Day 24 riding ...

Trouble publishing last night so now this is yesterday.

Bike day 24 for me/8 to go
Danville, IL to Indianapolis, IN 111 miles
Build days done 4/build days left 3 (one tomorrow)
Temp 103 F; humidity not bad

An adventure in finding our way out of Danville. A great start to a great ride today. We all missed the first turn, had to turn around as a group and get back on track. Then a few miles later the road was closed because a bridge was out and we had to make a detour. Soon I caught up with the group, because they were stopped and trying to figure out which way to go to get back on track. In other words, we were lost, as a group! It was great watching these kids pulling out their GPS phones and figuring out which way to go. These country roads were absolutely terrible (we literally bounced along for probably 5 miles), until we came to a turn that was to put us on a completely loose gravel road. Again the GPS phones came out, and we discovered that the road numbers are a little different because we were crossing over between Illinois and Indiana. So we doubled back a short ways, got on the correct road, and the "lost adventure" was over, and we got back to our 111 mile ride. Time zone changed again, so we lost another hour while riding. This was one of the best times I have had riding, I love riding with the entire group, as a group.

Tonight we were on our own for dinner. Some went to Steak and Shake, some to a pancake house, and some ?? I went with a group to Steak and Shake (chocolate malt!). The kids did not get to eat as much as they normally do, because they had to pay for everything themselves. Poor babies :-( Some will probably go out later for more. I may even go to the pancake house for bacon and eggs (over easy).

Monday I hit the wall at about mile 82. Today, Tuesday, I had a nice 111 mile ride, my longest ride ever. Why? I think, all because I slowed down. Sarah is riding hurt, and hence slow for her, so I latched on to her, and let her set a nice easy 13-15 MPH pace, and I just stayed with her. I tried leading for a while until we came to the van stop, and Sarah told me I was riding too fast. I guess I had kicked it up to 17 and 18 MPH and not realized it. So I just let her lead, and I drafted. Obviously I wanted to ride faster, but I wanted to ride and finish feeling good more than go fast and flame out like yesterday.

I have now been with this core group of whole way riders for over a month, and it is by far the best group of people I have ever been with. Come to think of it, except for the Air Force, I have never been with any group of people this long. Nor have I ever wanted to be with any group of people this long. This is, by far, one of the best experiences of my life, and it just keeps getting better. Hailey, a new rider, secured a couch for me tonight. Unfortunately it was on a floor without a bathroom, so I had to move. But, the thought was there. A few of them still have not learned all the house rules; 1. If you pick it up, you put it down. 2. If you dirty it, you clean it. 3. If you drop it, you pick it up. 4. If you open it, you close it, etc., etc. But, I just love it all. I almost hollered at them for crossing a busy highway, not at the corner light, without their helmets on, but I refrained. Maybe I am mellowing out on this trip. I know I would have hollered at my kids, and especially at my grandkids! Hmmmmm, I should have made them cross at the light.

Great inspirational tape this morning by Millard had me thinking that each pedal stroke I took was like hammering a nail into a new or renovation home. Every mile we ride is another dollar times 28 riders for another home. Today we built a home in Haiti.

Oh yeah, my expert bike mechanic, Jonas, is also an expert doctor. Drying off at the showers tonight he saw me looking at my legs, and he just says, "heat rash!" Humph, I thought, why heat rash? :-) But he told me to just rub Neosporin on it which I will do tonight.

Peace