Day 4: Keeping Pace

Day 4's ride was 86.3 miles from Dimona to Ashkelon. With only 1750 feet of climbing and much downhill riding, the pace was blistering. (So was the temperature). Indeed, we reached our lunch stop, at 62 miles, a half hour earlier than scheduled. (Zev, who joined me today, rode with the alpha dogs for the first 22 miles, and averaged more than 22 mph despite navigating two nasty climbs).

Either I got stronger or other riders were getting tired but, today, I was able to spend most of the day in pacelines, even taking turns pulling at the front. Some of the pacelines picked up as many as ten riders and a few lasted for over ten miles at a stretch. It's a special treat for me to ride this way since I generally ride alone and rarely get to team up with others. And, besides the fun of working together (and the increased speed) it is also so much easier to ride protected from the wind.

I even had a chance to ride for a while in a line with Erez, the group leader, who is a beast on the bike and one of the most skillful leaders I've ever met.

As usual, we passed some lovely terrain but one of the highlights for me was getting closer to civilization. It's hard to describe how in the middle of nowhere we've been the past few days.

Most importantly about reaching civilization, it meant that lunch was served at a place with a kiosk so I was able to buy a Coke, something I'd been dreaming of for three and a half days. After drinking warm bottled water for three and a half days, an iced cold Coke was the Real Thing.

Much of the ride was spent in farm land and at one point, a farmer was plowing up a duststorm as we were passing. We were almost totally blinded for a few seconds The ride into the sea side town of Ashkelon was was very chaotic. The police were nowhere to be seen and we were left to our own devices, weaving in and out of traffic. In general, the organization and logistics of this ride were worse than in past years, but more about that another time.

It was good to finally arrive and meet up with many of my friends from the other rides whom I hadn't seen since Sunday.

It was also great to ride and spend some time with Zev. We pounded dinner (and I had a beer for the fourth straight night; my usual annual allotment) and went to bed early. Four thirty a.m. wake up call for the climb to Jerusalem. Weather prediction: 100 degrees.