"Roger, Initiating Cyclist Escort Now"

Day 26 - July 1, 10:08pm
80 miles. Springfield, IL to Pittsfield, IL

Today was great. Smooth is really the word. I'm pretty sure it came down to the great breakfast that we had courtesy of the Church in Springfield. Having just cereal some mornings was really not cutting it and seriously affecting our ability to bike. Not the case with egg casseroles! The 5am wakeups are also becoming pretty standard procedure. I'll say it again, my morning routine is rocking and I officially packed my bag before Rob, which if you know how much of a zen master he is at organization says a lot.

A little cloudy and chilly this morning as we went back into corn country but the headwind was not serious. We were keeping a great pace all day and it was the first time ever that I haven't been waiting for lunch even though it was at mile 43 and we only snacked once. Conclusion: Big breakfasts from now on.

Couple of serious highlights today. Around mile 6 we stopped in this empty lot with three huge gravel piles to stretch. Of course, it wasn't long till us guys started to race up the tallest one we could find. Yes, It was a challenge even for our quads of steel. It was also super unnecessary, masculine, and fun. Aren't the best things in life?

I rode with Ryan Farr, Dan, Miranda, Clarissa pretty much all day and we had a great rhythym going. At one point we had to cross this super steep bridge to get over the Illinois river. We slowed to let this silver car go by us and then began our ascent. Little did we know that the driver of the silver car was actually an undercover cop who immediately turned on his sweet hidden strobes and proceeded to give us a full escort over the entire bridge. We couldn't have been more amped and he enthusiastically returned our fist pumps. Seriously, we are always joking about how funny it would be if a police cruiser spontaneously decided to escort us. To have an undercover car do that just blew our minds. How cool would it be if he had been tailing us since Providence as our hidden guardian accomplice only to appear in times of need. Hmm...Maybe we're not that important.

Highlight #2: Now that the corn is finally tall enough we decided that the time for frolicing was ripe. Let me tell you, running through corn stalks is just super. It's as overwhelming and crazy as you'd think it'd be. It was even better when we played our game of hide and seek for about 25 minutes. I had some time to really look at it up close and i realized that corn is actually a very interesting plant. It grows so tall and its stalks are super strong. It also has a really weird texture that just makes you want to run your hand along them.

The last part of the day saw some smooth cruising despite my 3rd flat of the trip. But it was all good since Clarissa gave me her Muscle Milk bar which apparently had 25 grams of protein(!?) in a little 5 inch bar. All i was missing was a creatine injection. We found a post office and i finally got to send some out that I've been holding since Kentucky. It's way harder than you'd think to send post cards on this trip given how little time we spend in each state and how little time we have to stop and look for them. Trust me though, everyone is trying their best to get them all out.

The church in Pittsfield put out an amazing spread for us as well as arranging for us to get some pool time in, as well as free haircuts and organizing homestays. I kept my hair but had this great Pizza/pasta dish and for dessert this wonderful strawberry fluff, jello like substance that i had to have them take away from me for my own safety.

I'm staying along with Max, Ryan Ellis, and Dan Coop with Lawrence and Rachel. They're such a sweet and warm couple. Rachel used to be a school teacher while Lawrence used to raise hogs(pigs). In fact, our very own Pittsfield was once the hog capital of the world. The details on when and how that title left are still oddly hazy with everyone i ask. Though the tradition of Pigs Day is still alive and is actually next week.

Their house is awesome. Lawrence showed us how he converted his old hog barn into a great woodshop where he keeps busy on fun projects including this great bench. (fun fact: Metal inside of wood turns it black, who knew!). He also has a great arrowhead collection. They had this great pool deck that literally overlooked 80 acres of corn right next to their house along with a sea of fireflies. The sunset on the drive home was nothing short of breathtaking in its fiery orange and pink and their Golden Retriever Denver is just a great bundle of energy.

