Day 5

                                                                           Day 5
                                                         Cottonwood AZ to Winslow AZ
                                                                         108 miles

     The day started off cool, probably in the low 40's.  There was a lot of discussion at breakfast about what to wear.  Being a veteran of Minnesota cycling, I knew not to overdress.  I ended up going with arm warmers and knee warmers.  As a whole, the group after yesterday's climbing seemed to be doing well.  Nobody seemed to be cracking.   Honestly, one of my proudest accomplishment so far is now having learned all  25 names of the people on this trip (I've included myself).

     The gist of the day was that we would climb for the first 50 miles on Rt.89N, through Sedona onto Flagstaff and then we would have a gentle 1-2% downhill grade on I-40 to our hotel in Winslow, AZ (with a brief stint on old Route 66).  The climbing on the ascent was hard but the scenery was spectacular.  I've included some pictures.  We all tend to leave roughly around the same time, probably within ten minutes of each other, but as the day goes on, especially if there are climbs, we tend to get strung out.  Today I rode closer to the front.   There are a few people on the trip, who clearly are the hammerheads.  There are about five of them.  (I am not one of them nor even close.)  They tend to start together, get to the SAG stops first, and get to the hotel, sometimes an hour or more before anybody else.  Two of these guys are Jason and Patrick. They are brothers from New Zealand and always ride together. The rest of us affectionately refer to them as "The Kiwis".  There are very nice but I'm sorry admit that I hardly understand a word they say.  At dinner last night, I asked Simon, one of the three guys from England on this trip,  is it easier to understand "The Kiwis" because he's Brittish then it is to understand Americans?  Much to my delight, he admitted that he can't understand a word they say either.  As it goes, we were lucky to have a nice 10-15 MPH tailwind as we sped down I-40 with our gentle downhill grade.  Honestly, it was probably the fastest 40+ miles I've ever done on a bike.  I'm estimating that my average speed in that stretch was around 28 MPH.  At one point I hit 40 just to see how fast I could go if I pedaled hard, then I backed off.  Anyway, prior to the last SAG stop, at 87 miles, who do I see ahead of me off in the distance but "The Kiwis".  My mission was to get there before them.  Why?  I've got no reasonable explanation.  As cyclists they are far stronger and faster than me.  Yet, there was a part of me that wanted to beat them, albeit at a contest of my own invention.  So I decided to put the hammer down.  I started to close the gap.  As the miles ticked away, I began to get closer and closer.  The rest stop was at a gas station at the end of the exit ramp.  It was about 1/4 mile ahead.  I then went full out and just as they were getting to the top of the ramp, I blew past both of them, and gave them each a smile and wave as I did so.  Was this completely stupid and silly?  Absolutely.  Was there any satisfaction in this?  Absolutely.  Would I do this again?  Absolutely!
    As I found out, the downside of being one of the first to the hotel is that  you have to wait for the van with the luggage to arrive.  Without luggage there are no clean clothes or normal shoes to change into.  Showering is pointless as you only have your used cycling clothes to put back on again.  The other downside is that once the luggage arrives, you have to help unload it...all of it.  This is the glory that awaits those that want to finish ahead of the pack.  So be it.  While waiting I went next door and had a chocolate milk shake (my recovery drink) which was fantastic.  Eventually the van came, the unloading occurred, and the rejuvination process got underway.  To cap the day, a bunch of us went to the fanciest restaurant in town at the hotel La Posada.  This was a Fred Harvey hotel built in 1929 for the Santa Fe railroad.  The food was fantastic.  Afterward we managed to squeeze 12 people into a van for the ride back to our luxury hotel, the Econolodge.  Although exceeding the van capacity by so many bodies was amazing, there was one other thing that happened today that stands above all.  Who should I happen to see, standing on a corner, in Winslow?   You won't believe this but it was Jackson Browne.  I took his picture.  Unbelievable.  However, you can all rest assured that no matter what happens to me on this trip, I won't let the sounds of my own wheels drive me crazy. 

-Grinner

Bridge on the Way to Flagstaff

Oak Creek Canyon on way to Flagstaff

Greg, Anthony, Tom, and Lassa posing by a camel at La Posada

Route 66

Scenery on Meteor Crater Road (the exit I overtook the Kiwis)

Jackson Browne standing on corner in Winslow Arizona

-Grinner