Skagway, Alaska
Overtraining Syndrome (OTS)
Toward the end of a month-long endurance ride—especially when I’ve completed most or all of my physical and emotional goals—I usually experience what’s known as a Post-Ride Letdown.
This year, it feels more profound than ever. After nearly two months of moving from Honduras to Florida, driving to Indiana, riding 60 or so miles to Bloomington, preparing and flying to Prince George, Canada, and then riding nearly 500 more miles, I’ve hit the limit of my physical, mental, and emotional stamina. My adrenal glands have pumped out high levels of cortisol for at least a month, and I’ve been on high alert for even longer to ensure I could manage the moving and flight arrangements, daily riding targets, accommodations, logistics for airplanes, trains, ferries, and about a dozen media interviews.
Once I reached the Holland America Skagway Hotel and fulfilled my obligations, my body just shut down.
Over these two days, I slept close to 20 hours. My body was exhausted. I was sore. I woke up early, worked on videos, social media, writing, and updating the blog, and handled some logistical issues—but I still found myself napping once or twice each day.
On Wednesday morning, I ran some errands, including doing my laundry at the hotel.
I went to the Skagway Public Library to check out the audio-visual equipment for my presentation that afternoon. Outside I noticed a permanent bike pump and repair kit station. When I asked, I learned that Sockeye Cycle had donated it many years ago.
After verifying that my table was compatible with the TV, I climbed the stairs to the loft to work quietly on my tablet. Two Delaware men were there. One was of Filipino descent, I think—maybe in his 50s—and the second was 85 years old, of European descent. The younger man checked stock prices and other issues on a laptop, sharing his findings with the older man, who always asked questions twice in a loud voice.
“He’s hard of hearing,” the younger man said. I could sympathize—I’m going deaf too.
The older man reminded me of my own father—a kind man who had worked all his life and was now trying to enjoy retirement in a world advancing too fast. Both men were too stubborn to wear hearing aids and too resistant to adapt to essential information technologies. It’s easier to have people repeat themselves a couple of times and perform the tech tasks for you.
“Why do you have an email from 2022?” the younger man asked.
“What?” the older man replied.
The man repeated the question.
“Why, I thought I’d send you the information, but that email just popped up. I didn’t want it. But it just came up.”
They both seemed pleased with the R4P after the younger man repeated my mission twice.
“That’s a long way to ride,” the old man said.
Once he got going, the 85-year-old had a lot to say—and all of it in quite a loud voice.
“This is our fifth Alaska cruise… We do this every year… I refuse to pay the $18 a day for internet on the boat. On the other cruises, it’s free… They’re really milking it… So we come to the library… They don’t even ask for a donation here.” He smiled like he’d stumbled on a valuable stock tip.
By this time, they were standing. The younger man nudged his friend to go.
“Juneau is the capital of Alaska. Not Anchorage…” the older man told me, then started comparing it to Dover, Delaware’s capital, which, in his view, was much more qualified to represent the entire state than Juneau.
I went back to the room, napped, showered, put on my R4P shirt, finalized my presentation, and returned to the library to set up for my 4 p.m. Peace-Building in 2025 presentation. But no one showed up.
For an introvert like me, I didn’t mind. Comfort zone issues and all.
Rachel, the Skagway Library Director, and I waited about 15 minutes to give time for stragglers—but none arrived.
The town only has 800 full-time residents, and most of the adults (and all of the migrant workers from the Lower 48) are busy as hell this time of year.
I’d been warned that 4 p.m. was an unpopular time for a presentation since most locals don’t get off work until 5, but Rachel couldn’t bump the Bird Society from their 6 p.m. slot.
I get it. Peace-building isn’t exactly a sexy topic, especially compared to birds. Alaska has some pretty cool birds when it comes right down to it. No argument from me!
Plus, despite articles claiming that tourism from Canada to Skagway was down due to political tensions, the streets of Skagway were replete with cruise ship tourists.
I walked to the only grocery store I could find in town and saw firsthand the inflated prices Alaska residents pay for food. I wondered if these were really the prices locals paid, or if they shopped elsewhere.
An American tourist about my age, fresh off a cruise ship, held up a medium bag of chips for my inspection.
“Seven dollars,” he said. “Back home, I can buy these for maybe two.”
Thursday Morning
I got up but soon felt an overpowering lack of energy. I worked, drank coffee, and napped. About an hour later, I went downstairs, had a breakfast bowl in the lobby, more coffee, printed out a customs form for our furniture coming from Honduras, signed it, and sent it back to the moving company.
I walked to the Explore Skagway, Alaska visitor center and met Wendy, the Visitor Information Specialist, who runs the center along with Jaime Bricker. By far, Jaime has been my biggest supporter for this trip. She went above and beyond any sense of duty to ensure that R4P included Skagway as a stop—and to help make my trip a success. Before meeting Jaime, I didn’t even really know where Skagway was. But she helped me find local sponsors, including Jim Sager, the general manager of the Holland America Skagway Inn, who so generously hosted me for three nights. Because of this coordination, I rerouted my trip through Whitehorse so I could ride down to Skagway by land.
Since Jaime had left on a family trip yesterday, I left her R4P T-shirt with Wendy.
By now, I was wiped out again. Handing out a T-shirt can be exhausting work. But I found just enough energy to meander down the block and buy a doughboy—a large, elephant ear-sized fried bread bathed in cinnamon and brown sugar. If you’re ever in Skagway, make sure you buy one of these bad boys.
I ate it in my room and napped again.
When I woke up, I felt odd, as if I were getting sick. My energy was gone and I felt a little dizzy, but I still wanted to see more of the city. I walked around a little, went back to the grocery store and bought some overpriced non-essentials, wandered through town, ate a cheeseburger, and then went back to the room.
I was exhausted and fell asleep just after 6 p.m.