Just hearing Lawrence talk about his hog work and looking out over the huge field of corn really took my head for a spin. I've never ever been to a place this rural and to see the kind of quiet, simple, lifestyle here(at least relatively) is so mindblowing. All i can see from my back window is a parking lot, and here i am in someone's backyard where there are 80 acres of corn extending almost infinitely. What gets me even more is the generational history of these places. Ever since it was settled, farming has been the way of life here, plain and simple, with duties passed on from children to grandchildren. The kind of freedom to travel around and see new places that i take for granted may not have been necessarily present for these folks growing up here. At least thats the impression I get. All i could think about was how two people (Lawrence and myself) could lead such tremendously different lifestyles and what different worlds we were both from, and how many more great honest, hardworking people like him there must be in our country. The cool thing though was that despite our differences and my awe for his work we were just two dudes having conversation and laughing. I mean isn't that what it all comes down to?

You can also clearly see how large scale agrobusiness with its thousands of acres has disrupted the traditional family farm but thats a whole other conversation. I'm definitely gaining a much greater appreciation or at least consciousness of where the food in my grocery store comes from and how this whole process of massive food consumption is fueled.

Anyway, farming blows my mind and Lawrence and Rachel are great. Tomorrow is relatively short into Hannibal, Missouri. It's apparently the home of Mark Twain(Samuel Clemmens) or something so im sure there are many adventures and stops awaiting us!`

The MEGALOAD!

Day 27 - June 30, 11:03pm
Build Day. Springfield, IL

Today was the first day aside from our day off where I woke up and thought, hey i'm actually awake and don't want to sleep more. Wonder when that'll happen again...

We were working at a Habitat Site today doing interior work. It was my first time ever doing drywall. Some did that while others drywalled. Putting up the sheet rock on the ceilings by hand was an adventure to say the least. Once again, I have tons more respect at every site for those who do construction for a living. It really is a craft that deserves respect. Dan and I were talking about how great it would be to build our own houses by hand one day. Aside from being way more economical I can't imagine the sense of pride, accomplishment and fulfillment that must come with it.

Got back to the church and finally had some free time. It's odd i realized how we clamor for free time all the time but i always find myself not really knowing what to do with it. I guess that's what happens when you get used to leading such a simple life of eating, sleeping, biking, and building. I find this pretty interesting in general of how you don't know what to do with something once you have it, despite having wanted it.

It was nice though to simply not have to do anything organized and just literally sit around. I decided to induldge in some reading which was fun. Even funner was the nap i fell into while reading on this super recliner. Gotta love those, reading naps are the best. Got at least an hour in and felt great.

My chore group is breakfast and laundry and we headed to the laundromat to wash clothes like we do every 3rd riding day. Inside we came across the mythically proportioned "MEGA LOAD", a beast among washers. I expect it to provide at least 2 weeks of good joke material. We also had fun watching Ryan Farr try out one of those machines where you try and get quarters to slide off a ramp by inserting quarters of your own. He was up 50 cents at one point actually, aka the first throw, but for some odd reason he wasn't able to keep the luck going. It's almost like the game was "rigged" as the owner of the laundromat herself mentioned.

Tomorrow is 80 or so miles and I'm looking forward to recovering from my last less than pleasurable ride. Crossing into Missouri should be fun. It's crazy how we're crossing whole states in 2 days and even moreso how we've come 1,400 miles. Perhaps its because i have more internet access than most, or maybe that ive had so much road time to think about the real world, I've felt a little detached from the wonderful bike and build isolated bubble. I mentioned this earlier and how great it is to just live in the present and focus on simplicity to the exclusion of real life responsibilites. Hopefully that rhythm will return starting on the road tomorrow.

Mind over Matter

Day 26 - June 29, 9:42
92 miles. Effingham, IL to Springfield, IL

First of all, I never really touched on the name our last town, Effingham. It's one of those things that you're relieved to find out you're not the only one who takes pleasure in.

Marisa and I were on sweep today meaning that we were suposed to be the last riders at all times. The last time i swept with Noah it was super fun and everyone ususally feels the same way since its basically an excuse to just take it slow and check out everything you can along the way. While i had high hopes for the day, we got a foreshadowing of what was to come when we did only 5 miles in the first hour.

It started out with my second flat tire of the trip. I've had a few tire problems in my time, but never an actual staple folded into my tire. Seriously, I don't think an actual stapler would have done such a good job of lodging it in there like that. It took 25 minutes altogether, not my best time. We then found out that Dennis' tire had one upped me and gotten actually slashed. When we caught up with them they had used a folded up dollar bill to plug the hole and inflate the inner tube. (It really works!)

