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Today’s theme was ‘recovery’. We called it rest day 1.5 and it truly was a rest day. We had 43 miles on the schedule for the day, but one of our guides suggested we take advantage of a small 4-mile detour on the way out of Three Forks to see the headwaters of the Missouri river which was also a location where Lewis and Clark camped for a period of time. We’ve not done much of that along the way, so taking time to stop and smell the roses was a worthwhile decision.
It was cool and little to no wind when we started the day, and the temperatures never went much above the low 70’s by the time we arrived in Bozeman around 11:30 am. We knew our rooms wouldn’t be ready, so we were advised to put a change of clothes in our day bags for when we arrived.
Once changed, a group of us went around the corner from the hotel to a little restaurant called ‘Naked Noodles’. It was delicious and just what we needed. All sorts of types of noodles and proteins. You could order exactly what you wanted. The servings were generous, the food was fresh, and the prices were low. It was a winning combination.
We had nothing but time to kill so we went on a mission to find every biking store within walking distance to see if we could grace ourselves with new cycling attire. There was little to be found for the women – or at least it wasn’t worth buying at the higher prices.
I took the opportunity to head to the laundromat and wash a few kits from the last few days. Once finished, I ordered an Uber to take me to the other end of Main Street for the 75-minute massage I’d booked when we arrived.
Overall, I was feeling really good and feeling better after my massage. Hungry when I was finished, I grabbed a quick burger at the restaurant across the street and joined a few of my fellow riders for ice cream at the truck in the parking lot of the hotel.
Once back in my room about 7:30 pm, I had a long hot shower and washed my hair. It was necessary. I took the opportunity to blow-dry it while in a decent hotel with a lovely hairdryer.
Nothing exceptional to report on today other than I am feeling good and enjoyed the scenery today. There were a few small inclines that let my legs know we weren’t on flat surface anymore, but overall – kept a decent pace.
We have two longer days ahead of us tomorrow and Friday at 109 and 90 miles respectively. The elevation gain is only about 2000 feet each day, so nothing like what we’ve been doing. We do have a big day on Saturday with a 20 mile climb over Big Horn Pass.
In some ways, I’m intimidated by it, but I know I’m getting stronger, I know I put in the work to be ready for days like Saturday, and I know that a HUGE part of it is mental. If I believe I can do it, I will. Like Coach Lasso said, ‘Believe’.
