Monday, August 6, 2007 - continued....

Here's the "more later"......

We awoke to threatening skies this morning and it looked like it could dump on us at any moment (I'll save you from the suspense - it never did!). This was a very hard day for me - lots of overwhelming emotions to deal with - as well as a very hilly ride to conquer. I was in tears 1 1/2 miles out from the hotel, and then on and off throughout the ride. I couldn't cry for long though, there were too many turns and arrows to follow - I had to pay attention to get to where I was going!

The route was hilly, and once again I was surprised to find myself taking the hills in stride. I made pretty good time and even stopped at the bakery to visit with other riders 11 miles from our final meeting spot.

The meeting spot was at the junior high school in Rye, NH. We had to assemble there by 11:30 a.m. to get into procession for a police escort to the beach. I got there fairly early and just sat on the grass and watched everyone gather. The feelings were so overwhelming that I had to go into numb mode or I would have started crying and never stoppped. I still can't fully articulate what I was and am feeling.

Mike got us all together for one last group photo and then we were off on the 3 mile ride to the Atlantic Ocean - police car first, then the silver van, then all of us bikers (I rode fairly close to the front with Colleen), the white van with the "Box" luggage truck bringing up the rear.

We got to the ocean and dipped our wheels and then as the finale to the trip, Janette had the honor of pouring the water from the Pacific Ocean into the Atlantic Ocean. And we were done.

But not quite - we had one more state to visit. We rode from the beach to Portsmouth and then over the bridge into Maine - state #12 for Colleen and me! Then we headed to the hotel and several of us were shuttled to a bike shop where we dropped off our bikes to be packed and shipped home.

My roommates and I - and Daco too - went out for a champagne and lobster dinner to celebrate. Then Colleen and I had to bid farewell to Cindy and Daco, as Cindy's husband drove from Boston pick them up.

A little more visiting with those who were still around and hanging out in the hotel lobby and then to the room for final packing and lights out. We have one final luggage load tomorrow at 6:45 a.m. What a day.......

Monday, August 6, 2007, Manchester, NH to Portsmouth, NH, 64.5 miles, 5 hrs 14 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.3 mph, Climb: 2660 ft.

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!

More later......

Sunday, August 5, 2007, Brattleboro, VT to Manchester, NH, 80.2 miles, 7 hrs 40 min, 6 hrs 36 min on the bike, Ave: speed: 12.1 mph, Climb: 5350 ft.

Today I realized how much stronger I have gotten. Even though I had climbed several hills yesterday, today was even hillier and I did OK - rode pretty darn strong, though I am more tired today - the legs did work.







We crossed in to New Hampshire within 5 minutes of starting out and then enjoyed lots of green, woods, water and hills. One of the best parts of the ride was the weather - it was sunny and in the mid 70's, no humidity, a little breeze and crystal clear blue skies. The wooded lane photo is what I biked through for part of the day.







Today is also a sad day - it was our last full day together. I still don't know what or how I feel about it other than I'm not ready to be done (heavy sigh...).






We had our group banquet and there was an opportunity to do a skit for entertainment and of course, Colleen, Cindy and I could NOT pass up the opportunity to participate! Colleen and Cindy created lyrics to go to the Veggie Tales' song "We Are the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" (see lyrics below). We dressed up (sort of) and even had some choreography (sort of) to go along with our singing debut. We had lots of fun and I think everyone enjoyed it too.



After the skits, everyone was presented with a Certificate of Completion and we all had an opportunity to say a few words. It was a special evening and it is sort of, kind of, starting to sink in a little bit what exactly we all accomplished - it's almost too big to comprehend.

Tomorrow we finish - the Atlantic Ocean or bust!


*************************


WE ARE THE BIKERS WHO HAVE DONE EVERYTHING
(With apologies to the creators of Veggie Tales)

CHORUS:
‘Cause we’re the bikers who have done everything
We have pedaled across this beautiful land
And if you ask us how our summer was
We’ll simply tell you – it was really grand!

* * * * *

Well we gathered in Astoria, dipped our wheels in the ocean
Left the Pacific at our backside and we started heading east
Mt Hood was spectacular as we climbed up through the Cascades
We ate out a buffet or two, at least

Jumped the great Snake River into the land of potatoes
Rode the Tootin’ Tater; saw Twin an’ Shoshone Falls
Register Rock was an early explorers’ sign-in sheet
The scavenger hunt was amusing for us all

CHORUS

Wyoming was our next state with ghost towns and road-kill
It had the steepest climb up the Teton Pass
Road crews blocked our way on the Continental Divide
Our bike parade really had some class

South Dakota had the prairie dogs and herds of buffalo
Four stony presidents and an Indian on a horse
Signs for Wall Drug store, jackalopes and bull riding
The world’s only corn palace, of course

CHORUS

Minnesota and Wisconsin were the next states heading east
Fields of corn and soy, but the smell could not be beat
Sparta had the bike trail and long, dark tunnels too
The Lazer wedding made the day complete

We sailed into Michigan aboard the SS Badger
Famous for great lakes, farmlands, spaghetti galore
We traveled into Canada en masse across the bridge
We’ve used a lot of bag balm for this tour

CHORUS

New York had a rest day at the famous Niagara Falls
Finally needed raingear for the Maid of the Mist
Laundry wars abated, flat tires became more rare
The Erie Canal was a welcome twist

Vermont and New Hampshire were hills, and hills, and hills
We’re anxiously awaiting police escort to the beach
We’ve eaten our share of fig bars and lots of ice cream cones
Our cross country goal is in our reach

CHORUS

Across America North – what a memorable trip
We had an awesome staff; made lots of new friends
Thank you all for sharing your summer with us
We can’t believe this tour is going to end

CHORUS

Saturday, August 4, 2007, Troy, NY to Brattleboro, VT, 75.2 miles, 7 hrs, 6 hrs 26 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 11.6 mph, Climb: 5108 ft.

Well, for a day that had big hills, I did great and had a good time! The biking gods were good to us today - sunny, hot and muggy, but a lovely tailwind, pretty good roads, not too much traffic and wonderful downhill cruising after the climbs. The scenery was gorgeous too - we had a grand vista of Vermont's Green Mountains from the top of Hogback Mountain. I rode very strong (for me) - I didn't have to walk up any of the hills - and I was able to shift with my left hand - hooray! I also didn't have any knee pain, but I think that is because all of the ibuprophen I'm taking for my hand is helping my knees too.

Today we entered state #10 - Vermont! Only two more to go....

Brattleboro was a nice surprise too - I stopped in at the local farmers' market and enjoyed a homemade iced chai and then picked up some fresh blueberries and homemade granola (it will be a nice change from oatmeal....)

We found out at our rap meeting tonight that tomorrow's ride will be 8 miles shorter and won't have one of the big hills (yea!). The sad thing is that tomorrow is our last full day of the trip - I don't know how or what to feel about that.......so, I'll stay in denial for a little while longer....

Keep sending the energy, more hills tomorrow!

Friday, August 3, 2007, Little Falls, NY to Troy, NY, 83 miles, 7 hrs 15 min, 6 hrs 14 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.2 mph, Climb: 1250 ft.

Another banner day - overcast skies, thunder and sprinkles, but the weather held again and no real rain. It was (and still is) hot and muggy, but I had no problems cycling. We actually rode through fog for the first time this morning too. There is so much moisture in the air that I think it just became visible in the cool morning hours.

We were in hillier terrain today - a warm up for tomorrow's climbs over the Green Mountains of Vermont, but I rode strong and the legs still feel strong. We also got to ride on a paved bike path along the Mohawk River and the Hudson River - I was in my element. It reminded me of riding the Boise greenbelt, only this path was smoother and it is MUCH greener here!

Update on my hand - it is doing better. I'm taking lots of ibuprophen and icing it and I have some stretches that help too. Jim the mechanic also put a new cable on my bike, so that should help with the shifting. I was able to shift gears for a while today, so I think I'll be OK tomorrow on the big hills (I shift a lot on hills - with both the left and right hands).

I had a friend email and ask about any positive changes to the biosuit (you've all read about the knees, sinus and hand...), so here's an update. I am stronger. I can ride at a faster rate of speed for longer periods of time, I can go a little faster up hills and I can bike up steeper hills longer before getting fatigued. An 80 mile day is "normal" and not a big deal anymore - it's what I do and I have plenty of energy to do other things when I'm done. My body composition is changing - more muscle, less adipose and I've lost inches. I do have a tan - but it's a funky biker's tan - think upper arm to wrist on the arms and on the legs from the end of longish bike shorts to the ankle. The face is pretty normal, though the forehead did get some tan stripes (from the holes in the helmet), but those are fading. Oh - the hair is getting longer too - I'm not being mistaken for a man anymore (yes, it has happened 3 times on this trip). The best physical aspect of the trip is that I can eat absolutely whatever I want and I don't have to worry - it's all fuel!

