Ugh

Day 54 - July 27
51 miles. Moab, UT to Green River, UT

Im just in a really poopy mood right now. Really stressed. I think im really starting to get overwhelmed by a couple factors. The food hasn't been too great lately. I couldnt even eat dinner tonight because the only pot of baked beans and ham made me nauseous from smelling it. Our spaces have been ridiculously cramped meaning peoples stuff is harder to keep organized. As a result my morning packing routine ive been so proud of has fallen apart, everything is just a pile, things are getting lost, and it just sucks and is so stressful. Honestly i can't overstate how much this is ruining my peace of mind. At least for me. Also this journal has been more of a hassle and chore lately, especially since all i wanna do each night is just say screw it to everything.

Most of all im just sick of my bike not working. Today the new tire i put in was rubbing against my brake caliper for some unexplainable reason and it made riding hell. I mean seriously, just give me a break.(wait i may have just cheered up for the sole sake of just having unintentionally made that pun) The wheels were okay at least. I was so pumped about degreasing tonight only to find that the group bottle had spilled and emptied. I borrowed someone's but it wasn't really enough or the right type. It still is cleaner than it was but i just wanted to kick it. All i want is to just ride my bike and have it work. Why does riding have to be hell sometimes. And why do we barely have time for maintainance.

Im just really not happy these past 3 days. Its only been at the host though. I think its just that all of these little peeves are really getting to me and i just can't take it so many days in a row wihtout some decompression. Today, while struggling to clean my bike i really did feel intense homesickness and kinda just wanted to say to hell with it all. I dono why my roll with it attitude isnt kicking in and letting me just laugh at all this. Oh well, i mean how bad are things really and what am i really complaining about. not enough room for my stuff? Don't sweat the small stuff George. Its not worth it. Just roll with it. Ugh Think positive, think positive.

Today was super short and through an actual piles of sand, no signs of life, even tiny insects, desert. We got in at 12 and took the most awesome 2 hour nap in a park that was blissful. The town is ridiculously small and kind of just odd how deserted it can be.

I dont feel like writing more now so i wont but i think this definitely helped calm me down for tonight. Keep thinking positive George. Stuff happens, all we can control is how we react to it. Actually, come to think of it, i need a goal. My new goal from here on is to minimize stress and just roll with it. I think that keeping this in mind will hopefully let me take a step back and just relax before getting all flustered. Its kind of ironic since new goals usually create stress naturally but lets see how it goes starting with a 4:30 wakeup tomorrow!

Mudslinging in the Wild West

Day 53 - July 26
Build Day. Moab, UT

Today was probably the best build day yet. We were working with a local organization called community rebuilds that achieves affordablity through Natural Building. Natural building refers to making homes out of materials like straw bales, earthbags, sod, and mud plaster. The builder Donny was apparently really big in the natural building world and knew his stuff so well as he explained to us the history and philosophy behind the whole movement. I loved him because he was so scraggly, rebelious, and out there, but at the same time his geology background really shone through and you can tell he was genuinely intelligent and knowledgeable about his trade. I love that emotionally chill but intellectually fierce combination in people. Hearing him talk was great, but i would've preferred to not have to use sunglasses to cover my uncontrollable morning sleepiness.

We were rebuilding a wall at a community garden using plaster, meaning the whole day was basically a huge fun mudfight. One team of us mixed the sand, clay and straw in exact ratios to create the plaster while the rest applied it onto and built up the wall. My job was to throw chunks of the plaster from the wheelbarrow to the appliers, in otherwords a mudslinger. The best part was not getting blamed when a chunk of mud accidentally hit the persons face instead of their hands...

It was such a refresher from the other habitat sites and most importantly it was so eye opening to see how feasible natural building is. It's incredibly cheap, sustainable, and looks really great. There was something really spiritual about building that structure with your bare hands and the earth and i can see how one can really take ownership that way. I would love love love to live in a naturallly built home one day, not to mention one i built with my bare hands.

After the horrendous ride into Moab, i decided it was time for a new leaf and bought some super tough Armadillo tires at the bike shop for a decent discount. May all budding flats tremble in fear at the sight of these new treads. It kind of bothered me a little bit to think how even on our time off the road we still need to be running around to bike shops and scrambling to do maintenance on our bikes. As if 75 miles a day wasn't consuming enough.

