total mileage: 1934
servings of ice cream consumed: 71
% of riding days during which I've cried: 42%
# of types of identifiable roadkill: 24
level of seat comfort (on a scale of 1 to 11): 9.6
state #: 6
time zone: MOUNTAIN!
# of chamois shorts I've worn holes through: 2
[we propped up the broken "leaving" sign where the missing "welcome" sign was, hoping to mess with the minds of all who enter this dreadful state]Thank God for state lines. The last two days in Kansas, the wind was around, but behaved itself. I rode my second century, but this time around, I rode 73 miles the next day instead of taking a rest day. My body was not happy with me, as I contined to ride several days afterwards, tallying decent mileage. Funny how as soon as we crossed into Colorado, the wind calmed, then turned into a tailwind (tailbreath?), blowing just my speed so that I felt absolutely no moving air as I somehow survived the 109-degree day of riding through eastern Colorado's desert. Got a bit loopy from dehydration, but Marritt saved me by riding back to meet me with a big Powerade.
[the flatness of Kansas, the flare on my wheel]Needless to say, I'm alive, and enjoying Colorado's hail storms. Got my first glimpse of the Rockies and I'm pretty much half-way on my journey! My metabolism has finally caught up with me; in a period of about 3 hours, I ate a combo meal from Wendy's, a frosty, 5 very large scoops of ice cream, and half a medium pizza. Just as an example. Seeing other cross-country cyclists is an enthusiasm boost each day. Marritt and I have ridden with a couple of others for the past several days, which has been really fun and a great deviation from the norm. Okay, what I mean by that is I ride by myself all day everyday, and get to hang out with more people in the evening. I guess that's what happens when I only average about 8 mph.
My goal is to come up with some sort of method to eliminate the perma-sleep-deprived, perma-dehydrated state of being I'm attempting to ride with. You know it's bad when your eyelids droop while perched atop a wheel, and when you can't swallow. Not that dry rocky mountain air will help any, but we hated Kansas so much that we vowed to never return.
One wheel for One.
['nuff said]SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Jack and Dick of Lyons, KS
Kinder-Morgan of Conway, KS
Annie Pat of Canon City, KS
Click here to donate online. For additional donation info, please see the initial post, "Up and Rolling."
Coker unicycle product info.
8 comments:
Grace! You know Meg might eat you alive for those comments about Kansas, beware...
Perhaps the state of being you describe is...the state of Kansas? or perhaps that dry, hard-to-swallow, unpleasant mouth is.."kansas-breath"?
But I'm sure the people you met were absolutely wonderful! Thank goodness for the kind Kansans you met along the way.
Thinking about you!
Love, Aunt Robin
Hey Gracie, Here's the very best ice cream recipe: start with a White Mountain Ice Cream Maker. Use their No. 4 recipe with one added ingredient: armadillo. Be sure you choose a bloaty “well road-seasoned” youngster. Simply place the fat deposits from the neck, upper legs, base of the tail & uterus onto the top of the ice. As you crank the handle, just shake it hard every couple minutes. Once it melts a bit, this will cause the pungent flavor to spill into the ice cream & get mixed in...
Hey Dreyer's: eat your heart out! Provecho! Leon in Vero Beach, FL
Gracie, I'm really enjoying your blog. Your trip is totally inspiring. Stay safe, and keep the wind at your back!
AMAZING! You are just AMAZING and I don't know what else to say.
Hey there Gracie
What you are doing is wonderful - Thank you! My 22 year old son has leukemia. We are also doing a cross country journey for the LLS at the end of July - 2 months on the road 15 000 miles, TN to Alaska and back. But we are doing it driving an rv! The easy way! LOL.
Again, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to do this. It's because of wonderful people like you that Steven has a good chance at a long and productive life!
I am sorry I missed seeing you when you were here in Chattanooga, I would love to have thanked you personally, but I will follow your journey with interest and gratitude.
Love and Light
Annie
www.livingwithcml.blogspot.com
Gracie, thanks for the postcards. I'm sorry that Kansas was so harsh to you. :( I had a great trip to California, and a wonderful birthday! (Even though I really don't want any more :))We all played Wizard with Uncle Richard. It was my first time playing and I loved it soooo much that I ordered it on line as soon as I got home. Now I have to find people to play it with me because no one has heard of it!!
Thinking of you and praying for your safety every day.
Love, Aunt Rhonda
I have been looking for sites like this for a long time. Thank you! »
Post a Comment