Day 56 Rest Day

We spent the day in Middlebury, Vermont while following our rest and recovery guidelines. It rained most of the afternoon and the rain is to continue until late tonight. Rest Days are even better knowing that you are not peddling in the rain.

Before the rain Chad took a trip to downtown Middlebury and took a few photos. Below is the Middlebury Congregational Church that is a landmark in town. Construction of the church began in 1806 and the steeple features a flexible frame that can withstand strong winds. The congregation remains active today and is part of the United Church of Christ (UCC).

Middlebury also has a natural, 18-foot high waterfall in the center of town. The Otter Creek falls became the center of industry with many mills lining the river banks. The 1840 Stone Mill (building on left) is the only one that survives today.

Below is a gas works building that was constructed in 1836. it has limestone and marble walls that range from 18 inches to 36 inches thick. This building and surrounding area were home to Brandon Italian Marble Company. They had a large waterwheel by the falls that used cables to drive saws and finishing equipment. The company ceased operations in 1931. Today this building is used for retail and office space.

Stats

• Distance ridden to date: 4,415 miles (7,105 km)
• Number of states visited: 15

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Dad and Bicycles

In 1984 a buddy and I signed up for a ride called Bicycle Across Missouri. The 540 mile ride was on Labor Day weekend and went from St. Louis to Kansas City and back. Dad, Mom and Chad came down to help support us.

Everything was going okay until my buddy bonked* about 30 miles from the end in St. Louis. Dad went back to look for him and found him sitting in the ditch. Somehow Dad talked him up on his bike, took his own bike off the car and rode with him to the finish line.

To this day I don’t know how Dad got him on his bike. Dad was a Little League coach for years and knew how to motivate people. I was also impressed that my “old” Dad was able to finish with him on his bicycle (Dad was 49 years old at the time).

*Definition of bonked – when you reach a point of exhaustion that keeps you from going any further. An example of bonk is when a cyclist cannot proceed because he or she has depleted all of their body fuel. The medical term is hypoglycemia.