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!
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