Day 11--Lakeview rest day

I had a very hard time getting out of bed today, even after almost 10 hours of sleep.  I ambled off to breakfast around 915 and got back to the motel around 1020 (oddly all the breakfast places were very busy this morning).  I had debated with myself for the previous hour about whether to head out today, given that the weather forecast is for a major winter type, pineapple express storm to start hitting this part of Oregon sometime on Sunday, with the median prediction for rain here in Lakeview at 1.5 inches.  Here's the link for my fellow weather geeks. http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=MFR&product=AFD&format=CI&version=2&glossary=1.

The term 'atmospheric river' caught my attention, because my next leg involves riding across about 120 miles of completely empty Great Basin landscape, with water only available at 3 or 4 spots. There also are very few trees, and the only places to shelter out of the wind would be filled with water during a storm (except for the one rest area).

If I left today, I could get far enough north to miss the brunt of the storm, so I reasoned, and then I'd only get a little wet tomorrow on my way to Burns.  The problem with that argument was that I was really too tired to push on 60 or 70 miles today.  I decided to throw my fate to the world, pay for another night at the motel, get some more sleep (got 3 more hours) and just generally take it easy.  The last four days from Redding involved a lot of climbing and 50+ mile days and had clearly taken a physical toll.

I also reminded myself that I had only planned 40 mile days for the first month of my trip, and I've exceeded that, some days by a lot, on almost every day I've been riding.  I've been feeling a little pressure from starting 9 days later than originally planned, but it's time for me to let that go, and let the trip have its own schedule and logic.  If I'm 'late' getting to where I told folks I would be by some range of dates, then I'm going to be 'late.'  I'm not on a race, or timing myself, I'm here to enjoy the trip!

I headed off this afternoon to do laps at the lovely local pool, and did a relaxing 1500 meters, which really helped get the lead out and calm the mind.  Exercise withdrawal is also an issue on rest days, since you get hooked on the endorphins flooding your system every day.  A day off can be a real crash, so it's essential to go do something. 

Dinner tonight was at the local diner, since 1966, with all the original fixtures.  Jerry's.  Looks like once it was a chain, but now seems to be just a local business.  Honey fried chicken was my friend tonight, for $9, a half a (small) chicken, a baked potato with butter and sour cream, a salad, a largish bowl of corn, and a piece of texas toast.  I spent almost an hour working my through it all....and it was yummy and home made.  Fun to have an iceberg lettuce salad too!  Total retro land....

Tonight I'll get some more rest, and take a look at the weather in the morning, before deciding if I'm going on.  I'll update Facebook in the morning with my plans, in case you're checking :)