Saturday, June 30, 2007
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
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!
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
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).
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Interim Post - Yes, I'm still alive and pedaling!!!!
Hi TEAM JEAN - Yes, I am alive and I've completed every ride every day so far (we are now in Baker City, OR). This is just an interim posting - I have either been without internet access or (more likely) way too tired to post anything. We've had two of the most grueling days of the entire trip and I have been pretty exhausted.
An update on my knee.... My bike saddle was lowered a millimeter and I took ibuprophen and iced it one night and it has been great ever since.
If we get in to Ontario, OR early enough tomorrow and I have internet access, I hope to post several entries and get back up to date.
Thanks for all of the comments - at times, they do keep me going up those big climbs.
If you want to read more info about this trip, our trip leader, Mike Munk, has a website where he is keeping a daily journal with photos and he's more up to date than I am. His website is: bamacyclist.com. Once there, click on "Across America Ride Journals", and then click on "Cross Country North 2007".
An update on my knee.... My bike saddle was lowered a millimeter and I took ibuprophen and iced it one night and it has been great ever since.
If we get in to Ontario, OR early enough tomorrow and I have internet access, I hope to post several entries and get back up to date.
Thanks for all of the comments - at times, they do keep me going up those big climbs.
If you want to read more info about this trip, our trip leader, Mike Munk, has a website where he is keeping a daily journal with photos and he's more up to date than I am. His website is: bamacyclist.com. Once there, click on "Across America Ride Journals", and then click on "Cross Country North 2007".
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007, St. Helens, OR to Welches, OR: 74.5 miles, 8 hours, Ave. speed 12.1 mph, 2866 climb
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Day 2 is history! And what a great day too! We had tailwinds and fairly flat for 40 miles - much of it along a bike path through Portland. At one point we had the river on one side and the airport on the other. It was amazing to think that just 3 days ago I was flying in to that airport.
It was warm and sunny with crystal blue skies. The last half of the ride we had a spectacular view of Mt. Hood. What a great sight to have as your companion.
The biosuit is holding up fairly well, but my left knee (the good one) is starting to talk to me. I had my bike seat height adjusted and I'm doing ice and ibuprophen tonight. Hope it works.
Tomorrow we start the day with an 11 mile climb of 2500 ft at a 3-5% grade. Pray for me! One good thing, since I'm a slow rider I get to go to breakfast first. Downside - I have to get up at 4:30 am. So, g'night all.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007, Astoria, OR to St. Helens, OR: 69 miles, 7 hours, Ave speed 12.1 mph, 2650 ft. climb
I made it through Day 1!!!! We left around 7:25 am under cloudy/misty skies. Had some big hills to get up and over today. Did a pretty good job of pacing myself. I was in the last quarter of the group, but I was not the last one in! For most of the ride it was green and wet. Got in about 2:30 pm. I did stop along the way, but not for long, I was too focused on getting to the end. Hopefully as I get conditioned and into a routine, I will relax a bit more and stop and smell the native foliage.
I am tired but not totally exhausted. I wonder what tomorrow will bring....
I am tired but not totally exhausted. I wonder what tomorrow will bring....
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Sunday, June 17th, Astoria, OR: Finding the ocean...
A fun an eventful day today! At 8:00 am went down and got registered and then had my bike reassembled. As I was waiting I met a young woman from the Chicago area named Colleen who was getting her bike put together too.
Once our bikes were assembled, we decided to bike to the Pacific to dip our wheels in the ocean. We were given directions and a map and off we went - over the bridge as instructed. Well 8 miles later we still had not found the ocean and we stopped to seriously look at the map. Turns out we went to Washington state (we took 101 N instead of 101 S). So, we took a 16 mile bike trip we didn't need to take (and Sarah - I biked over that big Astoria bridge and back - not fun!!!). However, we do get to claim an extra state on our tally!
We returned to the hotel and checked in (and found out we were roommates for the trip) and then headed out again for the ocean - over the other bridge. This time we did make it to the Pacific and we took off our shoes and walked to the water with our bikes and dipped our wheels! Woo hoo!
Back at the hotel I found out I was moved out of the triple room (Cindy, our other roommate is a weaver!) and into a double with a woman named Susan. Depending on hotel accomodations, I could be back in the triple at some point. I actually have the room to myself tonight because Susan is staying with friends for tonight.We had our big orientation meeting this evening and a really good catered buffet. Now it's time to wind down and get ready for tomorrow. As I suspected, we are taking Hwy 30 to St. Helen's and it is very hilly - with really big hills. It's a 69 mile trip and I'm going to be very tired at the end.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Saturday, June 16th, Astoria, OR
Well, I'm here in Astoria, OR. It is foggy/misty/rainy, cool and breezy. It looks like we will have some interesting weather to start the bike trip off. The Holiday Inn Express where we're staying is right on the water and practically under the big bridge. I have a great view of the water and the bridge - though it is pretty misty and wet right now.
I made it here safely and uneventfully and so did my bike. I got in at 7:30 pm, so missed registering today - they stopped at 6 pm. Tomorrow I'lll get my bike put together, register and explore Astoria a bit. I may walk down to the Sunday Market also, if it's not too wet. Our orientation meeting starts at 3:30 pm and I'll probably meet my roommates at that time too.
