DAY 78: September 28th, 2010 (Route: Shed 605/603 to Afton, VA "Cookie Lady")

DAY 78: September 28th, 2010 (Route: Shed 605/603 to Afton, VA "Cookie Lady")

Technical Data:

Distance, miles: 61.49
Ride Time 5:11:19
Work, kJ: 2857
Average Power, watts: 151
Normalized Power, watts: 199
Average Speed, mph: 11.71

Forecast: Sunny Skies and 70's

Waking up in a shed is something, surrounded by trackers and the feel of the country I was looking forward to getting up! Lets face it, I slept last night on a shelve made to store fuel and other odds and ends. I one cool part about sleeping in the shed, it was full of holes on the sides, giving the apperance of sleeping under the stars, surrounded by all different rays of light that brought joy to my being as I woke. I woke up and put my runners on right away, as I had to go! The watermelon I ate last night sure did rehydrate me as I woke a couple times in the night to use the restroom (that of a tree outside). After doing the normal routine of getting things packed away into Bob I took some time just to look out at the open field and take it all in. Years from now I'll be thinking about that night I slept next to the Monstor VW Bug and the thoughts that filled my mind, on how much fun that must be! lol

Attaching the Bob to my Trek I start to roll the rig out to the gravel drive that leads into this santuary David will retire to some day. The peace and and tranquility this place provides, will provide the time to think. I can only imagine what its like to live off the land and to live where no one else does. To pick fresh vegetables, to hunt, and to fish on a daily basis eating off the land and just enjoying the peace and quiet of nature. He and his wife will definitely be happy here I certain of that. To sit under the Willow Tree in the hammock soaking in the sunshine of the summer months would do anyone wonders, to wash the stress of life away and to soak it all in, to think clearly about the world we live upon, pulled down by the gravitaional forces that we take for granted on a daily basis. What if, just what if...

I roll out on the country road and notice when I changed my tire last night I failed to seal the tube in the tire, I thought how fortunate I am to not have to change another tube! Usually when this happens at 120 psi you have a loud noise and have to start over, thank goodness for durable tubes! While I fix this the neighbors dogs welcome me with an endless array of barks, so many dogs! I think this individual had close to 10-12 dogs. I guess when you live out in the country and have the means to do so you can have as many pets as you wish. I think ones plenty, however I often think having two would be nice so he could have a dog to play with when I'm away. The dogs parking this early in the morning, awoke the owner who came outside yelling "Quiet", I thought "Sorry", however the sun was up so it was time to get the day started!

The roads were wet from the night rain, trees changing color, however still in the early stages. Feeling good, the game plan is to take it easy as I have a lot of climbing ahead of me and this leg is a major concern. I have no intentions of taking a greyhound bus home (where ever home is), the plan was to use my pedal power to get me across this country and that's what I plan on doing! If I have to rest I'll rest...

Enjoying the morning ride I have my sites set on a 60 mile day or so and ending at he first small climb that I will come across on this next 1000+ miles until I reach the garage I left from. Terrain is rolling and I'm feeling surprisingly great, the leg feels like there is power available, however I stick to the plan of taking it easy. Stopping for water I think this could be a great day of riding if the leg doesn't wake up and cause me any pain! All is good for the first 20-40 miles and I'm surprised to be honest, the last couple days have been so hard and now I'm feeling like a champ ready to rock, however I'm on a governor today, nothing over 200 watts unless I'm climbing, seated as much as possible.

The feeling I had the last couple of days is pain right above the knee cap, I say right, however its about 3-4 inches above and more medial so I'm thinking adductor magnus or gracilus (what my research has told me and talking with my friend in Tulsa). Feels like I have something in there cutting away at my muscle tissue, lots of pain on the downward stroke of the pedal, when force (load) is applied, and then again on the upward stroke.

Rolling along the country roads in Virginia I pass Presidents Monroe's and Hamilton's homes, I would say estates as the land and the house must be a site to see, I just road passed, however I figure I will be back someday to take in the history, but for now I'm making my own I kept thinking! I roll into Charlottsvilles, VA and figure its a great opportunity to rest the leg, update the blog and just relax, having ridden 40 miles already this morning I deserve some rest to ensure I have the strength to climb the upcoming hill. I really hate feeling like this as I have l climbed so much, and probably tougher climbs to be honest over the course of my trip and now I'm sounding like a broken record, o' poor me, I've come this far and now I'm hurt. Just keep pushing along you wuss and get the job finished that you started I keep thinking, its time to show yourself what you made of in a different light. Think about it, you can push yourself to the edge and back, however when it comes time to slow yourself your turning into this pitiful child, just rest and finish what you started! It's now or never and riding a greyhound bus home is "NOT" an option. No matter what you will finish this and you will finish with the strength you started with!

I pulled into a Marriott and figured I could get wi fi in the lounge, so this is what I did. I had a little bit of peanut butter and tortillas that I purchased a few days before and just relaxed and wrote. Taking nearly an hour and a half in the lounge I was ready to roll on down the road. While in the lounge I observed a lot of things, people coming and going, the clerk at the front desk just sitting there thinking, I was wondering what they were thinking as they were in such deep concentration, or they could have been sleeping for all I know. A young lady interviewing other young people. I asked what she was interviewing for and it was for Vanderbilt Law school, I thought how interesting. I'm assuming the Universtiy of Virginia that is right next door has a pre-law undergradute degree program, and here in the hotel is a recruiter trying to pick out the best and brightest of tomorrows future leaders of the World. I say the World as I think of the global economy, not just one domestic as the butterflies wings flap in the ever changing wind so does our economic situation, this those young minds sitting there must embrace if they want to succeed in the economic conditions that will present themselves in the near future. Embracing change is one trait all humans should embrace, and do so at a young age as its truely present at all moments we live.

