I headed out at 6:50 am in hopes of getting in some miles before the wind picked up, and thus you have the long shadow of me heading north.
The wind was west, but still slowed me down. By the time I turned west and NW, the wind was up to 17 plus mph, so my average speed for the day was 7 mph compared to a normal of 10 or more.
See the grass? It is bending in the wrong direction. Looks pretty and artsy, all wavy and such, but not what you want to see when riding left to right in the picture.
It takes 30% more time and effort to ride the same distance.
It was my longest day of the trip at 7:58, but only got me 58 miles, compared to 7:46 for 85 miles on May 23 with a tailwind.
Today, I thought things out, for food stops and rests, and considered the goal for the day. I hunkered down and paced to my body rather than my eyes, took lots of breaks, and fuelled up every two hours. The wind I can’t change. Adapt I can.
I feel remarkably well for such a strenuous day. While I was riding, it was work and I wondered how far I would get. Now it’s done, I feel satisfied. In fact, I’m pleased. I’m fit and in condition.
Here’s a picture of the road west today. You may recognize the field on the right. It started in Minnesota and continues all the way through North Dakota until it reaches Alberta.
Notice that in these parts they don’t even put up power poles to break the wind.
Bummer. I thought of using Phil’s technique. He throws himself to the ground, foam on his lips, and curses the wind and his very existence. That would draw too much attention around here. As it is, on three separate occasions, cars have gone by, turned around, and stopped to ask if I’m OK, when they see me lying in the ditch taking a snooze after a snack.
Riding here in the USA has been a pleasure. I’ve experienced courtesy and pleasant interactions and friendly people. Thank you to everyone I’ve met for making this a great ride.
Finally, a flower in the ditch when I stopped, and a typically humongous crop handling facility. From farm machinery and crop storage, to commercial shippers, everything is huge here. Like the field.
