Hot Hot Hot

Today I have fully come to grips with the need for a regular and heavy eating routine. I won’t go into details about how much I did (or didn’t) eat today because some people might take the opportunity to berate me for such things. And I’m certainly not going to complain about having to eat and drink more because I think that would likely be the epitome of first world problems.

The other thing I came to grips with today was that I really need to adjust my schedule because hitting the road at 11:00am as the sun is scorching down is not very smart. Just to be clear, I’m not complaining about the heat (it’s SO much better than the cold), however, I respectfully bow to the greatness of the heat. Earlier starts, midday breaks, and later arrivals will likely be the new agenda.

So, today’s ride. The somewhat remote location of the KOA campsite actually worked out pretty well as it was right next to the K&P Rail Trail – which meant avoiding the big hills I had to climb getting to the site in the first place. That trail eventually turned into the Catarqui Trail which would take me all 72kms to Smith Falls.

The Cataraqui Trail

The trail, while not paved was pretty good and had the added benefit of occasional tree coverage to offer some reprieve from the sun. The trees were not enough though and by 1:00pm I was worn out – again, so when a shaded area came along I took the opportunity to relax. I have to say, it was pretty nice.

He’s just resting.

After my little siesta, I continued along the trail for another 17km. Unfortunately, the trail got bumpier the further I went and I finally bailed on it after 47km at Chaffey’s Lock. The only food option here was a local general store so you can probably imagine the prices. Well, I’ll save you the guessing – a loaf of bread, small jar of peanut butter, and small ice cream cone was a little over $11. The ice cream cone may have been the best ever!

Coincidentally, about 20 minutes after leaving Chaffey’s Lock I pulled into a gas station for some Gatorade (Hmmmm … they should sponsor me too) only to discover the same cyclist (YanLin) I’d met up with the previous two days. He was also hiding from the sun. With only 25km to go to Smith Falls it was time to hit the road again and fortunately it was mostly downhill.

Camping along the canal.

The campground is right next to the canal so it’s very picturesque (I probably should’ve taken more pictures!). At the moment the wind is starting to pick up so hopefully that will get rid of some of the mosquitos that are swarming my tent waiting for me to make a run for it. For the time being though they seem to be immune to the wind. It’s also looking like rain is going to bombard the area tonight – and Ottawa tomorrow. It’s also making me reconsider setting my tent up at the bottom of the hill – what can I say, it made for a better picture!

Okay, time to post this before my battery dies.

Today’s Totals:

Distance Travelled: 94.76km
Time on bike (actually moving): 4:20:38
Maximum speed: 43.10 km/h
Average speed: 21.78 km/h

My average speed when I bailed on the Cataraqui Trail was only 18.79 km/h so switching back to the road was a LOT faster.

Now I’m off to kill the one mosquito that’s managed to infiltrate my tent. This could get ugly.