One day to go....final destination tomorrow!

Quickly, I need sleep, here is the day.

67 miles into a headwind gusting at 25-30 mph.  3 dog sprints, one was actually a close call with a German Sheppard.  Can now say 110% that I do NOT like dogs.  Mary, my friend that's riding along, probably agrees.  After what she was screaming, as we used adrenaline to pump us away from them, I'm conviced!

We're in Clarion at the Nerliens, Brooke and Adam - you make a mean steak. Thanks for the hospitality!

Tomorrow, final destination.  YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!  Northwood here I come.  Excited to be off the bike seat and let my butt go back to normal shape.  Excited to see everyone.  Excited. Excited. Excited!!

Pics from the trip thus far!

Jorge and Hector.  You two are a BIG reason why I'm this far (Ames, Iowa) THANK YOU.

Tent city on Free Wheel

Daniel being attacked by our tent neighbors.

When it rains..............go inside!

If you would have rode this day, you would have jumped in too.

Sexy tan lines. David, Daniel, Barry and Byran...y'all rock.

Entering Missouri

Michelle and Mike.......they paid for me to have a hotel one night.  If I didn't accept their offer, they threatened to beat me up.

These little guys must have though I was a fellow deer, came right up to me.

This is Sam.  He rode with me the last 10 miles into Des Moines.  He's got a killer blog about cycling too.  Check it out!

Abby!  Wow it's only been a year.

Meet Mary.  She's riding with me back to Northwood!  

Is it always flooded in Iowa?

Leave for a year.  Come back and things hardly change.  Buildings still there.  People still working the jobs they love to hate.  Restaurants pumping out people on Court Ave and Des Moines, still flooded like always!

Yesterday, around noon I rolled into Des Moines through a mud patch that lasted for....well, forever!  I was screaming in excitement.   Rolled into town with new cyclist friend Sam, who didn't know it at the time, distracted me from the pain in my legs that had been eating them for the last 30 miles.  I fought a head wind and hills for 44 miles yesterday.

This bike trip isn't done yet.  Just put on hold a few days while I say my 'holas' to a few Des Moines peeps.    And on hold is a great thing due to major soreness happenings, from the bike seat region on my body.

Since my last blog, I've convinced myself that dogs are evil.  Chased again.  This time tag-teamed from black labs.  Their teeth were big.  Thus, the sprint lasted a long time.  When my ankles and tires were finally out of reach, my legs were shaking, still clipped in, from the left-over adrenaline pumping throughout them.  That happened in Missouri.  Knock on wood as Iowa hasn't brought me dogs yet, just twin fawns about 4 yards away, lots of cardinals and a retired state troopers front yard for camping in Leon!

Happy to admit, from here to home (roughly 130-150 bike miles) there'll be a bed for me every night!  No more ghetto duct taped tent on this trip, now only to replace it for the owner.....

90 miles

Today was character defining.  My 'behind' was in the saddle at 6 am.  Around noon I found myself doing a sprint away from another ankle biting dog.  Only to be completely drained.  The day, up to that point had been FILLED with rolling hills.  And being self-contained, it was wearing on me.

I roll into Excelsior Springs very fatigued.  Hot.  And ready to be done.   The town was one big giant hill in every direction.  A test in itself.  From this point, I knew there was 27 miles to go.

I was mentally prepared tho.  I'd heard that hwy 69 was new and had a great shoulder.  So I thought I'd be rolling into Cameron, where I had a prearranged bed to sleep in, with energy to go again tomorrow.  That dream was shot out of the sky after the first 5 miles on 69 provided me with less than 5 inches of shoulder and heavy traffic.  So heavy that at one point a over sized semi buzzed me within 2 feet.  The suction was enough to scare me into hyperventilating.  Then to tears. 

I was crying.  MAD at myself for lack of planning.  HOT, hottest day of the year...heat index at 105. And tired.  My breath felt restricted.  Calming down to prepare for each hill only to cry once I reached the top.  Cars, trucks and semi's still flying by.

I pull off into the shade at a convenience store.  Sign says 22 miles to Cameron.  22 miles to air con.  22 miles to a shower and bed.  I sit on the blacktop.  Drop my head into my hands and cry.  The tears formed pools in my sunglasses and drip from my cheeks. I'm Frustrated.  Pushed to the limit.  Tired and drained.  THIS IS INSANE, WHY AM I DOING THIS? 

Call my support crew, they tell me to stop if my physical condition can't go further, it's too dangerous.  I contemplate hitchhiking. Still crying.  I taste the tears/sweat. I taste my own failure.  Failure of the days goal, of my lack of planning.  I sit there.  The clerk comes out to smoke, twice.  Think it was to check on me mostly.  What to do?  Call for a ride?  Hitchhike?  Camp here?  Ride on?

Earlier, I'd decided that character is defined not when you get yourself into a situation, it's defined when you figure out how to get yourself out of that situation.  I look down, grab a RB energy shot.  Go to the restroom.  Look at myself in the mirror.  I CAN DO THIS.  I CAN.  22 Miles.  22 MILES. I chug water.

The entire 22 miles I was repeating 22 miles in my head.  Screaming it out loud as I crawled up the hills.  I pumped my arms for semis to honk, feeding off of anything positive.  I raced along.  Faster than I'd gone all day.  Using anything and everything I had in me.  A test.  22 miles, I see the 18 miles sign.  22 miles, there goes the 13 mile sign.  22 miles.  22 miles, 8 miles to go.  22 miles, I see the water tower.  Another hill.  Legs are tight.  My body is entirely sweat.  Sweat is dripping from my knees, its forming on my forearms.  I dump water over my head to cool off.  Heat index of 105.  It's 2pm.  22 miles and the man outside says "keep going, you've got a mile to go."

And now I'm here.  In Cameron.  Have had the shower.  Washed my clothes and about to eat a steak.  Isn't it funny how far we can push ourselves?  Positivity can do wonders.  Less than 70 miles to Iowa!

Missouri!

Today marked the end of Freewheel 2010 as we rolled into Joplin' MO.

What an experience with such a motivating group of people.

Had three guys riding / camping next to me for the week....Daniel, David and Larry....all okies and my new groupies! Thanks to them I made it through the week with extra heckling and hugs!

Spoke Spanish with a teacher today..she also advised finding a man to share my time with! I smiled and thanked her for the advice!!!

Then had a New Orleans man buy me a beer at 11 am! Barry-you are awesome!

Alice....girl who rode in and pulled her Achilles before Freewheel even started then proceeded to pass me every day snuck money in my bags today. The kind act still makes me shake my head in disbelief.

Had someone come up and take a picture of me because I'm NUTS and then another ask to take one with me.

All of that and the goodbyes to my new friends had me riding away in tears. Wow such a motivating experience with some phenomenal folks.

Now in Webb City. Alone again. In my tent- in a backyard. Two days of riding and I should be close to KC.

Estimating another 600 or more miles to go!

Thanks Oklahoma for all of the good people you've brought into my life!

Hello Missouri, please be flat!