Day 18 - Mitchell SD to Worthington MN, 135 miles, 2240' cumulative climbing

 After the last two days, with 292 miles of heat, headwinds, and endless rolling hills, you might think we were due for a respite today.  But you would be wrong!  Another long day in South Dakota (and finally moving on into Minnesota), 135 miles, with perhaps fewer hills, but still the unending headwind. It's hard to explain how much of an energy and attitude drain a strong wind can have over the course of a day (or maybe 3 long days!), but its cumulative effect makes you feel beaten down.  So when we finished today, my knees hurt, I was feeling like I had
been a punching bag for someone to practice on, and generally just worn out. 
This is truly grind week; it's getting the miles behind you that is the important thing, while not getting dejected, and certainly staying alert on the bike to avoid any bad judgment calls or potential crashes.  Starting to look forward to getting into Wisconsin this weekend, where I'll feel much closer to home.  We did reach the halfway mark in miles ridden just before lunch today so that's a significant marker.
For now I'm just tuckered out, so will save my words for another day. Ice for the knees is my next task this evening. 

Morning - still smiling before the afternoon sun and wind beat-down!

Not much variation in scenery today