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I decided to jump at the opportunity to get in my first run since I left for Oceanside a week ago. Since we've started covering the race, I've witnessed incredible, superhuman amounts of exercise, while doing very little of my own. The plains of Kansas go on forever. I started running toward the horizon where I saw a crop-duster down tight turns and decided I'd go check it out.
I ran at about 7:00 min pace for about 40 minutes and noticed that I'd covered only about half the distance. Cars on the road seemed to loom for hours before they were next to me. I turned around and went with the tailwind back to the hotel and was treated to some big storm cells dotting the otherwise sunny landscape. This also happened to be the first time in a week I didn't have my camera with me. Getting just a little exercise, sleep, and shower have significantly improved my outlook on the day.
Meanwhile, a number of the riders we've been covering rode past this time station in the night. We were treated to a 4:00 a.m. pass as the battle for 7th place raged between Canada's Tony O'Keefe and Spain's Julian Sanz. Whoever said this race doesn't start until you cross the Mississippi hasn't shared that with these two riders and we are the better for it.
The morning brought a strong (20+ mph) tailwind for the riders and we expect to cover a few of the riders farther back in the standings today before we sprint ahead again tonight. Our driver is checking on a softening tire on the van and I'm running across the street to shoot Woudenberg as he races by on the recumbent, banking time with the tailwind.
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