2100 Down

Day 19 100 miles from Conway to Brinkley in an easy 5:30 at 18.1 mph. Wonderful tailwinds for most of the ride ... a bit of pace line time, loads of solo time ... and lovely quiet country back roads. An 'easy' century, enjoyable regardless those 12 miles of headwinds.

Day 20 113 miles from Brinkley to Senatobia, MS in 6:20 at 17.5 mph. A tough day in the saddle with annoying headwinds most of the day. We crossed into MS and went over the Mississippi River today. I'm cooked tonight, and anxious about the 138 miler tomorrow. After that, most days are around 100 miles, so tomorrow seems a higher hurdle. Psychologically it's tough to get up and do it again, day after day.

You know, it's interesting. There's always someone tougher, faster, more beautiful, richer, stronger, smarter, or more successful. Someone who can leap even taller buildings in half of one of your single bounds. You think you're tough for riding cross country in 25 days, then you hear about the PAC tours, and the men and women who ride in 17 days, averaging 170 miles/day, with a number of double centuries and 110 degree days in the desert.

And of course, there are the ones from a different gene pool, if not species, who ride RAAM. Across the US in 8 days. Winner last year didn't eat a lick of solid food for the ride, just drank his shakes. Rode 36 hours straight out of the gate before he took his first break.

PAC and RAAM just don't sound like fun to me. I can't imagine enjoying such a faster pace, in spite of the Krakauer sense of this journey. (Sister Colleen suggested Into Thin Hair as the title. Funny gal.)