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Day 3: 19-Aug-2002 Julesburg - Ogallala, Nebraska (map)
Today's distance 33.9 miles
Time moving: 3 hours, 32 minutes
Time stopped: 1 hours, 00 minutes
Ending elevation: 3250 ft
Max speed: 23.8 mph
Moving average speed: 9.6 mph
Overall average speed: 8.3 mph
Cumulative climbing: 1150 ft
Cumulative descent: 1268 ft
Total distance: 205.7 miles
A short day today, I got a late start out of Julesburg, as I felt
like sleeping in so I did. I got rolling at about 8:00, and it was cool
and cloudy, and looked like rain was possible.
Just a couple of miles outside of Julesburg.
Almost instantly when I began today's ride I had some sharp pain in
my right knee -- I have a long history of knee pain, caused by inflammation
where the patella and femur meet. This pain has been getting better over
the past few years, as I have worked on strengthening the muscles that support
this part of the knee, and have been riding more and being in better condition.
But sometimes it flares up when biking or hiking. I have heard that knee
pain is one of the biggest reasons for abandoning bicycle tours, so I am
a bit concerned. I stopped at the Nebraska state line and took a couple
of ibuprofen tablets, and the pain subsided within a few miles.
I really enjoy roadside historical markers
The bronze on this one is particularly nice.
Bronzework detail
In Big Springs
In Big Springs
In Big Springs
Looking south, toward the South Platte river, from US30
The biggest problem today was the wind -- what to most folks was
a pleasant easterly breeze was, to me, a life-sapping drag, and I was
rarely able to cruise along above about 10 mph. Nonetheless, I did have
the entertaining experience of passing a Union Pacific freight train.
Just out of Julesburg the train passed me, and the engineer gave me a
wave an a few honks of the horn. A few miles down the road I came across
the same train, it was stopped waiting for traffic ahead to clear. Just
as I reached the front of the train (it was 1.4 miles long) it began moving,
but again I was greeted with a wave and a honk.
Beautiful backroads USA.
I rolled into Ogallala at about noon and decided that a short day
was in order. I had had enough for today. I checked into the Plaza motel
near downtown and had a relaxing afternoon, and a good steak dinner at the
Front Street cafe.
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