Day 22: Subway Day

June 27, 2022 in Walnut Grove, Missouri

My wifi was not quite good enough to post yesterday, but here is what I’d written for when the signal improved!

My morning started as usual at 4:30, but today I spent some extra time packing my bag, which helped set me up for a happy day.

I had some delicious granola for breakfast, and my morning chores went smoothly!

I really had to fight to stay positive in the first five miles on the road, but after I’d gotten over a really hard hill, I started to feel much better.

The next 40 miles were glorious–– perfect weather, rolling hills, good company.

The whole team was treated to Subway today by my dad’s friends Juliet and Doug! Having a hot sandwich in the middle of a ride is truly life-changing.

They also brought snack bags for everyone with the kind of bars I like as well as fruit and some little candies! Perfect to get you through a long day.

I got to sit with Juliet and Doug during lunch and had a really nice time catching up with them–– the last time they saw me was December 2001 and I was not born yet!

The last 20 or so miles of the ride were far more challenging than the first 40–– the hills got longer and steeper, and of course, it got significantly hotter.

I was super determined to finish though, and we ended up rolling into the host at 1:20, which was the earliest I’ve ever finished!!

It was a fantastic feeling to have such a successful ride, and our hose showers afterward really sealed the deal.

Since we’d gotten in so early, I was able to get my laundry ready to be washed and put on a movie with my friends! The only problem was we all fell asleep in the first ten minutes and stayed asleep until the credits.

After our long nap, we had sloppy joes provided by the host and got ready to host a bike rodeo! In the time between dinner and the kids arriving, I did some bike maintenance and gave my bike a good wipe down. It was much needed.

I think I’ve explained this before, but in case I’m wrong, bike rodeos are little events for local kids to come race us, do obstacle courses, learn basic safety and bike maintenance, and spread the word about Bike and Build.

This one was particularly fun, mostly because all the kids were very engaged and excited to be there.

Once the rodeo had died down, I spent some time changing my shoe clips, putting away my clean laundry, reorganizing my bag, and finally, writing this blog!

We cross a state line tomorrow into Kansas, and my goal is to finish this ride too!