Odessa only gets about 10 inches of rain per year, but in the (less than) 24 hours we were there they got 2 1/2. In all fairness, we didn't get any rain in Seattle where it always rains so I guess it all evens out. Today was rainy again and significantly colder. The group learned after yesterday to bring more layers than you think you need and it came in handy today. We stopped at the first check point and all hopped in the van with Lynn, one of the coordinators, to warm up and add a layer of garbage bags to our bike gear since it was cold enough to potentially get hypothermia. They actually keep you surprisingly warm. It was a 77 mile ride, but it's amazing how much faster you ride when you want to escape the nasty weather. On nice days I average about 13-14 mph but today we were bookin it and that number was closer to 18. It also helped that we had a bit of a tailwind this morning.
As nice as it is to be visiting all these small towns, I'm definitely more of a city person so it's cool to be in Spokane where there is civilization and things to do. We have the day off tomorrow which my legs are very happy about. We will be staying in some dorms tonight and tomorrow (with real beds!) so it should be swell. I can't believe that we've already traveled over 325 miles.
I think I'm over the initial shock of how difficult this trip is going to be. I also feel like I'm getting physically stronger so I guess that helps too. Anyway, I'm having a wonderful time so far and I'm excited to see what the rest of the country has to offer. I'm off to have dinner #1 with some fellow riders
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