Half Century

I am going to be out of town this weekend without the bike and so needed to get in Saturday's 40 miles early.  I decided last night to do it today.  As I pondered where to ride I decided to go a bit further and try for a round trip to work and back.  I set the alarm on my phone for 4:00am and was out the door about 4:20. 

Because I was going out so early and daylight was more than an hour away I fashioned a headlight by using one of my wife's hair ties to hold a flashlight to the handlebar.  It worked great until the batteries died. 

I started out well and was very confident in my abilities to get to and from work in the time allotted.  As I got about 4 miles from work I began to think I had gotten close enough and could turn around now.  I decided to push through and keep going.  I made it to work in about two hours.  I did not even stop and started the trek home.  The thoughts now turned to "who could I call to have come and pick me up?"  My mom (and more importantly her truck) was only a few miles away.  I also thought that maybe I could call a co-worker who did not live too far and my bike could fit in his back seat.  Again I pushed through and kept going.

I drove past the same spot I sat and waited for rescue when I had my first flat.  I stopped there for a moment and texted my wife to let her know I had gone too far, was tired, and needed her help.  I asked her to lay out my clothes because I knew by the time I finally made it home I would have to rush to get ready for work. 

I made it all the way back to the house!  I felt so exhausted but also so accomplished.  There wasn't time for celebration, rest, or much of anything else - I only had 20 minutes to get ready for work and get out the door.

Total Round Trip: 50 Miles Exactly (according to Google)