Day 43 - Niagara Falls Rest Day 7/30/07

Day – 43 – Day off in Niagara Falls July 30, 2007

I get a surprise call from my good friend Ray Sansouci.

Euphoria Meter (1-10): 9
This was a special day off. It started with Rich and I going to Starbucks at the terribly late hour of 7:30 am. Later I toured Niagara Falls with a small group of folks that I previously had not spent much time with. The experience and camaraderie was quite enjoyable. The day ended with a delightful dinner a “Top of the Falls” on Goat Island overlooking the falls and a wonderful sunset. During dinner I received a call from my long – time friend Ray Sansouci (see photo of me talking to Ray over the falls). It was great catching up.

Ride Stats: n/a
Distance:
Riding Time:
Max Speed:
Average Speed:
Total Miles traveled:
Miles to go:

Weather: As nice as you could possibly imagine. I think the temperature peaked at 94 degrees.

Incidents and Rider Report – n/a

How I Feel (1-10):
I think I could have used a nap mid afternoon when I got a little sleepy, but otherwise I felt wonderful.

Stuff that happened:

The day really started with at Starbucks. Rich was in hog heaven because he finally had a good cup of coffee again. The conversation, music, nice furniture and ambiance of Starbucks was a welcome change to the buffet line and elbowing for food. No need to use my old basketball boxing out skills this morning. Rich, Alan and I had a pleasant morning conversation. Lois and Topper joined us, showing us their maps of lower Ontario, explaining the roads they intended to follow to bicycle backwards to Detroit together. So we said goodbye again to them.

After our beverages and muffins were gone, Rich and I returned to work a bit on our blogs. I had a date with a tour guide at 11:00 so I said goodbye to Rich and took off. He had made plans to have conference calls for a big chunk of the day for work.

The tour was more interesting that I thought. Jim Emshoff from North Carolina, Tuscon Jan, Mount Mitchell Mike from North Carolina and I were met by Marnie our guide. She takes us in her van to pick up Julius and his wife from San Francisco who turn out to be a bit older, not highly mobile, but very chatty. Their presence ends up turning out 4 hour tour into something closer to six hours. At the end of the tour, the four of us from the bike tour end up abandoning ship, hop out of the van and walk back. The tour guide had us wait for over an hour while Julius and his wife did some shopping and were missing in action…ie did not report back to the van at the appointed time. That wasn’t much fun, but what we saw was nice and the tour guide did a good job.

Jan, Jim and I in the Falls tunnels getting sprayed.

The highlight of the tour was the Maid of Mist highlight experience. Luck was on our side. The four of us ended up positioned in line so we had our pick of the positions on the boat. We ended up sharing the bow of the boat together. The view of the falls, the sensation of extreme turbulence that the water creates, combined with the horrendous spray/rain of water and the thunder that 20% of the worlds fresh water supply creates when it falls 185 feet straight down at 100 mph is incredible. I would do that ride again in a heart beat. I would do it even if I had to share the experience again with 582 strangers on the boat (not including the crew).

A view of the falls from the bow line hole in the bow of the Maid of the Mist.

After we made it back to the hotel we made dinner reservations at a restaurant called the “Top of the Falls”. It was well located on the U.S. side with a nice view of the falls and the mist. We started out just Jim Emshoff and I making the arrangements. Jana ends up joining in, then we call Rich and Bill on the cell phone. Along the way we pick up the “San Francisco Treats”…Donna, Penny and Jan. Once at the restaurant Marianne and her new boy friend Barry, who has chased her across the country, join us for pre dinner beverages. Barry and Marianne try to delicately opt out of dinning with us to enjoy a romantic dinner together. They were given an appropriate hard time by our group, but stuck to their guns.

