Miles and Miles

I finally have some access to the interwebs, but not much time to write.

The day after my visit to Quarq, I headed back onto the Interstate for what I hoped would be a 70 mile leg of a 120 mile day. That did not happen. The turtle I saw on the side of the interstate in the morning would be a good mascot for the day. I ran into a stiff headwind and managed to go all of 67 miles. 67 miles. I pedaled and pedaled but went nowhere. This was my trip and I wasn't going to spend it going 13mph bicycling on the Interstate. I went to Rapid City to catch a bus - but the only bus for the day left at 8am. I called to rent a car but remembered that I only had my motorcycle learner's permit on me, leaving my license at home. Crap. I would be spending the day going 13mph on the Interstate. Luckily I gave into my desire to eat some real food around 6pm and stopped in Wall, SD. I had a choice to keep going on the interstate and put in another 20 miles or so until dark or stop in Wall. Wall happens to be the exit for the Badlands National Park. I asked for tomorrow's weather report - favorable winds were predicted. Day over...all 67 miles of it.

I got up early and headed to the Badlands. They are called "badlands" because the French traders had some much trouble traversing them. The park is beautiful- the park is like a mini Grand Canyon, though with less color. I can't believe I almost missed this place. And then I pedaled and pedaled and pedaled. Miles were on sale and I was buying in bulk. I had a favorable wind, scenic terrain (Route 44 features more of the "badlands" formations), and a desire to make up for yesterday. I called it a day in Winner, SD at 162 miles. Big day.

The next day my legs felt good, but my bottom was a bit sore. And I had serious stomach issues. During the previous night I tried to replace all the calories that I burned the day before (about 5200 on the bike) and my stomach refused to play along. I had food aversion, then a stomach flu-type feeling, then a general flu feeling. Achy joints all around. Crap. Every mile towards the end was uncomfortable. I stopped in O'Neil, NE at about 115 miles. About 12.5 hours of sleep that night made everything better.

Next up...flat, boring Nebraska. Pancake flat, from O'Neill, NE to Fremont, NE. I thought this would make riding easier, but as the power meter showed, riding flats takes more energy than riding hills. Reason: no coasting in the flats. I burned over 5500 calories on the bike, over the course of 150 miles. A big day and a huge effort.

More miles - 135 miles from Fremont, NE to Falls City, NE. Largely featureless, more flats. I met a local cyclist in the last 10 miles whose company was quite helpful in finishing off the end of the ride.

Finally, to today - 115 miles from Falls City, NE to Overland Park, Kansas (just outside of KC). I am staying with a family friend and it has been great. I had a wonderful pesto tortellini dinner and everything else I could possibly ask for. The ride today was rough at first- more numbing featureless riding with some light rain, though usually with a helpful wind. But then I let the Drunken Lieutenant (the Garmin 705 GPS unit) figure the route through the sprawl of Leavenworth/Overland Park/etc. The result was, fittingly, a drunken road: Wolcott Drive. The road went straight up, straight down, hard left, hard right. It had character, it played games, it was reckless. It was fun! I needed this desperately, as hundreds of miles through farmland was sapping my enthusiasm.

I hope to be in Clarksville, TN by Friday, and I should be able to conclude the trip before 9/21 with a ride on Skyline Drive, north of Charlotteville, VA.