I thought I was going to go riding with the insane bike posse, but they went riding yesterday and I was at my son’s wrestling meet, so I was on my own. I thought the 75 mile loop to Council grove would be a nice ride.
Leaving town today, I felt a connection other cyclists out there riding today. I had read some comments left on my blog, and other cycling blogs where cyclists were gearing up for the DK 200 too. It was a cool feeling to be united with other cyclists out there.
Almost three miles in, the place where the muscles attach to my sit bones was pretty sore in a muscle soreness kind of a way. This could end up being a long ride. I was feeling a bit forced, but sometimes it takes ten miles or so to start feeling good.
Finally made it to Strong City. I had to fight strong winds and some muscle soreness the whole way. My right knee was feeling a bit sore when I was really cranking up the hills. I wasn’t feeling very strong so far, but as I fought against the Kansas wind I thought I would use visualization to help me out. Every breath in I saw stoking the fire inside me. Like in the last post, I visualized the light inside me starting deep in my bones and radiating to the surface and out. This light rids my body of negativity and awakens it too. It’s all a visual. Every time I breathed in deep I saw the light become brilliant within me, just like stoking a fire. It seemed to work and I rode pretty hard. I stopped in Strong City to use the bathroom and eat a health bar (Snickers).
Strong City Stats: 18.4 miles, 13.2 mph avg, pedaling 1hour and 23 minutes
Man, I felt slow. I understood why once I got on highway 177 and headed north to Council Grove. The northwest wind was blowing hard from the west. I had been fighting a tougher headwind than I thought.
While pedaling through the high gusting winds that wanted to throw me off the road on 177, I thought about that delicious Snickers bar I ate at Strong City. They should use me as their poster child to show the results from eating their product. I’d be like Jared from Subway. It gives you energy and creates a slim waistline. The small print would say something along the lines of “these results are not ordinary and have to be combined with riding 75 miles through the Flint Hills on a windy day for one candy bar to see results.” I’m pretty sure it would be good for them.
I love it when people wave back at me, just a simple connection but it sure feels good. I decided to wave at everyone that I passed, if they waved or not.
On my way to Council Grove
Clouds were moving in
Riding to Council Grove was in one word hard. The wind was blowing from the northwest and was strong enough from the west that it blew me all over. I continued to visualize the light inside me. It became a solid glowing light and I saw myself as a streak of light flying through the Kansas countryside. This streak may have slowed to 11 miles an hour going down a hill while I pedaled against the gusting wind, but I was a streak of lightning nonetheless. I did well even with the wind, for me. I didn’t give up on any hills until the final big hill before Council Grove where I slowed to seven miles an hour. Seeing the hill down towards the town of Council Grove was sweet victory. I had made it.
The downhill to Council Grove
I refueled in Council Grove. I consumed 420 calories of Cool Ranch Doritos and a 280 calorie Baby Ruth Bar. I poured a bottle of Poweraid into my Camelbak. I sat inside to eat and warm up and then went outside to mount up. Man it had gotten cold outside. I was sweaty and the cold air felt even colder. I needed to get going and warm up. The beautiful sunshine had disappeared behind thick clouds. It looked like some kind of weather was blowing in.
Council Grove Stats: 40.7 miles, 12.7 mph average, pedaling 3 hours 11 minutes total
I fought hard, but the wind slowed me down and lowered my average speed.
I left Council Grove, hit the Hills of Bobby (inside joke) and realized it was a pretty hilly ride out of Council Grove. My plan was to have the wind at my back for the trip home. It was and it was glorious. I was able to pedal hard heading east towards Americus Road. Hills are still hills and I continued to pedal hard. Riding with the wind at my back is fast and so much fun.
The Flint Hills are best experienced on a bicycle
Dead ends although interesting lead nowhere - on the bike and in life
I did something different leaving Council Grove. I had Poweraid and another sport drink made by Reliv and no water. I am not sure what I was thinking. Basically I was drinking my electrolytes and a lot of sugar. I like water and by the time I made it to Americus, I was craving plain old water. The thing is, I was riding hard. Usually when I stand on my pedals to ride hard up hills, I give in after a few pedal strokes simply because my legs begin to burn like the sun and I give up. Not this time, I was standing on the pedals on just about every hill, cranking hard to the top. Maybe it was the constant influx of sugar into my system, not sure. Yeah, so I also had the wind at my back, but I was pushing it pretty hard (for me, the insane bike posse would have smoked me for sure).
Americus Stats: 65.1 miles, 14.4 mph average, pedaling 4 hours 31 minutes total
My average was coming back up.
Leaving Americus, I thought it was just me, but it really was getting colder. My fingers were freezing. I had to stop and put on my thick gloves. I never took off my warm wind stopping jacket and I thought about leaving it at home. That would have been disaster.
Stats at home: 73.5 miles, 14.7 mph average, pedaled for 4 hours 58 minutes
I brought my average up even more! Sweet.
Feed Your Monkey!
–Eric
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