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Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Long Time, No Blog....
Well I know it has been quite a while since I have blogged and I apologize for the delay. The last couple of weeks have been EXTREMELY exhausting, both mentally and physically. Since my last post, we have crossed over FIVE more state lines (Alabama to Mississippi to Arkansas to Texas to New Mexico to Colorado), had three more build days, and one day off.
Our average mileage for most days has been 80-100 miles for the last couple of weeks because we have been traveling in areas where there is nothing around for miles and miles. While we were in the south, our group faced extreme heat. Before I started this trip, I knew I would have to make sure I stayed hydrated because I am easily dehydrated. I was surprised I managed to stay fairly healthy in the heat and humidity. But the conditions definitely drained the energy from my body. Some areas we traveled through were even going through drought conditions. We knew this because of the chalk on the road. During our trips, our group uses chalk to communicate turns, reroutes, or even general messages. While riding on a highway in Mississippi, we saw some chalk wishing a happy birthday to someone not on our route. All of us were quite confused. Later on, we were informed that NC2SD rolled through the same area about a week earlier. In other words, that area did not have any rain for over a week!
Although I have been switching up riding partners (and occasionally riding solo), I tend to stay towards the back of the pack. If I wanted, I could stay up with the people at the front. But I think going at a relaxing pace is what has kept me from sore muscles. I have only had two or three days where my body has felt extremely sore. Plus, I get to see much more when I ride a little slower.
To be honest, Alabama and Mississippi weren't extremely memorable. I am glad I had a chance to see this part of the country, but I do not see myself living in either of these parts. The people were very friendly and hospitable, but I really do not think I would be able to handle the heat and humidity. One highlight of Mississippi was when we were in Oxford, which is where Ole Miss is located. I was biking with Angela that day and the heat was really getting to us. We took it slow into town and made multiple stops (we even played with a friendly puppy at one point). As we rolled into town about a mile away from our destination, we saw a ice cream/shaved ice shop. I hoped that Angela wanted to stop, and she read my mind. I enjoyed a huge shaved ice with watermelon and pina colada flavoring while Angela tried some Blue Bell ice cream, which is apparently a southern ice cream company that was highly recommended by Kelsey (who is from Texas). We enjoyed the little shop so much, we decided to call Preston and David who weren't far behind us. They stopped as well and they were very glad we told them about the amazing "cool down" spot. Later that evening, a few members of the Oxford cycling club hosted our dinner. We were spoiled with a vegetarian dinner (the nine vegetarians were very excited) and a pool party. The water was very refreshing after multiple days in the heat. (Can you tell I was a big fan of the heat based on the number of times I have said "hot" and "heat"??).
I was happy to cross over the Mississippi river into Arkansas. Arkansas is one state I have always been quite curious about (I'm not sure why..). I crossed the border with Preston and Melissa. Once we got over the border, we were in Helena, AR. Seeing that sign made me wish I was in Helena, MT so I could jump into a lake! Shortly after the border, we all stopped at the Arkansas visitor's center. The lady who was there was very helpful in telling us about things to do along our route. One funny thing at the visitor's center was a "wanted" sign for a woodpecker. Apparently in one of the nearby state forests, someone spotted a rare bird species (the ivory billed woodpecker). Scientists believed the bird was extinct, so there is a $10,000 reward if someone shows proof of its existence. The lady also told us about the Louisiana Purchase site. Preston, Melissa, and I decided to stop at the site on our way to Stuttgart, AR (the rice and duck capitol of the U.S.!). The site was about a mile and a half off the road located in some swamplands. We walked along a 1/2 mile boardwalk that took us out to the original site of where the Louisiana purchase was marked. We had great timing because there was a tour guide and a group of Arkansas teachers while we were there. The tour guide allowed us to listen to his tour. We hoped to see an alligator in the swamps, but all we saw were two water snakes (One was a poisonous cotton mouth snake. Apparently Arkansas is the only place where all 4 North American poisonous snakes live). During the tour, the teachers asked us about our trip. Several of them gave us donations for the Bike and Build cause. We ended up collecting a little more than $50! The generosity of strangers still boggles my mind sometimes. At the end of the ride, Preston and I decided to ride an extra three miles to make the day our first century ride! We were quite tired at the end, but it was fun. A couple days later, our route took us past some Indian Mounds near Little Rock. Karen, Melissa, Sarah, and I decided to ride the 1/2 mile off the route to check out the state park. The park was actually doing an archaeological dig while we were there, which was interesting to see because it was the first one they had done there since the mid '90s. Karen and I walked down to the nearby lake and fed some turtles before we rolled on towards Little Rock. After getting a little lost in downtown Little Rock, Karen and I made our way to the Riverside market. I enjoyed a well-deserved Reuben burger while Karen ate some amazing Thai food. After a fun evening potluck with the local bike club, we watched "The Blind Side" at the Little Rock outdoor amphitheater. On our day off in Little Rock, I had fun hanging out with David and Katie R. We visited the Heifer International Headquarters (which had a really cool "green" building), the Clinton Presidential Library, and enjoyed the Riverside market food again. We even went and took pictures with the real "Little Rock"! As we rode out of Little Rock, we had a chance to ride over the Big Dam Bridge, which is the largest cycling/pedestrian bridge in the United States! I also got a free smoothie after riding the bridge, which was a nice, refreshing start to the day. I caught up to B$ and Katie R. and rode with them to the first $ Stop. B$'s dad joined our group from Little Rock and followed us through Oklahoma. Between our lunch stops, he would set up snack breaks. These were extremely helpful on the long, tough days in Oklahoma.
