What a day to be in Denver!!! Today the team was suppose to ride 97 miles but due to extreme heat and wind we only rode 60 of the 97. We started the day early again thinking it would help us to avoid the heat. The weather forecasted 99 degrees by 10 am. When we arrived at the first rest stop everything was good but by the second rest stop at 40 miles people were really starting to feel the heat. Colorado is extremely dry so riding through the wind was like riding through a hair drier. I knew it was hot but I was barely sweating, meaning I was dehydrated. No matter what the team drank, everyone was still extremely thirsty within minutes of chugging their water! To make matters more challenging there was a strong wind that created a small dust tunnel. Because of all these things our ride leader made the call that is was unsafe riding conditions. We got to stay in a nice women’s garage while we waited a few hours for the shuttle process. In the end we fit 13 bikes and 13 people in the van. When we arrived at the church Caroline’s family (who is visiting in Denver) had food waiting for us and it was the best thing ever after such a hectic day. Special thanks to them for their generosity and help on a stressful day! For the rest of the night some people on the team went to a concert at red rocks and others had dinner with some 2014 Alum. The 2014 alums Christy and Anne brought us a ton of snacks and it was great to exchange stories with them about their ride! Thanks 2014 team again for the snacks!

I would like to thank Christ Church United Methodist for being our host tonight! The ride dedication was for Mike’s friend Lukas who battled Leukemia.

Tomorrow we have a rest day in Denver, which we are all looking forward to after several long and hot rides.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: Hot in Here -Nelly
Memorable moment: climbing a hill and seeing the Rockies for the first time