Day 27 - It Can Never Be Easy - Maddie

Soooo…

Ummmm…

We were lied to…

All of the folks who assured us that we would fly through the flat plains of the Midwest were sorely mistaken.

After 3 hefty days of riding, 78, 87, and 65 miles respectively, Charlie and I were looking forward to 95 miles over two days. As has been the case for the past week, I’ve woken up incredibly sore. A light 55 mile flat ride sounded like a perfect way to recover. 2,400 feet of elevation gain begged to differ.

We left Iowa City after eating breakfast at the Encounter Café, an Amish eatery. We had a massive cinnamon roll with the sweetest frosting I’ve ever tasted, baked oatmeal with a strong cinnamon flavor and fresh fruit, a bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant that Charlie described as “very average, extra cheddar,” and an All American breakfast that also fell a bit short. Not my favorite meal thus far.

The weather was promising with the temperature hovering around 60 degrees and the sun generally peaking through the clouds. We began with a big hill, and they kept coming. Shortly thereafter, Charlie unzipped his jacket vents, and I felt a bead of sweat roll down my face. We pushed up and down hills; I trailed Charlie most of the ride contemplating how my knees, shins, and hips could all be in pain at the same time.

We did not take many breaks but chanced upon Cook’s Meat Locker while in search of a restroom. We bought some beef jerky, a choco taco, and an ice cream sandwich. The choco taco brought me back to canteen at Camp Lenox, pure joy and summer vibes. However, given that Charlie and I are now ice cream connoisseurs, packaged ice cream does not bring as much ecstasy as a humble dairy bar.

With only 5 miles remaining until Montezuma, our worst enemy struck. Brutal headwinds brought our speed down to 7.5 miles per hour. I let out aggravated yelps and bursts of energy and acceleration while just hoping to reach Montezuma sane. Charlie and I both agree that wind is our most frustrating obstacle (If only we had known when we planned an East to West journey😳).

Thankfully, Montezuma is a lovely town with an even nicer campsite. We arrived in town around 6pm and deliberated riding further to make tomorrow easier. We decided against it, knowing that we can support one another through 40 miles tomorrow. We pitched our tents along Diamond Lake, relaxed, and watched the sunset.

This week has been really hard for me. I’m getting physically and mentally tired from this journey. The days are starting to blend together, and my body continues to ache. Charlie, as always, has been an amazing riding buddy, and I definitely could not be here without him. I also appreciate everyone who has reached out about the blogs, the Instagram, and/or how we are doing; it means the world to know you care! It’s also been incredible to see how shocking our journey is to complete strangers, confirms that we are doing something so unique. So Much Love!

Til tomorrow,

Maddie

Total miles: 1358.8