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| Day 39 - August 5 - Thessalon to Massey 130km |
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| It's another beautiful day when we start out this morning. We have been so lucky with the weather this summer. I can count on one hand the number of times it has rained, and it never lasts long. I have a feeling today will be a scorcher just like the last few. Better reapply the sunscreen before I forget. |
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| We go to McDonalds in Blind River to get a milkshake but their machine is broken. Dave and Al go through milkshakes like I go through sandwiches. I usually get one along with them. DQ makes the best shake hands down, but franchises are hard to come by in these little towns. |
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| The roads are in poor condition between Blind River and Serpent River with huge potholes that swallow my little tires and there are cracks every ten feet. As I pick up speed in hopes of coming onto better pavement, the thrashing and crashing gets worse. Eventually there appears a restaurant. As we pull in, a couple of bikes are there already. One of them belongs to Glenn - the fastest, most experienced racer in our group. |
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| The last 30km I ride fast with Glenn. He coaches me on proper style and technique while I pound the pedals as hard as I can. We maintain good speed on the flat with a slight crosswind. My legs are on fire as I push with maximum force, draining every last ounce of energy while I focus on what he says. "Keep your elbows bent, shoulders relaxed and heels down". The kilometres pile up quickly as I concentrate on Glenn's advice. The next thing he says is, "You're sitting at 40!" and sure enough, a quick glance at my speedometer tells me he's right. This type of riding puts ideas in my head about the possibility of racing next season. It's something I could explore if I were willing to put enough time into it. We get to Massey and Glenn remarks, "Any girl who can ride like that deserves a free milkshake". It's extra satisfying after going hard for the last stretch. I tell Glenn I am willing to do this again. Anything I can do to become a better cyclist is worth more than all the chocolate milkshakes in the world. |
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