Recap!Writing from the lovely family room of the Bartholomews while watching the Blackhawks, we reminisce:The day started with a 5:45 wake-up in the Central United Methodist Church's carpeted gym in Richmond, IN. Quick breakfast of bagels and random leftovers. Foreboding weather! It was gray outside and raining! Mary made us dance a circular pony dance and we all enjoyed it. Our 83-mile ride was filled with shenanigans, but we all made it out somewhat OK. Wind out of the northwest made the ride difficult at times, but we were greeted at the end of the day by alumni rider Dan Bartholomew who rode along for a bit. Delicious food awaited us upon arrival--both from the Bartholomews and from the Alumni Association. Free ice cream! And laundry and showers! We are all very happy right now. And Chicago is up 4-2!PS: Steve's beard is officially visible from about 20 ft away. We're all quite proud and impressed. Way to go, Steve!
Team's 1st Century
After an early wake up in preparation for a long day, the team took on a 106 mile ride into Richmond, IN. Wind and rain increased the difficulty of the day. Lunch was donated by Odon family friends, a nice change from the monotonous PB&J's. It was a long day of riding, ending with many riders heading to McDonald's... and an early bedtime.
Rolling into a town near you
Looking to see the Illini 4000 as they roll into a town near you? Here is when you can expect to see them arriving:Urbana: Tuesday June 8th, 3pm at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center on Lincoln AveChicago: Friday June 11th, noon at the Cloud Gate (a.k.a. "The Bean") in Millennium ParkFollowing the Chicago arrival, there will be a potluck in the evening for riders, family, friends, and one of our sister organizations, the 4K for Cancer, based out of Johns Hopkins University. More details about the potluck to follow.
Ride along with the Illini 4000
Interested in spending a day with the Illini 4000 on the road? There are a couple opportunities in the next week where the Illini 4000 is inviting you to ride along with them as they make their way across the country.The first opportunity is this Wednesday (June 9th) when they depart the University of Illinois campus at 9am. Meet them at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center on Lincoln Ave at 8:45am and ride out to Rantoul, IL.The second opportunity is the official Illini 4000 Ride Along on Sunday, June 13th, departing from the Cloud Gate (a.k.a. "The Bean") in Millennium Park in Chicago. The ride along departs at 10am and has two distance options, either 15 miles to Evanston, or the full 36 miles to Highland Park. Food and beverages will be provided to all participants and there is a suggested donation of $10 to participate in the ride along.A helmet is required for both events.If you cannot make it to either of these events but still wish to ride along with us on another day, please get in contact with us at contactus@illini4000.org.
Twent-Eight Strangers. Or: The Bliss of a Growing Team
I wasn't sure exactly what point I thought this would happen, but it is definitely now. Maybe it was the collective consciousness of biking 100+ miles and crossing the Indiana border that was the straw that broke the camels back (in a good way), but tonight has proved a significant night in the growing bond of what it means to be "teammates". These 27 other people--some friends before the trip, some total strangers--have proven all to be my best friends. We've learned to help each other, to yell at each other, to cry with each other, and to live with each other. I couldn't be more thankful or feel more blessed to share this summer with these amazing people.I'm excited to get to know everyone more and to fine-tune my relationships with everyone.Also, Ohio is really into alpacha's...like really really into alpacha's.
