Day 17 - June 20, 11:45pm
81 miles. Marietta, OH to Wellston, OH
Today was actually one of the first mornings were i was pretty on top of things. The key is to really have a good system and stick to it hardcore and squeeze as much time out as you can. For example, today i discovered i can apply sunscreen while we discuss the day's route and can leave miscellaneous items in the van to help me save time and be more organized. While try and ratchet up my efficiency as much as possible. I'm normally really good when it comes to packing up during camping trips and I think that setting this as a legit goal will help me adopt the right attitude. Fortunately most people have got their routine way more under control than me.
To be clear, Headwinds suck. It's so frustrating to be pedaling like mad only to be going nowhere. ItWe were discussing the merits of hills vs headwinds and most preferred the former because of the fact that they are visible conquerable obstacles rather than this whole abstract concept of moving air.
We had no choice but to paceline in groups. Its a hard and scary thing to get used to given that one wrong move can cause a pileup but it was necessary for us to pedal even remotely efficiently.
Honestly not too much happened today on the road. We took highways the first half and country roads the second half. It was a little unfortunate becuase there were so many vast stretches of road without any cool sights or towns to stop at. While highways are way more quicker in terms of making time, all of that monotonous road can be very mentally exhausting believe it or not. We did have one sweet pre-lunch stop in this town burger joint where I conquered a quarter pounder, a BLT, some cookies and half a chocolate shake. It's hard for us to realize what a spectacle we are when even only 12 of us roll into a store in our spandex and loud jokes. I couldn't tell if the cashier's hidden side glances were out of interest or horror.
Today was hot, like 93 degrees at one point. The hot asphalt and air had us sandwiched. I found that it still doesn't really bother me so long as I'm hydrated, which i guess will help on this trip. Speaking of which, everyone drank at least 5 liters of water today on the road, which is actually an insane number considering most people drink less than 1 daily.
My water actually ran out at about mile 67 and it got pretty scary since we had just turned onto a highway for 3 miles. Dehydration in that weather is a bad road and can happen super quickly. On days like that i find myself sipping water at least every 3 minutes. Fortunately Kelly was with me(yea girl!) and let me sustain myself on her water until we finished the highway. Once off we found a house where the residents were kind enough to let us fill up. Kelly had to do all the talking since i was to parched to even speak.
Afterwards we were pumped to have only 12 more miles to go and booked it on home, though it was really all Kelly who broke the wind resistance for me. Also, there was def a decent amount of hills today for what i thought would be nice flat ground all the way. While they were no match for our hardcore hill eating selves, comfort was not the theme. 80 miles two days in a row is kinda tough and by the end my right knee was not happy with me.
Today confirmed that the hardest part for me is right after lunch. This is because its kinda hard to focus on pounding out 40 more miles when you've already done 45 until then which is a feat in itself. Which brings me to another interesting observation about how cycling is an enormously mental endeavour. I of course think professional cyclists as insane because they're basically saying "Hey i bet i can tolerate more lactic acid buildup in my muscles!" More than a few riders on the trip have been fighting little voices inside their heads. Though the day was utter exhaustion and it was so hard to go on at certain points, the feeling of arriving totally wasted after 81 miles you conquered is indescribable. Plus we were the 3rd and 4th ones in today!
At the host church we literally had the largest spread I've yet to see on the trip. it was about 20 feet of table covered with all types of food. Fittingly it was also the fullest I've ever been on the trip. I tried to stop i swear but was in so much pain after stuffing myself. Our contact Gretchen was so nice for taking us to the high school showers and for generally coordinating everything. The Pastor also made these heavenly pumpkin muffins. (I can't help but close my eyes in pleasure as i write this and think about them)
Tried to cancel my credit cards today but got disconnected three different times due to my cell phone dying. As if dealing with customer service isn't fun enough. Will try again tomorrow.
Also did pushups, and realized why i was okay with originally stopping them. Looking forward to getting that groove back.
OK finally, last point. I saw my first actual confederate flag today ever! it was hung on a porch alongside an american one which was interesting. I've been so fascinated by the fact that people still fly it to this day ever since we talked about the civil war in high school. I wonder if we'll see more. I'd really hope to get a chance to talk to someone who flies it. We'll see. Off to Portsmouth!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
O-HIGH-O
Day 16 - June 19, 10:39pm
81 miles. Weston, WV to Marietta, OH
The title is subtle yes, but think about it.
Today was interesting. I have realized that one either adapts really quickly to the bike and build madness of constant movement or suffers greatly. I'm the latter and this morning was especially rough for me as i was so late doing everything. My biggest problem is that i just can't do anything before I use a bathroom in the morning. With 32 people rushing for 2 maybe 3 of them, this is tough and as a result i am always falling behind. I literally even slept alone in a separate room with its own bathroom last night just to combat this issue but i was so tired in the morning that a line had already formed over my sleeping bag as i woke up. I think 2 weeks is prob enough time to get over the shock and in general i would like to sort this and my other logistical issues out so i can have less stress from these things.
The first 10 miles were nice today until guess what. More rain! However there was also thunder and lightning that started approaching us. When it got over us, we pulled over and chilled under trees and proceeded to get soaked for 20 minutes. In life, I feel there is a very fine line between what constitutes character building on one side and unnecessary discomfort on the other. I'm still trying to figure out where rain fits into this. With 70 more miles to go, I was not overjoyed.
We regrouped once lighting stopped and walked down to a house to seek shelter until the rain weakened. This couple Don and Betty were very generous and let 12 of us dry up in their garage. Their three grandchildren kept running in and out giving us stuff. First towels, then benches, and then food. There were definitely more than a few deer heads in that garage to say the least. The rain subsided just as they were about to cook us bacon(boo!) and we took off. Not only did the rain stop but the sun emerged and shined with rays of happiness. I literally felt like i could do 100 miles right then and there and got so determined to finish today's ride even though we had been delayed 2 hours. I love the sun.
Dan and I tore up the next few miles of flattish terrain until lunch at a volunteer fire station that they had opened up for us. It was really cool inside and had vintage but still functioning trucks.
Unfortunately our chain lube had again been wiped off with the rain and riding was less than comfortable. On top of that, Rob and Dan both got flats while we were riding together and i was worried i would have to be next. Fortunately Larry found us and lent us some lube. My gears were also not quite right and i still need to fix that, but its just so hard to do anything once you get into the host and change out of uniform. True story.
At about mile 50 I regrouped with Larry and we decided that we were determined to make it to Ohio at the very least if not the whole way. We totally booked it like no other up the very last hills of the Appalachians. It was awesome knowing that these same types of hills that were intimidating in the first week were now just part of the routine. My favorite expression is to "Eat hills" as in "We just totally ate that hill! yeah! ugh!" It's pretty fun to say and the iterations are pure fun.
At the second lunch at mile 60 I was quite possibly the sweatiest I've ever been. Mugginess was the theme of the day and it was outrageous how gross we were. For some reason I totally love that slimy sweaty feeling, especially outdoors. Carlie didn't happen to appreciate me rubbing my wet arm against her dry one. It was so bad that i had to plastic wrap my camera for fear that my sweat would drip into it through my jersey.
Post lunch Larry and I decided that we were going all the way and would avoid being picked up in the van at all costs. The land was getting much flatter but we were facing strong headwinds. The heart is the real muscle you use when cycling. Let me tell you, Larry and I pacelined the hell out of that wind. Pacing is where cyclists line up really close to block the wind for each other and take turns being up front while the ones behind rest. We had such a rhythm going and were just totally rocking out. It felt great.
Larry is one of my favorite people on this trip, he's so chill and hilarious and we really just get each other. One of those people you really need to just meet to understand. He deserves much more elaboration at a later time.
