Distance: 3.1 mi, Climbed: 240 ft
Completed: 1,416.6 mi, 73,616 ft
Today, Joanna and I got back on the bikes after a five-day hiatus. Five days? We were only supposed to take a four-day break. Well…
We were also supposed to have a big day – crossing the Mississippi, entering Missouri our 10th state, and pedaling 42 miles of steep hills in the dreaded Ozark Mountains. Well…
We went to Pennsylvania over the weekend to attend our niece’s college graduation. Congratulations, Shaina! We are so proud of you.
We had a flight from Newark to St. Louis early Monday morning. We got diverted to Indianapolis because of a storm that closed the St. Louis airport. That storm made its way to Indianapolis and also closed that airport. We ended up being stuck for eight hours before we finally made it to St. Louis. Since we did not get in until close to midnight, we decided to take an extra day to set up our gear.
We have been sleeping at hotels and rentals the first part of the trip, so we did not bring camping gear. As we get further west, lodging becomes more sparse, and we will need to do some camping. So, we brought back with us our camping gear. I needed to add a set of front panniers to my bike so we could carry everything. Now we are set for anything. Or are we?
Our hotel was on the outskirts of town. We had a two-mile ride through downtown and out to the Mississippi River to start our day. We never made it to the river.
We stopped at the public library to use their bathroom. When Joanna came out, I knew something wasn’t right. Lately, Joanna has been experiencing hand tightness and discomfort. We had just come down a short steep hill. She said that the force needed to use the brakes on the steep downhills was too much for her hands. As the day ahead was all steep hills, we had to stop for safety. We would not make it to Missouri today.
We decided to go to the doctor and have Joanna’s hands checked out. The doctor said Joanna needed to take some time off the bike and to do some physical-therapy exercises. We were planning on heading home in a week to attend our family’s annual charity walk to raise epilepsy awareness. With a little sadness but with optimism for continuing our journey, we are going to head home now for two weeks and give Joanna’s hands a chance to get better. To be continued…
Sorry to read this news of the pause in your journey. But hope to be able to see you while Joanna is exercising her hands. A judicious move.
Hi, Neil! It was great seeing you at Together We Walk!! Thank you for helping to raise awareness of epilepsy and for your generous support of epilepsy research.
So sorry to see this. Hoping your hand heals soon- and so happy to have met you in Indiana.
Hi, Donna & Don! So nice of you to write. Joanna is healing up and will be joining me out here pretty soon. 🎉🎉
Speedy healing, Joanna!
Thank you so much!!! – Joanna
Hmmm – sorry to hear ! how about some softball? 🙂
Hi, Jim! No softball for now, just PT exercises to strengthen my hands. We look forward to getting back out on the diamond next season!
Refuah shlema, Joanna. So sorry about your hands and hoping you are ready to ride again soon.
Hi, Laura! Your refuah shlema prayers have done the trick, so THANK YOU!! I am looking forward to meeting up with Rich in Kansas and getting back to riding. 🚴🏻♀️ 🎉