The recruiter was young attractive blonde, Swedish if I'm remembering correctly and mentioned she used to ride all the time in Sweden. Since I have never traveled out of the country I must show my ignorace here, she mentioned you could ride every where and that the United States needs to embrace this idea as well, I had no disagreement here, however with the size of the two countries I would presume the cost would be very tough to do so, not that we don't want to, because I feel the need of change (did I really type that), change is going to happen whether we want it to or not. My ignorance is on what the infrastructure looks like over there, I feel another road trip coming on! All in the all conversation came to a pretty adbrupt end, with both agreeing that we need more cycling going on in the United States.

One of the interviewees reminded me of someone out West.

Leaving the Mariott I continued down the highway heading to Afton, lots of rolling terrain which I love! I just wish the leg was willing to push the pace as I was mentally wanting to hit it, 60 miles is a great distance to cover, however I love to hit the century marker, just gives me a since of accomplishment! I think I just love the feeling of the muscles being sore, the ache, the twingyness of the muscles later in the evening, the feeling of doing something. I can get this is I really hit a 60 mile ride, however not at this pace I've been governored too.

Traffic is lite on these picturesque roads here in the Virginia, I love the colonial homes and the large plantation estates, makes for some breathtaking views. I can tell the mind is back, the last couple of days I have been in a poor pitiful state of mind, leaving me trapped in my thoughts of unproductiveness. I wonder how many other Americans live in this state of mind on a daily basis, trapped, unwilling to make the change to a more positive state of mind. If I can do it out here on my own, I know those that go through this can change, just talk with someone about it. I have made the desicion to adjust, slow the pace, allow the body to heal and live again in the moment that I have failed to do over the last couple of days. What has allowed me to change this thought process I ask? Where was the updraft that I needed the moment things were changing, was it someone I talked to, was it a sight I saw along the road, was it a thought of wanting to change?

Starting to climb I'm thinking of my right leg, I figured if my right leg stays pain free throughout the climb I'll be ready to go over the next couple of days if I ease into things. The plan is to take a couple days off at the "Cookie Lady's" place, a hostel for cyclist that are traveling on the TransAm route. The leg is starting to act up a little so I back off the pace more to make sure I can make it to the house without any pain, this would be a great confidence builder for the day if I was able to come out of this with a 4-5 days of rest with no serious injury, that's the goal as I cannot afford the time, money, or emtional turmoil that would come with yet another injury. For those of you that don't know, I have had 8 surgeries over the course of my young life and really would not like to have another! With the experience on the table that I have had, I know the emotional pain that accompanies the physical pain and this is what I fear the most, the down time, the thinking of not being able to come back, the feeling of lossing so much of who I am. I think about this however there will come a time when sacrifice will have to be made, a given up of something I love. When that day comes I hope I am mature enough to embrace it right way and not fight it, as life is way to short to look at things we cannot change. So many sit and fight the change, losing so many precious moments in life. Embrace the change at all cost, I know it hurts, however it must be done as you have only so few precious moments, this is what I thought about when I was going through those trials. Staring at the PT clinic ceiling of what it, what if I don't come back, what will I do, what will my dreams be? So many thoughts...

Climbing to the sign that reads "June Curry" Cookie Lady I think I made it and with little pain, now for a couple of days rest which I know my leg needs and I'll embrace it here at a famous stop on the TransAm route. I head up to get the keys from June and she greats me with a wonderful smile and worries of heading West this late in the season. I would say that June is in her 80's and doing well for her age, considering she is living on her own, however observing from our conversation which I recorded I think the heart attack a few years back is catching up to her. The thoughts she was sharing I was thinking how sad, such a vibrant soul that loves to share her live with those traveling across the country. June has been serving the cycling community for over 35 years now and its evident in the Cycling House!

I sit here now typing in the Cycling House that is a museum of the TransAm, so many thoughts going through the mind as I cherish this precious moment in my history that I am creating for myself. Thousands of postcards cover the walls, t-shirts, cycling memorabilla, and news paper articles of cycling make this place a special stop on the trip! I would say that more than 15,000 people have visited this place and all have either left or sent a piece of their journey back to this place, a true museum of the route history her at one place. Last couple to sign the log was 6 days ago, so happens it was the Australian couple I saw on the west coast, how cool would that have been to see them again on their journey.

As I rest for the next couple of days I hope to read and rest the leg, as the weather closes in for the winter I keep thinking about how nice it will be to have a bed I can call my own. One thing I really am missing on this trip are "FireSide Chats" with my good friend Jan in Colorado, thinking of the winter months makes me think of Colorado. I hope to have a fire place of my own someday where I can continue chats like these with all those I love, so many friends and family that I would enjoy just sitting and learning about! Off to sleep I go now, to get up and rest the next couple of days and just soack in the history here in Afton, VA, a quite little town nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.