Wednesday, April 13, 2011

April 13, 2011. St. Francisville to Hammond, LA. 95 miles.

This was supposed to be an 87 mile day, long enough for sure. We left our Inn at 7:15 and did not have a problem getting through the construction. There was traffic, but it was light enough that those who needed to pass could do so. The snack table was set up at the 16 mile point, since 4 of our riders had spent the rest day and night in a separate inn. Lisa was right where she was supposed to be with the sag car at 36 miles. We had a lovely ride this morning, rolling hills and country roads. There was a lot of traffic, but they were not shy about passing us.... Double yellow line? no problem, they passed us. Oncoming traffic with the double yellow line? no problem, they passed us... Double yellow on a curve or a bridge? well, you get it.... We were rather surprised to see Lisa at the 42 mile mark, not expecting another sag for miles.... She was there to take us off the route. There was a bridge out, with a posted detour. We all waited with her while Carol and Linda rode in the van to check out the detour. I called my doctor while we were waiting, to see if I could get something for my cough, since the allergy medicine I am taking is NOT WORKING. After about an hour Carol and Linda called and gave Lisa our new instructions.
The detour added about 8 miles to our already long day, but you do what you gotta do--we rode it. There were a lot of trucks on the road today, and we had one very scary narrow bridge on a highway right after we got back on the route. I was fortunate enough that a red pickup truck guarded me at a safe distance across the half mile bridge. There is road construction and logging going on in the area, and many trucks on the road.
Dianne, Kathie, Greta and I ate lunch at the 58 mile mark, and fought the traffic for a while longer until we finally got onto some smaller roads. There was a lot of shade on today's route, which made the 95 miles more doable. We saw this wagon with its mules in a yard on one of the country roads.
Right before we got to the hotel traffic picked up again and there were a lot of quick turns, but we all made it here safely--that's what's important after all. I had a voice mail message from the doctor I had called earlier--the receptionist said that Dr. P said "stop cycling and go to urgent care". I guess I don't need to mention that he is a new doctor and does not know me very well. As if I would stop in the middle of a bike tour and go to urgent care for a cough???!!! NOT.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like one of those days where anything not only can, but does, happen. Sorry to hear about the cough - allergies are the pits.

Doctors just have a lot of trouble imagining anything outside their own experience. A middle aged woman cycling across the country just doesn't compute.