Day 5: 23.66km

May 11, 2012

Merritt- Corbett Lake Country Inn

 This morning I woke up, and dad and I had breakfast at the best western and packed to get ready to go. We met an awesome young family who was very interested in our trip. They helped us with the app "map my ride" so hopefully I'll get that going so Facebook will get updates as to where I am without me doing it. It also shows my route, my speed, my calorie intake and usage, everything! Matt had already left early in the morning to spend more time with his family in kelowna, and dad and I left merritt after a search for an outdoor store at around 1130. Right out of Merritt my chain fell of and jarred my leg. My knees have really been bugging me after the pass so that jar from the chain really irritated it. Then straight out of Merritt there is a big climb for about 12 km. By the time that was done my right knee was in so much pain I wasn't putting any weight on it on the peddle so my left leg was screaming with the difficulty of the hill. Then, going on a flatter down hill I had my right leg off my peddle and only peddled with my left leg. Being striaght and walking doesnt hurt too much but it's the circular motion that really hurts. When I caught up to dad, who knew my knee was bugging me, he said that we should go back to Merritt and take the day off. I started crying. I just worked so hard to get up that long hill and then I would have to do it again tomorrow. But it was either that or do perminant damage on my knee and possibly not make the trip. It was such an emotional decision. I don't know if you can truely understand until your in it. A week ago if I heard this I would be like well Merritt obviously. But when you grind for 1.5 hours up a hill that you feel will never end, and your staring at the cement maybe 2 ft in front of you and can't look up because it's too intimidating, and you find out after you summitted that as well as went down the other side, that you have to go back (so back all the way up, back down, and then do it all over again in the morning) it is the most depressing thing ever. Not to mention that you have made no progress on a day so early into your trip. It feels like this trip will not get completed because your missing a day. You feel like maybe your over exaggerating the knee, maybe it will be fine, maybe it won't get hurt. It was such an emotional decision. But we knew that we had enough food for one night maybe two so we couldnt just slowly go up the next pass we needed to know if I could do it or. After a good cry, a piece of pizza and an orange we decided to keep going down the hill and spin out my knee a bit with no pressure and find a place to camp so we wouldnt lose progress and I can rest my knee. Down the highway a bit we found a lovely B&B (I'll write the name tomorrow) and checked in. We got our own little cabin with a kitchen and everything and it overlooks a beautiful lake. No better place to heal up. I sat on a bench in the sun looking out over the lake with my knee up from til 6. Beautiful. Then dad and I made pasta primavera, which is one of the first dry camp meals from mec that I would actually buy for regular dinners at home it was so delicious. Now nice and early I'm off to bed with hopes of a long day. (and another pass so a big climb) tomorrow. My fingers are more than crossed that my knee will be ok to ride. I want to feel like I am making progress!