ERIE CANAL
Today the 4th, and final, phase of this cross country odyssey, the Northeast, began today.
I have received comments about this being the last 500, finish strong, etc. Some background. Most of you know, some may not, that I rowed in high school and college and have been rowing as a “master” ever since. Elite rowing races, except the “Head” races in the fall, are 2,000 meters, generally discussed in 4 sections, first 500, second 500, etc… Since I am breaking this trip into 4 sections it begs a brief comparison to a 2K race.
First 500 (Seattle to Bozeman) - start strong but don’t overdo, you have a long way to go. Your mates are with you. Trust in them and they will trust in you.
Second 500 (Bozeman to Minnesota) - you witness the abyss of pain opening and you know you are going to die, but you cannot give up as you are an integral part of the team. Your mates are depending upon you and you cannot let them down.
Third 500 (Minnesota to Niagara) - You survived to the halfway point and now you must bring it home. The pain is settling in, but you must keep the focus and forge on.
Last 500 (Niagara to Browns Cove) - finish strong. Your brain is getting foggy and sheer exhaustion is setting in, but the thrill of the finish line keeps you going. In this case no sprint needed, just keep the wheels turning, keep the pedals turning and keep the pedals below your butt.
2nd 500 - I will admit that my decision to seize the opportunity of this ride as a fund raiser did give me incentive to keep going. I needed every bit of incentive in the low period of North Dakota. So, if you are in a charitable & giving mood please donate to the Granite Falls Food Bank. Pledges are per mile of the trip completed. They are good folk and provide a great local service. Links below.
http://granitefallscommunitycoalition.org
https://pledgeit.org/ride4granite
We left the Seneca Nation Hotel and Casino around 8:30. No craps, slots, etc for us.
The ride was through city neighborhoods generally thinning to suburbia and then farm land. There was not anything particularly notable, good solid Americana. More kudos for carrying the American Flag on the pole on my bike. Farm land was dairy, corn, soybeans, wheat, apples and grapes.
Around mile 25 we arrived in Lockport, for us the beginning of the Erie Canal Trail. There are two locks in series in Lockport. Water level drop about 70 - 80 ft.
After Lockport we had a pleasant ride on the Erie Canal Trail for about 45 miles. The trail is packed gravel and quite nice. No cars!!!! Our speed is reduced 1 - 2 mph being on gravel but otherwise no issues. The canal, today would have been a great place for a row, miles of flat protected water and no boats.
We met a guy heading west to Seattle. This is not his first cross country trip. He hopes to finish late-September. He is following Adventure Cycle’s Northern Tier route.
The miles ticked by listening to podcasts and music, talking to George and generally just enjoying a laid back day. There was one place where the canal passed over a river, which was a bit of a surprise and quite interesting.
By the numbers:
Dist - 65.5 miles
Elev Gain - 849 ft
Elev Loss - 709 ft
Moving Time 5:30
Miles to go - 621
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sya0wEfu-Nk
ReplyDeleteAs you settle in to the "last 500 meters" one of my youngest granddaughter's favorite songs may help---"the wheels on the bus go round and round.." I have used this on some bike rides and it helps!
Let's see: "The wheels on the bus go round and round." Bike wheels do, too, but after an hour of that you will probably ride into the Eire Canal.
ReplyDeleteThe analogy of riding to rowing is interesting, especially in that the usual low period coincided with ND. As with a race, you will be always grateful that you kept going. A temptation you may have experienced is to take a break and skip 100 miles or so. It's very common, especially if you are riding mostly alone. On my cross country there were 3 of us, so the temptation to skip a link didn't occur, but some people we encountered along the way did do some skipping. So a group can decide that, too. Anyway, I am glad, and I am sure you are too, that your path is unbroken.
New York looks like a beautiful state. I thought they all were in their own way in the tours I have done.
I hope you are having a smooth ride ... only 600 to go...eg