Days 17, 18, 19 - Yes I know I'm Behind

Ok, a really quick re-cap of the last couple of days

Tues - July 27 - Mitchell to Vermillion SD
Today was a scorcher and supposedly our day of recovery at 115 miles.
We started out - Paul, Susan, Mark, Bob and I getting warmed up and headed out. By the time we got to the first stop at I think mile 29-ish- Mark didn't look so good. We encouraged him to drink lots of stuff and sit in the shade for a few to see how he'd do. He was very dehydrated and was having severe cramps - even in his arms. Veronica and Susan convinced him to sag for the day as he was really bad off and to top it off hadn't eaten dinner last night! If there is one thing that I'm learning it's to really take care of myself - eat and rest (the eat part - no prob but, I really need to up the rest part) So off we went and after lunch Susan started getting really bad from the heat - you are literally sweating buckets and you have to keep your electrolytes going. So we slowed down to a crawl and limped in but we all finally made it in. We got cleaned up and went next door to Cherry Cafe and I had a 'first' chicken fried steak - I must say it was yummy!! It even had gravy on it - it was basically just calories in - my vegetable was corn!

July 28 (Wed) - Vermillion, SD to Denison, IA
Today was rollers rollers rollers, constant. Today we also had a change, Paul took the sag today. When you ride this many miles this many days in a row - your body does some really weird things. You also get chafing or saddle sores - Paul was experiencing that and they must have been bad! Mine actually were doing great til today, I have some new ones. Since it was so hot I was putting ice in my sports bra - oh boy did that feel good but when it melted it got my shorts wet - soooooo...anyway. Susan and I started out together and got some great pics when we went into Iowa - another state! The last few days had taken a toll and Susan dropped back. I reached the first stop and she was about 2 miles back. I debated on waiting but if you stop too long your body goes into recovery mode and well, we still had 100 miles left - you don't want that - you start up and your legs are screaming at you. So, I told John to tell her I'd beg for forgiveness at lunch. Just as I was leaving she pulled up and we talked and she was cool with it - I didn't want any bad karma or to have 'bad form'!
As I rode on it was beautiful I lost count after 25 of all the monarch butterflies - we also saw a fox and spooked a rooster(pheasant) that flew out over the corn fields. I have some cool pictures of the Iowa corn fields below - they actually terrace the fields here (sorry no pics of that). It's 360 degrees of corn fields! Some of the farm equipment they use here you'd swear that you could ride right under it! I motioned to the farmer and he just shook his head "No", I really wasn't going to do it.
You know you are crossing the country when you go from rattlesnakes to gartner snakes (Sorry Kristi), free ranging livestock to fenced farms, no bugs to a field of glowing, glinting lightening bugs - purely amazing. it's also going way too fast. I'm getting a little melancholy already - but we still have 11 days and I am of course going to revel in each moment!

I had an hour with Jonathan today - remember he's my BFF/massage therapist! I can tell you I enjoy that WAAAAYYYY better than my bath tub of ice water!!! (Damn you Sue Bott!) I had to have my pasta dinner wrapped up to make it to my appt., but got lucky because after I met up with Micheal and Tom and had some wine with it - a great end to a great day!

Day 19 - Thurs - Denison to Colfax, IA
Today was much cooler! I wound up starting off by myself as Paul was off today and Susan wasn't moving so quickly (remember that line to get your stuff in the trailer, I was in the top 10 and I wanted to scoot - a long day with 133 miles) It was a very misty morning and just gorgeous - Denison is home to Donna Reed (she had a show and from It's a Wonderful Life) so we left out of Donna Reed Blvd. Neat, huh? We had some rollers to start off with again today, lots of cows and horses - when ever I go by them I always tell them 'good morning babies!' They love it!
We had some time constraints today and a few people got sagged forward, thankfully I didn't, but the road we were on today was horrible, I felt like I was in Michigan! It was very bumpy and uncomfortable. My left arm was really bothered by it and my feet too - crampy and going numb. Thankfully I got to lunch and guess what!? Susan had gotten CORN from a local farmer! YUMMY!!!
Back on the bike and onto a better county road with less traffic too. At the last stop I noticed Rick putting soda in his water bottle. I gotta admit something......I have drank more soda on this trip than I have in my whole adult life - all kinds, coke, diet coke, strawberry, rootbeer, something lightening - it's weird by afternoon nothing seems to quench the thirst. Ok back to my 'experiment' so I thought mmmmm....why not try it - uh oh!! I did and by the first few miles after I left the caffeine was kickin' in! My brain started saying - ok Cynthia left before you go catch her and after that Rick and then sprint into the end - well we were still 25 miles out! My brain was talking but my legs were having a hard time delivering! Well, I did catch Cynthia and I think I had imaginary riders in front of me as I swear I saw them climbing the rollers then when I'd reach the top they were gone again. This went on the whole way in and my legs were trying to respond - I swear I was doing a time trial the last bit - it was fun and thankfully burned all the caffeine out before anyone was subjected to my yammering!!
Oh, I received my new cleats and was getting help with it when Jim noticed that the anchor screw was coming apart and the plastic sole of the shoe was breaking. I thought - oh great! I have to wear my crappy spare pair and buy a new set when I get back. BUT, never fear Lon the master is here. Lon took it and re-anchored a new screw and fixed it right up - drill gun and all! He saved me like $200!! That guy is amazing!

Ok, I'm sorry to hear you girls aren't getting along at work, try and be nice to each other while I'm away! Even if Sue is boring and fat - try and make her feel better!! NO damn it I'm not HS skinny yet, but I do feel like I've lost weight - they say you shouldn't but I say to heck with that I am going too!!! It sounds like my friend Valerie will come and work with you while I'm gone too!! Thanks Bozeman for the words of encouragement too. Thanks everyone for the comments! Love em!!
Tomorrow more corn I presume!!!



July 27 (Tues)
Cicada - isn't huge? Looks like a giant horsefly to me There are so many windmills - at all these farms and homes all over - how did we get away from that?

Moo-Cow cooling off

Look at those cutie pie babies!

Another cool cemetery

The field of butterflies at lunch - but you can't see not one of them - there were tons!

Day 18 (Wed)
Another state down - entering Iowa

The roads of the day and yesterday - they just keep going and going....

Corn on Film (aka Girls on Film - Duran Duran)

The money shot - I waited all day for this shot - it looks so cool like the road is dropping off into the corn fields!

Farmer working

Yes, they are all my Faves!! (favorite) Of course - when I got into town there was a G Ave, H Ave, oopsie! I thought it was an omen.

Day 29 (Thursday)

Mark rearin' to go after getting his electrolytes back up! Way to go!!

Misty morning

Cynthia passing by in the fog....