Day 9: Friday Oct 9th, 2020

Distance: 0 (Day off)

Youngs Creek Campground

After writing my journal entry yesterday afternoon I wandered over to my bike to move my panniers into the tent and discovered I had a flat front tire.  What ensued was nothing less than an hour long wrestling match between me and my front tire.  And I nearly lost. The issue was that I have new pisella panaracer protite that are kevlar lined.  Their was a super tight seal between the tire and rim.  Though with mucho effort I managed to separate the one side of the tire from the rim to access the inner tube. 

While this wrestling match was all occurring something was going on around me that I was mostly oblivious to.  My peaceful solitary wilderness experience in Hoosier National Forest was about to be disrupted As I finished changing the inner tube and reassembling the wheel on my bicycle I looked up to find 2rvs, a horse trailer, and 3 cars had arrived. I forgot how loud recreational vehicles are! 
In spite of this, I've decided to take the day off today from riding and spend another night here at Youngs Creek. 

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Tonight will be Friday night and I fully expect this place to look and sound like a cross between Churchill Downs and a truck stop off the New Jersey Turnpike but I refuse to alter my course.  As I've already deemed it best for me to take the day off.

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Throughout the day today I did everything that went to the wayside while riding.  I reorganized all stuff sacks and carefully placed everything neatly in panniers.  I did more thorough maintenance work and cleaning of my bike.  I elexercised my upper body today.  I even helped an old fellow gather acorns to feed the squirrels at his house.  He taught me what a hickory nut looks like and how to eat it.  I always called it a chestnut though I'm certain hes correct on what it is.  Either way, one must first break the outer shell and then again break the inner shell and then behold you will have arrived at several pieces of nuts which resemble both in look and taste to a walnut. 
The downside to today which is a big one is that I sprained my left ankle for no other reason than it decided to twist under.  I am currently laying down and under the influence of 800 mg of ibuprofen.  I hope this will not impact my plans for tommorow though it really doesn't matter in the big picture.  I most certainly will not  be able to press hard on the pedaleith my left leg tommorow.  We will see. 
I thought with this day off I'd pen a brief critical analysis of my first 8 days of riding.

First, gear.  I am carrying too much.  This became obvious to me as I was riding uphill against the wind a couple days back on US 40.  As for what needs to go, time will tell.  I've already scrapped the painters plastic that I was using to cover my bike.  This is about a lb saved.  I brought a Nike hoodie to use around town and at the laundromat that is mostly useless.  I will likely send this home over the next week.  Oh, the sandals I was wearing when I twisted my ankle can go home.  I was considering sending them home and the ankle debacle has helped me affirm. Also, in another couple weeks much of my cold weather clothing can go home until I get to the southern desert foothills of the Rockies in New Mexico and Arizona where nighttime temps can get as low as the 20-30's in Nov and early Dec.   As for other gear, I'm paying close attention to gear I'm not using and am looking at if because of a change in environment (weather, situation, etc...) I may use later on.  As I said, time and experience will tell.

As for conditioning, I must say I am in great shape.  I am well trained for the trip.  There is very little cardiovascularly speaking that tires me.  Muscularly, my legs could always be stronger. My quad muscles are what burns during and after the extended climbing but these and other muscles will all continue to develop as I cycle more.  The biggest concern I have is my left knee where there appears to be some minor tendon or ligament injury and my damn ankle which is now swollen.  My hope is by taking today off and having a couple more relaxed mileage days the knee will heal.  And my ankle will undoubtedly heal and then I'll sprain it again somehow.  This neverending cycle has been going on since roughly the 7th grade when I severely sprained it on a trampoline.

Financially, I am mostly right on track.  Except for South Bend where I was tricked into forking over nearly 80 bucks for a motel I am doing a fantastic job of being a cheap skate and camping as often as possible.