DAY TWO: I was up at 4 a.m. and headed over for a hot breakfast under the moon. After breakfast I had to pack my gear and tent, haul them to the trucks, and prepare my bike for a 6:30 start. I had spent the last 40 miles of day one riding with two men from the Miami area (Joe and Scott), and one woman from Tampa (Lisa). We all rode at the same pace and enjoyed the company, so we decided to ride together on day two.

With 97 miles ahead of us, and moving at a steady rate of 20 mph, I hit a dog that had broken from its leash and cut in front of me. The dog was fine, but both Joe and Lisa hit me from behind and went down in the middle of A1A. Medical and support vehicles were on the scene almost immediately. We were able to clean up the road burns and bruises, but the bikes were not as lucky. Lisa's needed major repairs; fortunately, the technicians had her back on the road in time for her to complete the day's ride by 7 p.m. The last three hours of riding were wet - rain varied from drizzle to intense downpour at times.

When I reached camp that afternoon, all I wanted was a dry place to sleep. The food, tents, and massage therapists were all there again, and I used them all. By sundown the rain had ended and we were all drying out. No one complained about the rain; instead, we all enjoyed a colorful sunset and I was relieved to have completed the second day. I only heard one person snore that night, but was too tired to care.

Dave Sheldon is a biology teacher at Valencia community college. He is an environmental activist who hails from Minnesota. Gin is his preferred alcoholic beverage. Other Articles I've Written