I knew I'd find uncharted territory:)

     The Wabash-Canonball trail is over 35 miles long if you were to do the entire loop.  However, we only seem to do a portion of it at any given time.  Last weekend we finally hit the last part of the trail that I had never been on before, and that was the second half of the South fork that ends at Oak Openings Park.  We decided we would start at the park and work our way out.  

     Remember last week I questioned if we were ever going to get a 20 mile ride in, and I was told I needed to nix the photos before that would ever happen...  Well there was no way the photos were ending, so this day I planned to prove I could do both.

     This was my first picture from the start of the ride and inside the park it's self.  I was riding with two other riders from my team and I know they wanted to get a "real" ride in for once, so I had to have a strategy.  They did give me one courtesy shot before we took off and that would have to be my fill, or would it... You should know by now I can always find a way to make things happen;) 

          This was going to require some extra effort on my part so here's what I did...  The one rider Gary, was on his bike for the first time this year and I knew his pace wouldn't be over the top.  If I could just ride behind them, that way if I saw a picture that jumped out at me I could stop and take it and pedal like a crazy woman to catch back up.

     

     As long as I didn't break their stride they couldn't care less, and I was so glad because otherwise I wouldn't have this picture...

                                                                      Or this...

     Then I tried going as fast as I could and when I was far ahead of them I could take a picture before they caught up. 

                                         

 You can see we went from a secluded park with wild life, to farm houses and wide open farm fields, all in the same ride.

     But after all this work to get my photos in and not break stride, the two that insisted we focus had to make a pit stop... Really?!?!

     And then another one when we got to the town of Whitehouse...  At least this time I insisted they let me get a picture of the Wabash train car if I HAD to stop anyway...

     But once they were done "wasting time" we were finally at 17 miles.  We were coming up on the parking lot and I took off faster than lightening.  When they caught up with me Robert said "show off", but I told him I was only making sure to get far enough from the cars so they weren't able to wimp out.  I was NOT quitting until I hit exactly 20 miles...

     I finally made it!!  I could end my ride there; of course, we still had about a mile to get back to our cars now...  When I stopped to take a picture of my milage I may have gotten a few eyes rolling and looks that said "seriously!?!?" but what did I care; I got my 20 miles in (and then some) so my mission was complete:)

          There are those who are out simply for a bike ride, and then there are those of us who want to see the world by way of bike; and for every person who tells me "enough of the pictures", I happen to know there is someone out there who wants to take the ride through my eyes:)


Have a great day!!

Christine:)