Didn’t take a lot of pics today. It was a short day at 52 miles and should have been a piece of cake, but it was anything but. Woke up at 5am this morning feeling sick at my stomach again…wasn’t able to eat much the night before at the Mexican restaurant. This nausea and not being able to eat is really sapping my energy. Anyway, we headed out and I was hoping it would pass, but no luck. We left the fire department around 6am and I was dragging all day. We were riding to a restaurant in Palmyra—about 30 miles—but when we got there it was closed. Fortunately, there was a market open across the street, so we parked by some picnic tables in the shade an went inside to see what we could find. It was actually really nice. There was a place in the back where they would make sandwiches to order. I was feeling really sick at my stomach, so although I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to eat it I ordered a bacon and egg biscuit. I picked up a couple nectarines, a plum, and some cold bottles of water.
I managed to eat the fruit, but couldn’t stand to take a bite of the biscuit—ended up giving it to a stray cat that was hanging around the picnic tables. We sat there for a good 20-30 minutes and I continued to feel worse. I told Rob and Steven to push on without me and I would drag in when I got to feeling better, but they sat around waiting on me. A few minutes later I threw up the fruit I had just eaten—didn’t take a pic of it, so you can thank me later 🙂
After losing my lunch and drinking a bit more water, I did feel a bit better. So, we pushed off with only 20 or so miles to go to Charlottesville. The sickness came back in 10-15 minutes and I felt every mile of it. Stephen and Rob were riding ahead of me, and I could see Stephen stopping every so often most likely to make sure I hadn’t fallen over in a ditch or something 🙂 The pic where you see me sitting on the ground with my bike behind me, was the second time I stopped and heaved up whatever else was left in my stomach—I smiled for the pic, but I wasn’t feeling happy 🙂
I finally pulled in to the Fairhaven Guest House where we are staying in Charlottesville tonight. It’s run by a guy named Raven and his wife named Flame—couple of really nice people. I got my room, took a shower, then took a nap for a couple hours. I woke up with my stomach upset, but by this time I couldn’t tell if it was the same ol nausea or if it was just from starving. I imagined eating all kinds of food and didn’t get sicker at the thought, so went to a little restaurant and had a roast turkey, bacon, and cheese sandwich with slaw—was really good and was able to eat it—the most I’ve eaten in the last 3 days.
I called June while I was eating just to ask if it was ok to take muchenix (sp) and something else together—I think most of my problem is due to sinus drainage and not the fish I ate three days ago after all. June was ready to have me going to the emergency room to get a fluid transfusion, but after I convinced her it wasn’t that bad—I’ve been drinking all day, but just couldn’t eat, she had our daughter Morgan (PA) call me and give me advice on what to pick up at the pharmacy and then she called June back to assure her I was most likely going to live—so I think June feels better 🙂
As I write this I’m feeling pretty good. I’ll see how thing are in the morning and if I need to just stay here for another day, take medicine, and get more food in me, then I will. The next bit of the route is going to be a real bear. If you look at the elevation map in the last photo, that climb to the Blue Ridge Parkway is next and most people consider it the toughest climb on the entire route—even tougher than higher climbs in the Rockies due to the grade—it just goes UP. I’ve got to be feeling good and have food in me to make that climb. So, going to bed—here’s to feeling better tomorrow.
