Spring City, TN to Gatlinburg, TN
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Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
DAY 8 Summary
today was a couple of things....
DAY 8 of 15, so I've turned the corner in days and miles (I hope)....
crossed over to the Eastern Time Zone, so lost an hour....tried to get an early start to make up for it....
that went to crap as today was the first day I got lost....so lost an hour and added extra miles too....
first real climbs today....the biggest was the Cumberland Plateau, 5 miles with some sections @ 11% grade....
hit 48 mph on a decent today....I am not comfortable with that....
the most calories consumed by far of any day....I have no idea how many but trust me, it was a lot....
the views in every direction today was awesome....I remember this from some bus rides to Knoxville with Austin Slam baseball teams when I was coaching....cool and lots of cloud cover....I found my climbing legs today....and the patience to sit in with the 39t-23t and relax....then bomb down hill as the reward....
time for a health assessment....
mentally I'm still in the game....still positive and enthusiastic....but I'm tired....struggle with simple math when I try calculate miles along the way....I am forgetful, not remembering if I repack things....it even takes a few minutes to remember where I started the day when someone asks me....
physically while still have been recovering well day to day, I am slowing breaking down....the sunburn has pealed and the skin is pink now.....pretty sure that'll be scarred....my neck hurts time to time from the sewer grate crash....I have a nerve pinch on my right inner shoulder blade....for both I use Solonpas patches at night....my legs are heavy with fatigue, especially the quads....at the beginning of the day the first 10-15 miles are needed to spin some life back in....same after a sit down stop....the worst is the saddle sore....its about the size of a quarter (I have a picture)....Sandy and I have been chasing solutions since Day 3....actually that day I bought some Neosporin for pain and it proved to be the best thing so far....new saddle helped but nothing really eliminates the pain....nothing....we called the family Dr and there is nothing that can be prescribed....I got a new topical pain killer today to try....also have been wearing 2 pairs of bib shorts and that has helped a bit too....that's it....nothing unexpected or at this time can't be dealt with....
DAY 8 miles 126 Total miles 1113
DAY 8 of 15, so I've turned the corner in days and miles (I hope)....
crossed over to the Eastern Time Zone, so lost an hour....tried to get an early start to make up for it....
that went to crap as today was the first day I got lost....so lost an hour and added extra miles too....
first real climbs today....the biggest was the Cumberland Plateau, 5 miles with some sections @ 11% grade....
hit 48 mph on a decent today....I am not comfortable with that....
the most calories consumed by far of any day....I have no idea how many but trust me, it was a lot....
the views in every direction today was awesome....I remember this from some bus rides to Knoxville with Austin Slam baseball teams when I was coaching....cool and lots of cloud cover....I found my climbing legs today....and the patience to sit in with the 39t-23t and relax....then bomb down hill as the reward....
time for a health assessment....
mentally I'm still in the game....still positive and enthusiastic....but I'm tired....struggle with simple math when I try calculate miles along the way....I am forgetful, not remembering if I repack things....it even takes a few minutes to remember where I started the day when someone asks me....
physically while still have been recovering well day to day, I am slowing breaking down....the sunburn has pealed and the skin is pink now.....pretty sure that'll be scarred....my neck hurts time to time from the sewer grate crash....I have a nerve pinch on my right inner shoulder blade....for both I use Solonpas patches at night....my legs are heavy with fatigue, especially the quads....at the beginning of the day the first 10-15 miles are needed to spin some life back in....same after a sit down stop....the worst is the saddle sore....its about the size of a quarter (I have a picture)....Sandy and I have been chasing solutions since Day 3....actually that day I bought some Neosporin for pain and it proved to be the best thing so far....new saddle helped but nothing really eliminates the pain....nothing....we called the family Dr and there is nothing that can be prescribed....I got a new topical pain killer today to try....also have been wearing 2 pairs of bib shorts and that has helped a bit too....that's it....nothing unexpected or at this time can't be dealt with....
DAY 8 miles 126 Total miles 1113
DAY 8 Wed October 2nd
Murfreesboro, TN to Spring City, TN
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Tuesday, October 1, 2013
DAY 7 Summary
last miles of the Natchez Trace today....mile post 370 to 444...sunshine and cool temps until mid morning and needed arm, knee warmers and a jacket....just about perfect road surface and the biggest climbs of the trip....saw many groups of wild turkeys and also deer....again way beyond my expectations and am grateful for the experience of riding it end to end....today all the restrooms were locked down and there was no access to water unless you went off....
then rudely back to reality....crappy surface roads with little or no shoulder along with traffic....
Tennessee is beautiful though....rolling hills and trees.....
DAY 7 miles 125. Total miles 987
then rudely back to reality....crappy surface roads with little or no shoulder along with traffic....
Tennessee is beautiful though....rolling hills and trees.....
DAY 7 miles 125. Total miles 987
DAY 7 Tue October 1st
Waynesboro, TN to Murfreesboro, TN
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Monday, September 30, 2013
DAY 6 Summary
let's start with the good stuff....this was a 3 state day....good bye Mississippi....I was called honey, darling and sugar more times then one can imagine.....people friendly and polite....hello and goodbye to Alabama....a short but beautiful part of the Trace including the Tennessee River....hello Tennessee....already got a dose of the foothills of the Appalachian mountains.....more to come no doubt.....
rained very hard the first 60 miles.....not too bad the next 50....then mostly clouds with brief sunshine....pretty windy but it didn't hurt or help....just pushed me around a bit....coolest temp so far....
it seems every ride has a day that is an unexpected brute....this day was that....I miss calculated the miles....went Trace mile post 230 to mile post 370 for a 140 mile day....forgot to add 4 miles from the motel in Houston MS, the 10 miles to the motel in Waynesboro TN and 6 more going off the Trace for food and water....combine with rain and steeper longer rollers and there you go.....I had to dig deep today....
DAY 6 miles 160. Total miles 862
DAY 6 morning
happy birthday to my son Mike....love ya
I'm gonna get wet today....the forecast calls for pain and rain....
and to dave, my amigo in so cal...."no burn'in daylight " is right....looking forward to when we suffer side by side again....
I'm gonna get wet today....the forecast calls for pain and rain....
and to dave, my amigo in so cal...."no burn'in daylight " is right....looking forward to when we suffer side by side again....
DAY 6 Mon September 30th
Houston, MS to Waynesboro, TN
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Sunday, September 29, 2013
DAY 5 Summary
with a relatively long day ahead and a forecast of rain I was out the door at 5:30am....breakfast at waffle house on the way out of Ridgeland....by the time I got on the Trace daylight was beginning....
my timing was good to catch the sunrise at Ross Burnet....it was the only view of the sun for the day....but it never really rained either, just kept spitting on me all day....and temps never made past the mid 70's....good thing I had my sunscreen...
I just plowed through the day....stopped for water twice and then after 105 miles finally for a sit down Subway....the cooler temps felt good after 4 days of getting charred....
the Trace road surface turned into a washboard for around 30 miles....right in the area of the tornado damage....so it's not perfect....very close though....so little traffic....there is a 3ft passing rule for cars too....230 miles down of 444....
DAY 5 miles 137 Total miles 702
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