Tomorrow we are headed to Vermont and back to hills - big time! Please send energy to help push me up the climbs and keep the biosuit functioning - this ride is definitely not over yet!

Thursday, August 2, 2007, Syracuse, NY to Little Falls, NY, 78.8 miles, 7 hrs, 6 hrs on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.1 mph, Climb: 1180 ft.

Had a good day on the bike in spite of the very hot and humid conditions. As long as I was moving, the slight breeze created kept me cool enough. My hand improved a little today, but I did not shift out of the middle chain ring. The terrain was flat enough that I didn't really have too. Also, I am stronger - I could pump my way up the small hills we had without too much effort.

My brother-in-law Garrett is a physical therapist and he has already emailed me with some good info on getting my hand working enough to get me to the end of the ride - thanks Garrett - I'll be calling you!

Had more NY countryside - lots of woodlands, as the photo shows. Two riders also had car/bike incidents today - there are definitely more cars to deal with and on narrower roads - especially as we come into the small, older towns. Fortunately (again), no major injuries, just some scrapes.

Tomorrow were headed to Troy, NY - our last New York state stop.....

Wednesday, August 1, 2007, Henrietta, NY to Syracuse, NY, 95 miles, 9 hrs, 7 hrs 19 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.9 mph, Climb: 1650 ft.

Well, our idyllic trip crashed today - literally. This morning one of our riders was involved in a bicycle - motorcycle accident coming out of the hotel and on to the road. Fortunately he is OK, but it was very scary. He ended up with a concussion and a few stitches, but we didn't know this until we reached the first SAG stop - 30 miles into the ride, so it was a pretty subdued group as we set out this morning.

It was a delightful route for the first half of the day - we followed a bike path that went along the Erie Canal. We rode right by a couple of the locks/lochs?, but I didn't see any in action.

The roads were busier today - (more people, therefore more cars...) and we had to travel one of the state highways for several miles. The ride was 5 miles short of a century and that made for a long day - though I was smart and stopped for a sandwich midway and right before the hotel found a great place for an ice cream cone. The weather got hot and muggy too - around 85 drippy degrees. Tomorrow it's supposed to hit 90 - yuc!

My biosuit is starting to act up a bit too. My knees have been aching for several days now (especially on the hills) - I'm using more ibuprophen to keep going - and today I had problems with my left hand. About 3/4's of the way through the ride I found I could not work the shifters with my left hand - it was like the shift levers were locked and wouldn't move.

When I got in I went to see the mechanics and they lubed the shifters and I cleaned the cable and I still could not shift it. Then Jim completely took the cable off and checked it all out and had me try shifting again. He could shift it, Cindy could shift it, but I couldn't shift it. Turns out the bike is OK but I'm broken! I've lost the strength in my left hand. I don't know if it is from fatigue, or pressure, or what. I'm going to try aspirin and ice tonight and see if I get any better tomorrow. If not, it's going to be a long day - I will only be able to ride in my middle chain ring - I won't have the strength to shift out of it!

Only 5 days of riding left and lots of mixed emotions. In some ways I want to keep going - this has been such a great experience, but I also know it is probably time to be done and moving on to the next adventure/chapter......

Tomorrow we head to Little Falls, NY......

Tuesday, July 31, 2007, Niagara Falls, NY to Henrietta, NY, 82.2 miles, 6 1/2 hrs, 6 hrs on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.8 mph, Climb: 2650 ft.

This was a day that gets put in the brochure! What wonderful ride! Lovely temperatures, sunny, mostly flat with a few hills for variety and TAILWINDS!!!!!! I just cruised along and did not have to exhaust myself. There are more people and cars in NY, but we were still mostly on country roads, so overall traffic was light. I was moving so well I actually got in before 2:00 pm! (That is extremely rare for me....). I was in early enough to bring all of our luggage up to our room. Usually I'm in so late Cindy or Colleen have already brought my luggage up; it was nice to be able to return the favor today.

I almost didn't know what to do with the extra time, but I got cleaned up, did laundry and wrote out postcards and got caught up on my journal. Ahh, this is the life!! Alas, we only have 6 more days of riding left - less than 500 miles to go....

Tomorrow we head to Syracuse, NY - a longer day, but similar terrain...stay tuned....

Monday, July 30, 2007 Niagara Falls, NY, O miles - Rest Day

Had a great day off. Will elaborate later - it's time for bed!

OK, here's more details. First, last evening we went out and saw the American Falls lit up with colored lights and then we saw a fireworks display that was shot off from the Canadian side of the river. We were up until 10:30 pm!!!

Would have slept in this morning, but no one checked the room's alarm clock and it went off at 6:30 am! (heavy sigh - I am just not meant to sleep in on this trip....). We (roommates Cindy, Colleen and I) had a fun day though. Went on the Cave of the Winds tour - you get a pair of sandals and a yellow rain jacket, go down an elevator and come out at the base of the American Falls. Then you walk along a wooden pathway up next to the cascading water. It's pretty fun - at one point the force of the water coming over the falls creates winds and "rain" - we got soaked!

Next, we took the trip on the "Maid of the Mist" boat that goes to the base of the Horseshoe Falls (the Canadian Falls). We got a blue rain jacket for this adventure and we got soaked again! More fun! It was a very hot, sunny, humid day so the showers from the falls felt great.

Then Colleen and I walked back over the Rainbow Bridge to Canada (I had $14 in Canadian money I had to spend) to do a little shopping. Spent most of the Canadian cash on fudge and a few souvenirs. Back to the states and took a nap, cleaned my bike, had a nice Italian dinner and lights out. A great day off!

Sunday, July 29, 2007, Brantford, ONT, Canada to Niagara Falls, NY, 72.4 miles, 7 1/2 hrs, 6 hrs 9 min on the bike, Ave.speed:11.7 mph, Climb:1650 ft

We have been blessed with yet another great day for bicycling - warm and sunny, somewhat humid but bearable - we had a headwind and crosswinds to keep us cool. This was a classic ride through the countryside and in addition to flat roads we got a few hills thrown in - just to remind us that we do have to climb sometimes.....

Those headwinds had some substance and I was fortunate to ride with Penny and Bill - we took turns drafting - this gave us all a break from the wind and it forced me pick up my pace a little - that's a good thing for me - I would have puttered along much more slowly otherwise.

The big event for the day was coming in to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side - it is very impressive! - and then making our way across the Rainbow Bridge and through Customs on the US side. We had to be in the car traffic lanes with our bikes (the bikes wouldn't go through the turnstiles on the pedestrian walkway) and that took a good 40-45 minutes. We did make it into my 9th state plus one province.

At the hotel my roommates and I were able to get our laundry done right away (always a chore we are glad to get done) and then we were off to dinner. From our hotel room we can see the spray from the falls rising above the trees.

Tomorrow we plan to take the boat trip (Maid of the Mist) and hopefully the hike that goes behind the falls..... stay tuned......

July 28, 2007, London, ONT to Brantford, ONT, Canada, 66.8 miles, 6 hrs, 5 hrs 18 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.5 mph, Climb: 1350 ft.

Oh Canada - I like it! We had another beautiful day of biking. More farmland, a few little hills, and some headwinds to keep things interesting. The crops changed from just corn and soybeans to more variety- today we saw asparagus, tobacco and ginseng too. In the photo, the tobacco is in the foreground and in the background are some poles with black netting stretched across the top - under the netting is where the ginseng grows.

It is so fun to be able to ride 60+ miles and think of it as an easy day - even with some headwinds. I stopped a few times to take photos, find some lunch and even treated myself to ice cream on the way in to Brantford.

Our room was not ready when we got in, so my roommates and a few others practiced some yoga moves in the hotel lobby (some of it was quite funny) - what we do to pass the time.

Tomorrow we bike to Niagara Falls and back in to the US - if they will let us in - and then we have a rest day! Hurray! Unfortunately, it will be our last rest day, which means we're getting close to the end of the trip (*sob!*). I am finally getting into condition to do this ride and it is ending. I am so used to being a bicycling gypsy that I could continue on indefinitely - aren't there more states to cycle through??!!!

