Margaret and I pulled into the trip-starting hotel parking lot at about 7 pm yesterday, basically right on schedule. The WomenTours guides were there starting to get things ready for us. Now we have a day and a half to do some work and reorganize for our respective next journeys.

We started our day slowly at Arrow Rock State Historic Park, as we got ready for our shortest mileage driving day. Later we stopped in Kansas City to have lunch with fellow TransAm participant, Marilyn. Listening to all her recent cycling trips made abundantly clear how tough it will be for me to get up to riding fitness. Part of the “why” was also evident by calls from the nursing home where my mother is saying Friday- the same as our first day riding- will be her rehab discharge day. I will spend some of today working on the paperwork the nursing home emailed me around her discharge. My brother and I continue to try and figure out what is best for her, given that her cognitive and physical condition changes so frequently.

A short, shakedown ride today should help me to re-focus and I definitely need that!