NOTE: This post was originally published on January 3rd 2009. I have just updated it a year later with some final thoughts at the bottom of this post.
I slept in late today (8:30) as there is no more riding - wow! George, Tim, and DT were all up and wanted to go get a good hot breakfast prior to us driving up to North Carolina. We called Kevin & Theresa who were out walking on the beach and reflecting back on their awesome accomplishment of riding nearly a thousand miles or 1/3 of the country. They were also superior Sherpas and will surely get strong recommendations from Carl and I for future customers. Kevin and Theresa were hungry and quickly hustled back to the hotel to fill their tanks with the rest of us guys. We all walked 4 blocks up the street and enjoyed a fabulous brunch at a trendy little cafe. We had made to order omelets, blueberry and strawberry pancakes, bacon, sausages, fried potatoes, soup, salad, pastries, and much more. They also had fresh gourmet coffee which was the best that I have had for weeks. We all agreed it would be our last BIG meal as we now need to start backing down on our food intake. We stuffed ourselves and then walked back to the motel to pack the Mean Green Machine into George's truck and all of my gear. Wilson rode in the back seat with me and we both began reflecting back at the incredible adventure that we just completed with great friends. We took our last pictures, said our last goodbyes, gave big hugs, and then gave one final waive and thumbs up to each other. I will see Kevin and Theresa soon but for Carl, it was a tougher goodbye. I am sure we will stay in touch and get together again in the future.
The drive in the truck north was harder on my body than any of my 41 days of biking. It took over 9 hours as we had some heavy traffic around Jacksonville plus Tim needed to stop all of the time for bio breaks. The banter in the truck between George, Tim, DT, and I was worthy of a U-Tube video but none of us thought to record it. It was almost as good as the trash talking that went on during the rides with Kevin, Theresa, Carl, and I on a daily basis. Tim drove the first half and then was evicted from the front seat by DT and was replaced by George after lunch at Ruby Tuesdays to bring us home safely. DT talked a lot but never drove a mile of the whole trip. Tim said DT is the best back seat driver he has ever seen. All of these guys gave up a big chunk of their weekend to share my ride completion, celebrate my success last night, and bring me home. They are great friends but somehow I have to believe they will want something in return down the road :-)
**** This final paragraph was added to this post on 12/29/09 - just about a year after I finished my journey. I never got back into this blog to provide my summary thoughts as promised. So, now is the time after a year of reflection!
I will never forget my ride across the country for many reasons. First of all, it was an awesome physical challenge. The changing scenery across all those states was amazing and very diverse from those big mountain passes out of San Diego, to high desserts, to scaling the Southern Rockies, to swamp lands, to the warm flats leading into St Augustine. But most of all, I will remember all of the great folks that provided support and encouragement to me the entire way. Kevin & Teresa Smit and Carl Barry really made my last 2 weeks a blast by joining me along the route. We had so much fun! My parents joined me (big surprise) for several days in Texas and spoiled me rotten. The were awesome Sherpas as were Kevin & Teresa! Special thanks to George, DT, and Tim (who also published a book from my blog) for the finish line party and driving me back from St Augustine to Raleigh. Carrying the Spot GPS tracking system allowed everyone to participate and track my every mile which was really cool. I loved everyone's posts on my blog site and personal emails that found my BBerry. I continue to get asked on a frequent basis about my trip and cite stories about my adventure to anyone who gets around me.
I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had the time and money and would drag others along to share in the fun. I sometimes look back at all my pictures and still can't believe I really did this!!! Thanks to my family for allowing me the chance to take this on and a final THANK YOU to everyone who followed me or helped me along the way.
In case you are wondering, I have not ridden my mean green machine since I completed my trek but have ridden thousands of miles on my racing bikes and contine to ride as often as I can. I am making plans to hopefully ride from southern France to the northern Spanish coast during the summer of 2010 (is only 500 miles) or do the ride across Iowa with Kevin & Teresa and my biking buddies from our cycling group. Hopefully Carl will join the group in Iowa as well.
See you on the roads!
Gotta Roll....... Steve
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Day 42 - Friday, January 2
Description: Completed the 57 mile ride in St. Augustine Beach - in the Atlantic Ocean. This COMPLETES my entire cross country trek.
