day 13 - celina, oh to logansport, in - 100+ miles.

day 13 - celina, oh to logansport, in - 100+ miles

today was a long and hard one (twss). my alarm went off early at 5:30 and all i heard was rainfall on the camper. i snoozed for over an hour until it stopped and ended up leaving around 8am.

the first few hours were spent wandering and weaving through ohio and indiana farm country. there was sun on my back and a wind from the southwest so every time i went north i was cruising. though everytime i went west i was slowed significantly. then i had my first flat of the day. changed it right up and kept on rockin.

many people i talk to seem to think that flat-land riding is easy and i was one of them. well, after spending 100 miles in the saddle its clear to me that flat-land can be a bit challenging. you're basically stuck in one position without rest. yes, there is no strain from going uphill but there isn't any rest that comes with descents. i definitely feel it in the flats.

after roughly 55 miles my legs and body began to tire and food was in order. i was craving some high calorie Mcd's and it just so happen to be the first spot i found. i hadn't eaten mcds for years except for the occaisional breakfast. my meal was great, followed by a mcflurry. i'm starting to develop a bit of a sweet tooth just because i can.

a fellow saw me leaving and asked about my trip. bam, the word was spread more.

as i departed i could see thunderstorms in the distance. within minutes it poured and then it was over and then it poured again and as the sky dumped, my tire went flat again. i found some nearby shelter and watched the rain come down and down as i repaired the tire. i'm starting to get good at fixing flats. the rain stopped as i finished the fix. i rode to the nearest bike shop where i bought more tubes, co2, and a new tire. a hole had formed in my rear, hence the flats.

it was 5pm and i still had 50 miles to go. i ventured off into farm land again, trying to catch the wind. i zigged north and west for an hour or so when i looked around me. the sun was shining on me but i was surrounded by thundrestorms. i could easily see them coming from the south, unleashinf lightning and buckets of rain onto the land. i raced west as fast and as hard as i could. last thing i wanted was to get caught in one of those storms. its amazing, no matter how tired i am i can jam on it to outrun a dog or storm. i was caught in a bit of rain and just as i cleared the storm, my 3rd flat hit. i tossed out the old tire and put on the new one and cruised onward.

as i rode through the small town of peru, IN i encountered my first bit of negativity from a driver. a gold mini-van was passing me in the 25mph zone of main street and the driver shouted out "sidewalk!!" that was all fine. i guess he was having trouble getting around my bulky physique. it appeared that his kids were in the car with him. great lesson for them. then as the car was about 50 feet in front of me suddenly the passenger popped a middle finger out the window. now, i'm pissed, well, not really, just more surprised. i must admit though i threw up a middle-finger in return. my adrenaline was rushing and i was eager to see if that van would stop or something. it just kept driving. sorry i gave you the finger, passenger, but know your pop needs to catch up on the laws of the road. bikes and cars must co-exist on the nations roads.

the ride at dusk was beautiful. the thunderstorms cleared out and left huge lone nimbus clouds in the sky to dance with the sunset. vibrant pinks, oranges and blues filled the sky. all the rain had created a light fog and mist on the ground that gave the land a rather mystical look. twas dope.

i rolled into tall sycamore campground around 9:45 where monica, the owner,
was wrapping up her day. we got to talking, she hooked up an ice cream sandwich, and she told me her husband was a survivor of lymphoma years ago but her father in law wasn't so fortunate last summer. tears swelled in her eyes. i gave her a big hug and made my way to my cabin.

i don't think i ever slept so well.