Today seemed like one of the longest days yet. Maybe the heat was finally getting to me or the continuously rolling hills along I-81. Regardless, it was a good day. It was an early start because some folks (the older generations in the group) tend to wake up earlier than the college - age group. The fog over the mountains we rode down yesterday was a pretty start to the day outside the really kind church we stayed at.
I had 3 packs of oatmeal and coffee, then we all headed back to Gurtie's for a pancake breakfast. Let's just say I ate way too much. There was also an interesting local man in his torn jammies playing guitar out front. He made this comment at some point in the morning to someone in the group, "All the prettiest girls in the world ride bikes. All I gotta say is, baby, I'm sorry I didn't make you an egg sandwich." ... ya know, whatever, that's what happens on trips like this.
The first leg of the day was only 19 miles and it was really pretty running between a railroad track and a creek. It didn't seem particularly hard until closer to the rest stop in Lexington when it got more hilly. There were just as many down hills as there were uphills, and we stopped to see a waterfall, so I won't complain.
It was neat to be in Lexington where the Virginia Military Institute and Washington & Lee University are. I don't recall ever having been to Lexington before. We wandered around and had lunch before getting back on the road. The English couple in our group said Lexington had quite a British feel to it.
By the time we left Lexington, the day had heated up and my belly was full, so the next segment of the ride was really tough. The hills were more rolling and my stomach was simply unsettled. At the top of a climb, as number of us stopped for a breather only to find out the second test stop was literally across the street. Ha!
I tried not to stay at this rest stop too long, but I think it may have been an hour still. It seems like I ride with different people from the group on every section of the day and almost never repeat the exact same group of people again. It's a great opportunity to get to know everyone. I can't believe there are still people in the group that I barely know and tomorrow is my last day. It would be neat to fly to California for the end of the trip and ride to the finish with everyone, but I doubt that would happen.
The last leg of the day was fun, scenic, and challenging. There were rolling hills on Rt 11 that ran along I-81 south of the Natural Bridge. The key was to pedal pedal pedal in a high (hard) gear down the hills (at like 30+mph) in order to get momentum to get up the steep climbs. It was fun!
We biked through downtown Buchanan, but didn't stop to explore. The ride down into Troutville was nice, with a foot soak in the river along side the road. It was so refreshing that I barely noticed the painfully steep climb into Tville. Just kidding. I totally noticed it.
We had showers at the local fire house and are camping at a park. We also meet up with Don (coolest dude ever who started Bike the US for MS.... He also reads my blog), Cassie (super cool chick that helps Don run the organization, but I don't think she reads my blog, haha), and some other alumni riders at a new, rad local brewery called Flying Mouse. They had a cool atmosphere, a good grille truck for dinner, and all proceeds went to Bike the US for MS.
I wish I could describe all the picturesque sights I've seen, intense floral smells I've biked by, supportive people I've met, great food I've digested, and emotions that come along with the entire package. Alas, my brain is mush by the end of a long day of biking and all I can think about is scrubbing the dirt, grease, stuck-on bugs to my skin off, getting camp set up, charging my phone and GPS watch before all the outlets are in use, and what the heck is for dinner!
Tomorrow should not be too crazy of a day with a later start and shorter ride, but with a sweet climb into Blacksburg and exploring town. We are doing a service project on Saturday and I think I'll be heading home Sunday.
My adventure is almost complete. I'll keep writing through the weekend, but I just wanted to say thank you for all the support along the way! And kudos to my cousin Jennifer for sending her awesome granola bars for the trip. They help me crush the mountains.
And... goodnight!
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