The past few mornings I have felt really fatigued. It seems that the final push of this journey across America might really test my endurance. I can only think of one thing to do: rise to the challenge.
A late push off this morning and 10 miles of hills put us both in a "sighing" mind-set. Today was going to be a struggle.
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| Alpine, TX |
We were headed for Alpine, TX to start and, from there, were deciding which route we would take and how far we would actually go today. The headwinds were relentless this morning and after Alpine, where we stopped for coffee, they failed to show any mercy whatsoever. About 45 miles into the ride....and 4 hours of pedaling (do the math, that is SLOW), we finally changed direction and, hooray, the wind was no longer tormenting us. We stopped in Marfa, TX for lunch 55 miles into the ride. A much needed refueling.
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| Entering Marfa, TX |
The final 37 miles of today's ride tested our will even more. The roads became rough again....except for the thin white line that separated the shoulder from the motor vehicle lane. So, with tired legs, aching feet/backs/wrists (to name a few), we refocused our energy and did all that we could to keep our wheels on this 6" white line.
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| Riding the thin white line... |
A late start meant a late finish. But the sun was shining all day and the landscape was beautiful. This afternoon we had mountains on either side of us and we could see for miles all around us.
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| Kevin riding as the sun begins to set Day 40, Valentine, TX |
92 miles today. We are camped out in a town called Valentine, TX. Just over 1,100 miles to go!
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My very dear friend, Steph, sent me some cute pictures this morning of her as a little girl on her bike. She was a rock star then and is a rock star today. Steph and I went to veterinary school together and I will be attending her wedding (to Rob) on December 3rd in the UK. Thanks for the pictures Steph! xx
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| Steph, 1984 Nice Wheels! |
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| Steph, 1984 On a Mission... |
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| Steph + I Vet school! 2005 |
