Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Vernonia, OR - One more day!
Readers! I spoiled you too much by posting all the time about a week ago. Good news is that I'm still alive and pedaling towards Cannon Beach! We're almost there!
We left Portland this morning headed to Vernonia, OR for a 48 mile ride. We crossed a bridge to get out of the city that was really nice and then followed highways to Vernonia. We climbed for awhile on the trip, but the climbing was only difficult because it was 100 degrees outside again today. Our trip coordinator Brendon drove the van and blessed us all with fudge-pops at mile 35. Dad (everyone calls him Mr. $ - Mr. Money) had a pit stop at mile 20 with redbull, gatorade, and water. About 30 mins ago I ate at a sandwich/coffee house here in Vernonia that was excellent. I can't remember the name already. The food was very memorable though. Soon I'm going to go jump in a river we passed on the way in.
Yesterday we had a day off in Portland. We woke up in a non-airconditioned church dying of heat exhaustion at about 9. (I'm still bitter, haha) We all sat around and I planned out a side trip to our final state line.. Washington! I convinced Courtney, Kira, Laura, and Boss to all ride with me. It was only a 15 mile side trip and we got to ride a bike path down the middle of an interstate to the state line. We all hung on the sign and celebrated our final state crossing and then got back on our bikes to explore the great city of Portland. My dad is currently with our trip so I waited for him to finish getting the bus looked at before Laura, Courtney, dad, and myself all rode to Lloyd Center to catch the Max(the public transportation system). We walked around Portland with no particular destination until dinner. Portland is having interesting weather with a high temp of 107 yesterday. It was very hot. I guess our destination was air conditioning! We ate the best meal of our lives at the Oregon Culinary Institute. Haley's dad is in charge there and he donated a meal at the restaurant to the group. I had a 4 course meal that was amazing. If you are heading to Oregon ever, you definitely need to go to the Culinary Institute's restaurant. The normal price for the 4 course meal is $18. All the tips and money go to help fund scholarships for the students enrolled at the school. It was amazing. Anyway, after dinner a group of us all went to Voodoo donuts and grabbed a bite to eat before heading back to the church.
The ride into Portland was a 101 mile day from Maupin, OR. I plagued Courtney with my company for 101 miles, but it was a great day for me. We were all told about 4 mountain passes that were supposed to be difficult in the morning. The first 20 miles were flat and then we had an 8-10 mile climb to our first "summit". After the first, the passes seemed more like rolling hills than actual mountains. We hit the top of the second mountain pass and flew downhill to see a summit sign for the 3rd mountain pass. We stopped for 1st lunch and everyone was in a great mood because the ride had been so scenic and the climbs weren't as bad as we had expected. After lunch we climbed a few more miles around the edge of Mt. Hood. We then descended about 10 miles through gorgeous scenery along the highway. When we reached the second lunch stop, the van went to pick up a rider with saddle sore issues, but I saw a Subway across the street and had to stop. After my refueling of Subway and water, Courtney and I flew into Portland. We were really tired towards the end, but we still had time to make a side trip to the Tour de Colvin, where Haley's parents had drinks, snacks, and a sprinkler for us to run through. It was a great side trip before making it into the church. Once we got into the church we all hung out until later and then a group of us went out together.
I don't remember the ride into Maupin, but I'm sure it was excellent. The only real news in the last week is that my dad showed up while we were riding into Fossil. He caught up to me and Laura at around the 8th mile of an annoying 10 mile climb. It was really hot and we were both tired. I looked in my rear-view mirror to see a VW bus coming my way. I waved and he pulled over stocked with ice cold water and snacks. Ever since that day, my dad, Mr. Money, has been a huge hit with the entire group. Everyone loves his VW drink stop and it's been great to have dad here to see the scenery and understand the kind of physical challenge we put ourselves through some days with the terrain. It's hard to explain in a blog how hot and steep some climbs are.. at least he will partially understand.
Well.. tomorrow is the day we all have been waiting for. It is insane to think that I will actually be in the ocean tomorrow. It's a bittersweet feeling. I'm so excited to have accomplished this feat, but I don't want to have to leave these amazing people. I have spent every waking moment with 31 people that were strangers 10 weeks ago. I have made 31 new friends and have many best friends from the group. It's going to be sad to see everyone go, but I know I will have 31 people to visit just about anywhere I go across the country. I'm trying not to think about it too much tonight and sticking with the celebration aspect, but it makes me sad thinking it's over. Well.. regardless of whether I want it to end or not, tomorrow is going to be the most epic celebration with 31 people swimming in the Pacific Ocean. I hope someone out there records all 31 of us arriving at the beach at the same time and watch us jump off our bikes, pick them up, and dead sprint towards the ocean. I'm going to dive in right away. It's going to be freezing, but perfect.
I don't know if I will post again after today, I might keep you updated on my road trip home.. but Thank You all so much for supporting me and reading about my journey. I couldn't have done it with out the support of friends and family and the donations from everyone. I have ridden far over 4000 miles, but I am still mind blown that we all made it.
The swimming hole I mentioned is calling to me - so I must be off to make more memories with friends. Thanks again.. and enjoy your air conditioning.
-B$ - Brian Phillips
We left Portland this morning headed to Vernonia, OR for a 48 mile ride. We crossed a bridge to get out of the city that was really nice and then followed highways to Vernonia. We climbed for awhile on the trip, but the climbing was only difficult because it was 100 degrees outside again today. Our trip coordinator Brendon drove the van and blessed us all with fudge-pops at mile 35. Dad (everyone calls him Mr. $ - Mr. Money) had a pit stop at mile 20 with redbull, gatorade, and water. About 30 mins ago I ate at a sandwich/coffee house here in Vernonia that was excellent. I can't remember the name already. The food was very memorable though. Soon I'm going to go jump in a river we passed on the way in.
Yesterday we had a day off in Portland. We woke up in a non-airconditioned church dying of heat exhaustion at about 9. (I'm still bitter, haha) We all sat around and I planned out a side trip to our final state line.. Washington! I convinced Courtney, Kira, Laura, and Boss to all ride with me. It was only a 15 mile side trip and we got to ride a bike path down the middle of an interstate to the state line. We all hung on the sign and celebrated our final state crossing and then got back on our bikes to explore the great city of Portland. My dad is currently with our trip so I waited for him to finish getting the bus looked at before Laura, Courtney, dad, and myself all rode to Lloyd Center to catch the Max(the public transportation system). We walked around Portland with no particular destination until dinner. Portland is having interesting weather with a high temp of 107 yesterday. It was very hot. I guess our destination was air conditioning! We ate the best meal of our lives at the Oregon Culinary Institute. Haley's dad is in charge there and he donated a meal at the restaurant to the group. I had a 4 course meal that was amazing. If you are heading to Oregon ever, you definitely need to go to the Culinary Institute's restaurant. The normal price for the 4 course meal is $18. All the tips and money go to help fund scholarships for the students enrolled at the school. It was amazing. Anyway, after dinner a group of us all went to Voodoo donuts and grabbed a bite to eat before heading back to the church.
The ride into Portland was a 101 mile day from Maupin, OR. I plagued Courtney with my company for 101 miles, but it was a great day for me. We were all told about 4 mountain passes that were supposed to be difficult in the morning. The first 20 miles were flat and then we had an 8-10 mile climb to our first "summit". After the first, the passes seemed more like rolling hills than actual mountains. We hit the top of the second mountain pass and flew downhill to see a summit sign for the 3rd mountain pass. We stopped for 1st lunch and everyone was in a great mood because the ride had been so scenic and the climbs weren't as bad as we had expected. After lunch we climbed a few more miles around the edge of Mt. Hood. We then descended about 10 miles through gorgeous scenery along the highway. When we reached the second lunch stop, the van went to pick up a rider with saddle sore issues, but I saw a Subway across the street and had to stop. After my refueling of Subway and water, Courtney and I flew into Portland. We were really tired towards the end, but we still had time to make a side trip to the Tour de Colvin, where Haley's parents had drinks, snacks, and a sprinkler for us to run through. It was a great side trip before making it into the church. Once we got into the church we all hung out until later and then a group of us went out together.
I don't remember the ride into Maupin, but I'm sure it was excellent. The only real news in the last week is that my dad showed up while we were riding into Fossil. He caught up to me and Laura at around the 8th mile of an annoying 10 mile climb. It was really hot and we were both tired. I looked in my rear-view mirror to see a VW bus coming my way. I waved and he pulled over stocked with ice cold water and snacks. Ever since that day, my dad, Mr. Money, has been a huge hit with the entire group. Everyone loves his VW drink stop and it's been great to have dad here to see the scenery and understand the kind of physical challenge we put ourselves through some days with the terrain. It's hard to explain in a blog how hot and steep some climbs are.. at least he will partially understand.
Well.. tomorrow is the day we all have been waiting for. It is insane to think that I will actually be in the ocean tomorrow. It's a bittersweet feeling. I'm so excited to have accomplished this feat, but I don't want to have to leave these amazing people. I have spent every waking moment with 31 people that were strangers 10 weeks ago. I have made 31 new friends and have many best friends from the group. It's going to be sad to see everyone go, but I know I will have 31 people to visit just about anywhere I go across the country. I'm trying not to think about it too much tonight and sticking with the celebration aspect, but it makes me sad thinking it's over. Well.. regardless of whether I want it to end or not, tomorrow is going to be the most epic celebration with 31 people swimming in the Pacific Ocean. I hope someone out there records all 31 of us arriving at the beach at the same time and watch us jump off our bikes, pick them up, and dead sprint towards the ocean. I'm going to dive in right away. It's going to be freezing, but perfect.
I don't know if I will post again after today, I might keep you updated on my road trip home.. but Thank You all so much for supporting me and reading about my journey. I couldn't have done it with out the support of friends and family and the donations from everyone. I have ridden far over 4000 miles, but I am still mind blown that we all made it.
The swimming hole I mentioned is calling to me - so I must be off to make more memories with friends. Thanks again.. and enjoy your air conditioning.
-B$ - Brian Phillips
Monday, July 20, 2009
Ontario, OR - Wow, almost there.
Greetings from our final state! I can't believe I made it this far. It's mind blowing to understand that I've crossed 14 state lines by bicycle. When we started this trip Cannon Beach seemed so far away. It seemed like a destination that would take years to reach.. and it only takes 10 weeks. Crazy. Where did the country go? It has gone by way too fast!
