Stage 17: Manitou Springs ~> Eads, Colorado (139 miles)
A rest day was much needed and our legs have regained some strength from the recent assault across the most mountainous state in the lower 48. My dad will be joining us for today’s ride and his excitement is palpable. We mount up and roll out across the Bohemian streets of Manitou Springs; its eclectic shops and people watch us float by knowing not whether we are coming or going. Next we glide through the busy streets of Colorado Springs and I can only imagine how the executives on the 20th floor of the metal towers above might be looking out of their glass cathedrals with longing at the snowy mountain peaks in the distance. Surely they are proud of the office and position they have attained if life but I wonder to myself if they have not traded the mountains for the view. This is for each to decide for themselves, we all have our own path to follow in life. Our trail leads East but every few miles we look back over our shoulders to watch Pike’s Peak and the Front Range slowly disappear into the distance. Bittersweet emotions penetrate our beings and we ride into vast grasslands so different from what we have seen before. Something about the mountains captivates one’s soul; maybe it is the romantic notion that we feel apart of something so much bigger than ourselves. Like an awakened religion one can now touch, the experience is sacred because we are no longer in control. We have conceded to the majesty of the mountain, we cannot dominate and control such an austere environment. Here we are humble visitors and wish only to remain in awe. For a moment our opportunities are endless and the self-imposed restrictions of the world have been left at lower altitudes for those less willing to climb to the highlands of the mind. As the “Magic Mountains” of Colorado say good-bye we ride ever further into the flatlands of the Great Plains. For miles and miles we rode on as a pack of four wolves roaming across the open grasslands. Kyle, Jeff and I place my dad in our slipstream pocket and he rode like a true champion of the road. For 60 strong miles he paced with us young bucks before wisely deciding to call it a day. Shortly after he quit riding the roads turned for the worse and a slight headwind sprang up which slowed us considerably. Thank goodness Jeff Love was running the sag wagon that day because we road through a inhospitable 50 mile section of tarmac with no gas stations and no water, even the creeks were bone dry. We pondered how the Native Americans could have ever grown crops and survived in such a barren countryside. Undoubtedly they were much tougher than us, for we were pretty much wiped out before the century mark. As we sat in lawn chairs and chowed down on Snickers bars we looked across the odd alien landscape. Perhaps it was the heat with a hint of dehydration and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) but the scene hinted of a surreal post apocalyptic movie and we had become the stars. The settlement of Kit Carson (named after the infamous mountain man turned military commander) was only 20 miles away and a new road presented itself to lead the way. We pulled our weary bodies towards town with a sluggish determination and made Jeff Love agree that he had to ride with us to Eads, Colorado to cap off the day if we made it that far. True to his word Jeff Love was suited up and ready roll by the time we made it to Kit Carson. I won’t lie part of me really wanted to stay in that quaint little town. I was hungry and tired; plus we just met a fellow free spirited bicycle touring aficionado by the name of Doug Adams. Doug had been riding 60 miles a day since last October (for over 6 months now) and was en route to completing his goal of riding across all 50 US states. His bicycle tour was inspired by the men and women of the armed forces and his bright American flag jersey and shorts would make any veteran shed a small tear of pride. This man we would affectionately come to know as Captain America collectively inspired us all. So there we were 4 bikers with no excuse but to push on. Jeff Love wasted no time and sprinted to the head of the pack, pulling us like an 18-wheeler through the lonesome prairie. About the 130 mile mark everyone started to hit the wall. Jeff got dizzy while riding and had to rapidly consume ~700 calories to get adequate supplies of sugar back to his brain. Kyle did some swerving along the rumble strip and was running low on fuel as well. Jeff Love and I were trying our hardest to keep the pedals spinning and we collectively wheeled into the tiny town of Eads, Colorado without many ounces of energy to spare. Dad grabbed us a table at the first diner in town and we appropriately proceeded to devour 4 large pizzas and a side of breadsticks. Something about exhaustion makes food taste that much better and we savored every morsel from every bite. That night we got some cheap hotel rooms and attempted to watch some popular sitcoms (Parks & Rec and 30 Rock). Jeff and I were so whacked out from the exhaustive day that we couldn’t tell if it was the TV shows or us that were so weird. We looked at each other and laughed hysterically; Kyle laughed at us because we were laughing so much. It truly was a maniacally quintessential ending to a manic day of riding. Needless to say this has been our biggest mileage day of the entire “Bisiklet for Haiti” Tour (total mileage=139 miles, ride time for the day=10 hrs, estimated energy burned per rider=7,500 calories, having Dad & Jeff there=priceless).