I crossed the OK line with my friend Kim. I wasn't a huge fan of Oklahoma because I envisioned a flat, easy ride. Instead, we were faced with rolling hills and AWFUL headwinds! Sometimes the headwinds were so tough I was pedaling in my easiest gear and barely moving! Our day into Oklahoma City was probably one of the tougher days for me on this trip. I tried to keep up with my friends Angela and Sarah. I did well for the first 1/3 of the trip, but I struggled with the headwinds and going uphill. Both of these girls have better endurance than I do, so they handled the fatigue better than I did. Once I was dropped, I started giving up on myself mentally. I got frustrated because my mind was giving up before my body. This trip is just as much of a mental challenge as a physical challenge. As soon as you give up in your mind, it is difficult to make your body do another 40 miles. After second lunch, I decided to slow down and ride by myself to OKC. I stopped to take lots of pictures along the way in order to remind myself that frustration is not how I wanted to spend my time biking. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I did not want to spoil taking in the sights just because I was frustrated I couldn't keep up with a couple of my faster friends. After I realized keeping up with Sarah and Angela wasn't the easiest thing for me, I started riding with Kim and Kelsey a lot. They were my riding partners throughout the rest of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.
I was excited to cross the Texas border with my favorite Texan on the trip, Kelsey. She and I rode with Kim as well on a really hot, hot day. For the first time, I didn't hydrate well and I was quite sick during the evening. I tried drinking lots of water at night, but I still wasn't fully recovered by the next day. I warned our leader Natalie that I may have to van it at lunch. I was having a tough time believing I could push my body through it. But with the help of my friends pushing me along, I made it through the day. I was glad they supported me through the ride because my ultimate goal is to not be in the van at all during this trip.
After a short two days in Texas, we rolled across the New Mexico border. When we crossed into NM, I was riding with a group of about 8 girls. The headwinds were tough again, but we pushed through them. Northeastern New Mexico reminded me a lot of Montana. (I am actually quite excited to explore other states after I get back home. Before this trip, I would have been intimidated to ride in the mountains of Montana. But now I think I can handle the challenge). You could see for miles and miles. Our host town was in the middle of nowhere and had about 150 residents, which made me think of little Tracy, Montana. Everyone knew everybody in the town. There wasn't a stoplight and only one restaurant and one gas station. On our way out of Des Moines, NM, a large group of us decided to stop at the volcano about ten miles off our route. Some of us arrived too late to climb the mountain on our bikes (we didn't realize they allowed people to ride to the top before the park hours..part of our group made it up). About six of us didn't get to climb, but Melissa asked a couple with a pick-up truck if they wanted to take us up to the top. They willingly took us up and thought our cause was really awesome. The view from the top was amazing! We could see clear to the Rockies, which was quite a ways away. After we got back to the bottom, we descended into a huge canyon. The descent into Colorado was awesome!
Anyways, this blog is quite long right now, so I will leave Colorado for later. I have a lot of fun stuff to say about Colorado. Hope this helps paint a little better picture about my trip and will write again soon!
Our average mileage for most days has been 80-100 miles for the last couple of weeks because we have been traveling in areas where there is nothing around for miles and miles. While we were in the south, our group faced extreme heat. Before I started this trip, I knew I would have to make sure I stayed hydrated because I am easily dehydrated. I was surprised I managed to stay fairly healthy in the heat and humidity. But the conditions definitely drained the energy from my body. Some areas we traveled through were even going through drought conditions. We knew this because of the chalk on the road. During our trips, our group uses chalk to communicate turns, reroutes, or even general messages. While riding on a highway in Mississippi, we saw some chalk wishing a happy birthday to someone not on our route. All of us were quite confused. Later on, we were informed that NC2SD rolled through the same area about a week earlier. In other words, that area did not have any rain for over a week!
Although I have been switching up riding partners (and occasionally riding solo), I tend to stay towards the back of the pack. If I wanted, I could stay up with the people at the front. But I think going at a relaxing pace is what has kept me from sore muscles. I have only had two or three days where my body has felt extremely sore. Plus, I get to see much more when I ride a little slower.
