Day 2 - El Centro to Quartzsite - More Desert Sand and Heat

 Imperial Valley Sand Dunes

The hot weather from yesterday continued today with temps up to 109 as we crossed the Imperial Valley desert and into Arizona for a 127 mile day.  Most of us are getting into the rhythm of hot desert riding, which works like this at a rest stop:
     - fill your bottles (insulated is nice) with ice, water and/or Perpetuem/Heed/Gatorade or Sustained Energy
     - fill your ice sock with more ice then wrap it around the back of your neck and shoulders
     - drink as much water as you can before leaving the rest stop
     - pop a couple of endurolytes
     - swab on more sun block lotion (don't forget the spf lip balm)
     - try to make it 20 miles down the road to the next rest stop before you run out of water

The other problem many of us are wrestling with is what to eat when it is really hot - you know you need calories but most typical biker food just isn't too appealing and the heat really kills your appetite.  Different riders come up with their own solutions, but extra scoops of Perpetuem/Sustained Energy, Hammer gel, moist energy bars, bananas, watermelon, some cookies and beef jerky (for the salt) seem to work.  Anything that digests easily and doesn't upset the stomach is good.

Today we started in groups, with the faster riders first, a middle group and a slower group.  I started in the middle group and we got off to a good start in a 20 mph+ paceline on a slight down hill.  We started a 20 feet below sea level and gradually dropped to -100' before starting to climb again.  We had a medium quartering head wind so got into a semi-organized echelon with eight riders.  After the first rest stop, four of us worked on this some more and made some good time through the Imperial Valley sand dunes. 

The hills got steeper and I eased up and ended up dragging into the rest stop at 60 miles on my own.  Lots of water and a little food pumped me back up again and the next leg went really well.  I passed Steve Reed just before lunch - he had a tough day yesterday and was hurting again with the heat and cramping. 

Lunch was great, in a small grove and a tempting-to-jump-into canal in the background. There were several salads, including a tabuli based one that was great, along with a bananas and strawberries.  A dish of mandarin oranges completed the desert repast.  Steve and I decided to ride together for the rest of the day which worked out great as we made good time and enjoyed each other's company.  Our best decision of the day was to stop at the McDonald's in Blythe for a milkshake and smoothie and to refill our ice socks. 


At the last rest stop, along Interstate I-8 there were several riders gearing up for the last 10 miles, including a long, gradual climb into Quartzsite.

Mike Robertson, from Indiana had a hard day yesterday, but as you can see, was doing much better today.




                                                                                                                           Mike Robertson

Andrew Puddy, our Aussie, continues to cruise along.  Andrew is on his third Elite Tour.

Tomorrow we roll across the desert for another 90 miles in 100+ temps before we leave the desert floor and head up over Yarnell grade to 4,700', then drop down to pretty Peeples Valley before dropping down a little more before our final climb of the day up to 6,100' then into Prescott and some much cooler weather, after a 140 mile jaunt.  There is a rumor we may have a tail wind!

All in all an easier day than yesterday, with less climbing, but still a lot of heat.  We are adapting pretty well but will not be sorry to see the last of our desert days.