Denver to MInneapolis complete

 If there is interest, here is the Garmin track of our last day -  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/508736959

I am still getting up early, even when I should sleep late and recover. This gives me the time to make a fresh-ended post on this blog about this journey. My first point is to thank all the readers who kept sending positive vibes.

Yesterday, we woke with no intention of finishing the ride today. Over 130 miles was a little more than the worn bodies could handle.  We woke at 7:00 AM, and it was wet outside.  It looked like the rain was on and off all day.  At this time, wind and weather no longer impacted us mentally.

NOW THIS IS FUNNY!  Late in the ride, I had told Jordan this was a slice of heaven (the nice trail outside before Faribault) and to cross our fingers.  We tried, but we could not cross our fingers.  Our fingers were in so much pain and fatigue we could not cross them!

Today is a pleasant yet sad day for me.  This time was precious, and it will be a parent-child adventure most will not have in a lifetime or take the time to get.  I am so proud of my son and all he has accomplished.  Even though we complained and yelled at each other throughout the trip, I would not give it up for anything. We should head back to Colorado since we have time.

FINISHED - 51 year old men can cry...

 I woke at 5:30 AM, and it was raining. I knew today was going to be a miracle if we did not encounter rain! We conceded that fact last night. I let Jordan sleep until 7:00 AM, and we packed up to head out after breakfast. Packing was so easy after Shelley took the trailer and other gear. It gave us confidence that we may make it very close to home today.

We left at 7:45 AM and rode very hard, as Highway 15 was very dangerous with high traffic.  People were very disrespectful, so I am trying to be excellent.  We could handle this for only 4 miles (really should have been less, but nowhere to turn) before we found 170th Street and turned right.  Here we go again, improvising in the spirit of safety.  We decided to go to Highway 169, which would be better.

We were pleased with Highway 169, for about 3 miles.   Then, it became rough, and riding on the shoulder was difficult.  There was no alternative for 10 miles at Highway 30.   We had ridden 14 miles of pure danger in the first 27 miles!  Jordan was unhappy with me, and I tried to explain that I had done my best.  At this point, we just wanted to get home and finish the journey!

We were looking forward to Highway 22 being an improvement in Mankato.  It was not!  The road was near the worst we had encountered, and Jordan continued to yell at me for taking such a wrong route.  I had two flat tires.  We experienced hard rain, road construction, and drivers that rival Mad Max (for those old enough to understand what that means).  This was not enjoyed by either of us, and we stopped several times just to get our nerves back in order.  We reached Mankato at 12:45 PM, which was nice, although we were soaked from the hard rain.  I was concerned about the cars being unable to see us when it was raining so hard.  Even though we averaged over 16 mph, we had well over 2 hours of stopping, mainly to calm our nerves as it was SO BAD!!!!

We found a Subway (figures) and talked about how we had 74 miles left. We knew if we cut the break short, we could get home today! That would make a 130-plus-mile day. We figure it is possible by 9:00 PM if we are issue-free. By 1:30 PM, we were off. We are both ready for a finish!

We were looking forward to riding the next 35 miles on a nice bike trail. However, when we reached the trail, we realized it was old and very bumpy. Jordan once again criticized my planning. One good thing is that we had heavy rains that would have stopped us from being on the road. The rain was so bad at one point that we even sought shelter. 

After 18 miles on the trail, we were both so excited, as it was NEW! It was very smooth and at least 12 feet wide. We deserved a break, and here it was, especially after our hands were destroyed from the past 18 miles of old and very rough trail. We averaged about 11 mph on the rough trail. 

We made Faribault, Minnesota, at 4:39 PM.  We traveled 95.58 miles for the day at 6:31:17. This did not include the time to eat and fix the flat tires.  We totaled 8.25 hours since we left the hotel.  About 36 miles to go...  While we were both spent, we had a slight increase in excitement.  This positive thinking was increased as I was assured the road conditions were good, with a nice shoulder for most of the remaining ride.  The rain had subsided, but we knew another wave was coming.

It was only 12 miles to Northfield, Minnesota.  The wind and rain held out for the first 10 miles, and then an intense wave of wind and rain appeared.  I was tired and ready to call for a ride for the last 25 miles.  Jordan decided I needed a lift, so he got on a toy bike and said let's go!  It lifted my spirits, and we took off for 25 miles.  Jordan exclaimed, "It's less than a marathon, and we have bikes!"

Jordan has a new bike

Let's go, Dad!

Four miles to go, and the LAST HILL

Less than 2 miles to go!

We made it!

When we are done, it's a great reason to smile!

At 8:30 PM, we made it home, and we were exhausted!!!!! We rode 130.3 miles in 9 hours and 11 minutes and spent 12 hours and 9 minutes today (including fixing flats, massive rain delays, and eating).  

SUMMARY OF DAY 11: 130.3 miles and 14.2 MPH (riding time only) and a total on-bike time of 9 hours and 11 minutes.  It was just over 12 hours for the day, with a temperature range of 59 F at the start to almost 75 F at the peak.  Total ascent (according to the Garmin Connect) was 2,188 feet with a decent of 2,370 feet.  SO IT WAS A HILLY RIDE!  We had a 504-foot elevation decrease for the day, decreasing from 1,460 feet to 956 feet overall.

