ouch!

All I wanted to do today was make it out of Iowa. I encountered a few nay-sayers this morning- just locals who don't know me and what I am capable of, they didn't think I could make it to the state line. I meet people like this everyday, men between 50 and 70 who have a negative attitude. This morning I was able to shut one of them up. There was a man who thought he could keep up with me since he did some touring 20 years ago.

He had heard there was a woman on a bike in town and looked all over town trying to find me this morning. He asked a few questions about what I was doing, but he was much more interested in telling me everything he had done. It didn't look like he was in top riding condition- but who am I to judge? He bought me breakfast and continued to tell me all about he adventures of yesteryear. He asked if he could ride with me for the first 16 miles of the day. I was a little hesitant, but agreed to let him join me. I tried to ride behind him, but he was cramping my style so I passed him. He was able to keep up, but not for long. After 9 miles I heard him yell for me to have a good day. I was a little confused, after all we had not been 16 miles. I stopped to find out what was going on. He caught up to me and admitted that I was in much better shape than him. It looked like he had taken a trip through the sprinklers, he was soaked, and could hardly breath.

I should not have gotten pleasure from this, but I did. I have encountered men like this everyday for the past week and a half. They all seem to think that I will not make it very far. The only thing that separated this one for the others is that he had a bike, and I had something to prove.

It was a good riding day. Right now I don't have official bike maps, just a gas station map of Iowa. Once I had been about 32 to miles today the directions seemed a little fuzzy. I stopped at a post office to find the best way to get through this little, little town. I was sent down a 6 mile gravel road. The only problem is that I did not make it all 6 miles. I think I only made it 1 mile before 2 dogs started to chase me. When I am on a paved road I can either go faster when I see dogs, or stop. Today stopping seemed like the best option- I thought the dogs would see me as less of a threat if I stopped.

One of the dogs bit me and ran away. Lucky for me a big pick up truck was coming down the road. I wasn't going to risk letting this truck pass me by. I stood right in the middle of road and waved it down. They stopped, and gave me a ride to the center of town. Once I got to the town center everybody decided I needed to go to the emergency room. The same truck that picked me up gave me a ride the nearest hospital- 25 miles away. I spent most of the day sitting in an exam room waiting for somebody to scrub my broken skin and give me a band-aid. There are some puncture marks in my leg and there is going to be a lot of bruising. I am on antibiotics to prevent infection and pain killer that are likely to make me loopy. I also have a really bloody sock to deal with. I guess the people were right today- I didn't make it out of Iowa.

My new plan is to make it out of Iowa tomorrow, but don't worry I will not try to bike while I am taking pain killers. Tuesdays are never a good day for me.