I've been riding all day and resting in my spare time. I've had a hard time writing anything for some reason, so my post is a little disjointed. I know I'm close to the end of the trip, but I feel really apprehensive about dogs, and I know the next week and a half or so is going to be hard. 

07/15/2015

I stayed in a Baptist Church last night, after riding 115 miles. That's the longest bike ride I've ever done. Surprisingly, I wasn't even in super bad shape at the end of it. My ass hurt, and my back was a little sore, but other than that, I was doing okay. The countryside, as promised, is gorgeous. Rolling hills (my favorite ), forests, farmland (they grow tobacco here, by the looks of it!), and minimal traffic. A cycling paradise. 

07/16/2015

I'm at a convenience store this morning feeling like complete shit, drinking a cup of coffee, contemplating my demise. This convenience store is like a new York deli that didn't quite make it, so it got transplanted to Western Kentucky, where it seems to be doing alright. It has that vibe like it's never been cleaned, or is constitutionally impossible to clean; the summer heat and humidity makes it feel like everything has a thin layer of greeeeze  on it. To top it off, two Indian dudes run the place. My own little slice of Nyc. 

Pepper sprayed a dog yesterday. This big fucker came rocketing toward me so fast I thought I heard a sonic boom in his wake. Its mouth was rhythmically opening and closing to the beat of its barks, revealing saliva covered teeth. What it didn't contend with was the fact that I came prepared. I nailed it right in the face. After hearing one too many stories about cyclists getting rabies shots after getting bitten by dogs, I'm not taking any chances. I'm just freaked out, that's all. What happens if I miss, and some dog bites me, or worse, gets caught up in my wheels? Constant vigilance is the name of the game, I guess. Only another 500 miles in Kentucky! 

I made it 80 miles today, all the way to a town called Bardstown. Apparently this is the bourbon capital of the world! I might stay a day and explore a little. I also might bike to Berea. I met a guy named Greg today on the road. He treated me to lunch at a little hole in the wall joint in some little town. It was delicious. Greg was really cool, and it felt really good to bike with another human being. I don't think I've biked with someone else since Colorado. Having someone to talk to really make the time fly by. Greg offered an interesting perspective on touring. Instead of trying to make it to the end as fast as possible, he decided that he needed to savor these last 1000 miles. For him that meant taking lots of detour and doing 40 mile days.  I think I'm going to take sort of a middle road; maybe not riding 100 miles a day, but also not riding 40.