Keep the good energy coming - please! We've had some nice days, but the days we cycle through Vermont and New Hampshire have the Berkshire Mountains in them and we will have climbing days of 5100 ft. and 5800 ft. respectively. My knees ache just thinking about it. I'll make it, but it won't be painfree......

Friday 27, 2007, Port Huron, MI to London, Ontario, Canada, 82.1 miles, 7 hrs 25 min, 6 hrs 6 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.4 mph, Climb: 1070 ft.

What a special experience we all had this morning. We left the hotel with the silver van leading the way, then we all followed on our bikes with the white van and the luggage truck bringing up the rear. At the bridge going across to Canada, they shut down all lanes of traffic going our way and an official car led us across the bridge. I was in the back of the group and it was a very cool sight to see us all biking across in our red, white and blue jerseys.

Once on the Canadian side, we stopped and customs officers checked several people's passports. I was one of the names they called, but the man pronounced my name as the French for "John". In any case, he OK'ed my passport and I was on my way. Needless to say, everyone has been calling me "John" (with a French accent) today.

It was another great ride - flat, not much headwind (and some nice tailwinds at the end of the ride), and Canadian countryside - farmland with corn and soybeans for the most part - not much different than the states. So far the biggest differences are the currency and that everything is metric. [The photo is of a farm and you may be able to see the Canadian flag flying in it - but probably not - I'm not a great photographer.]

Rode fairly strong and I still like having the break from the hills. We had chances of showers in the morning and in the afternoon, but none materialized until we had to sprint across the parking lot to the restaurant for dinner (at least Daco and I did).

Tomorrow we head to Brantford, ONT and I think it will be another "easy" day - yahoo!

Note: If you would like to read what some of the other riders are writing on their blogs, go to: http://del.icio.us/maxtheman36/abb. My blog is listed there too.

Thursday, July 26, 2007, Birch Run, MI to Port Huron, MI, 89.5 miles, 7 hrs 15 min, 6 hrs 54 min, Ave. speed: 12.9 mph, Climb: 470 ft.

Yet another day in paradise - the morning scenery was lovely - a light mist/fog over the fields and a beautiful deep orange red sun rising over it all. We pedaled through more of the Michigan countryside - mostly flat and all farms. Had overcast skies for most of the ride and that helped keep things a little cooler. The humidity is increasing somewhat.

Once again I was slow to get started and picked up power as the day went on. We did have some headwinds to provide a little more challenge and as we got closer to Lake Huron, the clouds started building. I ended up getting caught in a rain shower 8 miles from the hotel. It didn't last long and my shirt was dry by the time I got to the hotel. The socks and bike shorts were not however. I enjoyed the shower - it was refreshing in its own way.

Got in by 2 pm (early for me) and can actually relax a bit. Tomorrow we ride across a big bridge into Canada (they close the bridge just for us - so we can ride across safely).

Wednesday, July 25, 2007, Mount Pleasant, MI to Birch Run, MI, 74. 8 miles, 6 hrs, 5 hrs 37 mins on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.2 mph, Climb: 700 ft.

The string of delightful days continues! Got to sleep in 'til 6 am to start, and then had wonderful weather - cool enough, sunny, no wind and almost no hills!!!!!!! I just put myself in cruise mode and enjoyed the day. Traveled through more farmland - lots of old farms dating back to the mid to late 1800's. I would love to have several more of these kinds of rides. I know many of the other cyclists like the variety of the hills and climbs, but I thoroughly love the flats!!!

Got in by 1:30 pm and was all excited to do laundry, only to find out that the laundromat had closed. I am now waiting to use the one hotel dryer (I did get my clothes washed in the one hotel washer), but there are still 3 other people ahead of me. Ah, the adventures of cycling across the country......

Tuesday, July 24, 2007, Ludington, MI to Mount Pleasant, MI, 114 miles, 9 1/2 hrs, 9 hrs on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.6 mph, Climb: 2120 ft.

A long and lovely day - started early, barely light out (we lost that hour, remember?....) and very cloudy and cool - threatening to rain. I was very, very slow to start - had nothing in my legs for the first 30+ miles. Picked up steam as the day went on. We had gentle rolling hills, lots of woodlands and smaller farms - lots and lots of corn. We had the cool and the clouds until about midday (it never did rain) and then the sun came out.

For a century ride, it sure was nice. I didn't get in until 5 pm, but I wasn't exhausted either - by jove, I think I really am getting stronger!!!!! I got in just in time for maintenance and Jim the mechanic did some fine tuning on my shifting and I should be good to go for tomorrow.

I had time to clean my bike drive chain and catch up on some journaling. It feels good to not be totally wiped out at the end of a long day.

Monday, July 23, 2007, Manitowoc, WI to Ludington, MI, 7 miles on bike, 4 hours by ferry

This was our rest day - sort of..... We did get to sleep in and I enjoyed breakfast with my sister and her girls - we even went to the local bakery for fresh donuts. Then we had a wedding to go to! It was a lovely ceremony in a park and athe bride and groom even posed for photos wearing their special bike helmets.



I said good bye to my nieces and sister and biked to the ferry. We all had to load our bikes in the bottom of the S.S. Badger and then go to the upper decks for the 4 hour trip across Lake Michigan. We had calm waters and an uneventful crossing, though we did get to here the Bingo caller keep saying "Big Ship, More Fun!" a gagillion times.





We landed at 6 pm eastern time (lost another hour!) in Michigan - my 7th state. Had a sloooow dinner in town and biked to the hotel at dusk - just made it in before dark! Between the ride on the WI side and the ride on the MI side, I put 7 miles on my bike today.




Tomorrow is a 113 mile day, but the terrain should be gentle. This will be my last century + ride on this trip - yippee!!!!

Sunday, July 22, 2007, Fond du Lac, WI to Manitowoc, WI, 57.5 miles, 5 hrs, 4 hrs 26 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.9 mph, Climb: 1300 ft.

Yet another good day in Wisconsin! First - we didn't have to load the luggage truck until 9 am! That meant we got to sleep in - yahoo! (This group likes to start waaaaay too early...)

I moseyed my way to Manitowoc - a pretty ride with rolling hills and farmland. It was neat to see the big lake (Lake Michigan) as we got close to Manitowoc.

Today was more about visiting family than about the ride. My sister Sarah came back with Garrett and the girls and we spent the rest of the day and evening together.

As part of the tour group we are also preparing for a wedding tomorrow. Two of the staff are getting married tomorrow - Jeff and Sondra. My roommate Cindy had the great idea to decorate bike helmets for the bride and groom and at rap we presented them to the couple (my other roommate, Colleen, and friend Daco are modeling the helmets in the photo) along with group cards and gift.

Saturday, July 21, 2007, Wis. Dells, WI to Fond du Lac, WI, 84.4 miles, 8 hours, 6 hrs, 44 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.4 mph, Climb: 2240 ft.

Ahhh, a delightful day! Started by having breakfast with my folks and sister. Then, wearing a borrowed University of WI Badger jersey had a college jersey photo taken by the trip leader. Four of us in WI jerseys took our own photo later. Don't we look good?

Said good bye to TEAM JEAN and hit the road. Had absolutely no power in my legs for the first 30 miles, I just pedaled 'til I got to the first SAG stop. It was in the small town of Montell0 - right at a little waterfall, complete with swans and a miniature church on the rocks that played chimes.

Picked up steam as the day progressed and got in to Fond du Lac by 3 pm. Another contingent of TEAM JEAN arrived - My sister Carol and her children, Chloe and Aidan AND my sister Sarah, her husband Garrett and their girls Clara and Elsa - what fun! These TEAM JEAN members came through with more goodies - fudge, brownies, Dutch cookies for our international riders and of course, cheese curds.

It was great to see more family and we had a fun dinner together. I introduced them all at our rap meeting and then they hit the road for home.

Tonight we had a t-shirt exchange and I ended up with a Tour de France t-shirt - I scored!

Tomorrow is an easy day - only 57 miles to Manitowoc.

Interim Post #6 - Still biking, just been busy!

Hi TEAM JEAN - All is well, just been busy with family and didn't have good internet access last night. Should be all updated by the end of today.

Friday, July 20, 2007, LaCrosse, WI to Wis. Dells, WI, 91.5 miles, 9 hours, 45 min, 7 hrs, 56 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 11.4 mph, Climb: 2350 ft.

