Friday 7 August 2009

Chicken fried chicken, tators, biscuits and gravy please












Did we mention slowing down in the last post?! Well, we're not sure where that crazy and pathetic idea came from (we've been beating ourselves up for allowing such weakness to enter our minds, even if only for a fleeting few moments) because these are the distances we've covered in the last week:

1/8: Carbondale, 98.5 miles
2/8: Cave in Rock, 87.5 miles
3/8: Sebree, 55 miles
4/8: McDaniels, 79 miles
5/8: Bardstown, 88 miles
6/8: Berea, 92 miles
7/8: Booneville, 56.5 miles

So that takes us up to a really rather grand total of a mental 3426 miles after 43 days and we can practically smell the salty Atlantic Ocean. Bizarre as it may sound to "normal" people, but the 750 miles or so, including most of the Appalachian mountain range, that we have left seems like nothing to us and we very much feel like we're in the finishing straight. So now it is just a case of savouring the last fortnight or so of what has been one hell of an amazing adventure.

Highlights from the last week have been numerous. Back in Farmington it was a real privilege and the fulfilment of boyhood dreams to stay overnight at the fire station. We had the "Mobile Command Unit", kitted out with TV and sleeping cots, to ourselves and got a very good sleep, but we were disappointed that there was no pole to slide down. Firemen obviously have to work very well as a team, and the necessary spirit is encouraged by a VERY communal toilet facility. See the photo!

On the day that we rode from Farmington to Carbondale we were joined by our buddy Mike Triebwasser who is currently busy doing a PhD at Washigton University in St. Louis, Missouri. It was really great to see him, and also a privilege to ride with a man who won a prestigious cycling Blue at Oxford. Check us out, rolling with the big boys! Also on that day it was rather exciting to cross the Mississippi River and then cycle through a section of its basin. The Mississippi holds an almost mythical status so it was incredible to experience this vast mass of water.

Illinois provided some really nice riding through rolling hills but didn't detain us for long before we entered Kentucky, our penultimate state. Our first night in Kentucky was spent in the First Baptist Church of Sebree and it was quite simply wonderful. We had been told as far back as Colorado that this church was an absolute must to stop at, and all the hype was very much warranted. Cyclists basically get given free run of the church's community facility, including shower, laundry, games room, lounge area and mattresses on the floor, but the best bit is the hospitality provided by Pastor Bob and his wife Violet. Violet's home cooking was SUCH a treat and their genuine kindness was almost overwhelming. They've taken in 176 cyclists this year alone and their reputation is spreading.

In Bardstown we met Kristen and Mark who are cycling the same direction as us and for the last few days we've made up an elite bad-ass biker team of four. We've had a lot of good laughs, mainly of a highly immature and innane nature as is common practice for long distance cyclists, and hopefully we'll continue riding together. We've actually been cycling really well as a group of four, probably much faster than we would just by ourselves, so we think we're going to be able to storm through the Appalachians.

Here in Kentucky we have taken unhealthy eating to new depths and all-you-can-eat fried chicken has become a staple. It is disgusting, but it is simply impossible to say no when it only costs $4.99 a pop! Kentucky is of course home to KFC, but we think there is a niche in the market for KFD (Kentucky Fried Dog). The business model would be to send out loads of cyclists onto the roads, let them be chased by the endless dogs who love nothing more than snap at the colossal calves of us toned atheletes, then trap them in nets, before obviously deep frying them. To be honest, KFC probably serves up dog anyway, so at least our business would be honest and transparent.

So all is going great! We are extremely excited to soon be entering our final state of Virginia. Although we are having the best time ever we are quite looking forward to finishing and becoming normal people again (but probably boring you all with our stories from the trip). The adventure has been all the more worthwhile thanks to our hugely successful fundraising. Indeed it has been so successful that we have raised our target from 5000 pounds to 6000. Please do head to http://www.justgiving.com/robertdstevenson1/ to keep up the good work.

Bye for now folks. We're off to have a nice cold soft drink. A beer would be better but Kentucky is almost entirely dry. That sucks.

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