By some measures, a lot of time has elapsed since my last posting. But the last ten days have gotten us from just out of Arkansas to the Rocky Mountains, so it really seems like no time at all. For my part, I have not had the internet access to continue updating as regularly as I would like…but a lot has transpired since my last posting. Here are the highlights:

Kansas was windy.

Actually, so was Oklahoma, and into Colorado. Basically the plains states were hot and headwind-y. I had never had experience with headwinds before the trip, but they have been discovered to be worse, in many ways, than mountains. Unrelenting as well. Kansas was also more rugged than I expected, and in some parts very picturesque. Other areas were very flat and dusty (except for the vast expanses of irrigated farms). I saw my amber waves of grain, but the enduring experience of the heartland will be working as hard as possible in a paceline against the wind, and moving at 10 miles per hour.

I missed mountains.

I saw the Rockies in the distance our second day in Colorado. Flatness is somewhat overrated, and I was excited for a change in scenery. Plus, climbing mountains provides a sense of accomplishment unrivaled in the world of biking. I was excited to be to this point in the nation — I biked to somewhere I had only ever flown to. Insane.

Broken bikes are no fun.

My bike broke a few days into Colorado. Specifically, the bottom bracket (which contains the bearings on which the pedals turn) just wore out. All of a sudden, at mile 70 of a century, my pedals became a whole lot harder to turn, and I realized that the next few days would be interesting. I biked with the broken part the next day (it was a challenge), but I was lucky enough to borrow Angela’s bike for the day into Colorado Springs. Gladly, it is now fixed, and I’m so glad that I can pedal normally now.

Shared misery can be kinda fun.

The end of our 8-day stretch of continuous riding came spectacularly with a 124-mile ride into Colorado Springs. Thanks to an endless series of flat tires and sundry other malfunctions (Cole’s bleeding nose, etc.) the ride took much longer than expected for our group. We actually ended up as the last people in, having spent 13 hours to complete the trip (more than 5 of those not riding). The major event of the ride occured 25 miles from the end of the ride, when we were forced to stop riding by a thunderstorm coming over the mountains. Our group was hit by a dust devil, which actually blew us off the road. Everyone was okay, and it was one of the cooler things that had ever happened to me. Still, though, rather dangerous.

Following the mini-tornado incident, we sought shelter at Mystic Meadows, a kind of mountain events center. We were denied said shelter by the owner, so we spent the storm huddled on the deck, cold and miserable. But we made it, and it was okay. The whole experience was very out of the ordinary, and I am glad that I was able to share it with the people I did. One of the defining rides of Bike and Build, to be sure.

Colorado Springs was pretty cool.

And an endless expanse of suburbia, built on hills facing the front range of the Rockies, so you can see just how sprawling the city is. But the views and natural surroundings are great, so even this undistinguished city manages to be quite picturesque. I was excited to see Aunt Mary Anne, but my cousin Emma had a baby while I was in Colorado Springs, so a visit was not possible. Still, I am excited to see Tessa Michelle when I pass through Denver on my way back from the west coast.

The Rockies are Crrrazy.

Today was the first day in the Rockies — a century out of Colorado Springs, over three mountain passes, and to Buena Vista. The mountains were gorgeous, and the climbs weren’t too bad. We passed through South Park valley, which (much to my consternation) had a vicious headwind. Because of the adverse wind, progress was slowed markedly. The trip was made harder by the fact that we were at altitude, and it seemed hard to get enough oxygen at times. My heart was pumping quite fast…if anything will help my cardiovascular fitness, it is climbing the Rockies. The big pass is tomorrow — a huge climb up to 11,300 feet and the summit of Monarch Pass and the Continental Divide. If the altitude doesn’t kill me, the experience will be amazing.

I can’t believe I am doing this!