Epilogue
Almost 2 years isn't too long is it?
So, since last entry I have had 3 surgical procedures. The first in August 2008, I will not describe it, but suffice it to say that my trips to the men's room are shorter these days. The second two are something else again. I missed a step out of the back door of our house and BOOM! something was terribly wrong. Turned out I totally ripped my left quadriceps tendon. (Google it) This is not good. Especially if you want to ride a bike. Surgery repaired things and all was well until---BOOM!--- it happened again. Same injury. Surgery again. So for the last year and one-half I have been working on recovering from these potential tragedies. My goal has been to make them only big bumps in the road and not road blocks to long distance bicycle touring.
This past winter I spent two sessions a week on the bike trainer with my "coach" Larry Foss and his right hand woman Sophie working on getting my leg back to bike-tour-capable. So far things feel good and everything is heading in the right direction.

But I digress. I wanted to add some comments regarding the Skyline/Blue Ridge Parkway ride. Well it taught me several lessons. One, I am not nearly as strong a rider as I thought I was. My riding partners consistently were out there ahead of me on the road. No matter. We each have our strengths and limits. I am happy to be able to ride. I learned that we all have our own ideas of what makes a great trip. Riding with others brings this into clear focus. My idea of a good trip is to set some goals and some expectations and be willing to totally ignore them. Like, your behind schedule? Get a car and drive from Minot to Fargo. Do not worry about it. It is all part of the experience. Plan a trip St. Paul to Virginia, MN and find after the first day you are not up to it. No worries. Turn around and find your way home. That is what happened when I tested my leg last summer hoping to make it up to my Uncle Herb and Aunt Jean's in Virginia. It did not happen but I will make it there one day soon. On the other hand, there are those like Denny, with whom I rode on the BRP, who must press on day after day. I can not do a trip like that. I do not want to rush through it. I would like to stop in every interesting location if I could. But at least stop from time to time and relax.

So now, what's the next great thing? Another trip down the Mississippi and, at the appropriate spot, turn left and head to Kentucky. I followed this route in 2005 when I rode across the country. That time I rode down the east side of the river, crossing at Hannibal, MO. This time I will stay on the Minnesota and Iowa side, cross briefly to IL and then again in to Hannibal and down past St. Louis to the left-turn-point to go back over to the southern tip of Illinois, across the Ohio River at Cave In Rock. There I will meet Jim Smith, my Blue Ridge Parkway riding partner (with Denny). Then we will ride across KY to Berea and a few miles further to Jack and Linda's new house on a ridge. That is the plan and I am sticking to it.

This weekend is the first "fully loaded" ride to test out the leg for this year. I will go only about 20 miles to Afton State Park. I'll camp and then head back on Sunday. A longer "test" trip is planned later this month. Our weather has been so unreal this spring with no snow and temperatures in the 50s to 70s I hope it holds because it really makes it easy to prepare.

I am so looking forward to getting back on the road on a bike. The injury has given me a real opportunity to reflect on the fragility of our physical state and to be so thankful for the ability to dream and to realize the dream.

Later.