After a pretty lengthy and potentially more efficient town hall I, as usual by now, ended it with a fun new group activity called Moo. Steven as the farmer definitely afforded the group a great laugh on this one.

Did some bike maintainance at night. Still need to do more but still really need sleep. This whole crazy lack of time for essential things just really eats me up sometimes but i think I've realized its inevitability by now and learned to just take a deep breath and roll with it. Hmm, Perhaps thats something worth trying in real life as well..

Freefalling

Day 52 - July 25,
2nd Day Off. Moab, UT

So today I woke up and decided to jump out of a plane. Pretty much. Skydiving that is. I've always known i would do it someday and since the opportunity presented itself so conveniently in such a beautiful place I figured why not. Ten of us headed out to the airport and some were definitely calmer than others. I wasn't too nervous after signing away all rights to my life and my first born away. I mean the way i figure it the dude strapped to me definitely(hopefully) cares about staying alive, so then i should be all set.

It seemed that being Australian or foreign was a prerequisite for working there. My instructor was this crazy European dude(Austrian?) named Mick who was a total character. He basically took every chance he could to psych us out. Like when checking our straps, "Oh yea i guess you can survive in those..."

The plane took 2 divers and 2 instructors at a time and the cabin was probably smaller than my suitcase. To be sure, it was tight, and the pacifier hanging in the back was a nice touch. They took us on a 15 minute ride up to 10,000 feet which was 14,000 above sea level. The ride was a really big part of the experience. As if all of the scenery wasn't crazy enough from the ground, seeing all of the canyons and cliffs from above was just stunning, like unbelievable actually. What was also unbelievable was when they threw open the door of the plane meaning it was time. Emily went out first and lets just say calm wasn't the best adjective for that moment for her. We all agreed that the most intense moment was when we stepped out onto the ledge and were sitting out of the plane. Its that surreal moment like with the cliffs where all that fills your blood is pure fear and adrenaline. All i could really think was "Really? is this actually gonna happen right now?"

Well it did. Mick pushed off as my pupils dilated about 100x their size. I'm not even going to try and describe what it was like other than hands down the craziest rush you can ever imagine. When he deployed the parachute and we slowed down I found myself laughing so uncontrollably for 30 seconds that it hurt. The Euphoria from those 30 seconds of freefall was overwhelming. He let me control and steer the parachute for a little which was fun but the most memorable part was the spectacular views i was taking in as i was slowly wafting down for 3 minutes. It was such a epic vantage point and scenery that i kept asking "Where am I right now"

Back on the ground it felt amazing. Did i really just throw myself out of a plane? I can only describe it as a supremely high calm. Talking to the instructors and hearing what else they do was pretty interesting. They're just a whole different breed of people whose life is totally centered around as much extreme adventure and adrenaline as possible. You sometimes joke about living your life like that but here are people who just get up and actually do it. A little crazy but probably more fulfilling than your typical 9-5. I wonder which matters more...

Back at Moab we had some great Mexican food at this thoroughly themed Mexican restaurant where the 15 of us got to watch the penultimate day of the Tour de France which was so fun. Those guys are just beasts, totally unreal the endurance they have. We watched the final 6,000 foot climb of the race in pure awe as they just powered through. After this I would really love to go see the tour in France one summer and drive around to all the stages. The energy there just seems incredible. Putting it on the list...

Then Carlie, both Dans and Ryan F, Colin King, Larry and I went over to this trailhead to the popular swimming holes there. We trekked about a mile inwards to find this great one with a small waterfall where we splashed around. Walking amongst those cliffs was so intense and i couldn't get over it. Also the blazing sun was being just a little bit irrational but the water made it worth it. I find it so funny how on our one day off out of three we choose to bike 3 miles to a trail only to hike in 90+ degrees rather than i dono, sleep in airconditioning. It was wonderful though. The way i see it, if i have to choose between something new and unique and something i can do any other time, it almost always has to be the former regardless of how much of a hassle it might be.

Miranda came to dinner to say goodbye to everyone before she headed off home to rest. Most likely she'll be meeting us in San Francisco on our last day. She was obviously pained but in really high spirits. It was really emotional for everyone at the final goodbye and I personally had to find a corner to let my own tears out in private. I really wish i could be a little bit more personal in this journal sometimes but it suffices to say that it wasn't easy at all to see such a happy, strong, and inspiring girl like that leave our group. In a way I was glad to realize how far we had come as a group and how close we could be. We'll be making sure that her bike's giraffe horn makes it across with us as per her request. We all love you so much Miranda!