The scenery was more of the same flat roads and farmland over and over and over and over again. We were literally in seas of corn. So much corn. So much. The only thing there may have been more of than corn was headwind. It just didn't want us moving. The craziest part was tthat no matter what direction the road turned, even when it did a full U turn, the headwind was still there to greet us.

Fortunately we hit a sweet bike path around mile 49 that took us about 11 miles to our second lunch. It was covered on both sides by trees so there was no wind meaning we could comfortably go 15mph or so as opposed to our previous of 9mph. It was so nice to be able to ride without worrying about 18 wheelers coming up on my ass and was a much needed mental break from the never-ending highway. It was so scenic and kind of made me feel as if i was riding through Narnia or something. Except without the centaurs and evil Ice queens and such.

I've established that after lunch is always my least favorite time since you've done so much but need to keep going and almost always gorge too much on food. But this time was especially bad. I hate to say it but around mile 70 I felt like i would shoot myself if I could. We were back in the Farm Sea and up against the worst headwind ever. The lack of a shoulder on the highway didn't help. Marisa was being a super soldier by powering on despite her bad knee, and it was no fault of her own, but it was personally maddening to have to pedal at 8 or 9mph when I knew that i could easily push 15 and get there twice as fast.

What really topped off this mess was that we could literally see 5 miles ahead of us at a time. The road was basically saying "Hey look at how much more of this constant peddling you have to struggle through!" It really reminded me of that shot from the wizard of Oz with the long winding road headed towards Emerald City with green on either side. It was basically that minus Toto and with a Corn Harvesting plant instead of Emerald City. Oh and I guess the yellow traffic lines do technically make it a "yellow road" I love it when analogies work out!

It was getting late and we just buckled down and kept pushing until we hit another bike path at 83, at which point the main struggle had finished. We ended up pulling into the church at 7:40, 12 hours after we had departed the first city. The church treated us to some great turkey burgers and Sherbet, that fun ice cream that instantly reminded me of those Flinstones Push Pops I used to inhale as a child.

This was definitely my most mentally challenging day yet, and speaks to how much cycling is not just physical. I had to start chanting at certain points to keep my mind from realizing how upset I was. It's kind of amazing how far we can push ourselves when we need to and I wonder/hope if I'll be able to carry this fortitude with me in my normal life.

Despite all of this, I did get to finally run through tall corn at one point, since it's been previously too short. It was super fun and way easy to get lost. I hope to venture deeper in the future. Maybe some bicycle themed crop circles wouldn't be too bad either...

Build day tomorrow!
Also, there are apparently some blog readers from Russia which is awesome, Privyet!

Tar-iffic!

Day 25 - June 28, 8:43pm
85 miles. Linton, IN to Effingham, IL

Decided to try waking up and plugging into my ipod for the first few minutes of the day. I played my usual wakeup songs as i packed my sleeping bag, brushed teeth, etc and it really helped me center and focus myself. I really think the morning sets the tone for the day and I think I'll keep doing this.

I was really feeling it today and rode in the fast group with 4 others. We totally tore it up and were flying. After one of us got a flat we were in the back again but soon changed that. While the riding is by no means a race, it does feel kind of awesome to totally zoom by and pass every single person once in a while.

We passed into Illinois, "land of lincoln" i think. It was a pretty cool sign and funny since the Indiana sign had claimed "boyhood home of Lincoln". Guess everyone just can't get enough of good ol Abraham. I also introduced the group to the group guessing game "Contact" which is kind of like Boticelli. By the end of the day everyone was playing and enjoying it which was cool.

Soon we got into the country roads and basically crossed over into a new universe. When 80% of the road traffic consists of tractors and the only intersections are at least 1 mile apart, you know you're in the heartland. Making a wrong turn would not have gone well. But seriously it was crazy farmland as far as you could see. I just couldn't get over the expansiveness of it. Also the weather was perfectly nice, super clear blue sky.

Just in case we were close to getting a break, a wonderful headwind decided to say hello. The lowest i clocked was 8.6mph cranking my hardest on totally flat land. Yes, It was windy and kind of ridiculous

Also, my fuzzy leopard dice are officially back in business. The string had snapped but i finally fixed them yesterday. I realized that they're not actually dice though since they only have a leopard print on them. Maybe i should call them cubes? Oh decisions...

