Despite meeting great people and seeing splendid scenery, sometimes I just need to push on and cover ground. Obviously being in a hurry is not part of this or really any bicycle tour, but I’ve been utilizing a method to pack on the miles.

I typically set an activity and then countdown on my odometer. So for example, earlier today I had a scenic twenty mile stretch without services. I broke it up, telling myself after the first 10 I would stop and eat some cheese curds and stretch out on the side of the road. Then I had another ten miles into a town so I decided I’d go ten miles and buy a sugary beverage (the lipton glass bottle green teas are boss!) and eat a banana/peanut butter sandwich in the park.

Lots of reinforcement and goals help push it along. I’ve got twenty mile left today: I might take a nap or get a coffee at twelve miles, and of course the final eight miles will be spent dreaming of taking off my shoes, setting up my tent and relaxing for an entire 6-8 hours. Only to do it all over again tomorrow.