The day after returning home from the eclipse, I took my Bike Friday out for a 30-mile spin. It did not go well. For a start, it was a blustery day. I struggled mightily to maintain any speed on the bike at all. This was, after a week of rest, rather discouraging.
That evening I went to the pharmacy for my seventh (I think. I’ve lost track.) covid vaccination. I didn’t sleep well but rode The Mule in intermittent light rain to Friday Coffee Club. A strong tailwind had me cruising along at 15 miles per hour, something that doesn’t happen very often. While at Coffee Club, a front must have passed through because I was rewarded with a second tailwind on the ride home.
Today, I mowed the lawn for the first time in three, very rainy weeks. The mower kept bogging down in the thick grass. It took about 30 minutes longer than normal. Between the covid shot, my lack of sleep, an extremely high pollen count, and the hard mowing effort, I was wiped out when the work was finished. After a lunch break, I decided to go for a short, easy ride.
The Mule made it about a half mile before it broke into a full on gallop. What the heck? Gusty winds were blasting me through the neighborhood. When I turned into the wind, I completely surprised myself by barely losing any speed. What the heck?
The entire ride went like that. Before the ride, I was expecting to be totally exhausted when I got home, but I was invigorated instead. Dang.
On top of this surprising result, my neck seemed to be nearly better. I still lack my full range of motion but the shooting pains up into my head and the muscle spasms that keep my head from turning from side to side seem to be gone. Dang again.
I honestly don’t know what the cause of my neck problems is or are. It could be a whiplash injury from being rear ended while sitting on my recumbent at a stop light last fall. Or maybe something about the transfer of road shock on my CrossCheck was irritating my cervical spine. I stopped riding this bike a few weeks ago. A third possibility is the Big Three back exercises I’ve been doing for the last several months. One of the big three is a side plank that puts stress on my shoulders and neck. Another is a shoulder lift that, when done improperly, can strain the neck. I stopped doing them during my eclipse week off.
After my post-ride shower, I sat down to do some tour shopping. I bought three things from REI: bicycling shorts (I noticed the pair I have been wearing everyday for weeks is starting to fall apart), a very loud air horn (for my canine friends in Kentucky and Missouri), and a first aid kit (something I should have taken on my previous trips).
Next up was maps. Since I haven’t quite figured out where I am going I ordered the following maps from the Adventure Cycling Association: the sections of the TransAmerica Trail that go from Richmond, Virginia to western Missouri, the sections of the Great Rivers South route between Kentucky and New Orleans, and a section of US Bike Route 66 in Oklahoma.
I also printed out updates for each map set. These give information of changes to the routes and services along the way that post-date the production of the maps themselves. From these I learned that one section of the TransAmerica Trail in Kentucky is unusable. The updates provide a work around. I also learned that my destination in Ash Grove, Missouri is no longer viable. The City Park had a building set aside for bike tourists. The city also allowed bicycle tourists to use the adjacent swimming pool. I might just bypass this bit of the TransAm (as I did in 2019) and head directly to Arkansas. (It only shaves 12 miles off the trip.)
The Great Rivers maps are to be used if I call an audible and ride from Kentucky to New Orleans. I am also bringing a map that would guide me from Missouri to Omaha, in case I decide to head a different way once I get to the end of my TransAmerica jaunt.
I still have a couple of things to buy. I need to buy some electrolyte tablets for my water bottles. My hope is that this will stave off cramps. I also need a power pack for my phone.
Next, I will sit down with my itineraries and the map updates and see if I need to adjust my plans.
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
Air horn good idea for dogs. Did you get the bear horn at REI? I should carry one of these too for dogs or even for people when I am out running. I wish I were kidding.
I bought it at REI. Time will tell if it’s any more effective than just yelling