Changed time zones today! how crazy is that. Pretty cool to have gone 40 miles and have it still technically be 9:30am. Saw a confederate flag flying on a flagpole under an american one and got really excited. Sonya and are still trying to figure out if the motorcycle on it added or detracted from its hardcoreness.

Right before the second lunch at mile 65 I was totally ready for naptime and running on fumes. Within 2 minutes of pulling in started a vigorous 30 min nap that was great. It's after that when the day got interesting.

I decided that i really wanted to ride alone and enjoy the scenery. It was really great to just take it all in in silence and to focus on my thoughts, muscles, and feelings. Large spaces really help me reflect on myself, I guess sort of how people like looking at stars. Plus, racing tractors was a highlight.

So the only issue with this is that all the tractors had somehow spread tar all over the gravel roads. Now tar, gravel, and tires are not the best cocktail, and my bike didn't have the best reaction if you get me. Basically at lunch i was talking about how hilarious it would be if the sticky tar slowly pulled our bikes to a halt. Well, it was not so funny when it actually happened. Basically i realized that even if its not rain, hills, heat, dogs, dehydration, or headwind, something will still find a way to go wrong. My only options were to ride on the tar part of the road and gunk up my tires with more tar, or ride on the gravel, and have it get stuck to the tires. I still never found out what option C was.

I eventually powered on through at a pretty lame pace but it was so awesome to have persevered through such horrible roads. I think everyone felt this way. (Maybe not Larry and Carlos, whose derraileurs actually completely snapped off their bikes) We might as well have been riding on a beach at some points.

Along the way, Debbie was kind enough to fill up my Camelbak with ice from her home which was great. The only thing worse than tar and gravel is tar, gravel, and dehydration. A group of us also took a shade break only to find a beautiful black dog come play with us. I wanted to call him chocolate because of his brown eyes, but the group decided on aptly calling him Tar.

A couple days ago i had started riding and accidentally forgot my helmet. The deal with that is that if you even straddle your bike without a helmet, you have to wear it until you sleep. So yes, i am now walking around in my normal clothes eating dinner wearing a helmet. Guess what i'll never do again...

We're staying at St. Anthony's High School today and are staying in the gym. We played some pickup soccer and basketball which was great destressing, especially the soccer.

Fun happening: I finally wrapped my elbow wound by myself today. I value autonomy and independence very highly and it felt oddly great to be able to accomplish something so small. Being able to be totally in charge and in control of yourself and everything that happens to you is just very appealing to me.

Most guys are growing out the facial hair and its not too scary so far. I may or may not be in that group but I'm definitely growing it out all the way through. Will be fun to see people's reactions in September.

Off to pizza and 91 miles tomorrow!

Hot, Wet Plumbers

Day 24 - June 27, 8:31pm
45 miles. Bedford, IN to Linton, IN

Earliest Journal ever! I am on a roll with my morning packing and its the greatest. You can probably tell since this is like the 5th time I've mentioned it. Yesterday Libby and I promised each other we would ride together and that's exactly what we did today. I haven't ridden an entire route with only one other person since i usually like to mix it up. But it can actually be pretty fun to bond with one other person like that.

The terrain was flat and expansive as usual but there were some hills here and there creeping up on us. We were on the same road all day with not the best shoulder to ride on but with slightly more emotionally stable drivers.

Honestly the flat land is great but im pretty convinced we're already getting spoiled and will get a rude wake up at the Rockies. But thats cool, cause i love it so much right now. And besides I'm sure our badassness will totally kick back in once we face a challenge like that. We had a solid frolic session today to induct Libby into the club. I also managed to score a solid wheelbarrowing victory. Needless to say Libby is fully converted.

We had some pretty great conversation despite the small road shoulder and the heavy traffic on the torso. I've realized that if you ever want to connect with anyone just talk about the opposite sex, or heartbreak, or any of that commiserating stuff. You prob can't start off with it right off the bat, but it'll be a goldmine of insight once you can bring your relationship to that point and i like that.


It was crazy how short the day was and how little there was to actually do out here. We were pulling into Linton 3 hours before our 4pm deadline and were honestly racking our brains to find cool things to stop and waste time on. Can't write without mentioning the super awesome plumber sign though. This one was a keeper. Full disclosure: The magnificent mouth squirt might have taken more than 1 timer shot to get right.

