My Summary - Riding Days 8 to 15

Aloha! Today is a rest day in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Here’s a quick summary of the past eight days.

The first two days were spent in New Mexico with very low temperatures, unusually strong headwinds and crosswinds, and lots of climbing. The next day into Texas we were blessed with strong tailwinds for the entire 97-mile ride – I averaged 22.2 miles per hour! The temperatures were still very low, meaning I wore a long-sleeve shirt, a vest, and a jacket. The next day in Texas was another cold day with strong crosswinds. The next three days were spent in Oklahoma, with only moderate winds and lots of “rollers” (up and down, up and down…). I used to attack the rollers, but I learned that the best way to ride them is to keep a fairly even pace; otherwise it’s similar to interval training, and I’m not quite ready for 100+ miles of interval training! Day 7 was a 144-mile ride – the most I’ve ever ridden in a day. The last day into Ft. Smith was very warm – the first time since we left California that I didn’t need a vest or jacket. The scenery in eastern Oklahoma was gorgeous – high ridges filled with dense forests. I never imagined eastern Oklahoma would be so green.

We’ve ridden through many extremely poor, almost dying communities - very sad.

We’ve been a few days behind the storm system that caused so much flooding in Tennessee and Mississippi. We’re very fortunate to have missed the predicted thunderstorms and other bad weather.

We are now well past the half-way point. We are getting stronger, physically and mentally, every day. The most common complaint is soreness in the … well, the part of the body that touches the saddle. Bike saddles just aren’t made for comfort! Ouch.

1762 miles down, 1150 miles to go!

MAHALO FOR YOUR DONATIONS TO THE SPASTIC PARAPLEGIA FOUNDATION! ALSO, MAHALO FOR YOUR KIND AND ENCOURAGING COMMENTS!