Unfounded Fears

Three weeks ago this morning we left out of Yorktown, and now over 1000 miles are behind us. At this moment, I am sitting on my bunk in Al's Place, a hostel for cyclists, after eating a very delicious lunch of linguini with basil pesto, chicken, and goat cheese, and after showering the morning ride grime down the drain. I'm thinking a nap would be a good thing as tomorrow's ride is 87 miles, but I have to fold the laundry first.

This morning's ride took us out of Chester, IL, across the Mississippi, and into Missouri. For some time now, we've been hearing horror stories of the Missouri hills. When I was in a Carbondale cycle shop, retrieving my bike after having the deraillier adjusted, Hubby and I talked with two guys who had just come through Missouri, heading east. They told us of the hills, the grades that turned men into wimps. I was not looking forward to the Missouri hills. Today, though, if it's any indication at all, and things could get significantly worse tomorrow and the next day, the hills weren't all that bad. Some did have grades of 10%, but they were short and manageable. So far, Missouri has been absolutely beautiful.

Seems like we let our imaginations get the best of us, creating unfounded fears. New rule for me: don't listen to the horror stories. Just as I decided to slow down, take more pictures, and enjoy each moment of each ride as fully as I can, I am now deciding to not worry about the hills. I've gotten over all of them so far, right? What's a few more thrown my way?

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