Day 02- "If it looks like a hill, It is a hill."

Today began with my beloved grandmother attempting to awake me and Jamaal from our sound slumber, but to no avail. Besides, it was 6AM and we had no intentions of waking up before 7AM anyways. So after getting another hour of sleep, we dragged ourselves to the free continental breakfast offered by our lodgings.

With food in our stomachs, Jamaal and I, along with my aunt and grandma, loaded the van and drove back into town to begin today's ride. The drive was relatively quiet. Yesterday's ride weighed heavy on our minds, but the anticipation of the new adventures and experiences set before us helped subside our negative thoughts. We turned on to 90 East and pulled over to unload the bikes and start the ride.

The first ten miles of today flew by. We cruised through, finishing the first stretch in a half hour. However, our confidence after this first stretch was certainly challenged during the second stretch for we began to encounter tremendous hills. (As a side note, don't let anyone tell you that there are no hills in Florida, and if you happen to be one of these people...Try riding a bike.) To give you an idea of the size of these hills, it was possible traveling down these hills to approach speeds of 30+ MPH, but on the flip side, we slowed down to nearly 8 MPH climbing them. Jamaal and I pedaled on, though and finished the second ten mile stretch in an hour. Winded and slightly disappointed in our pace, we took a break to refresh ourselves and to prepare for the next 40 miles of the day.

Knowing all to well that the afternoon heat would be arriving soon, we consciously stepped up our pace, but only within our agreeable comfort levels. The hills began to work more in our favor as the climbs seemed much shorter than the descents. We cruised through small cities, 3 in a ten mile stretch. Traffic wasn't an issue, and most drivers were courteous enough to pass in the opposite lane.

As a matter of fact, everything went very smoothly UNTIL we passed through a rural area outside of Westville, Florida in Holmes County. Jamaal and I were pedaling along when the all too familiar sound of a barking dog averted our attention. In most cases, this sound is nothing to worry about because the dog is usually behind a fence or on a leash, but it just so happens that in this particular instance the dog was given free reign. I, of course, being the cautious person that I am told Jamaal, riding slightly ahead of me, to "Book it!" but Jamaal felt that it wasn't necessary and continued at his normal pace saying, " Nah man. It won't keep up." Having said this, the only thing I can imagine is that the dog felt as if this were a challenge, and sped past me on my bike, headed straight for Jamaal. It was only then, and no sooner, that Jamaal decided to pedal faster. Needless to say, we were traveling at speeds of 21+ MPH and the dog was still running right beside us. However, the dog could not keep this up and went back to his yard to await another brave cyclist's attempt to pass.

Perhaps it was events like this that helped us move so quickly, but by 11:38AM we saw a sign informing us that we were only 9 miles outside of Chipley, our destination for the day. This sent our spirits soaring and after navigating through Chipley, we arrived at the hotel by 12:30PM. (Not sure if this was planned, but our room number the past two nights has been 108.)

Since then, Jamaal and I have showered and taken naps. We also drove in to town for dinner at a local place called Bailey's. (If anyone is curious as to who has the best Philly Cheesesteak sandwich in Florida, Jamaal's your man. He's eaten them the past two nights. Stay tuned for his Philly Cheesesteak reviews.) To top off the night we treated ourselves to ice cream, and turned in for an early night. Oh, and I almost forgot. Here is the second edition of...

The Lost, Road Artifacts of the Day

• Two pairs of underwear, one boxer briefs, the other whitey tighties, both Hanes.
• A lone, metal fork. ( I guess to go with our spoon ?)
• A empty gallon jug of bleach
• Road kill that appeared to be a Bald Eagle, but upon further inspection turned out to be vulture of sorts.
• The Ninja Turtle cast, too slow to make the journey across the highway.
• Banana peel death traps left for cyclists going on grand ventures.

All in all, today was a great day. It is days like today that will spoil me and Jamaal because we have tougher days that loom ahead. Well, like I promised you, I leave you with a video that includes pictures of the past two days.


Believe in the Cure Cycling Tour- Day01/Day02 from John Ellis on Vimeo.

Thank you for your prayers, and your support.

Take care,
John and Jamaal.