Quick Recap of Week 4
Week 4 started in Savannah and finished in Myrtle Beach. Following the East Coast Greenway, we’ve seen a wide range of running/riding surfaces, from serene off-road trails to major highways. The anticipation of being on highway 17 was worse than actually running/riding it. It certainly wasn’t our favorite section, but it was manageable. Unfortunately, being on the major roads also means that we miss seeing a lot of the smaller towns and scenery of South Carolina. The finished trails and quieter roads in between could someday make an amazing network for cyclists and pedestrians - it's easy to support the East Coast Greenway Alliance's goal of connecting communities and bringing in more tourism (not just at the beaches). Hopefully, this expedition can help bring more awareness and support to their mission.
Day after day we feel sore and tired, but still energized and excited about what we're doing. Running an ultramarathon every day isn't easy, of course (towing 40+ pounds of gear in a bike trailer isn't either), but we do our best to hydrate, eat, and rest in between each round of miles. Shan's injured knee is consistently bothering him, so we're playing things by ear lately. We may shoot for a rest day or try some shorter days, or maybe a combination of both. We'll figure it out, though, and be sure to stay healthy and strong and all in one piece.
Some fun facts from Week 4
Miles this week =
Shan (running) - 261.24
Josh (cycling) - 265.79
Total Miles Ran = 1046
Money raised for ECG = $3679 (Thank you to our 101 donors)
Week 4 Highlights
Most delicious meal: Home-cooked meal (see photos below) at the hotel. Picked up real food from the local grocery and used our little camp stove to make a chicken, beef curry with rice.
Favorite local beer: HopArt IPA from Coast Brewing Co. in North Charleston
Favorite view/stretch of trail: Very remote but peaceful and serene before getting into Charleston. Also the cool tunnel on the Spanish Moss Trail in Beaufort was great to ride through and take selfies in.
Most exciting animal encounter: On Sunday, May 8th, Shan was chased by an attack rooster. It's a must-see. It's hilarious. If you missed it check it out here.
Coolest people we met:
My best friend Jen (and her beau, Brendan) were a huge help with transporting the trailer for me along a tough stretch of highway 17 from Beaufort to Edisto. I had considered just skipping the section altogether based on comments I've heard from other cyclists, but I'm glad I didn't. Even though I won't be the first, or the fastest to ride the whole length of the ECG, I would still like to accomplish the expedition entirely human-powered (for a lot of other reasons). Dropping the trailer allowed me to ride more comfortably on the shoulders with those darn rumble strips. Thanks, Jen!!
As we left Mt. Pleasant for a nearly 50-mile run/ride to McClellanville, James found Shan running along highway 17. He hopped out to run with him for a few miles. I missed him this time around, but hopefully, we'll see James again along our journey.
Grannie Anne hosted us at James's house where we had a delicious home-cooked meal and another comfortable place to sleep. It was a pleasure meeting Anne and the sweet puppy, too.
I bumped into Stuart and Tom, two other cyclists who are biking along the East Coast Greenway from Melbourne to Canada. They are seasoned touring cyclists who have biked all over the world. It was a pleasure to chat with them and share our stories. They shared some tips/feedback on the East Coast Greenway trail, too. Thanks so much and happy trails, guys!
Big shout out to Bryan, the owner of Myrtle Beach Bicycles, and Michael, the mechanic who inspected my rig once we passed the 1000-mile mark. The bike may need a little attention in another 1000 miles or so, but so far she's hanging in there. Onward!
Natasha met us along the route in the Myrtle Beach area and interviewed us about the expedition. The story covering Shan's 3000-mile run made the evening news multiple times - one of the "feel-good" stories (link here). Thanks to Natasha and the team at WMBF News.