I woke up with aching leg muscles.  Nothing serious–just another aspect of the ordeal.  From my TransAmerica biking experience, I know that the first three days of cycling are the toughest. And then my body adjusts to the punishment of long distance cycling.

Today’s winds were forecast to be challenging. I set out for Florida City and had a relatively uneventful journey.

I used Google maps to navigate while checking beforehand with my printed Adventure Cycling Association route maps.  G-maps is good but it doesn’t reflect realtime conditions. Often enough, I encountered obstructions like this on the trail:

As I biked along, I heard countless creatures rustling in the brush.  Over time, I could distinguish the rustling of small anoles (lizards), larger iguanas, squirrels, and an occasional deer.  I often saw iguanas out in the open but they dashed into the brush with surprising speed as I approached. The exception was a very large (2+ feet long) bright orange iguana that menacingly stood its ground on my bike trail.  I considered stopping to take a picture but chose not to provoke the creature as I rode around it.

Google maps routed me to Card Sound Road as I turned towards the mainland.  I guessed that the excessive traffic on the Overseas Highway was the reason.  In any event, Card Sound Road doesn’t have bike lanes. Fortunately, there was little traffic so I cruised through the 15 miles with minimal effort. As I made the turn towards the north, I was greeted by pushing winds.  I smiled all the way to Florida City.

Tally for the day: 75 miles