August 28, another ride and a near death experience

   I had forgotten that wine really messes up my sleep.  I was up at 4 and couldn't get back to sleep.  From the hiking I was having charlie horses right and left every time I moved.  Rick didn't sleep well either.  So it took us a while to get started for our ride.  Personally I would have been happy to skip it entirely but after my poor showing the other day and disappointing Rick so bad I was not backing out.  Plus I wanted to see those darn tunnels from a bike.

   We started in Hill City around noon.   Leaving from Hill city is uphill again.  Actually it is 8 miles until you reach the peak.  Not steep but don't let anyone tell you it doesn't get to you.  You have to pedal the entire time and it does wear you out.   It was another beautiful day and the scenery was so pretty.  There must be a million wildflowers.  We passed small ponds with ducks in them and saw one pond with a snake.  Of course the mountains on one side and the smell of pine and sage was heavenly.

   There were lots of people on the trail.  None were climbing the hill, they were all going downhill.  Passing us with big smiles on their faces, enjoying the ride.  Cheerfully saying hi.  I couldn't reply as I was grimly puffing on uphill.   Lots of people take the shuttle up to the peak and just ride down the hill.  Rick would never agree to that though.  Believe me I tried to talk him into it, LOL.  What would a bike ride be without suffering and pain, right?  But the higher we climbed the more and more trouble I was having with my breathing.  I was resting more and more often but it got so I could never get a good full breath of air.  I should have been taking my asthma pill before I did this ride but  since I hadn't had trouble with my asthma for so long didn't think I would need it.  Weird thing is my legs feel strong.  Pedaling isn't hard, no cramping, just this darn breathing.

   We finally got to the peak.  I was ticked to find there was no restroom.  I thought there would be one.  You drink all this fluid to stay hydrated but as usual there is no place for a woman to take a nature break.  Curses to the man who planned this trail!  Also reaching the peak you would think would make me happy.  Downhill to the tunnels.  Thing about riding a bike is downhill always means turning around and coming back up it if I wanted to get back to the van.  The grade from the peak to Mystic  was also much steeper.  Great to fly down but just the pits to pedal up.  But I was not going to be the one to call it quits.  And of course Rick wouldn't.  He could go on and on forever.

        So down we went.  Finally I found some good tree cover and relieved my full bladder with Rick keeping look out for other bikers.  No one else was doing this part though.  Miles and miles we rode.  Where was that damn tunnel.  I thought it was suppose to be soon.  We did get to go over the neat bridge I wanted to ride across but no tunnel.  And I was still having breathing issues even though I was no longer pedaling.  I was wheezing audibly and couldn't get a full breath.  It was starting to worry me.  After 4 and a half miles we finally, thank God, got to a tunnel.  Wasn't as thrilling as I thought it would be.  I rode through it, took pictures and called it quits.  I had to admit I wasn't going to make it.   I didn't want to go down even further and then ride up.  I tried to talk Rick into finishing the ride while I waited.  I don't think it was much further.  He did start to and I started back.  I knew he would catch up easily.  Riding back through the tunnel my bikes chain slipped.  Oh great.  Now my bike was screwed.  I hollered for Rick, no answer and I started to walk back up the way we came down.  My bike shoes are great for riding but suck for hiking.   Rick is also the one who does any bike repairs on my bike.  I should have paid more attention.

    After about a mile the chain slipped back on from the tires turning.  Good.  Pop on the bike and start riding.  Rick catches up and then finally what had been coming for awhile came full blown on.   I started coughing and sputtering.  My throat got tighter and tighter and then started to close up.  I couldn't breath.  Making this high pitched squeak was all I could do. Strider, oh great.  As a nurse I know full well what a airway obstruction sounds like.  My chest was hurting.  I stumbled in my bag for my inhaler.  Thing is I couldn't even take in a breath.  So I squirted it in my mouth and prayed.  tears were running down my face from the effort to get some air in. I was in a panic.  Here we were in the middle of a trial, no cell phone service, Help miles away dying from a asthma attack.  What a bummer.

        The medicine must have done some good because my throat started to relax and I was able to use the inhaler again to get a good full breath in.  What a wonderful feeling.  My chest was hurting like hell from struggling to breath and if I took a full breath I would start coughing but i was getting air in.  I wasn't going to die after all.  Happy Happy joy joy.  Now I will never take my asthma for granted again.  Seriously scary stuff.

    Still having a steep climb ahead we started off.  I rode when I could and walked for a few miles.  At a rate of 2.9 miles pushing my bike it took forever and I got a blister from the darn shoes.  I got a charlie horse in my later knee muscles and was just a partner from hell for Rick on this ride.  He walked grimly beside me and wondered what to do if I tried to die again.  And of course he looked wonderful.  He even smelled great.  I told him to feel free to marry some fit little non-asthmatic bike rider if I died.  I would understand.  Can you tell I was feeling pretty sorry for myself and more then a little ashamed of the shape I was in?

    Finally the peak.  I hopped on the bike and soared down.  The gravel is deep in places and some areas have sharp gray rock so you couldn't go wide open but we were doing around 13 to 14 MPH most of the time.  No wonder the people we had passed earlier looked so darn happy.  I even passed some suffering bike rider climbing and cheerly called hello to him.  At times we rode over 16 MPH and it was heavenly.  But seriously, I was just trying to get to the van.  I was still feeling on the verge of another attack.  I wanted to be close to a hospital if I needed it.  I wanted phone service.  I wanted off this darn bike. 27 miles later we finally got to the van and I collapsed.  Man oh man am I in terrible shape.

   Back in the cabin I collapsed while Rick made supper.  My chest was killing me from working so hard trying to breath.  I had a beer and tried to relax.  Rick made the best hamburgers.  He sauted baby bella mushrooms with green onion, grilled the burgers then topped them with swiss and Tillamook cheddar cheese which he melted on top and the mushrooms.  I made twice baked potatoes.  Now that was a great meal.   Shortly after we ate I went to bed.  I took a pain pill and a sleeping pill and hit the hay.  This fat ole lady was done in.  We had rode and walked for a total of 6 hours.  I was done in.  My lungs were shot.  I was shot.