September 9-12 Last Chance 1200 - Day 2

Ride Day Two:
Atwood KS - Kensignton KS - Atwood KS - 219 Miles
Profile:
Climbing: 4,265 Feet
Descending: 4,265 Feet

Dennis is 60 years old, and with his desire to qualify for RAAM, had a 75-hour time limit. I had no such desires, and just wanted to finish the ride in anything under 90 hours. Dennis was up, dressed and checked out before 12:50 AM (local) 11:50 PM Mountain Time. As this ride crossed two time zones, which changed at the Kansas border, times were a bit confusing, at least to me. I was up and gone at 2:50 AM local, 1:50 AM Mountain Time. The downside of my departure was I hit the thick fog. Visibility was not more than about 200 feet for nearly four hours. Dennis apparently did not encounter the thick fog, just pockets of fog throughout the night. Leslie departed shortly after me, and ended up turning around in the fog and quit her ride. With such limited visibility, it was quite dangerous when trucks and cars would pass you. They could not see you until they were nearly upon you.

I reached the town of Norton KS, the next checkpoint at mile 313 at daybreak. It was here that the fastest riders were heading back to Atwood after riding straight through the night. Dave and Randy took good care of me and had me on the road quickly.

Seven miles west of the turn around point in Kensington KS, I saw Dennis on his way back west and he shouted out some encouragement. I continued to roll east, reaching the checkpoint in Kensington, mile 360 at 10:25 AM (Mountain Time). Dennis was just over an hour ahead. Guy Oldfield was staffing this checkpoint. Guy has ridden several of the brevets in St. Louis and I was happy to see him there.

Randy took my picture in front of the post office just before I headed back on the road. If you check out the pictures, you will notice I am leaning to the right. I thought I was standing up straight, but I looked a bit like the "Leaning Tower of Pisa".

I met Hans Binder from Copenhagen at this checkpoint and talked with his wife who was providing support. I also saw another recumbent ridden by Tomas Russell of Alamo CA. Both Hans and Tom passed me on my way out of town.

I reached Norton KS, mile 407 mid afternoon. Randy and Dave asked what I wanted to eat. I just ate some more fruit and had my bottles filled before heading out again. Here was my big mistake. Dave and Randy were standing on a Subway parking lot. I passed up a crucial opportunity to eat solid food. This error caught up with me.

My pace was slowing dramatically and I could not figure it out at first. Then I realized that just drink mixes, gels and fruit were not enough for this distance. I struggled my way back to Oberlin, mile 442 where I found a Subway attached to a gas station. I went inside feeling terrible. I ate a six-inch sub, drank water and refilled bottles again. I began feeling better, but the dreaded bonk had already taken its toll.

I really hated this part of the ride. The traffic between Oberlin and Norton in the mid afternoon was terrible. The shoulder of the road was narrow and the trucks were passing much too close, even when they had room to move over they just buzzed by. I later found out this stretch of road was a major area for traffic heading from Nebraska to Texas, and from Kansas City to Denver. I am generally fine around traffic, but this was freaking me out. I think the best option would be to ride through the first night so you get through this section in the early morning.

Just outside of Atwood, a little before sunset, I was riding up a long mild grade. Two grain or cattle trucks were following a black pickup truck and they were coming towards me. One of the cattle trucks decided to pass and come over into my lane, taking the full lane and the shoulder as well. I began waving my arms to warm the truck. The only response I received was him blowing his horn. I ended up having to bail out off the road into the sand as he blew by still honking his horn. So much for sharing the road.

I arrived safely back at the “It’ll Do Motel” mile 469 in Atwood at 7:36 PM (Mountain Time). I told the volunteers about the trucks passing so close as well as the head on incident. I was not the only person to mention this. Later, I heard truckers complaining of bicyclists being all over the road had called the state police. The owner of the motel, a person of some importance in the area, told the police what he had been hearing. I sat and ate several slices of pizza. It was so good I had to ask where it was from. “It’s not delivery. It’s DiGiorno". Frozen pizza never tasted so good.

Dennis was already in bed by the time I came into the room and showered. I was in bed and sleeping in just a few minutes.

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