Subway is my new favorite store. Today they were kind enough to feed me for the second day in a row along with Libby. Much thanks to Emily, Mariah, Rebecca, Diana, Carol who were working there and treated us. I was on the verge of super crankiness and they totally pulled through. Note: I take donations very seriously and only ask if I am truly starving and sincere in my request. I always try and be very conscious of not abusing their hospitality.

We were so early that I got to totally degrease and fully clean my chain today in peace without being rushed or tired. None of us have really had that chance all trip. Bike maintainence is so relaxing and i almost want to say even spiritual. You have a really deep connection to this machine that you are riding for 6+ hours a day and that you are dependent on. Thus there's a lot of care, focus and love that goes into cleaning every nook and cranny. Actually taking your time with it can be so therapeutic and relaxing. I can totally see why people love working so much on their cars and other machines after this experience. Plus having it squeaky clean will make my next few days of riding totally smooth.

Some people went to the pool while the cleaning was happening and then we all met for dinner at this great pizzeria at 5:30. They were super kind to donate AND SERVE us an entire meal of salad, breadsticks, and a pizza buffet. Having actual waiters serve us great food when we'd be content scrounging leftovers was out of this world. This reminds of some convos i was having earlier of how one of the major things I'm taking from this trip is a profound sense of perspective for life in the real world. I'd just really like to appreciate simple pleasures in life like eating, sleeping, etc way more the way i do all the time now. It's so ridiculous how much we get caught up in modernity and fail to realize our privilege sometimes. I sometimes want to use the word disgusting. Disappointing is probably how I'd best describe it come to think of it.

On the walk back there was a giant giraffe model kind of randomly on the side of the road. Kinda totally weird and creepy. Also, some people early in the day took a super detour and got to go cliff diving like 40 feet. It was obviously great fun, would've loved to be there. Also, I say also a lot. Also, we did a lap circle sit today where everyone gets in a really tight circle and sits down so that all the weight is supported by everyone. Try it if you're ever in a big group and want to feel cool and special and accomplished. ( I mean its not like humans ever have a need for those things)

The church tonight is super cool, has air conditioning, but most importantly will allow us to watch Star Wars(Episode 5 of course) on its home theater projection system! So pumped for that right now!

Going to Illinois tomorrow! time zone change is imminent. Zones in general are funny to think about. What if we had internal boundaries for like hairstyles or colored armbands or something. Hmm..Please do leave any and all suggestions in the comments.

80 or so miles will be kind of a shock from today but whatever. Off to The Empire Strikes Back!

Easy Street

Day 23 - June 26, 9:12pm
73 miles. Louisville, KY to Bedford, IN

So the whole 5 hours of sleep before intense physical exertion thing wasn't quite the funnest this morning. Though I got it together and am becoming really proud of how on top of my packing and morning routine i now am. The real key has been using bags to put everything in rather than having loose shirts here and there.

There was a wild thunderstorm still raging as we woke up and there was the possibility we might have to be shuttled and not ride, but fortunately it cleared out for our friend the sun! It's also great how 73 miles is so not a big deal anymore.

Crossed into Indiana right across the Ohio River and we all spelled out the name there in our bodies which was fun. (The D is actually lowercase, thanks Jenny) A highlight today was Miranda and I stopping at a Subway 23 miles in and being treated to free sandwiches by the two awesome girls, Kristen and Britney there. They actually asked if i would be able to handle a footlong sandwich. You can guess how i responded.

The day ran very smoothly and we made awesome time on the flat stretches while in pacelines. We even passed by an actual road called "Easy Street" which was amusing. Even moreso than Ohio, we rode on the flattest land I've ever seen. You legit couldn't even see a curve on the horizon for miles. The road just seemed to disappear into nothing which was both weird and cool. I also saw the largest green fields yet which was mindboggling. I expected to see things like that out here but i still can't really believe it.

The other major theme of the day was heat. lots and lots of heat. Even I had a bit too much today as it was easily over 95 with the humidity. The five hours of sleep didn't really help and yes, it is possible to nod off while riding a bike which is kind of scary though it would never really happen. A real treat was putting ice in our waterpacks. Just imagine pure icy pleasure rushing through your veins and that's exactly what we felt.


