I woke up this morning feeling the lingering effects of the heat. My skin was actually hot. My inner core, hot. We had reached the Midwest, and it was HOT. So hot that I pondered staying home and resting, rather than risk the effects of going out into the blazing Midwest sun. (I’ve actually known some people – friends of friends – who have died of heat stroke, and I’ve felt the effects myself, so I know just how bad it can be.)
But after a cool shower and some rest in front of the A/C, my body started to cool down and I felt good enough to get on my bike and give it a ride.
Man was it hot.
The ride itself was actually pretty easy. Slightly downhill. And I had plenty of water with me – enough to drink, and to pour over my head in my efforts to stay cool. There was a constant strong “side wind” but I could handle that.
As a matter of fact, it was probably the side wind that kept me going. The brisk 15 MPH wind felt like body blows, but it definitely cooled me down as I made the long hot ride towards Kansas.
And after 32 miles – I made it back to St. Francis, Kansas, where I knew Ian and Nikki were resting in our Air Conditioned motel room.
When suddenly it came to me – “Why am I fighting this…?” So I turned off the road and into the motel to cool down and recover. And a few minutes later, we decided to do what any intelligent biker in our position would do…
We went shopping!
There was a Wal-Mart about 30 miles away, where I could purchase some much needed supplies. So we hopped in the car, cranked the AC (I figured I’d multi-task and cool down while gathering the supplies that I needed), and headed into town.
While there, we met a lovely man and his wife (John and Shelly) at the gas station. They saw the signs on our car and wanted to know about the ride and what we were doing. It ends up John’s father had been an Olympic bicycle racer, and John himself had done some bicycle racing while growing up in New Jersey. Plus they had another connection to the Ride…, a Monday morning appointment with the vet, to see what’s wrong with their dog – they’re afraid it might be cancer. And as we said goodbye and started to head out of the parking lot, John got out of his car and handed us a $10 bill – his donation to the Ride and the dog’s we’re fighting to save…
Thank you John, we really appreciate it. And we hope your dog feels better soon.
By time we got back from our shopping run, it was getting late and the temperature had finally cooled down enough to get back on the road. But as I traveled down Route 36, the wind continued to pound me from the side – blowing towards the north, while I was riding along towards the east.
And then I realized – “Why am I fighting this…?”
At some point in the next few days I need to ride north, to jump into Nebraska on our way over to Lincoln. Why not turn north tonight, and finish the day with the wind at my back?
So as I pulled into the next town, Bird City, Kansas (“The Only Bird City in America” – the sign said, not that I thought anyone was counting), I made a sharp left on Highway 161 and headed north towards Benkelman, Nebraska.
And from then on out, the ride was a thing of beauty.
No more struggling to push out 15 MPH, with winds crashing against my side. Instead I coasted and rolled along at a casual, comfortable 23 MPH, flying past the fields as the sun began to set in the distance. And even though I thought Kansas was all flat, I found some nice rolling hills that made for a really beautiful ride.
Finally, as the sun set, I arrived in Benkelman, ready for my support car to pick me up and take me home for a good night sleep. Tomorrow, it’s back on the road, only this time in Nebraska, on our way to Lincoln, Omaha and points east…
For today, a little change in perspective had gone a long, long way.
Bye for now from the Dog Cancer Ride Across America.
And we’ll see you in Nebraska.
- Ted Schneck
on the Dog Cancer Ride Across America
