From Sea to Shining Sea

Have you Baby Boomers exercised yet today?  How about on a regular basis every day?  Tough, aerobic exercise?  Me neither.  At least not as much as I should.  Below is an update from Jim Arndt, class of '68.  Jim is biking cross country with a friend from Oregon.  Jim has my respect and admiration.  I bike once or twice a week to the tune of about 25-30 miles, but to do more than twice that...every day...for over two months?  It's not in my mental skill set.  Way to go, Jim!

From Jim:
Update 4, rest day 3, Sept 6 On the Colorado and Kansas plains.... We have left the cool and elevations of the west and in its place are the hot windy plains. The updated statistics since Update 3 include: total mileage 2430 miles or 83.8 miles/day on riding days (have ridden 29 of 31 days, or 32 days if I include today's rest day). We are averaging 2846 feet of climb/day and average 6:25 min/day of actual spinning each day and the average speed is 13.06 mph. In the time period since the last update, the mileage per day was higher at 88.29 miles/day (including 3 century days) given the flatter terrain 1193/day. However, we were hopeful of greater mileage in this section with hoped-for prevailing west winds. It never happened. Our route has taken us southeast and stiff south winds make every day a grind. We generally head the south component of the ride as early as possible to take advantage of lesser winds to head into. Winds were 10-25mph through the day....difficult when headed straight into them (8-10mph) and better with side winds at 11-13mph. After a particularly tough day of 118 miles with winds (toughest day of the trip?) and promised stiff south winds, we rethought our next few days and reduced mileages to accommodate the winds. 10 phone calls later ( 5 new motel reservations and 5 canceled reservations) we had our new schedule. It was disappointing to not make the time and add relatively easy miles on the road which had a gentle elevation drop from el 5300 to 800. But such are the vagaries of bike travel. On the plains, especially with adverse winds, you only make progress when spinning....absolutely no coasting...so the hours of travel are relentless...progress based on how much you wanted to challenge the conditions...or in my case, how I could get to the destination and have a scotch (should I be worried about this reoccurring theme??). Our ports of call included Ordway, CO, Tribune, Dighton, Great Bend, Hutchinson, El Dorado, and Chanute, Kansas. Unlike the last update there were no notable towns we rode through (sorry Kansas)...unless you liked expanses of land with no services. We did plan carefully to ensure we had fluids, but frankly, warm grape Gatorade and water at the temperature of coffee just are not very appealing. I find myself drinking water virtually non stop from arrival at day's end until bedtime (8:30-9:00). The terrain started as bleak in Colorado and gradually returned to civilization in eastern Kansas with trees and farm crops. Note: Kansas highways are GREAT!...our roads have 8-12' shoulders and great pavement surface! (Colorado roads, conversely were terrible). Each day seemed to include something of note (well, at least to a biker who grasps at any little morsel of change to the pedaling). In Ordway, we had no choices for dinner. However, when at the grocery restocking for munchies the next day, the manager of the adjacent local bar, Black Bart, said he was "throwing meat on the grill...stop by after 5." We went in about 5:30, ordered a Coors draft (all draft microbrews have given way to Bud, Coors). The bartender said the drafts were $3.50 each. True to his word, there was a huge pan of bbq pork chops....sides were two bags of potato chips from the grocery store. When I asked to pay for the chops, and did he have plates, silverware, I got a perplexed look. "No plate or silverware...just use paper towels and eat with your hands...no charge for the chops and chips, just $3.50 for the drafts." So Ed and I and the flies dug in and the circulating German Shepherd remained respectful, if not envious. In Dighton, talked with the 77-year-old former City Manager of 27 years who proclaimed himself fit. Took three pills a day. "One for blood pressure, one for dementia, and the third....aw I forget." Perhaps, I thought, he could skip the second pill. We almost stayed at a "B&B and exotic animal farm" which included zebras, llamas, and camels! Reviews noted that rooms had farm animal smells, but what the heck, the animals shared the building. We passed. The smells gave way from timber to warm smell of the farm....silage and cattle mixed with occasional scent of sweet crude oil. Gas prices were as low as 2.19/gallon. Consistent with the oil derricks on western Kansas and eastern Colorado fields...all seemed to have 3 or 4 pumping into small storage tanks for pickup. I physically still feel fine....sleeping better out of the higher elevation. Long riding days make me mindful of my bottom! General fatigue from wind made this a welcome day to rest. Next week we pass into Missouri and the Ozarks headed to Illinois. No planned rest yet.