Today we rode from Boise, ID to Ontario, OR. I left the church alone but caught up with a group of 14 people riding at the front of the group. We rode in a paceline for the first 33 miles that consisted of Me, Boss, Haley, and Barb. We held a fast pace but there was a tailwind helping us. We stopped in Notus, ID for lunch at a gas station to wait for the van. While we were eating, we noticed an apricot tree in a yard across the street. We went over to inspect the mouth watering fruit on the tree when the owner of the house came out to greet us. He told us that we could take as many as we'd like. The whole group basically stood around eating as many apricots as our bellies allowed. The homeowner came back out with trash bags and a ladder and told us we should take some with us. We loaded up bag after bag of apricots. After lunch I rode with Courtney, Kira, and Laura. We had fun riding 2 wide and goofing off. We hit the state line at mile 48 and celebrated! We took a bunch of pictures and then waited for Bridget because she had gotten two flats since lunch and we wanted to hang out with her. After eating more candy than you can imagine and taking more pictures than you can imagine.. we headed on to our destination. On the way there a van flagged us down and interviewed all of us for a women's cycling magazine. They said they would post a story about us soon. I'll post a link when I find it. Sad news... I had my first flat today. It was a slow leak. I had to change it. I can't believe I made it 9 weeks without a flat and all the way to the last state before getting one. I'm not too upset about it because I figured I would get a lot of flats at the beginning. The lack of flats in the past 9 weeks made me hopeful I would survive 1 more. Oh well. Good news is that I have seen enough people change flats that I know what I'm doing. I changed my flat on my own and Courtney and Kira provided moral support. We got into Ontario at 3:00 and I found my $5-footlong haven and enjoyed an afternoon snack (meal). We had provided dinner at the church an hour and a half later and I ate a ton of pasta. I'm surprised I haven't gained 15 lbs since the beginning.
Two days ago we rode from Idaho City, ID to Boise, ID. The ride into Boise was only 40 miles and it was mostly downhill. Laura and I rode in together and we got in early. The ride was a great way to set up a good day off the next day. The afternoon in Boise was spent walking around downtown with a group of people. We were informed that there happened to be a professional cycling race in Boise in the evening. Courtney and I headed down to watch these men and women riding an average of 32 around a track for an hour and a half. It was amazing to see the races. After that, we all went out for Nick's birthday. The next morning I got to sleep in until 10, which was a real treat. I went out with Mark, Kira, Courtney, and Bridget to breakfast. After breakfast we went tubing down the Boise River with the group. The water was freezing, but it felt really good to not be able to feel my sore butt for awhile. I'm pretty sure I ran into everything possible to run into while on the river, but it was still a great time. After tubing, we all decided to go see the new Harry Potter movie. I didn't like it as much as I liked the older movies, but I'm sure the final movie will be amazing. The time spent in Boise was a lot of fun and I think it has been my favorite day off so far. Hopefully our day off in Portland can top it!
The day before all of that was the ride from Stanley, ID to Idaho City. I know I talked about that in my last blog and I was wondering when people were going to show up. The next person finally showed up at 5:30 and informed me that they weren't looking for me. I was worried they would be because I skipped both lunch stops. They said that people were concerned at the first lunch stop because Laura told them I was with Courtney and Kira.. and Courtney and Kira said they hadn't seen me all day. Apparently everyone was a little worried until they saw my chalking to Laura on a big hill in the middle of the day. They told me they celebrated the fact that I was alive when they saw it. Haha. Crazy days.
Tomorrow we have an 80 mile day into Unity, OR. I'm sweep with Courtney so I better go get some rest. We're in the Oregon desert and heat, so enjoy your AC (if you have it) while you read this.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Idaho City, ID - Almost to Oregon!
Hello!
Today we biked 91 miles from Stanley, ID to Idaho City! The day started out extremely cold. The low was supposed to be 31, but I don't know how low the temperature actually got. We survived the cold camping last night by packing 6 people in a 4 person tent. Here at Bike and Build we all like to get extremely cozy with one another. After we finally thawed out enough to ride, everyone headed to a coffee shop/cafe to warm up. I can't drink coffee before rides because it will make me crash throughout the day, so I stopped to fill up water and then headed out. When I left the cafe with my water, the van was gone from outside so I assumed it was driving to the lunch stop. I rode on towards Idaho City expecting to see the van at mile 35 and mile 65. The only rider that had started riding before me was Laura and I passed her at mile 8.. I would've ridden with her but it was so cold that I just wanted to get there as fast as possible. I reached mile 35 and wondered why the van wasn't there. We've been having lunch stops later than the planned 35 mile mark lately so I rode to mile 37. When I stopped this time, I didn't have signal or I would've called the van to see where lunch was going to be. I decided after 20 minutes that it must be at mile 40. After riding to mile 40 with no van in sight, I realized that I had probably missed my chance to get the van lunch and riding back (all uphill) was not an option. I rode on until I found a diner at around mile 47. I ate two full meals at the diner, filled up on water, and continued my trek. The rest of the ride was an ascent over 2 long mountain passes followed by some decent downhills. I assumed after skipping the first lunch stop that I wouldn't see the van on my ride, but I was pretty sure I had enough water. When I was at mile 77, I got to the summit of some climb and there was a man from Boise that offered me some water. It was perfect timing because I had just run out of water in my camelback. I made it into Idaho City at 2:30 today and I haven't seen another rider yet. That is why I am here blogging away.. there's nothing else to do!
Sad news. Tomorrow is Jen L.'s last day riding with us. She is extremely excited about dental school that starts next week, but it is a bummer to lose a rider. I think we're all going out tonight for a going away party.
Yesterday we biked from Challis, ID to Stanley, ID. It was a 67 mile ride and the terrain wasn't too bad. We followed a highway that ran alongside the Salmon River all day. Apparently no one in our group knew anything about the Sawtooth Mountains that are in Stanley, because Laura and I thought that we were riding through them all day. After rounding a turn near Stanley, the Sawtooth Mountains were in full view and you could see that they were appropriately named. Yesterday it seemed that everyone is starting to get sick, hopefully everyone will start feeling better soon!
My mom called me yesterday and told me that the news station in Idaho sent the interview of me to the Oklahoma station and I was on the news at 5 in Oklahoma. Crazy! There must really be nothing going on in the news if I get put on the news in Oklahoma for being interviewed in Idaho. Oh well, it's neat that Oklahoma seems interested in Bike and Build!
Well, I don't know what else to talk about so I'm going to head out. Idaho is beautiful but I'm ready for Oregon! If you're going to be at Canon Beach, get ready to see 31 people go crazy and swim in cold water! It's going to be a party and I'm really excited!
Try to stay cool in Oklahoma! Don't melt before my next post.
Today we biked 91 miles from Stanley, ID to Idaho City! The day started out extremely cold. The low was supposed to be 31, but I don't know how low the temperature actually got. We survived the cold camping last night by packing 6 people in a 4 person tent. Here at Bike and Build we all like to get extremely cozy with one another. After we finally thawed out enough to ride, everyone headed to a coffee shop/cafe to warm up. I can't drink coffee before rides because it will make me crash throughout the day, so I stopped to fill up water and then headed out. When I left the cafe with my water, the van was gone from outside so I assumed it was driving to the lunch stop. I rode on towards Idaho City expecting to see the van at mile 35 and mile 65. The only rider that had started riding before me was Laura and I passed her at mile 8.. I would've ridden with her but it was so cold that I just wanted to get there as fast as possible. I reached mile 35 and wondered why the van wasn't there. We've been having lunch stops later than the planned 35 mile mark lately so I rode to mile 37. When I stopped this time, I didn't have signal or I would've called the van to see where lunch was going to be. I decided after 20 minutes that it must be at mile 40. After riding to mile 40 with no van in sight, I realized that I had probably missed my chance to get the van lunch and riding back (all uphill) was not an option. I rode on until I found a diner at around mile 47. I ate two full meals at the diner, filled up on water, and continued my trek. The rest of the ride was an ascent over 2 long mountain passes followed by some decent downhills. I assumed after skipping the first lunch stop that I wouldn't see the van on my ride, but I was pretty sure I had enough water. When I was at mile 77, I got to the summit of some climb and there was a man from Boise that offered me some water. It was perfect timing because I had just run out of water in my camelback. I made it into Idaho City at 2:30 today and I haven't seen another rider yet. That is why I am here blogging away.. there's nothing else to do!
Sad news. Tomorrow is Jen L.'s last day riding with us. She is extremely excited about dental school that starts next week, but it is a bummer to lose a rider. I think we're all going out tonight for a going away party.
Yesterday we biked from Challis, ID to Stanley, ID. It was a 67 mile ride and the terrain wasn't too bad. We followed a highway that ran alongside the Salmon River all day. Apparently no one in our group knew anything about the Sawtooth Mountains that are in Stanley, because Laura and I thought that we were riding through them all day. After rounding a turn near Stanley, the Sawtooth Mountains were in full view and you could see that they were appropriately named. Yesterday it seemed that everyone is starting to get sick, hopefully everyone will start feeling better soon!
My mom called me yesterday and told me that the news station in Idaho sent the interview of me to the Oklahoma station and I was on the news at 5 in Oklahoma. Crazy! There must really be nothing going on in the news if I get put on the news in Oklahoma for being interviewed in Idaho. Oh well, it's neat that Oklahoma seems interested in Bike and Build!
Well, I don't know what else to talk about so I'm going to head out. Idaho is beautiful but I'm ready for Oregon! If you're going to be at Canon Beach, get ready to see 31 people go crazy and swim in cold water! It's going to be a party and I'm really excited!
Try to stay cool in Oklahoma! Don't melt before my next post.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Idaho Falls, ID - Build Day and more adventures.
Hello! To start off my blog this week, look at the Tetons!
I rode from Pinedale, WY to Jackson, WY with Jen Dvorsky! This ride was rolling hills in the morning and then a huge descent (about 20 miles) into Jackson in the afternoon. We saw a lot of wildlife, but didn't stop much because we were both excited about Jackson. It was a great day, I just am having problems remembering a ton about it because it is late!
Okay, I've figured out a few new blogging techniques.. so enjoy the new media! It's too bad I figured this out with only 2 weeks left in the trip! Oh well, it's better late than never!
The lack of internet access has made it harder and harder to update this lately! Sorry about that. Apparently I'm doing better than some of the other riders because they only have 1 or two entries! We're all staying busy and having fun.. here's some things that have been going on the last few days.
Today we had a build day in Idaho Falls. We had a lot of fun hanging siding and throwing things for animals to fetch! We also made the local news! I found a link to the video earlier.. hopefully you can find the video! They interviewed me and Buttaro. Check it out:
You may have to scroll through a page or two of videos before you see the Bike and Build one!
We've been at the First Presbyterian Church in Idaho Falls for 2 nights now, and I must give a big "Thank you" to their congregation. They have provided amazing meals and great accomodations! Tonight we ate at the pastors house and the food was epic. It's nice to have a break from PB&J!
