Day 92: October 12th, 2010 (Route: Hodgenville, KY to Utica, KY)

Day 92: October 12th, 2010 (Route: Hodgenville, KY to Utica, KY)

Technical Data

Distance, miles: 127.37
Ride Time 8:35:33
Work, kJ: 5558
Average Power, watts: 178
Normalized Power, watts: 211
Average Speed, mph: 14.68

Forecast - Rainy all day and about 60 degrees with wind from the NW at 10-15 at times...

Not sure where to begin on this post? Maybe I'll dry up and then start writing! It rained from noon till I got off the bike, however I did get a treat tonight which is always nice.

So the day started off early, I woke around 6AM and just lingered as I really could start riding then, the sun wasn't up and riding without lights can be dangerous so I waited until the sun came up. It's starting to get a little cold in the mornings like up in the Mountains out here in Kentucky. I really don't like riding in the cold so allowing the sun to warm up the air temperature is nice to have! I rolled out of the Park at about ten minutes till eight and took off! I really wanted today to be a big day, along with tomorrow, however we will see how the legs feel and if the weather cooperates.

I didn't feel bottles or have breakfast this morning even though I was up early. I ran out of fuel last night while cooking dinner so no hot water for oatmeal this morning. I road 10 miles before I filled up my bottles and thats were I started my nutrition plan for the day. I ate a Gu and a banana, with the plan of hitting Gu's every 40 minutes on the ride. I had a plan and a destination today, the destination was Sebree, KY - close to 140-150 miles from where I started. I know this may seem a bit large in volume for the day, however I really wanted to see how the leg was feeling and get back to riding! The legs great as you can see from the distance I was able to cover today!

After refilling my bottles I get to the road. The mind is full of all kinds of thoughts, however about 5 more miles in to the ride the mind goes into riding mode! I'm enjoying the day, watching the ride time and really just enjoying the ride. Scenery is amazing, trees starting to hit peak foliage, sun fighting with the clouds whether or not the rays will be able to shine bright today. Clouds building out west, and when I mean build, as if the whole Western sky is turning the darkest of dark. I continue to monitor the weather and enjoy the ride, passing by some of the most beautiful fall foilage one gets to see in the autumn. Trees line the road, then open up to see some of America's farm land, lots of corn fields! Colors from all shades of green, to orange, to reds, yellows, browns, pretty much all the pigments one can possibly think of I saw today, truely a blessed morning. Along this stretch this morning I also passed a horse and buggy, Amish country here in Kentucky.

This took me back as there is a small Amish community that lives North of Wichita where I went to school. They make some of the best home cooked meals you will ever taste if you get the chance, and the bread is to die for! I passed a couple has there heading the opposited direction, I wondered were they were going and I'm assuming they thought the same of me! I was nice to see a couple enjoying the day, traveling by horse has got to be a much slower pace then even by bike, maybe comparable however I've never traveled by horse and buggy, another thing to add to the list! Cruising along I just enjoyed the day, (not raining yet) taking in the views of the farm lands and the trees. Then I saw something I haven't seen in a long time, an Amish gentlemen out plowing the fields by horse accompanied with his dog. I watched as I traveled on by and wondered what it must be like to live the life with all the traditions they have. Some day I'll have to go and see...

Traveling on I'm in the zone now, taking in some Gu packets every 40 minutes to allow the continuous trickle of carbohydrates to my system, feeling great I keep an eye on the miles traveled and the ride time. With the terrain I have the ability to average close to 15 mph for the day if everything goes as planned. Hyrdating and hitting the Gu's for energy I continue on, up the hills, down the hills and taking the curves as if I'm racing! Really enjoying the ride, not thinking about my leg as it appears to be healed up and ready to rock n' roll! I continue on, heading into this big dark wall in front of me, low on water I stop at this little convenient store about 50 miles into the ride, once I dismounted my bike the clouds opened up and started to down pour. I grabbed a few things out of the bag and headed into the store, I figured the storm was going to be here for a while, so I wanted to take the opportunity to dry out and charge my phone.

After close to an hour I got back on the bike. Traveling down the soaked highway I take on water in my shoes from the spray from my front tire and really just enjoy it! Nothing I can do now, I have to ride a little bit more alert as wet roads and old tires sometimes don't mix so this is going to slow me some. I keep riding strong but more cautious. Minds really tuned into the ride, not really thinking about much else besides left leg, right leg driving the pedals into the ground. Mentally alert I continue on at the task at hand, that is to get to Sebree by nightfall. Now that I have lost an hour to the rain I start to question if I'll make it by then. I continue to ride and not really paying attention to the roadsigns I miss my turn and go seven miles North out of my way, the mind so locked into just riding that I failed to make a left turn. I pack track after running perpendicular into highway 60. I'm pretty mad at myself as I needed the time it would take to go 14 miles out of the way on todays ride. I make the back track and find the correct road. Enjoying the ride as it sprinkles here and there with the occasional rain I just put my head down and ride.

