Day 22 – 44 Miles

Let’s start this off with a bit about last night. The campground I stayed at was pretty sweet, there was nobody else camping there and once the park ranger left for the evening I was all by my lonesome. The ranger was really cool and left the screened in porch area unlocked for me so I could cook my dinner, hang out and soak up some wifi and just generally avoid the plague of insects that inhabited the area. When it got dark I was walking back to my campsite and my headlamp kept catching these tiny sparkling things all over the ground. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was the reflection from the eyes of this particular spider. Yes, you read that right. Spiders. It was the stuff of nightmares. I didn’t see any near my campsite so I avoided having to set the whole place ablaze and ride off into the night. I also had some company in the form of this fat, little raccoon. He wasn’t anything like the mangy pack of night thieves I’d encountered before. He was cute. I still hung my food from the tree but I almost wanted to break the rules and give him some grub 🙂

HE’S SO FLUFFY I WANT TO DIE!!!
Nightmare fuel glowing eyed spider beast.

I woke up this morning at around 530 to try and get a jump on the wind but I could hear the trees whipping around with all the fury mother nature could muster, so, I just went back to sleep. I woke up for real at about 7 and took my time packing up camp, I was in no rush to get out and start pedaling but I could only procrastinate for so long. So with a heavy heart and tired legs I set out into the morning. I had planned 2 different scenarios for today dependent on the weather. The first, if it was nice and calm, would have been about 70 miles. The second, if the weather was the same as yesterday, was about 43 miles. As soon as I got out onto the rode I knew which one I was doing. Definitely a short day. No need to kill myself when I’m on no particular time schedule.

Man was I dragging. I kept telling myself that I could take a break at the 10 mile mark and then every 10 miles thereafter. These little lies I repeat in my head really seem to work in keeping my motivation up on sucky days like this. Eventually my brain is going to catch on and be like, “WTF, James?! Why you lying to me, bro?!” But until then I’m gonna keep doing it. I finally stopped for a break at a 7-11 at about the 15 mile mark, pouring sweat, cranky and just generally hating my life. I went in and bought the biggest, most caffeinated, sugar filled monstrosity of an energy drink I could find and a couple of taquitos. I pounded the energy drink and shoveled the food into my mouth and chilled out for a bit. I guess all that caffeine and sugar really were the cure because once I got back on the road I was flying, relatively speaking. I was averaging about 11 MPH before 7-11 and was doing about 13 after that. It may not seem like much, but with the amount of wind blowing in my face it was a significant little boost.

CAFFEINE BOOST!!!

So I kill the next 15 miles with, again, relative ease and pop into a convenience store for a gatorade and some ice cream (human garbage disposal, remember?). It’s here that I meet Mike. We were talking for a bit, he was out cruising on one of those super light, super swift road bikes enjoying the tailwind and sunshine. He takes off and I go inside to get my much needed calories. When I come back out Mike rolls back up, well, he pushes his bike back up. He’d gotten a flat a little ways up the road and came back for a little assistance. He said I looked like I’ve probably dealt with something like this before. I most certainly have. Finally my chance to repay my karmic debt to the universe for my flat tire fiasco! So, like my random cyclist friends from South Caroline, I disassembled and patched up Mikes back tire and he was back on his way without a problem. Good meeting you, friend. Pay it forward.

Mike after I patched up his ride 🙂

The remaining miles went by quick, sucky to be sure, but quick and I arrived at my home for the evening. The park had primitive campsites for only 10 bucks! After all the rest of the parks I’ve encountered where 1 night is 20 and up it was a welcome relief. I got my tent set up, which I’ve found is exceedingly difficult in 20 MPH wind, and headed out to find some grub. Google told me there was a pizza place with 2 for 1 drafts. If I ever turn down an offer for 2 for 1 beers the shoot me, because that isn’t James but some kind of sick, robot impostor. So that’s where I’m at right now, stuffing my face with pizza and beer. #thelife

So I need you all to do something for me. Say a prayer, light a candle, burn an effigy, sacrifice a lizard, beseech the One True Turtle to give me a freaking break from this wind. Thank you. Stay tuned for the next edition of James and his Bike.

8 Replies to “Day 22 – 44 Miles”

  1. James, enjoying your blog from Scotland and cheering you on all the way. Keep pedalling!

    1. Thanks, friend! Glad you enjoy it ?

  2. Ok im back in the rhythm. Finally its time for a laugh. Lol this one had me rollin, again from miami dade county:

    Florida law enforcement agents have charged 48-year-old Keith R. Griffin with 10 counts of possession of child pornography after a detective found over a thousand such images on his computer.
    In his defense, Mr. Griffin told detectives “he would leave his computer on and his cat would jump on the keyboard. And when he returned there will be strange material downloaded.”

    He is jail, with bail set at a quarter million dollars. His cat roams free.

    That will be my excuse next time i get caught with torrent ???

    1. Well, cats are assholes so maybe he’s telling the truth ?

  3. You need to get some protein bars, they give you a lot of energy for quite awhile and are even good for you. Well say many prayers for more favorable weather

  4. I absolutely hate spiders. I would have freaked out. Hoping the weather will hold out for you and the wind will come in the right direction!!!
    Love ya

  5. OMG YOU WEREN’T KIDDING ABOUT THE SPIDERS THOSE THINGS ARE HUGE. I’m not usually squeamish about spiders, but gahhhhh! Damn Florida.

    I have spoken to the lizard that lives in my house and she claims that she can communicate with the lizards that keep giving you head winds. She’s going to do her best to turn things around for you. As you can see, she is a very mighty lizard: http://imgur.com/a/6XpIO

    Continued safe travels, James!

    1. Hahahaha!!! Omg you’re awesome ?Pass on my my sincere and heartfelt thanks to her

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