Barry and Marianne during their brief visit at our table.
(I don't know why Barry even came near us personally)

The dinner conversation was really one of the highlights of the day. We end up having a round table discussion about the top 3 things that we’ve enjoyed about the trip. Everyone had different perspectives. Mine were 1) Getting to know the various interesting people who have come along on this experience, 2) The bicycle riding itself. I really have enjoyed getting my heart rate up, riding for all I can ride, trying to keep up with other good riders and seeing what I am capable of. 3) Doing something that very few people will ever do. This really is an experience that is hard to explain to others. When you mention it to people you see this look in their eyes of bewilderment and confusion. Getting your arms around it and trying to understand it is very difficult. I feel like I am just now starting to understand and still have more to learn.

Niagara Falls, much to my surprise, is really one place I would really like to come back to again. It was much more fun and interesting than I expected. I say that even though I’ve been here twice before. Once as a child and once with my children. I think it would be a nice, romantic place to have a two day or long weekend kind of experience. That is especially true if you could guarantee weather as nice as we have had. But, having said that, apparently the falls can be quite the sight and spectacle to see in the winter when the ice flows over the falls in large chunks after breaking off from Lake Erie.

Above, our dinner party at the Top of the Falls. From left to Right, Chapel Hill Bill, Jana, Jan, Penny, Angela (our server...boy I have really appreciated the few times we have been served) Steve Flowers (Yoga Steve) from Dallas, Donna my Italian buddy, Rich Simpson, Jim Emshoff and yours truly.

Out of the dinner conversation came a realization that this trip allows all of us to see ourselves, our relationships and lives just a little more clearly. It tests us in many many ways. It is in those tests…physical, mental, emotional, relationships, etc. that we learn more about ourselves, our capacities and our priorities. Although we near the end, we are hardly finished. Mike Munk has cautioned us that most of their trouble happens in the first and last weeks of the trip. I continue to keep my mantra in the front of my thoughts… “All my attention all the time”. (I am not just saying that mom, I really mean it).

Day 42 - Brantford Ontario to Niagara Falls NY

Day – 42 – Brantford Ontario to Niagara Falls, NY
A challenging ride with a great finishing reward


Click above for a slide show of the day

Euphoria Meter (1-10): 9
Today was a fun bike ride versus a “tour”, but in the end we were rewarded with a special way to view one of the wonders of the world…from our bicycles.

Ride Stats:
Distance: 75.55 miles
Riding Time: 4.25 hours
Max Speed: 40.3
Average Speed: 17.1
Total Miles traveled: 3,073
Miles to go: 556!

Weather:
More severe clear skies, nice temperatures and no rain. Headwinds continue to haunt us along with some humidity that causes me to sweat profusely. All in all however we continue to be amazed by the string of perfect weather we’ve had.

Incidents and Rider Report:
This group seems to have it down. Almost everyone made it, Marilyn, the tri-motor. Tucson Jan took a day off with seat issues.

How I Feel (1-10): 10

Stuff that happened:
The box was loaded at 7am and the group then took a short ride to a breakfast buffet and then off for the day. Gerard and I got started about in the upper third of the group today. Early we pass Bob Frame who is riding solo and decides to join us. Shortly thereafter John Knapp in a spunky mood today (after riding all day yesterday with Marilyn) catches up with us and the four of us enjoy a nice pace and conversations for the first 35 miles to the first SAG stop. John’s ride with Marilyn sounded like a very nice experience for both him and Marilyn. Marilyn, age 65 school teacher did no training to speak of for the ride. She has ridden almost exclusively by herself. John seemed to enjoy the opportunity to get to know her better and keep her company. I am sure Marilyn enjoyed the company and the companionship. Yesterday John spent three extra hours on the bike as a result. That is a different type of challenge and experience.
After the SAG Gerard and I continue with only Steve Bennett ahead of us. Steve has days when he hits it hard and days when he takes it pretty easy. Gerard and I are not sure what kind of day today is, but Steve seems to be in a hurry. About 20 miles to go we slowly catch up with Steve and the three of us ride into Niagara Falls together.
As we cruise down the streets of the Canadian side, with no sign of the falls in sight, we are being “rained” on from the mist of the falls. It turns out we are three blocks away and the wind is blowing this tremendous mist to us. We are now “off route” exploring different vantage points to view the falls. The three of us ride up the river and find a route the takes us by huge parking lots where families and tourists of all kinds flock to see this wonder of the world. We eventually stop at a very nice Canadian restaurant and have a delightful (and expensive) lunch on a second story terrace with what seems to be “the” view of all three falls.
From our perch with my digital camera I get some nice shots of fellow bikers viewing the falls as they roll in (unbeknownst to them). Eventually we get moving and check in to the hotel.
One of our old basketball buddies and a law partner of Rich’s, Gordon Litt calls us to report that he is in Niagara falls with his family. Unfortunately our schedules didn’t mesh well and we couldn’t meet, but another example of the tiny world we live in.
Above...Gerard and I after we cross the bridge back into the USA.

