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Track Tex's Trek

Catharine "Tex" Stewart-Roache, ’61 is celebrating her 50th class reunion by riding her bike 500 miles from Kansas City, MO to Dominican’s campus for reunion weekend, June 3-5. A native of Texas, Catharine now lives in New Mexico and enjoys an active lifestyle of traveling, cycling, running, hiking, skiing and scuba diving. She is the co-author of the books: Women to Women: A Handbook for Active Aging and attrACTIVE Woman: a physical fitness approach to emotional and spiritual well-being. She has also worked as an artist, teacher, counselor and hospital chaplain.









Update #3: May 24, 2011
Rest day in Peoria, IL

This has been a short day; we made 52 miles yesterday because we had a tailwind! A headwind was forecast for today so THAT was motivation to go longer and harder up and down a few hills.

Finally we saw the Illinois River and hurried on before a predicted shower.

No shower and no headwind today. We are about 357 into our adventure with several rest days ahead.  Maybe we will pick up a few of you in Ogelsby (Best Western) and Ottawa (Econolodge).

See you at the reunion.

Tex

(Catharine, Grammy)


Update #2: May 20, 2011
Rest day in Hannibal, MO

Days off are for getting laundry done, visiting museums, and taking tours. This is Mark Twain’s home town and it poses a lot for thought. I am re-reading Tom Sawyer to celebrate the occasion. Tonight we go on a dinner/river trip.

In half an hour I go for a massage to get out the lactic acid build up in my quads … and just feel good.

Thoughts of Mark Twain for today:

Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been…

As for me give me comfort first and style afterwards.

You will hear from me again on our next day off in Peoria. The forecast for tomorrow still calls for thunder, lighting, rain ... the works. If it is pretty clear in the morning we will head out and maybe make Quincey. We have planned for bad weather days.

By the way, the Mississippi here is 6ft over normal and looks high, but is not in danger of flooding the town.



Update #1: May 19, 2011
Moberly, MO

Moberly, Missouri. Yesterday was a thoroughly unpleasant day: noisy, traffic, difficult shoulders with those pesky rumble strips and not much room to maneuver and a new surface which produced a lot of dust…did I mention the hills? And wind?

It has not all been like this.

Our train ride to KC was very good. We like trains. There is so much room to move about and lots to see and folks to meet. But the food was awful. So far food has been a problem, for sure. For example, I watched yesterday as a waitress scooped mashed potatoes and topped them with 4 ladles of white gravy. I ordered a BLT (not exactly your classic healthy choice) and since they did not have whole wheat I asked for rye. Did not know that rye could be white…or that lettuce could be THAT white. Pat says my lettuce was whiter than the salt. I think he exaggerated…maybe. All of this breaded fried food (beef, chicken, but mostly pork….even fried green beans…) is called country cooking; it is just bad food. The best meal was in a Sinclair gas station!

What has been a big surprise is the weather. When we stepped off the train it was cold. We only have minimal cold weather clothes…it is mid May, after all. I had brought some extra layers and cross country tights; Pat bought a sweatshirt at a lumber yard and has worn it every day. Low 40s when we start off and the last 2 days it has warmed to mid 60s. Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. We pedal on.

This is a depressed part of the state. The Missouri River has changed course and there have been floods. One town had had 3,000 and now has 300. Not the river of Lewis and Clark … so many signs indicating their journey, but the river is several miles away now.

The scenery goes from flat with long trains rambling or swizzling by (one had 118 cars of oil) to rolling. These are the kind of rollers where fully loaded cyclist crawl up at 4-5 mph and barrel down at 15-22mph. But we prefer the hills because there are trees, ponds, and nice small farms. On the flats are mega farms of soybeans and maze. At this time of year the farmers are blasting the earth with chemicals (NOT pleasant to cycle past the spray) and planting. It seems a waste of good bottom land to plant these crops here.

What is nice are the sounds of birds and seeing a Red Tail hawk and a Great Blue heron.

I’ll write again in Hannibal right before we cross into Illinois.


Catharine would love some support during her ride. Come out to ride along with her for a few miles or just cheer her on. She is tentatively scheduled to be in the following towns on the following dates.

May 27: Lacon

May 28: Spring Valley

May 29: Hennepin or Oglesby

MAY 29-30: Rest days in Starved Rock area

May 30: Ottawa

May 31: Joliet

June 1: Lemont

June 2: Arrive at Dominican University