Well, my knee hasn't gotten better, but it hasn't gotten worse. We're now in Joplin, Missouri, and I've been taking it easy on my knee most days. Here's the update:
7/3/08 (continuation)-We framed one wall during the build day and helped move some of the frames, but overall, there wasn't too much for us to do. The morning crew had taken care of much of it. After the build day, I wandered around downtown Bloomington for awhile and then we all ate at Chipotle (for free!). I got to talk to my friend Lisa, who is on NC2SD and is already in Colorado Springs, and found this cool place called Baked!, where you can design your own cookies and they're ready in 12 minutes (so I got some cookies). I also played Dance Dance Revolution (and was not very good).
7/4/08-86 miles-I did the whole ride into Lawrenceville, which was a great feeling. It was a very flat, pretty easy day, but it rained all day. We hit a town called Vincennes right at the state line and found their Independence Day celebration, so we got funnel cakes and I did the space ball (which is that chair that you sit in and it spins all different ways-maybe not my best idea right after funnel cake). We took lots of pictures at the Illinois state line, saw evidence of all the flooding that has been going on there, and then (this is so exciting...) we stayed at a motel. We got to sleep in beds, had plenty of bathrooms, and relative privacy. It was amazing. None of us were up late enough for fireworks, but I don't think we missed much.
7/5/08-77 miles-Another full ride into Salem, IL! Again, a nice flat today (with sun!). We stopped for Dairy Queen on the road, then again after we got into the host. I did my affordable housing presentation, and a few people commented that they liked my part and felt like the understood what had happened with the housing market better because of it, so I achieved my goal.
7/6/08-0 miles-No riding because of a migraine, so I missed crossing the Mississippi River and the Missouri state line into St. Louis. Today was marked by lots of sleeping. I woke up at 8 PM, got food with a group of people, and walked to the park at the base of the Gateway Arch. Then I went back to sleep.
7/7/08-Day off!-We had a lot of fun today. We got breakfast at Union Station, then went to the City Museum, which is more a combination of giant playground/climbing toy/acid trip than museum. There are stories of climbing apparatuses, and we didn't get to all of them in the hours we were there. It was really cool-if you're ever in St. Louis, this is one place I would highly recommend. We went back to the church we were staying in, had dinner, then went to the Gateway Arch at sunset. We took the ride up to the top of the arch, looked out the windows, and walked around the Westward Expansion Museum at the bottom. We played in a fountain on the way back to the church, then went to bed.
7/8/08-48 miles-I made it to lunch before my knee got so painful I couldn't continue today. We hit the Ozarks, so there was lots of climbing, and I knew I couldn't keep going and have any shot at riding tomorrow if I continued. We were supposed to stay at a Boy Scout camp, but the camp was rented by another group, so they had us stay at this half finished house at the front of the camp next to the graveyard. I call it the "horror house." Really, it was the perfect setting for a horror movie. We made the best of it, though, and I grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken fried steak for everyone. I was told that I made the best burgers of any vegetarian people knew, which I'm taking as a compliment. We also got to shower in a hose, which was a new experience for me.
7/9/08-16 miles-The climbs destroyed my knee today. The day started fairly flat, and I got in a nice sprint at the beginning of the day, passing a lot of groups early on. I caught one group and decided to ride with them, but we got a little lost. Then, we hit a long gravel road, and my knee was done. I got picked up in the van on the gravel road, and the rest of the day was pretty uneventful.
7/10/08-15 miles-Again, the climbing really was painful today. I decided to try riding after lunch, when the terrain was supposed to be easier, but it didn't really help. The highlight of my day was getting passed by a horse and buggy in Amish country, then catching it and passing it later. We picked up the mail drop, I cooked chicken for dinner with Lindsay (and was again complimented on my meat cooking skills), and we just hung out for the rest of the night.
7/11/08-Today was a build day in Springfield, MO. We helped carry trusses up to the roof and install hurricane clips, but there wasn't enough work for 31 people all day, so it was a rather relaxing build day. We stopped for frozen custard after the build day, got free Chipotle for dinner again, then went to the Bass Pro Shops headquarters. This store was epic-you get a map when you walk in. I got a RaceGirl hat and played at the shooting arcade, and just wandered around. Then it was bedtime!
7/12/08-37 miles-I decided to ride after lunch today, and was able to do everything after lunch. I'm feeling pretty good, although I need to ice my knee. We're doing a team building exercise now, so I have to go.
Overall, we're having lots of adventures, meeting lots of people, and having a great time. I'll update as soon as I can!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Longest post ever...
So, that spill I took the day into New York had more consequences than expected. I tore up my left knee pretty badly, and have been spending quite a bit of time in the van because of it. After multiple hospital visits (only because the tiny towns we've been in don't have MRI machines), I've received a diagnosis of bad tendonitis in my knee, probably triggered by the fall, but made worse by riding. The recommendation was rest for three weeks, lots of ice, and ibuprofen. Well, the ice and ibuprofen are going well. Resting for three weeks really isn't an option, so I checked with the doctor to make sure I wouldn't be doing any long-term damage, and I won't, so I'm just trying to ride through the pain. There are definitely days when I can't do it, though. I try to make myself useful in other ways; for instance, going with leaders to pick up other riders, helping pack/unpack lunch, helping guide the van to the trailer when we have to hitch, dating food in the coolers so we know when to throw it away, making phone calls, etc. So, here's the breakdown since my last post:
6/20/08 I was supposed to ride sweep with Jose today (which was a little intimidating, since he is the strongest rider on the trip), but by mile 10 I could tell there was something wrong with my knee. I tried to ride through it, but Jose and Jane made me stop and get in the van. Before that, though, we crossed the Hudson River, which was awesome. Also really cool was that there were suicide prevention signs on the bridge and a hotline phone in the middle for people to call. I made it 22 miles total, then went to a walk in clinic and hospital to have my knee checked out. No MRI available, and x-rays were fine, so I just wrapped it and decided to see what the next day would bring. The van stranded us for awhile (Devon came with me since she was also in the van), so we went out to dinner and bought some group toys at the Family Dollar to make the best of our time in Middletown, NY. We ended up in Port Jervis, NY for the night.
6/21/08 Spent the whole day in the van, so it was a 0 mile day. We went to a coffee shop in the morning and hung out for a little while because we had to wait to get the van inspected, then got free Subway for lunch. We made it into Mt. Pocono, PA in the afternoon. I missed crossing the NJ and PA state lines on my bike, which was sad, but probably best for my health. Lynn (another rider)'s dad looked at my knee when we got there, and the swelling had gotten worse and spread to my ankle, so he recommended I go to the Pocono Medical Center ER. No MRI again, so we still didn't know anything. Frustration over spending money for no results!
6/22/08 Again, a 0 mile van day into Berwick, PA. I rode a mile and a half around the parking lot when we got to the host (and flew the new Optimus Prime kite off the back of my bike), and my knee felt okay, so I decided to try to ride the next day. Highlights of the van included videotaping the riders "bike dancing" as we played music next to them.
6/23/08 I got up this morning and got ready for our first century into State College, PA. The leaders wouldn't let me ride, though, so I got to do another 0 mile day. At this point, you should realize, I was about ready to strangle someone if it would let me ride. The leaders were just concerned that, since I still couldn't get an MRI and we didn't know what was wrong, I would be doing lasting damage to my knee and end up having to go home if I rode on it. Anyway, we stayed at the Penn State cycling team president's house, which was a new kind of host for us. We usually do churches or YMCA's, so it was cool. We also went through Amish country, which was quite interesting. The leaders called me into their secret leader meeting and told me not to ride tomorrow, but I convinced them I would stop if it got too painful, so they said okay.
6/24/08 30 miles! Certainly not the whole route, but my knee started deteriorating around mile 20, and given my promise to the leaders, I decided to stop. I took the van the rest of the way into Johnstown, PA, where we stayed at this beautiful old house that had been converted to a YWCA. I also got an MRI set up for Pittsburgh so I could stop worrying about all of this knee stuff.
6/25/08 3 miles-disappointing, but at least I got some riding in. My knee just started aching immediately, and I decided that with an MRI set up for the next day, I shouldn't push it. We got into Pittsburgh and unloaded the entire trailer, then cheered for all of the riders coming in. It was a hard day of riding, especially after the previous few days. The next day was a day off, so we stayed out late (well, like 10, which is late for us) and rode the Monongahala incline and overlooked the lights of the city. It was much prettier than I expected.
6/26/08 Day off! No worrying about not riding or how far I should go. I got an MRI early this morning, then spent a lot of the day dealing with the bureaucracy of American healthcare trying to get the results. I didn't get them, but didn't let that ruin my day. We went to a local diner for breakfast, Pamela's, where I got amazing banana chocolate chip hotcakes and homefries. I got a new saddle at the bike shop because mine was way too wide for me, then we went to the OmniMax (which is like an IMax, but actually dome shaped) and saw Wild Ocean. We ran through the Science Center trying to see things, but only had 15 minutes, so we didn't get to see much. We walked by the stadium where the Steelers play and the stadium where the Pirates play. We also walked to the point, which is where the three rivers in Pittsburgh meet (Allegheny, Monongahala, and Ohio). We dipped our feet in each river, then just hung out at the fountain for awhile. We ate dinner at a place called Dumplinz (I got pierogies), then I worked on my bike for awhile and went to bed.
