Murphy's Law- anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Early morning, up at 5:15, coffee at the cafe at 6:15, an the highway by 6:45. Smooth. The rest of the day... Not so much.
The Texas Rollers, as I refer to them, started up again about a mile out of Hico. Pretty good indicator of how the day would turn out.
Long pulls all day.
Some more bike issues. Ian's cart lost both screws that connect it to the bike so we had to doctor it up with bungee chords, until we found a car mechanic who hooked us up with 2 bolts. I dropped a chain again and continue to have deraileur issues. My bike is not super tuned by Brent, yet.
We saw some interesting sights including the worlds largest rocking chair. I would have sat on it, but I did not want to find myself on the wrong side of Walker Texas Ranger's unstoppable Kung Fu.
Shortly after the chair we encountered a 1.25 mile long 5-6% grade hill. This thing was something else. Great scenery of the valley to our right, some oil rigs scattered about, and lots of climbing. Ian decide the climb wasn't enough so he decided to go off-roading.
Big, long climbs are interesting. It's not a physical challenge like sprints, squats, or H.I.T activities- rather it's as Mike Fullan says, "The Grind".
I find myself always searching for things to help drive me up the hill. Usually it goes form, cadence, and memories. It's odd where the mind goes. Regrettable decisions, things you'd like to have back, people you've lost, and things that have caused you pain. I don't know why the mind doesn't think of positive things, it just doesn't. It isn't anger, it something more. Maybe it's internal issues that come to the surface, I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it helps. I think hills are sobering. It focuses the body and the mind. Finding motivation on some hills isn't needed, but today it was.
After the hills the weather started to turn. Some big clouds appeared to the northeast and the wind changed. We pressed on hoping to beat it to Mineral Wells. Ian stopped to put his rain tarp on his trailer, hoping we wouldn't need it. Hopes were dashed, the rain had started.
Slow, big drops at first and then it picked up. And picked up. We were three miles out of town when it started to pour. Ian yelled to see if we wanted to find shelter, I said no we could make it. We made it .25 miles. Thunder cracked, lightening struck and we took shelter under a local business' metal carport. The heavens opened up. It fell with reckless abandon.
After looking at phones, the sky, and based on knowledge passed on by generations prior, we weighed our options. For the piece of mind of all the people following this blog, we decided to not race a tornado and call it a day.
We spent dinner in a small Mexican diner and waiting for our super heroes JD and Vicki who graciously came and provided us with Plan B, a ride to the end town. Due to our great luck with bad weather, 30 miles to go with no towns or shelter, we hitched a ride to Decatur and back onto our original route.
JD and Vicki are some of the nicest, sweetest people in TX. They went out of their way twice to help us. A big handshake and a hug to you guys. If you're ever lost in IA look me up!
Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Advice of the Day:
"Sometimes the screws that hold you together, can really screw you."
5 Things I learned on the road today:
1) Armadillo's look like alligators when smashed on the highway.
2) 20% chance of rain is Texas' way of saying, "Got Ya!"
3) Everything is bigger in Texas- rainstorms, kindness, and rocking chairs.
4) We ran across the Most Interesting Man in the World and rain does repel off of him.
5) All bike shops in TX are apparently closed on Mondays- hopefully they are watching Rambo First Blood or Blood Sport.
We saw a gypsy today. She just pulled her dodge caravan into a ditch to camp. That's freedom.
Back at it tomorrow. Hopefully we can get to the bike shop for much needed repairs. The goal is Duncan, OK but probably Warrick, OK. We are 2/2 with rain delays so hopefully we break that streak tomorrow.
I'm doing the anti-rain dance and the bike shop jig tonight for good luck.
Haven't been to OK since the Doc Cassady wedding- good times, great memories.
Until next time,
KRS
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