Day 5

May 17 - 33km

Remember how I was praying for no more bike issues? That prayer was unfortunately NOT answered - it’s been a rough few days, but that’s okay. I need to remind myself that this is part of the adventure.

The first hill of the day was absolutely brutal. Honestly, the first 10km of the ride was really tough, and I had to keep reminding myself: one pedal at a time. After that, however, the wind died down a little and I was cruising! I felt really confident… until I got another flat. It was foggy, windy and cold once again, and as I was struggling to take off my tube, Lloyd approached me in his truck. He offered to drive me to Clarenville to get my spare tubes; I initially hesitated as I told myself I would be traversing every centimetre with my own two legs, but he simply reminded me I could bike back to where I started. Realizing that, I hopped into his truck and met his dog Hank, and eventually his wife Barb at the Canadian Tire. After getting the tubes I thought I needed, he offered to drive me from motel to motel. I kept apologizing, but he said he would be upset if I apologized again. The motels were all full with seasonal workers in the area, so he offered to drive me back to Arnold’s Cove where I could set up camp outside his cabin. I genuinely felt so bad. Lloyd, Barb and Hank: thank you so much!