Day 1: Radford to Fincastle

If you were going to do something stupid, today was a terrific day to start. Temps were in the 55 to 65 range most of the day with lots of sunshine and only a little wind. The hills of the New River Valley have faded into the other hills of several valleys between Radford and Fincastle. The scenery along today's route was nothing less than beautiful and serene. (see pic). I tried to enjoy the ride at a comfortable pace of 14.2 mph and not worry about the 78 miles of hills. This mental framework carried me for almost 73 miles. At that point, I stopped at a convenience store for a Gatorade. I was sipping and writing my blog when lightning struck my left quad and hamstring. It was only a slight jolt, but, I fear, a warning shot of what's to come. I had a great dinner and settled in for the night with Alex and Nancy on their farm with Watusi cattle (see pic). This is the vagrant traveler on the road to nowhere.

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