Day 27 June 20th

Day 27 June 20^th

(It was so hot RV's were melting!!)

Stats: 108.01 Miles, 9:35 Hours, 11.2 MPH Average, 46.5 MPH Top Speed, Hot and sunny, temps were in the 120’s most of the day until I finally got back to the coast!

Well I figured last night that it is just about the longest day of the year tomorrow so I should get up early again and go for the 100 miles mark for a second time, since I was so close yesterday. So today I was up and on the road about 10 to 6, and heading south as the sun was rising to my left. Of course, with all the good intention I was stopped about 5 miles into my ride with the trips first flat.

usually keep a pretty good eye out for sharp things on the road, but I ended up running over a staple and instantly the air was gone. So I laid my bike down, pulled my wheel off, fixed the flat, and 20 minutes later was back on the bike.

Although it didn’t slow me down too much, I still felt like I had lost my super early start and that there was a bad omen trying to keep me from going the distance. I trudged on, and as the route headed way inland temperatures began to soar! By 9 it was already 95 degrees. Southern California is having record heat by the way; it has been hotter here in the past two days than it has been for over a decade. Anyway by the time lunch was over it was into the 120 category, I kid you not. To make it even more fun, there was a 13.5 mile hill to tackle, with little to no shade, in this unbelievable heat. I am not one to complain much about conditions, I didn’t even mind the rain, but 122 degrees is crazy, Satan himself couldn’t live here! Oh ya the hill, normally a long hill on this trip was between 3 and 5 miles at most, so 13.5 blew all of those out of the water.

But I kept on going, drinking my hot water and knowing I could make it to south of Santa Barbara. And I did, I rolled in here at my campsite by 7:30, showered all the days sweat off, and was happy to once again be by the coast, where temperatures were back to livable conditions. So not only was today the longest of the trip, but it was the longest I have ever done, the hottest day of my life, and contained the longest hill on the coast, so all in all, a pretty great day. One last thing, I was able to go 46.5 MPH, which was also the fastest of the trip! Now I am here sitting by the beach, watching the sun set and getting ready to pass out after a long day.

(There it is, 108 miles, 9:35 hours, 46.5 MPH top speed, and 11.2 MPH average!)