Then we got over the bridge into Ohio and hit literally the flattest stretches of land I've ever seen. They were so straight that i couldn't even so all the way to the end of them. I was only in Ohio for a mile before i decided that i loved it. There was also a humongous nuclear power plant on the way, which was the first I've ever seen. It was pretty cool and so overwhelming. Quite the contrast from the wind turbines 2 days ago however...
On the way into town on the main road we were bombarded with like 756 chain restaurant signs. It was pretty funny, but not that much since we were starving. I pulled into the church with 89.75 on my odometer and had to ride around the block to make sure it got to 90. My previous longest was 82 and it felt so great to actually finish today, like unbelievably so. No one got vanned and we were all super happy about that.
Marietta is actually really nice and quaint. The first thing that struck me is how there are literally 6 different churches within the same 4 square blocks. Our hosts are really great and they've been hosting our route for 4 years. Bill also taught us the Ohio Buckeyes arm cheer.
Also found out tonight that i can do pushups again unhampered by any elbow or shoulder pain. I'll get right on those starting tomorrow This gets me really excited because I was really looking forward to being super fit after this trip. Well perhaps i should say "look" super fit instead actually.
I can't believe we totally rocked through the Appalachians. It's great not only to have that amazing sense of hell yeah accomplishment but also to know that we have nothing but plains for a long way to go. Being in Ohio is really intense for me. Its the first place where i really feel like I"m legit in the middle of the country. It's so cool to have this feeling of "yes, i am actually biking across the country and am in a midwest state and just did 700 miles in 2 weeks"
Also, found out that my camera actually does work after the crash just as i was about to buy a new one. It occasionally will do its own thing, as in not open, but it should be good enough to see me through i think.
Again there are so many little computer errands i wish i could do right now but i'm tired and just want sleep. It's not like i won't be tired after 75 miles tomorrow either. Anyway. Sleeping in the sanctuary again tonight. fun.
81 miles. Weston, WV to Marietta, OH
The title is subtle yes, but think about it.
Today was interesting. I have realized that one either adapts really quickly to the bike and build madness of constant movement or suffers greatly. I'm the latter and this morning was especially rough for me as i was so late doing everything. My biggest problem is that i just can't do anything before I use a bathroom in the morning. With 32 people rushing for 2 maybe 3 of them, this is tough and as a result i am always falling behind. I literally even slept alone in a separate room with its own bathroom last night just to combat this issue but i was so tired in the morning that a line had already formed over my sleeping bag as i woke up. I think 2 weeks is prob enough time to get over the shock and in general i would like to sort this and my other logistical issues out so i can have less stress from these things.
The first 10 miles were nice today until guess what. More rain! However there was also thunder and lightning that started approaching us. When it got over us, we pulled over and chilled under trees and proceeded to get soaked for 20 minutes. In life, I feel there is a very fine line between what constitutes character building on one side and unnecessary discomfort on the other. I'm still trying to figure out where rain fits into this. With 70 more miles to go, I was not overjoyed.
We regrouped once lighting stopped and walked down to a house to seek shelter until the rain weakened. This couple Don and Betty were very generous and let 12 of us dry up in their garage. Their three grandchildren kept running in and out giving us stuff. First towels, then benches, and then food. There were definitely more than a few deer heads in that garage to say the least. The rain subsided just as they were about to cook us bacon(boo!) and we took off. Not only did the rain stop but the sun emerged and shined with rays of happiness. I literally felt like i could do 100 miles right then and there and got so determined to finish today's ride even though we had been delayed 2 hours. I love the sun.
Dan and I tore up the next few miles of flattish terrain until lunch at a volunteer fire station that they had opened up for us. It was really cool inside and had vintage but still functioning trucks.
Unfortunately our chain lube had again been wiped off with the rain and riding was less than comfortable. On top of that, Rob and Dan both got flats while we were riding together and i was worried i would have to be next. Fortunately Larry found us and lent us some lube. My gears were also not quite right and i still need to fix that, but its just so hard to do anything once you get into the host and change out of uniform. True story.
At about mile 50 I regrouped with Larry and we decided that we were determined to make it to Ohio at the very least if not the whole way. We totally booked it like no other up the very last hills of the Appalachians. It was awesome knowing that these same types of hills that were intimidating in the first week were now just part of the routine. My favorite expression is to "Eat hills" as in "We just totally ate that hill! yeah! ugh!" It's pretty fun to say and the iterations are pure fun.
At the second lunch at mile 60 I was quite possibly the sweatiest I've ever been. Mugginess was the theme of the day and it was outrageous how gross we were. For some reason I totally love that slimy sweaty feeling, especially outdoors. Carlie didn't happen to appreciate me rubbing my wet arm against her dry one. It was so bad that i had to plastic wrap my camera for fear that my sweat would drip into it through my jersey.
Post lunch Larry and I decided that we were going all the way and would avoid being picked up in the van at all costs. The land was getting much flatter but we were facing strong headwinds. The heart is the real muscle you use when cycling. Let me tell you, Larry and I pacelined the hell out of that wind. Pacing is where cyclists line up really close to block the wind for each other and take turns being up front while the ones behind rest. We had such a rhythm going and were just totally rocking out. It felt great.
Larry is one of my favorite people on this trip, he's so chill and hilarious and we really just get each other. One of those people you really need to just meet to understand. He deserves much more elaboration at a later time.
Then we got over the bridge into Ohio and hit literally the flattest stretches of land I've ever seen. They were so straight that i couldn't even so all the way to the end of them. I was only in Ohio for a mile before i decided that i loved it. There was also a humongous nuclear power plant on the way, which was the first I've ever seen. It was pretty cool and so overwhelming. Quite the contrast from the wind turbines 2 days ago however...
On the way into town on the main road we were bombarded with like 756 chain restaurant signs. It was pretty funny, but not that much since we were starving. I pulled into the church with 89.75 on my odometer and had to ride around the block to make sure it got to 90. My previous longest was 82 and it felt so great to actually finish today, like unbelievably so. No one got vanned and we were all super happy about that.
Marietta is actually really nice and quaint. The first thing that struck me is how there are literally 6 different churches within the same 4 square blocks. Our hosts are really great and they've been hosting our route for 4 years. Bill also taught us the Ohio Buckeyes arm cheer.
Also found out tonight that i can do pushups again unhampered by any elbow or shoulder pain. I'll get right on those starting tomorrow This gets me really excited because I was really looking forward to being super fit after this trip. Well perhaps i should say "look" super fit instead actually.
I can't believe we totally rocked through the Appalachians. It's great not only to have that amazing sense of hell yeah accomplishment but also to know that we have nothing but plains for a long way to go. Being in Ohio is really intense for me. Its the first place where i really feel like I"m legit in the middle of the country. It's so cool to have this feeling of "yes, i am actually biking across the country and am in a midwest state and just did 700 miles in 2 weeks"
Also, found out that my camera actually does work after the crash just as i was about to buy a new one. It occasionally will do its own thing, as in not open, but it should be good enough to see me through i think.
Again there are so many little computer errands i wish i could do right now but i'm tired and just want sleep. It's not like i won't be tired after 75 miles tomorrow either. Anyway. Sleeping in the sanctuary again tonight. fun.
Why I will never own a Chihuahua
Day 15 - June 18, 11:44pm
58 miles. Parsons, WV to Weston, WV
Sleeping in pews was fun, felt like I was in some sort of trench, except without all that nasty war stuff. The morning routine was a bit more stressful than usual since I had put off so many things from last night when i went to sleep early. Note: Bike and Build is not equivalent to sleep, nor does it particularly encourage average amounts of it. Especially if you journal.
Started out the day on some gravel country roads. The weather and scenery were great but the roads made the uphills even worse than usual. Fortunately the bike was lubed this time. We were just totally in forest and it was so misty that we might as well have been in the amazon. Now that i think of it, parrots are awesome and it would've been so much fun to see a Macaw.