To be honest, Alabama and Mississippi weren't extremely memorable. I am glad I had a chance to see this part of the country, but I do not see myself living in either of these parts. The people were very friendly and hospitable, but I really do not think I would be able to handle the heat and humidity. One highlight of Mississippi was when we were in Oxford, which is where Ole Miss is located. I was biking with Angela that day and the heat was really getting to us. We took it slow into town and made multiple stops (we even played with a friendly puppy at one point). As we rolled into town about a mile away from our destination, we saw a ice cream/shaved ice shop. I hoped that Angela wanted to stop, and she read my mind. I enjoyed a huge shaved ice with watermelon and pina colada flavoring while Angela tried some Blue Bell ice cream, which is apparently a southern ice cream company that was highly recommended by Kelsey (who is from Texas). We enjoyed the little shop so much, we decided to call Preston and David who weren't far behind us. They stopped as well and they were very glad we told them about the amazing "cool down" spot. Later that evening, a few members of the Oxford cycling club hosted our dinner. We were spoiled with a vegetarian dinner (the nine vegetarians were very excited) and a pool party. The water was very refreshing after multiple days in the heat. (Can you tell I was a big fan of the heat based on the number of times I have said "hot" and "heat"??).
I was happy to cross over the Mississippi river into Arkansas. Arkansas is one state I have always been quite curious about (I'm not sure why..). I crossed the border with Preston and Melissa. Once we got over the border, we were in Helena, AR. Seeing that sign made me wish I was in Helena, MT so I could jump into a lake! Shortly after the border, we all stopped at the Arkansas visitor's center. The lady who was there was very helpful in telling us about things to do along our route. One funny thing at the visitor's center was a "wanted" sign for a woodpecker. Apparently in one of the nearby state forests, someone spotted a rare bird species (the ivory billed woodpecker). Scientists believed the bird was extinct, so there is a $10,000 reward if someone shows proof of its existence. The lady also told us about the Louisiana Purchase site. Preston, Melissa, and I decided to stop at the site on our way to Stuttgart, AR (the rice and duck capitol of the U.S.!). The site was about a mile and a half off the road located in some swamplands. We walked along a 1/2 mile boardwalk that took us out to the original site of where the Louisiana purchase was marked. We had great timing because there was a tour guide and a group of Arkansas teachers while we were there. The tour guide allowed us to listen to his tour. We hoped to see an alligator in the swamps, but all we saw were two water snakes (One was a poisonous cotton mouth snake. Apparently Arkansas is the only place where all 4 North American poisonous snakes live). During the tour, the teachers asked us about our trip. Several of them gave us donations for the Bike and Build cause. We ended up collecting a little more than $50! The generosity of strangers still boggles my mind sometimes. At the end of the ride, Preston and I decided to ride an extra three miles to make the day our first century ride! We were quite tired at the end, but it was fun. A couple days later, our route took us past some Indian Mounds near Little Rock. Karen, Melissa, Sarah, and I decided to ride the 1/2 mile off the route to check out the state park. The park was actually doing an archaeological dig while we were there, which was interesting to see because it was the first one they had done there since the mid '90s. Karen and I walked down to the nearby lake and fed some turtles before we rolled on towards Little Rock. After getting a little lost in downtown Little Rock, Karen and I made our way to the Riverside market. I enjoyed a well-deserved Reuben burger while Karen ate some amazing Thai food. After a fun evening potluck with the local bike club, we watched "The Blind Side" at the Little Rock outdoor amphitheater. On our day off in Little Rock, I had fun hanging out with David and Katie R. We visited the Heifer International Headquarters (which had a really cool "green" building), the Clinton Presidential Library, and enjoyed the Riverside market food again. We even went and took pictures with the real "Little Rock"! As we rode out of Little Rock, we had a chance to ride over the Big Dam Bridge, which is the largest cycling/pedestrian bridge in the United States! I also got a free smoothie after riding the bridge, which was a nice, refreshing start to the day. I caught up to B$ and Katie R. and rode with them to the first $ Stop. B$'s dad joined our group from Little Rock and followed us through Oklahoma. Between our lunch stops, he would set up snack breaks. These were extremely helpful on the long, tough days in Oklahoma.
I crossed the OK line with my friend Kim. I wasn't a huge fan of Oklahoma because I envisioned a flat, easy ride. Instead, we were faced with rolling hills and AWFUL headwinds! Sometimes the headwinds were so tough I was pedaling in my easiest gear and barely moving! Our day into Oklahoma City was probably one of the tougher days for me on this trip. I tried to keep up with my friends Angela and Sarah. I did well for the first 1/3 of the trip, but I struggled with the headwinds and going uphill. Both of these girls have better endurance than I do, so they handled the fatigue better than I did. Once I was dropped, I started giving up on myself mentally. I got frustrated because my mind was giving up before my body. This trip is just as much of a mental challenge as a physical challenge. As soon as you give up in your mind, it is difficult to make your body do another 40 miles. After second lunch, I decided to slow down and ride by myself to OKC. I stopped to take lots of pictures along the way in order to remind myself that frustration is not how I wanted to spend my time biking. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I did not want to spoil taking in the sights just because I was frustrated I couldn't keep up with a couple of my faster friends. After I realized keeping up with Sarah and Angela wasn't the easiest thing for me, I started riding with Kim and Kelsey a lot. They were my riding partners throughout the rest of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.