I slept in late today until almost 7. Breakfast was at 7:30 in the Quality Inn restaurant. Kevin and I had pancakes and sausages, Theresa had eggs, toast, and fried potatoes. Carl had biscuits and fried potatoes. We all enjoyed fresh coffee to wash all of the grease down the hatch. After breakfast we all packed up and then Kevin drove to St. Augustine to drop the van and ride back toward us. Theresa, Carl, and I were slow to start and did not get rolling until 9 am. We rode up the St Johns river bridge and stopped for several pictures of the great scenery. Once over the bridge, we turned north out of E. Polatka and followed the river. We rode through lots of potato and cabbage farms and very flat roads. The wind was very favorable and helped us along our path most of the day. Just out of E. Polatka, we came across Wilson Farms which we all suspected was the birth place of Wilson and Mini-Me (see pics on blog). Then we got lost in the farm fields just outside of Hastings. We spoke with a local jogger and he got us back on the correct trail. We stopped in Hastings for a bio break and some donuts from a gas station. Then we pressed on and rode up rt 13 toward Racy Point and Riverdale. Kevin rode extremely hard and caught up with us just prior to Racy Point. There was a local RC airplane club having fun flying their planes in a farm field which provided some brief entertainment. We were all moving real slow and enjoying the river views and beautiful homes along our path. We rode through potato and cabbage farms and were enjoying the warm breeze at our backs. We then stopped at a small gas station store in Molasses Junction for a bio break and a sugar hit. After the break we got on our bikes and were ready to finish our final 15 miles to the beach. Then this guy walked up with a tee shirt that said "Cutters" on the front. I asked him if this had anything to do with the Breaking Away movie (remember, we watched this one XMas evening) and he said yep. He went on to say that he is the coach of the Cutters team from Blooming ton IL and they are from the University of Illinois. He went on to say the team was training in Florida for the upcoming annual race in April. We were all stunned and did not believe what he was saying. Then he said the team is just down the road and heading our way. We still could not believe this guy until the team showed up. They all signed Wilson and posed for pictures which was way cool. They were pumped by all the attention. The Cutters team was going to do a 1 mile time trial and the coach invited me to join them. I got all excited and was thinking of going for it on Theresa's carbon bike and taking on these college boys. Only problem was time as they had to map out the course and get ready for the time trial. It was going to take more time than we had so we regretfully said our goodbyes and moved on. I could not believe the extreme coincidence of meeting these guys on the road and this was a major highlight of my trip. From Molasses Junction, Kevin and Theresa let Carl and I lead the ride into St. Augustine as it was "our day" according to them. We stopped at the St Augustine city limit sign to take pictures. At this point, I called George, Tim, and DT who were driving down I-95 from Raleigh to help celebrate with us. They were just 30 minutes away so we planned out a meeting point just outside of the beach. We met at a bar and had a round to kick off the final mile to the beach. Then we rode to the beach and "officially" consummated the completion of our ride by dipping our front wheels into the Atlantic Ocean with lots of cameras documenting the event. I was very pumped up and so was Carl. We actually rode our bikes into the ocean! After the ceremony, we checked into a hotel room to clean up and prepare for our celebration. We then toasted the accomplishment with sparking wine and Knob Creek before dinner. We then walked next door to a seafood restaurant for dinner. We had an amazing blowout dinner that included steamed oysters, spicy shrimp, fried calamari for appetizers and then had entrees. I had pan seared tuna and just about everyone else had grouper. Desert was cherry cheesecake for me and Kevin which was terrific and others had key lime pie which was fair - at best. Overall this place was excellent and we had a great time on their outdoor patio. It was a perfect ending to my trip to be with such good friends. Special thanks go to Kevin, Theresa, Carl, George, DT, and Tim for making my final day a big event.
This is my final daily post but I plan to have one final post in a few days that will reflect back on my trip and provide some thoughts on my high points, things that worked well, and things that did not. I will also post my last few day's pictures and add some comments to them as well when I get some time.
