March 12, 2025
Day 26: Somerville to Buescher SP
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It was another hard day, but it was a good day. More on that later.
I took a diphenhydramine last night to help me sleep better. Unfortunately, I didn't get to bed until almost 10:30. I did not take a Mucinex DM and had no coughing fits. Hopefully that is behind me.
It was warmer last night with a low of 60. (My Karoo said 57 when I started riding). I actually got hot and sweaty and had to take off my t-shirt. I was awakened by my alarm at 6 am. I wanted to be on the road by 8:00 because it was a 66 mile day with winds stronger than yesterday.
I had stuff in my tent packed up by 6:45 and went to the bathroom to get my setter ready to ride. I finished packing up my tent before having breakfast and was done that about 7:20. However, the water was hot so my oatmeal was not very good. There was also no meat left, so I took 3 slices of cheese and made a peanut butter sandwich on some Dave's bread. It is the first time we had that and there are some people who don't like it. I took a couple of kind bars and the last clementine. In the future I will go to breakfast at 7:00 and then come back to pack up my tent.
I got off at 8:03. I wore shorts, sun sleeves, a short sleeve jersey and fingerless gloves plus my vest. I was quite comfortable. I also premedicated with 2 ibuprofen.
After we got out of the recreation area we did about 1.5 miles on a dirt road. It wasn't bad, but I will stop complaining about chip seal.
When you are riding there is lots of time to think. On hard days like yesterday and today with hills and headwinds it is easy to get in a dark place. I was thinking about why I was doing this. I realized that I was treating it like a goal to be accomplished rather than an adventure. I decided not to worry about the winds or how long it took to get to camp. Instead, I would try to be in the moment and enjoy the sites, sounds and smells, and that I would take regular rest stops to keep my feet and rear end from hurting so much. I had some pain at the top of my left calf. It was worst when cold and didn’t keep me from riding. Yesterday I had a few twinges that reminded me of a very mild cas of pulling my calf, but it does not hurt to walk. There is a tender area but it feels better after riding stopped. I stretched it and will roll it before going to bed.
We passed through the towns of Burton, Round Top, and Winchester on the day. I stopped at the general store in Burton, about miles 15, to buy a liter of water. I drank about a third and filled one of my water bottles (which I drank in the first 15 miles to make sure I was hydrated. I also ate a Kind bar. I met BW in Round Top and we went to a cafe. He filled his water bottle and I got a blueberry scone, which was quite good. Round Top looked like a very fancy town. There was some historical stuff, some nice restaurants, and some people who looked quite well off. I wish I had more time to explore. Round Top was about mile just under half way. BW's plan was to stop at miles 36, 46, and 56 to eat a Goo. The wind was a cross wind, and I was stronger than him, so I tended to get ahead. I waited at each of those places. Mile 36 and 46 were just beside the road. I ate a Kind bar at mile 36 and my PBJ at mile 46. I put on sunscreen and ate a clementine at mile 56. It was a good plan. I liked riding by myself so I could do my pace, stop to take pictures, and not have to worry about warning someone who is (not) drafting me, but it was nice to have a plan and someone to talk to at the breaks. The van was in camp when we arrived and the bags were unloaded. I set up my tent, took a shower, and started my electronics charging before appetizers were called. I also uploaded pictures for this journal, and did my stretches for the first time in several weeks. The cell service here was pretty good.
We had quinoa and a lentil dish for dinner. There was not really enough so I might be hungry tomorrow. Several riders rolled in quite late and had a hard day. One of them came in after dinner (we saved food for him) partly because he was lost finding the campsite. AH went out in the van and helped find him.
We are in Buescher state park tonight. I didn't get much of a chance to look around. We will ride through it on the way out tomorrow. Tomorrow we end in Austin and have rest day. The winds are lighter tomorrow and it is only a 49 mile ride. I am looking forward to a rest day and getting some camping and bike items. There are also a lot of things to do in Austin, but I am not sure it is wise to do them or not. After Austin we have a stretch of 9 days in a row and some of them are long and hilly. Hopefully my new attitude of living in the moment, taking. breaks, and enjoying the adventure will continue...
AH's last day as a co-leader is tomorrow. He leaves early Friday morning. It has been great having him. He is very experienced and patient. His attitude is very relaxed and is an example of how to approach difficult days. We will meet the new co-leader, JG, in Austin.
Today's ride: 66 miles (106 km)
Total: 1,298 miles (2,089 km)
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