The day started off really great. Land near the river is really flat and the Colonial Parkway is a beautiful ride along the river. We passed many historical battlefields from both the Revolutionary and Civil wars. The route had us ride through Colonial Williamsburg, which is a cute representation of what a colonial town would look like, complete with men and women in colonial garb and children playing colonial games. The weather was absolutely perfect. The heat didn't really kick in until the early afternoon and it was sunny the whole day.
In the middle of a long stretch of road that went straight and lined with trees for what seemed like tens of miles, we stopped at a little roadside deli and had some fries and our own energizing goodies. So far as food goes, Troy and I are well equipped with many bags of trail mix, protein bars, GU packets, and other tasty snacks. We also brought along Gatorade powder to use whenever we're feeling drained in energy. Another patron of the deli seemed quite skeptical of our ability to finish our planned ride, particularly my ability, but we hope he'll be able to track our progress here and marvel with us at what a little determination can accomplish.
We decided to stop at Willis United Methodist Church (a camping location from our map) instead of going thru to Mechanicsville, because being our first day on the bike, we were pretty tired. Although we trained a bit before we left, I think Troy would agree that in the future, we'll train much longer before attempting something this intense. Troy is carrying about 70 lbs on his bike and I am carrying about 40-- which in the absence of a headwind or incline is just fine, but quite difficult to lug up the hills and future mountains.
The church was very accomodating. We were able to cook a rice and bean dish (high in protein and carbs) using their kitchen. We went to bed around 5. :)
Quality Water Means Quality Life
1.2 billion people do not have access to clean water. Help others avoid the choice between thirst or disease.
As we passed through the Ozark Mountains, among Missouri scenic rivers, we came to a gorgeous little spot called "Two Rivers." At this convergence of the Jacks Fork and Current rivers, the silt heavy rapids of the Current meet the clear calm of the Jacks Fork river and one can actually see the divide between the two. I couldn't help but think of the divide between our access to clean water and the lack thereof in the villages of rural Ghana.
Troy and I consume on average, about 12 to 20 (20 oz) bottles of water daily. That's 12 to 20 times per day that, unlike the people in rural Ghana, Troy and I avoid illness without even realizing it. Regardless of how many miles we ride, we have no doubt that stopping anywhere along the road for water will be easy and risk-free.
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