Jackson, Alabama

Today’s Miles:  0 / Total Trip Miles: 138.7

Just a few photos today - they’re here.

Today is a rest day, which Woman Tours typically schedules after five or six riding days.  But today’s comes after just two days in the saddle because, with yesterday’s 100 mile ride and tomorrow’s ride being just a couple of miles shy of 100, they decided it wasn’t a great idea for us to do back-to-back centuries, at the beginning of the tour, in southern heat and humidity.

And with the way I felt when I climbed into bed last night, I would’ve said they’d made a wise decision:  I was seriously tired; my calves, knees, quads, hamstrings, everything ached. But each time I woke during the night, I could tell that the knots in my muscles were gradually untying themselves and my legs were getting back to normal.  By morning I felt good: I think I would’ve been okay with another long ride today.  I know, I know, that’s easy to say….

So, here we are in Jackson, Alabama, named for President Andrew Jackson and which 5,419 people currently call home.  A one main street town with the omnipresent Wal-Mart on the outskirts.  

This morning, after sitting & chatting with some of the other ladies over coffee in the motel breakfast room, I puttered away the rest of the morning:  wrote yesterday’s blog; put a new battery in my bike’s computer (miraculously, for some reason it held its settings and I didn’t have to input everything - wheel size, mileage, time - anew); wrote letters; cleaned my bike a bit & greased the chain; put a dab of lube on my cleats - they’d been really hard to get unclipped on yesterday’s ride but the lube, thank goodness, seems to have fixed that. 

In the afternoon, I walked the length of town to the post office to mail my letters.  Waiting in line was entertained by two local munchkins.  Walked another short block to Kimbell House and took a photo of its historical marker.  Hmmm, wonder how many markers I can photograph during the tour…?

A bunch of the ladies went to the local buffet restaurant for dinner.  Suffice to say, the company was better than the food.

Today’s weather was quite spectacular:  cool and crisp in the morning, no humidity, almost felt like there was a touch of autumn in the air.  Tomorrow is supposed to be the same - great biking weather!  What a treat and how totally unexpected in this part of the world at this time of year!

Will try to post after tomorrow, Tuesday’s, ride.  If it turns out to be a killer day and I’m totally whipped, it might be Wednesday before I can do it.

Meanwhile know that it brings a smile to my face, watching the number of hits on the “Blog Stats” climb.  Thank you for reading about my UGRR adventure!