Day 22: Kadoka to Oacoma

Today was not a good day. I suffered from the very beginning. Yesterday's ride just took too much out of me. I had spent a lot of time at the front and then we had the unexpectedly hard last 1.5 hours. Today was a day full of rollers and solid cross winds. I was yo-yoing off the back for miles 25 through 35 and was ready to get in the van at the rest stop. But a couple texts from Steph and some encouragement from my group kept me going. The group surrounded me creating a nice wind break and they let me ride there for most of the remaining 80 miles. Without them there is no way I would've finished today. That is a team!

After yesterday, the scenery wasn't very exciting until we were a few miles from our destination and we hit the Missouri River. We saw lots of fields and cows. We also crossed into Central Time part way through the morning so we lost an hour during our ride. Luckily our start time tomorrow is an hour later.

Tomorrow is a shorter day with very little elevation gain. However, we do face another day with the possibility of cross winds. Fingers crossed the day is easier than today.

Day 22 stats:

• distance: 115.3 miles

• elevation gain: 3169 ft

• nutrition:

  • breakfast: yogurt with granola, strawberries, and honey; Kate's chocolate mint bar; NuGo protein bar

  • lunch: PB&J, mango and watermelon, fun size peanut m&ms, 1 small coke

  • post-ride: 1 recovery drink, 1 small coke, 1 lime la croix

  • gels: 4

  • bloks: 2

  • 78 oz skratch superfuel, 78 oz zym

  • other: 1 small coke

Day 23 details - Oacoma to Mitchell

• planned distance: 76 miles

• planned elevation gain: 1073 ft