Killing time before the 6am start in Benson, NC, Notice I am wearing a new and stylish nose-form-fitting scarf to prevent exhaust breath going up and fogging my goggles. It worked great.
And off I go. Deserted downtown Benson, shortly after 6am.
Checkpoint, in Erwin NC. Wondering if I felt okay here.
Next checkpoint in Stedman. Still wondering if I felt okay. The cupboards were bare inside the store, at least for the low-fat, organic, free-range, fair-trade, sustainable, vegan treats I usually select. (hehe). They probably have not had deliveries during and since the snowstorm.
Well, what have we here? Upon crossing the county line southbound into Bladen County, I was completely amazed and surprised to see this strip of blacktop had been installed on River Rd. I was even more amazed that it extends almost all the way south to Tar Heel. Maybe, just maybe, this is part of a widening project, and the whole road will be resurfaced?
On my return northbound from Tar Heel, I snapped this photo of "Dean's Moss" (not to be confused with Yad Moss of LEL fame) on River Rd in Bladen County. This moss is only found in one short section of the road. It looked very spooky today.
Humor: As I was about to leave the county northbound, I noticed this Bladen County Welcome Center. The tire tracks attest to its popularity.
When I got to the Stedman checkpoint on my return, the cupboards were still bare. In reality, I did not feel very good. This fine delicacy made it worse even though I ate only half the can to be prudent. Much to my dismay, it provided my first GDE (Gastrointestinal Distress Event) about 15 minutes later. Luckily, a huge new c-store a few miles past Stedman had immaculate facilities and fully stocked shelves. It served me well as an aid station.
The checkpoint in Erwin had one bottle left of this proven staple.
Uh oh. So back in Benson, after finishing the ride, getting receipts at the final checkpoint, and packing the bike away, I walked across the street to Subway for dinner. I inhaled a footlong meatball sub with all the fixins (can't resist a $5 special). I also guzzled about five cups of the beverage Subway calls "sweet tea" during dinner. Uh oh, not smart. The expression on my face indicates that my second GDE (Gastrointestinal Distress Event) is about to start. Another great day on the bike, hehe.
