Day 1--Santa Fe to Las Vegas, NM. A hard day for me.

Today was the first riding day as we pedaled 73 miles from Santa Fe, NM to Las Vegas, NM.  Leaving Santa Fe we began a climb which carried us over Glorieta Pass, 20 miles out, at an elevation of 7400 feet.  The trip also gave us a view of Pecos National Park as much of the route we rode on was the remnants of famous US 66.


For me it was one of the toughest days I've ever spent on a bike.  Starting at an elevation of 6,500 feet with only a few hours yesterday to acclimate made the climbing very difficult.  Especially as I still am trying to recover from my cold.  With 3,700 feet of climbing over the day, my legs just weren't ready for it.  Several times in the last 20 miles I stopped as cramps gripped my legs, even as I spun lightly trying not to put pressure on them.  But, I finished the ride, and so for me, day 1 was a success! 


Although I was a new rider on a tour where most everyone has been riding for two weeks from Los Angeles, everyone was very welcoming, talking with me as we rode, encouraging me on.  It's a great group!


Here's some pictures showing our five mile ride on the shoulder of I-25 near Glorieta Pass, the historical marker at Glorieta Pass marking the battle fought there in the Civil War, a sign to remind us that the frontage rode we were riding on was part of famous US 66, the signs for Pecos National Park (look at the stratified hills in the background.  And finally, for my Amtrak, SEPTA and other railroad friends who hoped I'd see the Southwest Chief near Glorieta, there's a picture that shows not only the empty railroad, but the old style semaphore signal that controls activity on the line.

Tomorrow's a new day...a new challenge.   There's a lot less climbing.  But we ride 109 miles to Tucumcari, NM.


For my cycling friends who want to see all the cycling data, you can either check my strava data, or garmin connect data.  There's also a 'video' called 'relive' that shows the ride against a satellite view background.Here's the links. 


https://www.strava.com/activities/1600602377


https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2732373351
https://www.relive.cc/view/1600602377


Hope you enjoy following along.
Bruce