6th Day on the Road: Staying Put in Ionia, MI

Hi, All,

Well, today I'm taking a break from my riding. My friend, Steve, had told me before my trip that, "even in the Tour de France, they take scheduled breaks." So, after 5 days of riding and about 320 miles or so, I will stay today in Ionia, Michigan. This will allow me to catch up, doing things like getting my clothes washed (thanks, Rob, at AmeriHost!), going to the local bike shop to see if they might run a quick check on my bike, and just rest up.

At the Bike shop, Gary made some adjustments on my shifting and installed a double kick stand. The latter should help better balance my bike when heavily loaded. As Doug had pointed out to me (facetiously) earlier this morning when I mentioned going to the bike shop, "Always Mr. Prevention!" [this is kind of a running joke for those who know me; while prevention in mental health is a focal area of mine, sometimes/often I may not exercise so much of it on a daily basis!). Following the bike shop, I went to the local library, a beautiful structure made of variegated Ionia Sandstone around the end of the Civil War. Here, I was still looking for an alternative, less trafficked route up north, perhaps avoiding some of SR 66.

Doug left this morning and we had a great time last night over dinner. Reminding ourselves of old times and talking about the present. Doug takes his last self-administered Interferon shot today after one year of it! Congratulations, Doug. He drove all the way from Bloomington, Illinois to here just to cheer me on. What a friend.

I also am staying here today at this nice motel because Lynn (and Lucy, our dog) and then Chuck (brother-in-law) and Mary (sister) are all arriving later today. This motel is a nice one and will be a good place for us all to gather. It looks like slim pickings for the next 100 miles or so north.

A final reason for staying today remains the weather. After today, it looks like a couple of nice days for a change, when Chuck will be riding with me! Mary will be our "support person," sort of like Pete, before. Lynn will move on to Fenton and pick up our boat and scoot up through the Border to the cottage. Wanna bet she beats me?

So, the plan is to resume the trek in the morning, aiming for around Barryton. I am about 2 days ahead of schedule right now, but all that can change in a hurry in so many ways. Life seems pretty fragile alone on a bike going upcountry, but--as long as all goes relatively well--that is part of the charm of it all.

Final note, about PMR--I notice this morning, probably because I am not riding/exercising, my legs bother me a whole lot more than they have. Guess the trick may be to get going as soon as possible to keep moving. Hey! What a retirement mantra!

Oh, and finally, now really--I saw on a post comment that Linda Pelton asked what I think about while riding all this distance. Good question. A lot of it is being aware, especially on busy highways because a small error could be very costly. Otherwise, I am noticing what is around me as much as possible. When riding conditions are less favorable (e.g., counter wind, rain, hills) then I need to become focused on setting small goals and trying to reach each one (e.g., "see that tree up there, get to that tree)" and then the distance mounts up. Sometimes, when things are going smoothly, I sing. "The Only Living Boy In NY" has been popular, for some reason. "Looking for America," too. I realize as I write this those are both Simon and Garfunkel songs. Sometimes I sing hymns.

Later,

Bob