I went to bed last night somewhat irritated with the idea of biking in the rain all day. I was happy that I knew ahead of time that it was going to rain, so I could have the opportunity to mentally prepare. But no matter how I manipulated the idea in my head, I still couldn't bring myself to feel positive about it. When I woke at 5am, I immediately checked out the window and for the first time in near memory, the weatherman actually got the forecast right... indeed, it was pouring. Knowing that I would need a full carb load, I headed downstairs for a waffle, banana and eggs. After finishing, I poked my head outside to look for some sign of sun. There was none to be had.
I started out promptly with my group at 7:25am. I was in my normal biking clothes because I don't like to wear plastic because I sweat too much. I choose to pedal harder to keep my core warm, rather than bike slower and wear rain gear. Ultimately, with the rain gear, I think that I would lose fluids too fast and it would slow me down. It was cold at first, but I quickly acclimated and it actually became somewhat enjoyable after a while. The video below shows me biking with two guys, one from Ireland, the other from England in the pouring rain. This went on for about 20 miles...
... I was inaccurate in a previous entry when I wrote about Chris Brown from London (the guy on the recumbent bike). He is not a surgeon. Chris Oliver, also from England is the orthopedic surgeon. Chris Brown slowed down and rode with me for 10 or so miles and despite rolling along at a 20mph clip, we talked for much of it. We could do this side by side because there was very little traffic and we didn't have to worry about taking up a full lane. Chris (Brown) is a builder in London and is on this trip because he and his wife had planned to do this trip together a few years back. Unfortunately, she passed away from breast cancer last year, and they never had the chance. I could tell that he really missed her and despite leading our group day after day, he seemed lost and directionless without her. As he described her, it was less a simple bio, than it was a chance for him to relive his moments with her. His comments were full of color and emotion and I could almost place myself with them in England. I was honored that he would share her story with me. I was a stranger until a week and a half ago, and here I was in the middle of the beautiful Ohio farmlands sharing an intimate moment with a new friend while pedaling along. It kind of gives you an idea of how a group can bond out here on the road. And again shows just how unimportant who or what you are in the 'real world' is when you're pedaling and sweating day after day. You have to earn your keep and your respect here. In hindsight, when I think of Darryl, the neurosurgeon that went home to Tennessee, and how little he enjoyed the group around him, I feel that he really missed out on a lot.
I also got to know one of the new guys 'Tony' from England today. He was biking very slowly at about the 60 mile mark, so I dropped back and biked with him for a while. He shared a bit of his life with me for the 10 miles that we biked. He was a former hedge fund manager for 10 years with John, the other gentleman that he came with. Tony said that he simply got tired of the rat race and chasing returns, so he just up and quit. Now, he is seeking out a PHD in criminal psychology, something that he has always had interest in and something completed unrelated to anything that he has ever done. He seemed quite happy with his decision. It's just another example of how it is never too late to live the life you want to live, rather than live the life you think you have to live.
By the way.. John is the man that had a bad accident last year on the trip and spent nearly four months in recovery in NY before going to home to England. John ran into another biker in the group and simply fell over and shattered his hip and elbow. Pedal clips are great for getting your feet perfectly positioned to take advantage of every revolution. However, in an emergency, it is very difficult to quickly get out of them. So sometimes, you just fall over like a sack of potatoes. Imagine your full weight falling on asphalt. I've done it before and was sore for a week. I was lucky. John has a noticeable limp and appears to be in pain, but he pedals the distance every day and while I won't see him finish, I think he'll make it to Boston just fine.
BIKING IN THE RAIN... (click on link)
After 20 miles, it rained slightly on and off, but mostly it was just cloudy. Fortunately, it was warm and I dried off in the last couple hours of the trip. What was unexpected and made the day my best riding day of the trip so far were the strong winds blowing on my back for almost 90% of the day. I was able to do 105 miles in just under 6 hours, averaging about 17.5mph. The sun never came out, but that was fine with me, because it kept things cool and I could pedal hard for pretty much the entire course. I blew through the last 20 miles at a 22 mph pace and I could have gone faster if I wanted to.
Ohio is beautiful... In Missouri, the hills were so painful that I couldn't think of anything but getting to the hotel. In Illinois, the corporate farmlands were vast and hot with almost no breaks in the landscape. Indiana was just about the same thing as Illinois. Ohio is different.. there are a lot of trees and lots of private farms with rolling (non-steep) hills and all kinds of changes to the scenery with cool twisting and turning roads. To anyone blowing through the Midwest, it would be easy to miss the subtle slow change in the landscape. However, on a bicycle, it was impossible for me to miss. I really enjoyed my ride today. As much as I enjoyed it, I know I have three more tough days ahead and I could be singing a completely different song tomorrow. For now, I have to enjoy the present and give myself a pat on the back (pat pat), for toughing it out today and finding some fun in all those miles.
Other Update:
The Garmin Edge 810 computer is a piece of S -- t! At almost $800, and already on my second unit, (just had it shipped to me in Indiana) it's unbelievable how bad it is. I now can't get it to power on so it is of zero use to me for extracting my ride data. What's worse is that tomorrow, I will have to go completely manual and follow someone to get through the day. Given that I bike mostly on my own, this is a real bummer.
Knees were better today and I was certain to stay in my saddle as much as I could so that I didn't put too much stress on them. I put bio freeze on them tonight and will pop some Advil to take the edge off. I have a total of 6 hard days of biking left, so they only have to make it that long. ... I think I'll be fine.
Tomorrow, I will travel 97 miles from Marysville, OH to Wooster, OH. It is expected to be good weather, but there should be a lot more climbing in the last 20 miles.
Cruising through Ohio: (click on link)
http://youtu.be/Hg1tmmXvLJc
Some Pictures from the Road:
(One of the things that I am really enjoying about Ohio is the variety of architecture and styles. You'll see some of that in the pictures below...)
Thank you for all of your support! Happy Father's Day!
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