If there's ever such a thing as an easy century ride, this was it. Virtually no climbing to speak of (except a few overpasses from I-95 and I-40), a low, but steady tailwind and milder temperatures. All in all, it made for a good day, especially as I was up half the night coughing my lungs out. Whatever this virus is, it's not going away without a fight. Tonight, I'm going with NyQuil again in hopes of a better night's sleep. Load isn't until 8:00 tomorrow, so I might actually be able to sleep in.
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| For the first time since we started, we enjoyed a tailwind. A light one to start with, by noontime, it was a strong breeze heading, fortunately for us, in the right direction. |
Today was all about four things, as pointed out by the collective of riders: Horses, humidity, dogs and Baptists. We passed dozens of horse farms along this morning's route (and another tip of the hat to the North Carolina roads -- for the most part, they were in excellent condition).
For the second day in a row, the humidity index was near 100% when we left our hotel. Within five miles, our bike jerseys looked as if they were sprayed on our bodies. Either that or we had all entered a wet t-shirt contest. Every time we stopped for a traffic light or stop sign, our glasses fogged up from the humidity.
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| Bike portaging. For the second time this trip, we were able to ride through a road construction detour. And for the second time, we had to carry our bikes across an unfinished bridge. This one was a bit hairier than the first as we walked across an improvised wooden footbridge meant for the construction workers, not for carrying bikes. Still, it cut off a 10-mile detour. |
We used our dog whistles twice this morning. In the first incident, two dogs came running up from their yard and were stopped in their tracks by the whistles before they reached the street. The second case was far more serious. When the dogs are barking to begin with, they usually tend to be playful and want to get in the fun of running alongside the bikes. Dangerous as that can be if they cross our paths, those dogs are usually harmless. But, if a dog comes running towards us without barking, especially in this morning's incident when the dog ran through a thicket directly onto the street, it means business. And not in a good way. Again, the whistles slowed, then stopped this larger dog right then and there.
We passed by numerous small community churches along today's ride through the countryside. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday or maybe it was just that we paid closer attention, but many riders were amazed by the various Baptist churches along the route. Missionary. Free Will. Southern Baptist. You name it. All shapes and sizes of churches from one-room affairs to huge buildings with overflowing parking lots. This is a very God-fearing part of North Carolina and the country.
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| When I saw this, I stopped to appreciate the optical illusion. Not sure I was able to properly capture it on my smartphone, but the deconstructed railway bridge in the foreground looks as if it's been extended by the newer bridge in the background. |
Today's ride was also a bit of a race against time. While it was foggy this morning, the sun broke through and the skies cleared by 11:00 am. However, rain was predicted by 4:00 pm so it was important to stay dry and make the distance before the showers came. Proudly, everyone made it in on time and stayed dry.
Tomorrow's another moderately easy day before our final leg into Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
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