Tomorrow, I will pack up and drive back home with George, DT, and Tim. I do plan to ride with the Rose's and the Thorn's on Sunday morning if anyone shows up at Bruggers. Kevin and Theresa will be heading down to Ocala to pick up his mother and bring her up to North Carolina. Carl will be hanging out for another week waiting for his girlfriend Karen to arrive from Long Beach California and then they will take a vacation down to the Keys.
Thanks to every one who has tracked my adventure and for providing daily encouragement through your many posts to my blog site. This has been an incredible adventure and one I will never forget. Special thanks go out to my Sherpa support team that consisted of my parents, Theresa, and Kevin. I won't say that I could not have done it without them but I will admit they made my trip 1,000 times more enjoyable. Carl has also been a welcome addition to my adventure and we have become great friends over the last several weeks. His perspective and witty humor fit perfectly in with Theresa, Kevin, and me.
Good night!
Weather: The weather was perfect today for my final ride to the east coast. It started with a warm 58-60 degree morning and warmed up to a nice 70 degree day with partly cloudy skies for most of the day and a great tail wind. The wind gods were very generous to us today.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 57 Trip: 2,981
Total travel time: 7:00 Trip: 213:30
Bike Riding time: 4:12 Trip: 239:05
Avg speed: 13.60 Trip: 12.99
Max speed: 35.12 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 208 Trip: 62,620
Avg pedal RPMs: 77 Trip: 85
Avg heart rate: 85 Trip: 108
Max heart rate: 153 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,502 Trip: 180,792
Weather Statistics:
High temp: 71 Trip: 77
Low temp: 58 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Very Favorable - finally
Total good wind days: 15
Total bad wind days: 26
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Total: 11
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Regency Inn and Suites
Total hotel nights: 40
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 126
Pints: 4 Trip: 82
Mood rating (1-10): 10+. I have completed my ride with great friends and beautiful weather today. I am glad the ride is over but will surely miss this way of living.
I slept in late today until almost 7. Breakfast was at 7:30 in the Quality Inn restaurant. Kevin and I had pancakes and sausages, Theresa had eggs, toast, and fried potatoes. Carl had biscuits and fried potatoes. We all enjoyed fresh coffee to wash all of the grease down the hatch. After breakfast we all packed up and then Kevin drove to St. Augustine to drop the van and ride back toward us. Theresa, Carl, and I were slow to start and did not get rolling until 9 am. We rode up the St Johns river bridge and stopped for several pictures of the great scenery. Once over the bridge, we turned north out of E. Polatka and followed the river. We rode through lots of potato and cabbage farms and very flat roads. The wind was very favorable and helped us along our path most of the day. Just out of E. Polatka, we came across Wilson Farms which we all suspected was the birth place of Wilson and Mini-Me (see pics on blog). Then we got lost in the farm fields just outside of Hastings. We spoke with a local jogger and he got us back on the correct trail. We stopped in Hastings for a bio break and some donuts from a gas station. Then we pressed on and rode up rt 13 toward Racy Point and Riverdale. Kevin rode extremely hard and caught up with us just prior to Racy Point. There was a local RC airplane club having fun flying their planes in a farm field which provided some brief entertainment. We were all moving real slow and enjoying the river views and beautiful homes along our path. We rode through potato and cabbage farms and were enjoying the warm breeze at our backs. We then stopped at a small gas station store in Molasses Junction for a bio break and a sugar hit. After the break we got on our bikes and were ready to finish our final 15 miles to the beach. Then this guy walked up with a tee shirt that said "Cutters" on the front. I asked him if this had anything to do with the Breaking Away movie (remember, we watched this one XMas evening) and he said yep. He went on to say that he is the coach of the Cutters team from Blooming ton IL and they are from the University of Illinois. He went on to say the team was training in Florida for the upcoming annual race in April. We were all stunned and did not believe what he was saying. Then he said the team is just down the road and heading our way. We still could not believe this guy until the team showed up. They all signed Wilson and posed for pictures which was way cool. They were pumped by all the attention. The Cutters team was going to do a 1 mile time trial and the coach invited me to join them. I got all excited and was thinking of going for it on Theresa's carbon bike and taking on these college boys. Only problem was time as they had to map out the course and get ready for the time trial. It was going to take more time than we had so we regretfully said our goodbyes and moved on. I could not believe the extreme coincidence of meeting these guys on the road and this