6/27/08 41 miles! I did the whole ride from Pittsburgh to Steubenville, which was awesome. I finally got the results of my MRI (see above), so I knew I would be in pain, but my knee would be fine. When we got in, we ate lunch, did bike maintenance, and I took a nap. We did a compliment train (where everyone goes through the line and receives a compliment from everyone else), then I went back to sleep.
6/28/08 48 miles-not quite the whole ride, but I finished the route. I got picked up and taken from mile 16 to lunch because I was supposed to "ease my way back in." We took pictures by a big fake giraffe and stopped at a produce stand to get fruit. Also, when we got into Newcomerstown, they asked us to be in their Cy Young Parade, so we rode in it. (Cy Young was born in Newcomerstown, OH and they have an annual festival honoring him.)
6/29/08 Today we got into Suckeye territory (Columbus, where Ohio State University is located). I only rode 18 miles; I can give you more details about this if you would like them later. I got a new water bottle that says "ride like a girl" since one of mine started leaking pretty badly. I then went with Jose to get the trailer from the lunch stop and didn't get back to Columbus until late, so we just ate and pretty much went to bed.
6/30/08 60 miles! I rode the whole route from Columbus to Yellow Springs today, after doing half a build day with the Habitat chapter in Columbus. My knee is sore, but it's well worth it. I found a 1981 racquetball trophy on the side of the road and decided to keep it. I carried it with me all day, but it now lives on the dashboard of the van. We stopped at McDonald's and got french fries, and right before sunset, we saw a deer running through a cornfield while a hawk circled overhead. It was very picturesque. When we got to Yellow Springs, we went to a lady's house down the street to shower. It was built in 1842 and they just recently finished restoring it; it was gorgeous. The shower was massive-definitely the best shower on the trip so far, and it was nice to sit and talk to them. We went and got pizza at a local pizza place, too.
7/1/08 83 miles! So, I didn't finish the century today, but I did my longest ride so far. After 83 miles, I couldn't bend my knee to clip back in to my pedals after we took a break. So, I called the van to get taken the last 17 miles. However, two other riders had just crashed, so the van couldn't get me. So, (Mom-stop reading here) these two guys in a pickup truck came and got me and took me to the host location. Turns out, they were volunteer firefighters who were on the scene of the bike crash, which is how they knew about us and where to come get me, but the riders I was with at the time were a little sketched out by the situation. We crossed the Indiana state line today into Rushville and showered at a local nursing home. Overall, it was a good day.
7/2/08 0 mile van day. :( My knee still wouldn't bend today, so I took the van the 85 miles into Bloomington, IN. Not a bad day, but frustrating not to ride at all. We did get video of a lawnmower robot we saw, stopped at a flea market in Gnaw Bone, IN, where I got 5 VHS tapes for $5, and then I unloaded all of the bags out of the trailer. We got all of our mail drop stuff, ate dinner, and I helped clean up. We watched Breaking Away, a movie about cycling that was filmed in Bloomington last night, and I went to bed.
7/3/08 Today is a build day, but they couldn't use all 31 of us at the same time, so we got broken up into morning and afternoon crews. I got on the afternoon crew, so I got to sleep in (yay!) and update this. Facebook is not working, so I still can't upload pictures. I might get to the library tonight and try to do it there, because I'm not sure if it's Facebook or our internet connection. I promise I have lots of pictures and some video, I just can't get any of them onto a computer. I don't know what we're doing at the build site, but we'll see if I can update sooner next time.
So, we've conquered quite a few mountains, and now have a new enemy-headwind. The headwind on the plains is constant, but I like it better than mountains (I'm surprised by the number of people who disagree with me).
Everything is going well still. The people are great-pretty much everyone is supportive, even when I have to take van days. I think I'll have a couple of really close friends from this trip, and that's awesome. I really enjoy our build days and getting to know different people better. I've gotten to ride (both in the van and on the bike) with new people, which is fun. The alumni network is still just amazing to me (we've met a few more), as is the generosity and support of our hosts.
I'm hoping to ride everyday from now on. We'll see how it goes; as long as my knee doesn't bother me too much, I'll be just fine!
6/20/08 I was supposed to ride sweep with Jose today (which was a little intimidating, since he is the strongest rider on the trip), but by mile 10 I could tell there was something wrong with my knee. I tried to ride through it, but Jose and Jane made me stop and get in the van. Before that, though, we crossed the Hudson River, which was awesome. Also really cool was that there were suicide prevention signs on the bridge and a hotline phone in the middle for people to call. I made it 22 miles total, then went to a walk in clinic and hospital to have my knee checked out. No MRI available, and x-rays were fine, so I just wrapped it and decided to see what the next day would bring. The van stranded us for awhile (Devon came with me since she was also in the van), so we went out to dinner and bought some group toys at the Family Dollar to make the best of our time in Middletown, NY. We ended up in Port Jervis, NY for the night.
6/21/08 Spent the whole day in the van, so it was a 0 mile day. We went to a coffee shop in the morning and hung out for a little while because we had to wait to get the van inspected, then got free Subway for lunch. We made it into Mt. Pocono, PA in the afternoon. I missed crossing the NJ and PA state lines on my bike, which was sad, but probably best for my health. Lynn (another rider)'s dad looked at my knee when we got there, and the swelling had gotten worse and spread to my ankle, so he recommended I go to the Pocono Medical Center ER. No MRI again, so we still didn't know anything. Frustration over spending money for no results!
6/22/08 Again, a 0 mile van day into Berwick, PA. I rode a mile and a half around the parking lot when we got to the host (and flew the new Optimus Prime kite off the back of my bike), and my knee felt okay, so I decided to try to ride the next day. Highlights of the van included videotaping the riders "bike dancing" as we played music next to them.
6/23/08 I got up this morning and got ready for our first century into State College, PA. The leaders wouldn't let me ride, though, so I got to do another 0 mile day. At this point, you should realize, I was about ready to strangle someone if it would let me ride. The leaders were just concerned that, since I still couldn't get an MRI and we didn't know what was wrong, I would be doing lasting damage to my knee and end up having to go home if I rode on it. Anyway, we stayed at the Penn State cycling team president's house, which was a new kind of host for us. We usually do churches or YMCA's, so it was cool. We also went through Amish country, which was quite interesting. The leaders called me into their secret leader meeting and told me not to ride tomorrow, but I convinced them I would stop if it got too painful, so they said okay.
6/24/08 30 miles! Certainly not the whole route, but my knee started deteriorating around mile 20, and given my promise to the leaders, I decided to stop. I took the van the rest of the way into Johnstown, PA, where we stayed at this beautiful old house that had been converted to a YWCA. I also got an MRI set up for Pittsburgh so I could stop worrying about all of this knee stuff.
6/25/08 3 miles-disappointing, but at least I got some riding in. My knee just started aching immediately, and I decided that with an MRI set up for the next day, I shouldn't push it. We got into Pittsburgh and unloaded the entire trailer, then cheered for all of the riders coming in. It was a hard day of riding, especially after the previous few days. The next day was a day off, so we stayed out late (well, like 10, which is late for us) and rode the Monongahala incline and overlooked the lights of the city. It was much prettier than I expected.
6/26/08 Day off! No worrying about not riding or how far I should go. I got an MRI early this morning, then spent a lot of the day dealing with the bureaucracy of American healthcare trying to get the results. I didn't get them, but didn't let that ruin my day. We went to a local diner for breakfast, Pamela's, where I got amazing banana chocolate chip hotcakes and homefries. I got a new saddle at the bike shop because mine was way too wide for me, then we went to the OmniMax (which is like an IMax, but actually dome shaped) and saw Wild Ocean. We ran through the Science Center trying to see things, but only had 15 minutes, so we didn't get to see much. We walked by the stadium where the Steelers play and the stadium where the Pirates play. We also walked to the point, which is where the three rivers in Pittsburgh meet (Allegheny, Monongahala, and Ohio). We dipped our feet in each river, then just hung out at the fountain for awhile. We ate dinner at a place called Dumplinz (I got pierogies), then I worked on my bike for awhile and went to bed.
6/27/08 41 miles! I did the whole ride from Pittsburgh to Steubenville, which was awesome. I finally got the results of my MRI (see above), so I knew I would be in pain, but my knee would be fine. When we got in, we ate lunch, did bike maintenance, and I took a nap. We did a compliment train (where everyone goes through the line and receives a compliment from everyone else), then I went back to sleep.
