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In Colorado at Last!
First a shout-out to the Adventure Cycling Association riders. ( They are on a supported ride where their gear is driven to the next destination for them.)
For the past 10 days I have been crossing paths with the ACA group. I have visited with them on the road, in the Diners and finally last night I camped near them in a City Park in Leoti, KS. They have welcomed me with open arms. They invited me to dinner last night and it was a generous multi course meal.
I truly enjoyed the camaraderie and conversation. They are a diverse group from all walks of life.
Their leader Dennis is very low key and allows them to enjoy the adventure in their own way.
Today, I rode most of the way to Eads, CO. with Vincent, a retired NY Cop and truly nice guy.
He actually pulled me to the Colorado State Line where we shared a selfie. That was hard work for him and allowed me to ride faster than I normally could.
( Pulling in cycling terms means one rider sits in the draft of the front rider who
is blocking the wind.)
The 80 miles today really went by fast and Vince and I got to really enjoy each other’s company.
He has invited me to spend some time with him in Boulder and I made the same invitation to him at my home.
Today we also stopped and talked to riders going the other way. A Dutch Couple,( Lotte and Daan), and an American and a Brit, (Will and Ethan). All were riding to York Town. Last night there was a French Couple at the park riding East as well.
Since this is the half way point on the Trans Am, I expect I will be meeting a lot of riders going the other way.
The only common denominator is that they are all very nice people with the wanderlust like myself.
The only other mention here is the scarcity of food and water stops. The maps we use warned that there were no service stops for 58 miles and they weren’t kidding.
Thanks to the maps provided by ACA, one is able to avoid getting into a serious situation!
I am truly in awe at the ability of a
human body to adapt.
A few months ago, I would collapse after riding eighty miles. Now, after two days of that, I feel fantastic. ( Of course to be fair, they were completely flat miles.)
I’m scheduled for 60 tomorrow and it seems like child’s play.
This really has nothing to do with me. It is simply a salute to the human engine and its ability to adapt.
I have thrown huge mountains, hot weather and strong winds at my body to the point of exhaustion. It has rebuilt itself into a stronger and more efficient system able to do more with less effort. The lesson here for everyone, (age makes no difference), is that your body is eager for physical exertion and it will use that to make itself stronger.
In Eads, we are about 120 miles from Pueblo. I am eager to get that first glimpse of the magnificent Rocky Mountains. Perhaps tomorrow.
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Tot: 0.088s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 11; qc: 32; dbt: 0.0561s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Heidi Fisher
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Congratulations!
Well Toto, you're not in Kansas any more! : ) Congratulations! Enjoy Beautiful Colorado! Love, Heidi