Changing Gears: Rey's Ride Across America

July 9th — Newton, KS to Chanute, KS — 135 miles Big rain last night, but luck was on our side and at 6:30 a.m. the weather had moved on. We were left with cloudy skies throughout the whole day. I have to say we have been very lucky with the weather so far, but I am not expecting that to hold true all the way to Virginia. Our original destination today was Benedict, KS, but since there wasn't much by way of services we decided to push on to Chanute, the next town on the route. Along the way we stopped for lunch in Eureka, KS, at the Copper Kettle restaurant. I will tell you they had great food and charming service. Our server Joyce was very funny and enthusiastic about our trip. At the end of the meal she wanted to donate $2 of her tip to our charities. Joyce, if you read this I want to thank you very much for your donation. It is for a very good cause.

The scenery is transitioning to a more rural setting with rolling green pastures and corn fields. The roads are getting hilly as we get closer and closer to Missouri. Everyone on the team is doing well, and we are in a very good rhythm: Stopping every 20 miles and having lunch at mile 70 or 80. In the afternoon we finish out the day with 40 to 50 miles and are finishing around 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. I have to confess that today I was weaker than normal and wondered if I was doing anything differently. My brother-in-law Mark and Joanie told me they noticed I wasn't hydrating as much and wasn't eating as much either. So tonight I will make some adjustments and get back on track. On a trip this long you can get sidetracked on your routine and also become a little over confident. Well, no longer: I will stick to the regiment that has worked for the past few weeks. Tomorrow we head for the Missouri border. 9 hours on the bike today.