Unfortunately one of the riders ahead of me took a big spill on the gravel going downhill. Sounds familiar... It was really scary riding up to her and seeing her grabbing herself. Note: HELMETS SAVE LIVES, and it did in this case. She had a decent scrape on her right shoulder and pelvis, almost exactly like mine except less severe. She's doing just fine right now and is in great spirits. We made sure to grab a picture of our matching elbow wraps later in the day.
But apparently the day had more falls in store. Now I don't really know whats up with West Virginia, but they've seriously gotta get they're dog situation under control.
If you were riding along a quiet road only to have a pack of crazy pet chihuahas run in front of you barking like mad you might feel this way also. Yes they were the size of my backpack and yes I kinda freaked out. I couldn't help but think they would get caught in my spokes or something. I swerved right but ended up falling while trying to avoid the riders next to me. Not like my knee can't use a few more cuts...
I've basically realized that Bike and Build for me is a wild combination of high highs and low lows. As Meryl and I pulled into a town around mile 27 we were starving and decided to see if a pizza store would help us out. We explained our deal and asked for any day old bread or something hoping that they might pity us and give an actual slice. What i did not expect was the owner returning with actual day old loaves of bread saying "This is the oldest we've got" It was great to have any food but still kinda hilarious since I never actually expected day old bread. Fortunately Ed and Judy at Hometown Pizza were super nice and also gave us four super fresh pepperroni rolls right out of the oven. They might as well have been made out of ambrosia they were so great. Thank you Ed and Judy!
To complement that high high, about 4 blocks later my wheel decided to get stuck in storm drain slit sending me over the handlebars and into a low low. In retrospect it was pretty scary but I escaped unscathed. What i did not need however was my third fall of the day coming as I tried to clip back in and get away from the whole mess. And yes, i do officially have a crashing reputation on the trip by now. I've already suggested a tally row for the trailer.
After the town, Meryll and I kept riding only to come across more unleashed dogs in yards. They came pretty damn close to us but never actually chased us. I think being real calm helped. But seriously! these were legitimate 100+ dogs that could've easily mauled us. I got so frustrated at this thought. LIke i thought that stuff only happens in cartoons. Many other riders we found out did actually get chased, but successfully disbanded them by squirting water at them. What was legitimately frightening was when I saw one dog that very well could've been rabid trot near us. I didn't even want to ponder that scenario.
We had lunch at a great campsite and played on the seesaw's there. Very fun. We also got mail. To be totally honest, getting mail on the road is one of the nicest feelings ever. Some of us tend to get more than others. This group doesn't quite include me. So do check out the new "how to send george love via mail tab on the right" Seriously even pity mail is a huge morale booster. Wow this is shameless.
West Virginia is actually pretty beautiful. It's basically all rolling hills and mountains with lots of trees and pastures. Rugged is how i would describe it. It's a different kind of beauty from Pennsylvania's open flat farms and one that deserves exploring. The rest of the ride was pretty decent and mostly downhill fortunately.
At one point there was an older lady mowing a large field on a sit down mower while her husband sat and watched the event on a lawn chair. Not gonna lie, kinda odd from the road.
The elbow wound is healing pretty well though the size of the future scar is apparent. Taking care of a semi-serious wound like that is interesting. It really makes me think a lot more about the special low maintenance relationship we have with our bodies that is often taken for granted i feel. It's also amazing to see how much abuse our bodies are capable of withstanding.
Dinner at the church was great and over conversation with one of the members we talked about college sports. Now college football has never made much sense to me. I never really understood why people care so much with something thats not even in professional athletics. Over our conversation however i came to realize that states like West Virginia don't have any major league teams at all in any sports. Their state universities are really the only things that represent them individually and it makes sense that people would rally around them. It all makes an incredible amount of sense to me know. While i still am not used to the idea, being from NYC, i can totally appreciate more rural states addiction to college football way more now through this one simple conversation.
Kelly's 21st birthday was today. Some riders went out to 7-11 and bought some makeshift presents including tin foil for a hat and a pack of bologni. Her mom also legit sent her a frog pinata full of candy that we will hit during lunch tomorrow. That is just plain super cool.
The whole getting into a host routine is kinda starting to take its toll given that we do the exact same things every single night without any real time to hang out or do actual activities. We're still so grateful to our hosts but its just so mentally exhausting to go through the same motions every morning, day, and night.
For me, this kinda represents a larger metaphor for life where we're pretty much doing the same things whether it be our jobs, schoolwork, taxes, toilet bowl cleaning, or other obligations that don't seem to ever disappear. It's pointless to get upset over these constant things, but it is rather more helpful to focus on the little hidden gems in life that are in between these chores and that give us happiness and hope for the next day. Most people call this the weekend. For me on this trip, it can be trying to push a haybarrel on the side of a road, posing near a funny sign, or having an enlightening conversation. But i feel this mentality can be applied way more generally in life and its something that I've realized I need to start cultivating for this trip. I think that by the end I'll be way better off in life for having done so.
Off to Ohio tomorrow, I can't even believe that we're really that far already.
58 miles. Parsons, WV to Weston, WV
Sleeping in pews was fun, felt like I was in some sort of trench, except without all that nasty war stuff. The morning routine was a bit more stressful than usual since I had put off so many things from last night when i went to sleep early. Note: Bike and Build is not equivalent to sleep, nor does it particularly encourage average amounts of it. Especially if you journal.
Started out the day on some gravel country roads. The weather and scenery were great but the roads made the uphills even worse than usual. Fortunately the bike was lubed this time. We were just totally in forest and it was so misty that we might as well have been in the amazon. Now that i think of it, parrots are awesome and it would've been so much fun to see a Macaw.
Unfortunately one of the riders ahead of me took a big spill on the gravel going downhill. Sounds familiar... It was really scary riding up to her and seeing her grabbing herself. Note: HELMETS SAVE LIVES, and it did in this case. She had a decent scrape on her right shoulder and pelvis, almost exactly like mine except less severe. She's doing just fine right now and is in great spirits. We made sure to grab a picture of our matching elbow wraps later in the day.
But apparently the day had more falls in store. Now I don't really know whats up with West Virginia, but they've seriously gotta get they're dog situation under control.
If you were riding along a quiet road only to have a pack of crazy pet chihuahas run in front of you barking like mad you might feel this way also. Yes they were the size of my backpack and yes I kinda freaked out. I couldn't help but think they would get caught in my spokes or something. I swerved right but ended up falling while trying to avoid the riders next to me. Not like my knee can't use a few more cuts...
I've basically realized that Bike and Build for me is a wild combination of high highs and low lows. As Meryl and I pulled into a town around mile 27 we were starving and decided to see if a pizza store would help us out. We explained our deal and asked for any day old bread or something hoping that they might pity us and give an actual slice. What i did not expect was the owner returning with actual day old loaves of bread saying "This is the oldest we've got" It was great to have any food but still kinda hilarious since I never actually expected day old bread. Fortunately Ed and Judy at Hometown Pizza were super nice and also gave us four super fresh pepperroni rolls right out of the oven. They might as well have been made out of ambrosia they were so great. Thank you Ed and Judy!
To complement that high high, about 4 blocks later my wheel decided to get stuck in storm drain slit sending me over the handlebars and into a low low. In retrospect it was pretty scary but I escaped unscathed. What i did not need however was my third fall of the day coming as I tried to clip back in and get away from the whole mess. And yes, i do officially have a crashing reputation on the trip by now. I've already suggested a tally row for the trailer.
After the town, Meryll and I kept riding only to come across more unleashed dogs in yards. They came pretty damn close to us but never actually chased us. I think being real calm helped. But seriously! these were legitimate 100+ dogs that could've easily mauled us. I got so frustrated at this thought. LIke i thought that stuff only happens in cartoons. Many other riders we found out did actually get chased, but successfully disbanded them by squirting water at them. What was legitimately frightening was when I saw one dog that very well could've been rabid trot near us. I didn't even want to ponder that scenario.