was a major highlight of my trip. From Molasses Junction, Kevin and Theresa let Carl and I lead the ride into St. Augustine as it was "our day" according to them. We stopped at the St Augustine city limit sign to take pictures. At this point, I called George, Tim, and DT who were driving down I-95 from Raleigh to help celebrate with us. They were just 30 minutes away so we planned out a meeting point just outside of the beach. We met at a bar and had a round to kick off the final mile to the beach. Then we rode to the beach and "officially" consummated the completion of our ride by dipping our front wheels into the Atlantic Ocean with lots of cameras documenting the event. I was very pumped up and so was Carl. We actually rode our bikes into the ocean! After the ceremony, we checked into a hotel room to clean up and prepare for our celebration. We then toasted the accomplishment with sparking wine and Knob Creek before dinner. We then walked next door to a seafood restaurant for dinner. We had an amazing blowout dinner that included steamed oysters, spicy shrimp, fried calamari for appetizers and then had entrees. I had pan seared tuna and just about everyone else had grouper. Desert was cherry cheesecake for me and Kevin which was terrific and others had key lime pie which was fair - at best. Overall this place was excellent and we had a great time on their outdoor patio. It was a perfect ending to my trip to be with such good friends. Special thanks go to Kevin, Theresa, Carl, George, DT, and Tim for making my final day a big event.
This is my final daily post but I plan to have one final post in a few days that will reflect back on my trip and provide some thoughts on my high points, things that worked well, and things that did not. I will also post my last few day's pictures and add some comments to them as well when I get some time.
Tomorrow, I will pack up and drive back home with George, DT, and Tim. I do plan to ride with the Rose's and the Thorn's on Sunday morning if anyone shows up at Bruggers. Kevin and Theresa will be heading down to Ocala to pick up his mother and bring her up to North Carolina. Carl will be hanging out for another week waiting for his girlfriend Karen to arrive from Long Beach California and then they will take a vacation down to the Keys.
Thanks to every one who has tracked my adventure and for providing daily encouragement through your many posts to my blog site. This has been an incredible adventure and one I will never forget. Special thanks go out to my Sherpa support team that consisted of my parents, Theresa, and Kevin. I won't say that I could not have done it without them but I will admit they made my trip 1,000 times more enjoyable. Carl has also been a welcome addition to my adventure and we have become great friends over the last several weeks. His perspective and witty humor fit perfectly in with Theresa, Kevin, and me.
Good night!
Weather: The weather was perfect today for my final ride to the east coast. It started with a warm 58-60 degree morning and warmed up to a nice 70 degree day with partly cloudy skies for most of the day and a great tail wind. The wind gods were very generous to us today.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 57 Trip: 2,981
Total travel time: 7:00 Trip: 213:30
Bike Riding time: 4:12 Trip: 239:05
Avg speed: 13.60 Trip: 12.99
Max speed: 35.12 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 208 Trip: 62,620
Avg pedal RPMs: 77 Trip: 85
Avg heart rate: 85 Trip: 108
Max heart rate: 153 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,502 Trip: 180,792
Weather Statistics:
High temp: 71 Trip: 77
Low temp: 58 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Very Favorable - finally
Total good wind days: 15
Total bad wind days: 26
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Total: 11
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Regency Inn and Suites
Total hotel nights: 40
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 126
Pints: 4 Trip: 82
Mood rating (1-10): 10+. I have completed my ride with great friends and beautiful weather today. I am glad the ride is over but will surely miss this way of living.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Hello Atlantic Ocean!
Carl and I have officially completed our treks across this BIG country! More details later.... Oh, and special thanks to George, Tim, and DT for coming down to celebrate with us and to drag me home.
Steve
Steve
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:29.8598
Longitude:-81.2657
Nearest Location: Pope Rd, St. Augustine Beach, FL, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:01/02/2009 13:11:15 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.8598,-81.2657&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:29.8598
Longitude:-81.2657
Nearest Location: Pope Rd, St. Augustine Beach, FL, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:01/02/2009 13:11:15 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.8598,-81.2657&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Day 41 - Thursday, January 1
Description: Completed the 55 mile ride today in Palatka Florida. Tomorrow will be my final day of biking and the ride will be less than 50 miles to St. Augustine. Yee haa!