At route rap we meet Marianne’s boy friend Barry who is coming with fresh legs to ride the last 7 days into Portsmouth. He seems like a great guy and a nice addition to the group. Today we loose a number of riders…Topper, Lois (who are biking back along Lake Erie to Detroit), Bud, Sarah and David. Tomorrow is Bob Frame’s last day. The ride is coming to an end and Rich and I are excited about finishing. We remind each other that we must stay focused, give it all of our attention all the time and not let our guard down. It is hard to believe that we have put in collectively roughly 230,000 man-miles with no serious injury or incident. Everyone wants to keep it that way to the end. Wish us luck and thank you for those of you out there praying for us, especially you Mom!
Isn't this a nice picture? I can't believe how good my little Panasonic Lumix camera can be!

The day ended in somewhat of a festive fashion. We had a long, but delightful dinner at Denny’s which exceeded most of our expectations. The food was great, the companionship and conversation delightful. Afterwards most of the group moved to the park overlooking the falls a short walk away and watched the light show and fireworks over the falls. Fun!

Day - 41 London to Brantford, Ontario...Ginseng

Day – 41 London To Brantford, ONT
We ride through corn fields and by ginseng tents. This could be Ohio continued….

Euphoria Meter (1-10): 5
Today felt like we were doing time, putting miles in to get the job done. At this point in this adventure, the days have become routine. The scenery has been very Ohioish (ie nothing new and exciting). But, I have come to enjoy the concept of being on a mission to cross the country on my own power and to enjoy the pleasure of a good day’s ride each day. The pattern seems to be the same for the last several weeks. Somehow I end up hooking up with Gerard each day. We never really talk about it, it just seems to happen. We start out at a slow, social, warm-up type of pace. Sometimes people hop on to draft behind us. For the first 30 or so miles, or up until the first sag stop we ride side by side sometimes talking about things like birds, bridge, what we did the day before or some story from our past. After the SAG stop we are typically just the two of us and we then start trading places pulling. Somehow the pace continues to sort of “inch” up as we roll along in these flat lands and into the headwinds. We usually start out at 16 mph or so and end up cruising between 19 to 22 mph on the last half of the ride.
Speaking of headwinds, I am not complaining, but just here to report that this West to East ride has been mostly headwinds. Out of our 42 days experience we have had less than five days where Mr. Tailwind has shown up. Those were definitely fun days. Mike Munk says that our glorious weather has been partly to blame on the headwinds. Some of us are now hoping for a little bad weather if it could come with a tailwind.

Ride Stats:
Distance: 66 miles
Riding Time: 3:41 hours
Max Speed: 32.5
Average Speed: 17.9 mph
Total Miles traveled: 3,001
Miles to go: 628

Weather:
Same old, same old…. Unbelievably great bicycling weather. Pleasant, sunshine, light breeze from the east (headwinds), but we will take the headwinds in exchange for the wonderful weather.

