Days – 71 and 72 Groundhogs and Matryoshka Dolls

Since Missouri there have been lots and lots of groundhogs. They scurry in front of me on the trails and often just stand up and pan their head to watch me zoom by like a NASCAR fan on race day. Obviously this has reminded me of “Groundhog Day” and the fact that my days have seemed to be on infinite repeat.

A typical day mentally starts with me not wanting to get started. I don’t dread it, I just feel no rush to get started. I pack and double check I have everything then finally push away an hour after I want to.

The first five miles are always slow. I am leaving town wich has navigational issues, stop lights, and more importantly I am not warmed up. As discussed in earlier posts it is almost always uphill out of town. This has been less severe in the flat Midwest though.

My best miles are almost always 5 thru 25. I am fresh in the morning and temps are cool. The breeze is typically lighter in the morning as well.

I am always looking at the miles done compared to miles remaining. As it evens out at half way there is a strong sense of how the day will go. If it is before noon it feels great. If it is after 1:00 it feels like I am in for a tough day. Total distance for the day also matters. More than sixty miles I rarely feel good by the time I hit halfway. The downside is you know you have double what you’ve done. The upside is you know it is possible.

By the time I get to a quarter left this is typically 15 -20 miles. You know you have it but many days you just want to be done. I feel physically the worst at this point. It is too soon to feel like it is done. This is also when I seem to be at my mental lowest. Just because you can doesn’t mean you want to. Some days this means I bear down and grind hard in an effort to get it over. Most days this means break time and a snack to collect myself for the final salvo.

At ten and under there is tempered joy. 10 miles is a significant amount of miles but when you are doing 80 it seems like you “have this” just keep moving forward.

The last 5 miles are the slowest. I always just sort of quit pushing. I can walk this in and all concerns of mechanicals and not having the energy to finish go away. Navigation to a motel or a campground adds time. I am also figuring out if I need to grab supplies before arriving. It is slow but it feels fantastic to just cruise into a town knowing you are basically done.

Day after day this has played out. Sometimes there are stops along the way like golf but in general every day has some resemblance of this up and down mental energy.

I have been tired and sore since Missouri. I haven’t been able to figure out why it feels different. I have been enjoying the trip. Fun stops and good weather. There have been some rough road rides but also some great trails and relaxed farm roads. I have been doing great miles too. It finally hit me the other day that the trip itself is like a bigger day.

Washington was slow and my body wasn’t “warmed up“ much like the first five miles. Idaho through most of the GDMBR were the sweet spot. My body was tuned up, the weather was nice, and the riding was fun. Kansas was halfway and you guessed it, I knew what it was going to take to finish off the second half. Since leaving Missouri it’s been the 15-20 miles to go point. My excitement for the journey isn’t enough to overcome the wear on my body. It is only natural that I have had a mental slump.

As I turn the corner and head for Pittsburgh and DC I have a new sense of excitement. It feels like the ten mile point for sure…tempered joy. Lots of work left but it seems like I just need to keep on keeping on.