DAY 3: 9/22 El Centro, CA to Wellton, AZ

DAY 3: 9/22/21 El Centro, CA to Wellton, AZ 95 miles, top temperature 108 (108! no typo!!) –

So what do two type A personalities do after getting whipped riding 83 miles in a high of 102? 

Since looking at the forecast even before leaving New York, today’s ride loomed as a difficult personal challenge. To get a head start on the heat, we started out 5:49am with our lights on in the dark. It was an amazingly peaceful start with cool air. I love cycling eastwards heading straight to the sunrise. It’s as if the whole world is dark and we were cycling ahead to the one place of light. 

After 90 minutes of serenity-now kind of riding where I’m in the zone, we came to a farm home on the left and I saw a large, black muscular dog running along side in the same direction we were riding, behind a high chain-link fence. The fence comforted me greatly. Then suddenly at the end of the yard, holy crap the dog was on the road and coming at me. The fence only ran in the front, the yard and was open on the sides! Who builds a fence like that?  I’m now freaking out, the hair on my arms is up and my heart rate is soaring. I start yelling “NO NO NO NO” at the top of my lungs, and by virtue of this adrenaline rush accelerate to over 20 mph. I’m free. This time. It takes about 10 minutes for my heart to settle to normal. 

Some (as in my kids) describe my relation with dogs as that I’m terrified. I prefer to say I’m just uncomfortable. I feel the root of this is being chased by large dogs up my front stairs in my childhood neighborhood. Regardless of why, it’s real. It starts me thinking do I have other fears known or unknown and what are their basis?

We have been well warned to expect loose dogs in Louisiana and nearly every cross country cyclist you speak with or blog I’ve read has a dog encounter story and strategy. It’s just one of those many things to consider. Advice varies from using pepper spray, yelling, blasting a loud air horn, throwing water (why waste that precious resource?), simply stopping (the theory being the dog really doesn’t want to catch you- no chance I’m trying that one!), and even throwing your bike at it. My plan was to buy an air horn after New Mexico (why carry the weight beforehand?) and you can’t fly with one. I’ll be getting one soon and for now I’m riding with my safety whistle around my neck. 

Around 7:30am, we took a 20-mile route option suggested by the ACA as safer. It started as a bumpy, poorly maintained road that while technically paved was uncomfortable to ride because of the rising cracks where the road buckled upwards from heat. We couldn't move very fast. The solution seemed to be to ride in the shoulder of hard-packed sand. After a mile of this which I enjoyed, it gave way to a “ soft shoulder”. I unclipped my right foot from my pedal in case I needed to plant it down. The problem was the road gave way and pushed me left. Clunk. It’s my turn today to bite the dust. I’m on the ground on my left side with my bike on top of me. Instinct is check arm and hip, then wrist and rest of body. No breaks. Maybe a bruise. Road rash was negligible and no cuts beyond scrapes. I’m good!

But the question was are we really going to stick on this alternate route for 20 miles or return to the other option? It’s only been a few days but I realize despite planning a route there is still a steady stream of navigation decisions. Ain’t life like that?

We decided to press on and were rewarded with smooth pavement for 18 miles! I actually achieved a flow state of riding and was riding hands free for minutes at a time. I’m in heaven. (Or if fictional Ray Kinsella were with me he might reply: no it’s California. And to which I’d reply, feels more like Arizona.)

The added bonus of riding hands free is it’s a respite from the shoulder strain of being bent over and helps prevent ulnar pain from so much time on the handlebars. I know I’m prone to this but have not suffered it yet on this trip.  

Flow state riding, unaware photo was being taken

About 9:30am it was warming up and we enjoyed riding through the desert. 

Dunes near the border with Mexico

About 11:30am the heat was rising fast and my energy was sinking in proportion. We started craving shade. The city of Yuma was our destination for shelter and lunch, and was still over an hour away.  We pushed on. At last we approached it and crossed the Colorado River from CA to AZ. Yes THE Colorado! It’s one of the last areas it runs in the USA before it runs south into Mexico. In other blogs I’ve read there is a sense of satisfaction of crossing into a new state. I felt none of that. I was too drained. 

Yuma heat, high of 108º

Yuma has many dining choices. It’s developed and growing like so many other cities populated with those leaving California. For some very strange reason, when we chose a destination to plug into google maps I chose Chick-Fil-A as I was having a craving. I say very strange, in fact bizarre, because I’ve never before eaten there. Can one crave the unknown? Maybe it’s a yearning not a craving? Maybe I was a bit woozy even to start today? 

It must have been raw adrenaline, supportive emails received, and sheer determination that got me here because I ended up there for about two hours until ready to move again. I started by downing a shake. That gave me the energy but barely to eat. I had no appetite and knew that’s a sign of dehydration. I napped. Heather said I crashed. 

Mark napping at Chick-Fil-A

While I slept, Heather befriended several of the employees who by now had turned over from the morning to afternoon shift. She appeared with her new friend Tom the manager who was beyond nice. A cyclist himself, he wanted to make sure we were ok and said if you have any trouble heading to Wellton (another 30 miles) just call the restaurant and ask them to call me on my cell and I’ll come get you. And we knew he was sincere. He came back with two comp cookies and swore they are delicious. Heather enjoyed hers and confirmed his opinion. I’m unable to even consider it. I offered her to have mine too. It was at this point Heather later told me she started to worry most about me. In her words “you never would give away your soft chewy chocolate chip cookie if you were ok”. 

Tom, a manager who cares

After loading up on liquids and soaking my bandana and head cap in cold water, we eventually got going. With multiple shade stops we struggled to complete the 31 miles to Wellton. 

I was so depleted I could only get into the shower in my clothes. (Turns out to be a pretty efficient way to launder.) 

Dinner is pizza from Dusty's (5 minute walk) that doesn’t deliver but the hotel clerk is adamant she will pick it up for us. She refused our tip when she delivered it! Heather devours her half, that is 4 slices. I can’t finish a second slice. 

Kidding aside in a prior blog, fortunately my background of travel risk management includes knowing about dehydration and I do know how to be responsible. I recognized my symptoms and I needed 36 hours of rest and rehydration. It’s one thing to will myself across today’s finish line, it’s another to start tomorrow with an electrolyte deficit. Heather said I should decide what to do. As much as it was a difficult decision, it was also surprisingly simple. We are not experiencing any aches from time in the saddle, the demands of the miles, the climbing, etc. The heat was something we could not train for. There’s no shame in this. Plus we saw the next day’s forecast is again over 100 but the following day drops to a mere 92. We will wait and attack 92!

We book another night here and made changes ahead. I will give my body what it needs. As our son Matt texted us "it’s a marathon, not a sprint." Damn, that boy has learned well!

Author's note: As our kids have asked us after the first few days worriedly if we are really ok, and are we having fun? The answer is a resounding yes to both! After falling asleep about 9pm, I woke with an appetite at 1am and happily enjoyed two slices of pizza. Despite the heat we are loving the adventure! While I thought the next day might be a kind of “stuck inside of Wellton with the low sodium blues”, it was a very enjoyable, chill day. Lunch and back again for dinner at the nearby Desert Penguin were both delicious. It was a successful day of rest and homemade oral rehydration therapy (sugar and salt packs in water).

Shower and laundry efficiency

Strava day 3

© Copyright Mark Segal 2021.