Today I experienced the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good was cool temps and low humidity once again - the weather gods have been more than generous to us on this trip. More of the good was taking the Sparta to Elroy Trail. This is one of the first Rails to Trails pathway in the country. It is gorgeous - it's an old railroad bed and goes through woods and farmland and 3 tunnels. The tunnels were fun. We had to walk our bikes and use flashlights to see (one tunnel is 3/4 mile long) and we got dripped on from leaky spring water. The photo here has me in front of the first tunnel we went through. (Sorry, the picture is blurry, but you get the idea....) I also saw a deer on the trail - pretty neat.

The trail was 33 miles long and because is is hard packed dirt, you can't go very fast, so by the second SAG stop where we got off the trail, things started to get bad. I had no power left in my legs and I had 30 miles to go. I kept pedaling - but very slowly. Then things really got ugly when I started to hit the hills again. By the time I got close to the Dells I was cursing under my breath - it was not pretty!





However, things ended on the good side - when I got to the hotel, members of TEAM JEAN were waiting for me - but looking in the wrong direction!!! This is what I saw as I rode in.


My Mom, Dad, sister Anne and my Aunt Ginny and Uncle Bill cheered me in - once I yelled to them "You're looking the wrong way!" Mom also brought oodles of freshly baked chocolate chip and ginger cookies and I shared them with all of the group. Mom was the favorite person of the day!

I had a good visit with the family and then went out with 4 of my college girlfriends who were in town - another good to offset the bad and ugly of the day.

Thursday, July 19, 2007, Rochester, MN to LaCrosse, WI, 96 miles, 9 1/2 hrs, 7 hrs 55 mins on the bike, Ave. speed: 12 mph, Climb: 3700 ft.

Today had a few surprises. First - cooler temps and low humidity - yipee! Second, what we thought was only going to be 1690 feet of climbing, turned out to be 3700+ feet of climbing. Third we hit construction twice - one with a big detour (7 miles with lots of rollers), the other with a lot of traffic. So, with the detour, we ended up with a 96 mile day instead of an 89 mile day.

I finally took a picture of Minnesota - I was walking up the last really big hill of the day and took a shot.

We did cross in to Wisconsin at the very end of the ride - rode over the Mississippi River and everything!

I'm too tired to post photos today - have to get to bed for a 92 mile day to Wisconsin Dells tomorrow. Nothing like 4 century rides in a row to keep you young! [Update - 7/21/07 - photos posted.]

Wednesday, July 18, 2007, Mankato, MN to Rochester, MN, 100.8 miles, 10 hrs, 15 min., 8 1/2 hrs on the bike, Ave. speed: 11.8 mph, Climb: 3700 ft.

Humidity is NOT my friend! This was a long, miserable day. The temperature was only 82 degrees, but the humidity was off the charts! This was a 100 mile day with the 5 "H's" - heat, humidity, hills, headwinds and hundred. It was just long and hot. Towards the end I was so cranky I was cussing at the birds - there seemed to be no end to the roller hills as we came in to Rochester. I was soooo glad to come down the last big hill into the city. Even the 4:00pm shift change at the Mayo Clinic and rush hour traffic didn't dampen my enthusiasm to be finally ending this ride!

Not much else to say about today. I'm just tired. Tomorrow we leave MN and enter WI - it should be better - "only" 89 miles.....

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, Worthington, MN to Mankato, MN, 102.2 miles, 8 hrs, 7 hrs 41 min. on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.2 mph, Climb: 1030 ft.

All things considered, this was a pretty good day. It was a long day of corn and soybean fields, grain elevators and the pungent aroma of pigs - distinctly different from cows......

The terrain was basically flat and the winds were not really an issue, so that meant I pedaled the entire 102 miles - and did it faster than my average mph. I was even in to the hotel by 3:15 pm. Hmmmm, maybe I'm finally getting stronger!

The interesting side note for today is that I was almost in a thunderstorm. I ended up just getting sprinkled on - the storm was ahead of me - but I did have to ride through wet roads and puddles. I had a black stripe going up the back of my white shirt and this was the dirtiest I've been after a day's ride.

I am trying to get used to the humidity - mostly I just try to ignore it and sweat a lot. The temps have been in the high 80's and the humidity has been very high too (hence the afternoon thundershowers).

Tomorrow we're off to Rochester, MN, home of the famous Mayo Clinic. It is another 100 mile day and will feature a few more hills and the same heat and humidity - oh joy.....

Monday, July 16, 2007, Sioux Falls, SD to Worthington, MN, 74 miles, 6 hrs, 45 min, 6 hrs on the bike, Ave. speed: 12 mph, Climb: 750 ft.

This was a delightful day - no climbs, no winds, fresh legs, rested, "only" 70 miles. The only new thing to contend with was the humidity. I am definitely acclimated to dry western air, this humidity is not fun. However, since I'll have it from now to the end of the trip, I'll get used to it. Humidity is my friend........ (maybe).

We rode out of Sioux Falls on a smoothly paved greenbelt path along the river that took us right to the Sioux Falls. Then we pedaled our way through the last of South Dakota and crossed into Minnesota.

We traveled through classic Minnesota farmland - flat, oceans of corn and soybeans and about every 10-12 miles a little farming community. The folks were again friendly and curious and impressed with what we are doing (and probably think we're crazy too...).

When we got to the little town of Adrian, we hit road construction and had a detour - 6 1/2 miles on a dirt road! That was a bit of an adventure, but I made it through without falling off the bike and got to Worthington without any mishaps. Finished off the delightful day with a DQ cone and then hosed my bike down and cleaned myself up (think dust from 6+ miles of dirt road).

A big storm came blowing through late afternoon - fortunately we were all safely in by then. The temperature has cooled considerably (yea!) and we'll see what tomorrow brings - it will be another century day (100+ miles).

Sunday, July 15, 2007, Sioux Falls, SD, 0 miles, 0 hrs, 0 hrs on the bike, Ave. speed: 0 mph, Climb: 0 ft.

Aaahh - a rest day. Only problem - my roommates are early birds! Colleen was up by 6 am!!! I guess that's OK. Cindy and I were off on the mile hike to the laundromat by 9 am. It's good to have that chore done. Had a leisurely lunch and found a Culver's restaurant in the mall - frozen custard - YUM!!! I am truly back in the midwest!

Later this afternoon Colleen and I are going to the new Harry Potter movie, then it will be dinner and early to bed once again. Tomorrow we cycle into our 5th state - Minnesota! (Actually for Colleen and me it will be our 6th state....remember the accidental trip over the bridge to WA?!!)

Saturday, July 14, 2007, Mitchell, SD to Sioux Falls, SD, 73.3 miles, 6 hrs, 5 hrs 46 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.6 mph, Climb: 747 ft.

Today was another "easy" day, but it felt harder that yesterday - I think it was mentally harder, because it was "only" 70 miles with not much wind or climbing, but it seemed to take forever to get to Sioux Falls.

The terrain did flatten out and it was hotter and I can really feel the moisture in the air and there wasn't much to distract you - just miles and miles of road ahead.

We rode through farmland - some grasses and cattle, but mostly corn and soybeans. The folks were quite friendly today. Our SAG stop was at the local grocery store in Canistota, SD and we had several people come over and ask us what we were doing. It's fun to watch reactions when they find out we are cycling across the country.

I had a novel experience today - someone to talk to for the first 20 miles of the ride! Gerard (our other Dutch cyclist) slowed down to my pace and chatted with me for several miles. It was very enjoyable but strange, I'm usually all by myself and lost in my own head (Jean's World). Finally he had to "stretch his legs" and took off to cycle at his normal pace - about 10 mph faster than I go.

Got in to Sioux Falls around 2-ish and actually had time to relax a little, clean my bike and just wind down from the day. We said good bye to my buddy Tracy (he's finished this leg of the trip and is headed back to IN tomorrow morning). But, we also welcomed Dave to the group - he'll be with us until Niagra Falls.

I brought my bike to maintenance and Jim put a new chain on my bike - I had 2100 miles on the old chain and it was getting stretched out. The new chain should get me to the end of the trip. My bike has served me well so far - no problems to date. It is holding up much better than the rider! It does feel good to rest and to know that tomorrow I don't have to ride. My only chore is laundry.

Friday, July 13, 2007, Chamberlain, SD to Mitchell, SD, 73. 8 miles, 6 hrs, 5 hrs 50 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.6 mph, Climb: 980 ft.

What a refreshing ride after yesterday! We had a delightful day, light breeze (going in the right direction), sunny and warm. South Dakota surprised me again - we did have some flat terrain today! There was virtually no climbing and just a straight flat country road almost all the way in to Mitchell. I just toodled along, though my toodling picked up speed for a while when we hit a cross/tail wind (I love it when that happens!).

