It was rather uneventful, but that's not a bad thing on a ride. I did the whole thing by myself, which I didn't mind a bit. There were several big things I planned to ponder during my ride. I got some good pondering done during the first two or three hours when I felt fresh. After that, I don't really remember what I thought about specifically. I just let my mind wander and enjoyed the day.
One of the highlights was riding through the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge (PWR). It's one of the most beautiful places I know, and spending any time there - whether riding through on my bicycle, kayaking, or hiking - always makes my spirit soar.
Several miles after the PWR, there was a big rut in the road at an intersection. I took it slowly, but I heard a clank on the ground behind me. I looked back and saw that my CO2 cartridge had fallen out of the small supply bag attached under my saddle. The bag, which holds what I need to change a flat, has a zipper that has been splitting. (Time for a new bag.) My spare inner tube had come unfolded and was hanging out like a tail. I retrieved the CO2 cartridge, put it and the inner tube back in the bag, and zipped the bag securely. Unfortunately, my tire tool must have fallen out somewhere. I couldn't find it. It's not expensive to replace, but I was a little concerned about what I would do if I had a flat later in yesterday's ride. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
The control at Kroger in McDonough made an excellent lunch stop. I bought a pre-made turkey sandwich, banana, and a big bottle of Powerade. There was a bench outside the entrance, the perfect spot for my makeshift picnic.
When I left Kroger, I headed east on the route. Big thunderclouds loomed just to my north. I was glad that I would be turning south soon, hoping that I would be able to avoid the rain. I think I did miss the worst of it, but I rode through a fairly short segment with a heavy downpour. One time a big thunderclap boomed right on top of me! I ducked, started pedaling faster, and looked for a safe place to pull off of the road. I didn't see anywhere. By the time I started seeing some possibilities, I had ridden out of the rain.
I should have bought a bigger bottle of Powerade back at Kroger. I was about five miles from my next control, which was a convenience store, and I was almost out of liquid. I could have made it to the control without a problem, but I was grateful to pass right by a fire station in Butts County. It looked like people were around. When I called out, however, no one answered. Therefore, I helped myself to the spigot on the side of the building, filling both of my bottles with water. I don't think they would have minded. Thank you, Butts County Volunteer Fire Department!
I finished my ride in 8 hours, 39 minutes, including stops. Not bad, particularly riding the whole thing by myself. I celebrated and did a little post-ride refueling at Dairy Queen in Monticello. I got a pumpkin pie Blizzard, my all-time favorite flavor!
I felt good after my ride. In fact, at the end I thought, "I could keep going if I had to." Nevertheless, I kind of underestimate how much these long rides wear me out. Last night I slept 10 hours, and I took a 2-hour nap this afternoon. How grateful I am for that restorative sleep!
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