Into the Mystic: A Venture From East to West: The Game-Changer

(Warning: the first two paragraphs are mainly about my ass)

Holy shit. I rode the first ten miles today and realized my keister didn't hurt. I went twenty more miles, what the hell? No trouble with my buns. Fifteen miles more. My glutes kind of like me today. I hadn't taken Advil and my cheeks weren't numb, I felt grand!

The magic occurred just as I was getting onto my bike to leave Lucy's grocery store. Lucy asked why I was thinking about going to the bike store off route about 13 miles and I remembered, "Oh yeah, my seat hates me". Then, in a last ditch effort, I finally took the advice I'd heard and read about regarding making a seat adjustment. I took my small allen wrench, adjusted the seat back 1/2 an inch, and Voila! The agony and torment of 3 weeks worth of chaffing was gone with the ever so slight alteration of position. Holy shit. This might be the highlight of the entire trip.

So, I finally saw a sunrise this morning with one eye open. It was pretty but not particularly photogenic and I was still dead tired. I eventually got out of bed at 730. I was proud of myself... but then again, one can only sleep 15 yards away from gas pumps before the roaring of diesel engines eventually brings you back into consciousness.

I left Lucy's grocery store at 915. When I passed into the next county a few miles up, it was 845. I had entered a new timezone. Despite warnings of extreme humidity and sweltering heat, the first leg of the journey was quite enjoyable.

I passed the three Englishman and Finnish woman while biking through Rough River Dam State Resort. I decided to stop and go swimming for a little bit. I also thought I'd showcase my new swimsuit I had purchased in Virginia but didn't really have the balls to publicly wear. It was a $3 youth/children's suit that was nearly impossible to shimmy into but I managed. Baring skin that hadn't seen the light of day in years, I stepped fearlessly (not really) into the Kentucky sand (dirt). Nobody bothered me so I marked it a success. Of course, when I left the beach, temperatures had actually reached their peak at 95 degrees.

I biked into Fordsville where I planned on staying under a picnic shelter for the storm tonight. Only problem was, I wasn't allowed. So, the next area was Utica, 30-40 more miles away. With my new buns ready for sitting and pedaling, I welcomed the challenge.

The humidity and heat today was, as the Utica Fire Chief Jeff put it, "The hottest day so far this summer." I biked shirtless for the entire day. The sweat gushing from every pore on my body only seemed to magnify the UV rays upon my back and chest. My head would get a bit dizzy at times to remind me to hydrate. All in all, ironically, today wasn't bad.

About 10 miles out of Utica, I stopped at a convenient store where I got an ice cream. I ate it on the front porch and took a breather. Minutes later, the shop owner came out and handed me a gatorade stating, "You looked rather hot in there." I was more than thankful. That gatorade was clutch on those final 10 miles to the Utica Fire Station.

Upon arriving, I looked into the window to see one of the Englishman from the night before totally nude. Nice. I then backtracked, waited 20 seconds, and attempted to enter again. Better. There's Martin, Christopher, Kieloh, and Sally. Martin is a rather small man, slightly timid but exceptionally kind. The poor guy has sunburn marks on the top of his balding head from the openings in his bike helmet. I also helped him with his cellphone this morning. There's Christopher, who always seems to be walking around half clothed but has been very kind and charitable toward me. Both Martin and Christopher are from Bristol. Kieloh is from the capital of Finland but has been living in Chicago for awhile. Her English makes me laugh sometimes. Sally is a fireball. She's the leader and decision-maker of the group. She's small in stature but she more than makes up for it with her rather boisterous attitude. At first, I was slightly intimidated by her but she's really warmed up to me and I to her.

It's funny, my first impression of the lot was that they were a rather rude bunch but I've since revoked that opinion. They cooked dinner, invited me to eat, and we had a large feast while I probably babbled a tad too much about American culture. But, they were more than respectable listeners. We had an interesting dinner conversation about American food (it's horrid, I know), alcohol, drugs, gun laws, history, and a bit about life in Britain.

Currently, I just had a shower and am washing all my clothes. This firehouse is an absolute wonder, well worth traversing 73 miles. This also marks my longest day that I'm aware of. I never count the milage I get in a day but Sally and Kieloh have everything down to a science - or er, math? Well, we're having a lovely evening here and I'm sporting my weird bathing trunks with my other clothes in the dryer. Apparently, these are cool in England or they're just okay to wear with Christopher around.

Lucy making breakfast for all of us while Martin looks on.

I took this picture when I entered the new time zone. Apparently I took too long as the dog watching me a football field's length away began chasing me.