Incidents and Rider Report:
Everyone made it.

How I Feel (1-10): 10
Both physically and emotionally I am really enjoying this.

Stuff that happened:
I was kissed today by two females. The first was the hot Italian Donna from SanFransisco who came by to say good morning and thank me for a copy of “Bon Voyage” I gave her.

The second came from a friendly female horse named Sally. Sometimes it’s the little things in life that really matter.

The ginseng fields were one of the most unusual things we saw today. We bicycle past acres and acres of 4 foot high tents that cover these delicate plants. People have said that it takes somewhere between 8 and 40 years for the roots to develop. We also see a few unusual things in Brantford. There is a home or two with very unusual yard decorations.
One thing I saw today really highlighted the enormity of this trip. When we started, we rode by budding corn plants. Today we rode by trucks with harvested corn ears in them. It hit me that we have been riding long enough for corn to grow from buds to harvest. Wow.
Tomorrow, Niagra Falls!

Day 40 - Port Huron to London Ontario

Day – 40 – Port Huron to London Ontario
Over the Blue Water Bridge we go!

Euphoria Meter (1-10): 8
Everyone was really anxious this morning. Even me. I’m not sure why. I woke very early. I really wanted to get on the bike. Maybe it was the idea of “biking internationally” or having the freeway sized 3 lane bridge closed so our group could peddle across in formation. Whatever it was, it was real and I felt it in the whole group. The bridge crossing was the highlight of the day. The ride was a good bicycle ride with very limited sight seeing, especially the way I’ve been riding lately (head down and cranking most of the time)


Ride Stats:
Distance: 80 mile route but we did 95
Riding Time:
Max Speed:
Average Speed:
Total Miles traveled:
Miles to go:

Weather:
The weather channel said the entire lower 48 would be wet today. We saw threats of it but stayed high and dry once again. Most of the ride was even sunny. Pleasant temperatures, some headwinds again and some nice tailwinds too (27 mph in stretches on the flats!)

Incidents and Rider Report
Everyone made it without incident.

How I Feel (1-10): 9
A little tired today, but not bad. Had trouble sleeping all night…bad air conditioning?

Stuff that happened:
The bridge crossing was really a neat experience. The idea of the freeway being closed for just you, and you are riding a bicycle, not being hauled in a casket, is pretty special.
We had a nice lunch in downtown London. Steve, Gerard and I got in ahead of most of the riders and extended the ride to tour the town. London is pretty impressive. A college town with a vibrant downtown. It felt very artsie. We ate at a authentic looking Italian restaurant named “Amici’s” that served a nice bowl of pasta, soup and Chianti. Afterwards we found a bikepath and a Pat Benatar concert (that we couldn’t stay up for). Tomorrow Credence Clear Water Revival comes to town too.

In London these two crazy Puerto Rican's approach us and wonder what we are doing. When we explain that we are riding our bicycles from Oregon to New Hampshire, they ask for clarification... (they didn't know where those places were). Then when we told them it was basically from coast to coast the one in the black exploded saying, "Man that is some crazy ass Forest Gump #$%! DUDE!!". We couldn't argue.

My previous experiences in this part of the country have been by boat and airplane. We have vacationed in the Great Lakes by boat stopping in both Port Huron and Sarnia to eat, fuel and dock for the night. Now I’ve been under, over and on the Blue Water Bridge. It is a spectacle.

Day 39 - Birch Run to Port Huron MI 90 miles

Day – 39 – Birch Run to Port Huron, MI
A nice day for a bicycle ride through the country, this big wide country of ours.

Special thanks!
Just a note to let all of you know how much I appreciate the comments and feedback on the blog. It really helps me feel connected to friends and family and makes it all that much more fun to keep this up. Again, your comments and names are really appreciated. Special thanks to Russ Morgan, my long time biking buddy who has been the most prolific commenter. I wish you were riding this with me Russ. It really is your kind of ride. I am glad you are at least enjoying it vicariously.

