But, before I forget. Here is a chance to win an 8 x 10 matted print of your favorite photo from the blog this past year. Come 1 January 2012, I will randomly choose a name from the Biking for Food LIKE list. If you haven't LIKED the page, here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Biking-For-Food/195617567118633
Just hit LIKE and you are automatically entered.
For the 100 miler, I parked at the Old Missouri Trail Head, which would be perfect for the return as it's just around the corner from Mellow Mushroom. I got to the trail a bit later than I had intended, which would normally be fine but with the shorter days, I was afraid of running out of daylight. I packed my headlamp, just in case, as I was determined to get the 100 miler in.
The day was supposed to warm up into the mid 50s but it started out in the 30s. Dressed warmly against the cold, I headed north on the trail. The intent was to pedal for a couple of hours then head back to the truck and shed the warm gear. I was in a bit of a cranky mood to start, which is not the best way to approach a 100 miler. But I had hoped that after riding for awhile my mood would change. Coming across these early morning shadows on the Lake Fayetteville bridge certainly helped.
The day warmed up quickly and I was rather sweaty by the time I returned to the truck. I wasted no time changing gear as I already was calculating how many miles I had to cover in how much time to get back not only before dark but in time for the party as well. The plan was to head south down to Winslow and then come back north. This meant riding into a headwind for quite some time. But, hopefully, the wind would not change directions and I would have a nice tailwind on the way back.
I was in the mood for taking pictures but because of the time, that meant picture taking would be limited.
Not too far down on the trail, I came upon a figure from the rear whose torn coat I recognized; I had passed this man a few days earlier walking on the trail but I never saw his face because he had his hood pulled up.
As I approached, he stopped and turned sideways, backing up to the edge of the trail as if to allow room in a narrow theater aisle for me to pass. I slowed and asked if everything was okay. He sort of shrugged and said he was tired from walking the trail all night.
I knew the answer but I asked, why have you been walking all night?
I'm homeless.
I don't recall the exact order of the conversation but I talked with Michael for several minutes. I asked how long he had been homeless and he said 50 days; this was when he lost his car. I thought it interesting that as long as he had a car Michael didn't consider himself homeless.
How did you lose your car? "In a wreck. I ran a red light." He is from Springdale and he tried to find places to park around the area but kept getting shooed away. He was told that Tulsa might be friendlier to cars parked overnight. He didn't find that to be the case. He did mention having a place at one time but that the landlord would come in whenever he wanted and that Michael was afraid that the landlord was trying to poison him. I didn't ask him where he slept now.
I asked him where he ate and he said the convenience store. But he seemed very concerned about arsenic in the food chain. In fact, even without prompting, that what was of the first things he said to me was that he thought all the food was poisoned. He drank a Coke but was afraid that there was strychnine in it so he threw it out. He didn't mind drinking Gatorade. Same with a Bic Mac. He got one but was afraid it had arsenic so he threw it out.
I asked him if he knew about Community Meals and he said no. I informed him about it, every Monday and Wednesday and let him know he could get a very good meal there. He seemed interested and I hope he comes.
I asked if I could take his picture and he seemed delighted I asked. He had a nice smile and I wish I was able to capture that but he became very serious for the picture. I wanted to take several more but the flash kept going off and that seemed rather intimidating. It was frustrating for me since I just had to switch back to this camera and couldn't recall how to turn it off.
On Wednesday, I wrote about meeting another personality, Juan from Peru. That person was totally fictional. As I was taking pictures of the gables, one thing led to another and I created this character who took pictures of only gables. It seemed like a fun sidebar to the blog and I always intended to fess up the next day ( as I am doing now). But, Michael is real. He is most definitely very real.
We shook hands and said goodbye and I was very glad I had stopped. A few minutes later, as if to confirm the wonderful encounter I had with Michael, the sun poked out and there was a sudden warming in the air. That brought a smile to my face. Of course, the rise in the temperature seemed to be a cue for the thermals and winds to kick in as well.
A door on Hwy 71 heading out of town caught my eye.
The forecast had called for 10-13 mph winds but it was most definitely stronger than that. The full brunt was really felt as I made my way down Hwy 71 by Drake airport where there is a big open valley and the wind was able to pour in unabated. But, my new attitude with the wind still held true; I wasn't bothered by the wind as much as I was concerned that my time was slowed; I took great faith on the return ride.
There was no time to stop for a real lunch, so I made do with quick stops and munching down some nuts or nut bars, figs, dates and washed down by coffee; coffee definitely kept me going yesterday which I carried in an insulated cup in the bottle cage. The stop for a bottle of chocolate milk was also tasty.
Riding four hours into the wind counting on the return trip is a bit like trudging up a big hill in the snow in anticipation of the sled ride down. Getting down to Winslow, I went down CORD 38 a few miles until I hit the 50 mile mark where I happened to take a quick break next to the bullet ridden sign below.
The wind was indeed with me on the way back and I made great time. I even managed to pass a moving car; so what if he was running out of gas and sputtering to a stop, it was a wonderfully odd sensation to have to move into the left lane to pass it. A few moments later, it came to rest halfway in the right lane and halfway in the shoulder.
Going up the trail from Dickson, time gave in to the way the lighting was hitting the bridge and tracks.
I spent the last 20 miles zipping back and forth on the trail, a good place to be in the wind and during later afternoon traffic. The party was at 6:00 and it looked as if I was going to finish by 5:30. When I finally did stop, one of the first things I did was call Mellow Mushroom and ordered a pizza so that i would be waiting for me when I arrived.
I was a bit shaky from the cold that had resettled back in and from the coffee buzz, but it was a wonderful ride made only that much better by the great gathering of Roadies afterwards.
1 December Ride: 8hrs 4mins (Actual time: 8hrs 45mins). 39°-56° 15mph+ winds. Miles YTD: 9,601.18
Number of miles per day needed to reach 10,000 miles by the end of the year: 13.29
Donations for Biking for Food, which support the Community Meals at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, AR, can be sent to: Biking for Food, St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 224 N. East Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72701
Or, make a pledge per bike miles ridden at www.stpaulsfay.org/bikingforfood.html.
To see older postings, search the Archives listed on the right had panel.
To see postings before 30 November 2011, please go to www.mylifeasabike3.blogspot.com
To see postings before 15 August 2011, please go to www.mylifeasabike2.blogspot.com
To see postings before 11 June 2011, please go to www.mylifeasabike.blogspot.com
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