Day 75
Ashland, VA to
Williamsburg, VA
Distance: 80 miles
Bowls of cereal: three
Theories on love, life and the universe: many
My start for the day
was hardly what you would call alpine. I know that from the fact that Kelly
& Michael was already on the TV in the background as I went about my
morning stretches, which means that it was after 10am.
The reasons behind my
sluggishness were multiple. The 99 miles from the day before, added to the
weeks of growing weariness, plus the biggie. The little voice in the back of my
brain reminding me that this was my last proper day of cycling. That after
today, the trip would be virtually over. And my sub-conscious obviously wasn’t
sure it was ready.
It’s a universal
concept, the principle that all good things (and bad) will come to an end. Living
things, people, events, they all age and eventually they cease to be, at least
in the form that we know them. And then we are forced to deal with the loss of
them, to manage change.
They say that the pain
of losing something, or even the fear of doing so, is much more powerful than
the desire to have or do something that we haven’t yet experienced. And so even
if you feel that you are ready to move on, knowing that the time has come,
there is still a part of you that is sad, and grieving the loss before it has
even occurred.
I guess I would say
that it how I felt today.
Once I was on the
road, I was in no hurry to speed through the miles. The terrain was almost
flat, the road surface variable, spanning the gamut from LL Cool J to TOWIE
coarse. Mr Edwin, the headwind, made a final appearance, but he was gentle with me, simply
kissing my face, rather than slapping it (as my friend Jerry would put it). The
scenery was more of the same, the colours still gorgeous, and the tree-lined
roads still as charming as can be.
Despite (or perhaps
because of) my laid back approach, I found I was burning through the miles, and
catching up on my late start. Having already stopped at a Walgreens to use the
rest room and do a super-quick prowl of the aisles, I then stopped at a gas
station to grab some lunch. I had packed a bagel with peanut butter and jam
from breakfast as a back up, but when I walked inside the strangest thing
happened. I saw a stand with those little cereal pots displayed on it, and I
had a strong craving to eat several of them, one after the other.
Buying a small bottle
of milk, I proceeded to chomp my way through a Frosties (grrrrrrrrrreat), some
Honey Nut Loops and a Raisin Bran (a token thumbs up to health). Something
about the familiarity gave me comfort, and it was like I was on my sofa at
home, wrapped in my favourite blanket, watching trash TV.
Again, I didn’t really
want to leave, but eventually I peeled myself away from Kafe Kelloggs, and
rolled over to the nearby junction with the big highway. Where I sat waiting
for the lights to change. And waited. And waited.
I soon realised that
the lights were triggered by a weight sensor in the road (a lot of the lights
are), so if there is no car in the sensor box, there will be no green light.
The sequence will continue as if you do not exist. Despite rolling the whole of
me and Steed, Pan-y-A and Pan-B onto the sensor box, and actually doing a
little “traffic light stomp” kind of dance routine (much to the amusement of
passing motorists I am sure), I was stuck.
I saw a car rolling up
in my mirror and sighed with relief, until I saw its indicator flashing and the
side of it as it disappeared into the gas station. I apologise for the words
that came out of my mouth at that point.
I thought about trying
to cross the highway without a green light, but there were no pedestrian
crossings, and the roads were all busy… apart from mine. I even toyed with the idea of turning
right onto the highway and then right again from there, in order to go
straight, but I couldn’t believe that some vehicle, any vehicle would not
arrive on “my” road.
And then a car
appeared in my mirror, and as I willed it forward, and beckoned it in, I was,
probably for the first time in my trip (one day from the end) overjoyed to see
a car on the road behind me. Bingo! Green light, and Steed and I were on our
way again.
Continuing on, I found
myself in the midst of the battlefields of Virginia, with a host of signs
providing me with historic markers and much information about the individual
battles and how they fit into the overall timeline.
As I rode along, I
started analysing the term Civil War as well. Because it didn’t sound like
there was anything “civil” about it. And it is quite telling that fights within
what is supposed to be a cohesive unit are sometimes the worst. Like the term
“domestic abuse” which makes it sound like it’s domesticated, like a cat or a
dog that is house-trained (I think I heard someone on TV make this observation
recently too which is probably why it stuck in my mind). And it is anything but
that. But with everything, as I had been thinking about the trip, eventually it stopped. Wars, abuse, they all come to an end in some way and at some time. I am one of the lucky ones...
Anyhow, from there, it
was just a short hop to ponder on love and relationships. And thinking
again about how hard I have found it completing this journey on my own without
the continuity of at least one other person as company. No touring cyclist is
an island…But with
And as I contemplated
further, I found myself on a nice paved bike path by the side of the road for
several miles. More time for thought as less for concentrating on traffic and
road positioning. Then, just as the path ran out, I bumped into Dave, a retired
physician from upstate New York, who was cycling the Atlantic Coast route from
Bar Harbor, Maine to Key West, Florida.
It was a fortuitous
meeting, not just because it was nice to have some company but also because he
told me there was a new bike path all the rest of the way to Williamsburg,
which was due to open officially next week, but which we could ride on now. We
pedalled along it together for a few miles, until we got to a section where they
were still rolling the tarmac, where we agreed I should head off since my
normal cycling speed was a little faster than Dave’s and I still had quite a
bit of ground to cover.
Before I went, I also
off-loaded most of the rest of my energy bars and gels onto Dave, since he still
has 5 weeks left. I had been intending to put project “Hoover” into operations
over the past few days and clear this section of my handlebar bag myself, but
for some reason the plan did not really get past the aspirational stage (pun
intended). And it was another sign that the trip was coming to an end.
Heading off on the
new, smooth bike path, I flew along and was soon only a few miles outside
Williamsburg, where I took a wrong turn and ran out of bike path… So it was
back onto the highway for Steed and me, during a busy Friday night rush hour,
but still, it was fine.
Arriving at my hotel,
I realised that this would be the last time on this trip I would check into a
hotel. I expected to feel emotional, but instead I went into practical mode.
Just wanting to get done what needed to be done and trying to keep my focus for
the logistics of the last day and not messing up so I could actually enjoy it
and savour the last few miles.
With my prep done, I
headed out to a cool bistro for dinner, having a good chat with a guy called
Daniel, who was in Williamsburg for the art fair and was selling pottery that
he makes himself. He had some wise words for me, and I was glad that I met him.
Last day tomorrow… and I am finishing this trip with more questions than answers. Maybe that's just life... it's the questions that keep us alive, and drive us forward, to greater happiness or enlightenment, or perhaps both. And the more we have, the more we have to share with others.
Which reminds me of a poem that I have copied out into the front of many notebooks I own:
"He who binds himself to a joy
Does the winged life destroy
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sun rise"
William Blake
Which takes me back to Love. And this time enduring love, by saying Happy
Anniversary to my Mum and Dad, who celebrate their 48th anniversary
today… Now that’s what I call a long and happy journey!!
Me x
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