Tour de Kota - Last Day - Final Thoughts

Well, here I am in the comforts of home, having slept in my own bed last night, I am feeling pretty darn good. Yesterday's final ride was a thriller. We had light wind, smooth pavement, and we were cooking! I woke up in Beede Hall on Friday morning still grinning that I had spent the night at USD. I met Robin, Joe's wife, and we enjoyed the Lion's pancake breakfast. She is a sweetheart. I hope to get a chance to ride with her sometime. I donned my Froggtogg suit as the skies looked threatening, but there was not more than a few sprinkles, which didn't come until we had crossed the finish line in Sioux Falls. Our first 15 miles jaunt was fine, had to shed the rain suit though, too warm. I had a great spoonful of scrambled eggs and a cinnamon roll at the church by Hub City. The next 15 miles went well, the intensity of the hills was pretty mild compared to the past few days. Next stop was Centerville, and they went all out for the riders. Main street was lined with vendors and we enjoyed the festive atmosphere. We picked up a fellow rider, Barry, a pediatrician from Sioux Falls, somewhere between Centerville and Davis, where we were doing a bit of drafting to deal with the breeze. He joined us and ended up riding the rest of the day with us. One more example of the Tour friendships that develop. When we came to the Davis stop, David questioned whether we needed to ride the half mile into town. The first question was, "How far until the next stop?" With only 8 miles to Chancellor, we opted to go on a stick of Trident. Joe questioned whether he could pedal and chew at the same time, but all four of us managed just fine. This stretch was the smoothest ever and we continued to push on at an impressive pace. In Chancellor, we sat in the Fire Hall, and had a Walking Taco - with a twist - they called it a Standing Taco - just on a plate rather than in a bag of chips. Knowing we had but one stop remaining in Tea, 13 miles down the road and then a final run of 10 into Sioux Falls, my confidence was mounting. I was going to make it! The traffic picked up as we entered Tea, and we just took a brief break at the Tea City Hall. We were cautioned about the heavier traffic we'd encounter going through Sioux Falls and it was a rather daunting. Coming in on 85th street it was a downhill stretch, we were zipping right along. Turning onto Western Avenue, up and over I229, we were just buzzing with the traffic - wild. The adrenalin kicked in, and pedaling became more effortless. What a rush! We crossed 41st Street on West Avenue and then the traffic tapered off for us as we made our final approach to USF. They had rootbeer floats, beverages, bananas, and a small crowd of well wishers. Barry was hoping for a sticker or at least a gold star. Joe was disappointed because there was not a big cheer as we crossed the line, but I assured him, with a pat on my heart, "All the cheering I need is right in here!" Tour de Kota was mine! High fives, smiles, sighs, and hugs were contagious. What an incredible week. I did not consider quitting anywhere along the way, I just knew I'd finish - though some of those tough days, it wasn't very pretty, and I was mighty glad to make it to the each stop. Each day's final destination was an accomplishment, all culminating to Friday afternoon. I am so grateful to David and Joe for keeping me going. They are two super gentlemen. It was a pleasure to spend the week riding with them. I'm already making notes for what I'll need to do next year, so it appears that I'm in for TdK #8. The beautiful rolling hills, farms, prairie landscape, and even the river crossings were part of the week's enjoyment. Being out in the SD air is refreshing and inspiring. Mostly, though, it was the commaradre with fellow riders that impressed me the most. I am totally pleased with my first Tour de Kota experience. The time commitment of the training in May was tough, but I'm glad I put in every mile I did, I know it paid off. I can't say I'm anxious right now to get back on the bike, but give me a little time and I'll probably get the inkling to crank out 60-70 miles...