DAY 19 - DESTINATION - MACON, MO

Miles: 79.3 - Total Miles: 1,252 - Total Ascent: 35,637 ft.

Wow! What a day - where do I start? Let's go with...The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good

They do not allow pedestrians (including bicyclists) on any of the local bridges crossing the Mississippi River. So after calling and chatting with the Watch Commander at the Quincy Police Department about what I'm doing and why, he scheduled an official police escort for me to cross. I even asked my escort, Officer Eric Johnson, if he would hold my video camera and capture the moment. Without hesitation, he placed the video camera on his dashboard and recorded the entire crossing. Once on the other side (in Missouri) we visited for a bit, and then he took my picture in front of the Missouri sign - what a great guy! Thank you Officer Johnson!

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When pulling into a convenience store parking lot in Shelbina, MO, I hesitated for a brief moment (keep in mind I am in the middle-of-nowhere, Missouri). Crowded around a couple of pickup trucks were about a dozen or so guys (football jerseys, sleeveless shirts, rolled-brim John Deer hats, chewing tobacco, the whole nine yards - even a baseball bat or two). As I approached (in my biker tights and all) I clearly caught their attention. The comments were coming rapidly. Soon they ALL approached me, gathered around my bike, and seemed more shocked at what they were seeing than what I was seeing. They turned out to be the coolest group of high school football players that you've ever met. They were quite rowdy (preparing for their big game that night) but wanted to know EVERYTHING about me, i.e. where I was from, where I was going, when I started, when would I finish, what happened to my finger (see "The Ugly" below), what all gear I had, what the stick was for, etc., etc., etc. These kids even insisted on buying me a Gatorade! It turns out that their ring-leader, Sony Fuller (white t-shirt - on my left), is in the delayed-entry-program to join the Marines. He plans on attending boot camp on January 3rd and then coming back and graduating from high school in his dress blues. Semper Fi Fuller! And best of luck to the South Shelby Cardinals Football Team.

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The Bad

The head winds today were horrible, 15 - 25 knots. At times, I was averaging 7 -8 miles an hour. This can make a short 70 mile day seem like a very long day.

At about mile 50 (30 miles to go and late in the day) I heard something sticking to my front tire. Fearful that it might be a thorn, I did the old cyclist technique of using the webbing between my thumb and forefinger, and very lightly rubbing it on the tire (while on the go - just behind the forks, underneath the front water bottle cage). I was probably going about 10 - 15 miles an hour, when somehow, my middle and ring fingers (right hand) both got caught in the spokes!!! It would have probably brought tears to a "normal guys" eyes. Although I did have to stop and get off the bike, squat down, and try not to become nauseous. But, because my first-aid kit was buried in the trailer and I was racing to get to the hotel before sunset, I just let the blood clot-up and dry, continued on, and took care of it at the hotel.

I'll keep my other fingers crossed for smoother sailing tomorrow.

"I CAN!"

The Ugly (prepare yourself)

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