We had lunch at a great campsite and played on the seesaw's there. Very fun. We also got mail. To be totally honest, getting mail on the road is one of the nicest feelings ever. Some of us tend to get more than others. This group doesn't quite include me. So do check out the new "how to send george love via mail tab on the right" Seriously even pity mail is a huge morale booster. Wow this is shameless.
West Virginia is actually pretty beautiful. It's basically all rolling hills and mountains with lots of trees and pastures. Rugged is how i would describe it. It's a different kind of beauty from Pennsylvania's open flat farms and one that deserves exploring. The rest of the ride was pretty decent and mostly downhill fortunately.
At one point there was an older lady mowing a large field on a sit down mower while her husband sat and watched the event on a lawn chair. Not gonna lie, kinda odd from the road.
The elbow wound is healing pretty well though the size of the future scar is apparent. Taking care of a semi-serious wound like that is interesting. It really makes me think a lot more about the special low maintenance relationship we have with our bodies that is often taken for granted i feel. It's also amazing to see how much abuse our bodies are capable of withstanding.
Dinner at the church was great and over conversation with one of the members we talked about college sports. Now college football has never made much sense to me. I never really understood why people care so much with something thats not even in professional athletics. Over our conversation however i came to realize that states like West Virginia don't have any major league teams at all in any sports. Their state universities are really the only things that represent them individually and it makes sense that people would rally around them. It all makes an incredible amount of sense to me know. While i still am not used to the idea, being from NYC, i can totally appreciate more rural states addiction to college football way more now through this one simple conversation.
Kelly's 21st birthday was today. Some riders went out to 7-11 and bought some makeshift presents including tin foil for a hat and a pack of bologni. Her mom also legit sent her a frog pinata full of candy that we will hit during lunch tomorrow. That is just plain super cool.
The whole getting into a host routine is kinda starting to take its toll given that we do the exact same things every single night without any real time to hang out or do actual activities. We're still so grateful to our hosts but its just so mentally exhausting to go through the same motions every morning, day, and night.
For me, this kinda represents a larger metaphor for life where we're pretty much doing the same things whether it be our jobs, schoolwork, taxes, toilet bowl cleaning, or other obligations that don't seem to ever disappear. It's pointless to get upset over these constant things, but it is rather more helpful to focus on the little hidden gems in life that are in between these chores and that give us happiness and hope for the next day. Most people call this the weekend. For me on this trip, it can be trying to push a haybarrel on the side of a road, posing near a funny sign, or having an enlightening conversation. But i feel this mentality can be applied way more generally in life and its something that I've realized I need to start cultivating for this trip. I think that by the end I'll be way better off in life for having done so.
Off to Ohio tomorrow, I can't even believe that we're really that far already.
Cold + Rain = ?
Day 14 - June 17, 1 day late
89 miles. Cumberland, MD to Parsons, WV
So this day's journal is the only one I haven't written on the day of due to my sheer exhaustion yesterday. So much stuff happens each day that not writing daily makes it impossible to capture it all.
The theme of this post is discomfort. In many forms. The day started off rainy which was eh. Should I ever need to imagine what Armageddon will look like, this day will be my closest point of reference. Unfortunately I couldnt figure out my layering situation quickly enough and on top of that my rain jacket soon turned into a wetsuit. Note: Water-resistant and Water-proof are not equivalent. The result was that within the first 5 miles of our wettest, windiest, longest, hilliest day yet i was already soaked through every layer. The windchill was really the worst part and on every single downhill the wind felt like daggers flying through my body. I was too cold to even curse and had to resort to pure primal screaming just to try and keep warm. As my older posts indicate, i really purely hate biking in the rain, let alone freezing, and it was easy the most miserable I can ever remember being in my life. The whole point of biking is the joy of enjoying the world around you and its hidden gems. In otherwords its the journey, not just getting to point B. When it rains all I can think of is how uncomfortable I am and how I just want it to be over as soon as possible. It's fitting then that at mile 20 just as I was hitting the early stages of hypothermia, my back tire decided to get a flat.
Fortunately there was this one bar right there(the only building for miles) that i was able to go into. I didn't have any cell phone coverage to call the van so i don't even know what wouldve happened if i didn't warm up in there. The owner Judy was kind enough to give me a hot chocolate and let me change my tire inside. While there another rider Carlos found me. He called the van and after the tire was fixed we rode three more miles to meet the van. Two other people had already been picked up due to the cold and others were getting into dry layers. At the van I immediately inhaled 3 donuts and put on every dry piece of clothing I had. Fortunately the other riders were doing well with the rain and were able to keep going.
I rode in there until lunch about 10 miles later so that i could warm up. I was much warmer and drier by then and the rain had stopped. Thus i was in a better mood!
We rode on and guess what, the sun came out! It happened just as we were crossing this great bridge low on the water and I screamed with delight at the top of my lungs.
For the rest of the trip the sun would disappear and reappear about 3 more times. It was literally the craziest weather. At one point we were being poured on as we could see the sun and blue sky.
At mile 63 we crossed into West Virginia, the "Wild and Wonderful" state. Enough Said.
Big highlight: As i left our second lunch i realized i had forgotten my gloves. I started going back just as i heard some rustling in the woods and barking. Not more than 30 feet in front of me a huge buck emerged from the forest and ran across the road. I was the only person there and immediately felt such a great connection to nature in that one moment. Seeing its muscles ripple was just so beautiful and stunning. If you've ever seen wildlife you may know what I'm talking about.
As i continued the route i soon realized that my chain was acting and sounding funky. I found out later that the rain had completely removed all of its lubrication. The result was that I might as well have been hauling 4 pumpkins. And not even in a carriage, I mean like dangling from a rope. At the top of the last hill was the extremely rewarding site of gigantic wind turbines. These guys were HUGE and actually cool as hell. It was super sweet because we had seen those same turbines 10 miles ago from the valley. I got pretty close and couldn't help but just stare for 5 minutes straight. I also pondered the whole concept of pure renewable energy which when you think about it is pretty mindblowing. The only word i could think of how to describe them was gracious.
By now it was already 8pm and I had been on the road for 12 hours. There were still 15 miles more and I was done. The van came and picked me up along with the last few riders and drove us past countless more hills that made me cringe just looking at them and thinking of my chain.
The chuch in Parsons was very gracious and put out a great spread along with letting us sleep in the sanctuary which was a cool experience. It was also Dan's 20th birthday and we presented him with a dinosaur birthday cake to match the stickers on his bike.
By that point i was just purely beaten, like unimaginably so. I barely ate any dinner and dragged myself straight to bed at 9. While routine is important to me, such as journaling and cleaning my bike, I knew I needed to sleep right there and then at 9pm. It was a fabulous 9 hours.
Overall it's just really hard to reconcile the overall awesomeness of Bike and Build with the small pockets of misery such as this day. Lets just hope for less rain.
Also, just as I'm writing this the second rider today told me that her mom is a follower of the blog. Pure Awesomesauce. Makes me so happy to know that the Bike and Build P2SF family audience audience is growing. The slight pressure to deliver makes sure i do it and this is great.
One of the most overwhelming things about this trip is the sheer lack of personal quiet time, especially given our time constraints. Though I lose about an hour of sleep, my journaling is a legitimate contributor to the maintenance of my sanity and prevents general passive aggressiveness. It helps even more to know that someone is actually reading all of this. So thank you for encouraging my sanity! Will try to stay funny for you all. And maybe even insightful...
89 miles. Cumberland, MD to Parsons, WV
So this day's journal is the only one I haven't written on the day of due to my sheer exhaustion yesterday. So much stuff happens each day that not writing daily makes it impossible to capture it all.
