Day 23 - West Hawk (mo' action) Lake

As we got going this morning, it occurred to me that I am still enjoying riding my bike. You'd think I'd be tired of it by now, but I look forward to hitting the road every day. It was a beautiful day for a ride, sunny but cool. There was a mild headwind, just enough to make us feel like we were working.

The highlight of the day for me was this bakery in Whitemouth (i.e. the middle of nowhere).

I had a tasty burrito and sticky bun. It was like walking into someone's house that happened to have tables set up in the rooms and a gigantic kitchen sticking off the back. In keeping with the religious theme of this area, there were bible quotes and stuff like that scattered throughout the house. On the wall next to our table was the Lord's Prayer and on top of the toilet a card inscribed with "God is Merciful".

With our appetites and souls replenished, we continued and soon reached the end of the prairies. Unlike the start of the prairies which were gradually revealed by flattening foothills, this transition was immediate. One minute we were riding through fields, the next we were riding through rocks and trees...

Today I tried an experiment, using a easier gear than usual and spinning the pedals a lot faster. This requires less pressure on the pedals and, I hoped, less pressure on my knees. The experiment was successful in preventing knee troubles but there were two side effects. First, the extra pedaling did a number on my butt - towards the end I was starting to grimace. The other was fatigue. With about 30 km to go I felt like I had nothing left in the tank. The love for cycling that I had felt earlier had evaporated and I just wanted to lie down.

And now I am lying down, hopeful that my butt will recover and pretty sure that tomorrow morning I'll be chomping at the bit to get going again.

Today's track

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