900513	0845

PBP 300K

Up and off to the PBP 300K ride.  It started reasonably well.  I got there on 
time.  But Jay and Michael were late, Davis was sick and didn't come at all.  
We got out about 15 minutes late and I felt fine.  Rode pretty hard.  Probably 
the strongest of our little group of three.  My left knee was fine, but my 
right knee had an ominous pain.  I pretty much did OK until the 200K point.  
After we left the last checkstation, we were on our way out to the coast in 
a ferocious headwind with a fourth rider.  I led up the last little hill before 
the coast, stood up as was my wont.  When I went over the top, my right 
knee had gone completely, could hardly turn the pedals without crying out. 
Still had about 55 miles to go.

I told Jay to go on without me.  The next hill on the coast highway was 
murder.  No matter what I did, the knee hurt.  Couldn't stand, couldn't sit.  
Once I got up off the river, the furious wind was a tailwind and I could 
literally coast at about 20mph.  I was miserable.  Even pedaling easily, after 
about 10 turns, I had to stop because of pain.  I mostly coasted and I 
seriously contemplated abandoning and hitch-hiking back.  I would envision 
myself sitting in the back of various pickup trucks that passed by.

But I continued and after a time the knee recovered a bit, I got so I could 
pedal as long as I didn't stress the right knee.  I developed a way of 
"limping" when standing up that kept me from flexing the right knee under 
pressure.  I tried to be Zen about this beautiful day. etc., but what kept me 
going was that blessed tailwind.  I was astonished to have Jay and MIchael 
come up behind me - I had passed them while they made a potty stop.

As I continued to roll along, the knee problem was slowly surpassed by flat 
out exhaustion.  I was into that sort of heatsick place where I just couldn't 
work.  Not that it was hot.  We made a lunch stop in X (?Bodega), I almost 
puked trying to eat my turkey sandwich.  Back on the bike, I was temporarily 
restored, but I sank back into limping along.  Chris Kostman gave me some 
pills for my knee.  In spite of my ragged pace, I kept being in front of him.  
He eventually passed me for the last time as I worked my way painfully up 
Lucas Valley.

Finished around 1915, not a bad time in spite of the dreadful difficulties.  
Started to feel better after being off the bike for a while.  I gave Chris a 
ride to Piedmont, where he was staying, then came home via a super-
burrito, ate, showered, and flaked out.  I had recorded the show AFTER the 
TdeT, so I dial-flipped, relaxed.  I had a gnarly episode of cramps.  A calf 
started to go as I was sitting on the bed, so I got up to walk it off, but as I 
arose, both thighs cramped in a new and wonderful way: on the inside in back 
just above the knee.  I walked, limped, finally drug myself into the shower 
where they finally untied.

I took a bunch of pills, drank a third beer.  I was looking forward to a 
dreadful night, as my calves were both threatening even as I stretched out 
to sleep.  But mercifully, I had not one cramp during the night, slept like a 
baby.