Day #2

Hello Blog! This is my first post mid-tour. It’s day #2. I’m writing this behind a church in New Castle, Maine. We just finished a ~60 mile ride; when we pulled in, we were happily surprised that the local church provided us with hot showers, a plethora of carb-loaded lasagna, and a cozy indoor floor for us to sleep upon. Unfortunately, they didn’t have vegan lasagna, but the shower was excellent and I’m really looking forward to waking up indoors. Last night we slept on a campground next to a beach. We woke up to cold weather with a heavy mist that left our tents sopping wet. I love camping, but nothing dulls out the start of a day’s ride than rolling up a dirty, wet tent in the misty cold.

Today’s ride was decent. After the first night’s ride, my back was sore and aching, but tonight it’s doing better. Last year I experienced the same towards the beginning of my tour. The fantastic thing about biking is that it’s so low-impacting on the body. In my case, it’s only a matter of building up the muscles in my back; eventually the pain will dissolve as I get stronger. At 120 miles into my 4,295 mile tour, I can already notice improvements in my legs and back.

Unlike my tour last year (where GA & SC were flat for some time), this year we hit rolling hills on the first day. The mountains are only a few days away, but without the weight I carried last year (I’m now ~40lb instead of ~90lb), I’m feeling confident going forward.

This church in New Castle is right on the water, and the view is absolutely gorgeous overlooking the bay. Be sure to check back every few days as I’ll be posting my photos with every state line I cross.