Stage 18: Eads, Colorado ~> Scott City, Kansas (102 miles)
We slowly roll out of bed and make our way next door to the local greasy spoon diner. Dad was already there sipping on his morning coffee and looking fresh as a bluebird; Jeff Love and I are a bit more fatigued. We order breakfast and I start digging into to a delicious omelet and hashbrowns as Kyle & Jeff stumble in. Jeff looks pale as a zombie and like he was just unearthed him from a crypt. We all eat a king’s feast and Jeff begins to look like his normal self again by the time his meal is done. Yesterday took a lot out of us all and no one is too anxious to starting the day’s ride. Just before we depart I pull a goathead thorn from my tire and it hisses air and begins to go flat. Ooohhhh, my first flat tire of the whole trip and it happens in the parking lot! Oh well, better here then out in the middle of nowhere I figure. Once we finally do start riding the winds begin to blow in our favor. The pleasant push from behind combined with the smooth roads below allow us to make quick time and rally off a pace of 20 mph. Dad rocks it out in fine fashion and hangs on for 3 ½ hrs and 70 miles before being satiated for the day. Jeff Love wants in on the action too so he gets a headstart and starts pedaling away. We try to close the gap and reel him in but he is just too fast. Our legs start to blow up a bit so we pull it back to a comfortable pace and roll into Scott City a few minutes after Jeff Love’s breakaway victory. We check Kyle’s computer and are very pleased with our 102 mile sub 5 hr century. Averaging 20 mph for an entire day is no small feat and we are all pretty pumped but also a bit tired. Jeff and I vote to go 25 more miles to Dighton, but the wind turns on us and everyone else is opting for a hotel and Pizza Hut in Scott City. We wheel down to the local Best Western and the boys hit the hot tub for a well-deserved soak. I walk outside and sit in the grass hoping to collect my thoughts. I am happy to give (usually J) but tend to have more trouble accepting gifts of kindness from others, particularly if those gifts are money related and I feel like said gift is a luxury item. I realize that by not allowing someone to give me something I am truly robbing them of the reward of feeling good about the kind deed they intended. Still my mind can not help but feel like I’m taking too much with all these hotel rooms and nice meals (a nice meal is $7-10 per person for us, I realize that is quite frugal to most people in the US but people often eat for $10 a week in places like Haiti). A PB&J tides my hunger over and helps me feel a bit better about my consumption. I’m starting to realize that spending money stimulates the economy by helping businesses, which in turn provide additional jobs to people thus improving the quality of life for many. However I still can’t fully embrace the consumerism running rampant in our culture today, all the material excess is just too much to handle (says the guy riding the tricked out titanium bike). I must laugh at myself for I am equally guilty; although I have made a conscious effort to detach myself from all material possessions and live a selfless life I’ve never truly fully committed to these ideals. Maybe it is my fear of giving all that holds me back, it confines me like an invisible chain. What will I eat, where will I live, the self doubts cripple my soul’s ability to truly free itself from the confines of the physical vessel. I’m reminded of a Bible quote: “So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’… Your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. I know this is so true and full of wisdom, yet I have not been able to fully commit up to this point in my life. It’s frustrating to go so far then be too scared to jump once one finally finds the infinite waterfall. I guess the bike acts as a substitute for true freedom for me. It acts as a medium by which I can experience that sensation of liberation while simultaneously remaining in control. Oh to be in control (to fool ourselves into becoming Gods of our own tiny universes), what a subtle yet crippling disease this plague has left on the mind. That being said we go to Pizza Hut and Jeff experiences a similar internal struggle. He really wants the salad bar but won’t get it because my dad and Jeff Love are paying for dinner and Jeff doesn’t want them to spend any more money. “Take only what you need”, I am inspired by Jeff’s small act of devotion to the morals he values so deeply and I hope that I’ll do the same next time I’m placed in the ever difficult situation of taking what I want vs. what I need.
