Entry 8 - The Cycling Gods Smile On Us

Good evening from Belmont, Mississippi, where we have arrived after 71 miles of riding.  I was on the bike for all 71, and after last night's Debbie Downer-ish entry I was hoping for a good day.  We got one.  The first 35 miles, especially, were a little gift from the Cycling Gods.  There were gradual, easy climbs that turned into great downhill rides.  Several times before lunch, we were whizzing down a hill at 30+ mph, shaded by trees, alone on the road.  That's what I imagined so many times when I was anticipating the trip.

After lunch, we faced some tough hills - the last one was at 9% grade, which had me hoping in vain for lower gears - but they were nicely in context after the joy of the morning.  Just before the day ended, we hit mile 300.  That was worth a short photo op, which we kept truly short because the afternoon temperature was approaching 90 degrees and we were ready to be done:

Three miles after that landmark, we were off the bikes for the day.  I made it to the End-of-the-Day First Bump and my body feels better than it did earlier this week.  That's the best I could hope for.

At the hotel tonight, all of the other guests are fellow cyclists.  There is a couple from California who are doing the whole Trace on a tandem bike (they are headed south so we won't see them after tonight) and a foursome from Chicago who we have briefly encountered several times throughout the week.  We all sat on the front porch of the hotel before dinner, drinking beers and swapping stories.  That has been a fun feature of the trip: the camaraderie and common experience among cyclists who are on this goofy adventure.

We have 80+ miles tomorrow morning (I have only the first half, which is fine with me), and so we are hoping to be on the road by 8.  So that's enough for tonight's entry.  See you tomorrow.