DAY 43: Ash Grove to Marshfield: "Downshift, pedal, and climb; upshift, relax, and descend. Repeat until in Illinois."

July 11, 2016

DAILY STATS

Mileage: 53.71

Average Speed: 10.8 mph

Maximum Speed: 37.7 mph

Ah, air conditioning. Mankind's greatest invention for the sweaty cyclist in the Midwest. I slept like a rock next to a floor vent, and was looking ahead to having a short day.

Thankfully, today was slightly cooler than yesterday, and the winds had picked up a bit (I never thought I would be happy for more wind). As a result, I was only mildly sweltering during today's 50 mile ride.

It might look relatively flat, but hidden amongst the trees and pastures are brief spikes that make this terrain truly intense.

One of my favorite sensations while biking is what I like to call "chasing shadows." It happens when the shadow of a cloud passes over you, and you ride at the right pace to maximize time spent in its shade. I spent a considerable amount of time today amongst the hills doing this, as big, puffy clouds filled the sky.

Up. And down. And up again. And down. At times it's fun. At other times, it's exhausting. But it's not Kansas!

I want you to imagine the screen of an electrocardiogram (EKG). An EKG, as you may know, is the little medical device that tracks the electrical activity of the heart and records it as a one-dimensional "blip" on a screen. I would argue that the visual projected onto this screen is the best representation of the elevation profile of the Ozarks. Except that this EKG is plugged into a mouse who's heart is beating at a thousand times per minute, with no lag time between beats. The climbing and descending is constant. They're not big climbs, just short and steep "bursts."

It was thus in this setting that I chugged away while listening to "The Martian."

My peace was briefly shattered when a barking dog chased me while I was trudging away. Missouri, Kentucky, and western Virginia are notorious for loose dogs, and the Adventure Cycling Association warns cyclists of them. Today was my first taste of this. Westbound folks that I've talked to said that stopping, putting your bike between you and the dog(s), and yelling is usually more than enough to get them to leave. One fellow even carried dog treats and would throw them out. But I've still got my handy-dandy bear spray, and was proud at how fast I was able to unholster it. In this case, I didn't need to use it because the dog responded to my yelling. But I think I might just hang on to it for the coming states.

Soon enough, I was in Marshfield. I checked in at city hall and then made my way to the county fairgrounds with Kyle. It was nice to be in camp by 2pm. I spent time stretching, napping, and just existing. I don't think people do that enough. Just exist where you are, taking note of the minute details around you: the sounds, the smells, the feel of the weather and grit on your skin, the sense of being in a new place. Today was a great time to do that.

I'm supposedly at the "top of the Ozarks." That may be true, but it doesn't mean that there's a long descent in my future. Oh no.

Today's ride: 54 miles (87 km)
Total: 2,973 miles (4,785 km)

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