Zanesville, Columbus, Richmond 06/03-06/05
Ohh how the days are blending. But let me try to recap the past three.The ride into Zanesville... I don't recall much. Oh wait , yes I do, cake and ice cream breakfast or was it pizza, ugh I don't know. Anyways, back in Pittsburgh I came up with an idea to randomly draw numbers for groups to ride in. You see, everyday is very similar, people typically ride in the same groups every day, racing to the next stayover. Begining to feel like I was losing sight of the reason I was on the trip, I came up with this idea to take the race out of the day and get to know more of my teammates, and pretty much everyone thought it could be fun as well. My randomly selected group was Erik, Shea, Eamon, and Ana. The day started off well and I was more excited to be back riding than anything else. The knee acted up around mile 40 and learning from past mistakes, I sat out the last 20 miles realizing that it's better to take it slow today than miss out on the next 4.The ride into Columbus was hands down one of my favorite days thus far. Shao, Disha and I had an absolute blast on the 54 mile ride in. Being in a slower group, we do occasionally just try to rush ourselves to finish and not actually enjoy the world around us. This day was different... we sang, danced, and conversed with each other, still arriving in around 1:30 with plenty of time to enjoy Columbus. Also, before we left that morning, Steve and I decided to try out a social experiment and not talk for 24 hours. We began at 7:30am, left for the ride in seperate groups around 7:45 and then once I arrived at 1:30, it took about 3 minutes before we realized what a dumb idea it was. We are a hilarious combination. There was no reason to put ourselves through this misary. The rest of our day was spent checking out bike shops in Columbus and riding through the Ohio State campus... Steve and I unneccesarily put an extra 10 miles on our bikes... but we had a lovely time. I spent my evening washing clothes, giving Max a haircut, and fishing information out of teammates for other teammates. I mean, you have to expect some gossip when we're together for this long.Hm and as for today, I woke up pumped for my first century ride (100+ miles). While the terrain was flat, the wind and rain added some difficulty to the day. I've been riding on pain killers until I can get the knee fixed in Chicago... around mile 67 I realized I should probably just take it easy and stop for the day, the fluid in my knee is pretty gross... It kills at night but I think it's making progress. It sucked that I couldn't get 100 miles in, but when I look at the big picture, I realize that each day I am riding further than the next. On a more hilarious note, I had to stop the van at mile 85 for a rest stop. Coincidentally, the local bar was open and I went in to use the restroom. Crazy how many people were drinking at noon, and drunk at that... I got a free t-shirt and hug from the owner, typical.As for what's to come... Well first off, a full recovery. This knee stuff is irritating and I can't wait until it's better. Second, a number of riders agree that we should be making more of an effort to get out into communities during our free time. While sleeping upon arrival into a town is appealing, that's not the point of this trip, and we're glad we realized it less than 2 weeks in.Finally... Mom, you know how I love cake and ice cream? Weirdly enough we some how have had an unlimited supply of both for the majority of this trip. I'll be expecting some upon arrival into Chicago as well. Thanks.
Many Thanks
After starting several blogs, but leaving them unfinished I've decided to post shorter updates that are less daunting to complete. By now we've passed through the mountains after a rough last week. This year's route brought us through the Appalachians much quicker than last year so there was even less time to acclimate to the I4k lifestyle before getting drained physically and mentally. I'm really proud of how the team handled these last few days, they will certainly be among the hardest of the whole trip. I can feel the beginning of the daily rhythm that occurs when we begin to act as a well oiled machine. There are still kinks in how we operate from day to day, but soon enough things will run smoothly.I cannot thank enough all of the donors who contributed to such a great cause. I truly believe we make an impact each and everyday and it wouldn't be possible without you. Also, a great big thank you to all of the individuals who provided food, shelter, or assistance of any kind to the team. You gesture, big or small, has not gone unnoticed. It is sometimes hard to show how appreciative we are after riding for hours in the heat, but we really do appreciate everything.I hope to update again soon and to see as many of you in Illinois as possible!
One-hundred & Six Miles. Or: Ain't No Thing But a Chicken Wing
Come one, come all to the spec-tacular event of the Illini 4000!So for those of you that don't know. I'll catch you up to speed.I'm Eamon Patrick O'Hara. I was born on August 30. I have two feet and 20 toes. Two eyes and a head of hair. Fast forward. College. Fast forward. Illini 4000. Fast forward. Columbus, Ohio.K. Now that we're up to speed: Tomorrow will mark our longest ride yet. Over a century in miles tomorrow. I don't see that as being a problem. Tough? Absolutely. Impossible? Far from it. This team continues to inspire me in every aspect possible. The chemistry, the support, the selflessness. Columbus is a nice city with CVS-es that close at 8pm, so don't plan on arriving at 8:07pm or the manager will promptly stand in the doorway preventing your entrance.Keeping track of time is becoming progressively more difficult. Time seems to freeze as I ride my bike. Of course, time doesn't really freeze, but time is completely irrelevant. Wake up at 6, be at the stayover by sundown. Simple. Easy. The way it should be.I'm currently on wake-up duty, which is a blast. I'm a big fan of waking people up (my sister, Margo can vouch for that). Today, I woke up the team by singing that first song in The Lion King.You know "ahhhhh subeennnyaaaa bidddiiichhhiiibuuuddaaahhh" I think it was well received. Tomorrow I might make animal noises. What fun!Thank you so much for all the support, family and friends, and a special thank-you to Bonita, Caroline, & Meredith Lantz for the stamps! They've been getting their fair share of use!Champaign or bust! 4 days!
