In less than a week I'm headed to the other side of the Atlantic, so I think it's only fitting that I wrap up my training with a ride along the western side of the Atlantic Ocean (or should I say along the east coast of the United States?).
Am I ready for Ireland? I can definitely say I'm in good riding shape! I'm sure there will be some challenging hills that may make me feel like I'm crawling along, but I'm as ready as I'm going to be!
The wild thunderstorms that rolled through here late Friday afternoon left beautiful weather behind, so I awoke to cooler air, blue skies, and pretty strong winds. After a good breakfast, I put my bike in the car and took off. I snagged a good parking spot right around where I hoped to start riding - a good start to the day. Then I biked from Salisbury, Massachusetts to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and back again - a good 50 mile ride. Strong wind all day, but it was a cross-wind for most of the day, blowing from the west, off of the land and onto the ocean. I spent most of the day right along the coast, which is always a treat. New Hampshire definitely has a short coastline, as evidenced by the fact that I rode most of it twice in one day!
Some views of the Atlantic coast in Massachusetts and New Hampshire follow - if you're looking for pictures of Ireland, you'll need to skip forward to the real start of the trip! I'm sure I'll have some interesting pictures to compare with these once I start wandering in Ireland.
