Thoughts from a Kentucky Library

We've looked at a lot of topography maps as we try to plan our alternate route. It looks like rolling hills from here until the Rockies, which is fine with me. I love biking through sine waves. The mountains, on the other hand, were so physically and emotionally draining that I thought I might cry. There is something so demoralizing about turning a corner and seeing more uphill, mile after mile. My first instinct, just like when I run, is to start out fast and try to maintain. This doesn't work for miles and miles of mountains. When this instinct starts to take over, I try and channel Bill Lott's eternal words of wisdom, heard most often during the third lap of the mile: "DON'T SHOOT YOUR LOAD."
(For those of you not fortunate enough to be former Henderson High School track stars, Bill Lott was our coach, a man fueled by narcotics and a love of the sport.)

I compare biking to running constantly. Some behaviors will never change - I speed up around corners and at the tops of hills, I time mile splits, I look behind me to make sure no one is catching up. But I'm learning to relax a little on the bike, which is helpful, because I'm usually on it for 5-7 hours a day. The ipod is good for this. I never ran to music, but I think that it helps me feel a little less competitive when I'm biking. My competitive instinct is hard to explain, and even harder to justify on this trip. When we ride, Jon is always in front. I'm second, and Iris is generally a minute or two behind me. Every day, I stare at Jon's back and focus completely on cutting the distance between us. Some days I can keep up, but most days he loses me after a few miles. At first I assumed that I was the only one playing this internal game, but now when I catch up to Jon at stopping point, he makes a point to tell me exactly how many minutes he's been waiting.

Anyway, filling my ipod with upbeat music makes it a little easier for me to let go of my competitive spirit, especially around mile 50 or 60 when it isn't in the best interest of my legs to be pushed any harder than necessary. Here's a sample playlist:

In Other Words - Ben Kweller
Bad Best Friend - Nada Surf
Dr. Jones - Aqua
Frontwards - Pavement
You!Me!Dancing! - Los Campesinos
Shake It - Metro Station
The entire "The Best Of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Elektra Years"
Walcott - Vampire Weekend (Sidenote: I did a lot of hating on the VW album. I take it all back.)
Apple Blossom - The White Stripes
Get 'Em High - Kanye and Talib
Lots of remixes.

So that's in case any of you want to recreate this playlist and go for a bike ride and emulate my life. There are a lot more songs that I listen to, but these are my current favorites.

A LOT of you have expressed dismay, hostility, and straight-up rage that I haven't updated more frequently. You must understand that writing esoteric prose for this particular demographic has proved difficult at best, since I wish to a) be truthful, yet b) maintain some sense of propriety. Plus, sometimes it is hard to find internet, and when I do, sometimes I just want to read the news.