Eternity

Apalachicola to Panama City 59.4 miles

Today was a wonderful day for me.  I felt like I could bike 100 miles, then keep going until I hit the sun.  I had a slow day yesterday, so my muscles were rested and ready to go.  I started off the day in a small group, riding with Josh A, Prachi, Jillian, Kristina and Christine C.  We traversed the wooded streets as we moved away from the beach and then closer towards it again.  I am surprised at how many pine trees Florida has.  I never imagined it having such thick forests of pine everywhere.  We rolled on towards lunch without any incidents.  Today's lunch spot may have been the most perfect yet.  It was about a mile off the road, but right on the beach.  We coasted in around the same time as everyone else.  I think that one of my favorite things is when everyone arrives at lunch together and we can all hang out for 5 or 10 minutes before heading our separate ways.  We enjoyed the first of many fried chicken and saracha sandwitches.  We have a very large abundance of fried chicken that we have recieved for dinner and then had leftovers.  We also have multitudes of oranges, which I love, but they are just to much work to eat!  I filled my camelbak and waited for the rest of my group.  Josh A and Lyndsey were ready to go so I decided to see how long I could keep up with them.  We rode at a very fast pace (for me) of 16-17 mph for the last 30 miles.  There were even long flat stretches where I was hitting 20 mph!  I feel so proud and amazed when I remember how hard I worked to hit 16 mph on a downhill on Kristen's bike last spring.  Now I can maintain it on flat streches!  Wow...I feel like I've come a lot farther than I ever imagined and we are only in the first week of cycling.  The roads were a little busy today because it is the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, but nothing too crazy.  While we were going down one of the busier stretches in Panama City, a few cars came a little close for comfort, but no one hit us :) 

Josh and I arrived at the Living Word Fellowship about 10 minutes after the first group arrived.  We waited for the church to be unlocked then unpacked the trailor.  The women were so nice and even had fresh fruits and veggies waiting for us as snacks.  Next on the docket was a trip to the Holiday Inn for showers.  They were even nice enough to let 34 stinky smelly cyclists jump in their pool and jacuzzi while we waited for the showers.  They tricked out the health club showers for us, providing 34 towels, washclothes, shampoos, mini soaps, lotions and even perfume samples.  I can't believe how happy having a mini bottle of lotion made me!  Not to mention a fluffy white towel! Yay!  After showers, Alyssa, Kristina and I walked back and tried to get some donation magic.  We talked to the manager and waitress of a waffle house, who had no budget left for donations this quarter, but they gave us all the money in the tip jar. Smitty's barbeque donated 4 burgers for us and Galen. Yum!  They were great and I would highly recommend visiting them if you happen to be in Panama Beach.  We went back to the church where we put on a bike clinic for about 10 kids.  I have lots of cute videos to share once I have a computer to load them on.  The church treated us to a delicious lasagna dinner and we settled in for bed.  I do have to send a big thank you to Galen, who took all of my cycling clothes to the laundrymat after I forgot to put them in the laundry pile.  Thank you so much!