I could put everyone to sleep with details about what time I woke up today or what I ate for breakfast, or how many sandwiches I had for lunch, or how strong Theresa and Kevin rode today, or how many flats Theresa had today. Nope, I am not going there today. Today, Carl (and he is feeling much better) and I are now just one day away from completing our incredible adventures. For me, it has been 40 days of riding with one rest day on Christmas. I have ridden the Mean Green Machine for just under 3,000 with Wilson always at my side. For Carl, it has been 98 days with around 20 days off and 3,400+ miles. We both have had an amazing adventure but are ready to hit the Atlantic ocean tomorrow and complete our treks. Carl has ridden with me since eastern Texas and the Smit's joined us (a big surprise) at the Texas/Louisiana border and been with us for the final 1,000 miles. Also, I cannot forget to mention my parents shocking me with the Starbucks visit in the rolling hills of Texas. They provided outstanding Sherpa services for 2 and a half days which I greatly appreciated and was the best Christmas present. Kevin and Theresa have also been an incredible help and the best of friends. Carl and I would both highly recommend their Sherpa service to anyone and they could clearly make a living doing this. Theresa is really mastering the art of getting great motels at tremendous prices. Her after ride "happy hours" have helped sooth the aches and pains of many long rides. Every night we have laughed over the day's adventures and poked fun at each other. As a team, we have had the best time and I will never forget this experience.
So, the bottom line is that I am not going to talk about today's windy ride that was just a transport day from Gainesville to just outside of St. Augustine. I can see the end nearing and have already been thinking about how much I will miss this lifestyle and absence of stress. Tomorrow's ride will be fairly short and easy as we wind our way into St. Augustine. I have 3 great friends (George, Tim, and DT) coming down from Raleigh to witness my final miles to the beach, join me in a celebration tomorrow night, and then take me home Saturday afternoon. I can't wait until tomorrow but will surely miss my days on the road....
Good night and happy New Year!
Weather: Chilly, very windy, and overcast this morning and it never really warmed up. The wind was in our face all day which was NO fun.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 55 Trip: 2,924
Total travel time: 6:00 Trip: 306::30
Bike Riding time: 4:52 Trip: 234:53
Avg speed: 12.93 Trip: 12.96
Max speed: 26.58 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 669 Trip: 62,612
Avg pedal RPMs: 77 Trip: 85
Avg heart rate: 97 Trip: 108
Max heart rate: 167 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,993 Trip: 177,290
Weather Statistics:
High temp 60 Trip: 77
Low temp: 47 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Major against.
Total good wind days: 14
Total bad wind days: 26
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 11 (Theresa got her 3rd flat today).
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Quality Inn.
Total hotel nights: 39
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 124
Pints: 3 Trip: 78
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - ONE DAY TO GO. I feel great and am in the best mood!
I could put everyone to sleep with details about what time I woke up today or what I ate for breakfast, or how many sandwiches I had for lunch, or how strong Theresa and Kevin rode today, or how many flats Theresa had today. Nope, I am not going there today. Today, Carl (and he is feeling much better) and I are now just one day away from completing our incredible adventures. For me, it has been 40 days of riding with one rest day on Christmas. I have ridden the Mean Green Machine for just under 3,000 with Wilson always at my side. For Carl, it has been 98 days with around 20 days off and 3,400+ miles. We both have had an amazing adventure but are ready to hit the Atlantic ocean tomorrow and complete our treks. Carl has ridden with me since eastern Texas and the Smit's joined us (a big surprise) at the Texas/Louisiana border and been with us for the final 1,000 miles. Also, I cannot forget to mention my parents shocking me with the Starbucks visit in the rolling hills of Texas. They provided outstanding Sherpa services for 2 and a half days which I greatly appreciated and was the best Christmas present. Kevin and Theresa have also been an incredible help and the best of friends. Carl and I would both highly recommend their Sherpa service to anyone and they could clearly make a living doing this. Theresa is really mastering the art of getting great motels at tremendous prices. Her after ride "happy hours" have helped sooth the aches and pains of many long rides. Every night we have laughed over the day's adventures and poked fun at each other. As a team, we have had the best time and I will never forget this experience.