6/28/08 48 miles-not quite the whole ride, but I finished the route. I got picked up and taken from mile 16 to lunch because I was supposed to "ease my way back in." We took pictures by a big fake giraffe and stopped at a produce stand to get fruit. Also, when we got into Newcomerstown, they asked us to be in their Cy Young Parade, so we rode in it. (Cy Young was born in Newcomerstown, OH and they have an annual festival honoring him.)
6/29/08 Today we got into Suckeye territory (Columbus, where Ohio State University is located). I only rode 18 miles; I can give you more details about this if you would like them later. I got a new water bottle that says "ride like a girl" since one of mine started leaking pretty badly. I then went with Jose to get the trailer from the lunch stop and didn't get back to Columbus until late, so we just ate and pretty much went to bed.
6/30/08 60 miles! I rode the whole route from Columbus to Yellow Springs today, after doing half a build day with the Habitat chapter in Columbus. My knee is sore, but it's well worth it. I found a 1981 racquetball trophy on the side of the road and decided to keep it. I carried it with me all day, but it now lives on the dashboard of the van. We stopped at McDonald's and got french fries, and right before sunset, we saw a deer running through a cornfield while a hawk circled overhead. It was very picturesque. When we got to Yellow Springs, we went to a lady's house down the street to shower. It was built in 1842 and they just recently finished restoring it; it was gorgeous. The shower was massive-definitely the best shower on the trip so far, and it was nice to sit and talk to them. We went and got pizza at a local pizza place, too.
7/1/08 83 miles! So, I didn't finish the century today, but I did my longest ride so far. After 83 miles, I couldn't bend my knee to clip back in to my pedals after we took a break. So, I called the van to get taken the last 17 miles. However, two other riders had just crashed, so the van couldn't get me. So, (Mom-stop reading here) these two guys in a pickup truck came and got me and took me to the host location. Turns out, they were volunteer firefighters who were on the scene of the bike crash, which is how they knew about us and where to come get me, but the riders I was with at the time were a little sketched out by the situation. We crossed the Indiana state line today into Rushville and showered at a local nursing home. Overall, it was a good day.
7/2/08 0 mile van day. :( My knee still wouldn't bend today, so I took the van the 85 miles into Bloomington, IN. Not a bad day, but frustrating not to ride at all. We did get video of a lawnmower robot we saw, stopped at a flea market in Gnaw Bone, IN, where I got 5 VHS tapes for $5, and then I unloaded all of the bags out of the trailer. We got all of our mail drop stuff, ate dinner, and I helped clean up. We watched Breaking Away, a movie about cycling that was filmed in Bloomington last night, and I went to bed.
7/3/08 Today is a build day, but they couldn't use all 31 of us at the same time, so we got broken up into morning and afternoon crews. I got on the afternoon crew, so I got to sleep in (yay!) and update this. Facebook is not working, so I still can't upload pictures. I might get to the library tonight and try to do it there, because I'm not sure if it's Facebook or our internet connection. I promise I have lots of pictures and some video, I just can't get any of them onto a computer. I don't know what we're doing at the build site, but we'll see if I can update sooner next time.
So, we've conquered quite a few mountains, and now have a new enemy-headwind. The headwind on the plains is constant, but I like it better than mountains (I'm surprised by the number of people who disagree with me).
Everything is going well still. The people are great-pretty much everyone is supportive, even when I have to take van days. I think I'll have a couple of really close friends from this trip, and that's awesome. I really enjoy our build days and getting to know different people better. I've gotten to ride (both in the van and on the bike) with new people, which is fun. The alumni network is still just amazing to me (we've met a few more), as is the generosity and support of our hosts.
I'm hoping to ride everyday from now on. We'll see how it goes; as long as my knee doesn't bother me too much, I'll be just fine!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
New York!
So, we rode into New York yesterday. It was pretty sweet to cross the state line on a bike! The past few days have been hard; lots of hills, but everything is going well. So, the days blend together a lot, but let's see if I can give a break down:
In Boston (well, Revere really, which is near Boston), we stayed in and ate at a church. We met for orientation on Wednesday and stayed until Friday morning. We had the shake down ride around Revere, MA, which totaled about 15 miles, and we spent 2 miles or so riding around the parking lot goofing off, so that was a 17 mile day. I think that was on Thursday. It was a nice, easy, pretty day. We went into Boston that night, walked around a bunch, and got some food donated from a local bakery.
The next day we rode into Andover, MA, about 25 miles total. It was my first experience with any hills at all, and it was a little difficult (in retrospect), but good. We stayed at a school and had dinner at the Webber's house. Chris Webber was an alum and one of the first B&B employees who was killed when he was hit by a car (walking, not cycling). Our trip is dedicated to him, so it was cool to meet his parents and talk to them. We also played wiffle ball and enjoyed having a backyard to hang out in. Saturday was a build day, so we did 0 miles, but worked hard. We put up a wall, carried sheets of particle board up to the roof of one house, and did lots of general hammering and clean up. It was a cool day, and the Webbers hosted us again for dinner.
Sunday we rode into Fitchburg. It was about 45 miles, and lots of hill climbs. It rained a lot too, but Emma and Sophie (two other riders) stuck with me, cheered me on, and I made it into the host location. We did laundry, walked to the Y to shower, and the church we were staying at cooked us dinner.
Monday turned out to be a pretty rough day. I couldn't make myself eat anything about breakfast (which is highly unusual at this point), and before we even left I was throwing up. I took a van day because I had no nutrition or hydration at that point. The van got to stop at one point so I could get sick again on the side of the road, again at lunch, and one more time after lunch. I didn't ride my bike at all, so I did 0 miles on the 50+ mile day. We got into Amherst, walked into town and got some anti-nausea medication at CVS and stuff at the bike store, and went back to the host location (UMass Hillel) to wait for dinner. We then ran through the pouring rain to wait for a bus to go to dinner, which was graciously provided by a B&B alum, only to decide the lightning was too close to be standing out there and took the van. We did get splashed by a bus first, so it was pretty awesome. I was able to eat dinner and keep it down, so I decided to ride the next day.
Tuesday we rode into Pittsfield. It was a grueling 50 mile day, with lots of mountain climbs in the Berkshire Mountains. I made it 28 miles before literally falling over on a hill because my legs gave out and calling it a day. We stayed at the Y in the Pittsfield and were fed by one of the rider's former scout masters at a church there.
Yesterday was an 85 mile day that was supposed to be easier than the previous two. I was riding in the morning, doing alright, and I fell and ate it coming down a hill too fast. I took the van to lunch because I was a little bloody and banged up, but then rode the rest of the way after lunch, so I did a little over 67 miles. We also crossed the New York state line that day. We're staying a school again. We ordered Chinese last night for dinner and we're cooking for ourselves for the first time tonight. We worked with a Habitat chapter today, and unloaded two semi-trucks full of furniture donated by a university that will be going to the Habitat Re-Store here. It was a good day's work.
So, yes, so far it has been difficult. Mountains were not something I could prepare for, and we're not quite done with them yet. I have already gotten stronger and will continue to do so, I'm sure. I am amazed, though, by the amount of support from the people we meet on the road and the other people in this group. I can't believe I have only known these people for a week. We really have gone through so much already together that I feel like we can do anything we put our minds to, so getting to Pittsburgh (where, rumor has it, the mountains end) should be easy. It's also awesome how much support we have from alums. One alum, Dave, has been with us since the beginning of the trip, riding and helping out as much as possible. Another alum provided us with lunch one day. Tracy provided dinner in Amherst and has been riding with us since then. We had other alums meet us in Boston, Amherst, and today. Once you do B&B, you are part of a nationwide family that you can count on regardless. I plan on helping out when trips come through Amarillo next year (which is near Lubbock) and possibly riding for a day or two, though we'll see what the grad school budget will allow.
Anyway, line for the internet is growing and I need to shower and do laundry (we have showers, laundry, and beds here!). Facebook is blocked here, though, so we can't upload any pictures. B&B uses Facebook to upload and tag all pictures, so I will have to wait to show you all the awesome things going on. Until next time...
In Boston (well, Revere really, which is near Boston), we stayed in and ate at a church. We met for orientation on Wednesday and stayed until Friday morning. We had the shake down ride around Revere, MA, which totaled about 15 miles, and we spent 2 miles or so riding around the parking lot goofing off, so that was a 17 mile day. I think that was on Thursday. It was a nice, easy, pretty day. We went into Boston that night, walked around a bunch, and got some food donated from a local bakery.
The next day we rode into Andover, MA, about 25 miles total. It was my first experience with any hills at all, and it was a little difficult (in retrospect), but good. We stayed at a school and had dinner at the Webber's house. Chris Webber was an alum and one of the first B&B employees who was killed when he was hit by a car (walking, not cycling). Our trip is dedicated to him, so it was cool to meet his parents and talk to them. We also played wiffle ball and enjoyed having a backyard to hang out in. Saturday was a build day, so we did 0 miles, but worked hard. We put up a wall, carried sheets of particle board up to the roof of one house, and did lots of general hammering and clean up. It was a cool day, and the Webbers hosted us again for dinner.
