According to Strava, I started riding at 3:54 AM today. It was 66°F when I started, and dropped to 64°F by before the sun started warming things. For the first thirty miles, I was passed by less than ten cars, and all of them gave me the widest possible berth. It was magical riding the quiet roads alone and watching the sun slowly light up the eastern sky.
I saw two coyotes and numerous deer, including a young buck with a nice set of antlers. He watched me from the shoulder before finally bounding off into the fields when I was less than fifty feet away. I felt like he was saying, “This is MY territory.”
I have a helmet-mounted light, and I used that to scan for light-shine. A few times I saw silver orbs reflecting from the fields or trees beside the road, but I never caught a glimpse of the animals.
For a mile or so, a little bird that looked like a swift (it was too dark to get a good look) kept pace with me, within twenty feet, bobbing and weaving in front of me. I wondered if it was protecting its nest, but I preferred to think it was just having fun racing with me.
I’ve mostly been listening to audiobooks and podcasts during all the hours I spend on my bike. When I crested a shallow hill a couple minutes before sunrise, the road was laid out before me so straight and long that it disappeared in an almost perfect vanishing point. Immediately, the song Allman Brothers Band “Midnight Rider” popped into my head, and I had to stop for a minute. The emotion of my adventure, the not-so-subtle beauty of this Kansas sunrise, and a song I love came together. I realized tears of happiness were streaming down my face and mixing with perspiration that doesn’t evaporate in this humidity. Some days are good. Some days are great.
I got to the only convenience store between Eureka and Newton, in Cassoday, at 7:15 AM. I needed to fill my three water bottles, which were empty. When I arrived, I discovered the store didn’t open until 8:00 AM, so I hung out in a little park. I tried to find a faucet to fill my water bottles, but the only one I found had no water, so I just waited. I am glad I did. The store is a meeting place for farmers and other locals, and I had a great time talking to them about their lives. They were friendly and open, and I learned a little about how they raise cattle. I admitted to one of the ranchers that I “moo” at all the cows I see. He laughed, but I don’t think he was laughing at me.
When I’d been there for twenty minutes, my “Bike the US for MS” friends from yesterday came in. Without exchanging words, I decided to tag along with them when they left. It was really fun, but they ride a little faster than I should (their bikes are basically unloaded), so it’s probably a good thing that we will part ways tomorrow — they have a 109-mile day, and I am hoping to have a short (~50 mile) day.
One final observation: Leaving early to beat the heat is working out really well, but there are some amusing side-effects, which are exacerbated by the time zone differences. I got this message from Susie when Strava LiveTrack told her I was starting:
“Haha! I haven’t even gone to sleep yet and you are off and pedaling! Have a fun day ❤️”
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