Just a little 106-mile summer ride
Sorry friends for not being the best at updating. I don't understand how other people update everyday. They probably have their own computers. phst.Anyway, the riding has been awesome, beautiful, and full of wonderful surprises. Police escorts across bridges, Chinese lunch, rolling hills of eastern Ohio and just spending time biking and biking with great friends. We're in Columbus, OH right now and just so happened that they were having a art fair. It was really sweet staying across the street from displays of paintings, photography, sculptures, etc. The art museum here was even free today and located across the street from our stayover, but unfortunately, no one found the time to check it out.In other news, I may have a job/volunteer position lined up for this coming fall!! I could be in Arkansas working for Heifer International or possibly in Honduras working for Pure Water for the World!! Exciting!! I still plan on doing a little bumming around California before my life becomes real again.Well, tomorrow morning at about 6:30am, we'll be departing for some 106 miles across Ohio into Richmond, IN. No big deal.love and peace.
Oh - Aitch - Eye - Oh
Today was quite the lovely ride, a breezy 54 miles into Columbus Ohio. The morning began with a breakfast of champions: cake, ice cream, lasagna, and oatmeal, and combinations thereof. We enjoyed a leisurely ride on flat roads and an early arrival. Some team members spent their day around central Columbus checking out local bike shops, art shows, and the OSU campus. The alumni association provided us with a filling dinner, and some team members headed out to catch he hawks game while others went to bed early in preparation for the 100+ mile ride that awaits us tomorrow.
One rest day the hard way, please
Today was an excellent day. 54 short miles from Zanesville to Columbus, Ohio, and we relished every one of them. Rolling into your destination before noon means that you have effectively bicycled your way to a free rest day. If our sleeping space was open to us (there's an art show in the church we're staying in) I can guarantee you that the nappers would outnumber the waking. It isn't an unusual occurrence with this bunch.
I'm starting to get these weird memory lapses that involve forgetting entire stayovers and towns that we stop in. On a physiological level I'm sure it has something to do with my brain redirecting energy towards vital functions like breathing and blinking so that I don't fall into an exhaustion induced coma after each ride. It's a fair tradeoff as far as I'm concerned, but alarming all the same. Szymon had to explain to me the layout of the building and the surrounding area so that I could remember what Zanesville was - a town that we left less than 8 hours ago as I write this post. It is a sort of bizarre experience, sleeping in a different building each night with only short glimpses of the locale to fill in the blanks along the way. It isn't uncommon that I wake up entirely disoriented and uncertain of where I am. Usually when that happens the feeling fades as you take in your surroundings, identifying familiar objects or remembering what was happening immediately before you slept. If you are able to sleep deeply the moment that you close your eyes and you have no identifiable objects to rely on other than your own backpack and sleeping bag, the feeling tends to linger.
Today was the first day that we got to ride on a flat surface since leaving New Jersey on day... 2 I think it was. It was incredible. Our bicycles became something greater than themselves, carrying us effortlessly across the types of roads that can only exist between two cornfields. As we close one chapter (Mountains: A Horror Epic) and begin another (Oh Yeah, This is Why We Live in the Midwest), these are the things that stand out in my mind:
High-Voltage Power Lines: Having never come across lines of this sort before, riding beneath one for the first time was an unusual experience. The crackling sound that is produced as they usher lightning from one village to the next is quite enticing and I would've liked to stop and observe them more closely, but I've heard that they deliver cancer almost as effectively as they do electricity. It was kind of a treat rolling by them when we did cross their path, though.
Nacho Cheese Smell: One of the great mysteries of the natural world, there exists in these lands some agent of smell that creates what can only be described as an exact, one-to-one, chemically identical smell to bright orange 100% synthetic nacho cheese. It comes and goes as it chooses, available to be smelled at the top of mountains in Pennsylvania as well as in cities with names like Famousnameville or Naturephraseburg. Baffling and delicious, this elusive scent is a real treat for the hungry biker.
Roadkill: America's new top export. Although the original settlers preferred trapping and shooting their game, today's Americans know that the automobile is by far our most vicious and effective weapon. Not until you've seen the semi-rare bluejay lying defeated on the side of the road two days in a row or a rabbit that has been turned entirely inside out by the pressing force of even a lowly mid-sized sedan can you begin to understand the power that we each wield over the lesser beasts. And the smell will help you to understand it, too. Roadkill smells bad when you're in a car going 45 and you've got the fan venting in air from outside. Roadkill smells like angry death that has been left out of the refrigerator for too long when you're on a bike breathing heavily pushing 8 up a hill.
