Today was a day of firsts... I crossed my first time zone, rode on my first cycle path, saw my first deer, followed my first detour, attempted my first short cut, broke my first Canadian law, pushed my bike through snow for the first time and had my first mid-ride cry.
I spent all morning riding into a head wind. I stopped for a gigantuun breakfast, got onto the gravel cycle path and battled the wind, scorching sun, minor detour and the sinking bumping road surface until I stopped for my massive lunch. I was pretty tired but I had made it to the next province (Quebec) and was two thirds done for the day. Oh, and I got my shoe fixed on the way - bonus!
Then the cycle path left the main road and went along the side of a lake through the woods. It was beautiful! And I finally had some shade. I pedalled along at my slow pace, still on the sandy gravel, until I came across a patch of snow. Impossible to ride on, I had to get off and puuuuush. Then back on riding. 200m later, another snow pile. And so it went on for 3 gruelling hours. The sun slowly slanting its way down the sky, my legs and arms begging for it to be over.
It's illegal to ride on the highway in Quebec, but I did it anyway for 3km in a bid to get off the lovely but strength-sapping trail. I hoped a police car would pull me over and give me a ride but none came. Alas, the highway was awful and scary so I gave up on it and found my way back to the trail. When there weren't snow piles, there was sandy sinking gravel or leaf mulch, all of which were shit and tiring. With 10km to go, I felt a wave of self pity roll over me and I cried, still slowly turning the pedals in a bid to get up a tiny slope. What a sad sight I must have been! But there was nobody there too see. I hadn't been past anyone for hours. I slogged out the final kilometres and made it to the Cabano campsite with just enough time to set up camp, shower and skype Dave.
So yeah, fuck today, it was shit. Maybe I will attempt less than 90km tomorrow.
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