getting started

This whole riding across the country thing has to begin like all endeavors of endurance- training. I now have about 600 miles on the saddle and my legs are starting to feel like i want them to-rubbery and beat up! before i can get stronger i have to break down, and i have accomplished that. I had not ridden a bike since march, and had no time during my final landscaping season to do anything except hurt my back.  Physical therapy has upper and lower back problems under control and one of the best neck doctors in Pittsburgh told me that if i wasnt going to act my age i was going to have to put up with some age induced agony. Ok. i can do that.
     I have ridden 12 times so far with a long ride of about 83 miles. we have the garmin odometer device up and running and I feel like I could leave tomorrow if that was the plan.  Its not. We dont know when we are heading south- maybe late september or early october.  so i will continue to ride under the unique conditions of the outer banks.  The key element is wind. if i ride 40 miles into the 20 mph wind, I get to ride 40 with it at my back! There is really only one road on which to ride on this long narrow island, and there is ALWAYS wind. If i average 13 mph into the wind, I know i'm gonna be at 23 mph coming home. 
     The next element is heat. It goes down to about 78 at night and is in the 90's all day. i work on my tan while riding.  As soon as the weather breaks a little bit it will be nice to battle the distance I am riding without battling the heat. I think there will always be wind, but i have to get used to that because i am riding to florida along the coast, and there will always be wind, and then i am riding east to west, and the wind usually blows west to east, so i have to make the wind my friend. Yea, right!