99 miles with 2,400' of climbing
The big news today was the heat. GPS systems were uniformly reading 104 degrees. With the humidity, we were told that the heat index would be 110. Obviously, there were heat advisories to limit outdoor activities and to drink plenty of fluids. What a day to ride a century!
We left our center city hotel, turned right and were hit with a 12% grade climb almost immediately. I love the triple crank and gear ratio on my bike, which allow me to make these steep climbs pretty easily when I'm in my smallest gear. Fortunately, it was a short hill, and Frank, Gail, CJ and I cruised out of Mankato by 7:30. There was more climbing today than the previous two days, but the wind continued to come from the west, which was ideal for us. This picture was taken early in our ride by one of our Portland, OR friends....
After our second SAG stop at mile 67, Frank became really hot. The soles of his feet, in particular, felt like they were on fire. Despite his attempts at hydration, he couldn't cool down. We had hoped to stop for lunch somewhere, but there was no civilization until our destination - Rochester. At mile 85, Frank made the wise decision to ride in the SAG van for the last 14 miles. Meanwhile, Gail, CJ and I endured the remaining miles to Rochester, passing both the famous Mayo Clinic and Soldier Field.
Frank wasn't himself for the rest of the day. He remained nauseous and tired. In fact, he was asleep by 7:30. Tomorrow is supposed to be his final day of riding with us before returning to DE on Friday. Unfortunately, the forecast of heat and humidity remains through the weekend. I'll be sure to watch him closely tomorrow!
Sounds like riding in the van was a smart move. Heat exhaustion is horrid. Give Frank my best...take care of yourself in this heat too! It's brutal here in DE as well!
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