I am goig to keep to cut the blog a little shorter today because I am hella tired.
Last night because I got in a little early I got some laundry done. This brings be to a rant. Coin laundry dryers suck. I mean they say insert x amount of cents and that will give you usually 5 minutes. So in your head you have to think how much time you need. If you guess to little then you loose all the heat and are screwed. You then have to spend usually double to get it dry. If you over guess then you are left with clothing that has shrunk half a size. The reason I bring this up is because last time I shrunk everything. And then last night I was left with dry cycling gear, and wet civi clothing.
This morning I woke up early so that I could get on the road early. This is because I knew that I had a 2km climb out of the park I was staying at. The climb was rough to say the least. Because I had cold muscles I was stuck climbing at 6km/h. It really took a mental blow because it really ruined all my averages for a long time. Which as a guy who has nothing better to do with most of the day I like to stay above 20km/h. I sent the next 3 hours watching it slowly climb higher and higher. This serves as a great mental boost.
The next rant I have is for the mapmaker of the tourist map for Newfoundland. Along the map it shows you distances along the trans Canada. Seeing this I assumed that the distance to Deer Lake was 79km. 123km later I was in Deer Lake and comforted with a choice to make. Do I press on the 83km to the nearest campsite, or take a rest day. Well this was an easy choice for me I decided to press on.
With a full stomach of chicken and onion rings I was on the road. I zoned out for the first time during the trip. I looked no more then 25feet ahead and simply focused on my breath and my cadence. It felt awesome. I was making up time and I was going to complete my first 200km ride with a good amount of time for set-up.
I then was cut off by another cyclist scoot who came through the states and is just finishing his trip the other way. It was a good break, which I needed. It was also a good excuse to pee and stretch a little. Scott also gave me some hints on a route through the states via adventure cyclist.
Well 203km came and went. My body was dead. I wanted to find that campsite like nothing else. I decided to keep going thinking it could be a little further away. I kept going and my faith was demolished. The next step was to find a spot to set up the tent on the side of the road. I tried two spots and both turned out to be swamped with water (damn rain from last night). Then I saw it “motel 5km”. It was my holy grail. I wanted it like nothing else. I saw my speed jump as my body made the surge for the rest stop.
I saw it coming from 2km away. I watched it get closer and closer. I could read the sign and I saw home for the night. I went in sweat ad salty and on the brink of tears. I told the man my story and I also told him that I have never been happier to have a place to stay. It is my first bed since Regina because the other motels I was on my sleeping mat.
The funny thing about this motel is that the people in the next room control my TV. I guess they have it linked so I sit here bloging watching them scan the ppv selection while watching sponge bob.
Trip Distance: 220km (longest solo ride ever over hilly terrain)
Ride Time: 10:17hr
Avg. Speed: 21.40km/h
Total Distance: 7294km
Total Ride Time: 336hr
Destiantion: exit 410, Newfoundland
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The TV comment is funny. I remember going to a motel, with my parents way back when, where we could look out the windows of the motel and watch the drive-in movie next door ( minus the sound ). Sometimes, that TV in the accomoadation is just NOT very important.
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