I was excited to cross the Texas border with my favorite Texan on the trip, Kelsey. She and I rode with Kim as well on a really hot, hot day. For the first time, I didn't hydrate well and I was quite sick during the evening. I tried drinking lots of water at night, but I still wasn't fully recovered by the next day. I warned our leader Natalie that I may have to van it at lunch. I was having a tough time believing I could push my body through it. But with the help of my friends pushing me along, I made it through the day. I was glad they supported me through the ride because my ultimate goal is to not be in the van at all during this trip.
After a short two days in Texas, we rolled across the New Mexico border. When we crossed into NM, I was riding with a group of about 8 girls. The headwinds were tough again, but we pushed through them. Northeastern New Mexico reminded me a lot of Montana. (I am actually quite excited to explore other states after I get back home. Before this trip, I would have been intimidated to ride in the mountains of Montana. But now I think I can handle the challenge). You could see for miles and miles. Our host town was in the middle of nowhere and had about 150 residents, which made me think of little Tracy, Montana. Everyone knew everybody in the town. There wasn't a stoplight and only one restaurant and one gas station. On our way out of Des Moines, NM, a large group of us decided to stop at the volcano about ten miles off our route. Some of us arrived too late to climb the mountain on our bikes (we didn't realize they allowed people to ride to the top before the park hours..part of our group made it up). About six of us didn't get to climb, but Melissa asked a couple with a pick-up truck if they wanted to take us up to the top. They willingly took us up and thought our cause was really awesome. The view from the top was amazing! We could see clear to the Rockies, which was quite a ways away. After we got back to the bottom, we descended into a huge canyon. The descent into Colorado was awesome!
Anyways, this blog is quite long right now, so I will leave Colorado for later. I have a lot of fun stuff to say about Colorado. Hope this helps paint a little better picture about my trip and will write again soon!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Feelin' the pain in Ft. Payne
The other day we crossed another state border. The states are flying by! We went from Rome, GA to Scottsboro, AL. The weather was beautiful and this day was the hardest and the best day at the same time. In the morning, I rode by myself because the weather was so perfect and I wanted to enjoy the rural scenery at my own pace. I stopped often to take pictures of the Georgia countryside. But I made sure to keep close to a few other riders so I could have someone to take pictures of me at the state line. There was a large group of us that stopped at the Alabama sign. We had enough to try to spell out ALABAMA, but the idea was better than the picture because most cannot tell what we are spelling out. After we were done taking pictures, I continued on with a few of the girls. Shortly after the state line, we hit our first mountain climb! The road was a gradual climb for about a mile and a half. It felt like forever! I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath. Once we made it to the top, lunch was waiting for us. I had worked up quite an appetite and the lunch felt well deserved. one of our leaders told us about a waterfall not too far away. Most of us decided to take the detour to the falls. The falls weren't huge, but the. Swim in the water was well worth the hike. We even jumped off a few rocks! I started on a small jump that was about 7 feet. Some of the guys were having fun jumping off the bigger jumps. I was a little scared to do that, but my friend Kelsey convinced me to jump off the 30 ft cliff. I have never done anything like that before, but I'm glad I did it! After about an hour of playing around at the waterfalls, we headed back on the road. We expected to go downhill, but we kept going up! Once we finally started on the descent, it was lots of fun! There were curves to make it challenging and fun. Later on, we went on lots of back roads that didn't even have names, just numbers. Towards the end of the day, we went up another climb. I rode with a group of 5, but Mike and I wanted to go a little faster, so we left the group. We went on some really rough backroads
, which is why we decided to stop at a gas station to rest with about 15 miles left. The people there were nice, but very concerned about our safety. The next downhill was a gradual 13% grade hill! As we went down it, I hit 46 mph (which I think was speeding on that road...) the end of the downhill opened up to a lake. Mike and I stopped to take some cool pictures before we went the rest of the way. Once we started towards the church, the fast group passed us. They pulled us all the way in. For dinner, we had some great homemade BBQ. Some people are getting sick of +BBQ, bjut I'm loving it! And tons of sweet tea too.
Well I know I'm a few days behind, but I'm really tired after a ten hr build day in the 90 degree heat and 65% humidity. Should get off to bed now. Will try to catch up tomorrow and shoot to do short daily blogs.
