Hopkins 4K for Cancer

June 19, 2002

Day 18 (127 miles) St. Louis, MO to Jeff
After two nights of sleeping in beds, we hesitated leaving Washington University on our 140-mile quest. Psyching ourselves up for this voyage to Jefferson City was tough in the scorching 98 degree weather and astounding humidity; yet the group faced the challenge straight on, knowing that they had tackled the unthinkable before and this challenge was not any different. In order to realistically and safely achieve our goal, we decided to take 3 breaks, each after about 30 miles of biking. After the first 20 miles the terrain flattened out and we began to enter Missouri’s wine country. Shortly after we came across a bike path, which enabled us to take an alternate route and avoid a treacherous mountain range that lied in our path. The path was nice and quiet, flat and shady with the exception of loose stones and gravel that gladly attacked our tires, leaving a few bikers with flats. As I ventured down this path with Catherine I began to realize where we exactly were, the woods of Missouri! A place that I never fathomed I would be! The landscape alone was breathtaking, with lush wine orchards lined with quiet streams. The sounds of humming insects cluttered the air. The air was familiar, giving me a rush of New England with its thick sticky humidity; holding me back from quick movement. Eventually we arrived at our first 30-mile break, where our bodies were gratefully replenished with peanut butter sandwiches that never before tasted so good. Mesmerized by my sandwich, I was abruptly interrupted by a phone call from a far away place, home. My friend from home's voice quickly reminded me of the distance between Missouri and Boston, reiterating the adventure in which I was currently undertaking.

After becoming replenished and motivated to conquer the next 30 miles, we once again started off on the path. Being confronted once again with 2 flat tires motivated the group I was traveling with to seek an alternate route. Ignoring the previous advice, we decided to try to ride on a road parallel to the gravel path, which seemed relatively flat. The road at first seemed like the smart approach; however, as it began to curve and tacitly incline, our approach seemed less and less like a good idea. Too late to turn back we soon began to experience our new form of hell. After six miles of sharp inclines and steaming conditions we concluded that a few more flat tires would have been a better challenge. After finally relaxing at lunch and motivating ourselves for the next segment of miles, we started on the path again. Due to the harsh events of the morning’s terrain, the afternoon’s task seemed miniscule and manageable. However, as the 8:00 hour approached and the night’s mist began to permeate, the body became numb. Physically and emotionally all I began to feel was an inner drive empowering my body to pedal. As Steph and I finally became led by the sunset, a sigh of relief overcame us as we saw the Jefferson City Capital in the distance.

-Blair Decembrele