Day 48

We woke up in Marshville the center of the Ozarks. The heat,humidity,and steep grades caused us to plan a couple of shorter 65 mile days. I could tell as soon as we started that my mojo was gone. I must have used it up yesterday. Even so I managed to use a couple of steep descents to get ahead of Hugh and Devin. We usually stop to stretch at about 8 to 10 miles. So at 9 miles I pulled over and started my stretches. I glanced back and there was Hugh a couple hundred feet down the road. I thought I saw him glance at me so I turned around and continued stretching. A moment later I glanced back but he was already a hundred yards past. I shouted but he was gone.
I jumped on my bike and started to chase and also to wonder. I was maybe 15 feet off the road and with the yellow flag and white tail box and me standing there in a white shirt I should have been clearly visible from well over a hundred yards and yet Hugh just blew by. Hmmm, now as I'm trying to catch him my mind wanders and I come up with three possible reasons why he did not stop:
1. Hugh does not like television and he was mad because I was listening to political news while writing the blog late last night. Maybe it was the fox network that got him. Nah, that is not the reason he is too mellow to get mad.
2. Maybe his endorphin induced state of riding meditative bliss is much greater that mine. Ommm, I resolve to work again on becoming one with my surroundings. Maybe I should ask him if I can become a student of his.
3. And now the probable real reason he missed seeing me turns into a shameless plug for recumbents. He is riding a wedgie as we bent riders occasionally call regular bikes. Wedgie riders have a narrower field of view which mostly takes in the pavement infront of the bike.

I did not catch him until Hartville where he had stopped for a snack. For 26 miles Hugh though he was chasing me. He had never seen me at the side of the road.

The heat and climbs made us take rest breaks every 10 miles or so. Just before our stop for the night the Big Piney river looked inviting so we took a quick swim. Our motel in Houston for the night is the Horse Creek inn. It is a very cyclist friendly place, free beer at checkin.

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