Ichetucknee Springs State Park

I did not spit in the wind, although I had plenty of opportunity to experiment. I didn't pull out until around 9:30, as it was barely 50 degrees by then and the wind speed was supposedly dropping a bit around 10:00. I was somewhat willing to take any edge I could get.

We were on the northeast part of Gainsville, and I needed to head west and then north and west to get to the day's destination. I wove through some city streets and a short trail, and finally I was heading north. The wind was quite brisk, and I had an extra layer of clothing on, so I was warm enough, but there was no way to ease the pain of the wind.

About 15 miles in, I decided to take a break and grab something to eat. I pulled into a gas station, used the restroom, sat on the curb like the lowly vagabond that I am and pulled out my sack lunch. I decided to eat a few snacks and let the sandwiches for lunch. It was like the carrot dangling in front of me to encourage my legs. I pulled out and kept churning along.

Most of the day was along rather busy roads, but almost all of the time there were bike lanes, although a bit narrow for my liking.

Finally, around 12:15, I found a small church located on the main street of Alachua. I pushed my bike over the small curb, leaned my bike against a post, and proceeded to unpack my lunch on an outside table. I was grateful for the moments in the sun and out of the biting wind. Two sandwiches later, several drinks, and some snacks, I was ready to tackle the last 17 miles.

From Alachua, I continued north with the wind on my front left part of my forehead. The good news was that quite a bit of the time there was a good line of trees to the west that shielded some of the strength of the wind. I kept grinding away and applied some good self-talk. Finally, I turned the corner and headed west, directly into the wind. Fortunately, this was only about 7 miles, and I finally pulled into our night's parking spot.

Yesterday, I contacted a church here in the town of Ft. White and asked if we could park in their parking lot for the night. They gave us permission, and we were grateful for the hospitality. So here we are parked behind the church, enjoying the cool evening. I was unsure if they would grant permission, as churches can be a bit stingy with their space, but this one was very generous.

I rested and cleaned up this afternoon, and then we headed to a food truck pavillion. It was funky and really cool. We had some super delicious Mexican food and watched some kids playing on trikes and having a good time. I would never have expected something like this in a small town of this size. We were pleasantly surprised.

I hauled my butt for these long, grueling 38.9 miles. I was glad to finish it off.

Wisdom? I don't know if I have much to offer today. Anyone have some tidbit to share?Read more