....let every dawn be to us a new beginning, Illinois into Missouri

Today, in reverse. Now in Macon Missouri ready for an early start tomorrow, Motel ($50 for the two us, around £35, can't get these rates back home) is right on the road out so Crew Maestro James may have a well deserved late start, plan to hit the road at sunrise if possible.

As the heading goes, let every dawn be to you a new beginning (quote) which tomorrow will hopefully show in two ways, firstly for the first time on four days the sense of better health seems to be returning and two, more flat roads ahead. If the third day had continued like the first two, profile, heat and humidity combined with the bronchitis and generally feeling ill I'm not sure that I would have got through it, but here we are, a new dawn.

In crossing the Mississippi river late afternoon earlier today I don't mind sharing a private tear held back in reaching a milestone landmark and something that, after the first few days, means incredibly more than I ever dreamt it would. For those who know cycling, I rode through Quincy and onto the bridge 'full gas' (well, as full gas as I could possibly manage, more in the heart and mind than in the legs, it is recorded on film!), it was to throw grit from the back wheel into the face of that cocktail of the first few days to say, you know what, you came close but you didn't get me, I'm still here. It's as though the two days had a hold of you but then gave in, letting go to almost say, go on then, second chance. I know this may sound but these are the things that spin round in your mind, in the drawn out time which comes from following a white line at the side of the road for 9, 10, 12 hours a day, you have to allow these thoughts to roll round, it helps you to keep your head up, face into the headwind and move forward that little bit further. So here we are, another State border crossed and into Missouri.  

 

The day of riding was again characterised by flat straight roads, 80 degrees and low humidity, with no headwind the first 75 miles average 21 mph, not through power in any way! It was another day of recovery if there is such a thing.

The highlight of the day (check Twitter) was the endless road closures and traffic controls in Illinois, the photo seems hilarious....

What is even more hilarious (read yesterday's Blog post) is another 'Scottish' encounter. The two minute conversation with Dan who told me that his surname was Mackintyre not Mackintire and that he had connections with Scotland, no further reason or explanation was given. Another #fromtheroad moment which brightened the day and gave another random connection with Scotland, surely no more from now on.

I promised Dan a full action photo on the Blog post.

So that's it for now, more detail and photo's to follow but hopefully better days ahead, an early start tomorrow, straight out of Macon heading ever closer to Kansas.

As a fundraising note, today marked what is effectively the 1000 mile point of the journey, one third of the way to our final destination. Our fundraising target with a few commitments stands at around one fifth of the target that we've set ourselves, so please keep spreading the word.....

Still on the road.