As we've seemed to do pretty frequently as of late, we took our time getting ready this morning/afternoon. I peeked from the shelter early, snug in my sleeping bag on top of the picnic table, and saw the sun just coming up. The winds would still be there in the afternoon and I was too too comfortable. I closed my eyes.
Josh was making tomato soup when I woke up, and graciously shared some with me. It didn't sit very well with my stomach. I made oatmeal as well and spilled boiling water on my leg. It didn't feel too good but it didn't turn into a burn. That wasn't the first time and probably not the last time I'd do that.
Yesterday, I switched my back tire with the front one because the "Crucible", as it's called, is developing a swell in it. I figured with less weight in the front, it'll do better and last longer. To Josh's and my dismay, we learned the tire is only worth about $20 and has not gotten favorable reviews online. I'm going to have to swap it out when we reach Cardston, Alberta, about 100 miles away.
Matt helped me fix my brakes and I learned something new to add to my cognitive cycling manual. With my bike in as good shape as it could get, I left while Josh continued packing, and Matt typed away on his computer.
The headwinds were pretty bad but I was aware that they would be. I've learned that if you're not climbing altitude, you're usually getting frustrated by winds. I crawled along the empty plains. However, with a 3G connection, I was able to get the Pirates-Reds baseball feed before it faded out by the town of Lothair.
Now, I passed several towns on the windy ride today, all of which were unincorporated and thus, fairly empty. I stopped only momentarily in front of a motel with a giant wooden cowboy out front, and had a short lunch on a picnic table in Galata.
At a snail's pace, I continued battling the eastern winds until I reached a sign noting that the town of Shelby was only ten miles away. Fantastic.
In Shelby, I waited for Josh who was only about fifteen minutes behind me. He strode up looking pretty haggard.
"Not a bad day, right? Honestly, the winds didn't bother me until that ten miles out sign," I rapped.
Josh broke out into a wide grin, almost giddy that I experienced the same pains, "I was gonna say the same thing! I wasn't gonna come and complain but, oh my god. I saw the ten miles sign, and took a picture because I was so happy. Then those last ten miles just beat the living hell out of me. It was ridiculous!" he laughed.
We agreed that we would need a wide array of food so what other than Pizza Hut. The server, Dez, told us after we ordered, "You guys can just help yourself to the salad bar, no charge. Don't worry about it." I was beside myself and I'm sure my body was extremely thankful.
Afterward, we went on a wild goose chase looking for the city park. We stumbled accidentally onto Marita's property and were greeted by her two dogs, Mindy and Molly. When we left, we couldn't get the dogs to stop following us and Mindy watched us sadly as she realized how far down the long drive way she had gone. She turned wearily back toward home.
By the time we finally found the park, Matt was leaving it. We agreed to split the $10 fee. Matt's using my extra tent for the night while I'm nestled in my duct taped mess of a tent. It is warmer though. All in all, a good day.
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