Stage 19: Scott City ~> Larned, Colorado (120 miles)
We wake up and the air is cold, too cold. We are also tired, too tired. Jeff Love gets some morning photos and Kyle’s halfhearted “yay” is smothered in subtle sarcasm and says it all. None of us are excited about today’s ride. We’ve done two centuries (100 mile rides) in a row and another big day is looming. Slowly we climb atop our wheels of folly and proceed forward to battle on another day. A fierce headwind attacks us and blows cold air currents that penetrate all the way to our bone marrow. It is difficult to get the bikes up to speed and Dad and I fall behind. Kyle & Jeff slow up and we group together in a tight rhombus formation. Kyle and Jeff pulling in the front, me shielding my father from the defiant crosswind and Dad sitting in the 4-hole shielded from all angles. We crank the pedals forward in a grueling motion; there is very little chatter and my spirits are low. Seeing my dad fight through the discomfort and never complain helps me to be brave and battle on. We strike up a conversation and the miles begin to tick away quicker and quicker. By the time we arrive in Dighton 2 hrs and 24 miles later, I’m about ready to call it a day. The ride is no fun and I’m honestly tired and feeling a bit crabby and miserable. Dad jokes about stopping there and taking the sag wagon with Jeff Love. I don’t blame him; truth is I want to stop riding too and would if we weren’t so dedicated to riding every single mile across America. There is a nice gas station and we take refuge inside to hide from the harsh winds. Kyle gets his “Kyle Denison Special” (½ coffee ½ hot chocolate), while Jeff scores an impressive been & beef burrito with chilies on board. He would later go on to credit the burrito for giving him the strength and determination to complete such a difficult ride. Jeff was so inspired that after completion of the “Bisiklet for Haiti” Cross Country Tour, he is now planning to pass on his surgical residency in Portland and instead pursue a career as a bike bum for Big Star Bean & Beef Burritos. As part of the sponsorship package, Jeff is not allowed to shave his beard (Jeff’s fiancée, Christina, and her grandmother are very excited about this contract clause). Just kidding, but I really do think Christina’s grandma was a big fan of the beard. That’s all she could talk about, how excited she was to have this hippiesque bearded man who’s wearing yellow spandex and riding across the country on a bicycle come and marry her sweet little granddaughter. The mere mental image makes me chuckle inside. Oh sweet granny, your innocent little girl has fallen in love with a rugged mountain man. To be totally honest I don’t even know Christina yet, but I’m totally excited for these two star-crossed lovers. After spending 24 hrs a day with Jeff for the past month it is obvious that he is head over heels in love. Jeff is a top-notch dude and Christina sounds equally incredible from everything he’s told me about her. They are getting married later this month after the bike tour and I would love to be there, but it’s about time for me to go back to Haiti and take care of business at the Cloud Forest Medical Clinic. Gotta throw one last shout out to Christina, she just ran the Eugene, Oregon Marathon in 2:49. I know that’s crazy legs fast; I can barely ride the bike at that speed! Ok, ok, my mind wanders yet again. Let’s get back to the adventure at hand. After hiding in the gas station for what seemed like an eternity we forced ourselves back outside to the fury that awaited us. To our surprise dad remounted his bike and took off without saying a word. We followed suit and were all impressed by his tenacity. For 70 more miles he rode alongside your beloved 3 Amigos aka “Bisiklet Boys”. Finally the pavement gave way to a 10 mile rumble strip near Rush Center, Kansas. We tried to ride the smooth shoulder but in some places there was none and we were pelted with a barrage of unpleasant gyrations. Luckily the wind let up a bit and we were turning off this God forsaken road. Dad had enough and we all congratulated him for an incredible day of riding in some very harsh conditions (he wound up riding 220 miles over 3 days across Eastern Colorado & Western Kansas). Jeff Love accepted the tag team challenge and jumped on his bike where Dad finished. We were so happy to have Jeff Love finish out the day with us; it had been a hard fought battle of wills to keep going and having a new