Monday, June 29, 2009

14: Headwinds and Hamlet Hunting

Stoker's Log Day Fourteen

6/29/09

From Columbus, OH

To Dayton, OH

78.8 miles

9.6 avg mph

This morning we overslept, which very rarely happens on Kyle's watch. We blamed the comfy cloud bed and got going as quickly as we could after bidding farewell to my parents. We had to be ready as soon as our feet hit the pedals since our ride started with a sprint through construction and heavy traffic. My knees didn't appreciate the experience, but at least it was a nice, cool morning. Plus we saw alpacas and LLAMAS!

Also spotted: Ronald McDonald lurking on someone's porch. That's right, he's at it again, and this time I caught him on camera.

(Seriously though, who is buying or stealing these old Ronalds? It boggles the mind.)

Meanwhile the weather -- or more specifically the wind -- had turned against us. Facing a relentless headwind is one of the most frustrating and demoralizing obstacles that a cyclist can face. We crawled along as if we were struggling up a steep incline, but we couldn't see the mountain and we never reached the summit. We kept pedaling and pedaling without getting anywhere or seeing anything; the barren surroundings passed by in excruciatingly slow motion. We couldn't even talk because we could barely hear each other over the wind. When we spotted a Wendy's in the midst of this nothingness we stopped with a sigh of relief; it wasn't close to lunchtime but we needed the physical and mental break.

When we emerged the wind had only worsened, and it wasn't long before Kyle's saddle and hand numbness were driving him crazy. I eventually talked him into switching with me; if nothing else it would give us some much needed variety. In the end I only captained for 12 miles, but against the wind it felt like an eternity. Occasionally the highway split into old and new and we rode through stretches of neighborhood, an oasis for our bored eyes and shaded to boot. Unfortunately I learned the downside of neighborhoods: people live there, and people own dogs. As we passed a woman gardening, her black and white mutt tore off after us. Somehow I managed to steer the bike while keeping a panicked eye on the dog, yelling at Kyle to grab the Halt, and pedaling as hard and as fast as I possibly could. To my relief we managed to outrun the dog without having to spray it, but going from a slow push to an all out sprint brought on a lot of pain for both of us. The long, brutal day continued, and continued to get worse.

As I may have mentioned once or twice, there was almost nothing on this section of US 40. Getting to a bathroom meant turning off for a several mile detour each time; no big deal on a normal day, but highly frustrating with crosswinds buffeting us both ways. We were always overjoyed to see each oasis though. At one of the gas stations Kyle got so excited about their giant 89 cent drinks that he reminded me of the ridiculous guy on the posters.

See the resemblance to the goofball on the door?

As we rode through downtown Springfield I started seeing signs referencing Wittenberg University. Suddenly it hit me: this was the Wittenberg University I had discovered years before on the internet when I was looking for Hamlet themed products. (I'm more than a little obsessed with the play.) Of course Hamlet went to the one in Germany, but I had always wanted to visit the American version to buy myself a shirt and get postcards for my English nerd friends. And now I unexpectedly had my chance, assuming Kyle would agree to the not insignificant detour. Luckily I have a wonderful husband, even when headwinds have addled his brains. We consulted the Garmin and made our way towards the university, which turned out to be a longer and more difficult trip than we expected. I said a lot of guilty thank-yous to Kyle and fist pumped in relief when we finally spotted the school's banners. We rode along a brick pathway through the heart of campus until we spotted the student union building. I hopped off the bike and ran inside, only to find the bookstore closed. Curse you stupid summer hours! I asked the girl at the information desk if Wittenberg paraphernalia was sold anywhere else in town, but she wasn't optimistic. I was rather devastated, I'll be honest, but at least we got to photograph the campus and a statue that I pretended was Hamlet in a letterman's jacket and loafers.

And the search for a piece of Hamlet, even (or especially) if unsuccessful, perfectly fit the feeling of the day. Not only had we both started going a little insane, but I seemed to have mortality on my subconscious. Every time I commented on a beautiful or interesting sight in Springfield it turned out to be connected to death: a funeral parlor that I thought was a mansion, a cemetery entrance that looked like a park, a hearse that seemeed like a super sweet ride. It got rather ridiculous, and I was expecting to see ghosts by the end of our time there.

Soon enough we were back in rural and windy Ohio, but we were nearing our destination and our mood improved with every pedal stroke as we watched sun rays break through the clouds. Awaiting us near Dayton were Kyle's friends Kate and Justin and a Super 8 room that seemed to be decorated just for us:

Finally done with the day and out of the wind, we took turns collapsing on the bed and showering before joining Kate and Justin for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. In between giant helpings of never-ending salad we talked about Ohio (where they live but are trying to escape) and of course our trip. Both of them are mountain bikers, so they understand our love of cycling more than most, just not how we do it on such boring routes (and after today we couldn't really argue). They asked what we'd learned so far, an excellent question that would take a lot of time and thought to answer fully. On a personal level we've learned an incredible deal about our limits and our strengths, and that if we're willing to seem absolutely crazy (and clearly we are) humor really can conquer all. On a practical level we've learned that no matter how much we drink we'll always be thirsty, no matter how much we sleep we'll always be tired, and no matter how much we plan every day will surprise us.

Here's to whatever surprises tomorrow holds...

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