So, the bottom line is that I am not going to talk about today's windy ride that was just a transport day from Gainesville to just outside of St. Augustine. I can see the end nearing and have already been thinking about how much I will miss this lifestyle and absence of stress. Tomorrow's ride will be fairly short and easy as we wind our way into St. Augustine. I have 3 great friends (George, Tim, and DT) coming down from Raleigh to witness my final miles to the beach, join me in a celebration tomorrow night, and then take me home Saturday afternoon. I can't wait until tomorrow but will surely miss my days on the road....
Good night and happy New Year!
Weather: Chilly, very windy, and overcast this morning and it never really warmed up. The wind was in our face all day which was NO fun.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 55 Trip: 2,924
Total travel time: 6:00 Trip: 306::30
Bike Riding time: 4:52 Trip: 234:53
Avg speed: 12.93 Trip: 12.96
Max speed: 26.58 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 669 Trip: 62,612
Avg pedal RPMs: 77 Trip: 85
Avg heart rate: 97 Trip: 108
Max heart rate: 167 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,993 Trip: 177,290
Weather Statistics:
High temp 60 Trip: 77
Low temp: 47 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Major against.
Total good wind days: 14
Total bad wind days: 26
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 11 (Theresa got her 3rd flat today).
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Quality Inn.
Total hotel nights: 39
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 124
Pints: 3 Trip: 78
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - ONE DAY TO GO. I feel great and am in the best mood!
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:29.6482
Longitude:-81.6277
Nearest Location: N 1st St, Palatka, FL, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:01/01/2009 12:09:08 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.6482,-81.6277&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:29.6482
Longitude:-81.6277
Nearest Location: N 1st St, Palatka, FL, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:01/01/2009 12:09:08 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.6482,-81.6277&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
The Wind Gods are VERY Angry!
We have been pounded with high winds all of the way out of Gainesville. I believe the wind gods have mounted their final defense of the east coast. Carl says that nothing can stop him now! We all just finished a quick lunch in Melrose and are now bundling up for the afternoon assault.
Gotta roll.....
Steve
Gotta roll.....
Steve
Day 40 - Wednesday, December 31
Description: Finished the 75 mile ride in Gainesville Florida. Tomorrow, the plan is to ride to Palatka which is a little less than 50 miles from St. Augustine! Yup, just 2 days of riding left and I can smell the barn.
I got up at 6:30 this morning to get prepared for the day's ride. Breakfast was fair, at best, at the Best Western motel. The coffee was real bad and tasted like it was in the pot since yesterday. I had a bowl of cereal with a banana plus a muffin and OJ. Everyone else also ate a light breakfast. Kevin loaded up the van and blasted off to High Springs to drop the van off at the 50 mile mark and ride back to meet us in Branford. Theresa, Carl, and I wore lots of layers as it was real chilly when we started just after 8. We had a nice NNW wind that gave us a little push as we headed south toward Branford. Theresa showed no signs of her wreck based on how strongly she rode today right from the motel parking lot. I could barely keep up and warned her to pace herself several times. She did develop a very nasty bruise on her hip and a sore neck from yesterday's "Incident". After 22 miles, we got on a great bike path that we followed for over the next 18 miles through Branford, along the Suwannee river, and then over to Fort White. Have I mentioned that Florida has awesome roads and trails for bikers? Theresa and I stopped for coffee and a Little Debbie cake in Wellborn and waited for Kevin and Carl to catch up. Carl is riding at a slower pace as he is still not feeling well but is better than prior days. Carl stopped in O'Brien to buy some fresh boiled peanuts which he has grown fond of. We all collected at a gas station and then rolled on down the bike path to