I began today with a nice medium-sized breakfast (compared to what I have been eating) that consisted of a bowl of yogurt, granola, and fruit. I jumped on my bike at 6:30am and continued to follow the Mississippi River for about 30 miles.
I knew there was a trail head coming up that would take me pretty close to Madison, so I WAS looking forward to that. When I got there, it was another story. As it turns out, the trail is not paved the entire way. Yes, over 100 miles of unpaved ickiness for a roadbike with thin tires. I only knew this because I passed another distance cyclist just as I was entering the trail and deciding what to do. He convinced me that the trail was good and pretty smooth throughout with the exception of one portion by La Crosse that had crushed limestone.
I ended up riding approximately 10 miles on the trail before I got sick of it. I got off and searched my phone for another route. I ended up getting on 14, which would take me all the way to Madison, which was awesome. Cycling through La Crosse sucked. The roads were absolutely terrible and it was bumpy enough that my rear light fell off. Eventually things evened out and I was back in the countryside.
Today was long. Really long. In addition to it being the longest ride of my life so far, I had to deal with the fact that I wasn't in Boston today. I did not accomplish my secondary goal of getting to the Atlantic by today. I even listened/watched the Boston Pops concert on my phone as the darkness rolled in and I still had about 20 miles left.
If I hadn't booked my room in Madison the night before, I think I would have called it quits at mile 100 or so. How I did the additional 83 miles was beyond me.
I eventually got to Madison and jumped in the hot tub, but not before consuming an entire Chipotle burrito bowl. I cannot even tell you how much I ate/drank today - it was pretty incredible. I also think I have a new favorite drink - blue Gatorade. This stuff really kept me going today!
Short 94-mile jaunt to Milwaukee tomorrow.