Euphoria Meter (1-10): 6
It is a good thing that I enjoy riding my bicycle. I am getting a lot of it. It is difficult for me to feel euphoric (an exaggerated feeling of elation) when the days start to feel like deja vu all over again. Today was another flat, corn and soybean field day of 90 miles starting with no wind to a brisk headwind half way through the ride. Most felt the ride was a pleasant rolling recovery type of a ride. As a group I think we are getting pretty good at this, for whatever that is worth.

Ride Stats:
Distance: 90 miles
Riding Time: 5:19 hours
Max Speed: 27.4
Average Speed: 16.9
Total Miles traveled: 2,858
Miles to go: 771

Weather:
I am getting nervous writing about this anymore. It would be hard to script a better bicycling day. Starting shortly after dawn with a hint of “chill” in the air…66 degrees and a little humid. We rode through some fog and thick, humid air. The sky was overcast but cleared up as we rode. The sun peeked in and out of the clouds and it never did rain on us, although it felt like it wanted to. Gerard, the bird watcher pointed out the the sparrows were flying low, a sign of impending bad weather. Cows were laying on the ground, another such sign(?). However, it never did rain on us and the only negative was a brisk headwind for the second half of the ride. I’ve decided headwinds are a worthwhile price to pay for such glorious weather. Thank you God!

Incidents and Rider Report
None known… Tri motor and everyone else made the ride uneventfully as far as I know.

How I Feel (1-10): 10
It is almost embarrassing to feel this good! We took it a little easier today than the two previous days, but I still felt like I had plenty of reserves. Maybe it was the 16” x 10” x 4” high plate of mushroom pasta I finished off completely yesterday at Tony’s in Birch Run Michigan. What they lacked in quality pasta they made up in quantity!

Stuff that happened:
Last night I finally got through to my wife Cindy who is on vacation with some girl friends. It was good to hear her voice again after a two day hiatus. It was especially good to hear her laughter, know that she’s having a good time and know that it is only 11 more days until I can see her and hold her in my arms again. I miss you honey and can’t wait to see you again!
This morning we had breakfast in two shifts. Shift one started at the hotel at 5:00am. We all loaded at 6:00am. Those that ate at 5:00 could take off. The second shift eaters began eating a nice sit-down served breakfast at a nearby establishment. The food was very good, but the service was hard to explain. About twenty of us took this option. Those that showed up and ordered first got served last. It’s the second time this phenomenon has occurred on this trip and it is hard to understand. In any event the second shift eaters all departed at roughly 7-7:15 for the long flat ride to Port Huron.
My good riding buddy Gerard and I hooked up at the restaurant and rode side by side today for almost all of the 90 miles. The roads were pretty quiet and we were able to chat about all sorts of things. He has been studying bridge for the last few years. Gerard and his wife belong to two regular clubs; play in tournaments and he plays at least 3 times a week and periodically on line to stay sharp. Bidding strategies, technology tools, bridge unions, and many other aspects of the game were shared by Gerard. We also discussed the privatization of the City Bus Company that Gerard has worked for in Nimegan Holland and the role he played in that conversion. For years Gerard drove a bus and shared what a great job it was because he was able to read almost 4 hours a day and learned all sorts of things and read many many books which he enjoys doing.
It is nice having company for 90 miles with someone who rides along at your pace. Gerard has been a very nice companion for these rides. We seem to help each other when needed and the companionship makes the ride seem to go pretty quick. Thanks Gerard!

Tomorrow we get to ride across the famous “Blue Water Bridge” to Canada. The really exciting part about it is that this very busy bridge will close temporarily so that we may cross as a group, in unison, all 75 of us with a policy escort.

