The DAY AFTER

It’s the day after; we are elated to find we are without pain and will not be staring at the road over a bike tire in anticipation of yet another bump.  I must say though, by late afternoon, having realized I am not getting on that dang bicycle, the pain is setting in regardless.

 

The ride back to Miami looks different from a comfortable seat with the air conditioner running and music playing on the radio.  Outside it doesn’t look as hilly as in the days before, nor as hot.  The road seems smoother and there aren’t nearly as many cars buzzing down A1A.  Even the Iguanas basking in the sun are calmer as only cars pass by.  Quickly the conversation turns to where next year’s ride will be...

Thank you for your great support by reading our blog, leaving comments and donating to St. Jude. Stay tuned for a last surprise end of the October. We promise it will be fun!! 

YOURS, 

BIG TIME RIDERS

Day 7 - Key Largo to Key West 105 Mile

Today is the longest ride of the trip, 105 miles. To keep us motivated the mile markers are helping us track our progress.  

Luckily, our oasis in the desert of A1A is waiting at Marathon with snacks, fruit and beverages. In the cooler, there is a surprise. I find my second wind inside a can of Red Bull.  

We get back on the road at the seven-mile bridge, which comes and goes with surprising ease.  Looking over the edge, there is only crystal clear water and a few boats floating in the ocean.  When I look up at the road I see the familiar back tire of Alex’s bicycle. After the bridge, we believe we are going downhill. An illusion? We manage to keep a 21 mph pace. As I move into the front I notice many, I mean more than just a couple, iguanas basking in the sun by the road.  They bolt as one into the brush by the water as we approach and from there watch us pass by.  

Next it happens. On the next bridge a loud “pop and whoosh” breaks the silence and my back tire goes flat.  “Be more careful,” Alex says.  Like I have control over such things after having ridden 500 miles!

Soon, we come to a T-junction, the city of Key West.  As we approach the marker pointing to Cuba, we see our oasis, Diana. The Champagne pops.  Diana announces to the crowd our having just ridden from Jacksonville.  Alex and I are cheered by the onlookers who wish us well as we debate throwing all of our gear (including our bikes) into the ocean.  We made it.  We have arrived.

TWO DAYS left - here a quick summary

350 miles cycled so far (each)

4pounds lost (each)

10pounds lost from sweat (but replenished with water)

20 electrolyte packages consumed

1 pound power powder absorbed

$1000 Dollars raised for St. Jude Children Hospital (BIG Thank you to all Donors)

Help us to raise the bar: we want to finish with $2000 Dollars in donations. Every dollar counts, goes directly to St. Jude and is greatly appreciated. 

http://fundraising.stjude.org/goto/BTRiders

we will cycle 180 more miles

sweat a bit more

and loose some more weight

THANK YOU!

Day 5 - Hutchinson Bay to Fort Lauderdale 92 miles

In Johannesburg, S.A. there are tall walls topped with shards of glass interlaced with barbed wire.  In West Palm Beach, to serve the same purpose, there are hedges.  Three stories tall.  Impenetrable.  Perfectly trimmed and shaped daily by a not so small army of gardeners.  Riding this alley was also worrisome.  What with all the opaque mirrors on all the drives and a thousand watchful electronic eyes making sure that we didn't cross the perfectly drawn white line of the bike path and vier off into what lies beyond the hedge.

The other mystery of West Palm is the wind.  Yesterday it blew perfectly from the North.  Today perfectly from the south.  Go figure.  There was also a bit of a rain shower and a thunderstorm to cool us off. So we hoped to wait the thunderstorms out. Eddie playing dead.... 

 Following A1A wasn't easy either. On and off the islands, following US1, turn right, turn left, signs not visible... Even Diana, in the minibus and navigation,  got lost several times and with the speed limit averaging 30miles an hour, made it only shortly after us to the meeting point. I guess we were fast.... 

Day 4 - Cocoa Beach to Hutchinson Island 86miles

After the challenges of the previous days, today was just too easy of a ride.  Straight down the A1A, no detours, no cul-de-sacs, no head wind, no thunderstorms, nothing challenging, except...










You train your legs, your train your shoulders, but you can't train your a**. Here is the start of Eddie's  50 ways to shift on a saddle.

Way back - where the hole in the seat accommodates all the parts that really matter.
Way forward - feels good for a while but then you got to pull the saddle out of.....
Shifting left and right on seat all the way to the thigh - good for about 30 seconds then you have to chase Alex for 10 minutes.
Standing - optimum for the little climbs such as bridges, but you quickly run out of breath and change your mind.
Hovering - weight on the wrists and all the power to the pedals.  Here, you quickly discover disadvantages of bodyweight and limitation of your legs.  Still it is great that you are not really on the seat. However, you shoulders begin to hurt and like most breakaways, you get reeled right back in.

There is simply no way to train your a**! Other than (see below)

Day 3 - Daytona Beach to Cocoa Beach - 80 miles

80miles were planned. Without the little detour we took.

Who would have known that if you follow A1A near Smyrna/FL, one ends up in a cul-de-sac, and have to turn back. In a car you might say, "Argh" on a bicycle you might say, "#!@#%*&!". 10 miles back tracking is not cool. So we followed US1 for the next 60 more miles.

