Day 30 journal Worthington, MN to Mankato, MN

I rode 102 miles today. It was a glorious day! I hardly felt like I did a ride that was over 100 miles. Thank goodness for small favors such as winds (a mere breeze!) were only about 7 to 8 mph, the temperature was in the 80’s, humidity was low and most of the roads were good. It makes it so much easier to ride with someone and to take turns pulling through the headwinds. Since Chuck is stronger than I am into a headwind he did a fantastic job keeping an even 16-17mph pace into the east winds – and we were going east most of the time. I just kept about one wheel length from his rear wheel, close enough to catch the draft. I saved so much energy that way. When we would turn away from a head wind then I would take the lead. So we clipped along, getting into the first sag at 35 miles as the first riders. The SAG van was parked in a McDonald’s parking lot. When I walked into the Mc D’s all the “seniors” sitting shouted and clapped and cheered! What a nice surprise and welcome. The must have been 15-20 of them having their morning coffee klatch and they all knew the bicyclists were coming through today. One of our riders, Bill W from Coral Gables, FL was on the front page of the Worthington newspaper today. The newspapers were there in the hotel lobby this morning and we took a copy to read. Some reporter showed up last night and interviewed and photographed him for a nice blurb in the morning paper. Anyway, the ride continued and I couldn’t believe it when we rolled into the second SAG at 65 miles by 10:30 AM!! We were making good time. I wasn’t stopping to take any photos; in fact I left the camera in the luggage today. (And will tomorrow too as rain/severe thunderstorms are forecast. The “wolf pack” (the super fast riders) passed us about 10 miles from town and they were the first in and started helping unload the luggage truck. I arrived at the hotel at 1:10 PM. I immediately went to the 101 Main Restaurant here in this Holiday Inn we are staying in for a good lunch. I was SO hungry. They served popovers. You don’t see those very often in a restaurant – hot and fresh. They were so good with the homemade beef barley soup. I’m not going to go to the Country Buffet tonight for dinner. I want to get to bed super early, and that place is about 3 miles away and they will bus in several trips. I went to the grocery store up the block and got some food from the deli and enjoyed something right here in my room. I am tired tonight. 100 miles tomorrow. Wind will be blowing harder, and too. And to top it off, rain. “We takes what we gets!”