Forced Rest

   The temperatures are on the rise, which means I need to start getting my ass in the saddle earlier to avoid the sun’s full fury.  I made a solid try to be on the road early this morning, but once there nothing was going my way.
   About three miles out of Danville, Va, I got my first flat on a long and steady incline.  I wasn’t too pleased but flat tires are bound to happen!  It’s never fun to have to stop on a hill but it pales in comparison to fixing a flat alongside a busy road.  I got to do both in one sitting. Yaaay. I added to the problem when I forgot to disconnect my dynamo connector before removing the wheel, which stripped a bunch of wiring.  Just for the record, I was mad at that point.  Easy fix. Don’t care.
   I thought about turning around right then and there.  I had a funny feeling about riding on what I wanted to be a rest day, but pushed forward anyway.  I really should know better by now.
   A few miles later, I got another flat, and then another.  All of which could have been avoided if I would have noticed that I never put rim tape on my new rim after I had the dynamo installed.  I was so busy with the big stuff (closing out my Navy career, moving, visiting friends and family, coordinating with Project Hero) that I never noticed the wheel was missing rim tape until flat number five on this trip.
   So, six miles into my day I used all of my back up tubes and the closest bike shop was back the way I came.  In fact, I wouldn’t see another bike shop for about two or three days with my current route and, at my current rate, I would need at least twenty-fives tubes to get there, so I turned around.
  Once back in Danville, I met up with Rob Collie at the local bike shop.  That dude is awesome and you don’t even need to talk to him to figure it out.  Just go into his shop and see the amount of people that are just hanging out with him.  It’s like a local biking watering hole with a wide variety of riders.  I met Chris, who is just starting out; Joe, who probably has some great stories; two Allens (one is “Fast Allen” and the other is “Slow Allen” but they both told me that they were the slow one); a sweet woman named Jessie; a very chatty old man who while riding his bike saw a bear recently; and Alex who is doing a downhill race this weekend on a sweet new set up (Good Luck, bro!).
   As I was leaving his shop to find a place to stay for the night, I told Rob that he needed to get more space and open a bar in his bike shop, but I am afraid if he did that then he wouldn’t ever get any work done!  Thanks for all of your hospitality and support, man.  Maybe one day we can pedal together! 

People Along the Way

   Sometimes, I wonder if I actually like traveling.  At this point, I have been all over the world and if I’m truly honest the logistics can be tedious, long hot days in the saddle can be exhausting, and finding a place to sleep can be stressful.  I also tend to travel solo a lot which can be painfully lonely at times.  These elements are almost never portrayed in social media or blogs because it’s not glamorous, but it’s important that they’re both given their space in this blog.  They will show their faces again, I’m sure of it.

   Today was my rest day and I was reminded that it doesn’t matter if I like traveling or not, because I love the people I meet.  My new friends, David and Joanne, hosted me and my friend the last two nights.  After yesterday’s heat, I didn’t have the energy to be social but today we spent a large part of the evening together.  We chatted about books, bikes, politics, and neutron stars colliding (nerds!).  

   David, supported by Joanne and their daughter, biked across the country a few years back, and  Joanne, well shit, I think she’s done just about everything there is to do.  Both of them have lived their lives to the fullest and, because of it, are fascinating to be around.  Between the two of them, their doesn’t seem to be a problem they can’t solve.  David bragged about Joanne’s tiling job in the dining room after entertaining us on the back porch he built.  They have lived in their home for the last 35 years and when you enter it you feel the love and the vigor they have put into every inch of it.  Thank you both for being so kind and generous during our stay. Much love.

David and Joanne

Charlottesville, VA

Low Mileage

Ego is a funny thing.  I have struggled with mine for all of my adult life.  Often times, ego prevailed and I suffered as a result.  Since I began bike touring in 2015, my ego has come along on every trip.  It always tells me I need to pedal harder or get a few more miles in.  On my first tour from Monterey to San Diego, CA, I ended up doing almost five 100 mile days in a row.  By the end of it my legs were angrier than a Baldwin being asked to shut down candy crush before take off.  This trip is proving to be no different.
     Since I moved to DC, I haven’t really been pedaling at all, so now that I am back in the saddle my powerful biking legs are no where to be found, and one of those “powerful biking legs” has not adjusted well.  It’s been cramping the whole time.  I have been taking long breaks every hour or so to let it rest and stretch it out, it seems to be working, but the progress is slow and I am more uncomfortable than I would like.  Even with that discomfort, Ego is drafting behind me.  It tells me I need to go faster and that it isn’t pleased with the low mileage days.  This battle will continue throughout the ride.  
   In the mean time, I will just do my best to enjoy the hot tubs and ice packs along the way.

Warrenton, VA

Slow Beginnings

   Well, today was supposed to be the big day, but yesterday I found myself running around DC trying to get last minute things taken care of at an obnoxious rate.  Whether it was picking up small items at the store or visiting friends and family, I felt overwhelmingly stressed and rushed.  It certainly didn’t help that a large weather system was projected to move through the area over the next two days.
   Don’t get me wrong, I expected some last minute jitters (and crappy weather) but something felt wrong about my final day in DC.
   As I sat and ate lunch with my Dad, I realized that I hadn’t even left yet and was already missing one of the key points of the trip—to relax.  I was leaving on the 12th was because I said so and there was nothing stopping me from changing that date.  So I did.
   The moment I pushed it back I felt a weight lifted from my shoulders... That’s not true at all really.  I still felt a bit stressed, but felt that I gave myself the time I needed to take care of all the small stuff before I rolled out.