STILL IN GLOBE, 10.20.17

I spent two nights at a hotel in Globe. I left there this morning and continued on route 60--the route I have been following for most of the past few days--and I felt pretty good. I went about five miles--much of it uphill--and took a left turn on route 60. This went up hill for most of the next ten miles. And not the gradual uphill of the fake Continental Divide that wore me down through attrition, but real hills. Big ones. The good news is that I did OK physically. I stopped often, I drank Gatorade and keep going up until I got to the very top. All the way to the top. Where I looked at my map and realized that I was supposed to be on route 70, not 60. I had spent the entire morning climbing the wrong hill. 

You might reasonable assume that I cursed, kicked stones, and berated myself. You would be wrong. I let out a long slow breath, dismounted the bike, sat on the guard rail and looked down the hill I had so heroically climbed. After a few minutes I got back on the bike and road back into town. Where I am now, waiting until morning when I plan on taking route 70 east. 

On this stop I admired the distance that I had climbed. I imagine I was quite proud of myself. 

For all of the folks who gave me advice about how to keep riding, thank you: I stayed an extra day at the motel to rest, I have been drinking more often and stopping more often and for longer. Your joint advice worked. I hope it keeps working into New Mexico.