Sunday we rode into Fitchburg. It was about 45 miles, and lots of hill climbs. It rained a lot too, but Emma and Sophie (two other riders) stuck with me, cheered me on, and I made it into the host location. We did laundry, walked to the Y to shower, and the church we were staying at cooked us dinner.
Monday turned out to be a pretty rough day. I couldn't make myself eat anything about breakfast (which is highly unusual at this point), and before we even left I was throwing up. I took a van day because I had no nutrition or hydration at that point. The van got to stop at one point so I could get sick again on the side of the road, again at lunch, and one more time after lunch. I didn't ride my bike at all, so I did 0 miles on the 50+ mile day. We got into Amherst, walked into town and got some anti-nausea medication at CVS and stuff at the bike store, and went back to the host location (UMass Hillel) to wait for dinner. We then ran through the pouring rain to wait for a bus to go to dinner, which was graciously provided by a B&B alum, only to decide the lightning was too close to be standing out there and took the van. We did get splashed by a bus first, so it was pretty awesome. I was able to eat dinner and keep it down, so I decided to ride the next day.
Tuesday we rode into Pittsfield. It was a grueling 50 mile day, with lots of mountain climbs in the Berkshire Mountains. I made it 28 miles before literally falling over on a hill because my legs gave out and calling it a day. We stayed at the Y in the Pittsfield and were fed by one of the rider's former scout masters at a church there.
Yesterday was an 85 mile day that was supposed to be easier than the previous two. I was riding in the morning, doing alright, and I fell and ate it coming down a hill too fast. I took the van to lunch because I was a little bloody and banged up, but then rode the rest of the way after lunch, so I did a little over 67 miles. We also crossed the New York state line that day. We're staying a school again. We ordered Chinese last night for dinner and we're cooking for ourselves for the first time tonight. We worked with a Habitat chapter today, and unloaded two semi-trucks full of furniture donated by a university that will be going to the Habitat Re-Store here. It was a good day's work.
So, yes, so far it has been difficult. Mountains were not something I could prepare for, and we're not quite done with them yet. I have already gotten stronger and will continue to do so, I'm sure. I am amazed, though, by the amount of support from the people we meet on the road and the other people in this group. I can't believe I have only known these people for a week. We really have gone through so much already together that I feel like we can do anything we put our minds to, so getting to Pittsburgh (where, rumor has it, the mountains end) should be easy. It's also awesome how much support we have from alums. One alum, Dave, has been with us since the beginning of the trip, riding and helping out as much as possible. Another alum provided us with lunch one day. Tracy provided dinner in Amherst and has been riding with us since then. We had other alums meet us in Boston, Amherst, and today. Once you do B&B, you are part of a nationwide family that you can count on regardless. I plan on helping out when trips come through Amarillo next year (which is near Lubbock) and possibly riding for a day or two, though we'll see what the grad school budget will allow.
Anyway, line for the internet is growing and I need to shower and do laundry (we have showers, laundry, and beds here!). Facebook is blocked here, though, so we can't upload any pictures. B&B uses Facebook to upload and tag all pictures, so I will have to wait to show you all the awesome things going on. Until next time...
Friday, June 13, 2008
I survived!
So today was our first real day of riding. We made it from Revere, MA to Andover, MA unscathed. I got my first hill training, and it's going to be tough, but I did it! The part of the country we're in is really pretty. We went through some small towns and sweet countryside today.
Orientation, the group, everything is awesome. I am getting yelled at because we're leaving for dinner and I'm still typing, so I'll update you more later!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Ready to go!
Well, everyone, this is my last post before I leave for Boston. I have less than 12 hours before I start all of this, and what a whirlwind it's been. Thank you all for your love and encouragement as I've started freaking out about this. I really appreciate the kind words and support. I got a rather disheartening call yesterday from my friend Nikki, who is on Providence to San Francisco, about how hard the ride is and how bad the weather is and how many people are already quitting, which was not quite what I needed right now. I've decided, though, that this is mind over matter, and I've worked too hard not to see this through. Also, you all have worked too hard and given too much to me and to the cause for me not to finish this.
If you want to follow the route, you can go to www.bikeandbuild.org. On the left hand side of the page, there is a Route Tracker, Journals, Photos, 2008 Cyclists, Blogs, etc. You can also get information on our mail drops (where you can send me mail and love, but nothing too big because I don't have much room) and other fun things. Remember, I'm on Boston to Santa Barbara, and you should be able to find everything you need!
Alright, I gotta take care of some house stuff and some grad school stuff, and then I'm off to bed. I've got a big day tomorrow!
If you want to follow the route, you can go to www.bikeandbuild.org. On the left hand side of the page, there is a Route Tracker, Journals, Photos, 2008 Cyclists, Blogs, etc. You can also get information on our mail drops (where you can send me mail and love, but nothing too big because I don't have much room) and other fun things. Remember, I'm on Boston to Santa Barbara, and you should be able to find everything you need!
Alright, I gotta take care of some house stuff and some grad school stuff, and then I'm off to bed. I've got a big day tomorrow!
Friday, June 6, 2008
It's almost here...
Well, I have 4 days until I leave for Boston. This means that the past week or so has been a marathon of running around, figuring out how to pack everything I need for two months into a bag that gets progressively smaller by the minute, and tying up all loose ends before I leave. Which means training has come to a standstill.
I finally got my affordable housing research done and submitted, which is a big plus. I think Skip (my leader, who is in charge of making sure all of us do our research) was about to strangle a few of us for not getting it turned in on time (or even close to on time). But, it was done, done awesomely, and I am ready to present on the history of housing practices from 1990-present, including the current problems with subprime mortgages. Speaking of which, we close on my house on June 18th! It got a new roof this week, too. I'm so excited. I'm also not a subprime mortgage, I swear. :)
So, I quit my job last Friday (freedom!), moved out of my apartment on Saturday, broke up with the boyfriend Monday, and drove down to West Palm Beach (where my parents live) on Monday. I've been attempting to pack and get ready for the trip down here, which is more difficult than it may seem. My entire life has been packed into a trailer, which means any time I need anything, I have to go into the trailer (which is about 130 degrees in the middle of the day) and find the box it's in, open the box, and retrieve the item. Had I thought this through better, I would have packed for Bike and Build before I packed my entire life away. But, I didn't, so it's been an adventure. Also, I have had to get so many little things that I didn't think about still (and some big things). A quick dry camping towel, new digital camera (Canon Powershot SD870) because I wasn't going to bring any of the 9 cameras I already own on the trip, and lots of bike gear. Then I had to ship my bike to Boston.
This brings me to a huge, huge thanks. Wheels of Wellington, and Stan Kilbas, the owner of the shop, have been awesome. They tuned up my bike for me, boxed it, shipped it, and gave me more gear than I know what to do with. I have energy gel, nutrition bars, Camelbak Elixir, spare tubes, and really nice spare tires. All of the gear was donated, which has saved me so much money as I've prepared for this trip. Also, my dad used to ride with Stan, and I found out that they used to call my dad "The Pope." I was unaware of this, and am debating incorporating this nickname into my everyday vocabulary with Dad. We'll see how it goes.
In other thanks and great news, I met my fundraising goal! I have $4009! Thanks goes to:
Roberta Sickerman
Gainesville Area Women's Network
Harold Murphy
Paul and Pamela Jahn
Ashley Jahn
I can't believe I finally met it. It's such a huge relief, as now my entire savings can go toward fixing up the house, instead of Bike and Build. I really can't thank everyone who donated and helped with fundraisers enough. Without all of you, there is no way I would be able to do this. Your support means so much to me!
Well, I have to go attempt to get way too much stuff into way too small of a bag. Packing is a bit of a challenge right now, and it must be done before Tuesday!
I finally got my affordable housing research done and submitted, which is a big plus. I think Skip (my leader, who is in charge of making sure all of us do our research) was about to strangle a few of us for not getting it turned in on time (or even close to on time). But, it was done, done awesomely, and I am ready to present on the history of housing practices from 1990-present, including the current problems with subprime mortgages. Speaking of which, we close on my house on June 18th! It got a new roof this week, too. I'm so excited. I'm also not a subprime mortgage, I swear. :)
So, I quit my job last Friday (freedom!), moved out of my apartment on Saturday, broke up with the boyfriend Monday, and drove down to West Palm Beach (where my parents live) on Monday. I've been attempting to pack and get ready for the trip down here, which is more difficult than it may seem. My entire life has been packed into a trailer, which means any time I need anything, I have to go into the trailer (which is about 130 degrees in the middle of the day) and find the box it's in, open the box, and retrieve the item. Had I thought this through better, I would have packed for Bike and Build before I packed my entire life away. But, I didn't, so it's been an adventure. Also, I have had to get so many little things that I didn't think about still (and some big things). A quick dry camping towel, new digital camera (Canon Powershot SD870) because I wasn't going to bring any of the 9 cameras I already own on the trip, and lots of bike gear. Then I had to ship my bike to Boston.
