Home Stretch

Day 31 - Altavista, VA to South Hill, VA (87 miles and 2,800 feet of climbing)

With clean clothes and bikes, refreshed legs and full bellies of pasta, we are ready to take on the last 4 days. Today, we rode almost entirely on country roads with little traffic and only one small town to pass through before the end point. We passed a lot of family farms, forests, and lumber mills. The weather was perfect; partly cloudy, high of 84 degrees, and a tail/cross wind all day. There were a lot of hills but they are getting smaller now that the mountains are well behind us.

Shannon and I started a little earlier today, so we could get to the hotel around check in. It is always nice to relax a bit after the ride and before dinner. I was happy to get out of our hotel in Altavista because everyone there seemed depressed. Robin and Shannon did not notice anything, so maybe it was just me. Shannon rode strong for 47 miles without a rest stop. Robin lost cell phone reception and got a little lost, so she met us later than expected. All Shannon needed was my second water bottle to continue riding. At one point, two dogs chased Shannon and she got a burst of energy. They quickly returned to their owner when he yelled at them. Other than that, it was a relatively uneventful ride. We are accustomed to riding ~50 miles with no challenges.

Robin met us at an abandoned gas station and we set out for the second half of the ride. She mentioned that she was not feeling great, but she set off anyway. Often, illness can go away after a few miles on the bike as your body starts to focus on the task at hand. She rode strong for 20 miles but felt light headed at the rest stop, so she drove to the hotel with Shannon.

I continued riding for the last 20 miles into South Hill. With the wind behind me, I made good time and was at the hotel at 2:30. The rest of the rides are shorter and flatter than today, so it is all downhill from here.