High Springs for lunch. Carl busted out early and the group reeled him in within the first 5 miles. High Springs was a cool little town that was home of The Great Outdoors Restaurant and Outdoor Bar. The town also had a quaint downtown with a dive shop, bicycle shop, and lots of little shops. Lunch was outstanding as we sat outdoors and cooled off with some local micro-brewed "hoppy" beers. We all had a cup of their award winning New England clam chowder (A+). Kevin, Theresa, and I shared a fried Gator tail appetizer that "tasted like chicken". I had a huge plate of nachos, Kevin went with a spinach salad, Theresa with a fried shrimp appetizer, and Carl had a veggie burger and fries. All of the food was outstanding and I was stuffed. Only problem was we had 25 miles left to our hotel in Gainesville. We packed up Theresa in the van and she drove to the hotel to get some well deserved rest as she had a personal best speed for 50 miles at 16+ mph. Us boys barely could get our guts over the top tubes of our bikes but somehow managed to roll forward. Then, all of a sudden, Kevin had an out of body experience and took off with a pace that his bike has never seen. With a helpful cross wind, he was pressing a 20-22 mph pace and held it for the next 8-10 miles. I was enjoying my lunch over and over as I was gasping for breath trying to keep my lunch down as I pursued him. Then we had a local racer (Carlos) join us about 5 miles outside of Newberry. This guy rode next to me and behind Kevin's wheel. He and I were yapping back and forth and discussed my cross country trek. At the same time, Kevin kept turning up the throttle as we were rolling at 24+ mph and it looked to me like this guy was struggling. When we hit Newberry, we busted a left and headed toward Gainesville and our new friend continued forward. I think Kevin broke him with his pace and he turned before he got dropped. Suddenly, we had a strong tail wind and Kevin was feeling strong on his Scott Carbon bike. He rode the 14 miles to town at 22-28 mph. My GPS and Spot tracking system could hardly keep up with the pace. We flew and almost beat Theresa to the hotel. Today was by far the strongest that I have ever seen both Theresa and Kevin ride. Kevin should drink beer before riding every day. With 2 days left I think they have reached one of their goals of getting into great biking shape. Watch out Thorns and Roses back in Cary! Carl was behind us a little and unfortunately missed the turn for the hotel. He rode an extra 5 miles today which he really did not need based on how he felt. He does appear to be looking and feeling better but is still fighting some sort of bug. We checked into an awesome Best Western that Theresa got for us for $49 per room with a special coupon. She is an excellent Sherpa! We cleaned up and then had dinner in their sports bar. The got free appetizers and margaritas to go along with very good food. It was a good and filling meal. I had a Rubin, Kevin a burger, Carl a salad and rice, and Theresa had French onion soup. After dinner, we hit the hot tub to soak our weary muscles.
Today was one of my best riding days of the trip!!!!
Happy New Year and good night. Also a Happy Birthday to my sister Holly.
Weather: A little chilly early (40's) and then a beautiful warm Florida day with Carolina blue skies and winds at our backs. Very low humidity - perfect for riding.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 75 Trip: 2,868
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 300:30
Bike Riding time: 4:28 Trip: 230:01
Avg speed: 16.70 Trip: 12.90
Max speed: 29.82 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 661 Trip: 61,943
Avg pedal RPMs: 87 Trip: 85
Avg heart rate: 102 Trip: 108
Max heart rate: 173 Trip: 195t
Calories burned: 5,026 Trip: 173,297
Weather Statistics:
High temp: 72 Trip: 77
Low temp: 44 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Favorable - cross wind early and then at our back for most of the afternoon.
Total good wind days: 14
Total bad wind days: 25
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 11
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Best Western
Total hotel nights: 38
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 121
Pints: 3 Trip: 75
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - perfect day and I only have 2 days left. Feeling great and looking forward to St Augustine.