rider on board always brings a fresh energy to the mix. Together we coasted and drafted to the country village of Larned, Colorado and sought refuge in the local Roadway Inn. The sign in front of the hotel read “What Would Scooby Doo?” and I felt welcome as we wheeled right up to our room. The next morning I would try to decipher this encoded message which could be taken to have several meanings. In the end, I concluded that like all things it would ultimately be up to us to decide what meaning there is to be found in life. To quote Albert Einstein, “The more I learn the less I know”. And for that I was happy to just know that Scooby Doo was there, I did not need anything more for peace of mind. Scooby had always been a childhood hero of mine so who was I to question him anyways. Speaking of childhood heroes, two of mine were soon to depart and return to Arkansas. After dinner at the local Mexican joint, Dad & Jeff Love took the midnight train back to the ARK. Fortunately for us they dropped our gear off with Kyle’s brother in Wichita along the way. We would need all the help we could get for the day ahead…
Stage 20: Larned ~> Wichita, Kansas (135 miles)
I’m just gonna say it up front, this was the hardest and most mentally exhausting stage of the entire cross country bike tour. We had already dealt with big mile days, climbed up giant mountains and fought our way through challenging winds but nothing had prepared us for the Easter Sunday Death March we were about to encounter. We knew it would be a long day so we tried to depart early. This did not occur and we headed out at our usual 9am start time. The first 20 miles was not too bad with just a little crosswind from the East. Then it happened, the road veered due East and the winds picked up dramatically. Here goes nothing we thought and proceeded to have a Happy Easter “I love you Jesus” Snickers bar and laugh to ourselves as God would have his fun with us for the day. We are but grains of sand being blown about by the mighty winds as we soar along the ocean of life. Thankfully the Sun would emerge intermittently and warm us up which was a welcome reprieve from the austere experience at hand. At the rest stop a milk truck driver told us, “I don’t know why you’re riding across the country but God bless you.” It was such a simple but profoundly kind thing to say. We still remember the scene vividly and have often told the story. The kindness of a stranger helped us remember what Easter is all about and how we can always be better, do more, make a difference in the world and ultimately give thanks for a gift that we don’t deserve. We received a few small gifts while eating our first lunch at that rest stop as well. Jeff had a pretty blue eggshell fall out of the tree and land beside him on the picnic table. The baby bird had already hatched and it was surely a sign of good luck. My little surprise came soon thereafter with a white splat on the table near me. It also landed in my fluffy blonde hair and on my bike shorts. Turns out the bird gave Jeff an Easter egg and me a dirty little dues. Kyle took photos and we all laughed in good spirits. This happened to my mom once at Disney World and she is the sweetest person I know so I didn’t take it as a bad omen, just a funny little joke in a funny little world which orbits around a medium sized, medium aged star in a small little solar system in a relatively tiny galaxy within an infinite universe. Now I think about how spectacular each of us is and how every moment is priceless and it blows my mind. Supposedly I’m even supposed to be one of the smarter ones of this particular animal tribe, what a funny concept. One must smile at how serious we take ourselves. Thank you God for this Easter Sunday Death March experience that I will never forget and for all these lovely gifts sprinkled around us in every direction just waiting to be found. Life is such a beautiful comedy, why do we not laugh more? Ok back to the ride, only 80 more miles to go and the wind is only blowing directly in your face at 20 mph. Whoohoo NOT! Back to feeling sorry for myself again, we take turns doing 1 mile pulls and count off the miles with scientific precision. Eventually we reach Hutchinson, Kansas and take a much-needed break at the local McDonalds. Best bang for the buck we’ve found so far. You can get almost 450 calories per dollar with the McDouble and about 350 cals for the McChicken. True this is line of logic is probably not beneficial