Hard to get going this morning. Partly because it was so cold (upper 40s) and partly because there are only five riding days left. On any ride the toughest miles are the last ones. It can be a great ride and the last few miles will still be difficult. The body's clock says it's time to be done. I think something similar is happening this week. The last days are hard days.
There was nothing wrong with this day in itself. On the contrary, the day and route were amazingly good. Once the chill was out of the air, the temperature was perfect. The skies were bright blue, which formed a beautiful backdrop for the lush vegetation and woods. This part of New York is glorious!
The landscape began to get quite hilly. Good preparation for what will be our biggest climbing day of the Tour-Friday-in which we climb 6800 feet. I rode with Jim B until our lunch stop.
Lunch was provided by the East Palmyra CRC at the 52 mile mark. Delicious food-even a grape popsicle for dessert-but I left with a stomach ache and a reluctant approach to the last 25 miles.
I plodded along until Marti came cruising by. Part of me wanted to ride alone and nurse my physical and spiritual wounds, but I decided to join her and see how things went. We rode fast. As I pushed myself, my stomach stopped hurting and my weariness lifted. I told Marti it was her healing presence.
The scenery became even more beautiful when we reached Geneva and Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. We rode around the northern edge of the lake and camped at Sampson State Park. I set up my tent overlooking the lake. I didn't get to enjoy this prime location since I was on supper duty and was asked to grill the chicken. 200 people eat a lot of chicken!
After supper it was time for Peloton. The emphasis was on preparing for the end and articulating what has been meaningful about the ride. I got crabby. After Peloton I called home and got testy ("shorts in a bunch" is my son's description, who overheard the conversation). It was Cindy's birthday today. The day ended as it began-hard.
I'm going to need a lot of grace for these last days. One of the things grace means is accepting the difficulty of this time and not adding to the burden by expecting them to be like the first days. In his book, "In the Beginning," chaim Potok writes, "All beginnings are hard." So are the endings.
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