, which is why we decided to stop at a gas station to rest with about 15 miles left. The people there were nice, but very concerned about our safety. The next downhill was a gradual 13% grade hill! As we went down it, I hit 46 mph (which I think was speeding on that road...) the end of the downhill opened up to a lake. Mike and I stopped to take some cool pictures before we went the rest of the way. Once we started towards the church, the fast group passed us. They pulled us all the way in. For dinner, we had some great homemade BBQ. Some people are getting sick of +BBQ, bjut I'm loving it! And tons of sweet tea too.
Well I know I'm a few days behind, but I'm really tired after a ten hr build day in the 90 degree heat and 65% humidity. Should get off to bed now. Will try to catch up tomorrow and shoot to do short daily blogs.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
When in Rome....update your blog!
We arrived in Rome, Georgia today after an 81 mile ride. Although the ride was long, the route was on some nice country backroads. We finally got off of the highways! Once again, I switched between groups of riders. In the morning, I rode with Kelsey and Craig. Going out of town was a little hilly and busy because we were just outside of Atlanta. We went through lots of construction areas that were really bumpy! After lunch, I rode mostly with Paul and Katie. At the top of one of the hills, we stopped at a little horse farm to takr some pictures. To our surprise, three miniature horses came running up to the side of the fence and came close enough for us to pet them! After taking some pictures, we headed down a beautiful descent. The road slowly went down and we went through a canopy of trees. The ride was very peaceful! Towards the middle of the ride, I found a really cool road. Elizabeth road! My groupmates weren't excited to take the picture because the road was at the bottom of a hill, so they had to stop and lose their momentum. A little later, I rode with Kelsey again to the end. I really liked one part of town where there was a fast, curvy downhill with no cars. I felt like I was back in racing! Once we got to the church in Rome, we were spoiled rotten. Not only did we have another awesome dinner prepared, we also had a bike mechanic, a guy who gave massages, (he is actually
a local fireman who is also a Cat 1 rider and rode with the fast guys today), and chiropractors. I wasn't in dire need of any of these luxuries, so I was one of the last in line for all of them. But I got my bike checked out, got a leg and shoulder massage, and had my back adjusted. I have never had a massage or a chiropractic adjustment, so these were new experiences for me.I am still in awe about how generous some people can be.
I'm sorry I haven't been blogging the last few days. I was doing so well on my blog that I was neglecting my personal journal. Plus, the last few days have been very hot and humid, which has worn me out. Since my last blog entry, we have had six riding days, a day off, and a build day. Most of these days were uneventful days. I enjoyed riding through the capital of SC and crossing our first state border. I was actually the last of our group to cross over the border because I was sweep, which are the people who must stay behind everyone else to make sure everything is okay with all the riders ahead. Another fun thing I found on the road was a milk vending machine at a dairy farm in Newberry. If you inserted $4, you got a jug of fresh milk! Another highlight of my ride days was an on road donation I got. Each day, we havw a donation challenge to get something that would be useful. One day, the challenge was an extension cord because ours had been broken the night before. I was riding on my own that day, so I decided to stop at an ACE hardware store. I walked in and told them about the cause and the manager eas more than happy to help. He said "what do you want? A 25 or 50 foot one?". He ended uo giving me a 50 foot one and I was again shocked by the generosity of strangers. But by far, my favorite part of the last few ride days was my ride between Athens and Norcross. We rode right past my aunt Trish's work, so I was able to surprise her! And later that day, I was able to visit with my uncle, who tracked me down on the route! I had never been where they lived or worked, so it was a fun adventure for me!
Well I will haved to leave the build day and day off for tomorrow because I am quite tired and have a 83 mile day tomorrow. But I will hopefully write about the build within the next couple of days!
a local fireman who is also a Cat 1 rider and rode with the fast guys today), and chiropractors. I wasn't in dire need of any of these luxuries, so I was one of the last in line for all of them. But I got my bike checked out, got a leg and shoulder massage, and had my back adjusted. I have never had a massage or a chiropractic adjustment, so these were new experiences for me.I am still in awe about how generous some people can be.
I'm sorry I haven't been blogging the last few days. I was doing so well on my blog that I was neglecting my personal journal. Plus, the last few days have been very hot and humid, which has worn me out. Since my last blog entry, we have had six riding days, a day off, and a build day. Most of these days were uneventful days. I enjoyed riding through the capital of SC and crossing our first state border. I was actually the last of our group to cross over the border because I was sweep, which are the people who must stay behind everyone else to make sure everything is okay with all the riders ahead. Another fun thing I found on the road was a milk vending machine at a dairy farm in Newberry. If you inserted $4, you got a jug of fresh milk! Another highlight of my ride days was an on road donation I got. Each day, we havw a donation challenge to get something that would be useful. One day, the challenge was an extension cord because ours had been broken the night before. I was riding on my own that day, so I decided to stop at an ACE hardware store. I walked in and told them about the cause and the manager eas more than happy to help. He said "what do you want? A 25 or 50 foot one?". He ended uo giving me a 50 foot one and I was again shocked by the generosity of strangers. But by far, my favorite part of the last few ride days was my ride between Athens and Norcross. We rode right past my aunt Trish's work, so I was able to surprise her! And later that day, I was able to visit with my uncle, who tracked me down on the route! I had never been where they lived or worked, so it was a fun adventure for me!
