[A minor homage to 1970-80’s mid-western arena rock icons REO Speedwagon, who made a couple of small fortunes on two songs starting with “Keep.”]
On Monday morning, Jon flies into STL on the red-eye, and we set out for Stage 2 of Route 66: St. Louis to Tulsa. The route runs essentially parallel to the modern-day Interstate 44. There will be some hills to contend with between St. Louis and “the other” Springfield, but once we get into southwestern Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, things flatten out considerably. At that point, our biggest concern will be headwinds. But we’re giving ourselves seven days of biking to cover just a skosh past 400 miles, so each day’s mileage is pretty manageable… even if the wind is blowing.
I know that I had promised a Post-Iter review of the Erie Canal trail that I rode in July, but–of course–I waited so long that I can’t find my notes. Here’s the skinny:
Total distance: 402.3 miles
Total moving time: 31:22 across 8 days
Average moving speed: 12.8 mph
Total ascent: 9,242 ft / Total descent: 9,866 ft… which makes sense; we were moving downstream
Longest day: 65.9 miles, Medina to Fairport
Shortest day: 27.9 miles, Schenectady to Albany
Best campground: tie between the first two nights in Medina and Fairport; I didn’t realize it would go downhill from there
Worst campground: probably the last night in Schenectady. Only scalding water in the showers at the Community Center, and the campgrounds were in a low area that became a muddy mess when it rained
Nicest realization: discovering how much Lorelei (aka, my bike, in case you’ve forgotten her name) just loves, loves, loves riding on crushed limestone bike paths. (It was like the movie Seabiscuit, the match race with War Admiral, and Chris Cooper shouting, “Turn him loose!”)
Greatest recrimination: not spending the extra dough to rent-a-tent from “Comfy Campers.” If I decide to go back in 2025 for the bicentennial of the canal’s opening, I am definitely taking that option.
Just one week after finishing the canal trail, I went out for an organized Saturday ride with the Springfield Bicycle Club, and cranked out a comfortable 57 miles on a beautiful morning. On Monday, I followed that up with a nice 15-miler on the local trail. On Tuesday morning, though, I woke up shortly after 5:00 am with my heart slamming in my chest. Worse, my pulse was just stupidly erratic. I was in atrial fibrillation. I ended up in the ER and then being admitted to the hospital. I converted to a normal sinus rhythm on Tuesday night after just one dose of anti-arrhythmia medication–no zapping or ablation needed (yet)–but I had to stay in the hospital under observation for the next three days while taking the next five doses of dofetilide… apparently, it can not only correct arrhythmia, it can take you in the opposite direction and kill you.
So, after feeling that I had been happily biking myself into the best shape of my life, it turns out that maybe not so much. I’m fine now: I’ve been out on several long rides with no ill effects, and my FitBit has detected no arrhythmia since, but… I’m now a 63-year-old man who takes three pills twice a day for a heart condition. Great. (In all seriousness, it’s OK. The worst part of it all has just been remembering to take the damn pills when I’m supposed to.)
I am really looking forward to seeing Jon again and getting back on the road for some nice, long, point-to-point rides over the next ten days. I’m not quite sure yet where we’ll be stopping on Monday night, so stay tuned.
Rideworthy 