Day 14, Elk City to Chickasha, OK. 120 miles. This ride was supposed to be the precursor to the tough ride to McAlester, OK tomorrow. As usual, I started last and rolled along really, really easy for about 20 miles, even stopping for a patented photo--4 of us knee deep in a wheat field on a pace line. After Mike's photo, I decided to push for about half an hour by myself to the rest stop. With quartering tailwinds and feeling really easy, I eventually joined up with Terry for most of the rest of the day. As the day evolved, we ended up with the quadruple challenge: distance, hills, heat and headwinds. However, we also enjoyed some of the best roads we've experienced yet. We wandered through the OK countryside, seeing lots of cows, a few horses, and 3 dead armadillos. And for the record, I think I caused the biggest unintended cow stampede as I approached the third rest stop, spooking about 150 cows! Yes, I know I should clean/air out my shoes and gloves! It was so pleasant to slide along the road and just avoid the rumble strips versus constantly looking for tire debris and other tire puncturing material. We had a huge team accomplishment today, completing the "half way there" somewhere in the Oklahoma countryside. One of the beautiful sights we saw today was Cobb Lake, viewed from our bikes while crossing the dam at the end of the lake. We really haven't seen a standing body of water since we left the Pacific two weeks ago, and on a hot day, that water really looked inviting! A short time later, Terry and I stopped in Nowhere, OK for a photo op and then to the last rest stop where we had a huge Limeade at a roadside dairy bar next to the stage. And again, for the record, this was the all-time primitive roadside dairy bar. The last 35 miles from the SAG were brutal. Plenty of hills, 97 degree temps, and more headwind than anything else. The last 10 miles into Chickasha were particularly tough because all of the above existed and the road was so straight, you could literally see those 10 miles in advance. A patience test indeed. We all arrived humbled and tired yet again, and hungry! After our rap detailing tomorrow's plan, we marched over to a nearby Italian restaurant and tried to carbo load for the 144 miles tomorrow. The team consumed a lot of calories, but they are definitely ready for some rest and then . . . the test. We'll all be ready, I promise. Lastly, those CAC kids are cheering for your kindness and generosity. As of today, we're in the $5300 area and many of you have said you still want to help. Thanks for your encouraging words and support for these great kids. Stay healthy, Steve