Today was also Mail Drop, and the first time i wasn't bombarded with packages from mom and dad which was kind of nice. A simple card saying hello, and the thought and effort that went into it is really enough for most anyone on this trip i feel. Priscilla's thank you card for this blog was especially appreciated. I loved the frogs!

And then there was Ariel's Package, a great friend from school who did this route last year. She sent Ipod speakers and a wonderful and thoughtful 10 page note reflecting on her trip that just made my day. There was also an Allen Ginsburg book which reminds me that i really wouldnt mind doing a bit more reading. She included a pic of the manhattan skyline asking if i was homesick, and while i thought no, looking at the pic and thinking of wonderful nyc i couldnt help but think yea, just a little. Interesting how that answer changed. Anyway, thank you Ariel!

And then of course was a group visit to Arches National Park. Its worth all the hype. The pictures will speak for themselves. If your in the area, just go.

At night i went to journal but really just ended up bumming around on some of my favorite websites. It was really cool to have that personal time and I felt so at home in that i was doing what i would normally do outside of this trip. I was so absorbed that when i finally looked up i had actually forgotten that i was in Utah biking across the country. It definitely felt so good to take a step back like that and was definitely what i needed.

Flat Day

Day 51 - July 25, 1 day late
80 miles. Naturita, CO to Moab, UT

What a day. First of all, seriously, what is it with every single building we sleep in needing obnoxious amounts of air conditioning 24/7. I understand its summer and all but can't it at least be a little lower, and its not always super hot. I feel if there weren't air conditioning i might just complain about the excessive heat instead but i still just find this air condititioning ridiculous sometimes, especially since i dislike sleeping in it so much and always choose heat over cold. I really thought the goal was to just temper the outside climate, not create a whole arctic ecosystem in your building.

Despite the lack of honey buns in my pack, the day started very well. We rolled along this crazy straight, rolling road that was mostly downhill for about 25 miles. It was in the middle of the red rock desert and huge cliffs surrounded us on either side. Gotta love canyons. Even better was the fact that we were riding through "Paradox Valley". Larry and I tried to think of some kind of tangible paradox pose for the picture with the sign but realized none really exist(Get it!).

Towards the end of our climb right before lunch i popped the first of what would be an epic day of flats. Jenny showed me how to use one of the superglue patch kits, which was great since its always cool to learn a new skill. Number 1. From there on it all went downhill (Downhill, Get it!, both literally and metaphorically!). Coming down the sweet descent Emily got her first flat of the trip(What?) which was quite removed from my most recent eighth. I chilled out while she changed it, and when we were ready to head out i got on my bike only to realize that the tire i just fixed had deflated. Was I mildly pissed at not having fixed it at the same time Emily was doing hers? YES. Number 2.

By the time we rolled into lunch i was too exhausted and demoralized to even bother making an effort to eat. It hasn't been the first time and i had to actually just force what little food we had down my throat for the sake of absorbing calories. OH and in case your wondering, yes it was once again peanut butter.

So then guess what happened when i got back on my bike ready to leave lunch. Number 3. And guess who had a tire they had just fixed pop and deflate as they held it in their hands ready to put it back on the bike. Number 4. By now i had realized that my back tire couldnt stay on a second longer so i replaced it with one lying in the van. The only problem was that the pile i was looking was full of discarded tires, meaning they had problems with them. Fortunately i managed to find one in decent shape and got myself going. By now though i had 6 broken tubes lying around me which I knotted onto my camelbak for maximum hobo effect apparently. This last ordeal all happened at the Utah border, so my picture there was not exactly my best.

All of this tire changing had eaten at least 2 hours and Sweep(the last 2 riders) had been chilling with me and Emily. It was decently late and we still had 40 miles to go and the sun was at skin melting status. All we could do was truck on through the remaining climbs, and slowly but surely we kept going. And going. And going. Once again, I emphasize the slowly part.