Well I will haved to leave the build day and day off for tomorrow because I am quite tired and have a 83 mile day tomorrow. But I will hopefully write about the build within the next couple of days!
Friday, May 28, 2010
First build day and first two ride days
Yesterday was very busy. Our group of 32 roofed an entire house in one day! We woke up early and headed out to the site. The family was a retired couple living in a house just outside of Charleston. At the site, there were a few Americorps people and a few worksite foreman. The weather was quite cloudy and a few sprinkles in the morning, but Mother Nature held off when we worked. We scraped off the old shingles fairly quickly. My job was to pick up the loose shingles and chuck them into the dumpster below. During one of my loads, I scraped my thigh. The scratch was extremely minor, but thanks to my genetics, I bled enough that I had to get off the roof and ask for the first aid kit. Simple pressure was not enough for the minor scratch. So yes, I managed to be the first one to be "hurt" on the worksite. Since I was already on the ground, I decided to help out one of my teammates who was picking up scraps that had fallen to the ground. Later, I used a magnet find all the nails off the ground. When I was done, I headed up to the roof to help pound nails. I did that for the plywood, the felt tarp, and finally the shingles. The felt was my favorite because the nails were short and easy to pound. I felt really bad when I pounded in a nail crooked, but I got better as the day went on. I'm still not an ace at hammering, but I definately got better as the day went on. Once we finished, we went back to eat dinner at Sticky Fingers, a local BBQ joint that has been mentioned on "The Colbert Report" several times. For. B dessert, I visited a local frozen yogurt shop with three of my teammates. To finish off the night, I made some last minute alterations to my bike and packed up.
Another early morning on our first ride day (I'll be really good at waking up to exercise after this summer! I helped with breakfast because that is my chore group's job this week. After a hearty breakfast, we headed out to the beach near the fort for our wheel dipping ceremony. The local news crew came out to wave us off as well (Charleston ch. 4 if you want to search for the footage). Once we dipped the rubber of our rear wheel in the Atlantic, we hit the road! I was one of the last to leave the beach, but the drawbridge was up and I caught up to most of the group. 9nce there, I rode with Karen most of the way to Monks Corner, SC. The 44 mile route from the beach was very flat and simple. I had fun looking at everything though and thought of Matt as I passed Highpoint Ct. We made it to the church by 2 and most people went swimming at a nearby lake (but I was a party pooper and took a nap instead). I was quite tired and didn't finish my blog, even after my nap.
Today was an interesting day. A 66 mile ride changed into 90 miles! We had a great breakfast cooked by several church members. I headed out on my own for the beginning of the ride. I didn't find anyone going at a good pace until around mile 20. I was not a big fan of the road as igt had many potholes and rough parts, which aren't fun. I rode with a large group for ia while. for about I rode with them for about ten miles until we saw something odd; some of our teammates riding in the opposite direction! The directions were to a dead end and we had to backtrack 8 miles. And our reroute ended up being a little longer than the original route. I skipped around groups again because I kept taking breaks in the shade. I was alone when I pulled into Sumpter and I wound up going 2 miles past it. Thankfully, a man was nice enough to use his GPS system to help me find the best way to the church. I finally made it in around 6 pm. Long day with lots of heat and humidity, so I'm off to bed now!
Another early morning on our first ride day (I'll be really good at waking up to exercise after this summer! I helped with breakfast because that is my chore group's job this week. After a hearty breakfast, we headed out to the beach near the fort for our wheel dipping ceremony. The local news crew came out to wave us off as well (Charleston ch. 4 if you want to search for the footage). Once we dipped the rubber of our rear wheel in the Atlantic, we hit the road! I was one of the last to leave the beach, but the drawbridge was up and I caught up to most of the group. 9nce there, I rode with Karen most of the way to Monks Corner, SC. The 44 mile route from the beach was very flat and simple. I had fun looking at everything though and thought of Matt as I passed Highpoint Ct. We made it to the church by 2 and most people went swimming at a nearby lake (but I was a party pooper and took a nap instead). I was quite tired and didn't finish my blog, even after my nap.
