The LaMiWa Epic -- Day #4: Roller Coaster

Distance: 121.7 miles
Climbing: 11,086 feet

Total Distance: 452.4 miles
Total Climbing: 16,940 feet

Max Speed: 47.7 mph

I took Sunday as a rest day. I did the things I normally do on Sunday. I visited the Wintersville ward for church. Then I came home and talked to family for most of the rest of the day. I think it is fun to visit other wards and meet the people in the area. It was also interesting to visit the Wintersville ward because my dad served his mission in approximately that area.

I woke up "dark and early" this morning so that I could leave as soon as it was bright enough to bike. I wanted to get all the way to Frostburg, Maryland. Biking 120 miles in a day is doable, but I was more anxious about today because I knew that there would be over 10,000 feet of climbing. The section of US 40 that I followed from Washington, Pennsylvania to Frostburg, Maryland is sometimes called the "roller coaster" because it goes up and down the mountains. There were some long steep climbs, and a lot of descents got me going downhill at about 40 mph with minimal effort.

When I was in Uniontown, Pennsylvania someone tried to convince me to bike along a bike trail to get to DC. It is a gradual climb up to Frostburg in constrast to the roller coaster US 40. The thing I didn't like about his route was that it was 84 miles long while my route was 50 miles long from that point. I don't think the hills slowed me down enough to justify the extra mileage. Besides, even though I was anxious about this part of the route, this was the segment of the LaMiWa Epic that I was most looking forward to.

The scenery was beautiful today. The rolling hills are stunning, and the trees are lush and green. I think my dad would have enjoyed today. It's too bad he couldn't be here. I do have to thank him, because I was unsure that I would be able to make it all the way to Frostburg until I talked to him. He thought I could make it, and that gave me the extra bit of confidence I needed to press on.

I biked in four states today: Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. It was fun to finally cross some state lines after spending three full days in Ohio. Tomorrow I'll bike in three states: Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. I'm not close enough to get to DC in one day from here, but I am close enough that the next two days will be "short" days of 70 or 80 miles.

Tomorrow's Goal: Winchester, Virginia.