July 25, Stage 19

July 25, Worthington, MN to Albert Lea, MN, 124 miles, 1500 climbing feet, according to the itinerary. Reluctant to check my computer altimeter since it was not always working accurately. The main theme of the day was the 15 mph wind out of the southwest that eventually moved more out of the west. We are headed east!! Most of the day spent moving along in the 18-22 mph range. Caught a couple of folks to draft off for awhile. Greg, a chiropractor from northern California, and his son Zack, power their tandem day after day. Zack lives to bike. On hills, he is out of the saddle most of the way up, which helps Greg alot. I rode about forty miles on my own, seeing many wind turbines, much like the Storm Lake, IA area. We crossed the Des Moines River in Jackson, MN. Did not stop at the Prairie Dog Museum in Fairmont. Afternoon stop was at an old historic gas station--garage/house. Rode awhile with Bob and Mike, the CT attorneys. They were moving along at 22-24 mph, which I could maintain for about 10 miles. Then, they were gone. Got into Albert Lea about 2:30, which was wonderful. Most days are rolling out of bed with some effort, needing more sleep, getting organized with whatever I will need during the day, eating breakfast in the parking lot (oatmeal is getting old), riding with the goal of trying to get as many miles in before the temperature gets into the 90s, refueling at the 3-4 stops during the day (they are spaced about 20-30 miles apart), arriving at the next overnight town, cleaning the bike, cleaning the body, doing laundry, eating, blogging, getting to bed. Each day is rather long, and all of them fly by in a blur. A surprise today was about 5 miles out of Albert Lea, this guy in a car passed me slowly, and yelled, "You are doing pretty good for an old man." The car then pulled off the road and out steps Mark Sherinian, a biker friend from Des Moines. He had been doing a deposition a few hours away and this was sort of on his way home. The main treat for the evening was that Marsha drove up from Des Moines. She brought a few things I needed and took back some of the extras I did not need. Her main concern was how stooped I am. She and Mark agreed that I may need a walker when I return home, or we will need to sign me up for a nursing home. She gave me advice on stretches that will help. We had dinner together before Mark headed back to Iowa. His quote for the evening: "Ellery, you are either a tribute to human endurance, or absolute stupidity." Having Marsha here was wonderful. She is the ultimate biker enabler. Having Mark surprise me was a real treat, also. They and my niece and her family in Rapid City have been the only people I have known previously that I have encountered for the past 2.5 weeks. Tomorrow crossing the Mississippi and into Wisconsin. Glad to hear from the grandchildren, who are all in Kona, HI right now. Why am I riding a bike across the country while they are enjoying themselves on a beach in Hawaii? The choices we make!! Regarding body report: shoulders very stiff, seat is uncomfortable, legs are getting worn down day by day, but keep going, ride is a pain in the neck, a little bruising in the palm of my hand. (I really appreciate your comments--I read all of them, and they are so encouraging. I sometimes do not have time to comment on them, and sometimes can't think of anyting articulate to say. This whole thing is rather disorienting--riding hard each day to get to another town whose main meaning is the overnight motel. I absorb your comments, think about them during the day and will have them as a precious treasure when I can slow down and absorb them. I am daily mindful of how much I appreciate so many people in my life, and how dependent I am on so many people. Actually, we are all very dependent on many people to get through life.