Day 3, Tuesday

Another beautiful day in paradise! This morning I got up early and hit the road by 7:45… the theory being to do some miles before the sun heats up things and the winds blow harder. Also the gent from the LA bike tour said they’d be on the road by 7 and I’d have to get up early if I wanted to use their floor pump! (I actually left before any of them) Apparently, my story of having only ONE spare tube made them feel sorry for me, because as I was leaving one of the riders slipped another tube in my saddlebag along with a bag of “Carb Boom!” energy gels. I tried one… it tasted terrible (mine was the Kiwi-fish food flavor), but gave me a nice happy feeling, as if I’d just had a big shrimp sandwich or something.

Apparently, you have to eat and drink almost all of the time while long-distance biking… I’ve had sort of “out of body” experience…. Things become simply “you” and “your body” and the “you” part is very concerned about the “body” portion, treating it like a machine…. Am I feeding it enough? Is it getting thirsty? Should I throttle back a little so it doesn’t overheat?

Since I’m in the “civilized” northeast, I carry only a water bottle, and a bottle of “sports drink” (don’t forget to give the body the electrolyte replacement it needs) and a spare emergency bottle of water. Serious cyclists use “CamelBaks”… these are water bladders that hold up to 3 liters, which you strap to your back and occasionally suck from the attached tube, enabling you to actually drink ALL the time!

I was on a pretty deserted road today (Route 5S) south of the Mohawk River, when I hit a bump and my emergency bottle flew out of my carrier and landed in a creek, some 25 feet below the road. I went into the ravine (on foot) and finally retrieved the bottle only to find that the inside of the cap had exploded and my precious water was contaminated, luckily there was a Stewart’s just around the bend…

Anyway, I went 71 miles today (cross-winds today) and ended up in Clifton Park (North of Albany)… let me tell you… the traffic here is horrible… but I did find a motel with an outdoor pool! That was heaven! The body thoroughly enjoyed it… as well as the dinner at the local Chili’s, where they had a buy one beer, get one free special. Life just couldn’t be any better.

I promise better pictures tomorrow.