Up and down some solid climbs I enjoy the rain as it falls on me while I ride down the road. Nothing like riding in the rain! Continuing on I really don't think about much besides attacking the ride, really wanting to get to Sebree I ride as if I'm in race. A steady race as I'm not really trying to push it, just stay aerobic and enjoy the ride, however on some of the climbs I went into a power interval zone and just enjoyed that too! It was a lot of work climbing the hills today, with one that rose to at least 13%, it was short, however long enough to get me out of the saddle and want to quit at the top, I did ride it, it felt so great to climb that little pitch with no pain, a couple weeks ago this would have been a no can do. So thankful to be healed up!

The legs back for sure! Not sure if its 100% however I know its on the mend. I continue to ride, stop and fill bottles then it starts to rain a little harder. Nothing I can really do besides ride, there is not shelter near in open farm country here in Kentucky. I could go to a farm house, however riding on wet muddy gravel up to the house to stay for just a few minutes I don't think is worth the trouble. The rain is warm rain so I'll continue to ride. It's getting later in the day now, close to 4PM and I'm now thinking I need to get after it if I want to make Sebree. I continue to ride, stop to check the map and when doing so the rear goes flat, I'm thinking great, another delay on this long day will definitely not allow me to get to my goal destination. I patch it and head out, however 1/4 mile down the road it goes flat again, I check and the patch didn't hold, could have been the moisture in the air. So I try and patch it again, however this time I get dumped on again as the dark clouds open up and rain on me with a fierce presence as to tell me I shouldn't be out here. The lightening has been striking pretty close, along with the booming of the thunder, I love T-Storms, however they are much more enjoyable sitting on your front porch wathing them, versus riding through them!

After about 30 minutes I go to a new tube and forget about patching the tube. I figure by now I'm close to 50-60 miles out and there is no way I'll make it to Sebree, KY. So alternatives, I think church with a pavillion or something, really not sure where I'll be staying at this point in time, though I really don't care, there is still light available to ride and that's what I'm going to do! (That was the goal of the day) Back on the saddle I'm riding, thoughts at bay and focused on getting as far as I can with the weather conditions I'm in. Riding through this little town I run into another cyclist headed East and he mentions Utica Fire Station is about thirty miles away, so I have a new destination and looking forward to getting dry!

Ten miles down the road I stop at Whitesville, KY and make a phone call to my friend Brian Hofstrom that I used to work with back in my asphalt days. He lives in Owensboro just 10 miles north, not really wanting to get off the route I mention he could meet up with me in Utica at the fire station. He gladly accepts the invitation and offers to bring dinner and I'm thinking a hot meal, what a treat after riding ~130 miles in rain and rolling terrain. I continue to push the twenty miles to Utica from Whitesville. When I start the quest to Utica there is still a little light available, however its getting dark and I mean dark. No sunset tonight just dark filled clouds blanket the sky above. The spirit is high though, as I have a destination and a reason to get there now so I continue to ride!

Once through Pleasant Ridge I know that I have about 10 miles to go so I start to push the pace as its getting dark! Not thinking about anything besides I shouldn't be riding at night I continue to ride. Brian and his son Oliver pull up next to me, state I have a couple miles and I'm there. The hills through this 20 mile section were a little unexpected, but fun! I love to be challenged and this was a great day to be challenged! Rain almost all day, with rolling terrain that you could roll if you carried the momentum through the base of the hills, into the center of the hill, then worked your tail off to roll the crest of the hill! Well worth it as you get to descend the other side and enjoy the force of gravity. I some times think I'm only riding 65 miles of a 130 mile ride in terrain like this as I only have to work half of the time! The other half I enjoy the scenery!

In Pleasant Ridge, I got waved down by a car and offered to stay in the church, however with a warm meal just ten miles away I had to decline. I think this may be the first thing on the trip I have turned down, however I knew she understood and I'm thankful that the offer was on the table, though I probably should have accepted as riding at night with no lights is not safe and I wouldn't support doing so even though I did tonight. I like to lead by example and this is not something I am proud of, however I needed to make it and the traffic was low so I went for it.

Pulling into the fire station Brian and Oliver help me pull my rig into the Fire Station. I eat a wonderful chicken dinner and some yogurt and we talk for close to a couple of hours, reflecting on the past and new ideas on the Hofstom World. It was great to see a friendly face that I haven't seen in years! After hanging out for a little while I get to typing and thinking about the ride tomorrow, the goal tomorrow is to get into Illinois, Eddyville, IL to be exact! Looking forward to the ride after I wake and wipe all the cob webs away, just to do it all again...