Saturday, May 29, 2010

Today's EPIC ride: 119.9 miles!!!

I had no idea when I started out early this morning that today's ride would end up being so crazy long.

Total miles: 119.9
Avg speed: 13.1 mph
Max speed: 36.5 mph
Total time on bike: 9:08:44
Estimated weight of bike + gear (without me): 85-90 lbs
Low temp while riding: 71 degrees
High temp.while riding: 92 degrees
Humidity while riding: nasty wet
Breakfast break: 15 mins
Breakfast: 3 biscuits and sausage gravy - homemade
Lunch break: 55 mins
Lunch: chef salad, 2 large cokes, side of fried apples
Snack breaks: 30 mins and 35 mins
Snacks: 1 Clif bar, large turkey/cheddar Lunchables pack, 2 donuts, 1 bag donut holes, orange juice bottle, RC cola can, bottle of Coke, peanut butter crackers 8 pack, 1 banana, 1 apple.
After ride dinner: several helpings of what I detailed below.

What on earth possessed me to ride so far today? Multiple things. I woke up early to ride before it got hot. Then it got hot and there was no good stopping point. The ride was flatter than other days have been thus far (not actually FLAT, mind you...see the elevation profile from Sonora to just past Beech Grove, reading from right to left). There was a great church hostel to stay at with showers, food, and a real bed, IF I could ride that far. I was feeling strong and wanted to see how far I could push my limits today. I changed to the Central time zone and therefore gained an extra hour of daylight. I want to get to Illinois. There was no wind. And finally, the ride through central Kentucky was really pretty and the heat and hills waned a little bit in the late afternoon.

After all that, I arrived to a large home-cooked meal of breaded chicken with bearnaise sauce, potatoes with cheese, cornbread, fried cabbage/onions/bacon with soy sauce, lima beans, watermelon, and lemon pie with graham cracker crust...all cooked by Pastor Bob's wife, Violet.

Pastor Bob then took me to The Purple Opry to see some local musicians get down - that was a hoot! I was the youngest person there by 30 years and I sat with an animated 84 year old dude who was 3 days removed from 2 carotid artery stent placements. It was a stompin' and clappin' good time!

What an amazing day. Also today I blasted past the 1000 mile mark for the trip...

Now: sleep! G'night. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.