Anyway.. lets talk about the rides.
Yesterday I rode from Jackson, WY to Idaho Falls, ID. This ride was awesome because we finally got to conquer Teton Pass. We have heard about Teton Pass the whole time we've been on Bike and Build as one of the hardest, steepest climbs of the trip. The mornings are getting so cold we're bundled up in all of our arm warmers, leg warmers, and rain jackets. I rode out in the morning with L-Peso (Laura) and we headed towards the pass. We climbed for 4 or 5 miles at a 10% grade! It sounds intense, but it really wasn't that bad. Laura and I climbed slowly and steadily all the way up without stopping. It was a great experience because we both took our time and talked. Once we got to the top, everyone was waiting and cheering the other Bike and Builders on! We stopped at the top and got a bunch of group pictures and then headed towards the descent! On the descent, it was also 10% grade for 3 or 4 miles. Good news is that Kira let me borrow her camera handlebar mount.. so I filmed my descent down Teton Pass. I hit a speed of 52.9! A new top speed! Check it out!
After the descent, we were only at mile 20. We entered Idaho and headed to Victor, ID where we got Huckleberry milkshakes at a store called the Emporium. They were amazing! We had another mountain pass to climb after the milkshakes and it wasn't nearly as long or steep as the Tetons. I was riding alone during the pass being bored and thinking, "I wonder how long this will last," when a car drove by and yelled, "Whooo! Keep going, You're almost there!!" I got a spur of inspiration from this stranger and I pedaled faster all the way to the top. (Later that day, I found out the stranger was Christina's dad cheering on all the Bike and Builders!) Thanks Christina's dad (if you happen to read my blog!). Anyway.. once I reached the top, the Church of the Tetons had set up a drink and snack station for us. That was perfect. I ate watermelon, brownies, and cookies and drank Gatorade. I rode the rest of the ride with Emily and Idaho is beautiful. There were mountains and green fields. We made it to Idaho Falls right before a storm came in at 3:00. It was a good day.
The day before that, we had a day off in Jackson. We stayed the night and spent our day off in Jackson at the Ambler's house. They had an amazing house and let us camp out in their front yard. Their house had an epic view of the Teton's! The Amblers also took some of us on a tour of Teton National Park. We got to see some Bison, antelope, and a moose! This is my 2nd moose sighting ever! We also went white water rafting down the Snake River on our day off! It was a great time and I'm glad I went! No one got thrown out, but we all got soaking wet and the water was really cold!
I rode from Pinedale, WY to Jackson, WY with Jen Dvorsky! This ride was rolling hills in the morning and then a huge descent (about 20 miles) into Jackson in the afternoon. We saw a lot of wildlife, but didn't stop much because we were both excited about Jackson. It was a great day, I just am having problems remembering a ton about it because it is late!
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Rock Springs, WY - Utah flew by!
Hey everyone.. this will be an extremely short update because I'm supposed to be at town hall meeting in a few minutes!
We biked into Utah and it was amazing to see the gorgeous snow capped mountain landscape turn into desert/mountain landscape. Yesterday we biked from Vernal, UT into Flaming Gorge, UT. It was only a 43 mile ride, but I'm glad it was so short. We climbed about 20 miles in the first few hours of the day. After a brief lunch stop, we headed downhill for a good 15 mile ride. It was amazing. I believe I broke my speed record for the trip yesterday, because a lot of people went 50 mph.. but my bike computer broke off, so I have no idea how fast I was going on the downhills! Jen D. was riding with me and she went 47 and I flew by her.. so I'm guessing I broke my record.. I just don't know by how much!
Anyway.. today we biked from Flaming Gorge, UT into Rock Springs, WY. Wyoming was a beautiful surprise. I have never been to Wyoming before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Wyoming has blown away all of my expectations!! We rode through beautiful mountain landscapes different from Colorado and Utah. We had a few big climbs in the morning, but the scenery made the climbs not seem that bad. I rode with Laura all day today and we killed the hills and mountains together. The only times we stopped while pedaling uphill was to take pictures. It was great. We got to lunch and the day got a little more intense. The wind shifted directions and we had a direct head wind for the last 30 miles. Although the head wind was bad, we kept our spirits up and finished the ride in good style. (If you call sweaty spandex a style!)
Anyway.. I have town hall meeting! Tomorrow we have a century day (100+ miles) into Pinedale! We're getting up at 4. It's going to be fun.
Thanks for reading again! Hope everyone had a happy 4th!
We biked into Utah and it was amazing to see the gorgeous snow capped mountain landscape turn into desert/mountain landscape. Yesterday we biked from Vernal, UT into Flaming Gorge, UT. It was only a 43 mile ride, but I'm glad it was so short. We climbed about 20 miles in the first few hours of the day. After a brief lunch stop, we headed downhill for a good 15 mile ride. It was amazing. I believe I broke my speed record for the trip yesterday, because a lot of people went 50 mph.. but my bike computer broke off, so I have no idea how fast I was going on the downhills! Jen D. was riding with me and she went 47 and I flew by her.. so I'm guessing I broke my record.. I just don't know by how much!
Anyway.. today we biked from Flaming Gorge, UT into Rock Springs, WY. Wyoming was a beautiful surprise. I have never been to Wyoming before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Wyoming has blown away all of my expectations!! We rode through beautiful mountain landscapes different from Colorado and Utah. We had a few big climbs in the morning, but the scenery made the climbs not seem that bad. I rode with Laura all day today and we killed the hills and mountains together. The only times we stopped while pedaling uphill was to take pictures. It was great. We got to lunch and the day got a little more intense. The wind shifted directions and we had a direct head wind for the last 30 miles. Although the head wind was bad, we kept our spirits up and finished the ride in good style. (If you call sweaty spandex a style!)
Anyway.. I have town hall meeting! Tomorrow we have a century day (100+ miles) into Pinedale! We're getting up at 4. It's going to be fun.
Thanks for reading again! Hope everyone had a happy 4th!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Kremmling, CO! - Finally have internet!
Sorry about the few days of not updating! Today I finally have internet access thanks to a local public library! The sad thing is that I don't have cell phone signal.. So I guess its a trade off.
Anyway.. We've had some amazing epic days.. So I'll get onto talking about that because I only have 20 minutes.
We had a day off and a build day in Denver. Denver was an amazing place to ride around and see downtown. They had bike paths that ran everywhere. I don't call it much of a day off for me because I spent the 2 days there biking 70 miles. Laura and I rode to Cherry Creek Reservoir and swam.. but other than that the group just checked out downtown Denver.
After Denver we had a 50 mile ride to Boulder. We got up early and had a quick ride to Boulder. It was just rolling hills and at the top of each hill you could see the mountains getting closer. I rode with Dave that day. We were riding in downtown Boulder talking with our wheels slightly overlapping when a car pulled up next to us and yelled "What the F, ride single file!" As the guy yelled that at us, he was not paying attention to the road and slammed into the car in front of him. Which caused that car to slam into the car in front of it. It was a crazy moment.. but I really think that karma has shown it's work here. We were riding single file, I just didn't want to run into Dave's wheel.. but he shouldn't have yelled at us. We're just cyclists on the road.. it's not hard to pass us. It was just unfortunate for him that his anger made him have an accident. Anyway.. in Boulder I got to see Sarah Ballew! We walked around Boulder together and she gave me a tour of the town. It made me wish our day off would've been in Boulder so we all could've gone hiking or something outdoorsy.
The next day we rode from Boulder to Estes Park! This was our first day to actually enter the mountains. As we rode closer to the mountains, I was so excited that I couldn't slow down! I rode an average of 20 until I reached the mountains. Once we were in the mountains, the first 7 miles had a nice grade that I could still ride 10-13 mph, but it quickly got steeper! Dave and I rode up going very slowly at around 6 mph as we climbed another 5 miles. It was very steep and hard to breathe because of the altitude. The scenery made up for the torture we put ourselves through! Once we made it to the top of the road, we connected with CO-7 or Peak to Peak Highway and had an amazing descent that lasted probably 5 miles. It was gorgeous watching around each turn as more of the Rockies unfolded in front of us! We had a few short climbs and descents into lunch.. but it was awesome to see almost everyone made it to lunch at the same time. Our group is getting so solid that not even the mountain passes spread us out too much! I'm really proud of everyone! After lunch, it was mainly uphill until we reached a long descent. This descent was the best of the trip so far. We were riding with all the trees and high rock walls around us when all of a sudden there was a break in the mountains and we looked out and could see all of Estes Park surrounded by the mountains. It was an amazing descent! It was so beautiful and it made it so much better that I didn't have to pedal for about 7 miles! I flew down it at around 40! It was great.
I could probably talk all day about that descent, but I still have other things to say in 6 minutes! Moving on!
After Estes Park we rode to Grand Lake, CO. That was the day we rode on Trail Ridge Road, which I believe is the highest elevation highway in the U.S. (You might check Wiki on it's importance!) I was riding out in the morning getting so excited about Rocky Mountain Natl Park that I was on an adrenaline high. We rode into the park when I caught up with Laura. I decided to hang with Laura so neither of us would have to do the climbing alone, because we had a 25 mile climb ahead of us. We caught Trail Ridge Road and started slowly climbing. Around each switchback and turn we got to see more beautiful mountains and scenery. I can't describe it all in words. We rode 4-6 mph all the way up to 12,100 feet.. but I wish I could've gone slower to take in each moment of the scenery. We stopped and took tons of pictures, which one of these days I'll upload again! We hit lunch at around mile 26, where we were informed of a Bike and Build dance party at the Information Center at the top. We coasted downhill into the info center where all the riders in the front had waited for everyone to show up. It was great coming around the turn into the Visitor Center and seeing everyone yelling, cheering, and being so excited about me making to the top. It was great. I stood with them and cheered the last few riders in that we behind me. The van pulled up right next to where all 31 of our riders stood and Barb cranked the music in the van and we all danced, hugged, and had fun. It was one of the best moments so far on the trip. It was awesome to see the group all at the top of a huge climb dancing and cheering. (I'm pretty sure there are videos of it.. If I find one, I'll link to it!) After the dance party, we all took the descent. We probably descended 5000 feet in a matter of 30 minutes. It was awesome to fly down the other side of the park. On the way down, we stopped at the Continental Divide sign and took pictures. We talked with people about our cause and a couple on a motorcycle followed me from the stop down the rest of the descent. When I was stopped at one point for construction on the road, we were chatting about how amazing the scenery was.. and they asked what wildlife I had seen so far. I was telling them about all of the Elk that we saw on the way up and how I'd never seen a moose before and I was really hoping to see one. It was finally our turn to go through the construction and I rode the rest of the descent in front of the couple on the motorcycle. They finally passed me on a slight uphill because I was no longer going the speed limit.. and we both waved as we parted. A little while later, I was riding downhill again and the couple was coming towards me on their motorcycle. They were pointing towards a little parking area and yelling, "Moose!" I pulled off into the parking area and ran towards the field with my camera. There were 2 moose, a baby moose, and a ton of elk! I got to see my first moose! There were probably 15 cyclists behind me.. So I grabbed my chalk and chalked on the road, "Hey B+B! Moose!" and an arrow pointing into the parking lot. A bunch more people all pulled up and saw it as well. The rest of the ride was great too. Laura and I finished the day together and it was such an accomplishment to say we climbed up that high! All 31 of us finished the ride! I'm so proud of everyone! Another note about Trail Ridge Road.. This was the first time we were riding on the road that cars honked or yelled at us with a thumbs up out the window. We received so much support that it was a real boost on the way up to be cheered on by random people! It was great! Sorry.. I can talk all day about these things!
