The Big Tune-Up

I just picked up Gladys, the bike which set sail 1000 ships, from Alter Ego Sports. They were kind enough to do a basic check up on my little mechanical baby for free and hopefully have me running smooth for the remaining 2000km. (Dear, sweet, merciful crap it sounds like a long way when you say it out loud)

I spent the day around the Peg and finally got to enjoy a nice dinner with family friends, the Betkers. I'm now waiting impatiently for Jake & Jess to return and amuse me before I pass out for the evening. I did notice rather interesting news in the weather today as a tornado warning was just issued for the Winnipeg area. I could be making incredibly good time tomorrow, I'm just not sure in what direction.

Given that I'm almost at the half way point of this journey, I thought I'd take a minute and recap (ok, the half way point is closer to the MB-ON border, but I actually have a laptop in front of me right now and would rather this than trying to type on my puny little iPhone screen). I'm nearly 3 weeks in and I feel fantastic. My body has been holding up quite well, and I've lost AT MOST 5lbs (I have been eating more than a black hole). My ankle has been giving me some trouble, however when it chooses to act up, I simply give it a time out and tell it to go sit in the corner. You just need to be stern these days otherwise who knows how these kids will grow up.

Mentally, I'm doing good, however very few people would call me normal to begin with. As I mentioned previously, I think the only reason I'm able to do this trip is because I'm already crazy. I have however noticed some slight changes in my way of life, as well as a great many bits of wisdom which I have acquired:

- My '5 second rule' has become a '5 minute rule'

- I find walking to be painfully inefficient and awkward

- One beer can now give me a slight buzz, particularly if chugged directly after dismounting

- Strangers are the best friends you have yet to meet

- I no longer think in days of the week, merely locations

- I no longer think in time of day, merely distance traveled

- I laugh uncontrollably whenever I see 'Prevent Dutch Elm Disease' signs because the first time I saw one, I read it as 'Prevent Dutch Oven Disease'

- I have developed an unfounded fear of bears, entirely due to my dreams

- I have developed a founded fear of hawks, entirely due to my reality

- I will openly talk about my bum within 5 minutes of meeting a complete stranger

- I am aware that the yellow liquid in pop bottles in the ditch is not, in fact, ginger ale

- Spontaneously breaking out into song is not only acceptable, but at times required

- I have managed to fit 9 meals into a day: breakfast, leakfast, brunch, blunch, lunch, linner dunch, dinner, and bedtime snack.

- Jacob recently discover a 10th, lunchfast, which is quickly becoming my favorite meal of the day

- Wearing bike shorts can create a phenomenon for men which I like to call 'mamel toe'

- 90% of my road diet is consumed in bar format; the remaining 10% is nuts, juices and insects

- I can setup a tent faster than most people can make a bed

- I have developed an inexplicable love and fascination for truck drivers, though I have never spoken to one for more than 30 seconds on this trip

- I talk to my bike... a lot

It's the people I've met on this trip who have been the inspiration for getting out on the road day after day. Every time I am in contact with someone on the road, it pushes me forward and reminds me why I'm doing this. Each little note, smile, wave, email, phone call and honk, uplifts me just enough to keep me going another 5km... 10km... 100km... 1000km.

When I'm alone, I've had to develop mantras and sayings which help me get through rough days. Some days when I feel like I'm as low as I can get, it only takes one little sentence to make me start laughing and completely turn my day around. Some of them don't even make sense to me, others are inside jokes that I'll never be able to explain to another living soul. There is however one which I seem to gravitate towards more often than not, which I read on a website just before leaving on this trip:

If I wanted to get there faster, I wouldn't be riding a bike.

www.prairiepedal.com