Jeeze it's late so I'm gonna hurry this up. I'm in the guest room of Dave and Theresa in Woodville, Michigan. Tonight I ate tons of free pizza and sang kaoroke ( can't spell that) at their church (Folsom Prison Blues). I also got a shower - my first since the UP - but not before my church fun so I bet I was smelly.
It all started in Interlochen.... where I woke up. This happens frequently. Actually, about once a day. Then I rode my bike (this also happens daily) about 20 miles before realizing that biking was really hard and that I was tired. My body is wearing out. I should be getting over a hump and be feeling like I could do this forever (I felt that in northern Wisconsin and the UP) but right now I just feel tired. So, I caffinated myself and kept going. 15 miles later in a town with a name that ends in "corrners" I was still feeling poopy so I stopped for lunch and decided it was time for a beer. It was a great call.
The main issue, besides my legs being tired, is my upper body is getting killed by the combination of shrinkage and the new 28c not-shock-absorbing tire. My shoulders, wrists, and arms ache. I've lost about 15 pounds so far this summer (down to 185) yet my legs are larger. I haven't lost too much body fat that I can notice - biking doesn't get your heart rate up much so you don't burn too much fat - but I have lost a lot of upper body muscle. I predicted this, but it's still annoying. Most serious bikers end up looking like someone stapled Raggedy-Andy's upper body to the legs of He-Man.
Side note: Lance Armstrong was a triathelete before getting cancer, and wasn't that great of a biker. During cancer he losts most of his muscle. After cancer he refocused only on biking so he re-grew his leg muscles but not his swimming upper-body. This saved consirable weight and made him a much better cyclist.
So yea, that's happening to me too. Thing is, those muscles really help with long bike rides. The rides themselves aren't enough to build them up or maintain them, however. This is why cross-training exists. Running helps cycling in similar ways, yet cycling does not build running muscles well. Cross-training does not work with a touring schedule, so I'm doomed. Even though I'm still doing a set of 50 pushups most mornings, I've lost about half of my upper-body muscles. I'm now "wirey" I guess.
Anyway, that's part of why I hurt I think. Also I bike too much. In the town that ends in "corners" I realized my intended stop of Luther (59 miles) would put me too far away from Grand Rapids (110 miles) to get there early in the afternoon like I'd like to. I decided to push on 90 miles that day to Woodville to help.
Then construction happened, detours happened, my route changed frequently, got shorter, and even involved gravel. It was sandy gravel though, much better than Wisconsin gravel. I did almost go down a couple times when it went from smooth to "OH GOT THAT'S DEEP SAND" but I'm experienced to enough to muscle my bike back upright when it's sliding sidewise and mostly tipped with a quick kick to the ground and a few swear words. (actually, right before falling I said "Uh Oh" and right after saving it I said "Now what did you learn?" Swearing would have been less pretentious) Mountain and snow biking reflexes for the win!
I got to Woodville, a very small town, about 6:04 pm with 6 hours on bike and 85 miles. There was no park, so I asked to stay behind the one store but they didn't have land. I was directed to a park a few miles away, but before I left I decided to check the church and see if I could camp there. My original plan was to camp anywhere since it's in a national park, but those aren't the same here as they are in Oregon. This national park is all privately owned farms. Huh? Anyway: Church:
WINNING! The church was having a homemade pizza party and karyoake. I got permission to camp there but then was invited to David and Theresa's farm where I got a shower, a bed, good conversation, and will get breakfast. Everything is coming up Milhouse!
"I gotta say, today was a good day!"
Tomorrow I hit Grand Rapids hopefully early to party with Josh and Amy! Also will try to buy a fatter front tire.
No comments:
Post a Comment