Staying positive was definitely a challenge, as once again cycling is an extremely mental sport. Towards the last 20 miles we finally hit the downhills we had been waiting for and they were some of the best yet. There was this one amazing one i can never forget where these massive red rocks just emerged from over the crest of the hill and were beyond glorious. Its also been a while since i hit 40+mph which was great. We ended up pulling in at 7pm which was late, but after a certain level of struggle, getting vanned is just mentally crushing and basically erases all of your effort for the day and we couldn't let that happen.

Moab is in a crazy canyon surrounded by these unbelievable crazy jutting red rocks everywhere. It basically makes me think of Mars is how i can best describe it. I can't even compare it to the Rockies because its a whole other type of beautiful.

Today our group contest was to find the most interesting thing on the side of the road. Hopefully nobody will miss their black latex glove they left on the side of the road... (though it ended up losing to a license plate Jenny and Larry found that was a US Govt plate)

On a more unfortunate note, today Miranda took a bigger spill on the road early in the day on a downhill. I remember seeing an ambulance blaze by us while we were riding on this desolate plain thinking "Oh man, whoever that is for isn't getting help for a while" Well imagine my horror when i found out that it had been heading back to get Miranda. She had gotten a concussion and broken her collarbone. It was pretty scary since she had initially had some trouble remembering some people's names which i think is really petrifying. She was taken to the hospital in Moab and is in very stable condition. She'll be just fine and will recover fully but her riding for this trip is definitely over.

Its really weird to write about this and acknowledge that something this bad could really happen. Of course it could be much worse but it isnt thankfully. Its just that Miranda has probably been the most improved cyclist out of all of us and for her amazing trip to get cut short like this just doesn't jive well with me. Its times like these that i really like to think that everything happens for an ultimately good reason. And i really hope that it can become clear to us, Miranda, and her family as soon as possible.

Our second day off is tomorrow, and it should definitely be a "rush" to get some time to ourselves...

Calories. Lots of Calories.

Day 50 - July 23, 9:21pm
86 miles. Montrose, CO to Naturita, CO

There are some days where you just reach your limit. Today as i stood in the kitchen i decided that i would rather go hungry than eat more peanut butter for breakfast. Not that there were even any bagels or bread left. 10 minutes later i was eating a paltry bowl of cereal. With peanut butter.

Lately, we haven't been having the most luck with breakfasts being donated unfortunately. Probably due to the early wakeups i would guess. That by itself would be bearable, but not when there are only 2 towns, if that, on 86 miles of desert highway. And even given the availability of places, its really expensive to support the crazy appetites we have out of our pockets on a consistent basis. I guess what im getting at is that I've gained a whole new level of appreciation for our hosts who provide us with meals, because without them, and without breakfast especially, the day really starts off to a bad tone. What a surprise, once again im talking about my problem with hunger...

Well today a good number of us needed a real breakfast no matter what so we stopped at this diner on the way out of Montrose, or should i say Cafe 110. We spent a good hour there(so much for 5am wakeup) eating these pretty good omelette burritos. Being my hungry self, i jokingly asked the waitress to stuff as many eggs in as she could. It was only after i had completely cleared my plate did i see a weird charge on my bill. I asked the waitress Michelle how explained that yes, "thats for the three extra eggs" Yes. Extra. Three EXTRA eggs. Without realizing it had just consumed a 5-6 egg burrito. Wow.

The riding was okay but my legs still felt like bricks. Its just such a miserable feeling to be pedaling as hard as you can and to barely be moving, and on top of that to have muscle soreness in those quads with each stroke. I really hope some good stretching and our days off will give the legs a chance to recover.

Just as we were approaching the bottom of our first climb, i got into a little spill when my wheel slid off the shoulder. It was just a minor elbow scrape but all of a sudden i became furious. I've been pretty cranky sometimes on this trip but never legitimately angry the way I was then. It just sucks because almost every single fall I've had has been because of that stupid transition between the raised asphalt and the ground. You would think I'd have learned by now to just go off the road instead of try and recover and end up falling. What made me angrier was that it happened because i could barely pedal and was really slow and wobbly as a result. I was just so sick at that moment of not having cycling work for me. I shouldn't have to kill myself to barely move 10 mph on flat ground. It just drove me mad. Also, I was just pissed at being "that dude" whose always falling.

Ironically enough, all of the adrenaline from the fall let me pedal really hard. I channeled that combined with my rage and totally flew up our first 5 mile climb. I can't even remember the last time i was that angry, but it definitely fueled me up that hill.

