the hills of pennsylvania in earnest

What was a light tinkle of rain upon the tent when I went to sleep last night was a steady onslaught from above when I awoke this morning. Very happily, not a drop of it had reached my cozy cocoon inside. I was up very early as it was my team's turn for breakfast duty. As I walked back to our campsite from the bathroom, many of the riders had turned on a lantern or flash light inside their tents, and the multi-colored lit up tents look like little gum drops dotting the landscape. I realized that, while I'm generally a failure at putting up my tent, I kind of love it. The simplicity that a life on the move enforces is something I've come to savour.

I was really itching to mail in my visa application, and despite having to ride 100 miles today over hilly Pennsylvania, I was aiming to make it to Gettysburg in time to mail it, so I jetted out in the morning. Despite a flat tire, I made really good time, and the morning got even better when I spotted a Hardee's near the first checkpoint (I simply do not possess the ability to say 'no' to their cinnamon raisin biscuits). However, it turns out that the first bit of the ride was the easy bit. It got far hillier after the first checkpoint. However, I carried on at a good clip to the lunch stop. At that point, I ate very nearly my weight in food. I generally try to keep lunches light, but today I was absolutely famished. The last twenty miles of hills had completely depleted me of energy.

After stuffing myself full of all the food I could get my hands on, I took off with Caitlin with me this time. However, we got turned around heading out of the park that served as the lunch stop, and went several miles out of the way. Grrr, my plan for getting into Gettysburg to mail my application was not looking good. The hills we encountered throughout the afternoon were actually really rough and seemingly endless. As soon as we'd trudge ourselves up one, another one would show up. And another. And another. My rear end was so displeased with the whole matter, that, on multiple occasions, it threatened to resign and seek employment elsewhere. While the hills were not to my liking, the roads in Pennsylvania were fairly good for cycling. As Daria put it in her blog...

I have been very impressed with the cycling routes in Pennsylvania. In addition to the vast rail trail system that we rode on the last two days, Pennsylvania maintains a series of routes on its roads to provide cyclists with bicycle routes that cross the state. These routes were created throughout the 2000s. Much of the credit for this system goes to Former Governor Tom Ridge, an avid cyclist.

I had all of my visa application papers with me, and I was desperate to find a place to mail it today. I mean, I was seriously down to the wire -- if I don't get it mailed in soon, then there was no way I'd make my flight back to England. As we carried on battling the brutal hills through the afternoon, I began to realize that I wouldn't make it to a post office today either. I got more desperate and I got more grumpy, and poor Caitlin had to deal with me.

When we stopped in a cornfield to... powder our noses, I had a proper temper tantrum. A few years ago, I was in the airport on my way somewhere, and our flight had been delayed and delayed, and we were all tired and fussy, and I saw a little girl throw herself down on the ground and have a real temper tantrum, limbs flailing, mouth wailing. At the time, I was so exhausted and frustrated, I could think of nothing I'd rather do than throw myself on the ground beside her and join in. Ever since that time, I've lamented the social unacceptability of temper tantrums for adults. Sometimes it's just necessary. While, until this point, I've avoided having one myself, on this day, it was unavoidable.

It was cold. It had rained all day long. I have no visa. I have no post office. I have no life plan. I have no future. Or so I was telling myself. The inability to find a post office had spiraled out of control into a full blown life crisis. So I jumped up and down and cried and stomped. It felt amazing. Like gloriously amazing. Everyone should try it. Would most highly recommend it.

We carried on to a gas station just up the road, and went on what can only be described as a feeding frenzy. Despite stuffing myself at lunch, I was famished again. These hills took every bit of energy in me and drained it right out. I was so exhausted and out of it, I walked around the store four times looking for a Coke, and only found it when Caitlin asked me why I was tromping about and pointed out the Coke. I persuaded Caitlin to join me in my feeding frenzy, and we sat on the floor of the gas station munching on an appetizer of donuts while a pizza was baked for us and I continued my tantrum. Caitlin should get a medal for dealing with me that day.

We sat on the floor a while longer staring out the window and willing the rain to stop. We were still 20 miles away from Gettysburg, but I felt like I'd already ridden 200 that day. We were so exhausted. Lynn, one of the crew members, came along. We solicited a pep talk. We were staying in dorms for the upcoming rest day (hooooray!), so we asked all of the vital questions -- do we get a towel? do we have internet? do we get our own room? can a fairy come along and carry us the rest of the way?

We finally mustered up the energy to walk out into the cold, cold rain and get back on our bicycles. We plowed through the last 20 miles, fuelled by pizza and coke, and I've never been so happy to see a town as I was to see Gettysburg.

Before today, I was getting really sad that our trip was nearing an end. After today's really tough ride, I'm not so sure I'm so sad to see it all end. I think they make today's ride like it is to kind of ween us off the Big Ride. If that was their intent, I've fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.