Only three people rode in the front group today. There seemed to be some substance behind that small number today. This ride was HARD. Steep hills with very little flats or downhills for rest. I have never needed so many rest stops. Rest stops were funny today. I guess we all agreed to ride on whenever I said something extremely awkward. Motivation?I was very happy with the detirmination and vigor in which me, Conor, and Greg finished. 5:22 for an 80 miler with uphills. Along the way I hit 45.7mph. One hill was so steep that we coasted down it for 2 miles at 43 miles an hour. Amazing. I recieved two flats on this ride. Both occured during a 4 mile downhill. The first was caused by a little daydreaming and myself running over a really big rock. Flat number two was caused about one hundred feet after I finished fixing my flat on my front tire. A staple! BOOM. Back tire blowout. Ugh. The amount of energy used in this ride came from not me but from anger, passion, and faith. Anger from the merciless course of cancer. Passion from those who supported me when I was sick and faith from those who supported me on this ride. Truly amazing.Today I joined Lauren on her trip to the hospital. I am very glad I went with her to prevent her from freaking out and to ask questions she may not have thought about. I might be violating HIPPA by saying all this but, oh well. We were taken right away and Lauren began her registration. I looked like a boy who just rolled around in bike grease and Lauren looked like a girl who needed a cane. A nurse in passing asked if we were fiances. We both looked at each other, held hands and said yes. Typical. We burst out laughing.Lauren was taken to a pre-op rooom where there was a surgical bed and a chair. Lauren almost dove inot the bed as I did the chair. We stated to the nursre that we hadn't been that comfortable for a long time considering the really tiny peice of cushioned plastic I pedal on every day. lauren was left with a blood pressure cuff on her arm that took forever to take her bllod pressure. In fact, we never got a reading. Her pulse was made audible by that machine, so naturally I started hand drumming to her heart beat. She gingerly joined. The nurse stated, "You know, we do have a TV..." Laughter. We said that we became really good at occupying ourselves while on the trip. Lauren was taken for an XRAY and came back with a nurse holding two boxes. One held some spacers for her crutches and the other held "the IMMOBILIZER." This thing was huge. Before we vistited the hospital, I joked that they would put something so absurd on her leg. Guess I was right. After signing a few papers and challenging a woman to a crutch race, we exited the hospital. Lauren immediately ditched the crutches and gave them to me. I have never used crutches, so I figured I would give them a whirl. Lauren and I must have been quite a site with me in my bike gear on crutches and Lauren with her ridiculous leg brace. We got some crazy stares from a cop car that probably thought that I was running away with Lauren's crutches. Lauren's knee is still hurt and we didnt really learn anything signifigant from the Mt. Pleasant medical staff, just that me and Lauren look like a married couple.Today we recieved updates on the cook's sister from Everett. Her sister exited the hospital in a stable condidtion. Hope.I find myself always staying up late writing these entries. As I look around at everyone sleeping, I know that I cannot be surrounded by such a loving team. No matter what highs and lows we hit along the way, our back tires are going to find the shores of San Fransisco. Tomorrow is 58 to Pittsburgh. Bring it on. Nothing can stop us.