This brings me to a huge, huge thanks. Wheels of Wellington, and Stan Kilbas, the owner of the shop, have been awesome. They tuned up my bike for me, boxed it, shipped it, and gave me more gear than I know what to do with. I have energy gel, nutrition bars, Camelbak Elixir, spare tubes, and really nice spare tires. All of the gear was donated, which has saved me so much money as I've prepared for this trip. Also, my dad used to ride with Stan, and I found out that they used to call my dad "The Pope." I was unaware of this, and am debating incorporating this nickname into my everyday vocabulary with Dad. We'll see how it goes.
In other thanks and great news, I met my fundraising goal! I have $4009! Thanks goes to:
Roberta Sickerman
Gainesville Area Women's Network
Harold Murphy
Paul and Pamela Jahn
Ashley Jahn
I can't believe I finally met it. It's such a huge relief, as now my entire savings can go toward fixing up the house, instead of Bike and Build. I really can't thank everyone who donated and helped with fundraisers enough. Without all of you, there is no way I would be able to do this. Your support means so much to me!
Well, I have to go attempt to get way too much stuff into way too small of a bag. Packing is a bit of a challenge right now, and it must be done before Tuesday!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Less than $700 to go!
In very, very wonderful fundraising news, I have less than $700 until I meet my goal! I'm so excited! Here are some very awesome donors to thank:
Dorothy McGuire
Tim and Eileen Kozyra
Dean and Vanessa Abtahi
Mark and Jill Williams
Shannon Mahoney
I also went to the farmer's market on Saturday. I only made $14, but any money is still money for the cause and I got to talk to a lot of new people, so that was great. I was also set up next to a pet rescue organization and got to meet a very cool dog who was up for adoption, so that made my day pretty enjoyable. My parents also put a jar out at a car show they went to and made some money for me, so that was wonderful. My sister was collecting money in her classes during the spring semester, which is such a good idea and takes a lot of guts to do. I would have a hard time asking classmates to donate for one of my relatives every single class, but she did it and has apparently collected quite a bit. Her professors were really nice about letting her do it, too. Finally, Nancy Griffin (who has donated along with her husband and provides me with breakfast at the farmer's market every Saturday since I don't eat before I go) took me to the Gainesville Area Women's Network luncheon yesterday and made an announcement about the cause for me. We passed around a jar and Bike & Build brochures, and got $89 in donations! So, thank you, thank you to Mrs. Griffin and all of the members of GAWN for their support! I really appreciate it.
A couple of other fundraising ideas that I'm still hoping will pan out: going to a Rotary Club meeting (or three) before I leave, going to a church (or five) before I leave (this was recommended by Dr. Griffin, Nancy's husband), and possibly standing in front of Wal-Mart collecting donations. I haven't been able to get anyone to contact me back from the churches or the Rotary Clubs, and I've given up on the Wal-Mart here, but I'm hoping the Wal-Mart in West Palm Beach will help me out when I'm down there.
Here are some very awesome links for everyone to enjoy:
http://www.thecrier.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=76&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=13629&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1150&hn=gotowncrier&he=.com
http://www.haileguide.com/content.php?content=article13
Also, here's one about my friend Lisa, who is already on her way across the country!
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080513/NEWS/805130317
There are also two other really good articles that aren't online, so you all can't see them. :(
And finally, training. On Saturday, I did an easy 30 miles. I was told, since it was my birthday, I had to ride at least my age in miles, and I did that. I rode with someone who has never done more than 8 miles in his life, so I fitted the Peugeot for him, put new tires on it, and we went. We stopped very frequently and went at a pretty slow, comfortable pace, and he made it the full 30. He whined an awful lot at the end because of the hills, but I was very impressed that he finished the entire Hawthorne Trail his first time out.
I really need to get more serious about training. Everything seems to be settling down; the issues on the house are finally getting wrapped up, packing is moving along, I only have 5 days left at The Princeton Review, etc., so hopefully I'll be able to devote a little more time to it before I leave. Otherwise, I may die that first week.
I'll post again after riding this weekend!
Dorothy McGuire
Tim and Eileen Kozyra
Dean and Vanessa Abtahi
Mark and Jill Williams
Shannon Mahoney
I also went to the farmer's market on Saturday. I only made $14, but any money is still money for the cause and I got to talk to a lot of new people, so that was great. I was also set up next to a pet rescue organization and got to meet a very cool dog who was up for adoption, so that made my day pretty enjoyable. My parents also put a jar out at a car show they went to and made some money for me, so that was wonderful. My sister was collecting money in her classes during the spring semester, which is such a good idea and takes a lot of guts to do. I would have a hard time asking classmates to donate for one of my relatives every single class, but she did it and has apparently collected quite a bit. Her professors were really nice about letting her do it, too. Finally, Nancy Griffin (who has donated along with her husband and provides me with breakfast at the farmer's market every Saturday since I don't eat before I go) took me to the Gainesville Area Women's Network luncheon yesterday and made an announcement about the cause for me. We passed around a jar and Bike & Build brochures, and got $89 in donations! So, thank you, thank you to Mrs. Griffin and all of the members of GAWN for their support! I really appreciate it.
A couple of other fundraising ideas that I'm still hoping will pan out: going to a Rotary Club meeting (or three) before I leave, going to a church (or five) before I leave (this was recommended by Dr. Griffin, Nancy's husband), and possibly standing in front of Wal-Mart collecting donations. I haven't been able to get anyone to contact me back from the churches or the Rotary Clubs, and I've given up on the Wal-Mart here, but I'm hoping the Wal-Mart in West Palm Beach will help me out when I'm down there.
Here are some very awesome links for everyone to enjoy:
http://www.thecrier.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=76&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=13629&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1150&hn=gotowncrier&he=.com
http://www.haileguide.com/content.php?content=article13
Also, here's one about my friend Lisa, who is already on her way across the country!
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080513/NEWS/805130317
There are also two other really good articles that aren't online, so you all can't see them. :(
And finally, training. On Saturday, I did an easy 30 miles. I was told, since it was my birthday, I had to ride at least my age in miles, and I did that. I rode with someone who has never done more than 8 miles in his life, so I fitted the Peugeot for him, put new tires on it, and we went. We stopped very frequently and went at a pretty slow, comfortable pace, and he made it the full 30. He whined an awful lot at the end because of the hills, but I was very impressed that he finished the entire Hawthorne Trail his first time out.
I really need to get more serious about training. Everything seems to be settling down; the issues on the house are finally getting wrapped up, packing is moving along, I only have 5 days left at The Princeton Review, etc., so hopefully I'll be able to devote a little more time to it before I leave. Otherwise, I may die that first week.
I'll post again after riding this weekend!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Slacking on the updates again...
Sometimes I'm getting so much done that I forget I should be telling all of you about it! First things first, let's thank some donors:
Christine Sensenig
Judith Herzlin
Scott Shreiner and Holly Scroggin
Prestige Air Conditioning Systems, Inc.
Wayne and Nancy Griffin
Lillian Roberts
Muscle Express
Tom and Lisa Koza
All of the Bike & Builders who have purchased the bike charms donated by Reller Gold
I really appreciate all of your contributions and support for this ride!
So, now for a general update. I am much closer to my fundraising goal than I was at my last update. I'm almost at $3000 and, as of 27 minutes ago, I have one month until I leave! I think (hope) a lot of my recent success has had to do with other things I've been doing, which I guess I'll share now. A few weeks ago, I sent press releases to quite a few news venues. None of the newspapers in Gainesville picked up the articles, but three newspapers in the western Palm Beach County area did, and all of them published different articles about me and Bike & Build. I know that at least two of my recent donations were a direct result of one of these articles, and they got the word out about B&B, so I'm really excited!
Also, Juan, the guy who runs the farmer's market (who is awesome, by the way), told me that there is a Haile Village newsletter that comes out monthly. I got in touch with the guy who runs that, Bryan, and he also published an article with a pictures of me in the newsletter and linked to it from the main webpage. Check it out: www.haileguide.com. The article is "Local Woman to Bicycle Across US," in case that wasn't really obvious. While I was at the market today, a few people told me that they had read the article and purchased t-shirts and bicycle charms. I am now sold out of small bicycle charms and only have the larger ones left!
How did I sell that many charms, you ask? I actually sent an email to all of the Bike & Builders for this summer and asked if anyone would like one. The response was awesome! People on quite a few different routes got them, some for Mother's Day, some to commemorate the trip (which is why I have mine), etc. They were really excited that all of the money goes to B&B too, since each of them is also raising $4k for the organization.
