Letting Go

Day 7: Norwalk, OH to Napoleon, OH - 85 Miles

Saturday – Norwalk, OH to Napoleon, OH. When I woke this morning I found my front tire to be FLAT! I took the front tire off and saw that this tube had already been patched once. I patched it again and put it on. The back tire was low on air too. I pumped it up and was determined to stop at the bike shop in Fremont, OH.

The wind wasn’t too bad in the morning, however I ran into a road construction snag. The road I was on (OH 412), going to Fremont, was closed because the bridge over US 20 (divided, limited access highway) was being repaired. I walked up to the bridge to see if there was a construction walk-way over US 20. No such luck. I doubled back to the construction barricade and took notice of the light traffic on US 20. I rode down the entrance ramp to get on US 20 west. Once I got to the end of the ramp I crossed the highway, median, and other side of the highway and went up the exit ramp on the other side. Then I rode into Fremont.

There were a lot of tree limbs on the ground as a result of the storms that passed through the night before. I got to the bike shop where I was greeted by a bike Tech named Jeremy who treated me like a brother, and treated my bike like it was his own. Jeremy is a Firefighter, Tri-athlete, father and seems like a great guy. Jeremy installed new tubes in the front and rear tires and sold me two new spare tubes (along with some Chamois Butt’r, another patch kit and some Power Bars). We chatted a bit more and I shared my interest in nutrition and Guinness (yes the two go hand-in-hand!) I headed out from the shop.

And of course a red winged black bird hovered over my head today!

The rest of the day was windy but uneventful. One thing I want to mention about the wind here. It is deafening. When you hear the wind howling in your ears all day long it can drive you nuts. I had some stretches of road where I was in my lowest hill-climbing gears and barely making progress against the wind. I got a little “lost” in Bowling Green, OH. It gave me the opportunity to hit an ATM for some cash. I found some helpful strangers to set me on my way toward Napoleon, OH; my destination for the night. People seem to be very genuine and helpful when I ask for directions. They always follow up our conversation with “Ride Safe!” This is very cool. Tomorrow I jump back on RT 6 and head for Indiana.

Reflection-7/5/2019

Here it is 11 years since the ride. Although the description of the day, as written when I took the ride is somewhat short, I have often reflected upon the events of this day and how it dramatically changed my life. I will "fill in the blanks here".

When I left Streetsboro, OH two days before, the daytime temperature was getting hotter. The roads were flat and I would ride many miles before I could find water or Gatorade. I was battling head winds every day and it was taking a toll on me mentally. I left Norwalk, OH at the "normal time" and I had found a hotel in Napoleon, OH that I thought would be cheap enough and good enough for the next night. Big storms and tornadoes passed through this part of Ohio last night. I was still having problems with my gears so my main focus on the day was to get to a bike shop and get the bike in good working order.

Temperatures were warm but I hadn't been aware that I wasn't drinking enough water. My digestive system had been "not right" for a couple of days. My knees were sore all the time. My body was beginning to "fail me" before my every eyes and I didn't even realize it was happening.

During my planning and memorization of the route, this section was the most puzzling. I could have stayed on Route 6 but it is not bike friendly out here. I had gotten quite used to riding on busy roads, but I knew I wanted to stay off of some of the busier roads from Norwalk, OH to Freemont, OH. As mentioned above I encountered debris from the previous night's storm.

After I left the bike shop in Freemont, I rode west in the intense heat. I had filled up both of my water bottles at the shop so I seemed to be prepared for the remainder of the day's ride. I didn't factor in the wind, heat, and my over-all fatigue. I ran out of water on RT 6 north of Weston, OH. I stopped and found shelter at a Motorcycle / welding shop along the roadside. Latitude / longitude location is here: 41.372097, -83.799299. I was out of water, completely exhausted and mentally spent. I sat down at a picnic table under the small metal shelter. Just to rest and think. There was a water faucet near-by, however there was a pad-lock on it. No water. As I sat in the heat I started to run through some options in my brain. What was I going to do next.

After about 15 minutes of just "sitting there" I received a text message from a co-worker in IL. It simply asked - "You OK?" Something about getting this text message at this exact moment seemed to be just what I needed to keep on going. I gave a polite "I'm OK" response and kept on riding.

This was the day I would finally "Let Go" of my mental baggage. It was during this day I figured out the important things in life and what things were not worth worrying over. It was on this day I decided I would quit my job because I had tortured myself enough for the last 10 years. It was on this day that my attitude on everything was changing. I had physically taken my body to the limit.. to the point of cracking. I could have made some phone calls and arranged to get myself into a rental car and drive to my destination.

But I decided to continue my ride.