Pactour Day 22 "There's something for everyone on Pactour"

Will and JW "watering" the corn.  Forcast is for no corn (but maybe more rain) tomorrow!

We all have our names embroidered on our arm warmers and shoe covers (makes sorting laundry alot easier.)  We ride with shoe covers in the rain to keep the shoes clean, not dry.  Keeps the feet a little warmer also.

Buster, Jim, Will and JW getting a send off, in the rain, from lunch.  The Louis Garneau rain jackets were key today.  As a matter of fact the Louis Garneau shorts have been the best for the boys on this trip.   Assos for the Turk.

 

You know your in Amish country when....

The last rest stop was in beautiful Ash Cave state park.  Looks like the boys were actually in the cave...

Dinner tonight had to be at Bob Evans, an Ohio tradition and Jim's grandfathers favorite restaurant.

Tanta Peg (Will and JW's grandmother) recommended the Cheese baked potato soup.  We had it and it was awesome.  The Aussies had it and liked it to!!

Today was 151 miles from Troy, OH to Athens, OH.  The Turk didn't line up today, she developed what we call "PacTour Fever" last night and couldn't sleep and ached all over.  She rode in the lunch truck (where you work alot harder than you do on the bike...)  Susan Gardner, John Lake, and Lara Sullivan where her crewmembers.  They have helped the Slauson family out tremendously during the weeks and we've all become close.  They had to work harder today, because of the rain and because Jim asked for grilled chicken a couple of days ago (but man the grilled chicken is the best with a close second going to the "John Lake Hot Dogs" which he grills every other day for us - remember the crew "works" a day, then rides a day."

Jim and the boys set out at a steady tempo and rode with several groups to lunch.  Our newest closest riding Buddy, Buster Schaffer, rode all day with them and even accepted an honorary "Slauson family member" of the day title.  So he took all the city and county limit sprints for Terri giving her about 50 points on the day, until he broke his fork (probably sprinting) with 10 miles to go.  More on that later.

The day was mild headwind, but off and on rain all day.  This actually made the ride a bit more pleasant than it has been since the temperature never got above 75 degrees.  You have to be a bit more careful riding in the rain so it is a little mentally tougher.  

JW had leg muscle pain before the first rest stop and we thought he might have to stop.  He took 2 motrin at the first rest stop and 10 miles down the road his pain was gone.  (I think it was the Little Debbie Oatmeal cream cookies and not the motrin, but who knows.)  From that point on he drilled it all day and was at the front of the groups all day.

Jim felt better than he had in 3 days.  He felt that this was the first day he never looked forward to the finish or worried about the time or distance.

Will struggled all day, but with help from Jim and Buster, rode with "Courage" the theme for the day and got thru the day with a smile.  

Buster felt something weird in his bikes front end, maybe his headset was loose or a stembolt problem.  Fortunately, JW had to pee 10 miles from the finish and we looked closer at his bike and his steerer tube (the part of the fork which the stem/handle bars attach to) was broken.  So he waited by the side of the road and got picked up by the last Sag wagon.  A quick call to Matt at B-H and a replacement will be waiting for him in VA in 2 days!!

Jim and the boys were one of the first groups to lunch and one of the first groups to finish.  JW commented that "its fun to ride at the front of PacTour."  This reminded me that there really is something for everyone at Pactour.

We have gotten in before the lead riders (when we have sagged in from lunch.)  We have gotten in in the very middle of the group on days we rode hard.  And we have gotten in dead last on days we've gone really easy or struggled a bit.

When we get in early, and hang out cleaning bikes and preparing for the next day we get to see all the riders come in over the next hour or two.  There are usually 3 distinct groups.  Those who have hammered all day, and come in hi-fiving and all jacked up talking about their mph and ride times, the winds etc.  The next group comes in at a relaxed pace talking about the rest stops, what they stopped and took pictures of, which streams they had jumped into, what they had seen during the day etc.  The last group is the "stragglers" (Slausons usually there) who come in in smaller groups, quietly seemingly glad to have done the day and finished and proud of what they did and saw. 

The groups can be different each day, obviously some here are faster and some slower than others, but some may go fast one day, then slow the rest.  Certain folks always ride together (the 4 Slausons are the biggest group here,) but each of the smaller groups ride with different small groups each day and individual riders ride with different groups and different individuals each day.

The point is, is that you can hammer with your head down across the U.S. and be the fastest each day, and get the training benefit or pleasure from riding hard.  You can ride slow, see things, talk with others.  You can do a mixture.  You can hammer some days, and ride slow somedays.  The Slausons have been in all 3 groups on different days.  During 26 days of 130 mile rides there is something for everyone and each day can be as different as you want it to be.

And that is a good thing. 

Tomorrow is 160 miles with 6000 climbing.  The heat index is projected at 101.  Tough day.  The boys did massages tonight hoping to facilitate recovery.  Turk feels alot better and will be back in the game tomorrow.

The Slausons