I didn’t sleep well last night, probably because I washed down my Subway (the closest place to the hotel) meatball sandwich with a 24 ounce beer.
I did myself proud at the breakfast bar, finishing with two apples and two bananas for the road.
I rode on a local highway to get back to the route, stopping at a Kroger on the way. I picked up some Bel Vita cookies and some flatbread (I ate my tortillas back in Lexington.)
The temperature was already in the 70s so I knew I was in for a warm day.
Back on the road I took Catawba Road west towards Gravelly Ridge. After ten miles I stopped to eat an apple and banana. The two-lane country road was busy with dump trucks. I heard a massive explosion in the distance. Soon I passed Roanoke Cement, the mining company that blows up mountains and processes the rocks (and coal, apparently).
After the mine, I encountered sawtooth terrain, one short, steep hill after another. Combined with the increasing heat, these hills were beating up my legs and my mental state. I pushed The Mule over the top of three of them, all the while thinking how will I ever do the truly big climbs head?
The road surface wasn’t helping. An especially bad part was the descent to a creek bridge full of huge potholes.
I crossed into Montgomery County and the road leveled out. Even better I hit a five-mile section of new asphalt. I stopped for a quick snack before attacking the last third of the day’s miles.
The skies behind me were darkening as a scary looking cloud formation, flat and dark, came over the ridge to my left.
I started to look for shelter as I rode. That porch looks okay. That barn will work. But I kept pedaling, now with slightly cooler temperatures and a strong tailwind. My body and mind were feeling much better.
I knew from the elevation profile in my maps that the ride climbs 500 feet in only a few miles just before the finish. I stopped in the town of Ellett to fortify myself with Gatorade and ice cream at a CSCS.
About two miles later the climb began. I’d ride until my heart and respiratory rates were maxing out. After a few minutes, I’d get back to work. The third time I did this I was weak in the legs, making restarting dangerous; I could wobble in front of a car or into the ditch next to the road.
I pushed The Mule up around a bend and there was the top at last. As it turns out, Christiansburg is at 2,000 feet of elevation.
Once into Christiansburg, I rode to nearby I-81 where my hotel is located. The front desk clerk informed me that it was 89 degrees outside.
As I’m writing this a classic summer thunderstorm erupted outside.
Tomorrow is a short mileage day to a highly recommended Warmshowers host in Draper. They won’t be ready for me until 4 p.m. so I planning on sleeping in.
Miles today: 49.5
Tour miles: 547
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Glad you beat the storm!!! 🙂 🙂 Timing is everything!!
It was a real rocker. Looks like more are on their way
Nicely done. One of my kids went to VT and another to Radford so I have driven that stretch many times. Even on I-81 in a car it seems hilly, so I can only imagine it on a bike! Up ahead, you’ll find the New River Trail, another lovely diversion that you won’t want to take while on tour. Maybe another time…