Heat and Roadkill

The previous few days of riding into Lawrence, KS have been HOT. We're talking mid to high 90s and very humid, this usually translates to a road temperature above 100, and when you're riding 90 miles it takes its toll. During one day in Missouri I actually drank 2+ gallons of water while on the bike and I peed a grand total of once. Some would say this means I didn't drink enough, but I felt fine and rode well the next day, so I'm not too worried. Regardless we drink through a lot of water and gatorade on this trip.

One thing you see/smell a lot of while riding is roadkill. When driving you don't really notice all the small roadkill, the birds, moles, rats, squirrels, etc. You may notice all of the racoons, possum and possibly skunk that grace the shoulder, but you miss the smaller stuff. On a bike you don't miss any of it. In fact when its hot you can usually smell the roadkill before you actually see it. Let me tell you days when the wind is blowing it is actually kind of nice because the smell is mitigated, even though you do have to spend the whole day riding into the wind, at least that always seems to be the case on our trip. Roadkill is just another one of those things that being on a bike lets you experience, along with the other more enjoyable sounds and smells. I feel I'm truly seeing the country now and living in it.

Currently we're in Lawrence, KS for a 3 day build stretch, which I'll write more about tomorrow or the next day.