I really like being at the farmer's market every Saturday. I'm going to be sad when it ends. There's always this big struggle to get out of bed that early on a Saturday morning (mornings are not really my thing), but it has become such a nice way of connecting with people. There's a good mix of people I know from other areas of my life (my two coworkers usually stop by-one brought her baby today, my old faculty advisor usually stops by-today he and his wife got me breakfast, I saw my old research advisor today, sometimes I see friends, etc.), people who have met me at the market and want to get updates about training and fundraising, and new people to talk to about B&B. I'm also getting to know some of the other vendors well and just enjoy spending my Saturday mornings not hanging out at my apartment.
Okay, so now for the training update. I got the Dolce finally! I went and got it fitted at Chain Reaction and it rides beautifully. There is nothing like having a bike that fits you really well. I really haven't been riding nearly as much as I should be (as in I haven't taken the Dolce out for a long ride until today). I was out of town for two weekends and have been really busy trying to get ready for everything. I did a 30 mile ride with my friend Hugo today after the farmer's market (on the Hawthorne Trail), but I was hurting. I think I got severely dehydrated, because by the end I couldn't really form coherent thoughts, got a splitting headache, and got off the bike and threw up a lot (sorry if that grosses anyone out). I was so out of it I forgot to clip out of my pedals at the end of the ride and fell over and smashed my face on the pavement. That was nice. Thank goodness for helmets, though! I was a little dehydrated before we left, I think, and it was hot today. I ended up getting sick again when I got home and just went to bed at around 6 PM. I'm up now because I needed to eat and do a couple of things, but I'll be back in bed shortly. I would like to ride another 30 miles before going to teach tomorrow. We'll see how I feel, though. I'm still a little weak and headache-y.
I've gotten a bunch of gear ordered and bought, so it's all sitting in my room, ready to go and I'm very excited. I think I'll still need a few more things, but that will wait until next paycheck.
In personal news, I bought a house in Texas (one of the weekends I was out of town)! We close in June. By we, I mean I signed power of attorney over to my parents so that they can handle the closing for me since I'll be somewhere in Ohio riding my bike when closing happens, I believe. Also, I'll be 23 in less than a week now. My birthday is on Saturday, and it's very weird. 23 is not a big one. It's not 18 or 21. I probably won't even go out (I have to be up early for the farmer's market and I would like to get a ride in sometime too, so there will be no drinking), but I think what's weird is that I knew I would be going on this ride, closing on the house, and starting grad school when I was 23. Since I'm not 23 yet, those things can't possibly be happening yet. Once I turn 23, I think it will hit me that it's all happening in the next 3 months. So there are my general musings for the day.
I will try to update again soon, and if I ride tomorrow, I will certainly let you know how it goes!
Christine Sensenig
Judith Herzlin
Scott Shreiner and Holly Scroggin
Prestige Air Conditioning Systems, Inc.
Wayne and Nancy Griffin
Lillian Roberts
Muscle Express
Tom and Lisa Koza
All of the Bike & Builders who have purchased the bike charms donated by Reller Gold
I really appreciate all of your contributions and support for this ride!
So, now for a general update. I am much closer to my fundraising goal than I was at my last update. I'm almost at $3000 and, as of 27 minutes ago, I have one month until I leave! I think (hope) a lot of my recent success has had to do with other things I've been doing, which I guess I'll share now. A few weeks ago, I sent press releases to quite a few news venues. None of the newspapers in Gainesville picked up the articles, but three newspapers in the western Palm Beach County area did, and all of them published different articles about me and Bike & Build. I know that at least two of my recent donations were a direct result of one of these articles, and they got the word out about B&B, so I'm really excited!
Also, Juan, the guy who runs the farmer's market (who is awesome, by the way), told me that there is a Haile Village newsletter that comes out monthly. I got in touch with the guy who runs that, Bryan, and he also published an article with a pictures of me in the newsletter and linked to it from the main webpage. Check it out: www.haileguide.com. The article is "Local Woman to Bicycle Across US," in case that wasn't really obvious. While I was at the market today, a few people told me that they had read the article and purchased t-shirts and bicycle charms. I am now sold out of small bicycle charms and only have the larger ones left!
How did I sell that many charms, you ask? I actually sent an email to all of the Bike & Builders for this summer and asked if anyone would like one. The response was awesome! People on quite a few different routes got them, some for Mother's Day, some to commemorate the trip (which is why I have mine), etc. They were really excited that all of the money goes to B&B too, since each of them is also raising $4k for the organization.
I really like being at the farmer's market every Saturday. I'm going to be sad when it ends. There's always this big struggle to get out of bed that early on a Saturday morning (mornings are not really my thing), but it has become such a nice way of connecting with people. There's a good mix of people I know from other areas of my life (my two coworkers usually stop by-one brought her baby today, my old faculty advisor usually stops by-today he and his wife got me breakfast, I saw my old research advisor today, sometimes I see friends, etc.), people who have met me at the market and want to get updates about training and fundraising, and new people to talk to about B&B. I'm also getting to know some of the other vendors well and just enjoy spending my Saturday mornings not hanging out at my apartment.
Okay, so now for the training update. I got the Dolce finally! I went and got it fitted at Chain Reaction and it rides beautifully. There is nothing like having a bike that fits you really well. I really haven't been riding nearly as much as I should be (as in I haven't taken the Dolce out for a long ride until today). I was out of town for two weekends and have been really busy trying to get ready for everything. I did a 30 mile ride with my friend Hugo today after the farmer's market (on the Hawthorne Trail), but I was hurting. I think I got severely dehydrated, because by the end I couldn't really form coherent thoughts, got a splitting headache, and got off the bike and threw up a lot (sorry if that grosses anyone out). I was so out of it I forgot to clip out of my pedals at the end of the ride and fell over and smashed my face on the pavement. That was nice. Thank goodness for helmets, though! I was a little dehydrated before we left, I think, and it was hot today. I ended up getting sick again when I got home and just went to bed at around 6 PM. I'm up now because I needed to eat and do a couple of things, but I'll be back in bed shortly. I would like to ride another 30 miles before going to teach tomorrow. We'll see how I feel, though. I'm still a little weak and headache-y.
I've gotten a bunch of gear ordered and bought, so it's all sitting in my room, ready to go and I'm very excited. I think I'll still need a few more things, but that will wait until next paycheck.
In personal news, I bought a house in Texas (one of the weekends I was out of town)! We close in June. By we, I mean I signed power of attorney over to my parents so that they can handle the closing for me since I'll be somewhere in Ohio riding my bike when closing happens, I believe. Also, I'll be 23 in less than a week now. My birthday is on Saturday, and it's very weird. 23 is not a big one. It's not 18 or 21. I probably won't even go out (I have to be up early for the farmer's market and I would like to get a ride in sometime too, so there will be no drinking), but I think what's weird is that I knew I would be going on this ride, closing on the house, and starting grad school when I was 23. Since I'm not 23 yet, those things can't possibly be happening yet. Once I turn 23, I think it will hit me that it's all happening in the next 3 months. So there are my general musings for the day.
I will try to update again soon, and if I ride tomorrow, I will certainly let you know how it goes!
Friday, April 11, 2008
To prove my point
I was on the Palm Beach Post website trying to figure out how to submit a press release about Bike & Build when this article popped up:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/treasurecoast/content/tcoast/epaper/2008/04/11/0411mcbike.html
Please be aware of bikes!
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/treasurecoast/content/tcoast/epaper/2008/04/11/0411mcbike.html
Please be aware of bikes!
A plea...
Please pay attention to cyclists. We don't really "belong" anywhere, and it's difficult for us to avoid all of the hazards we are faced with when riding. Remember, your vehicle weighs at least 500 times as much as my "vehicle." Obviously, I'm yielding to you, as my bike would do very little damage to your car, and you car would do a whole lot of damage to my body (and bike). But just be aware. And bike lanes are not for parking. They are for people to bike in. Here's a great link someone sent me that makes a really good point about paying attention to cyclists:
http://video.bicycling.com/item/PDTY62LZ7LXFMLBJ
So, this all stemmed from a ride last night. I decided to bike from my house, through campus, down 2nd Avenue, to hang out with some people last night. This seemed more reasonable than driving. It was light when I left, but I brought my lights with me in case it was dark when I came back (which, at 11 PM, it definitely was). So I was riding over and doing just fine until I got by the O'Dome, when there were a line of cars parked in the bike lane. I was able to find a break in traffic and cut out into the regular lane. One cool thing about campus is that the speed limit is only 20 mph, and I have an odometer on my bike, so I was doing 20 and keeping up with the cars around me. That's a good feeling. I made it through campus and most of the way down 2nd without incident when a pedestrian decided to walk out in front of me. Like, directly in front of me. There is no bike lane on 2nd, but there is a very wide sidewalk that works for bikes and pedestrians. This man was clearly not paying attention to anything around him, walked directly in front of me, and stopped. I very narrowly avoided him, and he laughed hysterically as I rode away. That was nice. Then, as I was crossing 34th, someone was turning right on red and not paying attention (again) and almost drove into me. (I had the little man in the crosswalk light telling me to go, so I definitely had the right of way.) This time, I got the "I'm really sorry" wave and continued on. I finally made it the 2.3 miles alive and whole. Luckily, on the way back, even though it was dark and late, there was actually much less going on and there were no major incidents to report. So, I did 4.6 miles on the bike yesterday. Not much, but at least I didn't drive there and back.
