Well, That Was Easy-Ish

For the first time in 641 days I was back on the road, riding my fully loaded bike. The plan for the day was to pedal to London (yes, Ontario). A mere 98 km ride. Well, it’s a “mere” distance when one has been on the road for a while. There may have been some uncertainty as to how “mere” today’s ride would actually be.

As someone who typically (i.e., never) trains for these journeys, I wasn’t really sure how prepared I was. I mean, I knew I wasn’t completely out of shape. But, as has been well documented, it had been a while since I’d done any riding of such a heavy bike. Side note: In an attempt to reduce the weight of the bike I opted not to take any water with me – it’s more than a little heavy and it’s not like I ever drink it anyway! (Yes, I’m kidding … although, only partially re: that last part.)

I was a bit surprised how quickly I settled back into the mindset of being on tour. I think it took all of three blocks before I started singing (yes, in my head) Willie Nelson’s “On The Road Again” – it was a version that lasted about 45 minutes. From there I segued into “Holiday Road” from the Vacation movies. Yes, these are some of the things that go through my mind while on the road. Of course, the theme from The Littlest Hobo made an appearance (or two) as well. Seriously, how could it not?

The pleasant surprise of the day was weather related. Not only was it a nice, sunny day but the wind was not a major factor. In fact, there was even a bit of a tailwind at times. As a result, the first 26 km went by incredibly quickly – perhaps the adrenaline and excitement of being back on the road contributed to that. For the record, the 26 km mark wasn’t anything significant – it just happened to be the first time I looked at the odometer. Either way, it only took an hour and six minutes to cover that distance. I was more than a little pleased with that.

Despite my best intentions, my habits re: eating and drinking were not at optimal levels today. Old habits die hard (despite 641 days off). It was about 45 km into the ride when it occurred to me that maybe I should eat something. Unfortunately, there wasn’t really a good place to stop and so I pedalled on. Yes, I know I shouldn’t have but, well … it’s me. At the 55 km mark I started to feel that I was fading a bit (duh!) but there still wasn’t an decent place to stop. This time, however, I opted to at least eat half a banana. I’m not sure if it was some sort of magical banana but the energy it provided was almost instantaneous. It was pretty remarkable! Yes, I’m aware that I shouldn’t be amazed that food provides energy. But seriously, I was significantly revitalized.

At the 60 km mark I found myself approaching the Embro Conservation Area – a small park setting with shade, grass, and picnic tables. I decided this would be as good as it gets for a lunch stop. My knack for the obvious can be very strong. So, stop I did. See, I’m learning! As I pedalled my way deeper into the site, through the tall grass, past some picnic tables, towards a small pond and some more picnic tables, it seemed clear I had made the right choice. “Seemed” being the operative word. As I leaned my bike up against one of the picnic tables I quickly saw the error of my ways. So much for my knack for the obvious. Clearly time was of the essence.

I’m not sure what the Embro Conservation Area officially conserves but, as far as I can tell, it’s mosquitos. BIG mosquitos. I won’t say they were the size of small birds (because who would believe that?) but they were the size of, well … really big mosquitos (ok, probably not the best description but you get the point). Fast-forward 90 dramatic seconds later and I was back on the road, down about a pint of blood but still alive. There were even a few persistent mosquitos still clinging to my arms and legs but I dealt with them soon enough. I almost had to admire their viciousness. Almost.

On the upside, that was by far the worst part of the day. And shortly thereafter I found a safe place for lunch. And shortly after lunch I was back on the road with only 30 km left to go. That 30 km was made even easier when I learned that there was a Wendy’s very near to my day’s destination – never underestimate the motivating influence of a Wendy’s Frosty.

As for my accommodation, my destination would have me staying with my niece, Janet. Thanks, Janet! We went out for a nice dinner and then a quick grocery stop before returning to the house to stare at our respective screens and get some work done.

As ends of days go, this day ended well. Actually, as days go … the whole day went very well (mosquitos notwithstanding). The fact that I made such good time was a bonus.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Today’s totals:
Distance: 98.47 km
Ride time: 4:14:01
Average speed: 23.26 km/h
Maximum speed: 46.44 km/h