I got up at 6:30 this morning to get prepared for the day's ride. Breakfast was fair, at best, at the Best Western motel. The coffee was real bad and tasted like it was in the pot since yesterday. I had a bowl of cereal with a banana plus a muffin and OJ. Everyone else also ate a light breakfast. Kevin loaded up the van and blasted off to High Springs to drop the van off at the 50 mile mark and ride back to meet us in Branford. Theresa, Carl, and I wore lots of layers as it was real chilly when we started just after 8. We had a nice NNW wind that gave us a little push as we headed south toward Branford. Theresa showed no signs of her wreck based on how strongly she rode today right from the motel parking lot. I could barely keep up and warned her to pace herself several times. She did develop a very nasty bruise on her hip and a sore neck from yesterday's "Incident". After 22 miles, we got on a great bike path that we followed for over the next 18 miles through Branford, along the Suwannee river, and then over to Fort White. Have I mentioned that Florida has awesome roads and trails for bikers? Theresa and I stopped for coffee and a Little Debbie cake in Wellborn and waited for Kevin and Carl to catch up. Carl is riding at a slower pace as he is still not feeling well but is better than prior days. Carl stopped in O'Brien to buy some fresh boiled peanuts which he has grown fond of. We all collected at a gas station and then rolled on down the bike path to High Springs for lunch. Carl busted out early and the group reeled him in within the first 5 miles. High Springs was a cool little town that was home of The Great Outdoors Restaurant and Outdoor Bar. The town also had a quaint downtown with a dive shop, bicycle shop, and lots of little shops. Lunch was outstanding as we sat outdoors and cooled off with some local micro-brewed "hoppy" beers. We all had a cup of their award winning New England clam chowder (A+). Kevin, Theresa, and I shared a fried Gator tail appetizer that "tasted like chicken". I had a huge plate of nachos, Kevin went with a spinach salad, Theresa with a fried shrimp appetizer, and Carl had a veggie burger and fries. All of the food was outstanding and I was stuffed. Only problem was we had 25 miles left to our hotel in Gainesville. We packed up Theresa in the van and she drove to the hotel to get some well deserved rest as she had a personal best speed for 50 miles at 16+ mph. Us boys barely could get our guts over the top tubes of our bikes but somehow managed to roll forward. Then, all of a sudden, Kevin had an out of body experience and took off with a pace that his bike has never seen. With a helpful cross wind, he was pressing a 20-22 mph pace and held it for the next 8-10 miles. I was enjoying my lunch over and over as I was gasping for breath trying to keep my lunch down as I pursued him. Then we had a local racer (Carlos) join us about 5 miles outside of Newberry. This guy rode next to me and behind Kevin's wheel. He and I were yapping back and forth and discussed my cross country trek. At the same time, Kevin kept turning up the throttle as we were rolling at 24+ mph and it looked to me like this guy was struggling. When we hit Newberry, we busted a left and headed toward Gainesville and our new friend continued forward. I think Kevin broke him with his pace and he turned before he got dropped. Suddenly, we had a strong tail wind and Kevin was feeling strong on his Scott Carbon bike. He rode the 14 miles to town at 22-28 mph. My GPS and Spot tracking system could hardly keep up with the pace. We flew and almost beat Theresa to the hotel. Today was by far the strongest that I have ever seen both Theresa and Kevin ride. Kevin should drink beer before riding every day. With 2 days left I think they have reached one of their goals of getting into great biking shape. Watch out Thorns and Roses back in Cary! Carl was behind us a little and unfortunately missed the turn for the hotel. He rode an extra 5 miles today which he really did not need based on how he felt. He does appear to be looking and feeling better but is still fighting some sort of bug. We checked into an awesome Best Western that Theresa got for us for $49 per room with a special coupon. She is an excellent Sherpa! We cleaned up and then had dinner in their sports bar. The got free appetizers and margaritas to go along with very good food. It was a good and filling meal. I had a Rubin, Kevin a burger, Carl a salad and rice, and Theresa had French onion soup. After dinner, we hit the hot tub to soak our weary muscles.
Today was one of my best riding days of the trip!!!!
Happy New Year and good night. Also a Happy Birthday to my sister Holly.
Weather: A little chilly early (40's) and then a beautiful warm Florida day with Carolina blue skies and winds at our backs. Very low humidity - perfect for riding.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 75 Trip: 2,868
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 300:30
Bike Riding time: 4:28 Trip: 230:01
Avg speed: 16.70 Trip: 12.90
Max speed: 29.82 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 661 Trip: 61,943
Avg pedal RPMs: 87 Trip: 85
Avg heart rate: 102 Trip: 108
Max heart rate: 173 Trip: 195t
Calories burned: 5,026 Trip: 173,297
Weather Statistics:
High temp: 72 Trip: 77
Low temp: 44 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Favorable - cross wind early and then at our back for most of the afternoon.
Total good wind days: 14
Total bad wind days: 25
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 11
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Best Western
Total hotel nights: 38
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 121
Pints: 3 Trip: 75
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - perfect day and I only have 2 days left. Feeling great and looking forward to St Augustine.
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