Day 2: Without the Wind, It Would Have Been a Breeze

The wind, more than the hills, was todays greatest challenge (the distance was nothing to sneeze at).

Today's route was the very same one we did on the first day of my first ride I'm 2004 with another 25 thrown in for good measure.

We went north from Mitzpeh Ramon towards Har Harif, at over 3000 feet, the highest point in the Negev. What was cool was we went along a restricted army road literally on the Egyptian border. The Egyptian Border guards happily waved to us and we waved back. The uncool part was that the roads were pretty poor (relative to what we've been used to). The army vehicles that pass through tend to bring up dust and gravel. Unfortunately, this had severe consequences, a bad accident on a steep descent involving one of our riders (ok but broke her pelvis) and, less significantly, 19 flat tires!
There were many rolling hills and lots of wind. And that was before Nitzana.

Nitzana was at mile 60. We went another 25 miles in the howling wind to Masube Sade. I was out on my own most of the time, although I felt much stronger than Sunday. I was again in the very back but in contact. (At one point a few Israeli kids were yelling at me from the road: Aharon! Acharon! (Last! "Last!) I screamed back in my best Hebrew, someone has to be last!).

A few people bonked in the wind during the last stretch and did not finish. I was sore all over and incredibly tired at the end.

Totals: 3300 calories, 85 miles, 3500 feet of climbing.