Sedalia – Our team has been extraordinarily lucky in terms of weather this summer. Therefore, it was probably Karma that we faced a great deal of rain on our century ride out of the state of Kansas. While this could easily have put the “miz” in Missouri, the warm weather made it not so bad after all. What was more challenging than the rain was navigating some of the roads en route to Sedalia. One stretch of construction (typically something we would rack for if need be) featured a large number of treacherous holes, which were often unavoidable. I ended up being the only one in my pace line to avoid getting a flat tire, something I did not complain about. When we arrived at lodging, we showered up at the local pool down the street. There was a great deal of gravel to contend with and, being without my sandals, I somehow convinced Moff to give me a piggy back ride. Our crew is too good to us. That night we enjoyed a pig roast on-site (we were told our meal was less than 24 hours deceased) and hosted a friendship visit. We were excited to have lots of clients attend and the event featured ice cream, door prizes, dancing and a hula hoop contest. I have reaffirmed that hula hooping is not one of my finer points!
Columbia – Not too much stands out about this day, to be honest (except Missouri’s love of hills, but we’ll get there tomorrow). However, I can report that a few of us received some generous free food at a local McDonalds after they learned what we were doing. Snack wraps (introduced to me by Tim Graham during our oh-so-classy spring break in Clearwater, FL two years ago) have been among my consistent cravings this summer and so I most certainly indulged. Compelling update, I know.
Union – Remember how I described the “rolling hills” style of Kansas? Well, Missouri takes things to a whole ‘nother level and no day personified this more than this 105 mile ride. About 20 miles in this became evident as the terrain started becoming more and more like a roller coaster. The downhills were such an incredible rush - I even hit 40 mph on one, which is pretty significant considering my low weight. The uphill’s were certainly challenging, and became so relentless that it actually became comical. More than any other day in recent memory, this ride showed how much progress I’ve made since this whole thing began. In my post-ride state (sprawled out on my trusty blow up air mattress), I felt proud of finishing the day strong and in relatively high spirits. That night while driving around town in pursuit of ice cream and “fourth meal” (I’m going to try to limit my rants about food from here on out… I swear), I found myself once again singing along at the top of my lungs to some great songs with some great people. Not a care in the world. It’s moments like these that I don’t think I’ll fully be able to appreciate until all is said and done.
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