Now, finally onto today! We rode from Grand Lake to Kremmling, CO. It was only a 40 mile day and it was mostly downhill. The scenery was awesome, but BG and I flew by it. We averaged 21.5 mph into a small town that had a diner. We ate there for about an hour and then rode on into Kremmling through a beautiful canyon. We stopped at a bakery when we got in and ate donuts and drank coffee. We got in about 11:00, so I have all day to do nothing.. which is really nice. I bet we'll find something to do!
Anyway.. Tomorrow we are riding into Steamboat Springs and it should be about a 50 mile day. I know we have some climbing, but it won't really matter because tomorrow is also one of the best days of the year.. My birthday!! Luckily tomorrow night we are all able to go out and celebrate because we have a build day on the 4th! For all of those who sent me birthday cards and presents to the mail drop, Thank you so much!!! I really love getting mail and it's nice to know that people are reading my blog, even when I can't update it that often!
That pretty much sums up the last week for you guys. I can't believe we only have 4 more nights in CO. It's crazy how fast this trip is flying by. Less than 4 weeks left! I wish it could slow down!
Sorry about the novel, but thanks for reading! Will update again when internet is available!
Have a good 4th of July!
Anyway.. We've had some amazing epic days.. So I'll get onto talking about that because I only have 20 minutes.
We had a day off and a build day in Denver. Denver was an amazing place to ride around and see downtown. They had bike paths that ran everywhere. I don't call it much of a day off for me because I spent the 2 days there biking 70 miles. Laura and I rode to Cherry Creek Reservoir and swam.. but other than that the group just checked out downtown Denver.
After Denver we had a 50 mile ride to Boulder. We got up early and had a quick ride to Boulder. It was just rolling hills and at the top of each hill you could see the mountains getting closer. I rode with Dave that day. We were riding in downtown Boulder talking with our wheels slightly overlapping when a car pulled up next to us and yelled "What the F, ride single file!" As the guy yelled that at us, he was not paying attention to the road and slammed into the car in front of him. Which caused that car to slam into the car in front of it. It was a crazy moment.. but I really think that karma has shown it's work here. We were riding single file, I just didn't want to run into Dave's wheel.. but he shouldn't have yelled at us. We're just cyclists on the road.. it's not hard to pass us. It was just unfortunate for him that his anger made him have an accident. Anyway.. in Boulder I got to see Sarah Ballew! We walked around Boulder together and she gave me a tour of the town. It made me wish our day off would've been in Boulder so we all could've gone hiking or something outdoorsy.
The next day we rode from Boulder to Estes Park! This was our first day to actually enter the mountains. As we rode closer to the mountains, I was so excited that I couldn't slow down! I rode an average of 20 until I reached the mountains. Once we were in the mountains, the first 7 miles had a nice grade that I could still ride 10-13 mph, but it quickly got steeper! Dave and I rode up going very slowly at around 6 mph as we climbed another 5 miles. It was very steep and hard to breathe because of the altitude. The scenery made up for the torture we put ourselves through! Once we made it to the top of the road, we connected with CO-7 or Peak to Peak Highway and had an amazing descent that lasted probably 5 miles. It was gorgeous watching around each turn as more of the Rockies unfolded in front of us! We had a few short climbs and descents into lunch.. but it was awesome to see almost everyone made it to lunch at the same time. Our group is getting so solid that not even the mountain passes spread us out too much! I'm really proud of everyone! After lunch, it was mainly uphill until we reached a long descent. This descent was the best of the trip so far. We were riding with all the trees and high rock walls around us when all of a sudden there was a break in the mountains and we looked out and could see all of Estes Park surrounded by the mountains. It was an amazing descent! It was so beautiful and it made it so much better that I didn't have to pedal for about 7 miles! I flew down it at around 40! It was great.
I could probably talk all day about that descent, but I still have other things to say in 6 minutes! Moving on!
After Estes Park we rode to Grand Lake, CO. That was the day we rode on Trail Ridge Road, which I believe is the highest elevation highway in the U.S. (You might check Wiki on it's importance!) I was riding out in the morning getting so excited about Rocky Mountain Natl Park that I was on an adrenaline high. We rode into the park when I caught up with Laura. I decided to hang with Laura so neither of us would have to do the climbing alone, because we had a 25 mile climb ahead of us. We caught Trail Ridge Road and started slowly climbing. Around each switchback and turn we got to see more beautiful mountains and scenery. I can't describe it all in words. We rode 4-6 mph all the way up to 12,100 feet.. but I wish I could've gone slower to take in each moment of the scenery. We stopped and took tons of pictures, which one of these days I'll upload again! We hit lunch at around mile 26, where we were informed of a Bike and Build dance party at the Information Center at the top. We coasted downhill into the info center where all the riders in the front had waited for everyone to show up. It was great coming around the turn into the Visitor Center and seeing everyone yelling, cheering, and being so excited about me making to the top. It was great. I stood with them and cheered the last few riders in that we behind me. The van pulled up right next to where all 31 of our riders stood and Barb cranked the music in the van and we all danced, hugged, and had fun. It was one of the best moments so far on the trip. It was awesome to see the group all at the top of a huge climb dancing and cheering. (I'm pretty sure there are videos of it.. If I find one, I'll link to it!) After the dance party, we all took the descent. We probably descended 5000 feet in a matter of 30 minutes. It was awesome to fly down the other side of the park. On the way down, we stopped at the Continental Divide sign and took pictures. We talked with people about our cause and a couple on a motorcycle followed me from the stop down the rest of the descent. When I was stopped at one point for construction on the road, we were chatting about how amazing the scenery was.. and they asked what wildlife I had seen so far. I was telling them about all of the Elk that we saw on the way up and how I'd never seen a moose before and I was really hoping to see one. It was finally our turn to go through the construction and I rode the rest of the descent in front of the couple on the motorcycle. They finally passed me on a slight uphill because I was no longer going the speed limit.. and we both waved as we parted. A little while later, I was riding downhill again and the couple was coming towards me on their motorcycle. They were pointing towards a little parking area and yelling, "Moose!" I pulled off into the parking area and ran towards the field with my camera. There were 2 moose, a baby moose, and a ton of elk! I got to see my first moose! There were probably 15 cyclists behind me.. So I grabbed my chalk and chalked on the road, "Hey B+B! Moose!" and an arrow pointing into the parking lot. A bunch more people all pulled up and saw it as well. The rest of the ride was great too. Laura and I finished the day together and it was such an accomplishment to say we climbed up that high! All 31 of us finished the ride! I'm so proud of everyone! Another note about Trail Ridge Road.. This was the first time we were riding on the road that cars honked or yelled at us with a thumbs up out the window. We received so much support that it was a real boost on the way up to be cheered on by random people! It was great! Sorry.. I can talk all day about these things!
Now, finally onto today! We rode from Grand Lake to Kremmling, CO. It was only a 40 mile day and it was mostly downhill. The scenery was awesome, but BG and I flew by it. We averaged 21.5 mph into a small town that had a diner. We ate there for about an hour and then rode on into Kremmling through a beautiful canyon. We stopped at a bakery when we got in and ate donuts and drank coffee. We got in about 11:00, so I have all day to do nothing.. which is really nice. I bet we'll find something to do!
Anyway.. Tomorrow we are riding into Steamboat Springs and it should be about a 50 mile day. I know we have some climbing, but it won't really matter because tomorrow is also one of the best days of the year.. My birthday!! Luckily tomorrow night we are all able to go out and celebrate because we have a build day on the 4th! For all of those who sent me birthday cards and presents to the mail drop, Thank you so much!!! I really love getting mail and it's nice to know that people are reading my blog, even when I can't update it that often!
That pretty much sums up the last week for you guys. I can't believe we only have 4 more nights in CO. It's crazy how fast this trip is flying by. Less than 4 weeks left! I wish it could slow down!
Sorry about the novel, but thanks for reading! Will update again when internet is available!
Have a good 4th of July!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Phillipsburg, KS! It's so hot!
Hello everyone! Don't be surprised if this one is really short! We're all melting here in Kansas! Today we rode from Beloit, KS to Phillipsburg, KS. It was an 86 mile day in the upper 90s with a headwind the whole time. Lately I have been picking people to ride with in the morning and sticking with them the whole day. Today Emily and I rode together and endured the abuse from the sun. The scenery is getting closer to my Oklahoma view.. so there's not much to talk about there. We stopped in Cawker City at the big twine ball. We all were taking pictures and having fun when a woman pulled up. This woman was the twine ball keeper and had a spool of twine in her back seat and she let us each wrap a time or two around the ball of twine.. So we got to add twine to the record setting ball! It was awesome! Another achievement for today is that we're officially over the halfway point for being halfway across the continental U.S.! Apparently the mark is around Downs, KS which we passed through early in the day. We're on the downhill slide.
Yesterday we rode from Clay Center to Beloit, KS. It was a 65 mile day that was similar to today. It was very hot and really flat. After about 15 miles, there was a giant cut-out metal indian thing sitting on the top of a hill. Kira and I decided it would be an excellent idea to climb to the top of the hill to take pictures with the "statue." I'm not sure whether to call it a statue or not because it was just a metal cut-out thing. Well.. anyway.. the "statue" looked really close, but 20 mins later we were at the top and taking pictures. The group had mostly passed by the time we got back to the road, so we hung at the back of the group. We caught up with Laura a ways down the road and all rode the rest of the day together. Although it was hot and windy we managed to find a windmill to climb all over and take pictures with it. It was great.
