Cutting to the chase… Matt had to pull out after 22 miles into todays ride. We have been having pee tests every day and matts haven’t been looking very good for the last 3. He had a kidney problem last Autumn and it is the aftermath of that… He wasn’t bonking yesterday it was to do with this issue. Dr De has been concerned since the weekend and she said that matt’s body would ultimately answer the question. So very reluctantly he withdrew from today’s ride at the first water . We were all gutted. Matt needed to rest, he had no choice.

I got myself together and we worked out a new strategy which meant that the rv would follow me as opposed to leapfrogging ahead. The route took us 100 miles up to the bottom of wolf creek pass. I felt strong ( I think the rationed budweisers the night before helped, plus my new infatuation with alphabet spaghetti) so although going solo, I was actually looking forward to the 22 mile climb. The gut wrenching thing about matt missing this ride is that we have been talking about this specific challenge since we planned the route. Anyway I just had to get on with it. Apparently the scenery was stunning, I didn’t see much of it as my head was down for almost all of the assent.. It proved to be a massive test of my mind and body, averaging somewhere around 7 miles an hour for 22 miles is not much fun.
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