Written by Rest day was… blissful. I am thoroughly enjoying the ride, but a day to rest the body and mind and get off the bike is needed on a journey such as this.
My rest day really started yesterday with our easy ride into town. We arrived just before noon, and I had a massage scheduled for 12:15 pm. It was fantastic. My masseuse, Brian, found the perfect combination of deep tissue and relaxation.
This morning, I got up without an alarm and allowed myself to rest in bed until about 7:00 am. That sounds early but given the normal routine of waking at 5 or 5:30 am, this was decadent. As is usually the case, I’m fairly famished when I wake up in the morning, so I immediately went down for breakfast. A few of my fellow riders were already there, so I joined them, and we visited about plans for the day. They were going to hike up to the ‘M’ on the side of the hill nearby. It was only 1.5 miles but sounded like too much unnecessary walking to me. I admired them getting out but opted for as little physical exertion as possible.
I walked across town to the nearest local parish, stopping to get a coffee along the way. I enjoyed attending the 10 am mass in the beautiful church which appeared to have been built in the early 1900s based on the beautiful craftsman art deco design elements of the interior. After mass, while leaving the church, I spoke with a lovely woman who had sat in front of me. I complimented her on her very vibrant and decorative eyeglasses. This sparked a conversation about whether I was visiting Missoula. I shared with her the journey we were on and asked for her prayers for me and my fellow riders. She very kindly agreed to pray for us for safety and strength along the way. I have not been shy about asking of this of people – I even wrote in the guest book in the entrance of the church asking for prayers.
One of the times of the day I greatly enjoy is my prayer time on the bike every day. Every day, early in our ride for the day, I find time – usually at a moment consumed by the appreciation for the surroundings and experience – to pray. The prayer is always a prayer of thanksgiving for what we have experienced thus far, and also a prayer for continued safety and strength for all of us. I am so very appreciative to be able to take this journey with this amazing group of individuals. It is important for me to express that daily and give thanks for the beauty of the world around us.
After Mass, I walked back towards the hotel and picked up a few supplies at the local grocery store. By the time I finished, it was lunchtime, and I opted for lunch at the hotel given the proximity. While at lunch I worked on catching up on my blog postings and videos, as well as a barrage of emails.
I was feeling a bit tired and, since I had nothing going on the rest of the day, I headed to my room for a nap. I feel into a deep sleep for a good hour and decided that was perfect for my body and mind on rest day.
The rest of the day was spent getting organized as well as doing a little retail therapy – though not buying anything – looking around in a few shops nearby.
One thing I couldn’t resist was the idea of wading into the beautiful river outside the hotel. It was a warm day, and the river looked cool and refreshing. I decided to put on my sliders and find a way down to the river. While I didn’t want to swim, I did want to wade in up to my thighs and give my legs a bit of a well-deserved ice-bath. It was cool and refreshing. I stayed in there while on the phone with my husband for a good half-hour. He said he could hear the river water sounds in the background. It was beautifully relaxing in spite of standing the entire time.
My river-wading was followed by a delicious hamburger for dinner at a nearby restaurant. I sat outside while enjoying the yummy burger and fries with a side of a beautifully cold IPA. I haven’t really been drinking alcohol while on this trip. Most days it’s not appealing and sometimes the wine options are less than prime in the small towns we visit. I have found, however, that an ice-cold beer post-ride has been blissful. I usually enjoy an Athletic non-alcoholic beer on hot days post ride, but tonight’s dinner called for a pint of IPA while sitting outside in the shade of a late summer evening.
I made my way back to the hotel and enjoyed crawling into bed early with everything ready for the morning. Tomorrow is a big day with 116 miles on tap and gnarly climb around mile 96 to attend to. The rest day will be helpful in ensuring that tomorrow’s ride is the best it can be given that it is 116 miles.