Today was… not “The Best Day Ever.” Not even “Top Ten.” Honestly, it barely cracked “Well, At Least No One Stole My Bike.”

My riding partner, the Batman to my Robin, the Shaggy to my Scooby, the peanut butter to my jelly, was tragically, dramatically, and gastrointestinally out of commission. Food poisoning struck in the night like a villain monologuing in the shadows.

John couldn’t eat breakfast. He couldn’t even drink COFFEE!!??!! He eventually made it downstairs, but his body had entered full rebellion mode and absolutely refused to participate in any activity that involved movement, sunlight, or joy.

And instead of recovering in a quiet hotel room with a bathroom within a three‑step radius (the universal human dream), he had to spend the day in the support van… on a hot day… bouncing around… with no escape. In my “professional” opinion, he had a much harder day than I did on the bike.

When I first heard he wasn’t riding, I thought, “Okay, he’s getting what he needs. I’ll just ride. I know how to do that.”

Turns out I do know how to ride — but I apparently don’t know how to have fun without my buddy. I pedaled miles, but the joy, the banter, the shared ridiculousness… all of it was missing. I was basically a sad little solo duckling wobbling down the road.

As for the ride itself, it was a short day — only 76 miles — with an early start to beat the heat. There was a headwind, allegedly, but honestly none of that mattered. I was still riding my bike across the country… just with a bittersweet, John‑shaped hole in the day.

After leaving the first water stop, still feeling the “just riding without my buddy” blues, I remembered that music can fix almost anything. So I doubled back, poked my head into the van, and asked John if I could borrow his Bluetooth speaker to crank some tunes and manufacture some enthusiasm.

I also video‑chatted with all my grandkids — Evvy, Ellie, Theo, Soren, and Inneke — who delivered the exact energy boost I needed. Nothing like tiny humans yelling “Hi!” to remind you that life is good.

Today was a reminder that big adventures are better — deeper, richer, funnier — when they’re shared. Build relationships. Hug your people. Live big.

And send up a few prayers that John bounces back during our rest day tomorrow and is ready to roll on Sunday. The road is a lot less fun without him.