for a very high percentage of the population but it works out great for cross-country bikers on a budget. That being said I would like to take a moment to be a responsible medical professional and strongly advocate that people limit their fast food consumption to a minimum. Three of the most disturbing epidemics wreaking havoc on today’s healthcare system are obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. All can be directly related to our instant gratification fast food culture and sedentary lifestyles; genetics of course play a major role as well. Ok enough of my soapbox ranting. After a satisfying and inexpensive meal at McDonalds we hit the road again and make our final push towards Wichita. The wind continues to pound us but at least we know the end is within sight. The last 15 miles are ridden in the dark and the roads get super dangerous as we enter the city. Our entrance is cloaked with a robe of speeding cars and semi trucks. They buzz by us at warp speed as our tiny red lights flash defenselessly. We all say our prayers as we cross a freeway bridge with no shoulder. The situation is far from ideal but at this point we have no choice. Kyle’s brother and his family are awaiting our arrival. They even have Papa Murphy’s pizza waiting on us so we have plenty of incentives to get over there asap. We finally make it off the busy freeway and start our way through the city. At first we travel through the ghetto area and are hoping that Kyle’s family doesn’t live too close. We get our wish and wind up traveling about 10 miles across town to the East side of Wichita, which is a super nice area. Kyle leads us in like a good general and Jeff and I follow behind. When we finally arrived after 10+ hrs of riding and 135 miles we were exhausted beyond compare. Oh so tired, we arrive at the Martin residence to the greetings of children and Kyle’s brother. I have a protein shake and a shower. When I come back to the kitchen the pizzas are ready and we plant down in front of the TV to watch Transformers 2. Dozing off mid movie, Kyle wakes me up and I waddle downstairs and crash on the pullout couch with Kevin the dog.
Stage 18: Eads, Colorado ~> Scott City, Kansas (102 miles)
We slowly roll out of bed and make our way next door to the local greasy spoon diner. Dad was already there sipping on his morning coffee and looking fresh as a bluebird; Jeff Love and I are a bit more fatigued. We order breakfast and I start digging into to a delicious omelet and hashbrowns as Kyle & Jeff stumble in. Jeff looks pale as a zombie and like he was just unearthed him from a crypt. We all eat a king’s feast and Jeff begins to look like his normal self again by the time his meal is done. Yesterday took a lot out of us all and no one is too anxious to starting the day’s ride. Just before we depart I pull a goathead thorn from my tire and it hisses air and begins to go flat. Ooohhhh, my first flat tire of the whole trip and it happens in the parking lot! Oh well, better here then out in the middle of nowhere I figure. Once we finally do start riding the winds begin to blow in our favor. The pleasant push from behind combined with the smooth roads below allow us to make quick time and rally off a pace of 20 mph. Dad rocks it out in fine fashion and hangs on for 3 ½ hrs and 70 miles before being satiated for the day. Jeff Love wants in on the action too so he gets a headstart and starts pedaling away. We try to close the gap and reel him in but he is just too fast. Our legs start to blow up a bit so we pull it back to a comfortable pace and roll into Scott City a few minutes after Jeff Love’s breakaway victory. We check Kyle’s computer and are very pleased with our 102 mile sub 5 hr century. Averaging 20 mph for an entire day is no small feat and we are all pretty pumped but also a bit tired. Jeff and I vote to go 25 more miles to Dighton, but the wind turns on us and everyone else is opting for a hotel and Pizza Hut in Scott City. We wheel down to the local Best Western and the boys hit the hot tub for a well-deserved soak. I walk outside and sit in the grass hoping to collect my thoughts. I am happy to give (usually J) but tend to have more trouble accepting gifts of kindness from others, particularly if those gifts are money related and I feel like said gift is a luxury item. I realize that by not allowing someone to give me something I am truly robbing them of the reward of feeling good about the kind deed they intended. Still