Today continued our brutal foray into a crosswind. The wind had shifted slightly, however, and was a direct south wind instead of a southeast wind like yesterday. Nigel and I pretty much stayed together all day. At the first rest stop, Terri was playing Bruce Springsteen's album Nebraska to get us in the mood for the monotonous grain silos, endless milo, corn, cotton, and sunflower fields. There were actually quite a few more trees today, which helped in sections to cut the wind down and add variety to the scenery.
At the second stop before lunch we picked up Clifford who hugged our wheels for the rest of the day. Lunch was chicken salad and chocolate Zingers. The fast guys who don't stop long left before we did. Nigel had some business to take care of in the woods, and then we pulled into the last rest stop. Refill of water bottles, some Fresca, and cookies.
We turned directly into the wind for the fifth time of the day. Crawled along to Winfield. Nice big town, what you would think of if someone said "Midwestern town" - Main Street, movie theater, furniture shops, etc.
The wind mentally taxed me again today, especially the headwind sections. One of them was on freshly paved, oily black asphalt. Gravel clinked against our bicycles, the heat rose from the fresh road, and the wind battered us like Ping Pong balls. Quite unpleasant. The road crew just shook their heads as we moved in slow motion past them.
Tomorrow we go into Missouri. We will start to get more rolling hills which will break up the riding.
This flat stuff is better than hills, but it is b-o-r-i-n-g.
Friday, September 22, 2000
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