Day 19

Did I mention my left knee?

 

After the first 15k I knew that something was not right on the left, so I backed down to 10k between ice packs and time on the couch.  However, on or about the 47 km mark, I don't believe I actually heard the three popping sounds, but I sure felt them.  After waking from a two-hour sleep, Maciek read me the riot act regarding stopping cycling.  However, being the pig-headed Christie that I am, I put on the bee suit and the shoes and told him we were trying 10k or less.  The good news was that I did about 13k mostly pain free with little or no physical impairment to cycling.  I then finished the day by peddling into the beautiful town of Deep River, Ontario, where we are now.

 

As for tomorrow, the first thing I am doing is heading to the hospital to get some advice on what the heck happened and what I can do about it.

 

What I didn't mention yesterday and also need to mention today is that anyone who hasn't traveled the road called highway 17 east of North Bay, needs to.  This is without a doubt some of the most beautiful country with foothills, watersheds, and nature all around you.  The hills east of North Bay are also without a doubt the steepest and longest that I have had to climb (my left knee as proof), however, despite a day that was hard on me and equally hard on Maciek, I wouldn't miss the scenery for the world, and am quite cognizant that it has been a privilege to have been so lucky to have been able to pain my way up and down every foothill that I met.

 

One other thing I should mention - never in my life have I seen black flies that are so relentless as they are here.  I swear that if they all got together, they could have picked me up,  bike and all, and lifted me over some of those hills.