You know you've been biking a lot when a 70 mile day is so easy that it is almost considered a rest day......

When I got in to Mitchell I went to the world's only Corn Palace and it is quite a sight. I promised you a picture and I will post it later (I only have 2 USB ports and they are both currently in use, so I can't hook up the camera). [Update 7/15/07 - photo is now posted.] This year's theme is "Salute to Rodeo 2007". Some a-maiz-ing Corn Palace Facts - right off the the gift bag made with corn:

*The Corn Palace is redecorated every year sporting a new theme.
*600,000 pieces of corn are used to decorate the outside each year.
*3,000 bushels of grains and grasses are also used each year: milo, rye and sour dock.
*Nine different colors of Indian corn are used to create the mural pictures.
*Over a ton of nails, staples and wire are used to fasten the corn and grasses.
*Approximately $100,000 is spent each year for redecorating.

That's it for today. Tomorrow it's on to Sioux Falls and a rest day on Sunday - yahoo!!!!!

Thursday, July 12, 2007, Pierre, SD to Chamberlain, SD, 83 miles, 8 hrs, 25 min, 7 hrs on the bike, Ave. speed: 11. 6 mph, Climb: 3600 ft.

This day was almost as hard as yesterday and at times, seemed worse! We started out early (we changed to Central Time and lost an hour, so that didn't help either...) and it was cool and overcast. The first part of the ride was OK - we followed the Missouri River for quite a way (beautiful and serene) and there was very little traffic (South Dakota is so small population-wise, that traffic has not really been an issue). Then the rolling hills started again - surprise, surprise.

At our first SAG stop we reached the halfway point of our trip in mileage! Hooray! I missed the sign on the road (I was focused getting to the stop and taking a break), but Cindy pointed it out and took a photo of this momentous occasion. It is also the 25th day of the trip, so we are truly half way done!

After celebrating, the real work began - 20+ miles of roller hills and headwinds!! By the time I hit mile 48 and we turned south my legs were wobbly and I was shaking. Fortunately there was a little store right on the corner and I stopped, rested, had a sandwich with chocolate milk ( a biker's best friend).

The middle part of the ride was OK - more rollers of course - but not as much work. I had the pleasure of riding a while with Tracy and Alan. Tracy is always positive and he kept me going at times. He leaves the ride in Sioux Falls and I'll miss him.

Coming out of the second SAG stop, I had an interesting experience. I was riding alone (at the back of the group, there were only a few others behind me) when a car pulls up beside me and the man inside said "You must be the leader." I laughed and said "No, I'm actually at the back of the group!" He continued to drive beside me and then picked up a can of beer and offered it to me!!!! I politely declined and he went on his way.

Once again the last 20 miles about did me in. More rollers, but with a little more down hill and then two big hills to climb. I walked for a bit on each of them, but biked more than walked and at that point, I considered it a victory in endurance for me.

Tomorrow we're off to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. Don't worry, I'll make sure I get a photo of that!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, Wall, SD to Pierre, SD, 117.7 miles, 10hrs 10 min, 8 hrs 52 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.2 mph, Climb: 3270

Somebody just shoot me! This ride just about did me in - it was a very, very long day. We were up at 4:30 am (groan) and on the road before 6 am. We had tailwinds for the first bit of the ride, then a hard 20 miles of headwinds - and then some cross winds that felt great after the headwinds.

The terrain was lovely to look at, but challenging to bike over. In case no one has ever told you, the grassy plains of South Dakota are NOT flat! We had rollers all day long (think up and down, up and down, with more ups than down). The drugs were working, so I didn't feel very good for the first 60+ miles too. By the last 30 miles I was down to sheer stubborness once again to finish the ride. Tired - that's all I can say, I was tired!

I do like South Dakota and I just had to stop (briefly) to take a picture of the Little Brown Church on the Prairie - it's a classic.

Interim Post #5

Just wanted you all to know that I have finally added some photos to the posts. Go back to about July 1st and you'll start to see some photos.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, Rapid City, SD to Wall, SD, 58.2 miles, 4 hrs, 3 hrs 48 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 15.2 mph, Climb: 1300 ft.

What a rock and roll day! We had really strong cross/tailwinds that had me cruising at 17-18 mph. We also had ribbon road - lots of small ups and downs. I rode really strong (the rest day really helped) and the cross/tailwind was an added bonus. It also helped that it was a short day mileage-wise.

I was in to Wall, SD by about noon and had time to eat, do laundry, spend some time at the famous Wall Drug and clean my bike. I am skipping the bull riding rodeo tonight however - I need my rest and the antibiotics kind of whack me out a bit. I'm being prudent....

I am feeling better, but am not completely well - I can still feel the sinus infection in my ears, nose and eyes. I do plan to ride again tomorrow and I hope I can complete the ride. It is 117 miles to Pierre, SD and we will have headwinds almost the entire way. Send more good, fast, light, high energy my way please! I really do not want to have to take a van ride tomorrow.

Wall Drug is quite the place - the picture of me, Cindy (short hair) and Colleen (hair in ponytail) is on a jackalope. I also posed with a bison (another factoid: the Lakota word for bison is Tatanka). My big purchases today (you can't leave Wall Drug without something!) are a mood ring ( I haven't had one of those since I was a kid) and a nice pair of Black Hills gold small hoop earrings.

I also found me a cowboy - isn't he cute?!!!

Monday, July 9, 2007, Hot Springs, SD to Rapid City, SD, 72 miles, Climb: 5650 ft.

Well, today was a rest day for me. I did not ride and it was the right decision. The antibiotic kicked in and I didn't feel good most of the day. I rode in the luggage truck (called Box) with Barb (one of the staff) and helped her set up SAG stops.

It was a lovely day, riders had a tailwind to help, but they also had some major climbs. The route took us past the Crazy Horse Monument that is still being blasted out the side of the mountain (Crazy Horse's face is clearly done, you can see the outline of his pointing arm and they are now working on the horse's head) and then on to Mount Rushmore.

The terrain also changed - hills, rocks and pine forest - a very welcome change from the wide open range of Wyoming.

We also went through Wind Cave National Park where the buffalo really do roam. We saw hundreds of buffalo - including mamas and babies - on both sides of the road. Awesome. We also saw lots of prairie dogs. It seems buffalo and prairie dogs are always found together. The prairie dogs burrow and create lots of dusty soil which the buffalo use for dust baths. The buffalo eat lots of plants and the prairie dogs eat the seeds that pass through buffalo digestive system. The buffalo also keep the grasses trimmed short and that enables the prairie dogs to keep a lookout for enemies. Another interesting factoid - what I have been calling buffalo are really bison. So any reference to North American buffalo are really bison. Buffalo are only found in Africa and Asia.

At the very end of the route the cyclists had a big downhill into Rapid City and it looks like we'll be on the plains tomorrow.

I can feel the drugs working and at this point, I plan to be on the bike tomorrow. It is a short day (only 57 miles), there isn't much in the way of hill climbs and rumor has it that we will have a tailwind - whoo hoo! Our destination: the famous Wall Drug!

Sunday, July 8, 2007, Lusk, WY to Hot Springs, SD, 92 mi. , Climb: 3300

Well, today the biosuit finally broke down and I couldn't finish the ride. What happened? Guess, just guess....OK, give up? - of all things - a sinus infection!!!! AAAARRRRRGH!!!!!!!! (Can you get a sense of my frustration?!)

I woke up not feeling great, but not bad enough not to ride. I started the ride strong - even with headwinds the first 30 miles. Unfortunately, by the time I stopped at mile 69 for the SAG, I was feeling woozy and like my head was in a bubble. The last 30 miles were lots of uphill and I didn't think I could make it, so I rode in the van to the hotel.

I am very glad I did. Turns out, lightening had started a huge fire in the hills 5 miles outside of Hot Springs and it was really smokey in areas on the way in - I would have only aggravated my sinuses.

When we got to town, I was dropped off at the hospital - I went to the emergency room and got a prescription for antibiotics. Since it was Sunday, the nurse at the hospital said to go to the Pamida store - it was the only place open that had a pharmacy. And, the only reason it was open was because of the fire. This was a bad fire - one person died, and several people lost their homes (27 homes).

