Day 11
Day 11 Claremore, OK to Shroud, OK - 83 miles, 2,788 feet elevation Part 1 and Part 2
Maybe this should go on yesterday’s post but here is the “painted sky” that I fell asleep to yesterday. Ominous!
Fear is a primal motivator.
Look, I’m not a psychologist so what I’m about to say is probably misinformed and/or a gross simplification, but I have found that I build things/scenarios/people up in my mind. Either I should be afraid or insecure or something, like this weather. Then it gets built up even more as I turn it over in my mind, over and over, spiraling into anxiety, sleeplessness and eventually finding myself in a state of terror.
One of the amazing things about this ride, is realizing there is an infinite number of things you can be afraid of BUT beyond some preparation, its not really useful. The weather was so sinister when I fell asleep but when I woke up, it was fine. Sure, dark clouds, wet roads, driving rain are not great conditions for a cyclist but there wasn’t anything insurmountable.
In fact, I’m just grateful to be lucky enough to be out here. I got my second flat tire and had to change it on the side of the highway in the pouring rain, but it seemed like a complete non-event. Like the price of doing business to be outside and living amongst the elements. I really don’t do this enough; maybe we don’t do this enough as a society.
I passed the Giant Whale of Catoosa. Very interesting. I had an amazing lunch in Tulsa. Nice to see canned wines making a splash. Tulsa is AMAZING! Its got a very youthful, hipster energy. Seems to have a tight community while also giving off a cosmopolitan vibe. I predict great things for Tulsa in the coming years, unless the Oklahomans underplay its coolness to prevent it from being overrun by Californians.
83 miles today and my first McFlurry.