I'll be doing some fundraising type stuff tonight, fundraising tomorrow, and training on Sunday. Updates to come probably on Monday!
http://video.bicycling.com/item/PDTY62LZ7LXFMLBJ
So, this all stemmed from a ride last night. I decided to bike from my house, through campus, down 2nd Avenue, to hang out with some people last night. This seemed more reasonable than driving. It was light when I left, but I brought my lights with me in case it was dark when I came back (which, at 11 PM, it definitely was). So I was riding over and doing just fine until I got by the O'Dome, when there were a line of cars parked in the bike lane. I was able to find a break in traffic and cut out into the regular lane. One cool thing about campus is that the speed limit is only 20 mph, and I have an odometer on my bike, so I was doing 20 and keeping up with the cars around me. That's a good feeling. I made it through campus and most of the way down 2nd without incident when a pedestrian decided to walk out in front of me. Like, directly in front of me. There is no bike lane on 2nd, but there is a very wide sidewalk that works for bikes and pedestrians. This man was clearly not paying attention to anything around him, walked directly in front of me, and stopped. I very narrowly avoided him, and he laughed hysterically as I rode away. That was nice. Then, as I was crossing 34th, someone was turning right on red and not paying attention (again) and almost drove into me. (I had the little man in the crosswalk light telling me to go, so I definitely had the right of way.) This time, I got the "I'm really sorry" wave and continued on. I finally made it the 2.3 miles alive and whole. Luckily, on the way back, even though it was dark and late, there was actually much less going on and there were no major incidents to report. So, I did 4.6 miles on the bike yesterday. Not much, but at least I didn't drive there and back.
I'll be doing some fundraising type stuff tonight, fundraising tomorrow, and training on Sunday. Updates to come probably on Monday!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
A different philosophy
Balancing everything is becoming increasingly difficult for me. I have a lot of responsibilities and demands on my time, and trying to make sure that I am fundraising, training, working, spending time with the new boyfriend, volunteering, finding a house, etc. is hard. Training keeps getting set aside. So, I've decided to incorporate cycling more into my everyday life. It means that I'm riding more often, but rides aren't as long. On Sunday, I rode about a mile onto campus and did a 5k, then rode back home. Riding home, I got my first real rain riding experience, which was quite interesting. I slid all over when I hit the paint at a crosswalk, but did okay other than that. Tonight, I went to dinner with friends downtown. I decided to ride my bike down there and back, too. Again, it was only a mile each way, but I got a ride in today. (Everything seems to be very close in Gainesville.) So, I haven't done a long ride in awhile (it rained this weekend), but everything is going pretty well. I spent a couple of nights last week learning how to screenprint and screenprinting t-shirts that my mom and I designed. They came out really well! I will be selling them at the farmer's market, the Orange and Blue football game this weekend, and to anyone who would like them!
Other news:
I went to the bike shop today and figured out what size bike frame I needed. I'll be ordering a 48 Dolce. Thanks to Chain Reaction here in Gainesville for assembling the bike for free and fitting it for free as well!
I also took the safety and policy quiz and passed it with 100% so that I can order my bike. I have my physical set up with my doctor so that I can get all of the paperwork done and be ready to go!
More thanks:
Haile Plantation Farmer's Market, who gives me a booth for free every weekend to fundraise at
Reller Gold (www.rellergold.com), Ed, Kathy, and Kelly, who donated awesome bicycle charms for me to use for fundraising (please let me know if you would like one!)
Cherice Smithers, who taught me how to screenprint so I could make shirts to use for fundraising
My mom and dad, for buying t-shirts for me to screenprint
Matt Kozyra, for his donation
Haile Plantation Farmer's Market Vendors and Patrons, for their donations
Other news:
I went to the bike shop today and figured out what size bike frame I needed. I'll be ordering a 48 Dolce. Thanks to Chain Reaction here in Gainesville for assembling the bike for free and fitting it for free as well!
I also took the safety and policy quiz and passed it with 100% so that I can order my bike. I have my physical set up with my doctor so that I can get all of the paperwork done and be ready to go!
More thanks:
Haile Plantation Farmer's Market, who gives me a booth for free every weekend to fundraise at
Reller Gold (www.rellergold.com), Ed, Kathy, and Kelly, who donated awesome bicycle charms for me to use for fundraising (please let me know if you would like one!)
Cherice Smithers, who taught me how to screenprint so I could make shirts to use for fundraising
My mom and dad, for buying t-shirts for me to screenprint
Matt Kozyra, for his donation
Haile Plantation Farmer's Market Vendors and Patrons, for their donations
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Fundraising!
So fundraising has been rather hit or miss, but I feel like it has been more hit than miss lately...
I wrote hundreds of letters to local construction businesses, former teachers, former/current doctors, the Gator Clubs, pageant directors (I am a former pageant girl), some celebrities, local bike shops, and other businesses that I patronize. The response was lower than I anticipated, but I definitely got some response from it. I may do some follow up calls, but with work 9-6 everyday, this does not seem likely.
My dad has said that he will put in some calls to his former business contacts and see if any of them can help me out. Sweet!
I was also able to get a booth at the local farmer's market every Saturday from here on out to collect donations. I realized that just asking for donations every week is not going to keep working (it worked well the first week though!). I was really fortunate and met a local jeweler when I was there the first time (rellergold.com), who is making sterling silver bicycle charms for me to give to people with certain donations ($15 for smaller charms, $25 for larger charms). I also spent a long time with my mom this weekend designing a logo for a t-shirt. She did a lot of the legwork to find graphics and paid for the first set of shirts. Tomorrow night I will be learning how to screen print and screen printing a bunch of shirts in orange, blue, and white to give to people with at least a $15 donation. I think that the two different items will really give me an opportunity to collect a lot of money this Saturday. I am very excited!
Tonight I dropped off information about Bike & Build to two different Publixes so that I can try to collect donations outside of the stores. I also am expecting a call back from Wal-Mart tomorrow about which dates I will be able fundraise outside their store, and they may match the donations I get. Hopefully all of this works out and the next few weekends will be completely devoted to to fundraising and training!
I'll also start teaching an SAT class on Sundays, so that will factor into the schedule. I donated another $300 today, so my total to Bike & Build is now $800. :)
I wrote hundreds of letters to local construction businesses, former teachers, former/current doctors, the Gator Clubs, pageant directors (I am a former pageant girl), some celebrities, local bike shops, and other businesses that I patronize. The response was lower than I anticipated, but I definitely got some response from it. I may do some follow up calls, but with work 9-6 everyday, this does not seem likely.
My dad has said that he will put in some calls to his former business contacts and see if any of them can help me out. Sweet!
I was also able to get a booth at the local farmer's market every Saturday from here on out to collect donations. I realized that just asking for donations every week is not going to keep working (it worked well the first week though!). I was really fortunate and met a local jeweler when I was there the first time (rellergold.com), who is making sterling silver bicycle charms for me to give to people with certain donations ($15 for smaller charms, $25 for larger charms). I also spent a long time with my mom this weekend designing a logo for a t-shirt. She did a lot of the legwork to find graphics and paid for the first set of shirts. Tomorrow night I will be learning how to screen print and screen printing a bunch of shirts in orange, blue, and white to give to people with at least a $15 donation. I think that the two different items will really give me an opportunity to collect a lot of money this Saturday. I am very excited!
Tonight I dropped off information about Bike & Build to two different Publixes so that I can try to collect donations outside of the stores. I also am expecting a call back from Wal-Mart tomorrow about which dates I will be able fundraise outside their store, and they may match the donations I get. Hopefully all of this works out and the next few weekends will be completely devoted to to fundraising and training!
I'll also start teaching an SAT class on Sundays, so that will factor into the schedule. I donated another $300 today, so my total to Bike & Build is now $800. :)
Biking Update
I went home last weekend (as in 3/29-3/30), so I wasn't able to ride, and I did not get any training in the week before that. I tried to ride on Tuesday after work, and before I even got out of the parking lot of my apartment complex, I ran over a piece of glass and flattened my back tire. There is nothing sadder than that sound of all of the air quickly deflating out of my tire. :( Anyway, by the time I got it changed, it was dark and I missed my chance to ride. I had to tutor on Thursday after work, so I didn't get to ride then either.
However, the Sunday before that (3/23), I did a ride that was a little over 30 miles. It was hard, but it felt good. I almost turned around 10 miles, making it a 20 mile total ride, but pushed myself to 30, and was really happy with the decision afterward. I made sure to stretch afterward and wasn't unreasonably sore the next day, either. This weekend I will be putting in a nice long ride again, but I don't think I'll have a chance to ride before then. I'm going to see a pretty awesome dance company on Thursday, had a business dinner last night, and the next post will explain tonight and tomorrow night.
