Epic Bike Trip 2004 page 3

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I am constantly amazed that everyday I don't want to get out of bed, get on my bike, and get moving. Just somebody give me a ride. And yet everyday I do, and once I actually get up, I am excited to get the tent packed and get on the road. Yet, there are times during the day when I look up to see some big ol' hill or look at the map and see how far I still need to go and I say, "I can't do that!"  At the end of the day I look at the odometer and exclaim (inside my head of course I am not a total looney), "I didn't do that."  But I did. Just think what a person could do if they stopped wasting all the time saying or thinking, "I can't" and just went ahead and did it. I continually surprise myself. As one friend said to me last year, "Oh you're an athlete." My response  - "No. I am a wannabe athlete."  Actually I have been thinking of the penguins I saw in Antarctica (don't get to fit that in to just any conversation). We watched these little buggers go from their nest (could be up to two miles away from the ocean), down to the water to bathe and eat, and then waddle their little selves back home so their partner could do the same. We were in awe of the effort and time it took them to accomplish this task. But then after pondering a bit...it's not like they had to go to work, or drive the kids around, or study for class, or pay the bills. That was all they did all day, waddle back and forth. So I am a bit like that. That is all I am doing. Just peddeling one after another. I have all day to do it. On Thusday 7/15 I entered Iowa. It was a bit toasty today. I got to Centerville, IA looking at another 20miles to get to a campground - plenty of time - but the will was waining. I stayed in a motel, $35 for the night I deemed worthy. I am most definately tired of heading into the sun. My will to continue after 1:00pm has drained, at least on a HOT day. I burnt my hands today facing into the sun. It makes me think twice about the settlers and the westward movement. Those people walked across from St. Louis(?) or wherever across the plain states over the Rockies and on to the West Coast, the sun in their eyes the entire time. They didn't have a road to follow, or a map, no town to greet them up ahead, and no Casey's convience store with food, beverage, and air-conditioning. On Friday 7/19  I enjoyed the early morning ride, the scenery and the weather!  Continued riding to Leon 63 miles. Suddenly the clouds dispersed and the temperature shot up. There is a lovely county park just outside of town and I took advantage of it! Then, Saturday morning when it was time to get up I questioned the necessity of this, and stayed in bed, sleeping in and being lazy all day. Made great friends with my next tent neighbors, Brooklyn age 7. We played Barbies, and picked flowers and she chased bunnies - I knew I could never catch 'em. It felt great to take a day off. Give my skin a day out of the sun and my muscles a rest. I figured I had been riding for 13days, some more strenuous than others, but still a minnimum of at least 20 miles on the tourisy days. Sunday 7/18 Oh my, what a great idea to take a break. The weather has cooled and the road is great. I stopped at Mt. Ayr for lunch and a check on phone calls. It was amazing to see this town NOT all dressed up. Last year when we came through a band was playing, flags were up everywhere, boths selling everything, a lovely carnival atmosphere. Today, it was a nice small town. I had talked to some guys in Leon about the road up ahead. They had made such a big deal about the hills and how awful of a ride it would be. I should thank them, I think I had that mind set and they really were not very bad at all. Continued zigzagging North and west, ended up just outside of Corning - Johnny Carson apparently was born here - a shower, some dinner and snooze. Ahhhhh. I have been called brave, courageous, and nuts while doing this trip. Brave - of what? I ride my bike at home all the time what is different? I am just carrying a bit of weight and don't know the terrain in front of me. However, I do have a map and know there is a road, everyone speaks English so where does bravery/courage come in? Nuts? well, this may not be some's version of a holiday, but sitting around lounging on a beach for a month wouldn't be mine either. Maybe for a day or two with a giant margarita and a shoulder massage ........oh um sorrry I drifted off there. I am now 50 miles from the solo pilgrimage destination of Onawa, IA, and no reason to hurry. RAGBRAI starts on Sunday, the party starts on Saturday, and the pre-party starts on Friday, it is only Tuesday. So maybe I will get that chance to sit around, I guess the beach would be on the Missouri River, and the margarita is easy enough to come up with, humm the shoulder massage??? Oh well, why bother, I have 400+ miles ahead of me anyway. A few notes to finish this off with: *You know you are tired when you just want the birds to SHUT UP. *I believe there are now more Subway Sandwich Shops than McDonalds. Yes! *Cows are not stupid. I have yet to ride my bike past a group (herd?) of cows and have them not watch me. Even to the point of stopping in mid-chew to watch me ride by. *Nice people are everywhere - and there are TONS of them. While riding through one small town early in the morning a truck pulled up in front of me. The gentleman waved something out the window, I was hoping he wasn't going to ask me for directions. NO, he had a bicycle map of Iowa that he thought I could use. After talking for a bit on the side of the road he drove off. I watched him pull into a driveway, turn around, and head back to town. He has seen me ride through town and gone out of his way to give me this map. Moments like these abound, why do we doubt that most people are kind and helpful and want to do good?