What a beginning! I was headed up Kessler Mill road on the bike path when I saw a turtle walking along. A nice reminder that slow and steady wins the race. Just what I needed. :)
I had the biggest dumbest smile on my face for the longest time. And it was a relaxing ride all the way to Troutville where I stopped for a snickers and an energy drink. Note to self...don't do that again. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and 17 miles of riding without food wasn't smart. Lesson learned. As I was getting ready to pull out of the convenience store, a little irritated with myself, I heard a bicycle bell. Am I hallucinating? No! It was a man named Craig who was working his way from Oregon to New Jersey. He was on his 21st tour and New Jersey is the only state he hasn't ridden in (except for Hawaii). He was so nice and I enjoyed talking to him. We rode together for about 3 minutes...after 21 tours, he was a bit faster than me. He passed by and yelled, "I'm impressed and proud!" Again...just what I needed.
I met my friend JD as I was leaving Troutville. No way I was making it to Buchanan by 9:00 as planned, but he was in no hurry. We stopped at Greenwood Restaurant for breakfast. The waitress must be familiar with bikers coming through. She had a glass of water waiting when I walked in the door. Very cool!
JD and I rode for awhile from Buchanan until almost Natural Bridge. We split up and he rode back to his car and met me at a gas station. I was beat. I hadn't eaten properly and I was completely exhausted. It wasn't pretty. He asked if I wanted a ride to Buena Vista, but I declined. We were sitting and talking about tomorrow's route and 3 other bikers came up. This brought the total to 11 total! One of them was from England and this was their first cross country trip. We parted ways and I headed on alone. About a mile down the road I began thinking that I had made a terrible mistake by not accepting the ride. I was 43 miles into the trip and not feeling well at all. I was frustrated that I was moving so slow. I walked up some hills and I will tell you that I didn't think they would end! I would get up and hill, fly down the other side, and there was another hill. I had to break it down and just focus on the task at hand. One hill, one crank of the pedal, one minute at a time. It’s funny though, every time I stopped and checked my phone there were tons of messages. Each one making the next piece of the ride seem possible. I can’t thank you all enough for your words and good thoughts.
As I passed Jellystone Park in Natural Bridge, heading into Glasgow, I started to get my rhythm back. I stopped for some food and more Gatorade and was beginning to feel like a person again. The smile was back and I was feeling a bit more hopeful.
I took a road by the river after Glasgow and that was when everything turned around. She shade from the trees and the beautiful sunshine was amazing! The ride was smooth and I was feeling accomplished and really beginning to believe that I was going to make it! I was only 9 miles away...and by the way, it was the longest...9...miles...ever! :)
I know that many of the people who care about me believed I could do this from the start. I wasn't so sure. I still wasn't sure even when I started out this morning.
As I turned the corner onto the street where my dad lives, I was almost overwhelmed with emotion. I was so happy! I was blown away that I had made it! The physical aspect of this first day was trying, there's no doubt, but the real battle was a mental one. I learned some valuable lessons about how to take care of myself and I hope by doing so, I will have a better stand against the battle tomorrow.
I'm leaving here at 7:00 and hope to make it to Charlottesville. I’m going to work to get over Afton Mountain, and if I do that, I will feel good about the day. Much love.
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