The long awaited fundraising update is coming up now....
However, the Sunday before that (3/23), I did a ride that was a little over 30 miles. It was hard, but it felt good. I almost turned around 10 miles, making it a 20 mile total ride, but pushed myself to 30, and was really happy with the decision afterward. I made sure to stretch afterward and wasn't unreasonably sore the next day, either. This weekend I will be putting in a nice long ride again, but I don't think I'll have a chance to ride before then. I'm going to see a pretty awesome dance company on Thursday, had a business dinner last night, and the next post will explain tonight and tomorrow night.
The long awaited fundraising update is coming up now....
More Thanks!
And I have more people to thank:
Brian Posner
Mr. Carbon
Mrs. Yuzenas
Jasmin Robinson
Nikki Aronson (who is also a Bike & Build rider, on the Providence to San Francisco route)
Thank you so much for your donation and support! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get this posted.
Brian Posner
Mr. Carbon
Mrs. Yuzenas
Jasmin Robinson
Nikki Aronson (who is also a Bike & Build rider, on the Providence to San Francisco route)
Thank you so much for your donation and support! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get this posted.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Thanks!
Before I do a complete fundraising update, I just wanted to thank everyone who has donated to me! I do not believe it is necessary to list how much people have donated, as everyone donates what they can, and what is important is that they have supported me in this venture:
Jennifer Kampmeier
Hugo Brown
Dan Samuels
Chris Nielubowicz
Amy Robinson
Josh Cramer
Holway SM Construction
BBI Construction Management
Thank you, thank you, thank you! It means so much to me!
This list will be updated as I receive more donations officially via Bike & Build.
*If you want your name taken off this list, please let me know. Because you did not ask for your donation to be anonymous, I wanted to recognize you. Thanks!
Jennifer Kampmeier
Hugo Brown
Dan Samuels
Chris Nielubowicz
Amy Robinson
Josh Cramer
Holway SM Construction
BBI Construction Management
Thank you, thank you, thank you! It means so much to me!
This list will be updated as I receive more donations officially via Bike & Build.
*If you want your name taken off this list, please let me know. Because you did not ask for your donation to be anonymous, I wanted to recognize you. Thanks!
A challenge...
So, I have been challenged to update this blog and make it inspirational. I realize that my last post, especially, came across as very jaded, which is certainly not how I've been feeling lately.
Training has really been rocking lately! I'm up to doing 30 miles comfortably. I am doing long rides mainly on the weekends, but now that daylight savings time has changed, I can ride after work as well. I'm not fast, but I'm not racing, so it doesn't matter. I do other cardio cross-training pretty frequently, too, so I'm really working that. I really feel like I'll be completely ready by the time the trip comes around. I had friend send a link to routes that the Gainesville Cycling Club recommends, so in addition to the Hawthorne Trail, I've been trying a couple of those and really enjoying them! So, I'm working out at least 4 days a week, and trying to make 3 of those on my bike. Sometimes, the weather isn't good or it gets dark and I'm working late, so I end up on a training bike or just on a treadmill, but at least I'm getting training in.
I've also been learning a lot about bike maintenance and repair. My bike is old (from the 80's) and hasn't been ridden or maintenanced in about 10 years (I think). There's a steep learning curve when your bike is in the condition mine is. :) So, I learned how to change a tube for the first time (I got a flat a quarter mile into a ride one day), degreased and lubed the chain when it got loud and felt weird, and my dad and I changed the cable connected to my gears. Mine completely frayed and my gears stopped changing completely before a ride last weekend. I'm amazed at how well I'm already getting to know my bike. I can tell when something is even slightly off, tell exactly where it is coming from, and adjust things as needed.
My bike is becoming one of the new loves of my life (other loves being my 1964 1/2 Mustang and my cat, Apache). I've finally figured out why people love biking. I think biking is something that's going to stick with for awhile, although I've heard that Lubbock is not incredibly bike friendly.
Another post soon on fundraising! Lots of news! Hooray for biking!
Training has really been rocking lately! I'm up to doing 30 miles comfortably. I am doing long rides mainly on the weekends, but now that daylight savings time has changed, I can ride after work as well. I'm not fast, but I'm not racing, so it doesn't matter. I do other cardio cross-training pretty frequently, too, so I'm really working that. I really feel like I'll be completely ready by the time the trip comes around. I had friend send a link to routes that the Gainesville Cycling Club recommends, so in addition to the Hawthorne Trail, I've been trying a couple of those and really enjoying them! So, I'm working out at least 4 days a week, and trying to make 3 of those on my bike. Sometimes, the weather isn't good or it gets dark and I'm working late, so I end up on a training bike or just on a treadmill, but at least I'm getting training in.
I've also been learning a lot about bike maintenance and repair. My bike is old (from the 80's) and hasn't been ridden or maintenanced in about 10 years (I think). There's a steep learning curve when your bike is in the condition mine is. :) So, I learned how to change a tube for the first time (I got a flat a quarter mile into a ride one day), degreased and lubed the chain when it got loud and felt weird, and my dad and I changed the cable connected to my gears. Mine completely frayed and my gears stopped changing completely before a ride last weekend. I'm amazed at how well I'm already getting to know my bike. I can tell when something is even slightly off, tell exactly where it is coming from, and adjust things as needed.
My bike is becoming one of the new loves of my life (other loves being my 1964 1/2 Mustang and my cat, Apache). I've finally figured out why people love biking. I think biking is something that's going to stick with for awhile, although I've heard that Lubbock is not incredibly bike friendly.
Another post soon on fundraising! Lots of news! Hooray for biking!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
I haven't updated in forever...
So, I haven't updated this blog in over 3 months, which is awesome. No one has said anything about it either, which may be even more awesome. I'm in a bit of a bad mood tonight (having battled insomnia for a few weeks now), so this may turn into more of a rant than a post, but here goes. 100% honesty.
I got fairly serious about training for a little while, and then started slacking again. I have set up a schedule, though, and as long as I stick to it, I will be ready to go by the time the trip starts. Just a matter of sticking to it. Speaking of which...any female brunettes who are still UF students want to let me borrow their UF ID so that I can do spinning class at SW Rec on Monday and Wednesday nights? So, Monday, I did 1 mile on the treadmill (12 min) and 8.5 miles on the stationary bike (30 min). I should have worked out tonight, but I will tomorrow instead.
And fundraising is picking up as well. I donated $400 from my tax refund to myself, and sent out hundreds of letters to local businesses last week. I have received a $25 donation and a $2 donation (which I was a little confused about-$2?). I also posted an event on Facebook and asked everyone on my friend list if they could donate $5. So many people responded immediately and said no. Some were understandable; they were people I didn't really know or hadn't talked to in awhile; but some really surprised me. It is disappointing when people you consider friends don't support you at all. However, a former TRiP leader is also biking across the country this summer and we have already talked a lot about training and that has been motivating. It has also been nice to see the people who have responded yes or maybe to the event.
I guess I am getting a little bit stressed about this. I am going to have to pay my rent for July while I'm gone, pay for health insurance for July and August, buy a lot of equipment, and have spending money...and I won't have a job. I don't think my credit cards will be paid off either, which means I will have bills to consider. I also really need some serious focus on training, and motivating myself is more difficult than I thought it would be.
But, I'm $500 worth of committed to this, so there is no quitting now!
I got fairly serious about training for a little while, and then started slacking again. I have set up a schedule, though, and as long as I stick to it, I will be ready to go by the time the trip starts. Just a matter of sticking to it. Speaking of which...any female brunettes who are still UF students want to let me borrow their UF ID so that I can do spinning class at SW Rec on Monday and Wednesday nights? So, Monday, I did 1 mile on the treadmill (12 min) and 8.5 miles on the stationary bike (30 min). I should have worked out tonight, but I will tomorrow instead.
And fundraising is picking up as well. I donated $400 from my tax refund to myself, and sent out hundreds of letters to local businesses last week. I have received a $25 donation and a $2 donation (which I was a little confused about-$2?). I also posted an event on Facebook and asked everyone on my friend list if they could donate $5. So many people responded immediately and said no. Some were understandable; they were people I didn't really know or hadn't talked to in awhile; but some really surprised me. It is disappointing when people you consider friends don't support you at all. However, a former TRiP leader is also biking across the country this summer and we have already talked a lot about training and that has been motivating. It has also been nice to see the people who have responded yes or maybe to the event.
I guess I am getting a little bit stressed about this. I am going to have to pay my rent for July while I'm gone, pay for health insurance for July and August, buy a lot of equipment, and have spending money...and I won't have a job. I don't think my credit cards will be paid off either, which means I will have bills to consider. I also really need some serious focus on training, and motivating myself is more difficult than I thought it would be.
But, I'm $500 worth of committed to this, so there is no quitting now!
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