Friday's rainout turned into a headache... literally. By 5:00, my head was pounding, and when I picked up Chip from a friend's house, he looked at me and said, "You don't look so good." (Nice, Chippy. Just what a girl wants to hear!) I took a few Tylenol when we got home and went to bed on the early side, still planning to head out early in the morning.
On Saturday, I woke up with a mild fever, but with 75 miles hanging over me, I took a few ibuprophen and headed out the door. I kept thinking my headache and fever would disappear, but they never really did -- and it wasn't the only setback I had on Saturday.
Heading over the Salem-Beverly bridge, a headwind knocked me off center and I caught my wheel in the damn expansion joint. I took a hard fall to my left shoulder -- ouch! -- though surprisingly it's my knee that's bruised and swollen today.
Despite the fall, I stuck with my ride up the coast through Magnolia, Gloucester, Rockport and Annisquam. I had a tough ride, alternating between hard sweats and teeth chattering chills, waves of nausea, and pain in my shoulder and neck. So stupid. I thought about calling home a few times for a rescue... and wanted to hop on the train in Gloucester for the trip back to Swampscott... but I just hated the idea of giving up, so I stuck it out. At one point I pulled over, pretty certain I was going to lose the contents of my stomach, only to realize I was next to a soccer field with a small herd of boys not more than 10 yards away. It was pure will power at that point not to vomit.
It was a very slow ride -- and definitely not my best day -- but I managed 72 miles. Done.
I probably should have stayed in bed.
"Ride as much or as little or as long or as short as you feel, but RIDE" -- Eddy Merckx