It's weird that when biking across the country that the most miserable weather conditions are bearable and really don't seem to phase us anymore. Basically, biking across the country is an amazing experience and I think it will help put a lot of things in perspective when I get home.
On a side note - we're 20 miles away from Nebraska right now and I'm debating on whether I should side trip there or not. If it rains, I'm totally going. It's 2 hours more of riding.. but it would add another state onto my total for the trip. I can't believe we've conquered Virgina, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky (side trip!), Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and we'll be done with Kansas soon.
Well.. obviously heat and dehydration are setting in so I'm going to go drink more water and relax. (my life is so difficult!) haha. Hopefully everyone out there is enjoying their air conditioning and cars!
Yesterday we rode from Clay Center to Beloit, KS. It was a 65 mile day that was similar to today. It was very hot and really flat. After about 15 miles, there was a giant cut-out metal indian thing sitting on the top of a hill. Kira and I decided it would be an excellent idea to climb to the top of the hill to take pictures with the "statue." I'm not sure whether to call it a statue or not because it was just a metal cut-out thing. Well.. anyway.. the "statue" looked really close, but 20 mins later we were at the top and taking pictures. The group had mostly passed by the time we got back to the road, so we hung at the back of the group. We caught up with Laura a ways down the road and all rode the rest of the day together. Although it was hot and windy we managed to find a windmill to climb all over and take pictures with it. It was great.
It's weird that when biking across the country that the most miserable weather conditions are bearable and really don't seem to phase us anymore. Basically, biking across the country is an amazing experience and I think it will help put a lot of things in perspective when I get home.
On a side note - we're 20 miles away from Nebraska right now and I'm debating on whether I should side trip there or not. If it rains, I'm totally going. It's 2 hours more of riding.. but it would add another state onto my total for the trip. I can't believe we've conquered Virgina, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky (side trip!), Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and we'll be done with Kansas soon.
Well.. obviously heat and dehydration are setting in so I'm going to go drink more water and relax. (my life is so difficult!) haha. Hopefully everyone out there is enjoying their air conditioning and cars!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Clay Center, KS
Hi!
We're in Clay Center Kansas tonight. I was sweep on a 40 mile ride today with Boss Brian. We found a daylight donuts in Manhattan and stopped for an hour before heading out. It was great. The ride today was excellent. The road we were on turned into a gravel road so we had to detour to find our route. The people in the front of the group did an excellent job at rerouting the group and making sure everyone else in the group knew about it. I was really proud of the communication between group members today. Boss and I took it easy, but since it was only 44 miles, we all made it in by 12:30. I didn't get much sleep the last few days, so I took the chance to take a 3 and a half hour nap this afternoon. I woke up later with a tiara on my head and apparently people have some awesome pictures of me sleeping. haha. oh well. I guess thats what I get for sleeping around 30 crazy cyclists!
The last 2 days have been amazing. We rode 90 miles from Lawrence, KS to Manhattan, KS. Barbara and I rode the first 26 miles together at an average speed of 18.6. We got up early to try to avoid the heat and headwinds. After the first lunch stop, we joined with Jenny and Christina and rode on to the second lunch stop at mile 66. We made it there at the front of the pack and we were all running low on steam. Christina and I left the 2nd lunch together and thought it was going to be smooth sailing. We were wrong. The wind picked up a lot and there were 2 decent sized hills before Manhattan. It slowed us down a lot, but we still made it in by 1:00. My family came to visit me and I was really glad to get to see them all. My girlfriend Sarah also came and surprised me while I was napping. It was so good to spend time with everyone!
We had a day off in Manhattan as well which really helped me get adequate amounts of rest on my muscles for the first time in weeks. Days off make me happy. At this point I love riding, but a day off is just luxurious. I also got to stay in a hotel room for a night which was awesome! I hope you people reading this enjoy your actual beds.. because you're spoiled! haha.
Anyway, we have a 60 mile day tomorrow before a stretch of three 90 mile days in a row. There will be some long days, but we will be in Denver before you know it! I'm getting excited about the Rockies.. and the day off in Denver.
Well.. I'm going to sleep so I can be rested for tomorrow! Thanks for reading!
We're in Clay Center Kansas tonight. I was sweep on a 40 mile ride today with Boss Brian. We found a daylight donuts in Manhattan and stopped for an hour before heading out. It was great. The ride today was excellent. The road we were on turned into a gravel road so we had to detour to find our route. The people in the front of the group did an excellent job at rerouting the group and making sure everyone else in the group knew about it. I was really proud of the communication between group members today. Boss and I took it easy, but since it was only 44 miles, we all made it in by 12:30. I didn't get much sleep the last few days, so I took the chance to take a 3 and a half hour nap this afternoon. I woke up later with a tiara on my head and apparently people have some awesome pictures of me sleeping. haha. oh well. I guess thats what I get for sleeping around 30 crazy cyclists!
The last 2 days have been amazing. We rode 90 miles from Lawrence, KS to Manhattan, KS. Barbara and I rode the first 26 miles together at an average speed of 18.6. We got up early to try to avoid the heat and headwinds. After the first lunch stop, we joined with Jenny and Christina and rode on to the second lunch stop at mile 66. We made it there at the front of the pack and we were all running low on steam. Christina and I left the 2nd lunch together and thought it was going to be smooth sailing. We were wrong. The wind picked up a lot and there were 2 decent sized hills before Manhattan. It slowed us down a lot, but we still made it in by 1:00. My family came to visit me and I was really glad to get to see them all. My girlfriend Sarah also came and surprised me while I was napping. It was so good to spend time with everyone!
We had a day off in Manhattan as well which really helped me get adequate amounts of rest on my muscles for the first time in weeks. Days off make me happy. At this point I love riding, but a day off is just luxurious. I also got to stay in a hotel room for a night which was awesome! I hope you people reading this enjoy your actual beds.. because you're spoiled! haha.
Anyway, we have a 60 mile day tomorrow before a stretch of three 90 mile days in a row. There will be some long days, but we will be in Denver before you know it! I'm getting excited about the Rockies.. and the day off in Denver.
Well.. I'm going to sleep so I can be rested for tomorrow! Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Kansas City, MO - different than Kansas City, KS
Hello faithful readers!
Today we built in Kansas City, MO. We worked on a house for Habitat that needed some landscaping and exterior renovation. They had planned for us to take all of the shingles off of the outside of the house and take all the trim off the house and thought it would take us all day. Turns out that 31 of us can take off shingles a lot faster than expected and we had finished those jobs in a few hours. I thank the Ezzells for letting me help on Ben's house otherwise the shingle pulling could've take much much longer and wouldn't have been so efficient. Most of the build days I have done something that I did for the first time on Ben's house. It's good to have some experience! The best part of the build day (my favorite part of every day.. food!) was lunch. We had pizza ordered in from Habitat and Haley got us hooked up with sandwiches from McCormick and Schmicks!! They were amazing and the energy from all of that food kept me building strong the rest of the day. After that we all hung around the Plaza and got some cheesecake. Life is pretty rough for the Bike and Builders! Tonight I think we're all going out because we have a short day tomorrow = 40 something miles.
Yesterday was crazy! We had our first century ride. Sorry about the lack of clarification on the last blog.. a century ride = a ride of 100 miles or more. We got up in Sedalia at 4:00am to start the day. It was thundering, lightning, and pouring down rain as we ate breakfast and got ready. We started riding at around 6 and ventured into the pouring down rain. I took off with the first group of people to leave.. the fast group.. to see if I could keep up with their pace on the long day. The way to describe the first 30 miles is downpour. It rained so hard at some points it felt like it was hailing. We had to stop a few times and wait for it to stop lightning and thundering, but we patiently enjoyed the temporary break from riding. We rolled into lunch at around 9:30 after 45 miles. We stopped for a quick lunch because of the weather and then pressed on. Me, John, and Boss took the lead out of lunch and we rode at a moderate pace (around 15 mph) and talked. The weather started to clear so we took a break in a oat field at around mile 70. The groups behind us caught up to us and we took some group pictures. I survived riding with the fast group all the way until mile 92. Everyone in the group wanted a different type of food or didn't want to stop to eat. Alicia and I split from the group and went to the Salvation Army. While we were at the Salvation Army, Alicia talked to a man in line in front of her and he bought our clothing because he supported our cause. After the Salvation Army we rode to Taco Bell to get some snacks. We wasted a bunch of time at both of those places then decided we should finish the ride. In case you were wondering, Kansas City is not flat! It was lots of hills, but we made it to mile 100 and stopped and took a picture. I will upload it on here whenever I get a chance! We finished the day by 4:00 and I enjoyed the rest of the day celebrating with each rider as they came into the host location. A century is definitely an accomplishment and I'm proud of all the riders for making it.
Other than the events of the last few days, I think everyone should know the amazing amounts of food that everyone eats on these trips. I seriously eat better on Bike and Build than I would if I were at home. The PB&J sandwiches for lunch may be a downgrade to my daily salads, but other than that, I eat nonstop. I just thought I should let you all know how hard life is here! haha.
Life is good. Hope everything is amazing wherever you all are!
Today we built in Kansas City, MO. We worked on a house for Habitat that needed some landscaping and exterior renovation. They had planned for us to take all of the shingles off of the outside of the house and take all the trim off the house and thought it would take us all day. Turns out that 31 of us can take off shingles a lot faster than expected and we had finished those jobs in a few hours. I thank the Ezzells for letting me help on Ben's house otherwise the shingle pulling could've take much much longer and wouldn't have been so efficient. Most of the build days I have done something that I did for the first time on Ben's house. It's good to have some experience! The best part of the build day (my favorite part of every day.. food!) was lunch. We had pizza ordered in from Habitat and Haley got us hooked up with sandwiches from McCormick and Schmicks!! They were amazing and the energy from all of that food kept me building strong the rest of the day. After that we all hung around the Plaza and got some cheesecake. Life is pretty rough for the Bike and Builders! Tonight I think we're all going out because we have a short day tomorrow = 40 something miles.