I walked from the hospital to the hotel and went to the office to see about getting a cab to the Pamida. The woman at the desk heard my story and said that the pharmasist was not there - he was actually across the parking lot and staying in one of the hotel rooms - he was one of the people who had lost his home in the fire. The woman at the desk knew him and we went over to him and explained my situation (I was leaving in the morning before any pharmacies would be open) and amazingly, he took my prescription and paperwork and drove to the pharmacy and filled my prescription!!!! Here this man had just lost his home to a fire less that 24 hours ago and he went out of his way to help a stranger. Talk about small town goodness. Needless to say, I will be sending him a very special thank you when I get home.

I took the antibiotic and I can already feel it starting to work. I don't think I'll be riding tomorrow. I want the drugs to kick in and start working, so that I can feel better faster and get back on the bike sooner. Also, tomorrow is a hard day with lots of big climbs and I don't think I would fare well if I tried to ride.

Ride statistics for as far as I got: 69 miles, 5 1/2 hours, 5 hrs 53 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.1 mph, Climb: ???

Now it's off to bed and rest.....

Saturday, July 7, 2007, Casper, WY to Lusk, WY, 107 miles, 9 hrs, 15 min., 7 hrs, 53, min. on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.5 mph, Climb: 2860 ft.

Another century+ day. I did fairly well, rode pretty strong and had my favorite - a tailwind.

Had a travel companion for the first 30 miles of the ride today - a self supported cyclist who was biking from OR to Iowa on a recumbent bike. His name was Dave Miller and he was quite chatty. He's an experienced cyclist and has done several bike trips. Since I normally ride alone, it was nice to ride with him - it made the miles go by more quickly.

After that, I pretty much rode alone the rest of the day. Saw some pronghorn antelope and more vast empty rangeland and big sky.

I'm tired (gee, I wonder why?...) and now I'm off to clean my bike.

Friday, July 6, 2007, Casper, WY, Rest Day, 0 miles, 0 hrs, 0 hrs on the bike, Ave. speed: 0 mph, Climb: 0 ft

Hooray - a rest day! I didn't get out of bed until 10 am. My roommates were much perkier than me and were up and off site seeing by the time I was finaly moving. I did get to the mall and got a new USB wireless thingy and came back to the hotel and installed it and it is working - as you can see from all of the postings I've done today.



I'm now up to date and should be able to do daily postings and maybe even start embelishing on the basic daily report.



Also, if you have any questions, send me a comment and I'll try to answer it. Those of you who have my email address, you can also contact me that way.

Thursday, July 5, 2007, Riverton, WY to Casper, WY, 120.3 miles, 11 1/2 hrs, 9 hrs, 35 min. on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.4 mph, Climb: 2860

Today I endured. It was an extremely long, hot, exhausting day - but once again, I did it 120 miles!!!! I would like to request some "Atta girl!"s please.

I was on the road by 5:30 am and my legs had no oomph for the first 60 miles. I was so slow. We had a gradual climb and then we sort of leveled out, but it was really rolling hills. I kept waiting for a downhill and it never seemed to come. At around mile 60 we had a SAG stop and I rested for a while and got some food and got out of the sun for a bit.


Then it was back on the bike - with a head wind starting to pick up. I eventually got stronger legs and just put my head down and pedaled and pedaled and pedaled. It was so great to finally see the city of Casper come in to view. I was once again completely exhausted (this time I had a good cry while still out on the road biking) to the point my legs would wobble and shake when I got off the bike.

Besides miles and miles of big sky and a few oil rigs, I did see two antelope, some road kill (including a coyote, Franklin) and once in a very great while, a building. I am soooo glad this day is over.

After I got my equilibrium back I showered, went to the route rap meeting, did laundry and got some dinner. Then I was on the way to the front desk to see about getting to the mall tomorrow when I heard music and singing coming from the bar. I made the mistake of poking my head in and ended up participating in karioke night with a bunch of my fellow cyclists. I stayed up way past my bedtime - 10:30 pm!

The best part about today (other than finishing the ride) was knowing that I can sleep in tomorrow!

Wednesday, July 4, 2007, Dubois, WY to Riverton, WY, 80 miles, 6 hrs, 40 min., 5 1/2 hr on the bike, Ave. speed: 14.4 mph, Climb: 2200 ft.

Happy Independence Day! Cindy, Colleen and I got up and in to full regalia and had our own mini parade down the main street of Dubois at 6 am for all of the cyclists lined up for breakfast. What fun! We had to stay decorated and ride 30 miles to the first SAG stop - that's where the judging took place.

That first 30 miles was lovely - we had mostly downhill and the scenery was once again awesome. We had red rock formations and we followed the Wind River. As the day went on, the terrain changed and opened up into big sky and wide open Wyoming high desert. Beautiful.

Stopped for a break in the small town of Kinnear and talked to an old timer for a while - seems we missed some good fireworks there last night. Oh well...

Once again, the last 20 miles seemed to take the longest. We had a headwind too. However, today my legs seemed strong and I powered my way in to Riverton. I have been working them hard though - my left knee is sore again and I iced it down and that seems to help.

I got in at 1:20 pm - early for me - and stopped at the DQ for a blizzard - one of my favorite post ride treats (when I have the time and energy to indulge...).

We did not win the 4th of July contest, but we did make Mike's website - we're happy.

I also received an extra special surprise today. My co-worker, Sally, has a sister who lives in Riverton and she stopped by with a plate full of homemade goodies - we've been enjoying them. Thank you Mary Morrison!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007, Jackson, WY to Dubois, WY, 80.5 miles, 10 hours, 40 min, 7 hrs 14 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 11.1 mph, Climb: 3000 ft.

This turned out to be a very interesting day. Today we rode up over the continental divide - with help from a construction crew!

The ride out of Jackson was visually specatular - we had the Tetons on our left for miles and miles and miles. We actually rode through Grand Teton National Park for some time. I finally stopped occasionally to take some photos too. I didn't have any oomph in my legs, so I was moving slowly, but I did enjoy the view!

One extra special treat was seeing a buffalo - up close and personal! A very BIG buffalo was grazing on the side of the road probably not more that 30 yards from me. I did not stop to take a photo however - the buffalo was much bigger than me and I didn't want to call any attention to myself.....

After about 32 miles, we started climbing, and climbing and climbing. When I stopped to catch my breath, if I looked behind me the Tetons were right there - more breathtaking views to enjoy. The stops had mixed blessings - the wildflowers were in full bloom, so I got to enjoy those, but the horseflies were out in force too, so I got to endure those also. Did you know that horseflies can fly much faster than the 5 mph I was going?!!!

When we got closer to the continental divide, the climb was not as steep and we stopped for food at the Hatchet Resort. There we found out that there was road construction up ahead and that we would not be allowed to bike through it. We biked to the front of the stopped line of vehicles and the pilot truck would take 5 bikes and riders at a time up the 1 1/2 miles to the top of the continental divide (I was not complaining - the last bit was a 6% grade up).

Once at the top, we had food, fluid, and lots of rest - we had to wait almost two hours before we could bike down the other side for 6 miles. At that point, we had to load the bikes on the vans and get shuttled through about 8 more miles of construction.

After that, we had 20 miles of cycling to get in to Dubois. Because of the 2 hour shuttle delay, I didn't get in until 5:30 pm, which left me just enough time to get showered and to dinner before our rap meeting. Did clean my bike - lots of dirt from riding around construction, and then Cindy, Colleen and I got ready for the 4th of July decorating contest. We were up very late - at least 10:30 pm - but that was OK - the room was hot because there was no air conditioning. It was supposed to cool off, but it never really did.

Monday, July 2, 2007, Idaho Falls, ID to Jackson, WY, 88.9 miles, 10 hrs, 10 min, 9 hrs on the bike, Ave. speed: 9.8 mph, Climb: 5989 ft.

What a day - I survived! We started out with headwinds and slow climbing. The headwinds died down a bit and we started the first of two big climbs. That first climb seemed to take forever, but I finally got to the top and then cruised down the hill into Victor, ID.

Stopped to regroup and get a sandwich at the local grocery store, and then almost immediately started the climb up over the pass. As the climb went on (and on, and on) and got steeper, it seemed like I would cycle at about 5 mph hour for a minute or two and then have to get off the bike and catch my breath. Finally I started walking for stretches at a time before I would get back on the bike and ride for a while. Somewhere between the last 3 or 4 miles, I just started walking and continued walking to the top. The grade was so steep (at least 10%) that I even had to stop and catch my breath occasionally while walking. I FINALLY got to the top - under my own power - and took a breather. I was wasted - no energy left at all.

After food, water and rest, I started down the other side of the pass. This was challenging too, because the grade going down was also at least 10%. I used my brakes so much I could smell rubber and the rims of my tires heated up. The grade lessened as I got lower, so then I let off the brakes and cruised as fast as I could in to Jackson.

