Day 4

Physically, mentally, and emotionally fatigued, I awoke way to early.  I was deathly ill when I woke up, I spent a few minutes over the porcelain pott dry heaving, and shaking like a leaf.  I ran some hot water and soaked in the tub for about 10 minutes or so.  It was horrible, I was pretty concerned about venturing out for these next 72 miles.  My muscles were sore, but not as sore as the day before as the hot tub last night sure helped. 

I got on the road at about 6:45am, I knew I had to start early because there was a 50% chance of rain and I surely wanted to get a good head start on that.   I called my husband to let him know I was venturing on my own today, and then headed out.  The navigation went pretty well, there was a few mishaps with turns but nothing as serious as the previous days.  I was about 15 miles into my ride when it started really raining hard.  I crossed under a few bridges and was still going to try and make some more, when it started thundering and lightening.. then that was it.  NO way was I riding anymore.  So I chilled under a bridge with another man who was homeless.  I called my husband to let him know I was stuck for now and wasn't going to be riding anymore until it cleared up.  Of course my husband became frantic because I didn't have an exact location and knowing I was solo he was scared.  So he of course called the cops who of course made me try and explain my location.  So eventually the cops made me wait for someone to show up, so I sat there and waited and the homeless man started talking to me and we talked about my bike ride and why I was doing it.  He was hungry and proceeding to tell me how he would take a shower under the bridge in the water that was coming out.  and so forth.  I reached in my bag and gave him  some of my supplies, I gave him my camp stove, some fuel, some matches, some hot chocolate packets and freeze dried food and my mess kit.  He was so thrilled.. I wanted to get his picture but the cops came.  So I had to deal with the officer.  We talked for a long time, and he told me that IF I was his wife no way would he let me continue this venture on my own.  He looked at my map and tried to explain to me how horrible some of the areas I was going to have to go through and that I was a pretty girl who should not be alone in those parts of town.  HE offered for me to come back to the station and to wait until my husband could come pick me up, but also told me he wasn't' trying to persuade me out of my dream of finishing this either.  Ultimately, he told me to think about it and that the offer was there if I wanted it.  He told me the directions to my next streets, which if I would of kept going I would of been way off base, so glad the rain stopped me when it did.    I sat under the bridge for a little while longer and then decided to suck it up and go.  So I headed back out in the rain.  Of course as I started to ride I couldn't figure out what street to turn on and low and behold here comes the Officer Bowers to my rescue once again.  How nice.  he got me back on track and I ventured out.  It was funny though because I was riding from bridge to bridge trying to catch a little break from the rain.  However the one bridge I was under had no protection, because every time a car drove by all this water would come flying all over me.  I was like really?  By that point I was freezing and decided to suck it up and ride.. I found a gas station around the corner and stopped in there for some snacks since I didn't have any food now and some hot chocolate to warm up... mmm that was good.  I had another car ask me where I was heading and what I was doing with all this luggage on my bike so I explained and they were in awe.  Then as I was sitting outside drinking my hot chocolate another gentleman comes up and asks me the same thing.. I tell him and he says oh I am from Cleveland and then proceeds to tell me just as the cop did that I needed to get out of this side of town, it was no place for a pretty girl like me.. very dangerous.  So I threw the rest of my hot chocolate out and pedaled on in the rain. I figured I didn't need to be told anymore, this was obviously a bad place to be in.  The rain let up, but it still sprinkled, and I continued my venture on and on and on with more cornfields. I never knew until this ride how much of a farming place Ohio is!...   Nothing really exciting happened until I got to Alkire road, some how some where I was so deep in thought that I missed my turn and it was so bad that I was 5 miles off... which meant 5 miles back that meant TEN WHOLE miles of wasted energy carrying 50plus pounds ... on my bike.  I couldn't believe it, but I had no one to blame but myself for being so wrapped up in my deep concentration.  Just as I was almost to my original point, it started to rain again, a light drizzle, and I seen some rail road tracks.  So Just like in a car I always drive over them on an angle, well I tried that on my bike.  They were wooden tracks, and lets just say the rain made them very slippery and as I was going over them my wheel slipped and I went flying in the air and landed on my hand and my rear extremely hard.  I was in shock for a minute and then I hurried up and turn around to see a car coming straight for me, I stand up in pain, and grab my bike and try to move out of the way.  I thought for sure the car would stop to ask me if I was okay, but nope they could of cared less.   Sad. I hopped back on my bike and continued my journey.  It rained on and off for most of the day.  I took shelter when I could.  I met up with my husband and son and they stayed at the Ramada with me in Xenia.  I really loved it there they were all so excited about my trip.  They signed my shirt, threw pie in my face, and the guy who threw the pie in my face even donated to the cause.  It was so much fun. my husband was such a big help, went out got me a milk shake, took my bike to wash all the grid and mud out of it from riding in the rain, and just helped keep me motivated to do the last day. . I was extremely tired though, I fell asleep around 11... earliest night yet!  Oh yeah I did manage a nap for an hour to!  All in all, today was okay for as bad as it started out.