Day 23 Recap: Toast and a Unicycle

After I stayed up until 1:45 AM working on my blog the previous night, I figured I'd be toast on the ride from Cambria to Pismo Beach, but then I had this déjà vu when I woke up that the same thing happened last year during the CCC, and that I still rode OK the next day. And that's exactly what happened this year too. The lack of sleep didn't seem to bother me much. The Cambria Ale House pub visit did no harm either. All the body parts I've whined about felt 100% except the hamstring, and even that's getting better.

No pics of our Links for Life team in Cambria, so I present to you the Cambria Ale House row of mugs.

Although I'm feeling less "injured", the miles are adding up and I'm toasting. I noticed it today when I was cycling into the wind, which we did a lot. But because I'm not all that sore, and I'm not winded at all, and I'm enjoying the experience and not pushing myself too hard, I'm not even realizing that I'm in the toaster, let alone how long I've been toasting. But there is a moment of truth, and that moment of truth's name is Lynn. Lynn is the lead trainer/masseuse here and today I had my third 20-minute "teaser" massage in the last four days. Lynn is fantastic. I'd tell you that Lynn has shown me that I have sore muscles that I didn't even know were sore, but that would be an understatement. What Lynn makes clear when she tugs, twists, bends, or kneads my legs, is that every muscle I use when cycling is toast, whether I  realize it or not. 

Lynn is in the tent on the right, hurting someone else

We started today with a great breakfast my mom prepared, and I felt so much at home that I again forgot to take photos. Suffice to say, mom treated the four of us who spent the night there like guests at a five-star B&B. Terry, Derek, and Scott were all gracious guests, as were our other dinner guests from the night before, Jack, Jason, Steve, and Beth. Although we woke to fog this morning, the sun was out when we left the house in Cambria. It didn't last long though, and we got our first dose of CCC fog a mile outside Cambria, and it remained foggy through our coffee stop in Cayucos and into Morro Bay.

Sunny when I led the team out of Cambria

Not so sunny in Morro Bay

After Morro Bay, Scott and I split off and rode in warm sunshine through my Alma Mater, Cal Poly, before cruising into San Luis Obispo, where we hooked back up with Terry and his niece, Katie, and had lunch with my sister Diana and brother-in-law Paul.

L-R: Katie, Scott, Terry, Jeff, Paul, Diana

Bellies full, we battled the wind all the way to Avila, where the fog rolled in again. It was a little disappointing for all of us not to have sun when we got to Pismo Beach. The fog was low, the views were spoiled, it was downright cold, and Scott didn't get to go body surfing.

Chillin' on Pismo Pier

If you made it this far, it's probably not to see more photos of me. Surely it has to be your infatuation with the unicycle. Just like the 20-minute teaser massage, you want more! OK, here it is: yes, there is a unicyclist here doing the 525-mile California Coast Classic and his name is Mark. He's been here for two other CCCs I've done and in one of those years we actually had two unicyclists. How these guys ride 525 miles down the coast on a unicycle is beyond me. They have a single, fixed gear and no coasting capability - your legs have to constantly move with the pedals. Mark, you are a freak. I might be toast, but you are Wonder Bread.

Me: "Hey Mark, I know you just rode 60 miles on a unicycle, but can you climb back on it so I can take your picture?"

Me: "Ya Mark, that picture didn't come out so good; how about you go back 50 yards and we try again?"

Mark: "Ask me to make another pass pictureboy, and you'll be blogging a photo, of your ass getting run over by a unicycle."

Day 23 Recap:  Cambria, CA to Pismo Beach, CA
Actual Miles:  59.8
Cumulative Miles:  1,478.6
Elevation Gain:  1,699'
Cumulative Elevation Gain:  62,065'
% Distance to Mexico:  78.6%