I felt like I couldn’t do it. I pulled off to the side of road and dismounted my bike. My mind was revolting against this plan. “You can’t make it. This is a terrible idea,” it said to me. I looked back at the narrow two lane road I had just swerved off of and it was packed with semi trucks and horse trailers. The horses must have organized some kind of party because about 100 horse trailers had passed me so far. There was no room on the road for a guy on a bike, and the gravel shoulder wasn’t like some gravel road that would be trendy to ride on, it was actual gravel. Like inches deep of uncompacted gravel stones. Fleeing the honking semi I’d  smashed into that gravel pile and it made my bike feel like it was swimming through stones. It very nearly crashed me. 

My day didn’t start out that way. In the morning I started pedaling down the route Garmin told me to and found a 10 mile (16km) arrow straight farm road. Very little traffic and peaceful. My legs were worn out from the big ride the day before. I found that I couldn’t spin the same gear as yesterday and had to shift to an easier cog. I simply didn’t have the strength in my legs like I did the day before. I could turn the pedals though and so I just kept the bike moving. The quiet road joined up with a new 27 mile (43.5km) straight road that was a more heavily used and things started to get a bit more crowded. As I went along more and more roads merged onto my road and traffic started to get very tight. I’d hop on the tarmac where I could but as the big trucks, lifted diesel trucks with super chargers, and RVs started taking over the road I found myself pushed off into the gravel. 

I rested on the edge of the highway and the traffic rumbled on. I ate an apple and a banana as if sitting on the edge of a roadway was a normal place to have lunch and tried to set my mind straight. I knew well that the 2nd and often 3rd day of a big tour could be really hard. Especially since I was diving into this with no training in my legs at all. I’d gone straight into pedaling the heavy loaded up bike for 8+ hours. I got my head together, convinced myself my legs would catch up with the work demand in a few days, and jumped on the road again. 

To my relief Garmin turned me off this road a few miles later. I was back on an empty farm road, the dark rain clouds still hadn’t opened up, everything was green and pretty, and all my anxiety had vanished. 

I would have chosen a shorter day but the nearest hotel that popped up online was 80 miles away. So I had to tackle this 80 mile (130km) jump no matter what my legs said. The last 10 miles (16km) or so I was completely cooked. I hadn’t found a place to get water in some 25 miles (40km). Not a single store or business anywhere and my legs had all but given up. I was now riding 3 gears lower than I normally would and only moving at about walking speed. I told myself that all I could do was keep the pedals turning and eventually I’d get there. I’d get little bursts of energy where I would stand up and pedal for while grateful for the change of body position but once I was worn out I’d shift back to an easier gear and sit back down. The last 4 miles seemed to take forever but finally I made it to the night’s hotel spot. Since I only have one change of clothes with me I jumped in the shower with my riding clothes and did my best to wash them for tomorrow. Next was food and then some stretching and rest. 

Today looks to be a short jump. I’m seeing one hotel at 50 miles (80.5km) away or one at 130 (209km) miles away. I don’t think I have a 130 miles in my legs right now so probably better to make this an easy one. I’m hoping that like on past tours I eventually enjoy the drastic change where I suddenly feel like I can pedal all day long.