Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska
Sorry for confusion that may've been caused by the update from yesterday that posted automatically last night at 10pm. I forgot that it would to that. Since it was a rest day today, I did not update anything last night. Plus, we don't have internet out at the farm where my host family (my Mom and Dad!) live.
So, here's my report from June 21, posted on my rest day, June 22 (from the McDonalds in McCook which has free wi-fi. Pretty cool!)
Sorry for confusion that may've been caused by the update from yesterday that posted automatically last night at 10pm. I forgot that it would to that. Since it was a rest day today, I did not update anything last night. Plus, we don't have internet out at the farm where my host family (my Mom and Dad!) live.
So, here's my report from June 21, posted on my rest day, June 22 (from the McDonalds in McCook which has free wi-fi. Pretty cool!)
Started at 6:00 am in Benkelman and finished at 12:00 noon in McCook.
Covered 73 miles, 18.6 mph ave speed, 46.1 - max speed
The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.
Covered 73 miles, 18.6 mph ave speed, 46.1 - max speed
Riding time - 3 hrs, 53 minutes
Wind - out of the NW between 30-35 mph, gusts over 50 mph!!
"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +3.5.
"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +3.5.
The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.
About yesterday:
I had a very nice run from Benkelman to Trenton. I love it when there is a shoulder and it's even SMOOTH!! I know why "joints" in the road are necessary, but they sure beat up someone on a bicycle (bump-bump...bump-bump....bump-bump...ouch!). If you've ever ridden a bicycle through them you know what I mean.
The wind today was crazy strong. It mostly helped, but even then as a bit of a cross wind it really knocked me around. Wow! You really had to be careful going down big hills. It was hard to even stand up when I stopped. I'm not kidding you. Between the wind resistance of my body and the bike there were gusts that almost put me over. Ridiculous! I was supposed to ride from Trenton 24 miles north up to Hayes Center. Here's reality folks. It would've been grinding it out at about 6-8 mph, taking 4 hours or more when you count in rests. Just not possible. So, I rode with my sag driver up to Hayes Center and then cycled back to Hwy 6 and then east to McCook. I lost those miles, but sometimes that's life out on a bike in the wind.
It was a pretty quick trip to McCook, and after lunch at the venerable Mac's Drive In, it was time to head out to my host home, the farm I grew up on and on which my parents and one of my brother's still live and farm. Char, my wife, also drove out there from Grand Island (bringing our dog, Toby, a Yorkshire Terrier) so there were all kinds of folks/critters I was eager to see again! I forgot to get a picture of them so will have to add them after tomorrow's ride to Arapahoe.
I will also be adding pictures from a Pancake Feed that is planned as a fun/fundraiser tonight for MAW. I look forward to meeting the two ladies primarily responsible for organizing it, Emily Lashley and Mary Shirkey. I'll make sure to get a picture of them with me tonight for you. I'm really looking forward to it and deeply appreciate their work to plan it. Thank you!!
Thank-yous for today:
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| looking back west toward Stratton |
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| looking south at the west end of Swanson Resevoir |
The wind today was crazy strong. It mostly helped, but even then as a bit of a cross wind it really knocked me around. Wow! You really had to be careful going down big hills. It was hard to even stand up when I stopped. I'm not kidding you. Between the wind resistance of my body and the bike there were gusts that almost put me over. Ridiculous! I was supposed to ride from Trenton 24 miles north up to Hayes Center. Here's reality folks. It would've been grinding it out at about 6-8 mph, taking 4 hours or more when you count in rests. Just not possible. So, I rode with my sag driver up to Hayes Center and then cycled back to Hwy 6 and then east to McCook. I lost those miles, but sometimes that's life out on a bike in the wind.
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| flat grass from the wind! |
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| there are some HUGE canyons south of Hayes Center! |
It was a pretty quick trip to McCook, and after lunch at the venerable Mac's Drive In, it was time to head out to my host home, the farm I grew up on and on which my parents and one of my brother's still live and farm. Char, my wife, also drove out there from Grand Island (bringing our dog, Toby, a Yorkshire Terrier) so there were all kinds of folks/critters I was eager to see again! I forgot to get a picture of them so will have to add them after tomorrow's ride to Arapahoe.
I will also be adding pictures from a Pancake Feed that is planned as a fun/fundraiser tonight for MAW. I look forward to meeting the two ladies primarily responsible for organizing it, Emily Lashley and Mary Shirkey. I'll make sure to get a picture of them with me tonight for you. I'm really looking forward to it and deeply appreciate their work to plan it. Thank you!!
I'm hoping that with donations already in the mail and the ones from the Pancake Feed tonight, we can push the amount up to there I'll be riding for my third MAW child, IZZA. More information and a picture to come on Izza. Thank you for your continued generosity and support!
Thank-yous for today:
Thank you to my sag drivers today: They are my soon-to-be nephew Christian Amack, my niece Jane Reiners, and my soon-go-be sister-in-law, Friday Amack. And thank you Dad for letting us use your pickup. THAT is a sweet ride!!!!!!
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| Christian, Jane and Friday |
To warn Peter that he would deny Jesus – John 13:31-38
For His followers to stay connected to Him and produce the fruit of good deeds
by loving others – John 15:1-17
Quote of the Day:
Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever. - Lance ArmstrongIf you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on. - Lance Armstrong
Quote of the Day:
“As a social revolutionizer, the bicycle has never had an equal. It has put the human race on wheels, and thus changed completely many of the most ordinary processes and methods of social life. It is the great leveler, for not till all Americans got on bicycles was the great American principle that every man is just as good as any other man fully realized. All are on equal terms, all are happier than ever before.” - New York Evening Post
Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever. - Lance ArmstrongIf you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on. - Lance Armstrong
I now only have good days and great days. - Lance Armstrong (Cancer survivor and seven times winner of the Tour de France.)
“I relax by taking my bicycle apart and putting it back together again.” - Lance Armstrong
Closing thoughts for the day:
It is so very nice to have a rest day and such a wonderful host family (-:)! There are some long days ahead, but I am way past the halfway point and that really helps. There are a group of cyclists (being organized by Nancy Norwood) that are going to meet me at Axtell and ride with me into Kearney on Friday. I look forward to that.
Then there are two gentlemen from Omaha (Damon Wagner and a friend of his) who are going to ride with me from Nebraska City to Omaha to Lincoln on June 29. They will be guiding me through the maze of streets, paths and byways known as Omaha (and suburbs)! They will also be riding in front of me to reduce wind resistance, which has the overall effect of making a very happy guy.
Forecast for the next day:
Then there are two gentlemen from Omaha (Damon Wagner and a friend of his) who are going to ride with me from Nebraska City to Omaha to Lincoln on June 29. They will be guiding me through the maze of streets, paths and byways known as Omaha (and suburbs)! They will also be riding in front of me to reduce wind resistance, which has the overall effect of making a very happy guy.
Forecast for the next day:
Sweet!! Sunny, NW wind 10-15 mph, mid 80's, as good as it gets!!
Route/Towns for the next day:
June 23 - McCook to Maywood, to Curtis to Stockville to Elwood to Lexington to Elwood to Arapahoe
