I Tried Not To Cry. Michael Beattie
elbows are sore, as well as my legs. Am I crazy? Stay focused!
It is another thirty-degree start as the cold air slapping my face wakes me up and removes any cobwebs that are still in my head. This is real, and I’m not going to quit or turn back. Damn, it’s cold! Being a stubborn competitive person, the only way home is for me to finish what I started. It’s a cold uphill climb out of the small town of Amenia, as I sorely make my way up and through the Taconic Crest area of mountains, taking me past some of the most beautiful areas of farmlands in this mid area of New York State. The temperature slowly rises, allowing me to remove my gloves and headgear, as I search for a place to maybe stop for a hot coffee. There’s nothing available to stop at for a break, so I continue on until I reach an area just on the outskirts of Poughkeepsie.
It’s midmorning when I arrive in Poughkeepsie and find a small convenience store that makes fresh breakfast sandwiches to order. So, along with a second coffee, I consume a second breakfast sandwich as I converse with some local men who seem like regulars to this establishment. We all sit at high table chairs by the window area so I can keep an eye on my bike and gear. The questions are fired at me from all sides, as we talk of hungry veterans and their fight for survival on the streets. “Where did you start from?” “How far are you going?” “How old are you?” “Are you a veteran?” Then the “Thank you for your efforts” came at me, along with the handshakes, as most of these fellows are veterans themselves and aren’t afraid to share their stories with me. They ask me of my gear, and how I came about doing this journey, as many of them try their luck at the lottery tickets. Suddenly my pains are slowly being erased as I feel good once again about my mission. I needed a good uplift, and these fellows assured me that my mission is needed. I hand them each a begging card as I say my goodbyes and exit out the door and down the road. They all give me their blessings and thank me again as I slowly mount my bike.
I’m anxious to cross over the Hudson River on a pedestrian bridge called the Walkway over the Hudson. This 1.28-mile-long, 212-foot-high elevated pedestrian bridge which spans over the Hudson River is the second longest in the United States. Completed in 2009 by using an old existing run-down railroad bridge, it was rebuilt and paved to connect Poughkeepsie and Lloyd, which is a hamlet of Highland. In addition to spectacular views of the river, there are snack areas as well as a restaurant along its span. This morning, there’s nothing open, as it’s a windy cold ride across its span. After the crossing, I’m put on a very nice rail trail for a good distance before I’m dumped back onto the road again. The map and its directions are quite confusing at this point, forcing me to stop often to get my bearings. My day from here consists of mostly flat riding past farms, many of which lie alongside the Wallkill River. Once arriving in the city of Wallkill, the road signs are extremely confusing as I ride an extra three miles out of my way before realizing I’m lost. I’m able to Google Maps my way back to the mapped route, but I’m not happy with having to do the extra miles, half of which are uphill. A series of secondary roads finally puts me into a much busier Port Jervis. My motel sits high on a hilltop overlooking the busy Interstate 84. I have to walk up the steep grade to the motel as I’m just too exhausted to ride another foot.
After checking into my room with my bike and gear, I struggle to strip off my clothes and head for the shower. I stand in the hot shower with my head down. Dear God, give me the strength to continue, as the hot water feels so good against my aching body. My knees are killing me, and my legs feel like mush. It seems hard to believe all the training I did prior to my departure isn’t helping me much. I can’t believe I feel this bad after just two days of riding, and I must put the blame on all the extra weight of the gear I’m pulling, along with the fact I’m still fighting a sickness. I had to eat ibuprofen during the day to help keep my mind off the soreness of my hands, elbows, knees, and my sore butt. Only two days out of six months, and already, I feel this worn out. The only positive thing is my lungs seem to be doing well as I continue to take my medications. This was my biggest concern prior to leaving, and I think the cool clean air is doing them good.
I hobble down to the ice machine in order to get ice for my knees. While icing my knees I order a pizza to be delivered to my room, as there’s no way I’m going anywhere to get food. If I had been thinking straight, I could have picked up something on my way to the motel, but I wasn’t. All I could think of was getting to a hot shower. Pizza is what it’ll be as I can’t move, and I don’t care about the cost or nutritional effects right now. I just want food. I’m hungry, sore, and tired, and still have to research how far I think I can travel tomorrow for lodging. As I ice my knees, I use my notebook and search for lodging. The closest thing I can find is approximately seventy miles away, so I call and book a room at a chain motel in Easton, Pennsylvania. That will be a bit shorter than today’s ride, and if I remember from my previous training ride, it’s a mostly flat ride. The food arrives, and I have no problem consuming a large pizza by myself. Prior to this, I consumed a bag of peanuts for the needed protein, which must be consumed as soon as possible after riding, in order to avoid muscle issues. Man, this is going to be a tough journey, without a shadow of a doubt! I’m developing small pimples on my butt now, which I’m afraid will turn into sores, so I apply ointment to that area. My not riding prior to my departure due to lung problems seems to have put me behind physically, but despite everything that hurts, I’m still excited to hit the road tomorrow again. Each day is a different journey with different scenery to observe as well as a variety of people to speak with each time I make a stop. I feel blessed to be able to attempt this ride. My bed waits for me.
Chapter 5
The East Coast Tests My Limits
Once again, I sleep like a baby all night, despite the highway noise, which doesn’t seem to affect my almost comatose body. I pack up quickly and head to the continental breakfast which is offered at the motel. I take my morning supplements along with ibuprofen with the juice that’s offered. Bagels with cream cheese and two coffees fill me up along with fruit for the ride as I depart into the twenty-nine-degree early morning start. It’s hard to describe how sore I am, as I mount the bike and coast down the hill toward New Jersey. After a short ride which takes me below the Interstate 84, I enter the state of New Jersey and ride alongside the Delaware River. It’s cool riding along the river on the windy and somewhat narrow roadway, which eventually takes me to the town of Montague, where I enter the Delaware River Water Gap National Recreation Area. The not well-maintained paved road parallels the river to my right, as I dodge a continuous series of potholes that can easily end my ride if I don’t pay close attention. The Appalachian Trail is to my left, and the Delaware River to my right, as the sun is slowly warming the air to the point where I can remove my gloves and an outer layer of clothes.
It stays cool as the mountains to my left block the sun’s rays from hitting me as I move along this remote area. The only traffic I encounter all morning is that of the high population of white-tailed deer, which dart across in front of me often, as I have to keep a constant vigil to not hit one, as my quiet riding allows me to almost sneak up on them. My route takes me to the small town of Columbia where I stop at a bagel shop in an old railroad station and consume a bagel with cream cheese and a large strong coffee. This seems like a nice little town where I’m able to converse with quite a few people regarding my journey, many of whom are cyclists also, and are here for a break. I hand out my cards. The sun has warmed the day as I cross the river into Pennsylvania and continue to ride with the water now on my left side. The road does a series of climbs and descents before putting me in Riverton, where I’m able to grab a sandwich for lunch at a café. The ride continues as I cross back onto the New Jersey side of the river again. The sights and sounds of nature, including many birds of prey along the watershed area, help take my mind off the discomforts that I’m experiencing. It’s a quiet day as far as traffic is concerned on the New Jersey side of the river, as I’m able to take up the whole road as I deem fit. There is something to be said about the solitude I’m experiencing, along with the smells that some early spring sprouting vegetation is producing along my route.
As the day wears on, I’m getting very tired once more. I enter the town of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, still having to cross over the river into Easton, Pennsylvania, where my motel is located. I spot a small Italian eatery called the La Bella Via just before the bridge area that I need to cross and decide to stop here for dinner.