I was so physically exhausted that I burst into tears in the shower. I was so tired and so overwhelmed that I actually did what I did! Amazing.....

Oh yeah, it was a beautiful route too, but I was working way too hard to enjoy it. Some day I will be conditioned enough to take in the scenery.......

Sunday, July, 1, 2007, Blackfoot, ID to Idaho Falls, ID, 34 miles, 2 hrs, 55 min, 2 hrs, 40 min. on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.3 mph, Climb: 376 ft.

A delightful day today - light tailwind, 34 miles and virtually no climbs - this truly was a rest day.

We started the day with breakfast at the Shilling House, an old house converted into a special events center. It was an interesting juxaposition to see a motley crew of spandex covered cyclists in a beautiful setting with linen table cloths, fresh flowers and soft jazz music. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute. The food was awesome too!

The actual ride was a meander along the Snake River and through farmland to Idaho Falls. We got in so early we could not check in to our rooms, so we did what all good cyclists do - we went in search of food! Had a long leisurely lunch at a nearby brew pub with Cindy, Bud an Daco.

Then Colleen came riding in (she was last in because she went to church in Blackfoot). Unfortunately, she took a spill on some nasty railroad tracks about a mile from the hotel. She's a little banged up, but OK.

After we could finally check in - we're at the Red Lion Hotel - right on the river by the falls - I did some bike maintenance and then repacked my suitcase. We have a 35 lb limit on our bag, and Mike was weighing bags as they came off the truck. I wasn't there, but I guess when he weighed my bag he yelled out "Jean, your bag is marginal!". Basically, I took out some of the heavier items from my suitcase and put them in my backpack. I think my bag will pass muster now.

It's time to prepare for the big day tomorrow - we ride 88 miles and go over the pass and down to Jackson, WY. It will be our biggest climb of the entire trip........

Saturday, June 30, 2007, Burley, ID to Blackfoot, ID, 110 miles, 9 hrs, 20 mins., 7 hrs, 24 min. on the bike, Ave. speed: 14.8 mph, Climb: 1969 ft.

Holy Smokes! Yet another great day! Was up at 4:45 am this morning to get on the road early - when it is cooler and also because it is a century day (100+ miles). We hit the jackpot with the weather again today - warm, sunny and a rockin' tailwind!!!! I could clip along at 17-18 mph with almost no effort pedaling for miles and miles. It also helped that there were no major hills to climb. The ride was uneventful and fast - I couldn't ask for more on a century ride!

My wonderful roommates (who are much faster riders than me and get in much earlier than me) brought my luggage to the room and even stocked the fridge with some chocolate milk - just for me! I also got in early enough to do laundry, and dinner tonight was a great catered dutch oven meal of barbequed chicken.

Friday, June 29, 2007, Twin Falls, ID to Burley, ID, 39.8 miles, 3 hours, 20 min, 3 hrs, 12 min. on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.4 mph, Climb: 1178

What a fun day today! We had such a short ride today that the staff had a scavenger hunt for us to participate in. I was on a team with my roommates Cindy and Colleen and friends Daco and Bud. (Our team name started out as Triple Threat, then Daco came on board and we were Daco's Divas, then Bud joined and we ended up with the team name The Odd Couple. I know, weird....)

We had to find all sorts of odd things - like a piece of a fan belt, the population of Burley, a flower, etc. We spent a good amount of time searching for things along the side of the road, as well as scrounging the nearby stores in Burley to find our items. After dinner, all of the teams' items were judged and points given. Guess what? Our team won! Thanks mostly to Colleen - the super scavenger sleuth. Our prize is first in line for all buffets between here and Casper, WY and a free tube and a free patch kit! Whoo hoo!

At 3:00 pm we had a tire changing clinic and I learned lots. I even got some extra help from Trip Leader Mike - he walked me through changing my back tire. I'm glad he did because my tires are a tight fit on my rims and they don't come off very easily.

I also experienced one very unusual event today. As I was riding onthe frontage road parallel to the interstate I heard a big "KABOOM!" I looked up and could see pieces of black tire from a semi flying all over the place. I slowed down because I was close enough that some pieces of tire could actually hit me! Sure enough, one small piece came flying over the fence and landed about 10 yards in front of me. When I picked it up, the rubber was still hot. First time I have ever witnessed a blowout........wow......

Thursday, June 28, 2007, Mtn. Home, ID to Twin Falls, ID, 98.4 miles, 11 hrs, 20 mins.; 8 hrs, 21 min. on the bike, Ave. speed: 11.7 mph, Climb: 1954

A very long, hot day today. It was prettier, but towards the end of the day my head was down and I was pedaling just to get done. I found that I could handle the heat, but that the sun beating on my bare skin (just my legs) was really getting to me – even though I regularly put on 50 spf sunscreen.

I would have gotten in probably 30 to 45 minutes earlier, but I had a flat tire – 9 miles from the end of the ride – aarrghh! I tried to change the flat (I sort of know how), but I could not get the tire off the rim. Fortunately our wonderful mechanic, Jim, came by in the van and fixed my tire and gave me a quick lesson on how to change a tire. I think I will have to practice some because he made it look easy (he’s only probably done it a million times….) and I know it won’t be as easy as he made it look. Tomorrow is a short ride – only 38 miles, so a tire changing clinic is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon – maybe I’ll get some practice then.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007, Boise, ID to Mountain Home, ID, 47.1 miles, 4 hours 15 min, 4 hours on the bike, Ave. speed: 11.8 mph, Climb: 1277

[Note: Here is the first of several "make up" entries to get back up to date on the blog - enjoy....]

Today was a nice simple ride to ease us back into the saddle after a day off. We just rode out to the interstate and then biked the interstate all the way to Mountain Home. We had a slight tailwind. One item of note – it is really starting to get hot. We were pretty much in by noon, which was good, because it got close to 100 degrees later in the day.

I had the distinct pleasure of being the 4th person into the first SAG stop – I think this will be a one time event. Normally I am one of the last people in, but today I got to start out from my house, so I had a head start on everyone. I also got in early enough to help with unloading the luggage truck. Again, I think that will be a one time event too, because usually it is already unloaded by the time I arrive.

I had a leisurely lunch and got to chat with our mechanic Jim – he had some interesting tales to tell of other bike trips he has been on. We also had a “drive train” care and feeding class and tonight I did my homework – I cleaned my chain and rear cassette (the gears on the back wheel).

Tomorrow we have a 97 mile ride to Twin Falls. It is going to be hot, but we will have prettier terrain to pedal through.

Interim Post 4.....

Well, I've had the resident computer wizard in our group look at my computer and he thinks I have a hardware problem, so I'll be working on getting that fixed on Friday in Casper.

We biked over the continental divide yesterday - from Jackson, WY to Dubois, WY - (though we had to have a few shuttle rides through construction) and today we had what Trip Leader Mike said was a "rolling rest day". Translated that means an 80 mile ride with a few more downhills than uphills and a headwind in 90+ degree heat......

I had a special treat today. When I got in to the hotel after today's ride, Sally Bartlett's sister came by with a hand delivered care package - she had a plate full of homemade goodies and some watermelon for me and my roommates - yum! (Sally is a co-worker of mine.) Thank you Mary Morrison - the treats will be gone by morning!

Tomorrow we bike 120 miles from Riverton, WY to Casper, WY. I will be glad when we are done with this one, it's going to be a long, long, long, long day.....

Interim Post 3 - Continued computer problems

I have not been able to get a fix for my computer problems, so postings will be sporatic from now until our rest day in Casper, WY (about 3-4 days form now). I am posting this from the hotel computer, so I don't have a lot of time to stay on (other people are waiting).

In the mean time, do check out our trip leader's website - he has a couple of photos and comments about me on it - they're pretty funny. Here's his website again: bamacyclist.com. Click on the Across America Tours link and then the North 2007 link.

I made it over the pass and down in to Jackson, WY today. I am completely wiped out! The pass was so steep in places (10% grade) that I walked my bike on and off and towards the top probably walked about 3 miles. However, I did it under my own power, so it counts!

If I can get on a hotel computer again in the next couple of days, I'll post another entry. Bike on!

Interim Post 2 - 6/30/07

Hi All - just want you to know that I'm still biking strong - just having problems with internet access. I hope to get it fixed tomorrow in Idaho Falls and get my postings up to date. Bike on!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007, Boise, ID, 0 miles, 0 hrs, 0 hrs on the bike, Ave. Speed: 0 mph, Climb: 0 ft.