Yesterday was crazy! We had our first century ride. Sorry about the lack of clarification on the last blog.. a century ride = a ride of 100 miles or more. We got up in Sedalia at 4:00am to start the day. It was thundering, lightning, and pouring down rain as we ate breakfast and got ready. We started riding at around 6 and ventured into the pouring down rain. I took off with the first group of people to leave.. the fast group.. to see if I could keep up with their pace on the long day. The way to describe the first 30 miles is downpour. It rained so hard at some points it felt like it was hailing. We had to stop a few times and wait for it to stop lightning and thundering, but we patiently enjoyed the temporary break from riding. We rolled into lunch at around 9:30 after 45 miles. We stopped for a quick lunch because of the weather and then pressed on. Me, John, and Boss took the lead out of lunch and we rode at a moderate pace (around 15 mph) and talked. The weather started to clear so we took a break in a oat field at around mile 70. The groups behind us caught up to us and we took some group pictures. I survived riding with the fast group all the way until mile 92. Everyone in the group wanted a different type of food or didn't want to stop to eat. Alicia and I split from the group and went to the Salvation Army. While we were at the Salvation Army, Alicia talked to a man in line in front of her and he bought our clothing because he supported our cause. After the Salvation Army we rode to Taco Bell to get some snacks. We wasted a bunch of time at both of those places then decided we should finish the ride. In case you were wondering, Kansas City is not flat! It was lots of hills, but we made it to mile 100 and stopped and took a picture. I will upload it on here whenever I get a chance! We finished the day by 4:00 and I enjoyed the rest of the day celebrating with each rider as they came into the host location. A century is definitely an accomplishment and I'm proud of all the riders for making it.
Other than the events of the last few days, I think everyone should know the amazing amounts of food that everyone eats on these trips. I seriously eat better on Bike and Build than I would if I were at home. The PB&J sandwiches for lunch may be a downgrade to my daily salads, but other than that, I eat nonstop. I just thought I should let you all know how hard life is here! haha.
Life is good. Hope everything is amazing wherever you all are!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sedalia, MO - trying to get back in the swing of blogging!
Hi people! Remember me? I haven't blogged in forever! Sorry!
We are currently in Sedalia, MO.. We had a 60 mile day today and it was a great ride on Highway 50! We were supposed to ride the Katy Trail today, but the crushed limestone path added 20 miles to our route. We have our first century ride tomorrow so everyone voted to take highway 50. This morning we were all pretty tired and I tried to ride with the fast group of riders. I fell behind with Suzanne(who was also tired) and we rode a slow pace until lunch. Boss Brian was driving the van today and parked across the street from a Subway so I got good energy through a 5 dollar foot long. After lunch I was going to ride with John and Kate (not plus 8) but my seat bag broke so I told them to go on. I made it my goal to catch them when I took off 10 mins later. I cranked up to my highest chain and maintained a speed of 20 mph all afternoon. It took me 12 miles to catch up to John and Kate and pass them. I got to Sedalia in an hour and a half (a 30 mile ride) and the fastest group went to TB (Taco Bell) so I was the first one to the church. The church fed us a really good meal to set us up for a 100 mile day tomorrow.
Yesterday we rode from Washington, MO to Jefferson City, MO. This was our second day on the Katy Trail and it was a great day of riding. Our ride on the Katy Trail was really nice and the weather was perfect for the first 30 miles. The Katy Trail is an old railroad that they took out to make a cycling/pedestrian path. It was a great change of pace from the highways because we could ride in a big group and talk the whole time. We got to around mile 30 when we saw Boss Brian and Tony (a CUS 08 alumni) getting ready to jump in a creek - Massie Creek. The water looked muddy but I am always up for a swim on the road. We ended up testing the water and jumping from the top of the bridge (around 30 feet) into the creek. It was safe.. the water was deep enough. (No worries mom!). After I had spent 2 hours at the creek bridge jumping with just about every rider on the trip, we rode on to lunch. We had lunch at a family farm that was 2 miles off of the Katy Trail. The family saw the van sitting on the road and invited us out to their home to swim and hang out. They had a really nice lake and we all got to hang out and swim. After lunch I rode with Emily the rest of the day. We talked to some passerbys and heard about some nudist cyclists on the trail and were glad that we didn't run into them. The trail was really long and seemed like it would never end. The trail is made of crushed limestone and our road bike tires were not the best for the terrian. It seemed like we worked extremely hard just to ride 13-15 mph. In the end, we made it to Jeff City at 6:30 and BBQ sandwiches were provided by Steve's family. It was really really good. They also had Head Country BBQ sauce, which made me extremely happy! It was a total 81 mile day. Mark also fell and sprained his wrist today.. so he'll most likely be out for a few days to heal. I hope he can get back in the saddle soon because he's lots of fun to ride with.
I wish I remembered more important events from the last week and a half.. but since the days blend together.. I will give you the important things that happened.
I had my first wreck about a week ago.. I don't remember where we were going when it happened. We were riding in heavy traffic and were pretty close to the host location. I was with Justin and Julie going 20 when I slid off the road into a gravel shoulder. I tried to get back on the road but ended up going head over handlebars and rolling down the road. I remember looking up and hearing Julie yell "B-MONEY!" and her front tire was about 3 feet away from my face. I sat up, she swurved around me and I scooted myself into the shoulder and dragged my bike behind me. As I sat there gaining my composure, Julie ran up to me gave me a big hug and said "B-Money, I almost killed you! You're alive!" Justin and Julie both made sure I was okay and all the cars had stopped to check on me. I waved the cars on, stood up, and barely had a scratch on me. I was lucky, but I'm glad to have my first fall out of the way. My bike took a little damage, but nothing that couldn't be fixed.
Sorry again about the lack of blogging, but I will make a point to blog at least every other day! Thanks for reading!
100 mile ride tomorrow and Kansas City!!!
We are currently in Sedalia, MO.. We had a 60 mile day today and it was a great ride on Highway 50! We were supposed to ride the Katy Trail today, but the crushed limestone path added 20 miles to our route. We have our first century ride tomorrow so everyone voted to take highway 50. This morning we were all pretty tired and I tried to ride with the fast group of riders. I fell behind with Suzanne(who was also tired) and we rode a slow pace until lunch. Boss Brian was driving the van today and parked across the street from a Subway so I got good energy through a 5 dollar foot long. After lunch I was going to ride with John and Kate (not plus 8) but my seat bag broke so I told them to go on. I made it my goal to catch them when I took off 10 mins later. I cranked up to my highest chain and maintained a speed of 20 mph all afternoon. It took me 12 miles to catch up to John and Kate and pass them. I got to Sedalia in an hour and a half (a 30 mile ride) and the fastest group went to TB (Taco Bell) so I was the first one to the church. The church fed us a really good meal to set us up for a 100 mile day tomorrow.
Yesterday we rode from Washington, MO to Jefferson City, MO. This was our second day on the Katy Trail and it was a great day of riding. Our ride on the Katy Trail was really nice and the weather was perfect for the first 30 miles. The Katy Trail is an old railroad that they took out to make a cycling/pedestrian path. It was a great change of pace from the highways because we could ride in a big group and talk the whole time. We got to around mile 30 when we saw Boss Brian and Tony (a CUS 08 alumni) getting ready to jump in a creek - Massie Creek. The water looked muddy but I am always up for a swim on the road. We ended up testing the water and jumping from the top of the bridge (around 30 feet) into the creek. It was safe.. the water was deep enough. (No worries mom!). After I had spent 2 hours at the creek bridge jumping with just about every rider on the trip, we rode on to lunch. We had lunch at a family farm that was 2 miles off of the Katy Trail. The family saw the van sitting on the road and invited us out to their home to swim and hang out. They had a really nice lake and we all got to hang out and swim. After lunch I rode with Emily the rest of the day. We talked to some passerbys and heard about some nudist cyclists on the trail and were glad that we didn't run into them. The trail was really long and seemed like it would never end. The trail is made of crushed limestone and our road bike tires were not the best for the terrian. It seemed like we worked extremely hard just to ride 13-15 mph. In the end, we made it to Jeff City at 6:30 and BBQ sandwiches were provided by Steve's family. It was really really good. They also had Head Country BBQ sauce, which made me extremely happy! It was a total 81 mile day. Mark also fell and sprained his wrist today.. so he'll most likely be out for a few days to heal. I hope he can get back in the saddle soon because he's lots of fun to ride with.
I wish I remembered more important events from the last week and a half.. but since the days blend together.. I will give you the important things that happened.
I had my first wreck about a week ago.. I don't remember where we were going when it happened. We were riding in heavy traffic and were pretty close to the host location. I was with Justin and Julie going 20 when I slid off the road into a gravel shoulder. I tried to get back on the road but ended up going head over handlebars and rolling down the road. I remember looking up and hearing Julie yell "B-MONEY!" and her front tire was about 3 feet away from my face. I sat up, she swurved around me and I scooted myself into the shoulder and dragged my bike behind me. As I sat there gaining my composure, Julie ran up to me gave me a big hug and said "B-Money, I almost killed you! You're alive!" Justin and Julie both made sure I was okay and all the cars had stopped to check on me. I waved the cars on, stood up, and barely had a scratch on me. I was lucky, but I'm glad to have my first fall out of the way. My bike took a little damage, but nothing that couldn't be fixed.
Sorry again about the lack of blogging, but I will make a point to blog at least every other day! Thanks for reading!
100 mile ride tomorrow and Kansas City!!!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Bloomington, IN
Hello everyone! Sorry it's been a little while since I posted last!
Yesterday was our longest ride ever at 90.1 miles. We rode from Cincinnatti, OH to Columbus, Indiana! Crossing state lines was excellent!!! There was no sign at the border, so we had to chalk one for the group to take pictures with. I rode with the fast group until lunch and it went quickly. Then I was tired after eating porkchop sandwiches at lunch and had to slow down my riding pace. After lunch we went through Greensburg, IN and there happened to be a strawberry festival going on. We bought 4 strawberry shortcakes that was supporting the local YMCA in Greensburg and started eating. As more riders showed up at the stop, the organizers of the event noticed all 15 of us out in the field and thought our organization was awesome! They ended up giving us 10 more strawberry shortcakes as a donation. (Everytime we stop, we draw lots of attention to ourselves because we don't really fit into society with spandex on). We even made a local newspaper there.. I'll try to find the link to the article tonight. When we got to Columbus, my mileage read 87.4.. So I decided to bike around and look at architecture until my odometer read 90.1! I wish it would've been a century like the website said because it was really flat. OH well.. i'm sure it's coming.
We are in Bloomington, Indiana now and had a 40 mile ride today. Because it was such a short ride, we got to sleep in until 7 (we usually get up at 5) and take it easy. There was a farmers market in Columbus, IN so we all stopped and looked around there. We rode steadily until Nashville, IN and we stopped at a bakery there. We all stuffed our faces with desserts. There we 5 of us at the stop so we each bought at least 1 dessert and shared with eachother. It was amazing. After that I got ice cream and then rode on. It got hilly in the afternoon, but we pressed on. As soon as we got to Bloomington, we found a fountain on the campus and got soaked. There are pictures, but they aren't on my camera.