What also fueled me up the hill was a snack i bought at a gas station beforehand. It seemed like your typical Iced Honey Bun, but this was no normal snack. I would ask that you try and guess how many calories were in this one pastry. Really, just throw something out there. OK. Now multiply that by two and you'll still be short because this one honey bun packed 674 calories. WHAT! Is that even legal? Not 675, 674. Carlie and I cracked up laughing in the store when we read it. Oh and if you're curious, 354 of those calories were from fat. As expected, it gladly disappeared half way up the hill. Its tough because on the one hand you really do need some sugary fatty junk food to sustain such intense exercise. But on the other, 72 days of that diet really doesn't sit too well with my arteries.

After the summit we enjoyed a solid 20 miles of downhill. It wasn't awesome like the other ones since it was gentle enough that we still had to peddle, but still good. The canyon we were riding through was gorgeous with all of the exposed red mountainsides everywhere and the river alongside us. The desert is definitely becoming more of a reality.

We continued until 2 solid miles of an 8% grade climb(meaning up 8 feet for every 100 feet). 8% is steep. 10% is uncomfortable. 12% is really bad. Anything more is insanity. Along with Carlie calling me a mountain goat for climbing it so fast, i realized that i really enjoy climbing hills the most and am pretty good at it. I alluded to it a few posts ago but definitely confirmed it today. I guess i just really like the concept of having this crazy finite challenge staring you in the face versus indefinite normal pedaling. Knowing that you'll always have a downhill and an awesome view at the top are definitely driving factors as well.

Had really great riding for the next 30 miles on a gentle downhill through really amazing fields and prairies with lots of cattle and horses. Alas, my equine brethren do not yet heed my calls to solidarity. As a consolation though, we did get this lovely herd of goats running alongside us today which quite possibly made me the happiest person in the world for that moment.

Had an awesome strawberry-vanilla milkshake in town(all 3 blocks of it) and now need to clean my shorts since our group alone makes up 5% of Naturita's population. Moab is tomorrow which is great. What isn't so great is the 86 miles of uphill we need to travel to get to it. Either way, its just one more day and then a build day and a day off, meaning 2 whole days of no riding! Its really ironic how sometimes the only way I can motivate myself to cycle is by thinking of how much Im looking forward to not cycling. Its also funny how we're ending the cycling on friday and have the whole weekend off. In otherwords, cycling nonstop has literally become our job. Except that instead of 9-5 its really 5-11, a little more demanding.

Oh and forgot to mention that i found this awesome white vertebrae on the side of the road yesterday while waiting for the van. It's odd how i found just one, though I'd rather not uncover an entire carcass if i can help it. Anyway its making an awesome centerpiece for my handlebars right now, especially since the bull skull and elk antlers don't look like they're gonna come through. Now if only i could find some leather handlebar tassles...

Cliffs, Canyons, Buildings, and Mountains

Day 49 - July 22, 10:08pm
66 miles. Gunnison, CO to Montrose, CO

Probably one of the most amazing days of my life. ( i love how i keep saying that like every other day) But really. First of all, we started off the day at a solid 20mph pace for a while. At this point i would've been happy with anything faster than 11 so that was amazing. It felt like actual biking again. Also, i finally got hold of a damn post office for once and was able to mail some gifts home to the parents. Keep an eye out Mom and Dad.

I keep talking about how much i love scenery transitions and how much im looking forward to the desert. Well i was riding today and suddenly realized "hey, we're here!" It kinda slowly crept up on us but the ground is definitely getting sandier and redder and shrubbier. And hotter, much hotter. There are less mountains and more mesas and buttes also. Its pretty cool terrain for now, or at least until our skin begins to melt.

At mile fifteen we came across this fantastic reservoir/marina where Jenny used to hang out last year. We all parked and hiked about a mile inland to the most intense cliffs ever. Pretty much the whole group was there, and pretty much the whole group ended up naked. All we could do was appease those cliffs that were begging us to jump. There were several levels with the highest one being between 50-60. Looking over the edge was basically like having your legs turn to jello. Of course i had to do it. I've only done 30 feet at most before and this was a big way up. Standing there and knowing i was about to jump was just wild. I mean seriously what in the world can make some consciously just launch off that. As you stand your body fills with adrenaline and the fear fills your veins. Its hard to describe but that kind of absolute terror combined with calm stillness is just such a centering, focusing, force that i love. You'll never feel more alive.