Our 10-mile splits from MapMyRide (time includes breaks, and mph is based only on riding time) were:

0-10 in 0:37:57 - 17.2 mph
10-20 in 0:36:22 - 16.5 mph
20-30 in 0:45:55 - 15.4 mph
30-40 in 1:05:29 - 15.4 mph
40-50 in 0:56:25 - 13.7 mph
50-60 in 1:44:15 - 11.9 mph
60-70 in 0:48:07 - 14.3 mph
70-80 in 1:05:28 - 13.6 mph
80-90 in 0:38:13 - 16.5 mph
90-100 in 1:06:01 - 13.8 mph
100-110 in 1:02:20 - 11.8 mph
110-120 in 0:48:36 - 13.7 mph
120-130 in 0:51:49 - 13 mph

The trip totaled 908.9 riding miles in 71 hours, 12 minutes and 46 seconds.  The average pace was 12.76 mph!

A video Shelley took of us arriving.  It was a day to remember!

Day 10 complete WE ARE IN MINNESOTA

 Day 10 started with a huge thunderstorm in Cherokee, Iowa. We delayed leaving until the radar showed the storm had passed, so it was later than planned, with a start at 10:00 AM. Immediately, there was an issue with the trailer. Somehow, the support was bent, and we were not able to connect to the bike. After the panic settled, we took out the tools and could bend them to a proper shape. 

About 2 miles out of Cherokee, Iowa, Londell's bike was having what seemed to be a significant issue, and Jordan could not find his glove.  After much work, we finally found his glove and got Londell's bike operating freely, as it was just a minor issue with the chain and rear sprocket.  Strangely, the cows would follow us in Iowa with a look like, "What the hell is that!."   If we stopped, they all huddled up and watched us.

It was strange how the cows followed us...

We hoped this would be a day of little wind, but we were wrong.  We had a side wind of about 10 to 15 mph for the first 25 miles.  Our ride was also extremely dangerous.  There were at least 300 cars per hour and no shoulder.  It was a 65 MPH road. 

It was a lovely day, except for the wind!!!

As usual, I needed a clearer look...

The best choice was to take another detour.  We found a road that was very narrow but seldom traveled.  However, this meant we had the side wind again for several miles.  Finally, after 43 miles, we were able to head north.  To our surprise, the wind was very strong, averaging about 22 mph to our delight.  The following 30 miles were fantastic.  The miles just ticked away at an amazing pace!

When we turned east, we once again encountered a very dangerous Iowa road. Again, there were about 400 cars per hour, and there was no shoulder. The sheriff even stopped and discouraged riding on that road, especially with the holiday traffic. 

Fortunately for us, this was near the location where Shelley was going to meet us. She met us and picked us up no later than 15 minutes after we had left when the storm came roaring through. What luck!!!! Shelley got us safely to the motel in Fairmont, MN. Yes, it is so nice to say Minnesota!!!!  

Shelley had GREAT timing!

We had to stop...

MINNESOTA - YES!!!! (Note: Jordan no longer has that huge smile as Londell Grimaces

It will be so nice not to have the trailer and all the gear. The trailer was about 60 pounds, and Jordan had another 20 on his panniers. We will still carry about 15 pounds of gear, but I expect a huge difference. Shelley was an angel today, assuring us we were safe and rid us of significant baggage. Her ride was still less than all the detour miles we had taken. It was not SAFE and the best possible decision.

As we rest and eat, we pray for good weather tomorrow.  At this time, we can make Faribault.  That means we would have 40 miles on Wednesday to finish the ride.  I do not want to look ahead as we still have much to do.  Nevertheless, after completing 796 miles with about 130 to go, I think we are over the hump?

SUMMARY OF DAY 10:  A total of 70 miles and 16.2 MPH (riding time only) and a total on-bike time of 4 hours and 19 minutes.  It was 5 hours and 40 minutes for the day with a temperature range of 66 F to almost 86 F.  Total ascent (according to Garmin Connect) was 1,047 feet with a decent of 932 feet.  We had a net elevation increase of 72 feet, from 1,388 feet to 1,460 feet overall.

Our 10 miles splits from MapMyRide (time includes breaks, and mph is based only on riding time) were:

  0-10 in 0:53:31 - 14.2 mph
10-20 in 0:43:57 - 15.6 mph
20-30 in 0:41:17 - 17.1 mph
30-40 in 1:00:58 - 14.4 mph
40-50 in 1:06:01 - 16.1 mph
50-60 in 0:28:52 - 20.7 mph
60-70 in 0:45:16 - 17.0 mph

I am on my way

I am on my way out of the State of Minnesota, heading to Colorado.  As the sign on my office wall says, "I am biking to work...  FROM DENVER, COLORADO, I hope to see you June 2, 2014."

Hard to believe the ride is here.  The plan is to leave on Saturday morning.  I drove the route back last Saturday and had to make many changes.  Based on topography, prevailing winds, and other factors, my plan is as follows:

DAY	From Golden
1	96 Miles
2	60 Miles
3	89 Miles
4	86 Miles
5	64 Miles
6	66 Miles
7	73 Miles
8	45 Miles
9	45 Miles
10	83 Miles
11	80 Miles
12	75 Miles
13	71 Miles
TOTAL	934 Miles
PER DAY AVERAGE	71.9 Miles

I have a Blog set up for the trip. It is http://2men2bikes.blogspot.com. I have excitement, fear, concern, confidence, and doubt, much like the 100-mile ultra marathon attempts. One thing for sure is that when I finish, it will be a great accomplishment. Another thing is that after months of 60-70-hour work weeks, this will be a welcomed and much-needed break.

Carry on, my friends, Carry on...