Springfield 300K Pre-ride

 Wayne Hanno, Dan Pfaff and I set out Saturday morning to pre-ride the 300K brevet scheduled for next Saturday, April 16. Wayne and Dan made it, but I was blown out by the heat and wind, mostly the heat. I tried to stay hydrated by drinking a bottle of water an hour on the bike plus what I could at the controls. I was too dehydrated to go on by the time I made it to the Pierce City control. The temperature got up to 86 degrees, although it never seemed that hot because the wind caused the sweat to evaporate immediately. I was encrusted with salt by the time I quit, and I weighed six pounds less than when I started that morning. It probably also did not help that I have not been riding much because I was sick for a week in late March. The heat has been a recurring problem for me, particularly when I don't have time to acclimatize. The weekend before we were bundled up at the start of the ride. In contrast, I started this ride in just my shorts, short-sleeve jersey and cap. My loving wife drove out and picked me up.

Wayne heading out with SW Power Plant on the horizon














MO 96 at sunrise (Historic Route 66 on the left)

Historic Route 66 at Spencer, MO














Control at Jasper, MO














Late in the day heading east on my own

Marionville White Squirrel

James Doggett, Wayne Hanno, Dan Pfaff and I rode the Hound Dog 124K to Aurora on Saturday. It was the best weather we have had for a ride this year. It started out a little chilly, but with clear skies it warmed up quickly. There was not much wind outbound, but it pickup out of the West-NW on the way back so we got a little push. The highlight of the trip was the white squirrel we saw in Marionville. Wayne almost ran over it when it raced across the street into the woods. We have ridden through Marionville so many times I was beginning to think the white squirrels were just a myth. Unfortunately, it happened so fast I did not get a picture.

The Southwest Missouri 300K brevet is April 16. There is information on the Southwest Missouri Randonneuring web site. Hope to see you there.

 Wayne & Dan East of Marionville