Sunday, August 17, 2008

Interstate Bicycling

For the first time ever I biked on the interstate. We're now on Hwy 20, which for 36 miles joins Interstate 25. Biking on the interstate is legal in Wyoming, but not encouraged. In fact today I passed a police officer giving a trucker a ticket. Later he drove past me with no acknowledgement. Phew. Because of the wide shoulders, the biking felt safer than many other roads, just noisier.
I miscalculated today's mileage which I thought would be about 104 miles. Instead it was 111 miles. This is the longest distance I've ever biked in a day. I don't look at my bike computer while on the ride. I twist it under the handle bars. Otherwise, instead of enjoying the journey, I become preoccupied with things like trip distance and average speed. When I pulled beside the camper and did finally check the computer, I was very surprised. My three day total is now just shy of 300 miles.
I'm also happy to report that I have no pain from my broken bones. While on the bike there is no discomfort. Off the bike there's occasional stiffness and soreness, but I can't call it pain. My bicycling pains are much stronger. I forgot to use chamois butter the last two days. One hundred eleven miles doesn't help.

Road kill additions; rattlesnake and antelope.

4 comments:

Jeff Meuzelaar said...

Psh, I could bike 110 miles in my sleep.

Anonymous said...

Great to hear your back on the ride. Jeff pointed me to your blog. Safe journeys!

Cal Meuzelaar said...

Jeff, I think that's the only way you could bike 110 miles. Dad

Jason Nelson said...

Hi Cal,

Greetings from Third Church! Your email to the church today prompted me to take a look at your blog and see how your bicycle tour is going. Wow, you have an incredible blog site, along with Mary! It was a blessing to read about your journey. It looks like Sunday was a huge day...111 miles! Praise the Lord for your recovery!

I just realized in your blog that the day of your accident, I was flying across the US and eventually the Pacific Ocean on my way to Sydney, Australia - an unexpected journey that Jodi and I were called to take for ministry discovery with only one week's notice. Anyway, what strikes me about July 4 is the obvious - Independence Day. As I reflect on flying half-way across the world for a mysterious purpose that required all of the faith I could muster and more, I realize that the only way I survived the journey was "in dependence" on the Lord through his grace. My prayer for you today is that in dependency on the Lord, your journey will continue so that you can finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given you - the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace (Acts 20:24).

Thanks for renewing my spirit through the testimony of your journey!

Blessings,
Jason Nelson