On any adventure there are many stories to tell. Though every day is spent on the same bike wearing the same bright orange jersey, the scenery, the weather, and the experiences vary. Every church we stay in is different and about the only thing the people who host us have in common is their warm welcome. Though the shower may be at the local pool, the high school locker room, the Y, or the church basement, we have always been clean by the time supper is served. Over this past week I pedaled 480 miles in about 39 hours and 20 minutes. (To save you the math, that works out to a 12.2 mph avg).
Day 1 was definitely the fastest for me. I felt strong and good and finished well. We spent the night in a beautiful old church in Evansville, WI. I found a small office to call my bedroom and slept over 10 hours on a cot provided by the church. It was wonderful.
Some of my fellow riders called Day 2 the most difficult day they had every had on a bike. We pedaled 82 miles, most of it into 20 to 25 mph winds with over 5500 feet of climbing. The hills were not long but the grades were steep (often over 10%). I spent most of the day facing the wind on my own and was glad to finish the last stretch with Mark. Some company always makes the miles goes faster. We were all very very glad to arrive in Lancaster, WI. Some of riders eagerly asked our hosts to give advice on the shortest and flattest route across the Mississippi into Iowa.
Day 3 was an enjoyable ride through the hills of southwest WI, down into the Mississippi river valley and back up the other side. Once we came out of the valley the scent changed from dairy cows to hogs. Welcome to Iowa! I spent most of the day riding with Melissa and Leah and was grateful to take less of the wind (even though there wasn't much.) The last 10 miles (of 97) were on a bike trail which was a welcome change. By the end of the ride, the accumulated miles and the effort from the previous day took it's toll and a knot in my right quad just above the knee made it quite painful to pedal. I limped into Cresco, IA and walking up and down stairs was a painful experience. After a bag of ice I could hardly move but by the time I headed to bed, it felt better.
The route on Thursday was to be 87 miles to Forest City, IA. My quad felt good over the first 20 miles of the day but after the first rest stop it started bothering me and I limped into the 40-mile rest stop feeling like I had at the end of the previous day. I can work through soreness, but the pain was telling me to stop and live to ride another day. I spent the rest of the day seeing the inner workings of the rest stops and icing my quad. Upon arrival at Forest City I headed to a bike shop with Mihai, one of the riders who needed to buy some supplies. I wanted some assistance with the height of my saddle which would hopefully resolve the issues with my quad. It was raised about 1/4" and I was told to take it easy. "You've irritated that pretty good so spin an easy gear for a few days."
Friday took us to Spirit Lake. I followed the advice I'd received and spun easy. That meant even Dad was pulling away from me. I had Mom advance me from mile 40 to 60 in the car and finished the rest of the 88 miles with little pain. The only time it hurt was if I got out of the saddle and tried to pedal.
Saturday's destination was Sioux Falls. We spent much of the day on roads that I've ridden on so I didn't need the directions until we got into South Dakota. We rode in a bit of rain early on but by the afternoon it was hot and I was pouring water on my head. My leg felt better and the heat actually seemed to help loosen it up. Hopefully the day off today and a shorter day tomorrow (only 72 miles), I'll be back to full strength.
One of the enjoyable things this week was seeing Iowa through the eyes of those who have never been there. Some riders from a very dry area of California commented about how green everything is. Cornfields and wind turbines became the occasion for photo ops. The countryside is beautiful in the early morning hours.
Our destination for the next week is Rapids City via Parkston, Winner, Martin, and Pine Ridge where we will be helping with a project. The route includes three century rides and the forecast is promising some hot weather with some light breezes as nature's air conditioning.
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