Tomorrow we ride for Indiana, and when we arrive, we shall all be known as Centurions. Let the 100+ miles of glory commence. After much sleeping and eating tonight.
Trek Across Ohio
Epic day.Fueled by cold pizza and soda, the team embarked on a 65 mile journey through the rolling hills of eastern Ohio. Riders rode through a light afternoon precipitation, enjoying the soft sounds of nature and the roaring of passing semis. Upon the exotic breads of Panera, we savored the flavors of peanut butter and jelly. Our lack of sleep and fatigue caught up with us as we arrived in Zanesville. The church provided us with a tasty lasagna dinner (promptly inhaled), and we concluded our evening with a screening of Little Women, a rousing game of euchre, and an 8:30 lights out.
haaaay again
I have not updated my blog in a while because we had some hot days with plenty of hills and I always manage to roll in exhausted. I often find myself thinking about song lyrics involving hills, specifically "The climb" by Miley Cyrus. Yesterday we had a tough time getting out of pitt and many of us were on the road for 12 hours. Today was overcast and only 64 miles. It was nice to arrive at our stayover early!
Cadiz, OH 06/02
Well, today was another driving day for me. Shao joined me today with her injured knee as we navigated our way out of Pittsburgh, through West Virginia, into Ohio, back through West Virgina to Pennsylvania, then back through West Virgina to Ohio again, where we finally arrived in Cadiz.Such a long day with some ups and downs. The Lady Pack and honorary Ladies Jeff and Kevin got mad style lost, apparently for the better, shaving 15 miles off their route. Jegg had some bike problems again, typical... Hilary is way nicer to him than his own bikes are. I discovered a few things this day as well... A. West Virgina is filled with some shady characters and B. While I am a fantastic van driver, I hope that this day, June 2nd, was the last day I ever have to drive again. I managed to lose two of the van magnets while driving, hence crossing WV 3 times... whoops. Sorry Conor.Also, I found out the MRI results. As expected there are some issues with swelling in the IT band as well and some fluid under my knee. Apparently this caused a small tilt in my knee cap affecting a ligament and some cartilage. Sitting out the past few days, I can honestly say I'm sick of not riding, it blows. I rode up and down the same hill numerous times today while the team ate lunch and then circled 5 miles in the church parking lot this evening. Did it feel awesome? No. Will I be riding tomorrow? Yes. I'm so giddy to get back on my bike it's not even funny, so we shall see how it goes. I hope Ohio is nicer to me than Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Steve does too, he says hi.
Grandfathered grades of Pitt and 3 states. Cadiz, OH 6/2/2010
93 miles is the furthest our team has riden on this trip so far. I was mentally prepared for this ride. I knew the beginning would be tough getting out of Pittsburgh with its very steep grades during rush hour. Pittsburgh roads were made before regulations of road grades were created. Being a city stuck between two mountains, getting into Pittsburgh is very easy and getting out is very taxing. It took us almost two hours to get out of the city- not even 15miles. Not kiding. These roads were STEEP and not paved well. I chained out twice in the first six miles.There was alot of frustration throughout this ride. Many of our cues were not descriptive enough or just not accurate. Many of the roads were unmarked. One group got lost 15 miles off of the projected route. They managed to get a police escort on an interstate to cut their ride to 75 miles! How cool! We spent much of the second half of the ride unsupported because of the group that got lost and bike issues. Therefore, we had to search for place to fill up our water. At mile 68 we ran out of water and we were exhausted. We stopped at a gas station. It was packed with people in polos. We went to the front counter to ask to fill up our water bottles. One of the men in polos jumped out and asked where we were riding and we gave him our story. He immediately offered us bottled water and anything in his store on him. He owned it. Amazing. I joked that I will only drink cold Aquafina the rest of the ride.Just outside the gas station preparing to take off, a man stopped us and handed me a few dollars. Then $15. Then a $20. He told us to get lunch and food for the night. He was from Florida and listened to our story in the station. He said his name was Jerry (something) and if we ever go to were he was from, he would buy us dinner. He is the only one in the phonebook under his name. This man didn't know us for more than five minutes and showed generosity and care because of a cause that hits home all across the United States.Lost again. We ended up in a "not so good" part of West Virginia. We met the van and conversed about how to get back on track towards Cadiz. While the van searched for our route, we waited under an overpass. Homeless people and intimidating locals roamed the street. A fireman walked up to us and asked us to push a car down a street for a woman. Conor and I gave Greg the job of watching our bikes. The car to push was not very close, try four of five blocks. We pushed it to a gas station, passing Greg on the way. He was terrified. We pushed it to the gas station and the woman was so thankful that she bought us all gatorade. After the purchase, Conor and I sprinted down the street to Greg. To our surprise, Greg was conversing with a homeless man who was very interested in our ride. At the end of the conversation, the man pulled three dollars out of his pocket and gave us one. Indescribable.Back on the road. About a mile down and a few turns in, we faced a very long, demanding uphill. Too bad I already used up my leg muscles to push that woman's car! I finished the hill in disbelief that I found strength to finish it out. 20 miles and many rolling Ohio hills later, we made it to our stayover. Across the street is an ice cream shop. I visited it 3 times today. I love burning 6000 calories a day.Tomorrows ride should be much easier. Maybe a cool 70 miles over plains with a group that I normally do not ride with. Should be exciting!