The theme of this post is discomfort. In many forms. The day started off rainy which was eh. Should I ever need to imagine what Armageddon will look like, this day will be my closest point of reference. Unfortunately I couldnt figure out my layering situation quickly enough and on top of that my rain jacket soon turned into a wetsuit. Note: Water-resistant and Water-proof are not equivalent. The result was that within the first 5 miles of our wettest, windiest, longest, hilliest day yet i was already soaked through every layer. The windchill was really the worst part and on every single downhill the wind felt like daggers flying through my body. I was too cold to even curse and had to resort to pure primal screaming just to try and keep warm. As my older posts indicate, i really purely hate biking in the rain, let alone freezing, and it was easy the most miserable I can ever remember being in my life. The whole point of biking is the joy of enjoying the world around you and its hidden gems. In otherwords its the journey, not just getting to point B. When it rains all I can think of is how uncomfortable I am and how I just want it to be over as soon as possible. It's fitting then that at mile 20 just as I was hitting the early stages of hypothermia, my back tire decided to get a flat.
Fortunately there was this one bar right there(the only building for miles) that i was able to go into. I didn't have any cell phone coverage to call the van so i don't even know what wouldve happened if i didn't warm up in there. The owner Judy was kind enough to give me a hot chocolate and let me change my tire inside. While there another rider Carlos found me. He called the van and after the tire was fixed we rode three more miles to meet the van. Two other people had already been picked up due to the cold and others were getting into dry layers. At the van I immediately inhaled 3 donuts and put on every dry piece of clothing I had. Fortunately the other riders were doing well with the rain and were able to keep going.
I rode in there until lunch about 10 miles later so that i could warm up. I was much warmer and drier by then and the rain had stopped. Thus i was in a better mood!
We rode on and guess what, the sun came out! It happened just as we were crossing this great bridge low on the water and I screamed with delight at the top of my lungs.
For the rest of the trip the sun would disappear and reappear about 3 more times. It was literally the craziest weather. At one point we were being poured on as we could see the sun and blue sky.
At mile 63 we crossed into West Virginia, the "Wild and Wonderful" state. Enough Said.
Big highlight: As i left our second lunch i realized i had forgotten my gloves. I started going back just as i heard some rustling in the woods and barking. Not more than 30 feet in front of me a huge buck emerged from the forest and ran across the road. I was the only person there and immediately felt such a great connection to nature in that one moment. Seeing its muscles ripple was just so beautiful and stunning. If you've ever seen wildlife you may know what I'm talking about.
As i continued the route i soon realized that my chain was acting and sounding funky. I found out later that the rain had completely removed all of its lubrication. The result was that I might as well have been hauling 4 pumpkins. And not even in a carriage, I mean like dangling from a rope. At the top of the last hill was the extremely rewarding site of gigantic wind turbines. These guys were HUGE and actually cool as hell. It was super sweet because we had seen those same turbines 10 miles ago from the valley. I got pretty close and couldn't help but just stare for 5 minutes straight. I also pondered the whole concept of pure renewable energy which when you think about it is pretty mindblowing. The only word i could think of how to describe them was gracious.
By now it was already 8pm and I had been on the road for 12 hours. There were still 15 miles more and I was done. The van came and picked me up along with the last few riders and drove us past countless more hills that made me cringe just looking at them and thinking of my chain.
The chuch in Parsons was very gracious and put out a great spread along with letting us sleep in the sanctuary which was a cool experience. It was also Dan's 20th birthday and we presented him with a dinosaur birthday cake to match the stickers on his bike.
By that point i was just purely beaten, like unimaginably so. I barely ate any dinner and dragged myself straight to bed at 9. While routine is important to me, such as journaling and cleaning my bike, I knew I needed to sleep right there and then at 9pm. It was a fabulous 9 hours.
Overall it's just really hard to reconcile the overall awesomeness of Bike and Build with the small pockets of misery such as this day. Lets just hope for less rain.
Also, just as I'm writing this the second rider today told me that her mom is a follower of the blog. Pure Awesomesauce. Makes me so happy to know that the Bike and Build P2SF family audience audience is growing. The slight pressure to deliver makes sure i do it and this is great.
One of the most overwhelming things about this trip is the sheer lack of personal quiet time, especially given our time constraints. Though I lose about an hour of sleep, my journaling is a legitimate contributor to the maintenance of my sanity and prevents general passive aggressiveness. It helps even more to know that someone is actually reading all of this. So thank you for encouraging my sanity! Will try to stay funny for you all. And maybe even insightful...
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Poop. Lots of Poop.
Day 13 - June 16, 9:56pm
Build Day. Cumberland, MD
I woke up pretty tired today from hanging out last night and realized that this has been the most sleep deprived period of my life. I don't regret having fun last night at all but I was pretty miserable for most of today due to not having enough sleep.
In the morning, our host for the artspace, Lucas(Noah's friend) brought us some great cereal and blueberries. He's an awesome dude and just one of those people that you know you'll get along with real well within the first 30 seconds of meeting.
Speaking of sleep, the leaders right this minute just announced a 5:30am wakeup tomorrow, since we have 82 miles through the heart of the appalachians. Oh fun. Did i mention it will be raining!
Today half of us went to build steps for the porch of a homeless shelter while the others did drywalling for another shelter. I was in the former group and it was really great since we actually started with nothing and today there is a brand new set of stairs there. This will stop the insurance from charging them huge premiums for that fire hazard. It was even more meaningful since Noah donated his $500 Bike and Build donation(which every rider gets) for the supplies. It was amazing to realize how without us this project would've never gotten moving and how much of a tangible difference we have made for the financial struggle of the homeless shelter. Also, guess who got to use a power drill!
Colin King's Dad was there and gave so much help to what seemed like a bunch of blue shirted hammer wielding headless chickens. Steven's mom and sister also passed by which was so nice. I was especially glad to meet Steven's mom Priscilla. I might have said this before but I love meeting people's parents and getting to see what has shaped them.
At lunch i changed my wound dressings and realized that there was actually no skin on a decent patch of my elbow. Disgusting is a pretty fitting word. We're taking really good care of it so I'm sure it'll heal just fine. But i'll also probably have a decent battle scar as well. Again, all i could think about was how much worse it really should have been, and how even if it does scar what's the big deal. I won't lie though, walking around with a wrap on my elbow does make me feel(and look) pretty hardcore. I should be able to ride tomorrow no problem though it will def be a bit more annoying and painful with the bandages. Fortunately, butt issues are way more under control though i did find two saddle sores today as are most riders. They're these little pimple like things in your crotch area that result from rubbing and are almost inevitable. With all of this crazy stuff we're doing to our bodies i can't help but laugh and think "Really? are we really doing this willingly?"
In the afternoon, i went to the bike shop where the mechanics were super kind and fixed up our bikes for free. Mine had some kinks from the fall but is fine. On our way there some huge dude in a pony tail yelled at us saying "Hey stop, no blue shirts on tuesday" Needless, to say we were horrified only to find out that he was the owner of the bike shop and laughing his ass off at having pranked us. He was definitely a fun guy.
So as i was sitting against the wall of the bike shop with Sonya, trying to nap, shit went down. I literally mean that shit fell. As in i felt a splash and saw that i had 6 bird poop stains on my shirt. 4 on my shirt and 2 on my shorts. I kid you not that i literally got shit on from the sky today. Not one foot to the left or right of me(Sonya was untouched), but right where i was sitting. It's funny how its always the people who didn't get pooped on that inform you of your supposedly newfound "good luck". Anyway, I started screaming in my disgust but soon started laughing uncontrollably as i realized how hilarious it was. Especially since i was feeling horrible from no sleep this just confirmed that today wasn't my day.