Today was an interesting day. A 66 mile ride changed into 90 miles! We had a great breakfast cooked by several church members. I headed out on my own for the beginning of the ride. I didn't find anyone going at a good pace until around mile 20. I was not a big fan of the road as igt had many potholes and rough parts, which aren't fun. I rode with a large group for ia while. for about I rode with them for about ten miles until we saw something odd; some of our teammates riding in the opposite direction! The directions were to a dead end and we had to backtrack 8 miles. And our reroute ended up being a little longer than the original route. I skipped around groups again because I kept taking breaks in the shade. I was alone when I pulled into Sumpter and I wound up going 2 miles past it. Thankfully, a man was nice enough to use his GPS system to help me find the best way to the church. I finally made it in around 6 pm. Long day with lots of heat and humidity, so I'm off to bed now!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Second day of orientation
This morning was pretty uneventful. We woke up at 8am for breakfast and had more basic orientation about rules and regulations. We met our chore groups and discussed names for our groups. My group is "The Chomps". After morning orientation, we went for our 23 mile shakedown ride around Charleston. I started out pretty well and had no problem staying with those in the middle of the pack. Our route went north over a cool new suspended bridge and out towards a fort on an island and back. About halfway through the ride, I managed to get my first flat! Of course I would be one of the ones to manage to get a flat on the "warm-up" ride! And to make things worse, the flat was on my back tire. I have never changed my rear tire before, so I was very embarassed and nervous. But my teammates were very nice and helpful. They helped me change out my tire and we got back on the road. The fort area next to the beach was really cool and apparently we will be doing our tire dipping ceremony out by this area. After returning to the church, we had pizza and tacos for lunch. Then we had free time and I took a nap because the humidity drained me. Hopefully my body will adapt to the climate quickly. Later we had more pizza for dinner. We ended the day wih an alumni presentation, which made me more excited about this trip, Looking forward to our first build day tommorow, which will be roof shingling. Hopefully no rain!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Arriving in Myrtle Beach and Travelling to Charleston
I arrived in Myrtle Beach on Saturday evening after a short week of last minute preparations after graduation from Willamette. Although orientation didn't start until today, I wanted to visit an old friend and get acclimated to the east coast timezone. I believe I am the only one from my group who is used to PST. Plus it was nice to just relax for a day playing games, walking on the beach, taking my time reconstructing my bike (which did arrive unharmed despite a hole in the box!), and playing minigolf with a friend I haven't seen in 6 yrs. (She beat me twice in putt putt and even managed to sink a hole-in-one using the opposite side of her putter!) This morning, Amanda was nice enough to drive me to Trinity United Methodist Church, the check-in point for B&B and my temporary home until Thursday. I was one of the last ones to arrive. After claiming my "bed" (Thermarest) and jersey for the trip, we played a name game and icebreakers. I was "leaping Lizzy". Then more downtime before a local bike lawyer came by to give us some bike safety tips. We ended the day with dinner from a local BBQ place. If all the host food is just as good, I might gain weight this summer despite cycling 65+ miles a day! Finally, the Charleston Habitat group presented about their organization. They told us that we will be working on roof shingles on Wed. Tomorrow is more orientation and a short ride around Charleston.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Mail Drops
Hey everyone!!
As I promised in my earlier post, here is the schedule for our mail drops this summer. Every week, we receive "snail mail" at one of our stops. Personally, I LOVE getting letters (or if you're feeling really ambitious..a care package). Since I will have limited access to e-mail (and possibly no phone service at times), mail will be an important connection to family and friends. After a hard, 70-mile day, I'm can't imagine anything better than sitting down to enjoy an encouraging, inspiring, or "just plain fun" letter from family or friends. When sending mail, please use the following format.
Attn: CYCLIST NAME (Lizzy Whittemore)
General Delivery
STREET ADDRESS (if noted)
CITY, ST ZIP
And please mark the envelope or package with "Please hold for pick-up on DATE."
June 01
300 East Washington Street
Greenville, SC 29601
June 08
1814 Beltline Road Southwest
Decatur, AL 35601-6259
June 15
304 West Michigan Street
Stuttgart, AR 72160-3122
June 22
305 Northwest 5th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73102-9998
June 29
301 East Main Street
Trinidad, CO 81082-2712
July 03
8585 Criterion Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920-1045
July 13
235 Puppy Smith Street
Aspen, CO 81611-9998
July 20
95 West 100 South
Provo, UT 84601-6099
July 27
770 South 13th Street
Boise, ID 83708-0001
August 03
240 North Main Street
Alturas, CA 96101-4047
August 10
18 Oak Street
Brentwood, CA 94513-1301
Only a week left before the start of orientation in Charleston!! Cannot wait to start this adventure!!
As I promised in my earlier post, here is the schedule for our mail drops this summer. Every week, we receive "snail mail" at one of our stops. Personally, I LOVE getting letters (or if you're feeling really ambitious..a care package). Since I will have limited access to e-mail (and possibly no phone service at times), mail will be an important connection to family and friends. After a hard, 70-mile day, I'm can't imagine anything better than sitting down to enjoy an encouraging, inspiring, or "just plain fun" letter from family or friends. When sending mail, please use the following format.
