun. And they would have, if only they’d come with a shoulder. No shoulder equals no fun, and when coupled with semi-trucks and RVs, equals a lot of pucker and panic. No matter that there’s a semi coming straight at you, passing another on a blind hill with a double yellow. Just stop, pray, and think, hmmm, will this finally make me pee, even if it’s in my pants?

Okay, so we dodged a few bullets today. But the scenery is getting better, we can be proud of ourselves that we rode nearly a century – something that anyone in their right mind would train 3 months, not 3 lousy days, for – and when all was said and done, we made it to our first hotel room since we left San Diego four days ago. So pass me that water jug and those keys to my en suite please; I’ve got me some physiology to booster.