Some people talked about a quarry that was around Bloomington that was in a cyclist movie called Breaking Away. We got directions to the quarry and 5 of us took off riding. This was the best side trip I have ever taken! We got to the quarry, ran into some locals that showed us around, and then went swimming and cliff jumping. I was one of the first ones to make the ~25 foot jump, but everyone in our group eventually took the plunge! I was really proud of everyone. There was a 65 ft. ledge there that people could jump from, but it was dangerous enough, so we decided against it. Some locals were also at the quarry and one of them did a full gainer off of the 65 ft. ledge. It was intense! Apparently the quarry was on private property and some police officers were coming to bust the people there for trespassing - so we had to cut our visit short. We took off towards our bikes with no legal trouble. When we got back our chicken parm dinner was still being cooked by Nick. It was amazing! Nick is one of the riders that is an amazing chef and he's always helping others out. Thanks Nick!
Well it looks like tomorrow we're headed to Terre Haute, IN, which is our last day in Indiana! I can't believe that we fly through these states so quickly! We're getting close to our 1000th mile! I'm so excited.
Well, I Julie just came up to me and informed me about "Baked! of Bloomington" and now we are ordering hot cookies to the church we're staying at. This means I'm going to go downstairs and wait for hot cookies to get to me! Sorry I've neglected updating.. trying to get back on top of it!!
Thanks for reading! (Sorry about typos/grammar)
Yesterday was our longest ride ever at 90.1 miles. We rode from Cincinnatti, OH to Columbus, Indiana! Crossing state lines was excellent!!! There was no sign at the border, so we had to chalk one for the group to take pictures with. I rode with the fast group until lunch and it went quickly. Then I was tired after eating porkchop sandwiches at lunch and had to slow down my riding pace. After lunch we went through Greensburg, IN and there happened to be a strawberry festival going on. We bought 4 strawberry shortcakes that was supporting the local YMCA in Greensburg and started eating. As more riders showed up at the stop, the organizers of the event noticed all 15 of us out in the field and thought our organization was awesome! They ended up giving us 10 more strawberry shortcakes as a donation. (Everytime we stop, we draw lots of attention to ourselves because we don't really fit into society with spandex on). We even made a local newspaper there.. I'll try to find the link to the article tonight. When we got to Columbus, my mileage read 87.4.. So I decided to bike around and look at architecture until my odometer read 90.1! I wish it would've been a century like the website said because it was really flat. OH well.. i'm sure it's coming.
We are in Bloomington, Indiana now and had a 40 mile ride today. Because it was such a short ride, we got to sleep in until 7 (we usually get up at 5) and take it easy. There was a farmers market in Columbus, IN so we all stopped and looked around there. We rode steadily until Nashville, IN and we stopped at a bakery there. We all stuffed our faces with desserts. There we 5 of us at the stop so we each bought at least 1 dessert and shared with eachother. It was amazing. After that I got ice cream and then rode on. It got hilly in the afternoon, but we pressed on. As soon as we got to Bloomington, we found a fountain on the campus and got soaked. There are pictures, but they aren't on my camera.
Some people talked about a quarry that was around Bloomington that was in a cyclist movie called Breaking Away. We got directions to the quarry and 5 of us took off riding. This was the best side trip I have ever taken! We got to the quarry, ran into some locals that showed us around, and then went swimming and cliff jumping. I was one of the first ones to make the ~25 foot jump, but everyone in our group eventually took the plunge! I was really proud of everyone. There was a 65 ft. ledge there that people could jump from, but it was dangerous enough, so we decided against it. Some locals were also at the quarry and one of them did a full gainer off of the 65 ft. ledge. It was intense! Apparently the quarry was on private property and some police officers were coming to bust the people there for trespassing - so we had to cut our visit short. We took off towards our bikes with no legal trouble. When we got back our chicken parm dinner was still being cooked by Nick. It was amazing! Nick is one of the riders that is an amazing chef and he's always helping others out. Thanks Nick!
Well it looks like tomorrow we're headed to Terre Haute, IN, which is our last day in Indiana! I can't believe that we fly through these states so quickly! We're getting close to our 1000th mile! I'm so excited.
Well, I Julie just came up to me and informed me about "Baked! of Bloomington" and now we are ordering hot cookies to the church we're staying at. This means I'm going to go downstairs and wait for hot cookies to get to me! Sorry I've neglected updating.. trying to get back on top of it!!
Thanks for reading! (Sorry about typos/grammar)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Huntington, WV - a sad day of rest.
Hello-
We are finally on our last day in West Virginia. I can't wait to reach Ohio! We are nearly out of the Appalachians and on to flatter ground.
Yesterday we rode from Summersville, WV to Charleston, WV. After 30 miles of riding, we climbed Mount Olive. It was a solid mile or 2 climb at 11% grade. It was intense. I was pushing so hard to make it to the top and my body wanted to quit on me. I had to take a few breaks, but pushed onwards. After climbing this mountain for what felt like years, I was running out of energy and needed another break. I was about to stop when the support van drove by and my friend Dana(who's been injured) leaned out the window and yelled, "B-Money, Keep going! You're almost to the top!" That encouragement gave me inspiration to push onwards to the top of the mountain. At the top, I found 3 other team members waiting cheering me on as well. We all stopped and waited until almost the entire group got up there before going on. The whole groups energy and support really helps pull me through at rough times. The best part of Mount Olive was the 13% downgrade on the other side for 1.5 miles. My bike computer wasn't working at the time, but I may have broken a new personal max bike-speed record. It was beautiful soaring through the Appalachians. After the fun at Mount Olive, we proceeded on Highway 60 in the shoulder. We rode highway 60 for about 25 miles, and it was terrifying. The West Virginians didn't seem very hospitible to cyclists on the road, even when we were on the shoulder. They were constantly yelling at us, and I had my first near death experience on the road. A motorcyclist swurved over towards me and Andrew and rode very close by us. The good news is, no one died or got hit. Just shaken up. But, the bad news - my knee felt awful on the last 5 miles of the trip.
We arrived at a church that was amazing in Charleston. They fed us a giant meal and called the media to spread awareness about what we were doing for Bike and Build. They were amazing hosts and I hope they continue their mission of feeding the hungry.
Now, about today.. Today - The group rode from Charleston, WV to Huntington,WV.
My knee was way swollen after yesterday so I stubbornly decided that it would be best if I took a day off for my knee to get better and so I could ride tomorrow into Ohio. It was a tough decision to take a day off, because I wanted to ride every mile.. but I figure if I take the time to let it heal now, I'll be able to conquer 8 more weeks of riding injury free. So today I rode in the van to heal. I'm not sure if my knee healed today, but I know I'm going to at least ride the morning tomorrow so I can ride into Ohio. I'm so excited about getting closer to the midwest and getting to see everyone in Kansas!
I'm going to see if I can figure out how to post some pictures. I'm not very blog savvy yet.
I'll post pictures when I figure out how.. and I'll update again soon!
We are finally on our last day in West Virginia. I can't wait to reach Ohio! We are nearly out of the Appalachians and on to flatter ground.
Yesterday we rode from Summersville, WV to Charleston, WV. After 30 miles of riding, we climbed Mount Olive. It was a solid mile or 2 climb at 11% grade. It was intense. I was pushing so hard to make it to the top and my body wanted to quit on me. I had to take a few breaks, but pushed onwards. After climbing this mountain for what felt like years, I was running out of energy and needed another break. I was about to stop when the support van drove by and my friend Dana(who's been injured) leaned out the window and yelled, "B-Money, Keep going! You're almost to the top!" That encouragement gave me inspiration to push onwards to the top of the mountain. At the top, I found 3 other team members waiting cheering me on as well. We all stopped and waited until almost the entire group got up there before going on. The whole groups energy and support really helps pull me through at rough times. The best part of Mount Olive was the 13% downgrade on the other side for 1.5 miles. My bike computer wasn't working at the time, but I may have broken a new personal max bike-speed record. It was beautiful soaring through the Appalachians. After the fun at Mount Olive, we proceeded on Highway 60 in the shoulder. We rode highway 60 for about 25 miles, and it was terrifying. The West Virginians didn't seem very hospitible to cyclists on the road, even when we were on the shoulder. They were constantly yelling at us, and I had my first near death experience on the road. A motorcyclist swurved over towards me and Andrew and rode very close by us. The good news is, no one died or got hit. Just shaken up. But, the bad news - my knee felt awful on the last 5 miles of the trip.
We arrived at a church that was amazing in Charleston. They fed us a giant meal and called the media to spread awareness about what we were doing for Bike and Build. They were amazing hosts and I hope they continue their mission of feeding the hungry.
Now, about today.. Today - The group rode from Charleston, WV to Huntington,WV.
My knee was way swollen after yesterday so I stubbornly decided that it would be best if I took a day off for my knee to get better and so I could ride tomorrow into Ohio. It was a tough decision to take a day off, because I wanted to ride every mile.. but I figure if I take the time to let it heal now, I'll be able to conquer 8 more weeks of riding injury free. So today I rode in the van to heal. I'm not sure if my knee healed today, but I know I'm going to at least ride the morning tomorrow so I can ride into Ohio. I'm so excited about getting closer to the midwest and getting to see everyone in Kansas!
I'm going to see if I can figure out how to post some pictures. I'm not very blog savvy yet.
I'll post pictures when I figure out how.. and I'll update again soon!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Done with Virginia!!!!
Hey! Good News! We are in West Virginia!
The day yesterday was awful! (but really rewarding looking back on it.) Charlottesville to Lexington, VA. We are more than officially into the Appalachians! We had to climb mount Afton after a 20 mile ride and it was 3 miles straight climbing. My legs hurt so bad but Me, Kate, and Brian (B-Pot), powered through to the top. At the top we found Blue Mountain Ridge Parkway. We were told the Parkway was supposed to be one of the most beautiful rides in the U.S., but unfortunately it was foggy and raining the whole day. Even though it was foggy, the green trees on the mountains were really beautiful. It was the toughest ride by far, but a bunch of us powered through and made it. There was a downhill on 60 that had a 8% grade for 5 miles.. and I reached a new speed of 41.3!
Today was equally as rough. We rode from Lexington, VA to Marlinton, WV! There were a lot of mountains we crossed (3 big ones) and it was a physical strain. I got to ride with Dan today and that was great. We had a great time dominating those mountains. After we made it into West Virginia, it started raining with 6 miles to go. By the time we got in, we were both soaking wet. I was extremely glad to have made it even though it was a long day.
There is a long line for the comp, so I'm out. (I need sleep anyway)
My knee is starting to really bother me so I'm now killing the Tylenol. Hopefully it will feel better soon!
Thanks for reading.
