Day 30: Topeka, KS to Emporia, KS

Total Distance: 66.6 mi
Moving Avg: 8.5 mph
Moving Time: 7:52
Climbing: 3500 ft
Elev: 200 ft

Route Summary:
KS 4 W to
KS 99 S

Oh god. Today was intense. I got up even later than usual, since the
alarm didn't go off; I had correctly set the alarm, but failed to note
the clock was 12hrs off. Oops. Since I was running so late, I didn't
go to a bike store to stock up, but I did go to Walmart to pick up
more food and stuff. After breakfast and shopping, it was quite late
by the time I hit the road. Also, yesterday had taken a toll on me
physically, I felt sluggish and lazier than usual. 

Hills and headwinds made the day a slow one. I was averaging about
7.5 mph when I got to Eskridge, the half way point for the day. It
was 6pm then. Since it was so late, I decided I could cut the day
short and stop early. I asked around, but people agreed that my planned
destination of Emporia was pretty much the closest motel that wasn't
way out of my way. So I went for it.

Unfortunately, the weather did not want to agree with me. The
headwinds which had quieted down picked up again, stronger than
ever. I was slowed to 5-8 mph and it just didn't look good making to
Emporia before stupid-o-clock. Then I heard on the radio that there
were thunderstorms in the area. The clouds seemed to be mostly behind
me, and the wind was blowing toward me, so I thought I would be
fine. 

Then I heard on the radio that the thunderstorms were moving
south-east. This confused me greatly, since the wind was coming from
the south. I didn't think thunderstorms would move upwind. But it was
true, the storm was chasing me. Now, not only was I pedaling into the
wind, trying desperately to make it 20 more miles before it got dark,
I had to outrun a thunderstorm. I felt doomed. I almost worked up the
courage to ask some random farmhouse if I could camp on their lawn,
but for some reason I decided to keep going. 

As the storm got closer, the wind first picked up even more becoming
the worst wind I've ridden in yet, then dropped off to near nothing. I
assumed the lack of wind meant the thunderstorm was just about here,
and I was right. It started to really rain. Then, something
remarkable happened. I got some tailwinds. Hard tailwinds. I was
basically riding along the low pressure front of the storm, riding
it's wind. It was great! I started averaging about 20 mph on flat
ground! All of a sudden I went from being doomed to being saved. 

To make a long story short, the tail winds blew me into town. Or at
least, got me close enough before dying away that I felt I could make
it. And, following the thunderstorm I got a beautiful double rainbow
and once it got darker a fantastic lightning show. 

I consider myself really lucky. As the thunderstorm was coming and I
was so so far from my destination, I felt quite discouraged. I really
didn't think I would be able to make it all the way to town, and I
started eying potential places to camp. The prospect of setting up
camp in the pissing rain, not getting a shower or a proper dinner, and
sleeping a hot sweaty night in my tent made me truly despair. When I
felt the tailwinds pick up, it was just amazing. Riding in the
pouring rain with lightning crashing very close was not exactly fun
either, but somehow it lifted my spirits greatly.