You just gotta do it so i did it, and easy had 4 seconds of air time. Unfortunately daily life doesn't afford me the most experience with freefalling so my back and butt may have hit the water more head on than i would have like them to. (the video is of a more graceful rider than me) The cringes from the other riders upon seeing my red behind let me know what had happened. But what a rush! It was just unreal and fortunately the pain quickly left. (though the redness is still very much there)

I did a second lower jump with much better form and it rocked. What less than rocked was the dude who was driving slowly by in his boat with his binoculars out. Really?

Well basically as soon as i came out of the water the second time i started to feel a slight back pain that i immediately identified as that of having a collapsed lung. I knew exactly what it felt like from my first collapse two years ago and all i could think was "Really Lungs? Do you have to do this now?" I was doing just fine except for the slight pain and could still breathe well which was great but I had to go treat it. The van picked me up and we drove into the hospital in town to get it checked out. Along the way there were two climbs and two amazing descents straight into town filled with typical Colorado gorgeousness. Ugh, wanted to be coasting down them so bad.

At the hospital the wonderful nurse Christine checked me in and the awesome Dr. Talbertt checked me out. I found out he had spent time in the South, which helped explained why he had the most jarringly calm manner to him that i've ever seen in someone. It was really cool to see my fast talking juxtaposed against his paced speech. NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS: He showed me the x ray and explained that my lung was perfectly fine and that my jump had just inflamed some of the muscles there. He totally cleared me for riding and I really do feel great now. Some Aleve and taking it easy will definitely take care of it. My goodness, i cannot tell you what a relief this is. Nobody in the world should ever have to experience what a collapsed lung feels like or the lifestyle limitations it entails.

An interesting thing happened on the way out. I exited the hospital and realized that i hadn't given any information besides my name. They had forgotten to get my billing info. This was quite the ethical dilemma. On the one hand I could avoid paying fees which i hadn't necessarily sneakily avoided and which wouldn't make or break the hospital. I mean other countries have free healthcare provided so why not me. On the other, I had just received very quality healthcare and could support the system which had taken care of me. Well i decided to opt for the karma route and went back and told them. It's still kind of annoying to know i could've just walked away scott free without anyone knowing or caring. But i think that i'm glad i did what i did and supported the place that had helped me. I was happy that greed hadn't gotten the best of me in that situation and prevented me from literally paying my dues. However I'm sure that had i not been insured(as far too many people are) my decision definitely would not have been the same. The whole situation really got me thinking a lot about the morality of societal freeloading in general and the philosophical implications of karma in our decisions. I know, a whole lot to ponder for one decision...

Dinner was provided at the church by the local habitat chapter. I got to meet one of the board members Connie who had this awesome orange socks, yellow pants, orange-yellow striped shirt combo going on that i absolutely loved and most definitely called her out on.

Afterwards 15 of us filled the van to head back up the route to Black Canyon. Only 4 riders had decided to brave the 6 mile 2,000 foot climb to the top during the day. We were deciding to take the easier route and see what this canyon deal was about. All i can say is that i literally began to tear up as i approached the sunset lit edge of the cliffs and saw what marvelous beauty there was. Even thinking about it just gets me really emotional. Standing up there with my fellow riders and seeing how far we've come to get to this much raw beauty utterly overwhelmed me. We spent the entire sunset hanging out and checking out different angles. The 5 minutes of silence we took while gazing out just put me in another world mentally. I get tingles whenever i reimagine it. I hope the pictures can do it justice. I mean, i keep saying it, but the beauty was just crushing. Never even imagined that a landscape so intense could exist. I heard that its pretty much on par with the Grand Canyon depth-wise and getting to learn about the formation process of the pegmatite dikes was historical fun!

The drive down in pitch dark was wild on its own as the town lights shimmered from afar. We listened to some of my favorite songs that i have associated with this trip("buildings and mountains" by the Republic Tigers, check them out!)and the calmness that i was feeling for that whole ride and still am now was so intense. But there was also a mountain lion! like a legit beast that we passed on the side of the road. I didn't actually see it, but the sudden freaking out and swearing of everyone else definitely confirmed that it was a Mountain Lion. Would've been so cool but oh well.