Fortunately afterwards i was able to get a solid two hours of sleep in and felt much better. We went over to this nice bar where Noah's had arranged for his friend Lucas' dad's band "Shanty Irish" to give a performance for us. It was great traditional Irish folk music and we were all jigging away and hollering with them.
We were treated to dinner by a local Synagogue who had great vegan and gluten free options for our riders as well as an awesome bicycle design in the powdered sugar on one of the cakes. They were so so kind and it was nice to see such generosity spread out across different religious establishments. One of the members took out a map and helped us do some major avoiding of hills for tomorrow.
After searching all my stuff today, I've officially confirmed that my wallet has misplaced me. Of course this sucks beyond belief as all my IDs, and important cards were there. It's the only wallet i've ever had and it's the first time this has happened in all of its six years with me. If anyone reading this blog has it please do comment and let me know! I'm basically planning on trying to contact every random general store i've stopped at but hope is not high right now.
In general this whole routine of packing and unpacking all of my stuff every day is really stressful for me though I'm getting better. Being in so much flux and losing little things on top of everything else going on and your physical exhaustion is not the funnest.
For a little while today i started thinking about what will be going on for me as i return to my Junior Year of college in the fall. I hated that i was getting stressed out about some obligations that i have waiting for me. This summer is so surreal in its isolation from all my normal life and i want it to stay that way. I've been having so much fun this summer that I am slowly developing the rough mentality that If you don't enjoy something and can bail without too much fallout then do it. That's exactly what I considered as i thought of those school obligations and it immediately calmed me down. As much as we can, we should live life for us and for the people we care about, and prevent the clutter of life from seeping in and corroding this. Pretty easy for an idealistic responsibility-free teen to say, but still.
Officially decided today that I will aim to grow my facial hair until San Francisco. Notice the use of the phrase "facial hair" and not "beard". Today was the first time i ever cleaned it up as opposed to fully shaving and its not too bad. Am hoping for at least +8 rugged points by August.
It makes me super happy that more and more riders are telling me that they're family members are following this blog and are encouraging me to keep writing. It's kind of unfamiliar territory but also an honor to be able to bring you along for this journey in daily doses. Please do keep the great comments coming. I figure with this many readers, at least someone has to appreciate my warped humor...
Hope to at least be able to walk down the stairs semi comfortably tomorrow. Its prob going to be the hardest yet(funny how i keep saying that) and will totally rock my world. Can't wait!
Build Day. Cumberland, MD
I woke up pretty tired today from hanging out last night and realized that this has been the most sleep deprived period of my life. I don't regret having fun last night at all but I was pretty miserable for most of today due to not having enough sleep.
In the morning, our host for the artspace, Lucas(Noah's friend) brought us some great cereal and blueberries. He's an awesome dude and just one of those people that you know you'll get along with real well within the first 30 seconds of meeting.
Speaking of sleep, the leaders right this minute just announced a 5:30am wakeup tomorrow, since we have 82 miles through the heart of the appalachians. Oh fun. Did i mention it will be raining!
Today half of us went to build steps for the porch of a homeless shelter while the others did drywalling for another shelter. I was in the former group and it was really great since we actually started with nothing and today there is a brand new set of stairs there. This will stop the insurance from charging them huge premiums for that fire hazard. It was even more meaningful since Noah donated his $500 Bike and Build donation(which every rider gets) for the supplies. It was amazing to realize how without us this project would've never gotten moving and how much of a tangible difference we have made for the financial struggle of the homeless shelter. Also, guess who got to use a power drill!
Colin King's Dad was there and gave so much help to what seemed like a bunch of blue shirted hammer wielding headless chickens. Steven's mom and sister also passed by which was so nice. I was especially glad to meet Steven's mom Priscilla. I might have said this before but I love meeting people's parents and getting to see what has shaped them.
At lunch i changed my wound dressings and realized that there was actually no skin on a decent patch of my elbow. Disgusting is a pretty fitting word. We're taking really good care of it so I'm sure it'll heal just fine. But i'll also probably have a decent battle scar as well. Again, all i could think about was how much worse it really should have been, and how even if it does scar what's the big deal. I won't lie though, walking around with a wrap on my elbow does make me feel(and look) pretty hardcore. I should be able to ride tomorrow no problem though it will def be a bit more annoying and painful with the bandages. Fortunately, butt issues are way more under control though i did find two saddle sores today as are most riders. They're these little pimple like things in your crotch area that result from rubbing and are almost inevitable. With all of this crazy stuff we're doing to our bodies i can't help but laugh and think "Really? are we really doing this willingly?"
In the afternoon, i went to the bike shop where the mechanics were super kind and fixed up our bikes for free. Mine had some kinks from the fall but is fine. On our way there some huge dude in a pony tail yelled at us saying "Hey stop, no blue shirts on tuesday" Needless, to say we were horrified only to find out that he was the owner of the bike shop and laughing his ass off at having pranked us. He was definitely a fun guy.
So as i was sitting against the wall of the bike shop with Sonya, trying to nap, shit went down. I literally mean that shit fell. As in i felt a splash and saw that i had 6 bird poop stains on my shirt. 4 on my shirt and 2 on my shorts. I kid you not that i literally got shit on from the sky today. Not one foot to the left or right of me(Sonya was untouched), but right where i was sitting. It's funny how its always the people who didn't get pooped on that inform you of your supposedly newfound "good luck". Anyway, I started screaming in my disgust but soon started laughing uncontrollably as i realized how hilarious it was. Especially since i was feeling horrible from no sleep this just confirmed that today wasn't my day.
Fortunately afterwards i was able to get a solid two hours of sleep in and felt much better. We went over to this nice bar where Noah's had arranged for his friend Lucas' dad's band "Shanty Irish" to give a performance for us. It was great traditional Irish folk music and we were all jigging away and hollering with them.
We were treated to dinner by a local Synagogue who had great vegan and gluten free options for our riders as well as an awesome bicycle design in the powdered sugar on one of the cakes. They were so so kind and it was nice to see such generosity spread out across different religious establishments. One of the members took out a map and helped us do some major avoiding of hills for tomorrow.
After searching all my stuff today, I've officially confirmed that my wallet has misplaced me. Of course this sucks beyond belief as all my IDs, and important cards were there. It's the only wallet i've ever had and it's the first time this has happened in all of its six years with me. If anyone reading this blog has it please do comment and let me know! I'm basically planning on trying to contact every random general store i've stopped at but hope is not high right now.
In general this whole routine of packing and unpacking all of my stuff every day is really stressful for me though I'm getting better. Being in so much flux and losing little things on top of everything else going on and your physical exhaustion is not the funnest.
For a little while today i started thinking about what will be going on for me as i return to my Junior Year of college in the fall. I hated that i was getting stressed out about some obligations that i have waiting for me. This summer is so surreal in its isolation from all my normal life and i want it to stay that way. I've been having so much fun this summer that I am slowly developing the rough mentality that If you don't enjoy something and can bail without too much fallout then do it. That's exactly what I considered as i thought of those school obligations and it immediately calmed me down. As much as we can, we should live life for us and for the people we care about, and prevent the clutter of life from seeping in and corroding this. Pretty easy for an idealistic responsibility-free teen to say, but still.
Officially decided today that I will aim to grow my facial hair until San Francisco. Notice the use of the phrase "facial hair" and not "beard". Today was the first time i ever cleaned it up as opposed to fully shaving and its not too bad. Am hoping for at least +8 rugged points by August.
It makes me super happy that more and more riders are telling me that they're family members are following this blog and are encouraging me to keep writing. It's kind of unfamiliar territory but also an honor to be able to bring you along for this journey in daily doses. Please do keep the great comments coming. I figure with this many readers, at least someone has to appreciate my warped humor...
Hope to at least be able to walk down the stairs semi comfortably tomorrow. Its prob going to be the hardest yet(funny how i keep saying that) and will totally rock my world. Can't wait!