my mind can not help but feel like I’m taking too much with all these hotel rooms and nice meals (a nice meal is $7-10 per person for us, I realize that is quite frugal to most people in the US but people often eat for $10 a week in places like Haiti). A PB&J tides my hunger over and helps me feel a bit better about my consumption. I’m starting to realize that spending money stimulates the economy by helping businesses, which in turn provide additional jobs to people thus improving the quality of life for many. However I still can’t fully embrace the consumerism running rampant in our culture today, all the material excess is just too much to handle (says the guy riding the tricked out titanium bike). I must laugh at myself for I am equally guilty; although I have made a conscious effort to detach myself from all material possessions and live a selfless life I’ve never truly fully committed to these ideals. Maybe it is my fear of giving all that holds me back, it confines me like an invisible chain. What will I eat, where will I live, the self doubts cripple my soul’s ability to truly free itself from the confines of the physical vessel. I’m reminded of a Bible quote: “So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’… Your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. I know this is so true and full of wisdom, yet I have not been able to fully commit up to this point in my life. It’s frustrating to go so far then be too scared to jump once one finally finds the infinite waterfall. I guess the bike acts as a substitute for true freedom for me. It acts as a medium by which I can experience that sensation of liberation while simultaneously remaining in control. Oh to be in control (to fool ourselves into becoming Gods of our own tiny universes), what a subtle yet crippling disease this plague has left on the mind. That being said we go to Pizza Hut and Jeff experiences a similar internal struggle. He really wants the salad bar but won’t get it because my dad and Jeff Love are paying for dinner and Jeff doesn’t want them to spend any more money. “Take only what you need”, I am inspired by Jeff’s small act of devotion to the morals he values so deeply and I hope that I’ll do the same next time I’m placed in the ever difficult situation of taking what I want vs. what I need.
Stage 19: Scott City ~> Larned, Colorado (120 miles)
We wake up and the air is cold, too cold. We are also tired, too tired. Jeff Love gets some morning photos and Kyle’s halfhearted “yay” is smothered in subtle sarcasm and says it all. None of us are excited about today’s ride. We’ve done two centuries (100 mile rides) in a row and another big day is looming. Slowly we climb atop our wheels of folly and proceed forward to battle on another day. A fierce headwind attacks us and blows cold air currents that penetrate all the way to our bone marrow. It is difficult to get the bikes up to speed and Dad and I fall behind. Kyle & Jeff slow up and we group together in a tight rhombus formation. Kyle and Jeff pulling in the front, me shielding my father from the defiant crosswind and Dad sitting in the 4-hole shielded from all angles. We crank the pedals forward in a grueling motion; there is very little chatter and my spirits are low. Seeing my dad fight through the discomfort and never complain helps me to be brave and battle on. We strike up a conversation and the miles begin to tick away quicker and quicker. By the time we arrive in Dighton 2 hrs and 24 miles later, I’m about ready to call it a day. The ride is no fun and I’m honestly tired and feeling a bit crabby and miserable. Dad jokes about stopping there and taking the sag wagon with Jeff Love. I don’t blame him; truth is I want to stop riding too and would if we weren’t so dedicated to riding every single mile across America. There is a nice gas station and we take refuge inside to hide from the harsh winds. Kyle gets his “Kyle Denison Special” (½ coffee ½ hot chocolate), while Jeff scores an impressive been & beef burrito with chilies on board. He would later go on to credit the burrito for giving him the strength and determination to complete such a difficult ride. Jeff was so inspired that after completion of the “Bisiklet for Haiti” Cross Country Tour, he is now planning to pass on his surgical residency in Portland and instead pursue a career as a bike bum for Big Star Bean & Beef Burritos. As part of the sponsorship package, Jeff is not allowed to shave his beard (Jeff’s fiancée, Christina, and her grandmother are very excited about this contract clause). Just kidding, but I really do think Christina’s grandma was a big fan of the beard. That’s all she could talk about, how excited she was to have this hippiesque bearded man who’s wearing yellow spandex and riding across the country on a bicycle come and marry her sweet little granddaughter. The mere mental image makes me chuckle inside. Oh sweet granny, your innocent little girl has fallen in love with a rugged mountain man. To be totally honest I don’t even know Christina yet, but I’m totally excited for these two star-crossed lovers. After spending 24 hrs a day with Jeff for the past month it is obvious that he is head over heels in love. Jeff is a top-notch dude and Christina sounds equally incredible from everything he’s told me about her. They are getting married later this month after the bike tour and I would love to be there, but it’s about time for me to go back to Haiti and take care of business at the Cloud Forest Medical Clinic. Gotta throw one last shout out to Christina, she just ran the Eugene, Oregon Marathon in 2:49. I know that’s crazy legs fast; I can barely ride the bike at that speed! Ok, ok, my mind wanders yet again. Let’s get back to the adventure at hand. After hiding in the gas station for what seemed like an eternity we forced ourselves back outside to the fury that awaited us. To our surprise dad remounted his bike and took off without saying a word. We followed suit and were all impressed by his tenacity. For 70 more miles he rode alongside your beloved 3 Amigos aka “Bisiklet Boys”. Finally the pavement gave way to a 10 mile rumble strip near Rush Center, Kansas. We tried to ride the smooth shoulder but in some places there was none and we were pelted with a barrage of unpleasant gyrations. Luckily the wind let up a bit and we were turning off this God forsaken road. Dad had enough and we all congratulated him for an incredible day of riding in some very harsh conditions (he wound up riding 220 miles over 3 days across Eastern Colorado & Western Kansas). Jeff Love accepted the tag team challenge and jumped on his bike where Dad finished. We were so happy to have Jeff Love finish out the day with us; it had been a hard fought battle of wills to keep going and having a new rider on board always brings a fresh energy to the mix. Together we coasted and drafted to the country village of Larned, Colorado and sought refuge in the local Roadway Inn. The sign in front of the hotel read “What Would Scooby Doo?” and I felt welcome as we wheeled right up to our room. The next morning I would try to decipher this encoded message which could be taken to have several meanings. In the end, I concluded that like all things it would ultimately be up to us to decide what meaning there is to be found in life. To quote Albert Einstein, “The more I learn the less I know”. And for that I was happy to just know that Scooby Doo was there, I did not need anything more for peace of mind. Scooby had always been a childhood hero of mine so who was I to question him anyways. Speaking of childhood heroes, two of mine were soon to depart and return to Arkansas. After dinner at the local Mexican joint, Dad & Jeff Love took the midnight train back to the ARK. Fortunately for us they dropped our gear off with Kyle’s brother in Wichita along the way. We would need all the help we could get for the day ahead…
Stage 20: Larned ~> Wichita, Kansas (135 miles)
I’m just gonna say it up front, this was the hardest and most mentally exhausting stage of the entire cross country bike tour. We had already dealt with big mile days, climbed up giant mountains and fought our way through challenging winds but nothing had prepared us for the Easter Sunday Death March we were about to encounter. We knew it would be a long day so we tried to depart early. This did not occur and we headed out at our usual 9am start time. The first 20 miles was not too bad with just a little crosswind from the East. Then it happened, the road veered due East and the winds picked up dramatically. Here goes nothing we thought and proceeded to have a Happy Easter “I love you Jesus” Snickers bar and laugh to ourselves as God would have his fun with us for the day. We are but grains of sand being blown about by the mighty winds as we soar along the ocean of life. Thankfully the Sun would emerge intermittently and warm us up which was a welcome reprieve from the