Relative Something

By day 3, we begin to lose our sense of which day of the week it is. The start back in Chatfield on Saturday will feel like a week ago already. With luck, we will have discovered some sunshine by now. You will know if my wish comes true. The world around us is back into the work week and it truly feels like being on vacation to us. In the morning on this day, there is often a line waiting at the Penn Cycle support van, looking to top off the tire pressure and assure the least rolling resistance possible. I seem to recall this day often being one where I’m considering skipping breakfast because it feels like all I’ve done so far is eat! At first, there is concern about not having enough fuel to ride all day long, so we eat and eat. In addition to that, every time we stop for a break, Jim has arranged for a local service organization to raise some money by selling us snack treats, so we feel it an obligation to eat. Maybe I should consider riding harder to try and burn off the massive count of calories ingested.

Tonight’s destination is LaCrescent on the Mississippi River. Hopefully, Jim has devised a long roundabout route to get there, because it is just a stone’s throw away from our start. As the average age of participants continues to climb with each year we ride, shorter distance days are welcomed by those who find equal pleasure in the post-ride time each day to socialize. I wonder how many calories I can burn socializing?