Wipeout
Day 12 - June 15, 10:27pm
60 miles. McConnelsburg, PA to Cumberland, MA
Woke up today only to realize how much I would miss my host family Don and Charlotte. They had a regal spread of eggs, pork and fruit. On top of everything Charlotte new i LOVE ketchup on my egss because they had read my rider bio. We talked about how she too had raised her kids that way. They insisted that we would not leave their house without trying Scraple. Its this little patty like things that is literally just leftover pork scraps. Between the sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, and scraple i basically ate an entire pig for breakfast.
All of last night I had seen Charlotte struggling to barely walk around her own house and this morning she told me about how MS is a mentally degenerative disease which i had no idea of. She mentioned how she was an active reader every day to keep the MS symptoms at bay. The strength, love, and perseverence from this small woman was overwhelming. Don was equally great and drove out last night just to pick up ointment for my rear which has since gotten much better.
When we got back to the Church ready to head out, I found that a bird had pooped on my bag as it was waiting to be packed. Yea.
Couple of highlights on the road:
Found a dead turtle on the road, which was a first. Passed through this nice little tunnel and Rob, Julie and I took the opportunity to chalk, i mean graffiti, a "P2SF wuz here" right before
our dope pose.
We also officially passed the Mason - Dixon line from PA into Maryland which was marked by this great obelisk.
Though i thought yesterday's two mountains were a special case, it turns out we had three today. So much for getting a break. As we were climbing on right at 2pm with the sun at its strongest, I remember never ever being so ridiculously sweaty and grimy and exhausted at once. Getting to the peak at 1,602 feet and seeing the view in my sweaty, panting glory was supreme.
On the way down i took a spill coming into a turn. It was obviously super scary but i managed only a scrape on my elbow and thigh. I seriously wouldn't put it being past a miracle. I'm literally 100% fine save for my scrapes but it was supremely humbling to think of how much i really should've hurt myself. I rode the last 20 miles in the van and it really sucked totally. On an emotional level i hated not being with my friends and not having that sense of accomplishment. On a physical level, my body was all hyped up on adrenaline and was literally craving for endorphins and physical activity so it felt horrible. Getting to our host site not being totally exhausted ironically enough is the worst feeling one can have on this trip. There were four other people who got vanned for various reasons so it was great that we could have some company.
It really made me appreciate the ability to be healthy and fit enough to ride everyday and enjoy all the fun stops and all. I'll admit that i love building speed on downhills and after this I learned that i need to be way more respectful of the dangerous endeavour I'm making. Seriously, beyond just cycling it's so easy to take things for granted, and with potentially dangerous things like this I feel that second chances are not really the norm. At least my camera and phone are still intact.
We're staying in a super sweet huge empty loft that is normally an art space, courtesy of Noah's cool friend Lucas and had dinner graciously provided by the Cumberland African United Methodist Church.
Really funny, on our way walking back across the railroad tracks we were midway when the bells started ringing and the bars started dropping. We all literally started screaming and running. It was absolutely terrifying and hilarious. I mean seriously, since when do trains actually pass by railroad tracks anymore?
For the record, I am considering my personal issue resolved. Not necessarily in the way i originally expected but its nice to be able to have come to terms with it and to be able to focus more on the trip now. A lot of us got a chance to hang out in the town tonight and i had some really awesome bonding/conversations. All i could think about during them was how much i am looking forward to being great friends with these people after this.
We're having a build day tomorrow. Finally, rest!
60 miles. McConnelsburg, PA to Cumberland, MA
Woke up today only to realize how much I would miss my host family Don and Charlotte. They had a regal spread of eggs, pork and fruit. On top of everything Charlotte new i LOVE ketchup on my egss because they had read my rider bio. We talked about how she too had raised her kids that way. They insisted that we would not leave their house without trying Scraple. Its this little patty like things that is literally just leftover pork scraps. Between the sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, and scraple i basically ate an entire pig for breakfast.
All of last night I had seen Charlotte struggling to barely walk around her own house and this morning she told me about how MS is a mentally degenerative disease which i had no idea of. She mentioned how she was an active reader every day to keep the MS symptoms at bay. The strength, love, and perseverence from this small woman was overwhelming. Don was equally great and drove out last night just to pick up ointment for my rear which has since gotten much better.
When we got back to the Church ready to head out, I found that a bird had pooped on my bag as it was waiting to be packed. Yea.
Couple of highlights on the road:
Found a dead turtle on the road, which was a first. Passed through this nice little tunnel and Rob, Julie and I took the opportunity to chalk, i mean graffiti, a "P2SF wuz here" right before
our dope pose.
We also officially passed the Mason - Dixon line from PA into Maryland which was marked by this great obelisk.
Though i thought yesterday's two mountains were a special case, it turns out we had three today. So much for getting a break. As we were climbing on right at 2pm with the sun at its strongest, I remember never ever being so ridiculously sweaty and grimy and exhausted at once. Getting to the peak at 1,602 feet and seeing the view in my sweaty, panting glory was supreme.
On the way down i took a spill coming into a turn. It was obviously super scary but i managed only a scrape on my elbow and thigh. I seriously wouldn't put it being past a miracle. I'm literally 100% fine save for my scrapes but it was supremely humbling to think of how much i really should've hurt myself. I rode the last 20 miles in the van and it really sucked totally. On an emotional level i hated not being with my friends and not having that sense of accomplishment. On a physical level, my body was all hyped up on adrenaline and was literally craving for endorphins and physical activity so it felt horrible. Getting to our host site not being totally exhausted ironically enough is the worst feeling one can have on this trip. There were four other people who got vanned for various reasons so it was great that we could have some company.
It really made me appreciate the ability to be healthy and fit enough to ride everyday and enjoy all the fun stops and all. I'll admit that i love building speed on downhills and after this I learned that i need to be way more respectful of the dangerous endeavour I'm making. Seriously, beyond just cycling it's so easy to take things for granted, and with potentially dangerous things like this I feel that second chances are not really the norm. At least my camera and phone are still intact.
We're staying in a super sweet huge empty loft that is normally an art space, courtesy of Noah's cool friend Lucas and had dinner graciously provided by the Cumberland African United Methodist Church.
Really funny, on our way walking back across the railroad tracks we were midway when the bells started ringing and the bars started dropping. We all literally started screaming and running. It was absolutely terrifying and hilarious. I mean seriously, since when do trains actually pass by railroad tracks anymore?
For the record, I am considering my personal issue resolved. Not necessarily in the way i originally expected but its nice to be able to have come to terms with it and to be able to focus more on the trip now. A lot of us got a chance to hang out in the town tonight and i had some really awesome bonding/conversations. All i could think about during them was how much i am looking forward to being great friends with these people after this.
We're having a build day tomorrow. Finally, rest!
Hardest. Day. Ever.
Day 11 - June 13, 10:37pm
82 miles. Schuylkill Haven PA, to McConnelsburg, PA
Thats right, 82 miles. I just spent 6 hours pedaling on my bike today. No way have I ever done anything like this to my body. Ever. AND IT FEELS GREAT!
This week I'm assigned to the cleanup chore crew, where my group has to make sure our host site is totally clean before we leave. Last week we were responsible for giving the presentation to our hosts during dinner.
Day started off quietly enough with more of the great rolling countryside and sunny weather. Got into a good game of boticelli on the road and a group of us were able to stop at this cozy sandwich shop in Carlisle, PA where Meghan was kind enough to let us fill up on bagels. It was such an obvious college joint for the nearby school and gave off that great hip vibe with its leather couches.
Following lunch a group of us came across these awesome oxen like creatrures and just observed their shagginess for a while. In general there areo many farm animals on the way. I can hardly describe how painfully beautiful some horses have been along the way. The smelly cows not so much but they're still cool and they even moo at us sometimes when we yell at them enough.