austere experience at hand. At the rest stop a milk truck driver told us, “I don’t know why you’re riding across the country but God bless you.” It was such a simple but profoundly kind thing to say. We still remember the scene vividly and have often told the story. The kindness of a stranger helped us remember what Easter is all about and how we can always be better, do more, make a difference in the world and ultimately give thanks for a gift that we don’t deserve. We received a few small gifts while eating our first lunch at that rest stop as well. Jeff had a pretty blue eggshell fall out of the tree and land beside him on the picnic table. The baby bird had already hatched and it was surely a sign of good luck. My little surprise came soon thereafter with a white splat on the table near me. It also landed in my fluffy blonde hair and on my bike shorts. Turns out the bird gave Jeff an Easter egg and me a dirty little dues. Kyle took photos and we all laughed in good spirits. This happened to my mom once at Disney World and she is the sweetest person I know so I didn’t take it as a bad omen, just a funny little joke in a funny little world which orbits around a medium sized, medium aged star in a small little solar system in a relatively tiny galaxy within an infinite universe. Now I think about how spectacular each of us is and how every moment is priceless and it blows my mind. Supposedly I’m even supposed to be one of the smarter ones of this particular animal tribe, what a funny concept. One must smile at how serious we take ourselves. Thank you God for this Easter Sunday Death March experience that I will never forget and for all these lovely gifts sprinkled around us in every direction just waiting to be found. Life is such a beautiful comedy, why do we not laugh more? Ok back to the ride, only 80 more miles to go and the wind is only blowing directly in your face at 20 mph. Whoohoo NOT! Back to feeling sorry for myself again, we take turns doing 1 mile pulls and count off the miles with scientific precision. Eventually we reach Hutchinson, Kansas and take a much-needed break at the local McDonalds. Best bang for the buck we’ve found so far. You can get almost 450 calories per dollar with the McDouble and about 350 cals for the McChicken. True this is line of logic is probably not beneficial for a very high percentage of the population but it works out great for cross-country bikers on a budget. That being said I would like to take a moment to be a responsible medical professional and strongly advocate that people limit their fast food consumption to a minimum. Three of the most disturbing epidemics wreaking havoc on today’s healthcare system are obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. All can be directly related to our instant gratification fast food culture and sedentary lifestyles; genetics of course play a major role as well. Ok enough of my soapbox ranting. After a satisfying and inexpensive meal at McDonalds we hit the road again and make our final push towards Wichita. The wind continues to pound us but at least we know the end is within sight. The last 15 miles are ridden in the dark and the roads get super dangerous as we enter the city. Our entrance is cloaked with a robe of speeding cars and semi trucks. They buzz by us at warp speed as our tiny red lights flash defenselessly. We all say our prayers as we cross a freeway bridge with no shoulder. The situation is far from ideal but at this point we have no choice. Kyle’s brother and his family are awaiting our arrival. They even have Papa Murphy’s pizza waiting on us so we have plenty of incentives to get over there asap. We finally make it off the busy freeway and start our way through the city. At first we travel through the ghetto area and are hoping that Kyle’s family doesn’t live too close. We get our wish and wind up traveling about 10 miles across town to the East side of Wichita, which is a super nice area. Kyle leads us in like a good general and Jeff and I follow behind. When we finally arrived after 10+ hrs of riding and 135 miles we were exhausted beyond compare. Oh so tired, we arrive at the Martin residence to the greetings of children and Kyle’s brother. I have a protein shake and a shower. When I come back to the kitchen the pizzas are ready and we plant down in front of the TV to watch Transformers 2. Dozing off mid movie, Kyle wakes me up and I waddle downstairs and crash on the pullout couch with Kevin the dog.