DAY 11

ROUTE:Wendover,NV to Salt Lake City, UT	DISTANCE:117 miles	WINDS:North 15-20mph. Brutal!
WEATHER:Beeeoootiful again! (Knock on wood!)	TERRAIN:flat to rolling	CLIMBING:About 1000 feet

I can't begin to tell you how glad I was to pull into the Comfort Inn in Salt Lake City this afternoon! It was a difficult day, partly because of the 117 miles, but mostly due to a dreaded crosswind that slowed us down considerably all day. We got up and ate breakfast early (5am) because we knew it was going to be a long day on the bike, but we had no idea that the wind would make a tough day even tougher. We rode for the first 40 miles or so on the Utah Salt Flats, and they are truly flat. If we had had a favorable wind, we could've flown through those miles, but the pesty cross/headwind made for slow going. The Salt Flats are really cool...totally white and flat as can be. The Salt Flats are where people go when they want to try to break land speed records. We sure didn't break any today! Road construction hindered us, too. The first SAG today was at mile 42.5, and I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Good thing...the next food wasn't for another 50 miles. I didn't stay long at this SAG...my buttbones hurt and I wanted to get off the bike as soon as possible. The cue sheet said there was a store/restaurant at mile 71.3, so I put my head down and cranked to get there for some real food. I was hitting 25-28mph during this stretch, aided by a slight downhill and a wind letup. Finally I saw the exit and pulled off...only to find the place closed down! Grrr! Oh well, on to the next SAG at mile 91.2 and my second peanut butter and jelly sandwich of the day! I took off from that SAG with only another 25 miles to go, and pulled into the hotel at 3:20...the first in today! Okay...the truth is that I was only first because Tom, one of the two folks ahead of me, had a flat with about 8 miles to go and his riding buddy Jerry stopped to help him! Anyway, because of my early arrival, I was awarded with the Chicken today....I'll have to attach it to my helmet on Friday for that day's ride. I have to figure out some way to alter it...Kathryn added a helmet, and Michael put a condom on its head. (The guys said it made a great windsock today...all they had to do was look at the chicken to know which way the wind was blowing and where they needed to be to draft!) Tomorrow I'll find something clever to add to it. Oh yeah...Today when we got in, David Thompson's wife and twin daughters were at the hotel to greet him and to throw him a 60th birthday party. It was cool, and he was totally surprised! He is from Syracuse,NY. I'm not going anywhere tonight...I'll be asleep early... but tomorrow I'm going into town to sightsee and to watch Harry Potter. My backside is thankful to have some time off the seat! I'm 1/5 of the way through this challenge! Thanks for checking in again!

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