Iringa, Tanzania - 3/28
Hello my hometown family! First, Thank you for all the words of encouragement on the web site. I am absolutely elated right now. And I will challenge myself to reach back to your words when I am 4 hours into my next ride.
Second, I need your help with a name for my bike. I had named it slow-poke (will expound on that in a moment) but I think I need to show these other bikers my Philly pride. So, gimme your suggestions. (It's a light blue Gary Fisher mountain bike, if that helps)
OK, now for my riding update. Today was our 7th consecutive cycling day and 9th total since I have been with the tour. I cycled 8 of those 9. I skipped today and rode the lead truck in so I could get to Iringa early and take care of business - shower, laundry and internet in that order.
You already know the first day out of Nairobi was all paved surface and pretty flat so distance was lengthy (169 K). I biked 90 K, or about 62 miles.
Cycling day 2 into Arusha, Tanzania was quite hilly and partially unpaved. I biked about 66 K, half the day's distance of 132, and got on the lunch truck after lunch.
While one of the support trucks drives all the way out ahead of the riders to that day's destination, the second truck drives half the day's distance and stops to serve us lunch. Riders can get on the truck at that point if they need to. Once you finish lunch and fill up again on liquids, check your bike over if you need to, you go on cycling. Once the truck has served everyone and the crew cleans up, it heads to the destination of the day. The crew in that second truck checks on riders as it passes. And if you are OK you give a thumb up. If you have bike trouble or just can't go on, you give a thumb down. The truck stops then and helps with your problem or picks you and your bike up to take you to the end.
We had two days off in Arusha, then headed out on Monday.
Cyclists can leave camp for the next destination any time after they have eaten breakfast and loaded their gear into the trucks. The cyclists competing in the Tour for time sign a time sheet when they leave and then sign in their time when they arrive at the day's destination.
Those not competing for time don't have to sign the sheet. So some of the slower riders (me included) like to get out ASAP. The fast riders can do 80 K of hills on unpaved road in 3 to 3½ hours so they are done when the worst heat hits around 11:30.
But us slower riders are out there much longer. So I and a few others have been leaving at about 7:15.
More to come (be sure to check out the pictures in the entry below)...
Posted March 29, 2004 10:07 AM
Yvonne: You look almost fit enough to row. Love those pictures and am enjoying following comfortably far behind. How's the latte? Signe
What a wonderful story & exciting adventure. Keep up the good work! Maybe next year you'll be able to ride the entire race!
Posted by: Tawana Frink on March 30, 2004 12:50 PMYvonne: I used to ride bikes and gave it up due to seat discomfort and the lack of motivation for bike maintenance. Plus, children shrieked in horror when they saw me in Spandex. Very impressed with your effort. Hope you remain safe. Fortunately, while you were away there have been very few changes at work. Well, maybe just one. They're bringing back Jim Knight to do a gossip column called Prattle. Bike on.
Posted by: Drew McQuade on March 31, 2004 02:46 PMYvonne,
I'd like to hear more about how you feel about the experience. Is it what you expected? Are you enjoying the experience? What types of activities do you engage in after riding? Also, what is Africa like and what are the sites you're seeing? Are the people friendly?
Posted by: Yvonne W. on April 5, 2004 08:21 AMYou go Girl!! Are you taking pictures. Have a good time. Is the food good? Are you learning any new languages? Praying for you.
Posted by: Florence Cunningham on April 5, 2004 11:21 PMYvonne: I've come to look forward to your dispatches. We may be encouraging you but you are teaching us as well. We don't have to be biking through Africa to appreciate "all the life around us" (as you suggest) and we certainly need to be reminded of this. Still, you make me want to put Mt. Kilamanjaro and Victoria Falls on my list of places to visit. Keep on keeping on, Yvonne!
Dan Cirucci