Springfield woman, 74, rides 238-mile Katy Trail on $89 Wal-Mart bike

It wasn't on her bucket list — it was a friend's goal to ride the entire 238-mile length of the Katy Trail on a bicycle.

But Springfield resident LaWanka Mallard was game to give it a try.

All she needed was a bike.

"I bought a bike eight years ago, a 10-speed, but I got so frustrated with the gears," Mallard recalled. "So I decided to go to Wal-Mart and buy an old-fashioned single-speed bike with no gears. They had several models, but I bought the one with the biggest seat. I liked the foot brake, too, instead of brakes on the handles."

So, at the age of 74, Mallard and bike friend Vickie Elliott, age 63, set out from Clinton on Sept. 17 and started pedaling east on the crushed-gravel Katy Trail, a reclaimed former railroad track.

"I was a little concerned about her getting on that bike," said Elliott, who pedaled a 24-speed $650 Canondale 3 road bike on the trip. "I was concerned she wouldn't make it. But she did great."

The bicycling friends had done some fitness rides to prepare for the trip, including a 35-mile outing on the Frisco-Highline trail from Bolivar to Springfield, and regular road trips on city streets and out to Battlefield.

Mallard, who retired 17 years ago after a career as a physical education teacher, said she strives to remain fit.

"For my age, if I want to continue enjoying my retirement years, I do keep active," she said. It's important for me to enjoy life and live it to the fullest."

Departing from Clinton, Mallard and Elliott rode 37.5 miles the first day. Instead of roughing it in tents, their game plan involved staying at bed and breakfasts and hotels near the trail that cater to Katy Trail bicyclists. They started each day with a fresh-cooked breakfast — typically sausage, eggs or omelettes, breakfast potatoes and fresh fruit. Protein bars and protein drinks, and lots of water, got them through the rest of the day until the next stop, on average about 35 miles down the trail.

"Our longest day was 53 miles," Mallard said. "It's mostly flat, but I had two or three spells where I had to walk the bike uphill. On the Katy the hills are not so steep but they're really long."

They met dozens of fellow bicyclists; most whizzed past at high speed. At water stops, they found friendly conversation with anyone who happened to be there. Neither woman felt unsafe while biking the trail.

"Everybody was really nice and a lot of them said they couldn't believe I was riding that kind of bike," Mallard said. "We met some who recognized me as 'that lady on the one-speed bike.' Our story apparently preceded us."

Aside from unusually warm days for late September, Mallard said the only other nuisance was mosquitoes.

"But it's beautiful," she added. "Lots of times we would be riding along the Missouri Riveralong the bluffs. It's a beautiful ride. Once a 'possum ran across the road and there were lots of birds and lots of turtles."

Her riding partner said she was pleased how well they both did.

"I was surprised I didn't get tired," Elliott said. "It did prove to me I could do other long trails. There's a long one in Iowa I'd like to do, but it's not as far as the Katy."

Mallard and Elliott finished their Katy Trail adventure on Sept. 23, reaching the eastern Missouri town of St. Charles. They tracked their expenses which came to $409 each, including meals, trailside lodging and return tickets on the Amtrak train.

Both women said they hoped their adventure might inspire others to consider getting outside and doing something physical that will challenge them, even in their later years.

"Go for it, you can do it," Mallard said. "Just relish the thought of being outside and meeting all kinds of people. I would encourage anyone, if you want to try something new, make a stab at it. Even if it doesn't work out completely, it's not a failure because you always will learn something or see something new or meet somebody new. So, enjoy life!"