Day 3: Glendale to Ashland (42 miles, 107 total)

Today started out late after we both slept through the alarm. No more watch alarms! My cell phone will have to do from now on. Thankfully, the rains had cleared and left behind cool and sunny weather. We donned our super yellow wind vests which also add visibility to passing cars and headed out. I expected traffic to be a little heavier today as it was Monday. That does not bode well for two cyclists on shoulder-less roads.

Around 16 miles into the day we pulled off into another Richmond National Battlefield Park, this one commemorating the battle of Cold Harbor. I was super excited about the clean bathrooms there. We also met a great local guy named Gary who goes out to the park frequently with the hopes of getting into shape for the Army Reserves. He was so interested in our trip that he gave us a donation on the spot! We gave him a card so hopefully he will check in on our progress.

While Jeff was inside checking out the exhibit, I turned on my cell phone to update my parents on our progress. Instead, I learned that I hadn't been the only one in my family on a bike on Sunday. My dad had had a crash of Tour de France proportions. He hit a patch of water at a high rate of speed, spent the rest of the night in the emergency room, and will spend the next several days in the hospital. He broke 5 upper ribs, his collar bone, got road rash on his left leg and arm, and may have some ongoing damage to his left arm. According to the doctors, had it not been for his helmet, he would not be here today. Please, everyone reading this journal, ALWAYS wear your helmet!

The shock of that news put quite a damper on the day for me but we did get back on the road. In Mechanicsville, we made a much needed detour to a post office to ship home every piece of extra gear we had. I shipped the most, having totally overpacked "off bike" clothing.

The tough thing about biking on a tight budget is that campsites are not convenient to our schedule. Right now they are either 30 or 40 miles apart. Given my back pain, 70 to 80 mile days are only ideas for down the road, but 30 mile days won't work with our schedule either.

We decided to go past the campsite for this night in order to get a few more miles down the road. Ashland was our destination and it is a great town! We biked down Center Street, a street split in half by railroad tracks. After stopping by the local bike shop to inquire further about campsites (non-existent), we biked on to the town information center. As we stood outside the center, a very long train came rolling through. The sound is deafening and shakes everything around, but it is fun to see! Back in the center, we learned that there were many options (with coupons) for hotels just down the road. Good news for us! We decided on a Days Inn that surpassed all expectations. First order of business was showers, the first since Friday night, then it was off to dinner. After the news about my dad, I didn't have much of an appetite during the day. That all changed after I was clean. I was starving! We walked to the Pizza Hut at the corner, stuffed ourselves, then headed to the!
grocery. I needed some Aleve and a hot Epsom salt bath and Jeff wanted a cold beer. We got my stuff but I had forgotten that Ukrops doesn't sell any alcohol. Thankfully, a nearby gas station provided Jeff's favorite Pabst Blue Ribbon in the big can.

Now we're totally relaxing, watching TV, and rehydrating. I cannot wait to sleep WITH a pillow and WITHOUT bruised hips from the hard ground!