Tough Finish

Day 9: Nappanee, IN - Lisle, IL 126 Miles

I got a pretty good night’s sleep last night. The earplugs worked! If I ever get back to Nappanee, IN I will definitely stay at this place. This place reminds me of staying at a Country Inn that is decorated in “early grandma” motif. I ate breakfast at about 6:00 AM and was out the door at about 7:00 AM.

As I headed west on RT 6 I noticed there was practically no head winds at all. I figured the winds would pick up with the heating of the day so I decided to ride as fast as I could until the winds picked up. I rode fast and steady for almost 3 hours! I was making excellent progress. RT 6 in this part of Indiana follows the freight train tracks. There were a few gradual hills (not as flat as Ohio) but nothing that caused me any problems. I just kept riding.

CRASH! In a construction zone in Portage, IN I crashed. The traffic was reduced to a narrow single lane. I was sharing the tight space with semi’s. At one point in the road construction zone, the concrete curbs and gutters had been poured, however there was only one layer of asphalt put down. A flat-bed Semi had pulled alongside me. The deck of the flat-bed bumped my shoulder just a bit. My front tire caught the raised edge of the gutter and I went down hard. I’m sure I was swearing as I got up.

My knee, shoulder, hip, and back were stinging and there was blood running down my arm and leg. I felt my head hit the concrete pretty hard. Good thing I was wearing a helmet! I got up and started to check out my situation and the condition of my bike. I took out some Wet Wipes and tried to stop the blood flow from my elbow. I attempted to bandage the cut but I was too sweaty and the bandage wouldn’t stick. I saw that my right side shifter was bent in and my rear derailleur was damaged. I straightened things the best I could and kept on riding.

I approached south Gary, IN. I was definitely in the “hood” but I noticed that many of the houses and buildings were boarded up. Not much going on there. I finally reached Illinois around 13:00 CDT (crossed the time zone line somewhere a few miles back).I remember from my pre-reading of my maps that things would get tricky trying to follow RT 6 through Gary. I asked for directions and continued on Ridge RD through Lansing, IL. I should have taken a right on Torrance AV. Instead I continued on Thornton – Lansing RD. I weaved through a few suburban neighborhoods and found myself at the intersection of Margaret and Williams Streets in Thornton, IL.

I stopped into a convenience store and bought a couple of Gatorades. I called Alex Mak at the Lisle, IL office to ask for directions to get to IL 83. Alex did a Google Map search and got me re-aligned and back on track. From this point on (other than one “bio break”) I rode directly to Lisle. I got a little confused at the intersection of 171 but remembered that I did NOT want to go that way (experience from living in IL for a few years). I followed 83 to Lemont, IL and then connected to Lemont RD. The final stretch!

Lemont RD, to Woodward in Woodridge, IL. I stopped for just one more Gatorade (hadn’t eaten at all today except for breakfast back in Nappanee, IN). Just a few miles to go! I turned right on IL RTE 53 and headed toward Lisle. Just 3 miles from the office another thunderstorm kicked up. I stopped and put on my rain jacket and once again covered the Arkel with its rain fly. I finished the ride at 15:30 CDT at the Lisle, IL office.

There was a poster on the door congratulating me on the accomplishment, another poster on the door leading toward my cubicle. When I parked at my desk my co-workers were there to congratulate me. They gave me a greeting card and a box with 2 bottles of wine and a quart of beer.

I retreated to the men’s room with a change of clothing and a waste basket. I was going fill the waste basket with some water to wash the sand and dirt off my legs. I sat down at my desk and began to make hotel arrangements for my stay in Lisle. I made a few phone calls to family and friends back in CT letting them know that I made it ok. And that was it.

I covered 129 miles on this final day and yet I wasn’t a bit tired. It felt as if I had just done my regular 20 mile commute to work in the office in Danbury, CT. No big deal. I guess I was just out for another bike ride.

Lessons Learned:

1. You can never over-plan. My months of studying the maps, roads, hotels, and terrain paid off. Although I had never been to most of these towns, I felt as if things were somewhat familiar.
2. Don’t over pack. I had 2 pieces of clothing that I didn’t use. Long biking tights, and long sleeved Under Armour shirt. I would have packed these items anyway just in case I encountered cold weather.
3. No sunscreen on shaded parts of the face. In the heat I had sunscreen and sweat run into my eyes that would smear up my sunglasses, making it difficult to see the debris in the road. I may had gotten fewer flats in the tubes had I been able to see the debris in the road better.
4. When in doubt on directions STOP! The mistake I made in Streetsboro, OH cost me about ½ hour. It is hard to say what would have happened if I had gone straight like I was supposed to on OH 303.

Thanks once again to everyone who “cheered” me on along the way.