10 miles of rest. Pittsburgh, PA 6/1/2010
My rest day in Pittsburgh started off with me lying awake at 8am trying to fall back asleep. I was so bored lying in the dark that I texted Sean Laude if he wanted help preparing breakfast. I headed upstairs with this gourmet breakfast in mind. I was put on hash brown duty. My experience with has browns is extremely limited and as a result, they turned out really ugly. At least they still tasted like potatoes. My turkey bacon turned out a little better.I hit the town with a list of things to do. Go to the post office, buy a new towel, get some laundry done and buy some cheap pants. Lauren was able to schedule an MRI today. She wanted to see if her knee was in riding shape, so we planned to bike to the hospital and then to REI, a camping store. During her MRI, I went to the post office to pick up mail, only to find out that the mail I expected was sent to the return address already. I headed back to the hospital to meet up with Lauren after her MRI. This plan would have worked perfectly if I hadn't lost her bike lock key. Luckily, as my seat bag was spread out on the parking lot floor, Lauren called to tell me that she had been waiting a long time to get called. I stopped looking for her key and headed to REI. There, I finally got a camp towel and a food donation of cliff bars. I had some more time and headed to Goodwill to shop for cheap cheap packable pants. In the middle of my shopping spree, I got a call from Lauren that said she was finished with her MRI. There I broke the news that I lost her key. Apparently there was an important key chain on it. However, she wasn't very unhappy because she had a spare key. Unfortunately, I was 3 miles away! I sprinted (on my bike) back from across town, across the bridge and uphill to our stayover location. I ran downstairs and failed at finding Lauren's key for about ten minutes. As soon as I found it, I sprinted back to the hospital. I raced a bus on my way to the hospital and won. The hospital was built on a steep uphill. Max and Lauren stared as I chugged, dripping sweat in Lauren's youth large t-shirt (mine were in the laundry) up that hill. We unlocked her bike and headed to Jimmy John's. We got talking to the sandwich making guy at Jimmy John's and found that he too was a cyclist. This was my opportunity to sneak another food donation! My PB&J will taste so good tomorrow. We went to the post office again to look for Lauren's misplaced key. The post office was closed. Fortunately, I found the clerk I talked to earlier and knew exactly of what we were asking for. Time for the Cubs game! We quickly headed to the stayover to get ready for the game. Lauren and I were in a rush not to miss the bus; so much so that I piggy backed her halfway to the stop. she carried my wallet and phone. The bus came and I fished for my wallet in her purse. Not there. Problem.I immediately retrace my steps back to the stayover. Thought cross my head like, "Oh, this is so much worse that losing a bike lock key" and "food on Lauren next week!" A young man was walking down the sidewalk mispronouncing my name. He had my wallet! Thank goodness. He told me not to carry fifty dollars in my wallet. Little did he know that it was the only cash I had.Cubs game. Cubs lose. Typical. It was really neat to be an away fan. I cannot thank Jamie's parents for organizing that.As you see, I ran around a lot today. I managed to put 10 miles on my bike- so much for a rest day. Pittsburgh is a neat place but the residents that I met didn't think so. They like Chicago better! We told the bus driver back from the Cubs game that the buses in Chicago have karaoke. He might have belived it by the way we were singing on the bus.90 miles tomorrow out of Pittsburgh. Should be challenging!
