Today’s Date: July 15, 2024

Today’s Start Point: Owensboro, Kentucky

Today’s End Point: Hardinsburg Kentucky

Today’s Miles: 72.14 Miles

Cumulative Miles: 3,415.45 Miles

Another day, another heat advisory. I was nervous about the day but two things gave me some confidence: 1) I rode the same distance yesterday and I survived in the heat and 2) my friend Tim Radcliff had spent last night in Louisville, Kentucky and would meet me on my route on his motorcycle (with Gatorade, gels, bars and water). Little did I know how much I would need his kind and patient support today.

Tim had been on the East Coast at a family function and went out of his way on his trip back to help me out for a couple of days. What is all the more amazing is that he did it on his motorcycle, dressed in motorcycle gear and helmet. I continue to be touched by the kindnesses my friends have shown me along the way.

As with the past couple of weeks I left early to try to miss the heat. At 5:30 am, the humidity levels were already through the roof. I was sweating heavily in just the first few minutes.

Owensboro has a well maintained bike path that I took for five miles east out of the city. The route continued along the Ohio River, which goes back and forth like a thrown piece of spaghetti. The route was relatively flat and so I made good progress early on. The roads were interspersed with well shaded roads and cornfields.

At about 20 miles out, Tim arrived like a white night on his Ducati with Gatorade and water. We met on the side of the road but because of the heat, there was no time for pleasantries. Due to the humidity and my sweaty fingers, I could not get my phone/camera to work, so luckily Tim acted as staff photographer for the day.

Tim would either trail me on the motorcycle or go ahead when my speed was so slow he would have fallen over. He was there throughout the day to hand me refreshments or pour cold water over my head. The heat was seriously getting dangerous, and I think I would have been in a ditch somewhere without him.

We continued to the town of Cloverport, Kentucky, about 55 miles into the ride. At this point, I think both of us were feeling the effects of the heat. From Cloverport, it was 15 miles to get to our final destination, Hardinsburg, Kentucky.

I should have listened to Tim and ate an early lunch in Cloverport in air-conditioning but I figured it was only 15 miles and it was still 11:00 am. If I was alone, this could have been a tragic mistake. We took off for Hardinsburg and the road was almost as steep and hilly as Missouri. That 15 miles would take almost two and a half hours, probably one of the toughest 15 miles of this trip.

The heat index was 105 degrees and I was overheating the minute the road pointed up. Tim gave me an ice pack to shove down the back of my jersey and would ride alongside to dump water on me.

To add insult to injury, when we left Cloverport my old friend Google routed us up a super steep climb to get to the main road. I unclipped and bent over to push my bike up the last 20 yards when I started coughing uncontrollably. I thought maybe someone had just sprayed insecticide or fertilizer because I was getting a chemical burning sensation in my throat. I got to the top of the hill but it took me a few minutes to stop coughing.

We started the Bataan Death March to Hardinsburg and every once in a while I would get that same taste in my mouth and start coughing. I have been carrying pepper spray for the dogs, and unlike the bear spray, there is no safety on the canisters. I assumed when I was crouched over the bike I must have set one off.

I immediately dumped the canisters of pepper spray and struggled on. Soon I was still smelling that chemical smell and coughing. I finally looked down at the bear spray that has been strapped to my handlebars since Idaho and realized that in the heat the valve had broken its seal and was leaking. I had been breathing bear spray for miles. I dumped the bear spray instantly, and while I pulled it out of its sheath it sprayed onto my hands. At the time I did not think much about that. Even Tim was momentarily exposed because no good deed goes unpunished. Later at the hotel my hands started to burn as well as my forehead. I did some research on bear spray and found out it’s an oil based compound that causes the burn, both in my throat and skin. My forehead was burning because I had wiped the sweat off my brow with my bear sprayed hands. After washing a few times, it felt much better.

There was still about ten miles to go and I was really struggling. Tim valiantly cheered me on and provided what comfort he could, but in the end it was up to me to get to the final spot. Poor Tim, I ended up stopping every few miles to catch my breath and cool down. Even though Tim was not pedaling, he was still out in that heat on top of a hot motorcycle with a lot more clothing than I had on.

We finally arrived in Hardinsburg at 1:30 pm, having been on the bike for eight hours. The first stop was of course at the DQ, and then on to the hotel. Tim is staying in Hardinsburg and will be trying to get me to Louisville tomorrow. A big storm is supposed to come through on Wednesday which promises to break the back of this multi-week hot spell. If that is the case, Wednesday is a rest day and on Thursday I can start the trek to Cincinnati.

Thanks Tim, this was not an easy one. I am seriously not sure what I would have done out there because once you are committed out in the hinterlands, there is no turning back.