Today was supposed to be a simple 59 mile ride. We must have done closer to 75, and though it wasn't as hilly as our unintended century from yesterday, it wasn't flat either. Hence, my legs are sore, again.
But today was a great day nonetheless. The weather was beautiful; sunny and not too hot. The route was beautiful too. The rolling hills of PA were alive and green, dotted by farms, cows, and barns. The clouds had cast shadows over the mountains in a picturesque manner.
We rode through small towns on smooth black roads, climbed small hill and descended smoothly. The day seemed to roll along with our spokes. But confusion lead to wrong turns and realtime changes to the route added miles to an already sore group of riders. Towards the end we climbed steep hills and had to make a quick detour onto the highway before reaching our host: a local YMCA.
Tired and sore, hungry and frustrated, we made it. We always do. That's what I like best about days on the 4K: you always prove yourself wrong. The "I can'ts" and "impossibles" fade away, for everyone. We cheer each other on, we lush forward pedal by pedal--and we make it.
Murphy's Law still rules the ride (whatever can go wrong will go wrong) but I suspect that this will subside a little after we're all use to routine after these two weeks. Tomorrow is a much needed service day, which will give the whole team a much needed break from our bikes (and our saddle sores).
I'm excited to spend the next 24 hours in Ithaca and check out this city, which is a great break from rural PA (not that rural PA isn't great, I'm just a biased city boy by heart). We'll be scrounging for food donations for the next three meals. How generous will Ithaca be? Only time will tell.
'till tomorrow,
James
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Today is dedicated to the Toth family, who we learned about in Mansfield,PA. Their 18 year-old son and 12 year-old daughter are both battling cancer. Stay strong!
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