The church here and the hospitality is amazing. They have a whole gym and we had a lot of fun playing some pickup basketball while waiting for showers. There was also some healthy amounts of ping pong going around. Bedford is actually the limestone capital of the world which is neat and there are all sorts of caves and quarries that i would've loved to explore if we had more time.

For dinner they literally had, I kid you not, 7 types of pasta dishes and only pasta. I was in carbohydrate heaven and the homemade chocolate sauce for the ice cream just added to the euphoria. Sometimes seeing myself and others eat on this trip is scary. I don't think i need to elaborate on that.

Mail came today and my parents sent lots of fun Greek imported products which was great, albeit extremely excessive in the sense that 1 package as opposed to 4 would've also been fine. Either way, thank you mom and dad!

Tomorrow is only 46 miles to LInton which literally feels like a joke at this point. Hope it will be as easy as it sounds...

Wait, as i was just walking to the other room i saw the most intense red pink sunset sky outside. Everyone is just outside chilling and taking it in. Sunsets are glorious and a really undervalued pleasure in life i feel. What if everyone took 10 minutes to just sit, do nothing, stare at the beautiful sky and see what happens. Hopefully we can start right here and you can let me know.

Careful, please don't drop Mickey Mantle's bat

Day 22 - June 25, 11:59pm
Day off. Louisville, KY

Today was an almost perfect rest day. It probably helped that i got to wake up at 10am naturally and comfortably rather than 5am as i will be doing in 5 hours. The joy of such a simple luxury was inexplicable. I got to take my time with my morning routine, catch up on some journaling, and just generally not be too out of it.

I was really excited to get the day going and every minute was made that much better knowing that i had an awesome concert to look forward to that night. A group of us headed out to the Lousiville Slugger museum first. The whole Louisville downtown area is pretty nice and modern. It has all of these crazy painted horses everywhere which are awesome and really fit well as a theme for the city. I also stopped at a fun bagel shop along the way and tried honey walnut cream cheese. Varied selections of flavored cream cheeses drive me wild so this was great.

The actual slugger museum was fantastic. About five of us took the tour but i personally loved it since i have such a connection to baseball. The history and significance of the place was just overwhelming. They actually took us through the factory floor to explain what was being done as guys were doing real work on bats. I learned a ton about differences between white ash, maple, the different tempering processes, the harvesting of wood, etc. At the very least i suppose i'll be a hit at my next cocktail party.

While it was pretty gimmicky, they let you put on gloves and hold an actual bat that mickey mantle once used, which i must say was super cool. Afterwards Doug and I took some swings at the batting cage using Babe Ruth's bat model which def got some stress out.

Afterwards Doug, Miranda and I headed over to a neighborhood called the Highland's which is kind of like the Williamsburg of Louisville in terms of it being all caught up in its hipness. There we saw transformers 2 with the rest of the group. It's storyline and corny comic relief were almost painful but come on. Cars, robots, and more explosions than there are words in this blog all equaled awesomeness. Hearing about the whole Michael Jackson thing just as we exited the theater was just plain weird and kind of sad. Its odd that we're so disconnected from any media of any sort to follow current events like that.

At night a group headed over to the MSTRKRFT concert at 8. I can't say how much i was looking forward to this all day and how lucky i was to get the timing right. Also i was getting really stressed out about getting there late and was really glad to realize that i could consciously notice myself getting antsy. I was able to take a step back, take a breath and realize that there's no need to stress over being late. I usually do get very antsy for things like this and i was very proud in this instance of my ability to take full focus and control of myself and my emotions. It's something Im working on as a goal of leading a life free of these little silly stressors.

The duo finally came on at ten and totally rocked. I got some serious dancing on and it was just such a great and necessary release that i hadn't done in a long while. It felt so amazing and fulfilling to have been able to be in my element like that in such a random place.

All in all the day off was literally a 10 of 10. I enjoyed every second of it and there wasn't any stress of planning or anything. I did three solid things all of which were great and took up the whole day. We all definitely needed something like this to remind us what real life is like. Though I must say that there was some serious cognitive dissonance going on when i had sudden urges to pee in bushes all day long...

Tomorrow is a 5am wakeup so the concert kind of messed up that whole sleep thing but at least it was fun. Live in the moment right? Right?