What can I say? It was hot again! We got up at the ridiculous hour of 4:30 am, breakfast and snack at 5:30. Wee were very clearly told that hovering would not help make breakfast earlier. So....when I went to the lobby for hot water to brew my strange coffee contraption at 4:32 am... I see Connie, fully on bike clothes, suitcase packed wheeling our to the van. insanity!

Anyway, on the road at 5:45 or something. Pretty tough headwind on the southbound stretches. Karina, Judie, and I took turns pulling- and Ellen and kit felt too tired so 'rode along'.

We'd done 40 miles by 9 or so. One nice thing was that they were putting in new asphalt by the wind turbines. Although riding by the new asphalt was hot, it wad neat to hear it crackle as it got laid down. And the brand new pavement we got to ride on--- aaaahhhh

After the 40 mile sag (9am) it got pretty hot. They hadn't put Kempton on our cue sheets, but for these hot days, I've been diligent about scouting the route using the adventure cycle map and my iPhone. Good thing! There wasn't a planned sag until 66 miles. Id gone through one of my bottles before 50! We found a book/snack/video shop. I bought a water an a sweet tea.

Some hot road later, kit succumbed to the heat at mile 60. We called for a pickup - and got some more water. By mile 66 I'd drunk a bit over 4 bottles....not possible with what the guide had shared with us.

Lunch was cool and yummy, but tense when I heard from Mary that shed been told not to expect the 76 mile sag. I thought my ideas through, reminded myself to be calm and constructive, and managed my way through a difficult conversation with the guide. I am proud that I made my point strongly, but also talked her down out of an escalated/heated discussion by offering a suggestion and using the phrase "that's not OK". I'm not usually good at these types of situations.

Happily, it ended up that we were assured that we'd get water in 10 miles. The next 10 were ok- the 2nd 5 along a river with shade trees. A dog Bounded along beside us and ended up at the sag.

Oh my, it was good we filled up on water there! Not many farmhouses at all along the last 10 miles, a gravel road for 3, and then a hot highway with a headwind for the last 5.

One more day of this heat. Almost 100 miles tomorrow. Good thing we can rest saturday.!!

Good job karina, lynda, elisabeth, judie, me, Mary, sue, and barb. Completed the ride in tough conditions!