The day yesterday was awful! (but really rewarding looking back on it.) Charlottesville to Lexington, VA. We are more than officially into the Appalachians! We had to climb mount Afton after a 20 mile ride and it was 3 miles straight climbing. My legs hurt so bad but Me, Kate, and Brian (B-Pot), powered through to the top. At the top we found Blue Mountain Ridge Parkway. We were told the Parkway was supposed to be one of the most beautiful rides in the U.S., but unfortunately it was foggy and raining the whole day. Even though it was foggy, the green trees on the mountains were really beautiful. It was the toughest ride by far, but a bunch of us powered through and made it. There was a downhill on 60 that had a 8% grade for 5 miles.. and I reached a new speed of 41.3!
Today was equally as rough. We rode from Lexington, VA to Marlinton, WV! There were a lot of mountains we crossed (3 big ones) and it was a physical strain. I got to ride with Dan today and that was great. We had a great time dominating those mountains. After we made it into West Virginia, it started raining with 6 miles to go. By the time we got in, we were both soaking wet. I was extremely glad to have made it even though it was a long day.
There is a long line for the comp, so I'm out. (I need sleep anyway)
My knee is starting to really bother me so I'm now killing the Tylenol. Hopefully it will feel better soon!
Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Charlottesville, VA - Build Day!!!
Hello all! I am on the internet at a public library, so I only have 12 minutes to update! Sorry if its short!!
We biked from Waverly to Blackstone which was a 65 mile day,I think? These days are all blending together! Sorry.. things have been crazy. Lets move on to things that I can remember.
We biked from Blackstone to Dillwyn, VA and it was the roughest day I've had so far. It was planned a 72 mile day. I decided to ride with sweep because Jen was riding back there. Jen is one of the faster riders and I've gotten to know her well.. but I can't talk to her normally when she's riding because she is way too fast! So I decided to take it slow and ride with the back of the pack. We made lots of stops and took traditional bike and build pictures. (you'll see them when I get a computer with a memory card reader!) The majority of that morning was all good and well. Later in the morning I decided to ride with Barbara and Jenny to get to know each of them better. Barbara, Jenny, and I all ended up taking a 10 mile detour and getting lost. We had to stop and ask locals for directions.. and the local routed us 13 miles towards a point on our route. The unfortunate thing is, when we got lost we were about 3 miles away from lunch. This detour made it where we didn't each lunch until mile 54.1 and the van had to set up a different lunch spot to accomodate for us lost ones. Haha. Anyway, the story only gets better(worse) after that.. Jenny and I took off after that headed to our destination. We officially entered the Appalachian foothills that day and the last 15 miles were about 2 or 3 giant hills per 1 mile. It was intense. I felt near breaking point a few times, but never stopped to walk. We made it at around 5:30 into town and my odometer read 81.5 miles. It was completely crazy! I didn't think I would make it. I did, and now the low mileage days don't seem as bad!
Okay.. quick sum up because I have 3 minutes!!
We rode Dilwyn to Charlottesville (43 miles) yesterday and we got to sleep in a sorority house that had beds!!! It was a hilly ride, but nothing after the day before. We all got a good nights rest for the build day today. During the build, I hung drywall the whole time. It was great. I got to go. 1 min left!
Update when I can!!!
Tomorrow: Charlottesville to Lexington, VA
Thanks for reading!
We biked from Waverly to Blackstone which was a 65 mile day,I think? These days are all blending together! Sorry.. things have been crazy. Lets move on to things that I can remember.
We biked from Blackstone to Dillwyn, VA and it was the roughest day I've had so far. It was planned a 72 mile day. I decided to ride with sweep because Jen was riding back there. Jen is one of the faster riders and I've gotten to know her well.. but I can't talk to her normally when she's riding because she is way too fast! So I decided to take it slow and ride with the back of the pack. We made lots of stops and took traditional bike and build pictures. (you'll see them when I get a computer with a memory card reader!) The majority of that morning was all good and well. Later in the morning I decided to ride with Barbara and Jenny to get to know each of them better. Barbara, Jenny, and I all ended up taking a 10 mile detour and getting lost. We had to stop and ask locals for directions.. and the local routed us 13 miles towards a point on our route. The unfortunate thing is, when we got lost we were about 3 miles away from lunch. This detour made it where we didn't each lunch until mile 54.1 and the van had to set up a different lunch spot to accomodate for us lost ones. Haha. Anyway, the story only gets better(worse) after that.. Jenny and I took off after that headed to our destination. We officially entered the Appalachian foothills that day and the last 15 miles were about 2 or 3 giant hills per 1 mile. It was intense. I felt near breaking point a few times, but never stopped to walk. We made it at around 5:30 into town and my odometer read 81.5 miles. It was completely crazy! I didn't think I would make it. I did, and now the low mileage days don't seem as bad!
Okay.. quick sum up because I have 3 minutes!!
We rode Dilwyn to Charlottesville (43 miles) yesterday and we got to sleep in a sorority house that had beds!!! It was a hilly ride, but nothing after the day before. We all got a good nights rest for the build day today. During the build, I hung drywall the whole time. It was great. I got to go. 1 min left!
Update when I can!!!
Tomorrow: Charlottesville to Lexington, VA
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
40 miles down - 3812 to go!
Hey everyone!
Orientation has been great these last few days. Everyone is really unique and very friendly. We sat through a bunch of speakers the last two days that made me even more anxious to get on the bike and ride!
Today was our first day leaving out of Virginia Beach! We rode through very pretty, flat scenery to our destination. The sheet said we rode 40 miles today, but my bike computer tracked 49.3. Counting the ride to and from the showers, that is a 52 mile day! This is the furthest I have gone ever and it's insane to think that we go further tomorrow. It was so awesome to get to see everyone geared up and riding like madmen. The pace today was really intense, so I'll probably slow myself down tomorrow! Today we rode a constant 17-20 mph. I'm sure as the time goes on, the hills will make us slow down.
One of the coolest things about riding across the country is how much of a novelty 30 college-aged students are that are riding in full spandex. People are extremely interested about why all of us look insane and are all riding in the same group. I had a bunch of people stop and ask us where we were going and why we were doing it. It's great to be well received and supported by many communities.
I think I figured out today that I am going to eat more this summer than I ever have before. While we were riding the last 20, all I could think about was food at our destination. Dana and I had decided that a chocolate milkshake sounded really good.. so we had to stop when we got to Suffolk. The milkshake was not satisfactory today, so I am going to have to make another milkshake run tomorrow to satisfy the craving.
Another interesting thing I nearly forgot.. Jen D. brought a slackline as her group item. She strung it between two trees and everyone tried it. My goal for the summer, aside from making it to Canon Beach, is to successfully walk the slackline. I think either way, I will buy one when I get home. It's countless hours of entertainment/concentration.
Anyway - this tired kid has to sleep! More riding tomorrow! More posting/updating this whenever I can!
-Brian
Orientation has been great these last few days. Everyone is really unique and very friendly. We sat through a bunch of speakers the last two days that made me even more anxious to get on the bike and ride!
Today was our first day leaving out of Virginia Beach! We rode through very pretty, flat scenery to our destination. The sheet said we rode 40 miles today, but my bike computer tracked 49.3. Counting the ride to and from the showers, that is a 52 mile day! This is the furthest I have gone ever and it's insane to think that we go further tomorrow. It was so awesome to get to see everyone geared up and riding like madmen. The pace today was really intense, so I'll probably slow myself down tomorrow! Today we rode a constant 17-20 mph. I'm sure as the time goes on, the hills will make us slow down.
One of the coolest things about riding across the country is how much of a novelty 30 college-aged students are that are riding in full spandex. People are extremely interested about why all of us look insane and are all riding in the same group. I had a bunch of people stop and ask us where we were going and why we were doing it. It's great to be well received and supported by many communities.
I think I figured out today that I am going to eat more this summer than I ever have before. While we were riding the last 20, all I could think about was food at our destination. Dana and I had decided that a chocolate milkshake sounded really good.. so we had to stop when we got to Suffolk. The milkshake was not satisfactory today, so I am going to have to make another milkshake run tomorrow to satisfy the craving.
Another interesting thing I nearly forgot.. Jen D. brought a slackline as her group item. She strung it between two trees and everyone tried it. My goal for the summer, aside from making it to Canon Beach, is to successfully walk the slackline. I think either way, I will buy one when I get home. It's countless hours of entertainment/concentration.
Anyway - this tired kid has to sleep! More riding tomorrow! More posting/updating this whenever I can!
-Brian
Monday, May 18, 2009
Virginia Beach, VA - 5/18/09
Hi friends and family!
A few quick links that will help you stay up on everything that's going on with me.
To see my day-by-day progress through the country and to read my bio.. visit: http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/2691
If you feel like you want to be even more awesome and send mail, food, or anything at the designated mail drops, you can find the information at:
http://www.bikeandbuild.org/cms/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,347/
(I am doing the Central US route)
I just want to start this blog out by saying Thank You! to all of the people who donated to me and helped make this experience possible! I couldn't have done it without all of the support!
Ben, Riley, and I drove from Enid yesterday and saw a lot of country. We weren't tired so we powered through and made the trip in 23 and a half hours. It was an excellent trip. Virginia Beach is chilly tonight, but I'm sure it's not nearly as cold as the Rockies will be in a few short months.
I can't believe Bike and Build starts tomorrow! I'm so excited. I can't wait to get out on the open road with 29 other amazing people! It's mind blowing - I'm getting ready to start a trip from Virginia Beach, VA to Oregon! It's going to be intense!
Well.. I need to make sure everything is packed and ready for tomorrow!
I will try to post as often as possible to keep everyone updated!
Wish me luck!
- Brian
A few quick links that will help you stay up on everything that's going on with me.
To see my day-by-day progress through the country and to read my bio.. visit: http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/2691
If you feel like you want to be even more awesome and send mail, food, or anything at the designated mail drops, you can find the information at:
http://www.bikeandbuild.org/cms/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,347/
(I am doing the Central US route)
I just want to start this blog out by saying Thank You! to all of the people who donated to me and helped make this experience possible! I couldn't have done it without all of the support!
Ben, Riley, and I drove from Enid yesterday and saw a lot of country. We weren't tired so we powered through and made the trip in 23 and a half hours. It was an excellent trip. Virginia Beach is chilly tonight, but I'm sure it's not nearly as cold as the Rockies will be in a few short months.
I can't believe Bike and Build starts tomorrow! I'm so excited. I can't wait to get out on the open road with 29 other amazing people! It's mind blowing - I'm getting ready to start a trip from Virginia Beach, VA to Oregon! It's going to be intense!
Well.. I need to make sure everything is packed and ready for tomorrow!
I will try to post as often as possible to keep everyone updated!
Wish me luck!
- Brian
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