Day 48: Pensacola to Crestview, Florida
Miles: 66.39 ------------ Total Mileage 2,699.21
Theme: How Hot Can it Get????

I opened the hotel room door this morning and was hit with a wall of heat and humidity! Oh my - it could be a long day if nothing changed! Like all days though, you just have to take it in bite size chunks - and do one mile at a time.

Breakfast in the hotels are getting a little old. Every morning we look around for where things are (coffee, juice, is there any yogurt, toast or bagels, any hard boiled eggs...), trying to decide what looks good... and trying to get enough good food in our bodies to sustain us as we ride. I never thought I would get tired of eating, but I have to admit I am. I don't think I have lost much weight on this trip, but I have definitely added muscle.

After scrounging up things for breakfast I went up to my room, took my luggage to the trailer, followed by the bike. As I rolled the bike out of the room however I noticed the front tire was flat. Guess I knew what I was going to do right away. I took the tire off, got the inner tube out and found the hole. Next steps - determine what made the hole. I felt all around the tire but could not for the life of me find anything. Even Carol checked it out and couldn't feel anything. One is always a bit hesitant when replacing a tube without having found the reason for the flat! Oh well - you have to hope that whatever caused it has been dislodged and won't create a hole in the new tube. Fortunately for me, that didn't happen. I got a new tube on, made sure it wasn't being pinched by the tire and then inflated it. Everyone else was standing around gathering their snacks for the day. I was just about finished pumping when all of a sudden there was a loud BOOM. Tex was standing next to me and jumped over a foot in the air. Several people who were staying at the hotel came out to see who got shot. Yup - you guessed it, no one was shot it was just my new my tube. It exploded! I think it took Tex about 10 minutes to get her heart rate back to normal. I just wanted to make sure everyone was alert and awake before heading out today!

I started the process again, take out the old tube, get a new tube... By this time everyone was taking off. Tex made me a PB & J for me as I worked on my tire. Just as I was getting close to finishing those who started off earlier appeared back in the parking lot. Apparently the directions on the cue sheet were incorrect. Eva got on her "Smarty Pants Phone" and found a different route and off they rode - again! Finally I finished changing the tire, used the restroom and off Tex and I went. Even the new directions were a bit confusing, but with the help of locals we got back on course without any more issues.

I did find that the humidity was taking a toll on me today. I probably felt more tired riding today than any other day of riding on this trip. The humidity was overwhelming. The temperature when we started out was in the mid 80's. OUCH. We did ride on some beautiful tree-lined streets however. Shade created by trees or clouds was greatly appreciated today!

At one point we crossed a long bridge. At the top Tex and I stopped so I could take some photos. There was a boat in the distance with two men fishing. I loved the solitude of the scene. The photos are snapshots of life in the places we pass. There are so many things that have caught my eye on this ride. I think I would still be in Texas if I stopped and took pictures of all the things that caught my interest! As much as I liked Texas, I think it is a good thing that we are beyond that point now!

We finally got onto a bike path which was delightful. It was so nice not to have to worry about traffic for awhile. It reminded me a bit of the Military Ridge Trail in Madison - but it was asphalt rather than compacted dirt. It gave Tex and I and opportunity to chat and kept us entertained as we ticked off the miles. At one point I decided to see if I could get a decent shot of either of us while we were riding. I stuck my camera up and took a photo of Tex and later one of me. They may not be excellent photos, but it will be a good representation of a typical day on the bike.

The humidity never let up today and I felt that it really zapped my energy. At one point I looked down at my thermometer at it read 95. OUCH. Many of us felt quite spent today. It wasn't that the mileage was that long or that the terrain was difficult (the terrain was relatively easy) - it was simply the combination of the heat and humidity. Welcome to Florida!

We were happy to get to our hotel. Once I got in the room I just sat in the cool for quite awhile before attempting to do anything. I was toast by the time I finished today. As I mentioned, I felt more tired after today's ride than I had after any other ride on the entire trip. A cool shower and clean clothes helped refresh me however. I felt human again!

Nancy was doing laundry so called and asked if I had some that I wanted to throw in. I never pass up a chance to wash clothes - so I jumped (okay I probably didn't really jump as I was still a bit tired!) at the opportunity. Mainly I just stayed in the air-conditioned hotel room for the rest of afternoon. Other than write a note to a friend who is ill, I stayed indoors away from the heat and humidity! Tomorrow is our last long day (90 plus miles) --- like always, it is one mile at a time. Hopefully there will be a break in the humidity, and we will get an early start tomorrow (no flats to start off the day)! One day at a time, one mile at a time!