Daily Miles: 50
Total Miles: 1520.3
Other stats: My bike computer broke. It was a cheap piece of garbage made in China so I’m not too surprised. I’m going to buy another one tommorrow.
It got pretty cold last night and I woke up a little chilly. It’s hard to get going in the morning when it’s cold as you don’t want to get out of your tent and sleeping bag. You sit there for a few minutes just staring at the ceiling of the tent, thinking about getting up and telling yourself “not yet, just a few more minutes.”
I eventually got rolling and was out pedaling by 7:30. I was on road 1C which is a scenic connector road between two state parks. It was advertised as hilly and for only “experienced cyclists.” The warning was not false and the road dipped and turned a thousand ways ’til Sunday. By the time I made it through the 11 miles to the other park I was thouroughly exhausted.
I continued on even though I wanted to sit on the bench for an eternity. Austin was only less than 40 miles away and I just wanted to get there. The headwind today prevented me from getting there easily. It was dead on me almost the entire ride. It bellowed and heaved and pushed against me, thwarting my progress pretty much all the time. It was frustrating to say the least but I pedaled on because that’s what needed to be done.
And then my bike computer went on the fritz. It started jumping around sporadically. At one moment I would be going 3 mph and then all of a sudden I would be going 37. I stopped and tried resetting it and reajusting the magnet. Nothing worked. I got a little upset and banged down on the stupid computer. Wind. Failed electronics. Hills. Chaffe forming on my left inner thigh. All forces were against me today, mocking me in my utter stupidity as I attempt to foolishly pedal my way across the United States.
“Well, look at the bright side,” I said aloud. “At least you won’t know how slow you are actually going.”
I stopped at a convenience store and snagged a 99c Arizona Ice Tea. I sat down on a bench and just stared at the traffic roaring by. The smell of fried chicken permeated the outside air and mingled with the smell of gasoline from the fuel pumps. The sun beat down on the black pavement creating ripples in the air just above the ground. People came and went out of the tiny store. Some bought chicken while others bought cigarettes and lottery tickets.
I eventually got up and started out again. After another hour of cycling I finally saw the city skyline. I’m close. I cycled through a smaller city on the outskirts of Austin and eventually crossed a bridge over the Colorado River. I pedaled down 5th street with huge skyscrapers barring down on me.
I contacted my friend Rusty’s friend Kyle who lives in Austin who said I could stay at his place for a few nights. I met Rusty on the PCT last year. Kyle said to meet him downtown where he worked and he would give me a key to his apartment.
I met Kyle on Congress Street and we chatted for a little while. He’s my age and a software engineer. Nice guy. We parted ways and I continued cycling through the city on a dirt jogging and bike path that he said would take me to his apartment. It was really pretty and followed the river with views of the city above it.
I eventually crossed the Colorado River again and was told by Google to cycle on the gravel path, more like a hiking trail. Okay, I thought. It soon turned into a mess and I was unable to ride on it. Big rocks and boulders peppered the entirety of what was a sure hiking trail and I had to dismount my bike and go by foot. I walked a mile in this weird canyon with a green creek running through it, pushing my bike all the while over huge rocks and boulders. People looked at me like some crazy guy. I still had on my yellow safety vest and helmet. I surely needed those things in the forest to protect myself in the event of falling boulders or to be easily identified by a search and rescue team if I became lost. It was exhausting work maneuvering my bike but eventually I made it over to the other side and to Kyle’s apartment complex.
It was a long day today. I think I’m going to take the day off tommorrow. I need a rest day and a day to clean my bike and buy a new bike computer. I’m surprised I’m so physically trashed. I haven’t felt this humbled in an athletic capacity in a long time.
I looked at the elevation profile and the hills I’ve been riding are nothing compared to what’s ahead. Awsome.
