Life On A B-I7

Route

• Barnsville to Fergus Falls

Metrics

• Miles: 33 (+8 NIM)
• Average Speed: 8.67 mph
• Ride Time: 3 hours 44 minutes

Notes

• Strong headwind again today.
• Unusually narrow shoulder for 20 miles.

Thought #6

• When you are required to make a decision, are you doing so with the best of intentions to follow a higher will, or are you doing so only to benefit yourself.

The temperatures are soaring. This area is experiencing a heat wave. It is expected to last perhaps as long as another week. The best way to deal with a heat wave is to keep moving (unless of course you’re indoors). You have to do everything you can to prevent sunburn. That means long pants, long sleeves, and a hood over your neck and head underneath your bicycle helmet. This sounds like it would make things even hotter. The opposite is true. As long as the sun’s rays aren’t hitting you directly and you keep moving, you can create a small amount of cooling breeze.

Another day of headwind, this one fairly strong. What I find interesting about headwinds is the impact it has on performance. You have to drop down a gear and accept the fact that you’re going to go a little bit slower, otherwise you’ll wear yourself out. Looking on the bright side, I haven’t had a wind day where I needed to park the bike and give mother nature her due… I’m still waiting for the day I can tell Lieutenant Dan to hoist the Running Sail.

Occasionally, I will disturb some birds. For the sake of argument, I’m going to assume they were nesting somewhere nearby. Sometimes a couple of birds will follow me for a distance, circling overhead. I know they’re there for two reasons. I can see their shadow on the ground in front of me and I can hear them chirping. To me, it sounds like an angry chirp. A chirp that seems to blame me for having disturbed them. What is fun about this little game is they think they’re chasing me away, when actually I’m just enjoying the company.

I encountered 20 miles of narrow shoulder today. This is actually less disturbing than it may seem, as long as it’s not a busy road. Along with the bird game, I also play the shoulder game. The objective of this game is to keep the tires on the white line or slightly to the right of the white line. It can be a bit mesmerizing, but it certainly helps pass the time.

This shoulder isn’t even big enough to cry on.

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