As if i couldn't be better, Miranda and Clarissa just presented me with a box of gourmet chocolates since i had visited the hospital. I love them. The girls i mean. But i've basically been in the corner of a gym for the past 10 minutes closing my eyes and tilting my head back as i chew chocolaty goodness with caramel dripping wildly from my mouth.

I'll admit it, standing at that canyon, i couldn't help but think of how uncontrollably I'm going to cry when i leave this unbelievable journey and these amazing people. I guess I've just never really felt so connected. To nature, to this trip, to my teammates, and to myself. I think that more than any other day so far, I really feel ready to totally make the most of every single day and really appreciate where and with whom I am. This was definitely the fresh breath i needed to give me a perspective on where i am and where i want to be. I'm looking forward to where this new insight will take me.

Descending Monarch Pass: The Movie

Day 48 - July 21, 11:02pm
66 miles. Salida, CO to Gunnison, CO

So i guess that when you have two "one of those days" you start to wonder whether "those days" are really so isolated after all. Again, the first 10 miles today were just not working with me. I really think its the lack of daily sleep thats not letting my muscles fully recover each day from such an extreme workout on top of the building sleep debt. Am easily the last person to bed almost every night. LIterally all i think about during the day sometimes is whether i can just get into the host and get 10 hours of sleep and freshen up. As you can tell from the timestamp thats not really the case tonight.

Interesting Day though. Started out with my same back tire getting another flat. In the process of changing also realized that my tires were gashed up left and right. I guess i should consider changing them but then again, if they got me this far...

Anyway, today we climbed Monarch Pass which is no small feat. By climbing Monarch Pass i mean ascending 3,700 feet to around 11,700 Trail Ridge wasn't much more than that and this went for six miles between mile 17 and 23. The climb went steady enough but i definitely did take stops this time. Mountain climbing is really interesting. You know you're just in for an hour of straight grueling muscle soreness and lack of breath. It really cultivates an amazing sense of focus, pacing, and self awareness in a unique way. And I guess i could make some kind of cliche analogy here of how climbing hills is like getting through struggles in life.

The gift store at the top was packed with Monarch Pass stuff advertising the elevation. Lets be real though, after summiting Trail Ridge at 12,000 how could i really lower my standards by buying a monarch pass sticker.

I rocked the downhill with Rob and it was one of the trip's best yet. 10 miles of pure, fairly easy descent. There's nothing like whizzing by at 30 mph and seeing a sign that says "6% grade, next 7 miles" It was so awesome in fact that halfway down, Rob and I couldn't help but film it to share it with everyone. What you see is taken from my camera strapped to my handlebars with two bandanas(LOVE BANDANAS!) as we descend about 5 miles at 30 mph. What a great rush. (be sure to watch to the end) Parents, please at least try to not poop in your pants as you watch.



Unfortunately the rest of the day didn't quite match yesterday's descent. While the next 40 miles were a gentle downhill, that was negated by the ferocious headwind blasting us the whole way. It was pretty miserable and just plain frustrating. To sum it up, at one point I was pedaling in first gear on a downhill struggling to go 10 mph. Yea, it was that bad.

Oh but wait, the morning music. I had an hour of handpicked songs qued up and my excitement to play it got me right out of my sleeping bag(which is definitely not the norm). In short, everyone loved it and gave tons of compliments. I really appreciated this. It was so awesome that i could listen to my own happy music but even moreso that other people enjoyed it. It set a really great tone for our whole morning music rotation which the riders are now taking over from the leaders and showed that it'll be really fun. Its sweet because everyone is pumped not only to play their music, but also to hear what surprises others have in store for the morning. Already some people were busy today planning next week's music assignment. Oh man, the only thing more awesome than music is music sharing. I'm so glad the trip is taking on this dimension.

Also, Carlie and I have decided to become hardcore pushup buddies. We've been doing it for just about a week now so i feel comfortable speaking of it as a routine. No matter what as soon as we get into the host we jump straight into them. My personal goal is to do 100 pushups in as few sets as possible by the end of the trip. Ideally 1, but most likely 2. Its great since if one of us is feeling a little lazy the other has no problem yelling at them. It totally makes me feel 100x better to be exercising my full body. Its really annoying to be doing such a crazy daily biking workout only to watch your upper body strength whither. Plus, swimming trunks end up covering the legs anyway...