Day 13
Council VA, 38 miles
I appreciate Pastor John opening his Church to me last night. It is a tremendous service, even if it is to only one person…
This morning the ride has been stunningly beautiful. The greenness of the woods in this part of Western Virginia is breath taking. I can understand why people hike the AT. Experiencing that every day for days on end would be marvelous.
I’ve discovered I should be wearing goggles instead of simple sun glasses. I’m not acclimated to this part of the country and the Spring pollens are bedeviling my eyes and nose. The following should also go without saying, but I need to own it. I’m not a big glove guy when I’m cycling, but when you are cycling for ten hours a day your hands are exposed to a lot of sun if you are not wearing gloves — too much sun. I had to stop today and buy a cheap pair of cotton work gloves and cut the fingers off otherwise my hands would have been burned beyond recognition. So that brings us to the following.
Long Distance Cycling Rule #3:
“Wear goggles and gloves.”
I am realizing it’s not about how many days it takes. What it’s really about is what you take away from it…
…This journey is partially a challenge and partially a reflection. In order for the reflection to be valuable, I need to tell my story every day. If I don’t tell my story I will lose it. I believe this is true for everyone, not just me in particular. So my goal is to take time each day to jot down something and keep it somewhere (here for starters) where I can access it. Taking the time to do that will help me to better see who I am. It will help me to keep perspective, and at times even help me to stay sane. Not only will this help me to see who I am, but it will help me on my journey to what I want to become.
Somewhere out there is our destination.