Yippee - A rest day! Slept in 'til 1o am, and then started running around. A trip to the bike shop, grocery store, drug store, etc. Also cleaned my bike. Had dinner with friends and am just about done repacking. Tomorrow we head to Mountain Home. It's only a 50 mile ride and it will be easy if there is a tailwind. Otherwise, it could be miserable - especially since the temps are supposed to get close to 100 degrees F.

Thanks for all the comments that keep coming in. They are so fun to read and it is so good to know I have people pulling for me - it really, truly helps!

Monday, June 25, 2007, Ontario, OR to Boise, ID, 63 miles, 5 hrs; 4 hrs, 10 min on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.8 mph, Climb: 1438 ft.

Another glorious day! Sunny, cool and a tailwind!!!!! I took my time riding in to Boise today - there was no rush and it was "only" a 60 mile ride. (It's interesting to see how my perspective is changing in terms of what I consider a long or hard ride.....)

It felt like I just toodled along - no really big hills, no headwinds, nothing to really wear me down or out. I liked having the break.

I got in to Boise around 12:20 pm and stopped at my office to visit the folks there. It was good to check in and see them. Then it was off to the bike shop - Idaho Mountain Touring - to return Antonio's scissors. When Antonio, the mechanic, was packing up my bike to be shipped to Astoria, he inadvertently left his scissors in the bottom of the box. It was great for me, because I had the scissors to cut off all of the bubble wrap he used to protect my bike. I didn't think he really meant to leave them in the box for me, so I returned them today. He was quite pleased to have them back.....

Then it was off to the hotel to psuedo check in. My bags were dropped off at the hotel, so I checked in and put my bags in the room. I have a new roommate, Donna - but I won't be rooming with her tonight or tomorrow night, 'cause I'm at home. Wouldn't you know it though, the hotel we are at (Hotel 43) is a luxury hotel - and I'm missing it. Oh well, at least I got the special chocolate when I checked in.

Once my bags were secure, I biked home, got in the car and went back to the hotel to get my bags. I also ran some errands, attended the meeting to go over the details for our Wed. ride to Mountain Home, had dinner and am now home doing laundry and writing this entry.

It's good to be here, but kind of surreal after a week plus on the road, biking every day. So far I've biked 650 miles and am in my 3rd state (I'm including the unplanned sojourn to Washington state).

Sunday, June 24, 2007, Baker City, OR to Ontario, OR, 83.3 miles, 7 hours, 6 hours on the bike, Ave. speed: 13.6 mph, Climb:2011 ft.

What an awesome ride today! It was basically down hill all the way - and with a tailwind! It was like having Christmas come early. It also wasn't too hot, so that made it nice too. Bright blue skies and sunshine.

One interesting aspect to today's ride was that we had our first experience riding on the interstate. It is doable, but not a lot of fun. One of the major hazards (besides cars and semi's whizzing by at 65 mph) is flat tires. With the blown out tires on the shoulders of the highway come small pieces of steel belting. They are so small you can barely see them, but they work their way into your tires and cause flats. Every time we stopped after being on the freeway, we checked our tires for bits of metal sticking out. I did not find any, but we'll see if I have air in my tires in the morning.....

Once again, the hardest part of the ride was the last 20 miles. We were following the Snake River for a while and then we had several miles of flat road with a little headwind into Ontario. I lucked out again and got to ride in a pace line with two other women (both at least ten years older than me - what is wrong with this picture???!!!!) for the last 10 miles or so. We celebrated the end of the ride at Dairy Queen.

Tomorrow it is on to Boise. I will check in at the hotel, stop and see folks at my work place and then bike home. I'm most excited about being able to do laundry and repack - especially now that I know what I really need for the rest of the trip.

Saturday, June 23, 2007, John Day, OR to Baker City, OR, 81 miles, 9 1/2 hours, 7 hours& 40 minutes on the bike, Ave. speed: 10.5 mph, Climb: 4781 ft.

This turned out to be a surprisingly good day. I think I am finally figuring out how to fuel my body to keep me going without getting too fatigued.

We had 3 big hills to climb today and I started out really tired, with no gumption and low energy and wondering if I was going to make it the whole way (the prospect of 3 more big hills was really bumming me out...). And, before we even started I had my first flat tire. Fortunately, it was as we were loading for the day and the mechanic fixed it pronto.

The first hill was miserable, but I did slog up it. The photo here is not even to the top of that first hill. I did much better on the second climb and did OK on the third. One of the hardest parts of the ride was the last 20 miles. It was relatively flat, but we did have a headwind. Usually I am riding by myself (we are spread out and most people ride faster than me), but this time I got into a pace line with two other riders. Darrell (aged 69) and Jan (aged 65) and me (aged 47) [what's wrong with this picture??!!!!] rode into Baker City at a fairly good clip. Darrell led and Jan and I got to draft behind him. He is my hero for the day!

When we got to Baker City, there were bicycle criteriums in progress. It was fun to watch for a while, but I was hot, tired, sweaty and stinky, so I headed to the hotel to clean up.

Friday, June 22, 2007, Prineville, OR to John Day, OR, 117 miles, 12 hours, 9 1/2 hours on the bike, Ave. speed: 12.3 mph, Climb: 5103 ft.

This was a very long, very tiring day. I did get up at 4:15 am and was on the road by 5:45 am. We had two very seriously big climbs to conquer and I did OK on the first one and about died on the second one. I just endured - with lots of stops and occasionally walking the bike.

After I finally got to the top of the second monster "hill" and came screaming down the other side, I stopped at a little restaurant for a root beer float and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (I know, it's a little funky, but that's what sounded good at the time and it did hit the spot.) To let you know how tired I was, I put my straw - still in it's wrapper - into the root beer float and didn't even realize it. Other people did however, and it was captured on camera.......

One saving grace today was a great tailwind. I don't think I would have made it if I didn't have that tailwind to help me along.

Thursday, June 21, 2007, Kah-nee-ta, OR to Prineville, OR: 60 miles, 6 ½ hours, 5 ½ hours on the bike, Ave. speed, 10.7 mph, Climb: 2300 ft.

[Here's the report from Thursday....] Today I moseyed – mostly because I didn’t have a whole lot of get up and go. We started out with a big climb out of the canyon that I was very slow on and then we flattened out and had great views of Mt. Jefferson and several other snow capped peaks. Sorry, no photos – I’ve been putting my energy into pedaling these days. Saw several hawks today and even heard one cry out.

Today I tried a new mantra: “Hills are my friends.”, I had to do this because there will always be hills we have to climb, so I might as well embrace them! I must say it is difficult at times…..

This was a fairly short “easy” day, though I’m still quite tired. It was easy because tomorrow we bike to John Day – 117 miles with 2 honkin’ big climbs. I hope to be in by 7:00 pm. I’ll be up by 4:15 am so that I can get on the road before 6am (much cooler then). Pray for tailwinds please! That’s all for now, I need sleep!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007, Welches, OR to Kah-nee-ta, OR: 67 miles, 81/2 hours, 6 hours 47 minutes on the bike, Ave. speed, 9.8 mph, Climb: 4763 ft.

[Hi TEAM JEAN - I am catching up on my daily posts - here's Wednesday's...] Today was a very hard day for me. I was up at 4:30 am and was eating breakfast by 5:30 am. On the road by 6 am. We had some major hill climbs today and they took a lot out of me. I did stop along the way as needed and even walked for a while a few times - that helps stretch some muscles as well as gives me a breather. The up side was that there were some great down hills as rewards for all that climbing. You can see that my average miles per hour took a dive today. I was in my lowest gear and going about 5 mph up those hills.

We also had some great views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson when we finally leveled out. Even after the big climbs there were several rolling hills that were very difficult because I was getting fatigued.

We finally had a monster downhill into the canyon where the Kah-nee-ta Resort is on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. That was fun. However, to get to the resort, you have to pass the Village (where there are tepees to stay in and the big pools that are heated from the natural hot springs that are there) and then climb this very steep hill to the actual resort and casino. Well, I walked my bike up that hill at 2:30 pm in the hot sun only to find out that about 10 of us (including me) had our rooms back down at the Village! Needless to say, I was a little cranky.

I had to bike back down the hill, check in and then take a shuttle back up to get my luggage and shuttle it back down. Then shuttle back up for dinner. The 10 of us ended up being called “The Village People”.

We had our group photo taken this evening – all wearing our America by Bicycle jerseys – it was a pretty neat sight to see all that red, white and blue.