We could only go 200 more feet before we had to do an obiligatory frolic among hay barrells. it took 3 of us to even budge one. Fun was had by all.
Saw two amish horse buggies today. Seeing them have signal blinkers on the carriage and having to negotiate an intersection with them was hilarious.
We knew we had a long day ahead of us and pushed it until mile 60. This is when we quickly realized that the reason we had had so much flat ground for 3 days was because we had just reached the actual mountain range separating us from the rest of the country. Namely, the start of the Appalachians. CT had hills but i'm emphasizing that this was a legitimate mountain, meaning a mile and a half of straight ascent. I started climbing just before I was able to realize that all of us on this trip are probably insane.
To be honest, it just didn't end and was mindboggling. We were all in lowest gears barely able to rotate the pedals. It's too bad that this is where some of our riders with knee problems had to call the van. Never ever have I been so furious and happy at the same time as when i summited the ascent. We could hardly believe what we had just done and treated ourselves to the two mile downhill waiting for us.
At the next town, we were all ready for calories and invaded a general store. This is where I ate an entire sleeve of Fig Newtons, about 15 or so in 10 minutes. This did not fill me up as much as it merely held me over till i could snack next or dinner. But it gets better.
A few miles later at mile 70 we were treated to yet another full ascent of a mountain. This was just pure horror and my legs have probably never pushed so hard in my life. Unfortunately it was so steep that some riders had to get off and walk up. Don't know how but i found the power to get to the top where the riders ahead of me were splashing in the lake there.
Never in my life have i been so assured and determined to do anything as i was when i started marching straight into the water. I could barely get my gear off before my body threw itself into the water. It was like a baby's but meeting talc powder, except there was no mother applying anything. I was so hyped up on endorphins that i couldn't stop laughing the entire time. After our splash session, we assumed a quick 10 miles to our destination only to find that we had not even summited the mountain. Again, I might as well have been being beat with smelly bricks the whole way up. I'm sure the exhaustion from that would've been less. At the top of the ascent I found a second wind, via some vehement cursing, that brought me to this awesome biker bar and a breathtaking dusk view of our town.
We descended a super 3 miles of downhill to meet each other and our hosts. I remember still wanting to do more after having just done 82 miles. What happened today was literally both the best and worst thing I've ever done to my body. The whole way up was the most horrible muscular struggle I've ever faced, but it was so worth it. Seriously, there wasn't anything i didn't think i could accomplish after having just destroyed those two mountains. I'm sure that feeling will probably stay with me for a long time after this trip. it's just so great and inexplicable to be able to push yourself far past the limit that your mind sets for yourself. It opens up a whole new hidden pocket of self confidence.
We are doing homestay's tonight and the fabulous Don and Charlotte are hosting me and Doug. They're super cool. Don builds baseball fields around the country with his identical twin brother and his office is best described as a shrine to the sport with a wall of autographed balls and two actual stadium streets there. Charlotte is such a sweetheart who used to teach 4th grade and kindergarten. She is so much fun to talk with. I barely asked her anything before she was already telling me her and Don's life story. it's really painful for me to see the effects that Multiple Sclerosis is having on her ability to walk around her own house. But her eyes lit up like unregulated headlights when she explained how she just recently reached the one mile a day landmark on her recumbrent bicycle. What great people.
Their son Tim who lives next door also passed by and Doug and i chatted with him about his time in the Peace core in Chad.
I actually can't even keep my eyes open anymore. to sleep. now.
82 miles. Schuylkill Haven PA, to McConnelsburg, PA
Thats right, 82 miles. I just spent 6 hours pedaling on my bike today. No way have I ever done anything like this to my body. Ever. AND IT FEELS GREAT!
This week I'm assigned to the cleanup chore crew, where my group has to make sure our host site is totally clean before we leave. Last week we were responsible for giving the presentation to our hosts during dinner.
Day started off quietly enough with more of the great rolling countryside and sunny weather. Got into a good game of boticelli on the road and a group of us were able to stop at this cozy sandwich shop in Carlisle, PA where Meghan was kind enough to let us fill up on bagels. It was such an obvious college joint for the nearby school and gave off that great hip vibe with its leather couches.
Following lunch a group of us came across these awesome oxen like creatrures and just observed their shagginess for a while. In general there areo many farm animals on the way. I can hardly describe how painfully beautiful some horses have been along the way. The smelly cows not so much but they're still cool and they even moo at us sometimes when we yell at them enough.
We could only go 200 more feet before we had to do an obiligatory frolic among hay barrells. it took 3 of us to even budge one. Fun was had by all.
Saw two amish horse buggies today. Seeing them have signal blinkers on the carriage and having to negotiate an intersection with them was hilarious.
We knew we had a long day ahead of us and pushed it until mile 60. This is when we quickly realized that the reason we had had so much flat ground for 3 days was because we had just reached the actual mountain range separating us from the rest of the country. Namely, the start of the Appalachians. CT had hills but i'm emphasizing that this was a legitimate mountain, meaning a mile and a half of straight ascent. I started climbing just before I was able to realize that all of us on this trip are probably insane.
To be honest, it just didn't end and was mindboggling. We were all in lowest gears barely able to rotate the pedals. It's too bad that this is where some of our riders with knee problems had to call the van. Never ever have I been so furious and happy at the same time as when i summited the ascent. We could hardly believe what we had just done and treated ourselves to the two mile downhill waiting for us.
At the next town, we were all ready for calories and invaded a general store. This is where I ate an entire sleeve of Fig Newtons, about 15 or so in 10 minutes. This did not fill me up as much as it merely held me over till i could snack next or dinner. But it gets better.
A few miles later at mile 70 we were treated to yet another full ascent of a mountain. This was just pure horror and my legs have probably never pushed so hard in my life. Unfortunately it was so steep that some riders had to get off and walk up. Don't know how but i found the power to get to the top where the riders ahead of me were splashing in the lake there.
Never in my life have i been so assured and determined to do anything as i was when i started marching straight into the water. I could barely get my gear off before my body threw itself into the water. It was like a baby's but meeting talc powder, except there was no mother applying anything. I was so hyped up on endorphins that i couldn't stop laughing the entire time. After our splash session, we assumed a quick 10 miles to our destination only to find that we had not even summited the mountain. Again, I might as well have been being beat with smelly bricks the whole way up. I'm sure the exhaustion from that would've been less. At the top of the ascent I found a second wind, via some vehement cursing, that brought me to this awesome biker bar and a breathtaking dusk view of our town.
We descended a super 3 miles of downhill to meet each other and our hosts. I remember still wanting to do more after having just done 82 miles. What happened today was literally both the best and worst thing I've ever done to my body. The whole way up was the most horrible muscular struggle I've ever faced, but it was so worth it. Seriously, there wasn't anything i didn't think i could accomplish after having just destroyed those two mountains. I'm sure that feeling will probably stay with me for a long time after this trip. it's just so great and inexplicable to be able to push yourself far past the limit that your mind sets for yourself. It opens up a whole new hidden pocket of self confidence.
We are doing homestay's tonight and the fabulous Don and Charlotte are hosting me and Doug. They're super cool. Don builds baseball fields around the country with his identical twin brother and his office is best described as a shrine to the sport with a wall of autographed balls and two actual stadium streets there. Charlotte is such a sweetheart who used to teach 4th grade and kindergarten. She is so much fun to talk with. I barely asked her anything before she was already telling me her and Don's life story. it's really painful for me to see the effects that Multiple Sclerosis is having on her ability to walk around her own house. But her eyes lit up like unregulated headlights when she explained how she just recently reached the one mile a day landmark on her recumbrent bicycle. What great people.
Their son Tim who lives next door also passed by and Doug and i chatted with him about his time in the Peace core in Chad.
I actually can't even keep my eyes open anymore. to sleep. now.
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