Flyers fans? Nope. Pittsburgh, PA 5/31/2010
Go Hawks!!! The team took a trip to a local bar to watch the game. I managed to find a red jersey numbered 7 at our stayover! Thankfully my sister was on hand to tell me it was Seabrook's number. I have never seen the Hawks play with such energy. Our ride to Pittsburgh was short, flat, and enjoyable. Only just before our arrival in Pittsburgh was there a challenging hill. Much of the ride was done on a flat trail. Riders who caught up to my group on the trail were a little taken back. They asked if our group got a flat or took a break. In fact, we just wanted to kick back and enjoy the trail at 11mph. The last 15 miles were full of very good hill climbs that took my breath. I love that feeling. completely exhausted. At the top of one of our lat hill climbs, Conor asked, "You know what I like about you two? You never complain." This put things into perspective for me. In my cancer experience. I had never heard a patitent complain. They took every hill and mountain like there was no hill and mountain after. Total exhaustion. It was nice to ride knowing that I wouldn't have to ride tomorrow. I quickly took a nap when I arrived in Pittsburgh. I woke up to lunch being served. Moldy bread, peanut butter and jelly. No thanks. I ate some leftover ham and got pizza. Tonight we had a team meeing for isses that we would like to bring out about the team. Items like attitude, staying positive and bike groups were addressed.Keeping apositive attitude on this trip is alot like keeping a positive attitude during cancer treatment. Everyone has bad days, but you have to keep your spirits high. Everyone in that chemo clinic is feeling just as bad as you are. If you don't keep a positive attitude on this trip, the morale of your teamates will drop, just like chemo. Respect for people's physical fitness was also addressed. No cancer experience is the same, and no patient will take the same treatment like the person next to them with the same diagnosis. But, they push on. As I said earlier in my blog, I like to push myself on this ride to remind me of the struggles that a cancer patient has. An idea that was brought up in the meeting was to draw numbers for biking groups. this idea did not attract me at first until I gave it some serious thought. We are a team. A cancer patient and their support group behind them is a team. We all push each other to achieve our maximum potential. We won't pick numbers for the first ride after our rest day, but I surely cannot wait until we do.
3 States, 1 Day, 28 Pizzas!
Hello all,Yesterday was our first rest day in Pittsburgh, PA and we all enjoyed it thoroughly. Some did laundry, some got their eyebrows waxed, and everyone went to the Cubs vs Pirates baseball game! (Cubs lost!)At the begininning of the day, the team had to bid farewell to our #1 supporter--Sean Laude. Since we left Chicago, the 2007 rider/Illini 4000 Senior Director lended a HUGE helping hand in getting this year's trip off the ground. By driving the support van, always making sure we had water and food, and subbing in on another's bicycle. We will miss you, Sean, and we all wish you good luck with your new job next week. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago!Today marked Day 8 of riding as we traveled from PIttsburgh, PA, through West Virginia, to Cadiz, Ohio! Today exemplified to a great extent the dedication of the team and the way in which we carry out our vision. At 95 miles, today was our longest ride. Every group of riders interacted with communities along the route today. Some helped firemen push a car, some talked to community members about the organization, and some even got escorted across an interstate bridge by West Virginia's finest!The day only got better when the riders stopped by a local ice cream shop by the stayover! Finally, the team would like to thank Pat and Terri O'Hara (Eamon's parents) for donating 1 pizza for every rider (yes, 28 pizzas! And Domino's even through in a couple extra!)-The Illini 4000!
Bring it. Mt. Pleasant, PA 5/30/2010
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.
Foothills. Psh. Whatever. Everett, PA 5/29/2010
We climbed hills. 80 miles. We went to bed. This ride was the hardest yet but I hear that tomorrow's ride will be even more challenging. Who knew foothills could be so offensive to my physical fitness? Can't wait for more.... eh.The biggest meal awated us at out stayover. The members of the church spent all day cooking a wonderful meal of stew, prunes, applesauce and cake. I enjoyed five cups of coffee.A phone call rang and was answered by one of the cooks. The mood instantly changed from excitement and engaging to one of a more serious note. One of the women ran out of the room. Later, the cooks filled me in on what hapened. The sister of one of the women had been fighting cancer. That call was to warn them that their sister had gone unconcious and had been rushed to a hospital. I assured them that we were there for a reason and that we have hope.I waited six hours for a thirty minute shower. Totally worth it.