Day #21 - Liberal to Dodge City, KS

Jodie
May 24, 2024
2 min read

83.7 mi, 1,512ft gain, 60-87F / brutal headwinds of 20-35 mph

Wow today was a rough one! We left with a headwind that never ended. We had 20-35mph winds coming at about a 30% angle from the left for the first 61 miles, after the one turn, straight headwind. It was brutal and ruthless. This is the wind you hear about in Kansas, I’ve just never tried to bike through it. Might say don’t do it honestly.

The first 10 miles were the worst. Thoughts of walking my bike up the big hill crept in. We were going 8 mph but the wind was hitting 30 from the side.. and when the trucks went by, well that’s another story of scary proportions. I made it up the hill but had to re-align my thinking. I was in a dark place. It took us an hour battling the wind to get 11 miles. We had to go 84. Eek.

Around mile 30 I felt like I had found the right amount of death grip and side lean to continue on at this ridiculously slow pace. Yes I considered asking for a van lift.. but that just didn’t sit well for me. I continued on to the SAG stop at 40 mi.

There we got to tour the Dalton Gang hide out and the tunnel going from the house to the barn. Fun little history stop. I filled my pockets with snacks calculating 4 more hours of riding.

Off we went to battle.. it wasn’t pretty but we got it done. My Garmin reads my power and heart rate, so the calculations for calories burned are fairly accurate. It read 3,161 calories.. so I had 4 tacos at Taco Bell and a medium cookie dough concrete from DQ.. both walking distance. Yeah, I added walking 2 miles to get food. Worth it.

I’d like to say tomorrow will be better, but I just looked and I’m a bit concerned. At least I will be well practiced!

Side history note

The phrase "get the hell out of Dodge" is an American idiom that means to leave a place quickly, especially because it is dangerous or unpleasant. The phrase originated in the late 19th century, when Dodge City, Kansas, was a Wild West town known for its lawlessness and violence.

Total mileage to-date: