Today was long and hot, but we braved our first century in a while and made it through the day. Our first couple of rest stops were at parks, and we tried our best to make the start of the day as fast as possible to beat the heat. Later in the day, the UV index started to rise, and the dry heat made the ride far harder. Taking a break from the heat was necessary, and we had a long lunch stop and re-fueled for the rest of our ride, which was mostly flat with a gradual incline. Luckily, we ended the day with ice cream!
Quote of the Day
“Okay, I feel good. I feel like a captain who decided to go down with his ship” - Veronica
RIDE OVERVIEW
Mileage: 103.8 mi
Elevation: 2,708 ft
Points of Interest: Lee’s Crossraod Cafe
Ride Dedication: Leo Ratzer
Tales of the Trail
To beat the heat, we had an early morning wake-up at 4:45 am, with Matt blasting “Turn Down for What” to wake everyone up. After enjoying breakfast, we all met for morning circle, and Jessica’s mom graciously sent us some American flag fans! After rolling out, my group decided to stop at McDonald’s around mile 2, continuing the tradition of early stops, which our team is really enjoying! The start of the ride was fairly easy, with a very gradual incline. We had our first rest stop in a parking lot, which we made quickly before getting back on the road. After a more gradual incline, we got to our second rest stop at a park around mile 40, and everyone could start to feel the heat. After rolling out of our second rest stop, we faced some semi-hard rolling hills, which felt much harder due to the heat, as the UV index was starting to reach 11. During the ride, it was great to see the arid landscape of Nebraska for the first team, but the dry heat did prove to be a challenge, and water was undeniably necessary. Thankfully, we made it to Lee’s Crossroad Cafe, which felt like an oasis in the middle of the desert! Everyone took some time to sit down, recover, hydrate, and re-fuel before getting back on the road, and we all needed a long break after the stretch we just endured.
The rest of the ride was flat with a gradual incline, and we took a couple more rest stops at gas stations to cool down. It was a great end of the ride until a group unexpectedly got a flat tire at mile 99 – maybe the worst time to get a flat. Since they were so close to the stayover, Matt picked them up so we could get to the showers before closing time. Fortunately, we all got to take showers, and everyone enjoyed some ice cream before shuttling back to the stayover. Once we got back, most of us wrapped up the night by washing our clothes and getting ready for bed!
Thank you to Peace Lutheran Church for giving us a place to sleep, a meal to eat, and some amazing University of Nebraska t-shirts!
Cyclist’s Corner
Today's Rider: Nicole Tchorz
How are you feeling today?
I’m feeling pretty good, I had a good day. All of the century day’s I’ve had so far have gone really well, and I just typically yap with the people in my group which makes the entire day fun.
Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?
I typically try to go for snacks that would fill me up most. The pretzel bags we have usually have a good amount so I try to get that first and then any granola bars that I can so I can get fueled up. My favorites are goldfish and nutrigrain bars, or nature bakery bars.
What is your rest stop routine?
If there’s a bathroom I typically use that first, then I just snack a lot and lay in the shade when available. When it gets closer to having to go, I fill up my water bottles, wet my arm sleeves and gaiter if I have them on, and put on sunscreen before hitting the road again.
How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?
On longer days on the bike, I stay motivated by thinking about how lucky I am to have this opportunity to be a part of I4K and my motive for joining in the first place, so I push through it. Having a good group to talk about anything during the ride also helps a lot, because when I get to talk with others the time goes by way faster and its much more enjoyable when I continue to learn more about my teammates or any random topic we talk about. If no one is in a talking mood I typically sing to myself and that helps a lot as well, back in Pennsylvania, The Piña Colada song was a hit for me.
For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?
I am most looking forward to just the rest of the ride West. I’m excited and both a little nerve-wrecked about Colorado's mountains with the elevation, but there are places down the road like the Grand Tetons and other national parks that I am excited about visiting along the way outside of Colorado.
Anything else you want to talk about?
Thanks to my family for supporting me throughout the trip and shout out to everyone else on the team as well, I have gotten to know everyone better throughout the trip and they make every day an adventure.