Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: bike

So today’s bike ride originally started out as a Century ride… one hundred miles!
Or at least that’s what I expected when I got up and drove down to Coal City.
When I got there and registered for the ride, I found out that there was a longer
double-Metric Century option!!! That’s 200 hundred kilometers… or 124 miles!
So I had to do it… right???

The weather was perfect. The scenery was incredible. And I felt strong all day.
Unfortunately, my other riding buddies all bailed on me – so I was flying solo!
No fun. No chatting. No hanging out. Just the joy of pedaling!!! So I did. And it may
have been the fastest Century I’ve ever done… and definitely my fastest double-Metric!
By the end of the day, I had ridden 124 miles… with an average speed of 18.9 mph.
Cruising through rural Illinois… with “big” cities like Coal City, Morris,
Waupecan Valley, Seneca, Marseilles, Ottawa and Utica. Exciting, huh?

One of the high points of the day was the Rest Stop at Mathiessen State Park.
It’s very close to Starved Rock, just not quite as well known. But after recovering with
a couple bananas, a PBJ sandwich and some trail mix… I was off for a hike.
Although I must admit… it is a little difficult to hike in biking shoes!!!

state-park1state-park2

After a little time communing with nature, it was time to get back on the bike.
And time for another high-point… a mileage milestone!!! 2,000 miles this summer!
Yep, while pedaling along today, my odometer clicked over the 2,000 mile mark.
That’s 2,000 miles logged this summer alone… mornings, Centuries, weekends, etc.

So while today’s ride was incredible – and filled with several high points…
and one memorable low point. When I stopped to take a picture of my odometer
as it clicked on 1,999 miles… I pulled off to the side of the road by a nice old farm.
As I pulled out my camera, I was startled by the barking of two loud dogs…
who were now in full-on gallop towards me as if I were dinner!!! Yep, a little scary.
So there I am, now in the middle of the road, trying to keep my bike in between me
and the two mongrels who were licking their lips in between barks!!! Needless to say,
I managed to get on my bike and pedal off as fast as I could before they took a bite
out of my calf… just a little down the road so I could take the 2,000 mile photo!…
hence the reason there’s no 1,999 photo! At least I still have both calves intact!!!

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