Fortunately weather and wind were on our side. No wind at all, but we were chased by thunderstorms.  Thanks to all of our training we were able to outrun them. With Eddie having found his strong side (legs) , we were faster than bullets, and the storm didn't catch up with us. The journey ended after 92miles at the Dolphin Inn. A wonderful little motel at Cocoa Beach with amazing views (see below).. and well,  the obligatory dive into cool water.

Day 2 - St Augustine to Daytona beach 60 miles

Our congratulations go to Mr Baumgartner. To dare and actually jump out of and into the stratosphere is a great achievement. For yourself, Mr Baumgartner, and also for science as you put it.




We are more humble with our bike ride. Only 520 miles and not even in one day. Also we struggled against head wind for nearly 30 miles (50km) today and had to replace a tire on the way. We would have enjoyed the view, but at 40C,  water was running down, out of every pore, into our eyes and kind of blurred the view.

How is the view from that height, Mr Baumgartner?





At the end we got rewarded with a dip into the ocean heading straight from our hotel rooms. Aaaaaahh...cooling down.

Day 1 - Jacksonville to St. Augustine 34 miles

According to Eddie's training theory, on the first day, one has to go through heavy rituals before hitting the road.  You can't ride on an empty stomach.  So, there was the breakfast on the beach.  Then, of course, you can't ride right after breakfast.  Thanks to that, Eddie's bike now sports a set of great red road tires AND the brakes actually work. 

Now, the wind was out of the East.  Eddie's hair was getting tussled.  So there was a second coffee.  

Eventually, got to St. Augustine and hit the surf shop.  Bought a pair of sexy surfer dude sun glasses for Alex (to ride faster).  The shop guy said that they are polarized and float in the water.  Very soothing. 

The Gathering

Day 0

Today the three forces are arriving in Jacksonville, coming from three different directions. Eddie by car from South Carolina in the north, Alex by plane from St. Louis in the West and Diana by train from the south. 

Starting out of St. Louis.  The sun is shining.  Arriving Atlanta one hour delayed.  Wrong concourse. 27 minutes to make the connection.  Out of the door of the plane, greeted by Vangie sporting a killer smile, a sheet of paper with my name on it, and keys to a Porsche Cayenne with all of its 550 horses idling smoothly just below under the jet way.  A smooth 2 minute ride and onto a 757 to JAX.  Too smooth.  That is what being a loyal Delta flyer is all about. 

Miami 8.20am, the train is rolling on time but slowly out of the station. It doesn't pick up speed until after Fort Lauderdale which took us an hour to get there. Now I understood while the ride in the train takes 8hrs for what a car would make in 5.  Well, at least the seats are comfy and spacious, the dining car opens soon and the omelette is delicious. Georgia, the breakfast companion I just met, is a bubbly, nice woman in her 50's all excited going to Orlando to some food and wine festival. We talk while the lush landscape outside the window is getting blurred - we picked up speed.

Back from the dining car I spent the next 2 hrs sitting next to an elderly, petit looking lady. I estimate she is in her mid 60's Her accent is difficult to discern to me.  Did I understand her correctly. ? She is telling about how she used to ride the train in the 1940's from New York to Miami???  'Yes', she says,
' my Dear , I am 79 years old. Back in those days the train where all so luxurious. The dining car was like a lounge, red plush seats, waiters in white jackets and black ties. We used dress in our best party attire,  sipping our cocktails and dance the entire night until into the wee hours when the train made it's final approach into Miami. 

Columbia 8am, Hertz calls they are late with the van. Eddie starts out eventually two hours later than planned. No biggie, Diana and Alex are delayed as well. We finally gather in Jacksonville and make our way to the Atlantic Beach and our hotel the Palms Retro.

The place it's extraordinary. Walking through the little iron gate through the lush courtyard the first thing that blend the eyes are the candy colored doors. Pink and blue. Well, guess there is a reason it's called retro. We are back in the '50. All rooms are themed such as 'The boys', 'Legends' or 'Diva'. The owner of this little gem took it to the extend that you even find the specific movies in your room. 'Diva' came equipped with "Breakfast at Tiffanys".

The breakfast room 

A1A - The strip

2 DAYS left. 

Here some facts about THE FAMOUS A1A  Alex and Eddie start riding on Saturday.

Its a scenic and historic coastal highway stretching 530km along the Atlantic ocean. It is the eastern most major north-south road. Starts in Fernandina beach, passes through the oldest town in the United States; St. Augustine and ends in Key West.

Well after that you couldn't  go any further without leaving the US... on a boat.

A1A stands for 'Atlantic 1 Alternate'. It is know for its lush tropical scenery and also called 'the strip'. That's when million spring breakers make their way south to the coastal towns and celebrate their school vacations in spring. Or whatever other reasons they can come up with to drink....

A1A has many appearances in songs. e.g.

Jimmy Buffett; one of the album's tracks, "Trying to Reason with the Hurricane Season"

1991 Vanilla Ice song "Rollin' in My 5.0": "My head leaned to the side / I cruise the A-1-A with a plan in mind.

Let's get inspired riding along A1A!! Yeahhhh... 

THE Team

EDDIE - Cyclist extraordinaire, renascence man, world traveler, lead rider, pace setter, dog whisperer, and more...time permitting. 

ALEX - bullet on two wheels, silent leader, his favorite song line "Don't stop me now, I am having such a good time...."

DIANA - supply/recovery/emergency van driver, cheerleader, photographer, movie maker :))))

THE Route

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