Day 38 - A Good ride Mt. Pleasant to Birch Run MI

Day – 38 – Mt. Pleasant to Birch Run MI
A nice “run” on the bike through Michigan

The most interesting thing observed so far in Birch Run Michigan was a touching reunion between John Hubert and his mother who surprised him with a visit here. John had a surprise visit yesterday from two of his sisters. He and his family grew up in Michigan; John you may recall is an airline pilot who now lives in Connecticut.

Euphoria Meter (1-10): 7
Flat, no wind go hard bike ride… if there was interesting scenery, I missed it.

Ride Stats:
Distance: 74 miles
Riding Time: 3:59
Max Speed: 26.8
Average Speed: 20.6
Total Miles traveled: 2,771
Miles to go: 858

Weather:
Guess….If you guessed blue skies, 70 degrees no wind, you were right. Yes, another glorious day made for riding your bicyle!

Incidents and Rider Report
None known.

How I Feel (1-10): 10+
It is getting a little spooky to hop on the bike, ride like crazy for 74 miles and feel so good the entire way. I think I am now really in shape for this kind of thing. It is fun to be able to enjoy it.

Stuff that happened:
Today’s ride started out a little social. We had a late load of the box, 7:30 am. Rich snuck out of the room to have breakfast this morning. He thought I was asleep and I thought I heard him go into the bathroom and shut the door. As a result I lay in bed, waiting for him to come out. When he returned to the room from breakfast I realized what had happened and finally got out of bed. I didn’t realize how late it was until then. Breakfast had been scheduled at the hotel from 6:00 to rap time of 7:15. I scurry to get dressed, pack and down to 7:15 rap…with no breakfast. After rap I load, and bump into Gerard who says he’ll wait a minute for me. The good news is that all of the bikers had now left the building and were getting on the road. I had the Comfort Inn breakfast buffet all to myself! Now I scurry back into the hotel, pour a glass of waffle mix onto the open waffle iron (something I’m not used to during normal breakfast hours), crack open a bowl of raisin bran (recently restocked now that the biker locust, chow piranha have left the building). It takes 2:30 minutes to cook a waffle. I down two glass of orange juice, a banana (also just restocked) just before the timer goes off. At the buzzer I grab the waffle off the iron and walk out the door eating it. Hoping on my bike, putting my gloves on and starting to roll now I enjoy my fresh waffle as best I can.
Gerard and I start out easy, greeting fellow bikers as we ride along. We pick up SanFrancisco Jan Medina who drafts behind us as we continue to slowly come up on other riders. Several others hop on as well. Gerard is on my left and I am riding the white line. Jan asks him after a while if he intends to get in a single file line or not. Gerard replies that he will when Ralph starts going fast enough to justify doing so. I think that was Dutch humor. Up unit this point we’d been riding socially at about 18 mph. Now the pace picks up little by little. Next thing you know Jan has dropped off and now it is Gerard, me and John Knapp. The three of us go to the first and only SAG together and end the ride together as well. John wasn’t real eager to pull today, so Gerard and I traded off. The ride was flat, some pretty rough road in places, but we were able to average 20.6 mph which is the second fastest I we’ve done for the trip. In case you are interested, the fastest average was 22 mph from Burley Id to Blackfoot ID over a distance of 112 miles. That was pretty fun too! (see day 13 for more details)
I don’t really understand completely why I like to go fast on the bicycle. I am not really fast in the big scheme of things or even relative to other riders on this trip. But I like going fast relative to my own range of abilities. It is fun to sweat, breath hard and feel the rush of the endorphins kick in. Trying to keep up with the good riders like Gerard and Steve Bennett is a fun challenge for me. It is all part of the riding across America adventure.
Today Gerard, John and I happened to be the first ones back to the hotel. Shortly thereafter Steve Bennett arrives. We all agreed that we missed the company of young Derek Miller who broke away yesterday from his family to ride with us for a while. He has lots of potential to be a very strong rider. My guess is that if he could spend some time on this ride with Gerard he would learn a lot that could help him.
Steve Bennett talks Barb into letting four of us unload the box… usually she waits for half the riders to arrive but Steve wants to get his clothes to change into. We start the job and about half way through are joined by Daco, Bud and others. We shower, go to lunch and I retire to my room to get the blog updated. I haven’t heard of anything interesting in Birch Run. If I find anything later this afternoon or evening I’ll let you know.

