Day 28 -- Abilene to Topeka -- 114 Miles

Challenging day! Our cue sheet had us lined up for 108 miler to Topeka (the 114 I have above adds on a 6 mile, rountrip bike to mass). In these 108 miles, we mostly had headwinds and crosswinds, but we were rewarded with the occassional puff of a tailwind when the road curved in the "right" direction. We also pedaled through the rain (nothing too crazy; a light drizzle) for about 30 minutes.

Also, in spite of losing about 350 feet of elevation over the course of the day, we had a great deal of rolling terrain (a preview of what's ahead in Missouri), and climbed approximately 4000 feet. In spite of all of the challenges, I felt strong, and managed to ride at a pretty good clip.

After a quick shower, I went to mass, and then made it back to our hotel (a hotel whose pool has a water slide that's bigger than some you see at actual water parks) in time for route rap and dinner.

After dinner, I was interviewed by a reporter, Kevin Elliott, from the Topeka Capital - Journal. Kevin chatted with a handful of members of our group (mostly the ones who are riding for charity) about the reasons behind our decisions to take on this challenge. So, if you're bored and need something to google, look for the article on the America by Bicycle group. What else do you have to do on the 4th of July? That's what I thought.