Bicycling for Breath: Valparaiso to Kendallville, IN July 25

The alarm when off at 5 AM. Neither John nor I wanted to get up. We've done 292 miles in the last three days. We are tired. Not ready to quit, but really tired. I thought, when looking at the riding schedule, that this week would be much easier than it has turned out to be. I figured after reaching the halfway point, we would be in such good shape, 663 miles in one 7 day stretch would be no big deal. Wrong. That many miles in a row is not easy, but it can be enjoyable.

Valparaiso University

As I am sure John outlined, our first 3 days were challenging, mostly due to the weather. Today dawned hazy and humid but not horribly hot, and without rain. The forecast called for mild west-winds (we're traveling east) and highs in the upper 80's. No rain! This was good news. I was beginning to wonder how one contracted jungle rot. Luckily, we were able to do laundry since we stayed in a dorm last night so at least we had dry clothing, and by hanging my shoes in front of the AC unit all night, I had dry shoes!

The day was overcast, but dry all morning as we rode through Indiana's corn and soybean fields. The scenery had not changed a lot since we hit the border of Illinois. It is a lot like Michigan, as far as vegetation goes, but much flatter. I am surprised at the joy large deciduous trees are bringing me. I really missed them when we were out west. Even in Montana and Wyoming did not have anything like the beautiful shade trees we've been enjoying since entering Wisconsin. On a hot day, at least we have some shade to shelter us when we rest. Folks from the desert areas are wowed by the green. The riders from Seattle are amazed at the strength of our storm systems. Having no mountains to stop them, the bad weather can be seen a long way off and the winds are impressive (not to mention the thunder and lightening which scared the stuffing out of some riders). It is interesting to experience my home territory through the eyes of people who have never been here. I found myself explaining how to know if lightning is close or not and what to do if the tornado sirens go off.

Whatever!

We hooked up with Kate Montana for the last half of the ride and had a very pleasurable afternoon. Just before we made it to camp, Kate saw the local ice cream shop and "made" us stop. The owner told us it was only 13 miles to camp from her shop. Apparently, other members from our group had wandered in before finishing the ride as well.