Dinner in Abilene at this old mansion last night

This says it all

This was very moving…

Good evening all!,

Hope that you all had a pleasant day and are getting in some much need relaxation on hump day! (This is Wednesday, isn’t it?) I tend to lose track of days of the week and focus on ring days or rest day.

Had a little bad news today. Larry my roommate had a minor fall going over some treacherous railroad tracks and had to hit the van early in the day. He has some cuts and sprains but appears a possible to ride tomorrow. Mike F. rode about 25 miles and got in the van because he old injury was flaring up. Mike is probably our best rider and is usually strong every day. I know how much it had to hurt for him to get in the van both physically and mentally. Prior to that he had ridden every mile. Let’s hope that he can get back on his bike tomorrow.

One of the couple riding this year from Canada (Barry and Wendy) are on their second go of this ride. Barry took a nasty crash 7 years ago that put hime in a hospital outside of St. Joseph Mo. We are about to pass that spot in the next couple of days. Wendy told of how all the riders surrounded them with tears in their eyes when everyone knew they would be leaving. There is a tremendous emotional bond . commitment between riders on these rides and  the longer you go, the harder it is to say “no mas.”

Today was a tough day for me. We had over 4000 feet of climbing on little traveled but not the best roads with winds in our face most of the day. the scenery was gorgeous with farmland and valleys, streams and lakes as well as herds of elk, bison, horses, cows etc. It warmed up as the day went on and my Garmin said the road temperature was in the 90’s. Between where I sit and a “hot” foot, I was in a lot of pain the last 50 miles and stopped every so often to massage my foot. For those who have never experienced hot foot, let me tell you that there is a spot in your foot that has in tenses pain as well as heat. Loosening your shoes helps some and some say different socks / shoes/ cleats will help but many riders get it on long rides.

At our first SAG in a little town there was a nice memorial to the war veterans of that county.. I didn’t capture it all very well on my photos but I did get the part that said, “Freedom is not Free.” I thought it appropriate since I am ring for The Wounded Warrior Project. I’s also like to mention a story from a rider who rode in a tour 3 years ago with some real Wounded Warriors and she shared the story of one of them:

I like that you’re riding for the Wounded Warrior’s Project…such a great purpose. I rode with the wounded warriors 3 years ago on a short day ride. The soldier that I rode with lost his leg below the knee and his arm below the elbow from an IED in Iraq. Ironically, he graduated from Virgina Military Institute (VMI) the same college that one of my sons graduated from. He told me the story of the day he was injured…he had such an amazing attitude…so inspiring…and such a strong man. I felt so privileged to spend time with him. His job was to check abandoned buildings/houses for insurgents. He said he always went through the yards first because he was the Sargent (leader) and he wanted to make sure it was safe for his troop. He stepped on an IED in a yard. I asked him what his first thought was when he was injured and he said he remembers thinking that he was so happy to be alive, even though he was in tremendous pain. He has a wife and two daughters. You’re riding for him and many more who made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Tomorrow, we have another long day of about 85 miles or so and the terrain will be about the same. I wish that I had taken a few more pictures of the countryside but perhaps one of the other riders will share a few of theirs. I will post  a few photos though that I took.

Tailwinds

Chuck