Steve and Molly Dutton from our neighborhood and athletic club in Columbus join us in Birch Run Michigan for an adult beverage while on their way driving to vacation in Northern Michigan.

Day 37 - Ludington to Mount Pleasant - 115 miles

Day – 37 – Ludington to Mt. Pleasant, MI
A great riding day with Gerard, Steve Bennett and cameo appearance from Derek Miller. The three of us managed to hook up (Steve and Derek caught Gerard and I at the first sag stop) and rode out in front all the way to Mt. Pleasant at a very pleasant clip. Derek took a rain check on the last leg at the last sag stop and Gerard, Steve and I rode the rest of the way in.

Euphoria Meter (1-10): 8
Not because of the scenery, although it was very nice if you had to be in Michigan. The 8 was because of the fun ride at high speeds due to some tail wind, the level terrain and great riding buddies who pushed things along. It is also kind of exciting because we now have less than 1,000 miles to go!

Ride Stats:
Distance: 115 miles
Riding Time: 5:45 hours
Max Speed: 34.6 mph
Average Speed: 20.0 mph
Total Miles traveled: 2,696 miles
Miles to go: 933 miles

Weather:
Well, today it finally happened. I counted them all. A total of three drops of rain hit me today while riding. I got hit with more sweat shrapnel from Gerard and Steve Bennett than I did rain, so I don’t think I can count today as a rain day. It was overcast. It did rain around us. We did ride on some wet pavement for an hour or so. But, the beginning of the ride was no-wind for the first hour and a half. Headwinds were on us for the next hour, but they were mild, less than 10 mph. The balance of the ride was glorious tail winds that pushed us along between 20 and 30 miles per hour.

Incidents and Rider Report
Tucson Jan was having seat issues and sagged. Derek Miller was thinking about it, but a good breakfast caused him to rally. The tri-motor took a day off and Will rode his single bike. Rich Simpson said he took a low speed tumble. He was stopped in soft sand, people were looking at maps and Rich’s ego took the biggest hit. Peaches suffered no injuries; Rich scraped his leg just a bit but was otherwise ok. All other riders seemed to have a good riding day today.

For some of the things I saw in Manitowoc, click this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdIi2ltzgqM

How I Feel (1-10): 10+
I think I am in the best shape I can be in now for a ride like this. I woke up feeling good both physically and emotionally eager to ride. My rear end did not bother me a bit. Today I only donned one pair of shorts and I’ve switched to just body glide and that seems to be doing the job nicely. All boils are in remission.

Stuff that happened:
Not really much to report, just a fun fun ride. Gerard and I started off together and rode pretty much side by side for the first 30 miles to the first sag at a fairly brisk, but easy pace. At the first sag stop, while we were lally gagging around Steve Bennett and Derek Miller came in 10 minutes or so behind us and they were not going to let us leave without them. Steve is the master of the quick sag stop. At each stop you may recall, we are obligated to 1) Remove our gloves, 2) wash our hands, 3) sign in, 4) eat as much as possible and 5) fill our water bottles with gator aid and water. All of that takes Steve about 1.5 minutes. That makes a big difference when you are trying to make up time on a long ride. Riding at zero mph really hurts your average mph rate.
A day like today gives you a lot of time to think… You get to concentrate on all of the issues of the pace line, staying within inches of the wheel in front of you, watching for cars, riding at the right pace when your turn to lead comes up (pushing a little but not killing yourself), drinking enough, etc. etc. But in between those moments I get to think about my family and friends that I miss and how much I look forward to getting back into the swing of the “normal” life I left behind for this amazing event.