Never as Good as the First Time

I took this picture on Tuesday. I pulled of the side of the busy, four-lane, stripmall-laden road, and just laid down in the shade.



I haven't been writing too much about each day, about the riding itself. I'm making decent progress. I've had good weather. But...

Some factors have come together here that make the beginning of this journey much less enjoyable than the beginning of the last.

1. Hills
I do hills. I like hills. I train in hills. But the hills in Maine just annoyed me. It's physically draining to strain my legs at low cadences while trying not to tense my shoulders and back. It's mentally draining to envision a trip thousands of miles long when you're traveling at less than walking speed. When the peaks aren't flat, it's only a short break until the next climb. And if the top does flatten out, it's an additional struggle to get back up to a decent cruising speed.

2. Wind
I hate the wind. Many of you have heard me explain it this way already: Imagine you have to paddle a canoe from point A to point B, and until you drop your boat in the water you have no idea which way the current is flowing. Two very different trips. I've had a headwind for 80% of this trip, with short periods of no wind, and no tailwind to speak of. Simply exhausting.

3. Traffic
The roads have been decent, and so have the drivers. I haven't had a single close call, and I feel very safe. But this type of environment demands constant attention. Turning lanes, sewer grates, red lights, roundabouts, stop signs. It's nearly impossible to get into a rhythm needed for long-distance travel.

I expect more of the same. It's hard to look forward. I don't know if it's really worth it.

Will I stop? Yeah. In Key West.

Location:Winthrop Ave,Lawrence,United States