Natchez Trace Tour – One Week to Go

My plan was to do another monster ride this week in preparation for the tour but I decided that would be unpleasant and unnecessary. I did manage to fit in a 44 miler and a 53 miler. The former was mostly on level ground against a howling wind. What’s with the winds these days? Winds are as good as hills in my book so no worries. I do hope that I don’t end up spending a week crawling into a headwind. I survived the Wind River Basin in 2022 but I was gassed when I rolled into Dubois, Wyoming at the end of an 80- or 90-mile crawl.

The 53 miler was a hilly ride to the impossibly lovely town of Clifton, Virginia. The whole affair included something like 1,900 feet of climbing. I rode there then had a light lunch. I decided to take a hillier route back and it worked out just fine. Yesterday I rode to Friday Coffee Club with a light tailwind. Despite being half asleep I rode like a beast. Afterwards I took a side trip to take in some of DC’s famous cherry blossoms. It ended up being an easy 34 miles. Today, with temperatures pushing into the 70s and light winds I rode another effortless 34 miles. I could have gone much farther but I came home to watch the baseball game.

Last summer my leg strength seemed to dissipate after only a few miles. I felt anemic for the rest of the day. It made for a miserable bike tour. It felt like I had aged a decade over the previous year. Somehow over the last couple of weeks, my legs have sprung back to life. It’s very encouraging.

There are several factors that seem to be helping. First, I mostly am riding in shorts. Riding (or running) in long pants has always seemed to be a struggle. Second, I am drinking much more water. When I cover my mouth with a neck gaiter or buff, I tend to drink much less while riding. Third, I have finally found a combination of exercises and a seat position that have eliminated my neck and upper back pain. Fourth, warm weather just floats my boat.

I have only six more riding days before I pack up the car and head south. I think I’ll take another trip to see some blossoms, but otherwise it’s time to taper. Next Saturday I begin the two-day drive to Jackson, Mississippi. The day after that, the 7th, there’s a day riding in a van to Natchez followed by a 12-mile bike ride to see the sights. That’s effectively three days off. I should be ready to rumble when I head north from Natchez on the 8th of April.