112 Miles!

photos: MB powder, CanoeKY on Elkhorn Creek, Fish Hatchery sign, Monterey back in the day, map, Falling Spring slides)

112 mile ride on Sat. June 2, found Ken and I out on the road from 7:30 am until around 8:30 pm. We were not on our bikes that entire time – we spend over 8 hours in the seat that day cycling from Versailles, KY to Monterey, KY and back. With a lot of road in-between and hills! Up and down and up and down – lots of hills by the river. The smell of the honeysuckle was intoxicating. We saw a fish hatchery, the river, small towns, covered bridges, beautiful old homesteads, new homes, farms, lots of cattle in ponds, blue sky, churches, flowers, dogs and of course the road. We were on back roads and highway road. Shaded road, dead end roads, and hot roads. We ate lunch (hamburgers) at the Monterey gas station on HWY 127. We wanted to eat at the cute café in Monterey but they were out in the woods and the sign said sorry we may not be back in time to open and they weren’t. Monterey was a river town that had steamboats stop (back in the day). You can tell it was a cute town at one time, but has seen hard times. We rode down one road and had 2 dogs run beside us and they had a great time trying to stay with us. At the end of the road we had 5 beagles come barreling down the hill baying at us.
I only had to yell one time at dog owner because he would not call his dogs off of me. Share the Road! Well - said something else and cannot put it on the blog. We stopped at the Pfeiffer Fish Hatchery on our way to Monterey. On our way back we stopped for the second time at Canoe KY so we could get an ice cream, we got a life saver pop cycle – Yum!
Before the ride, I put Monkey Butt powder in my cycle shorts as the packaging advertised RELIEF from saddle soreness for cyclists, motor cyclists, truck drivers, etc.
Well I can’t attest to that relief because most of the powder ended up in puffs all around me and on my bike seat and bike bag.

Ken and I finished the ride by going down the slides at the outdoor pool at Falling Springs in Versailles. Then we hopped back on the bikes, wetter and chillier and headed to Ken’s parents where we were treated to a great chicken salad sandwich and lemon bars.
Then back to Falling Springs for a total of 112 miles!! It gave me some confidence, but I am so slow on the bike I am really worried about the 10.5 hour cut off in the Ironman. You have to have completed the swim and biking in 10.5 hours. I will do my best! At least I know how to ride to Monterey and back!

Do you know the way to Monterey (sung to the tune of San Jose)?I've been away so longI may go wrong and lose my way. Do you know the way to MontereyI'm going back to find some piece of road in Monterey.

HWY 127 is a great big freeway. Put a hundred down and buy a bike

In a week - or maybe two - they'll make you a tri-star.Weeks turn into years and quickly pass And all the tri-stars that never were are writin blogs and pumpin' tires. I've got lots of friends in Monterey.Wo oh oh oh.Can't wait to get back to Monterey.Wo oh oh oh.Do You know the way to Monterey?