Tuesday, April 6, 2010

The Shame of Walking the Bike

As my cleat hit the ground I had so many thoughts rush through my mind. Is this the right thing? Should I just pull over and rest and then get back on the saddle? How am I going to make it across the continental divide if I can't make it through Connecticut? Will this negate my trip to the traditionalists?

The hills today were many and continued to come one after another after another. I know that this is nothing compared to what is to come but I had to get off my bike and walk the last 50-100 feet up the hill to keep my sanity and my mussels intact. for a brief moment I had all these questions run through my head but then felt as though this is just one way of traveling with the terrain. And as far as the continental divide or even the hills of Pennsylvania. I will take care of those on the day/s that I am riding them.

The cowboy had to walk his horse sometime as so I had to nurture my power source, ME. Although the fact that I had these questions in the first place puts to question, What does it mean to bike tour? Now I believe that this can not be answered in one way and shouldn't be. which is a bit exciting. To bike tour to me is to experience life from another angle, to get from A to B and truly learn why A and B are there in the first place.

Today was hard for me but I am still alive and healthy (I have a bit of stomach pain) and I am going to be getting up tomorrow, attaching my 6 bags to my Long Haul Trucker and peddle to my next stop in NY state because I am determined to see everything in between, one step at a time.

BIKE TRACKS: Some techno song that the car stopped next to me was blaring.

TODAY'S MILES: 87 miles
TODAY'S TIME: 12.5 hrs

TOTAL TRIP MILES: 147 miles
TOTAL TRIP RIDE TIME: 19.5 hrs

5 comments:

  1. I walk my bike all the time. Sometimes I even do it on the flats, just to break up the riding. There are no rules here as far as I'm concerned. Keep up the good work... and keep moving forward.

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  2. John greiner-ferrisApril 6, 2010 at 8:38 AM

    you're just breaking yourself in...i've never done anything like this, but i've read stories about, for instance, hiking the appalachian trail, and the first weeks are like this...hang in there...

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  3. I remember the first hill that broke me in my cross-country trek with remarkable clarity. We had spent the day mounting monstrous rollers in eastern PA and I had been struggling to keep up with 2 of my companions I had been separated from the main group with. My legs simply cried out "no more!" and I had no choice but to dismount and start walking.

    Carrying as much weight as you are is no easy feat and there is no shame in pausing to recover. Most important is that you listen to what your body is telling you. Furthermore, peak exertion can cause a state akin to delirium which can easily lead to a crash. I've seen one too many cyclists continuing to ride, dangerously weaving, as they struggle to maintain a straight line during a tough climb rather than dismounting to recover for a bit.

    Great riding with you on Sunday! Keep kicking buttock mark!

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  4. Good luck! What fortune that I find this just as you've started. I'm considering a ride like this next summer. Keep it up, and if you need a place to stay in southwestern Wisconsin, I may be able to help you out.

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  5. Be kind to yourself Mark. From what I can tell, one of the purposes of the trip is not to be the perfect biker, but use the choice of biking as a way of being closer and more aware of your surroundings. You make the rules, but you also get to break the rules without penalty!

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