Day Two and Three

Day two
Our group of six riders left at 6:50am. In the first section of the ride, we encountered our biggest hills so far. I managed them quite well, appreciating now the training I had done. After a short very rough section of road, I had my second flat, which I quickly changed. We had the wind behind us and in the middle section, we were cruising along at 50k, without much effort and only a slight decline. I reached my highest speed so far at 59kph, and it wasn't a steep decline. I am still not the most comfortable at those speeds, but I have to get use to it, as more will come. We then entered the Palm Springs area and began to feel the heat, as it was getting around 110 degrees. We arrived at our campsite, a Christian school, with a pool (but no wifi), at 2pm, having done 125 kms.

Day Three
Because of the heat, we left at 5:45, meaning I woke up at 4am. There were three distinct sections today:
- going through the flat valley, with its grape vines and other types of agriculture
-going through Box Canyon, which is very beautiful. The road was quite, but a steady uphill climb.
-going on Interstate 10. I was a bit concerned about biking on the freeway. It is legal here because it is the only road. Actually it is quite safe. The shoulder is a lane width of pavement, with rumbles strips. It was safer than going through towns and all those stoplights. (Yesterday in a town, a truck turned right, just before the six of us. I was in front and hit my brakes, coming just a few inches from his bumper.)
We arrived at Desert Center at noon, to avoid the heat of the afternoon. We are staying at a Golf resort, having a AC room to sit in, access to  Wi Fi and a pool. I'll enjoy these perks, while we have them.

After three days of cycling, doing 350 kms, I am surprised how well my body is doing. It is clear that the training paid off, but we are only half way through the way.
It's been great to bike as a group, something I had to get use to, but the benefits are good.