Unfortunately it ended all too quickly

Three and a half days in and I ended up sick at Swan Lake. I stayed there for over a day hoping to feel better but didn't I am now heading through to Calgary via a rather convaluted transport route but it should work. I feel a bit better but still washed out, weak and not eating very much at all. Gutted that I quit but not much my body would do for me. Sometimes it is so hard to accept that it just isn't going to happen. Perhaps I gave up too 
soon but I am still not anywhere near up to riding 100 miles + a day.

It was probabably some water I drank. I wanted to get through flathead valley and not spend a night out in the wilderness with the bears which is why I did 260 miles in the first two days. 

The riding I did do was great and I met some amazing people; hopefully they all stay strong
and get to Mexico. The Flathead valley is a stunning place and I saw a bear (from a long way off...). 

Thanks for all your wishes and donations to charity,
Heather

And so it starts

I will be riding in less than an hour. I have done quite a few long challenges but nothing like this and it's proving a bit of a psych! I met one of the other woman riders this morning - Suzanne from Oregon - and she feels the same as me - nervous, emotional. She said she's never like it either so funnily reassuring that it's not just me feeling like this.

I don't know how often I will be able to update this blog but please keep your messages coming in I can pick them up on my iPhone and sometimes I will REALLY need them!

Just wanting to get down the trail now....

Cheers,
Heather

Isn't that nifty?

I can see that Aidan has managed to hook my spot tracker up to this blog. From the two links just below the top picture you can click and see that I am currently stood on the bridge in Banff (actually I am in the YWCA about 50yards awy) but that is pretty cool. You can now track me via this blog! Thank you Aidan!

Bike packed

Here is a picture of my bike all ready to go. I took it yesterday at the trailhead behind the Banff Springs hotel. This is the start of the race and where we will all be lining up on Friday. There are more and more racers arriving in Banff now. Tomorrow night there is the first screening of 'Ride the Divide' a film all about the 2008 race from the perspective of three different riders.

Hopefully the film will make me more excited than nervous. I haven't been this nervous about anything for ages. Just want it to start now...

Not a bad view from the high street

I am in Banff and it is a great town in some beautiful mountains. Just about used to the time zone now. My bike is all ready to go and I think I will become alot less nervous when the start time finally arrives at 9am on Friday (4pm BST).

I have been spending a bit of time riding my bike and lots of time drinking coffee and eating cake. I think that will be turned on its head by the end of the week!

Thank you to everyone who has donated to my just giving page - over there on the right ;o)

Think Pink

The bike I am riding for the Tour Divide is a rather splendid frame built by Ira Ryan. I met Ira last September whilst riding the cent cols challenge; he loves riding bikes and is a true craftsman, bike frames are his trade. Ira was fantastic in that he agreed to build me the frame (he has a looong queue for them) and pulled out all the stops to get it to me in time. He is based in Portland Oregon, one of the cycling capitals of the world as I understand.

The frame was delivered two weeks ago and I have since ridden it plenty, it is lovely. I will post a picture of it all built up and ready to go sometime soon.

The last graph for five weeks?

I am singlespeeding the Tour Divide. So just one gear for all that way. Deciding which one has been interesting and probably a bit too geeky. The other day when I was riding I decided plotting how ratios differ would be 'interesting'. Some may find it so anyway and I am afraid I am one of them.

I am riding a 29r bike with a gear set up of 32:18 this is about the equivalent of the standard 2:1 ratio of a 26r, and lies on the red line on the above graph. Sheldon Brown takes into account crank length but I am not going to go there (just yet). I am going to have another glass of wine instead.