Friday, July 15, 2011

The Final Leg

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Follow Lauren's trip at Gluten less sweet tooth.
Just a few miles more...

Today promised to be HOT. Rumor has it that today was the hottest day of the summer. I never actually checked a reputable source, but the grapevine put the temperature anywhere from 103 to 107 F. If you're from Europe and use the Celsius scale, that is really hot.









Today started out unlike any other day. Today started bad. First of all, I woke up early. It was dark and early. Then I stepped in mud. That mud on my cycling shoe kept me from clipping in. So I had to stop and, as best as I could, clean off my cleats. Then there was the headwind. That made it slow and painful. Then I did something truly foolish...

Check out the track to Scott City Here.

With the mud, ahh yes, the mud. No rain, just mud... on my cleat, I wasn't situated in the pedal quite right. So I adjusted my cleat after about 7 miles. Then I rode 50 more pushing and pushing into the wind. I felt it a little in my knee, but just pushed on. Until later, now I really feel it in my knee. Stupid.






It is amazing the things you get stuck behind in Kansas. First of all, there are the bugs. Then there are these things. But, in my second mistake of the day, I let him go. I had to slow down as he pulled out in front of me. Then, I sped up in the swirling wind behind the truck. I kept speeding up without really trying. Awesome. But, instead of being Moro aced by a combine at 35 mph, I pulled out my camera and took a picture as the truck pulled away. I missed a chance for something special (fast).

Once again, we were relaying and I rode on to Scott City. About 57 miles from where I started and about 80 miles from anywhere. There I picked up the car, then picked up my mother (25 miles) and then met Lauren (who had covered 55 miles) in Ness City.






Lauren and I rode on together for Alexander. We worked together, and the wind had shifted around just a little, and we made Alexander in a little under an hour (19 miles). Or leg of the Ride for Jim is done. Check the track Here.

Of course, I owe a lot of thanks to everyone who helped, especially my Family and Lauren. Also, Jack Haar who started this whole thing. and Charley Nottingham who followed Jack (both of them rode ALL the way across the country WITH GEAR). And countless others. All of you, thank you.


















So, it was with great joy that we left the urban sprawl of Alexander, Ks (pop. 75) and pushed on. We ate at the Kitchen Pass in one of the towns along the way. Their signature burger (not making this up) is a hamburger patty with velveeta. Yum, yum. With that in my gullet, we pushed onward until we hit Branson, Ms, the family friendly Vegas in the Ozarks.


Location:Alexander, Ks

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