Today’s Date: July 7, 2024

Today’s Start Point: Houston, Missouri

Today’s End Point: Ellington, Missouri

Today’s Miles: 69.94 Miles

Cumulative Miles: 2,982.29 Miles

Well, never say “I seem to be handling the climbs better”, it means the next day you will not.

Today’s route would take me through the heart of the Ozark Mountains. After yesterday’s ride, I was hopeful that my legs and the weather would be good enough for the 1,000 feet of extra climbing.

I left at my usual pre-5:00 am start time, and it was a little more humid than yesterday. My route would go east and and at the 40 mile point through the town of Eminence, which is a big tourist stop in the area. My destination was Ellsworth, Missouri, where I planned to stay at a cycling hostel.

The first 35 miles to Eminence were non-eventful, with the hills and descents similar to yesterday and not really a problem. I left early enough that the post-July 4th traffic had not really picked up. The heat was starting to kick up and I was already drenched in sweat when I stopped in Eminence for my second breakfast. The gas station I stopped at was packed with RVs and pick-up trucks pulling boats.

Besides the landscape being hilly, the road was surrounded by dense trees. The trees provided more shade than I am used to but also blocked any cooling breeze.

After Eminence, the hills became steeper and longer. Whereas yesterday’s climbs would be up to a half-mile in length with an average four to six percent gradient with peaks of maybe seven percent, the climbs after Eminence were up to a mile in length with an average seven to ten percent gradient with peaks of 13 to 14 percent. The heat and humidity were also increasing.

Adding to the difficulty is that I left Eminence at 9:30 am, prime time for vacationers leaving the area after the July 4th weekend. There is no shoulder throughout Missouri so far and the roads rise and fall and twist and turn so precipitously that drivers do not have good sight lines to see cyclists. Also, because of the twists and turns, most of the road is double yellow lined for no passing. The good news is that Missouri drivers might be the most considerate drivers I have seen so far, being very patient to wait until the road is clear or I pull over to let them pass.

I handled the first few hills but the heat and the gradient was starting to get to me. The hard part of the heat is that you have to keep eating and drinking, but in the heat eating is difficult to stomach and no matter how much water I drink, it is never enough. With about 15 miles to go, I started to bonk. I was having trouble turning the pedals on the lower gradients let alone the higher gradients over ten percent.

Yup, I did some walking at the top of the climbs. I couldn’t catch my breath and the heat was killing me. There’s not much you can do but move forward, no matter how slow.

Luckily, the last couple of miles were downhill and I could cool down in the breeze from the descent. I was happy to get to Ellington, but I did not have much left in my tank when I got there. The heat from the outside temperature and my efforts had burned me up.

I arrived at the cyclist hostel only to find that it had no air conditioning. At this point, I told myself that I am going to be 64 years old next month, worked my entire life to get to retire this year, and I was exhausted. Therefore, logically I looked for a motel with air conditioning, which I found right next to a convenience store.

I checked in, got out of my sweaty kit, took a shower and tried to pass out in the cool air. I knew I was dehydrated because for the next hour my legs kept cramping. They were actually contracting into my pedaling form.

Soon, my body calmed down, I fell asleep and I went out for Mexican food in the evening. Side Note, throughout my travels, no matter the size of the town, there is a Mexican restaurant even if there is only one restaurant.

Tomorrow there is a possibility of rain, so I will see what type of riding awaits.