11th May 2018 Friday – Standard fare but home to first rest day – yee haw

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Hello Everybody!
Route: Jeffersonville to Middletown

For the non-mathematicians out there:
Distance: 47 miles (Total 810)
Average speed: 10.6mph
Calories: 1,079
Cycling time: 3h 39min
Average cadence: 65 rpm
Climb: 1,119ft, Descent: 1,453ft
Heart (yes I have one): Max 144 Aver 105
Aver Temp: 29C, Max temp 37C
Temperament: A half hot day, steady as she goes

A relatively short day with hardly no wind at all. 50% of that sentence is correct and it’s the bit with the word “relatively” in it. Granted the wind was not as bad and as Monty Python once said: “I was getting used to it by now”. It ended up being a day of 3 halves, one half was windy, the second half was also windy and the third half was not as windy as the previous two halves BUT all of the three halves were less than any of the halves the day before, of yes, indeedy so.

Instead of 16mph, I had 10mph and if I managed to keep my nose out of the wind I found I could travel that bit quicker. Sorry, who has a big nose? Actually, I got a fair bit of cover and the route was pretty flat and short after all.

I also followed a very nice (i.e. secluded) bike trail and met Chris along the way (photo shows him turning round to have a chat, which ended up us cycling for about 6 miles to Waynesville). We also met some other cyclists just before Waynesville, from San Francisco and local ones. 
The picture I was taking when...
Chris turned around for a chat













See photos and the “Bob Jackson” is from 1972 – a great British bike builder and boy had this guy looked after it. 



Bike trail - very nice
 After chatting for longer than a short chat, I had a lovely lunch in the Cobblestone Cafe in Waynesville. Chicken burger with 2 x rootbeer drinks. The heat that day was very hot, otherwise, it would have been called “The cold” and after enjoying the AC, getting by outside was a bit of a shock. Luckily for me, I then cycled along a busy highway and up a stiff hill to help cool me down. Thank you.

So got to Middletown around 4ish in the PM and found my Airbnb for 2 days. Yes, I was taking my first proper rest day after 9 days in the saddle. My saddle was doing OK but I thought that Blossom needed the rest. 

I'm a shadow of my former self - geddit?
The place was in the Burbs and about a mile from eating places but was OK. I stayed mostly in the downstairs basement, rather than the upstairs one, as it was very cool and allowed me to get on with booking, blogging and having some peace and quiet. The owner was OK but a bit distant and was not really interested in getting to know about me, which was fine. I did find a very nice Italian in the area and had a few beers as my body was beginning to look almost athletic in places and I did not want Ruth to start getting any ideas about me staying in shape and other such nonsense.

Other photos:
In the middle of nowhere - go figure!
Crazy paving
Best Regards, Teddy “The Ted” Swinhoe

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