Attn: CYCLIST NAME (Lizzy Whittemore)
General Delivery
STREET ADDRESS (if noted)
CITY, ST ZIP
And please mark the envelope or package with "Please hold for pick-up on DATE."
June 01
300 East Washington Street
Greenville, SC 29601
June 08
1814 Beltline Road Southwest
Decatur, AL 35601-6259
June 15
304 West Michigan Street
Stuttgart, AR 72160-3122
June 22
305 Northwest 5th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73102-9998
June 29
301 East Main Street
Trinidad, CO 81082-2712
July 03
8585 Criterion Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920-1045
July 13
235 Puppy Smith Street
Aspen, CO 81611-9998
July 20
95 West 100 South
Provo, UT 84601-6099
July 27
770 South 13th Street
Boise, ID 83708-0001
August 03
240 North Main Street
Alturas, CA 96101-4047
August 10
18 Oak Street
Brentwood, CA 94513-1301
Only a week left before the start of orientation in Charleston!! Cannot wait to start this adventure!!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
School is done!! Next stop..Charleston!!
Hello everyone!
Well setting up my blog has been on my "to do" list for almost three weeks now (big surprise, huh??). Yesterday I turned in my final paper of my undergraduate career, which meant I could no longer find any excuses to procrastinate any further on my "to-do" list. Anyways, everything has been okay preparing for my trip. Thank you to everyone who has supported my fundraising efforts so far. I still have $1,000 left to fundraise, but I'm confident I can make it. There was an article that ran in the Statesman Journal (Salem's local paper.. check it out here http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100508/NEWS/5080327/1001/news ) and I was lucky enough to receive a few donations from generous Salem residents. And I'm hoping my "donation matching" fundraising will put a dent in the remaining amount.
I can't believe I am going to be in Charleston in less than two weeks! For the most part, I feel mentally and physically ready. This spring, I tried my best to get out on a bike as much as possible. Although I haven't tracked my total miles, I know I have been over the 500 mile mark for a while. And my 65 mile ride hasn't happened yet (will be done within the next two days), but I've been very close on several occasions. I'm still intimidated by the idea of going up the Rocky Mountains, but I keep telling myself I have 2/3 of the trip before I have to face that obstacle. Plus, my Mom keeps telling me "you start at sea level and end at sea level..what goes up, must come down!"
Well time for me to start packing up my room now. These four years flew by! Now onto my next adventure..biking across America!!
P.S. If you would like to donate, please visit http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/3766 and click "DONATE". Everything can be done online in 5 minutes or less! Instructions for donating by mail is also on the site. But if you plan to donate by check, please do so soon as they need to receive the funds by May 24th.
P.S.S. For those of you wondering if this blog will turn out like my "Semester at Sea" blog, do not worry. (I was quite upset with myself that I did not do a great job keeping up..) I have promised too many donors that I would keep them updated about my trip. Although Internet accessibility will be limited on the trip, I will get to a computer as often as I can to put up a little bit about my amazing bike trip.
Well setting up my blog has been on my "to do" list for almost three weeks now (big surprise, huh??). Yesterday I turned in my final paper of my undergraduate career, which meant I could no longer find any excuses to procrastinate any further on my "to-do" list. Anyways, everything has been okay preparing for my trip. Thank you to everyone who has supported my fundraising efforts so far. I still have $1,000 left to fundraise, but I'm confident I can make it. There was an article that ran in the Statesman Journal (Salem's local paper.. check it out here http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100508/NEWS/5080327/1001/news ) and I was lucky enough to receive a few donations from generous Salem residents. And I'm hoping my "donation matching" fundraising will put a dent in the remaining amount.
I can't believe I am going to be in Charleston in less than two weeks! For the most part, I feel mentally and physically ready. This spring, I tried my best to get out on a bike as much as possible. Although I haven't tracked my total miles, I know I have been over the 500 mile mark for a while. And my 65 mile ride hasn't happened yet (will be done within the next two days), but I've been very close on several occasions. I'm still intimidated by the idea of going up the Rocky Mountains, but I keep telling myself I have 2/3 of the trip before I have to face that obstacle. Plus, my Mom keeps telling me "you start at sea level and end at sea level..what goes up, must come down!"
Well time for me to start packing up my room now. These four years flew by! Now onto my next adventure..biking across America!!
P.S. If you would like to donate, please visit http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/3766 and click "DONATE". Everything can be done online in 5 minutes or less! Instructions for donating by mail is also on the site. But if you plan to donate by check, please do so soon as they need to receive the funds by May 24th.
P.S.S. For those of you wondering if this blog will turn out like my "Semester at Sea" blog, do not worry. (I was quite upset with myself that I did not do a great job keeping up..) I have promised too many donors that I would keep them updated about my trip. Although Internet accessibility will be limited on the trip, I will get to a computer as often as I can to put up a little bit about my amazing bike trip.
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