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| Well-deserved brew in Champaign, IL |
Today’s Ride
And finally, once again, we get to rest!
The Stats
92 miles
1,801 ft. climbing
Highlights: Averaging over 15 mph (fast for me, especially given the mileage!) even including downtown Champaign detour for lunch and post-2-beer-lunch ride back to hotel! Did I mention there were tailwinds???
Challenges: Some busy roads with no shoulders the likes of which I'd never ride at home -- but fortunately that wasn't the majority of the day.
Miles Completed: 2,241
Miles to Go: 1,155
States Visited: 8 of 15
Total Climbed: 76,182 ft.
The Ride
It felt like a combination of opposite day and groundhog day. What does that mean? Overall, the route was relatively flat, farm-lined roads, with few photo ops and little remarkable scenery, all similar to yesterday. And there was a section of about 10-15 miles on busy commercial roads with no shoulder, which were particularly unpleasant and not roads I'd ever ride on ordinarily. But, in contrast to yesterday, the whole vibe of the day was more positive. Perhaps because we started out with a song (see Soundtrack of the Day)? Maybe it was the tailwinds? Maybe it was because the route was 15 miles shorter than yesterday, so all of a sudden 91 miles just wasn't so intimidating? Perhaps the 10+ mile pull from Peter helped the average speed? Maybe it was because we were riding into a rest day and therefore felt more confident to push just a bit harder, knowing I didn't need to leave anything in reserve for tomorrow? Whatever the reason, it was a better day. I'll take that at face value.
I think another factor is that it's just starting to feel closer to home, and the end goal more within reach (more about that in tomorrow's reflections). I saw my first cardinal today, a bird common on the east coast (I felt something similar when I saw my first blue jay). I'm starting to "feel" the finish within sight, though I don't want to put the cart before the horse -- or underestimate the 1,000+ miles we still have to go!
For now, I just need to keep focused and treat each day is it's own experience, with something new to explore/enjoy/endure. So I just rode along rural farm roads, still in the realm of more tractors than Teslas.
After a shower and a bit of chill time, I Ubered back downtown (they are plentiful here!) to a local wine bar/shop (see Employee of the Day), before meeting Spencer, Chad, and Peter at Nando Milano Trattoria for a much-needed "proper" meal!
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| Father and son on a cross-country journey -- PRICELESS! |
Soundtrack of the Day
Today was a good one, much needed after yesterday's scattered start and lack of any route rap rap. To Peter, Paul & Mary's "Leavin' on a Jet Plane," try this:
All our bags are packed, they're ready to go,
We're waiting here outside the door,
We hate to get back on the bike, we sigh.....
The dawn is breakin' it's early morn,
The van is waiting, Tom's blowin' the horn,
Already I'm so tired I could cry.
So feed me, and do laundry,
Tell me there's an Applebee's,
Please make sure my room will be ready...
We're leavin', off to Champaign,
Don't know when we will rest again,
Oh boy, we need a rest....
One of our best ever! Check it out on Facebook.
Employee of the Day
Before dinner tonight, rather than partake in (more!) beer at the hotel happy hour (albeit free), I opted for an hour at Ladro Enoteca, a local wine shop and wine bar, though fortunately not focusing on local wines. I spent over an hour at the bar, much of it chatting with Madeline, the bartender/artist/graphic designer who shared my positive, chill vibe, and made me sad to leave the place for dinner. She also didn't hesitate to replace a glass of pinot noir I simply "wasn't grooving to" and got me back on track with my original prosecco of choice. I enjoyed hearing her perspective on the Champaign community and glad she still found living here relatively affordable, able to support herself as an artist, though to me it seems notably more expensive than anyplace else we've been since Manhattan Beach or Palm Springs!
More reflections tomorrow...
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