"Journeys, like artists, are born and not made. A thousand differing circumstances contribute to them, few of them willed or determined by the will --whatever we may think."
Lawrence Durrell

Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Final K

I will be camping along the Virginia/West Virginia border tomorrow night if all goes well.  Yesterday I crossed over skyline drive and made it to Shenandoah Valley.  The ride wasn't too bad though I rode a little harder than I probably should have.  The climb over skyline drive was about five miles long, though not too challenging at this point in my ride.  The more challenging one was the four mile climb on the other side of the drive that I wasn't expecting.  The ride today was a bit harder and more taxing on me.  I had a hard time riding and that coupled with the 10-15 mph headwind, I got drained early.  Hopefully I can recuperate tonight and be able to make all the climbs across West Virginia.  

I am excited to be so close to the finish but am having a hard time making sure I don't push myself too hard and exhaust all the energy I need to be able to finish strong.  Today I had to remind myself to slow down and not get stressed that I couldn't make it further than I did.  I am still on schedule to finish before labor day, even with today's shorter ride.  

While in the DC area I received a handlebar bag I had ordered.  I was able to switch that out and rotate my tires, making my bike ready for the final stretch.  My pedals are on the way out and while in Delaware I had one repacked, though the bushing is pretty worn still.  I'm hoping they will last till the end of the trip.  Everything else seems to be holding out and working good, for the most part.  

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What pedals and shoes are you riding with?

denbec said...

Your almost there Josh - woo-hoo! May you continue to have safe riding. I had to keep reminding myself on my tour that it wasn't a race and I'd still get up that hill if I just slowed down a bit. It really is a mind game sometimes.

Anonymous said...

Keep it up fella. Very impressed!

Josh Cunningham said...

riding with shimano spd's with clipless on one side and flats on the other. Holding up pretty well considering they have 15,000 miles on them!