Day 25 – July 11th

After fueling up on eggs and hash browns at the local diner (one of two places to eat in Winamac) we were once more on that tiny piece of real estate known as a seat and pumping the legs over virgin soil. The scenery was much the same, fields of corn and other cash crops dotting the lands to the east, but the frequency of habitation was much higher; we are getting into the more settled area of America. Ten miles into the ride, I started battling a monster that haunts a lot of endurance junkies; acid reflux. Prior to this ride, I had only encountered this vile beast on long runs or rides. Knowing this bit of knowledge, Christina started me on a regiment of Pepcid AC the day this crazy wheeled challenge began. However, this morning amidst packing and getting ready for to ride, I failed to take the little pink miracle pill, and boy was I paying for it. I wouldn’t describe it as acid reflux, for it could more aptly be described as acid gurgling. It was turning my easy ride into self contained misery. By mile 20 I could take no more, and stopped at the wheels of healing and frantically searched my bags for some relief. After greedily swallowing the Pepcid AC, I was once again ready to mount up and ride on. A half hour or so later the elven magic instilled in the pill activated, and the demon of reflux was banished back to the bowels of acid where it belongs.

Soon we were making great time as the mild weather pattern of the previous few days was holding, and we knew we could make up the miles quickly. Around 70 miles into the ride we had an involuntary navigation modification (Gary and I missed a turn). Instead of circumventing Fort Wayne, IN we were headed straight for that treasure trove of habitats. It turned out for the best, though, as Larry was able to get us through the city limits on back streets and old highways. Even better, it knocked about 11 miles off the preplanned route; not a bad deal, all things considered. And at this point in the game, knocking off miles is a god send. Keep it up Larry!

The last few miles of the trip, with legs still feeling unchallenged and fresh, I decided to knock the pace up a bit. Instead of strolling in the last 4 miles at 20 mph, I bumped it up to 25. Then 26, 27, 28, 29, and, what the heck, why not push for 30. With about a half mile to go my legs thought it’d be a good idea to slow down, regardless of what the moron in charge of the rest body had in mind. Actually, I felt really good and even when the ride came to a halt at about 108 miles the legs were still feeling great. It’s amazing how the last couple of centuries have felt almost effortless; almost. It probably has something to do with the lack of headwind and a table top flat geographical area that we’ve been spinning over. The ride came to a final stop for the day just south of Payne, Ohio. This means the lands of Indiana are a memory fading into the swirling fogs of the past, and Ohio is the next land to be conquered. I pray I am up to the challenge…