I thought it might be nice to ride to the park and read a book. So, I loaded up my handlebar bag with my Kindle and a snack, and rode the 8 miles over to Adam Ricci Park. I found myself a nice bench, had a snack, and read some Sophocles (I’m still working my way through the Harvard Classics.)

This translation sucks. Do youself a favor and get Fagles’

I finished reading Oedipus and was feeling good, so I decided to ride on down to City Island before diving into Euripides. A bike ride is a nice way to clear your head between Greek Tragedies.

I got to City Island, but the whole park was full of noisy people, because there was a baseball game underway.

I can’t read the classics while the drooling masses are whooping it up, so I decided to cross the river and find a quiet park bench. Riverfront park was crowded, too, so I decided to just keep on going to Fort Hunter, and make a nice long day of it.

I didn’t bring along much of anything for lunch, so I stopped at a gas station, and scrounged up what I could.

A Well Balanced Meal – Banana, Fritos, and Iced Tea

I ate my strange lunch, and sat there looking across the river. My Garmin said I had come about 23 miles already. My all time longest ride is just shy of 50. I was still feeling pretty good at this point, so I decided to go for a few more miles and try to break my record.

I pointed the bike East, and rode up to Boyd’s Big Tree Conservation Area.

About half way up the climb (and, coincidentally, at mile 25), was the nastiest, most overgrown cemetery I have ever seen.

Trees growing out of graves and everything

The whole place gave me the heebie-jeebies, but I was exhausted, hot, and sweaty, so I sat down to rest – just outside the cemetery gate where the ghosts couldn’t get me.

Cross-Check as Cerberus

I sat there for a while, but didn’t really feel any less exhausted, so I decided to get on with it. I had the 25 miles I needed, so I pointed the bike towards home.

Everything was ok until around the 40-mile mark where the road climbs up from the river. This is when things got miserable. I pushed down on the pedals, but the bike didn’t want to go. It was like pedaling through molasses. I had the presence of mind to realize that I was bonking, but my brain was getting muddled enough that I didn’t think to stop at a gas station to buy more food.

I geared down and spun; that worked for a while. Then I got off and pushed. That worked, too.

I eventually made it home, got some food and water in me, and sat down with my spiritual adviser to think about what went wrong.

Feet up, Cat in lap. Life is good.

My Garmin tells me I burned 5,000 calories on this ride. I’m guessing I ate maybe 1,000. So, I bonked.

I need to remember to eat and drink more next time, I guess. I’m going to have to figure this food business out if I want to go on rides much longer than 50 miles.

Suggestions are welcome.

On the plus side, I made it home under my own steam, and set a PR for longest ride in a day and one for most miles in a month.