This is going to be quite the experience.....just looking at the terrain on the drive up from Portland tells me that there are going to be some major hills right from the start. The 60-some miles we ride on Monday could do me in! Everybody - send me lots of good energy - please!!!!
I made it here safely and uneventfully and so did my bike. I got in at 7:30 pm, so missed registering today - they stopped at 6 pm. Tomorrow I'lll get my bike put together, register and explore Astoria a bit. I may walk down to the Sunday Market also, if it's not too wet. Our orientation meeting starts at 3:30 pm and I'll probably meet my roommates at that time too.
This is going to be quite the experience.....just looking at the terrain on the drive up from Portland tells me that there are going to be some major hills right from the start. The 60-some miles we ride on Monday could do me in! Everybody - send me lots of good energy - please!!!!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The Century Ride - I DID IT!
I am proud to say that I completed the century ride yesterday! I was extremely pooped at the end, but I made it. I was the very last one in and for the last two miles I received an escort from all of the support vehicles – complete with flashing lights and horns. I also got cheers as I crossed the finish line – from the 3 or 4 people still there waiting for me!
The 100 miles took me 9 hours and 15 minutes to complete (with 8 total hours on the bike). Guess what my average speed was – yup, 12.5 miles per hour.
This was the Bob LeBow Bike Tour and the course was beautiful – it meandered through southwest Idaho. Lots of farm fields and several miles along the river – we even crossed in to Oregon for a while.
Fortunately there were several rest stops along the way (about every 13-14 miles) and that helped tremendously. They even stayed open for me – I was way behind everyone else. I also had the last support vehicle stay with me the entire route.
The first twenty miles were kind of tough because I hadn’t been on the bike for awhile and we had some headwinds. The middle 40 miles were awesome – tailwinds and following the river. The last 40 miles really got tough – we got back in to the headwinds and hills and it got hot – at one point my bike computer said it was 108 degrees! The actual temperature was in the mid 80s. I stayed pretty strong for about 80 miles and the last 20 I gutted out through sheer stubbornness.
I was pretty wiped out when I got home – went to bed by 7 pm. Today, I feel pretty good. The legs aren’t even very sore. I know it will be much more challenging on the ride however – we will be doing this on a daily basis – without rest days…..yikes!
Today I bring my bike to the bike shop to get boxed for shipping later this week. I’m really starting to get excited…...
The 100 miles took me 9 hours and 15 minutes to complete (with 8 total hours on the bike). Guess what my average speed was – yup, 12.5 miles per hour.
This was the Bob LeBow Bike Tour and the course was beautiful – it meandered through southwest Idaho. Lots of farm fields and several miles along the river – we even crossed in to Oregon for a while.
Fortunately there were several rest stops along the way (about every 13-14 miles) and that helped tremendously. They even stayed open for me – I was way behind everyone else. I also had the last support vehicle stay with me the entire route.
The first twenty miles were kind of tough because I hadn’t been on the bike for awhile and we had some headwinds. The middle 40 miles were awesome – tailwinds and following the river. The last 40 miles really got tough – we got back in to the headwinds and hills and it got hot – at one point my bike computer said it was 108 degrees! The actual temperature was in the mid 80s. I stayed pretty strong for about 80 miles and the last 20 I gutted out through sheer stubbornness.
I was pretty wiped out when I got home – went to bed by 7 pm. Today, I feel pretty good. The legs aren’t even very sore. I know it will be much more challenging on the ride however – we will be doing this on a daily basis – without rest days…..yikes!
Today I bring my bike to the bike shop to get boxed for shipping later this week. I’m really starting to get excited…...
Friday, June 8, 2007
Background Info on the TEAM JEAN Travelogue
For those of you new to this site – here is some background to fill you in (family and friends who are already a part of TEAM JEAN, bear with me on this posting).
My name is Jean and I will be biking across the country starting June 17th. My sister Sarah contacted family and friends and created TEAM JEAN – a support group of sorts - to provide encouragement and support to help me fulfill one of my dreams. There are so many people wishing me well, I decided to share my adventure with everyone by writing about my trip on this blog - the TEAM JEAN Travelogue.
The Bean you see on this site is my mascot (one of my nicknames is Jean Bean) – it was created by a friend of Sarah’s (Tia – thank you again!) as part of the official TEAM JEAN t-shirt Sarah had made up for me and TEAM JEAN. I love the Bean and wear my shirt proudly!
First, why the heck am I doing this? Well, biking across the country has always been a dream of mine – ever since grade school. A while ago I came across one of my writing assignments from 6th grade – I had written about my dream to be able to take off on my bike and explore the country. So, it’s been on my life list for a long time. Since my divorce, I have been getting reacquainted with myself and decided now was the time to follow one of my dreams. I am very fortunate to have the means and the vacation time and supportive administrators to be able to take this time off to actually fulfill this dream. Also, I am not getting any younger, and I think my bio-suit (body) can still survive this craziness.
Next, what have I been doing to get ready for this adventure? Last fall I purchased a new road bike (a Lemond Versailles) and it is a sweet ride! I biked on and off last autumn and got an indoor trainer (a stand to put my bike on, so I could pedal inside) for the winter months. I used it some and also did some cross country skiing. This spring, as the weather has gotten nicer I’ve been riding outside – so far my longest ride has been 64 miles. I’ve been getting in some hill climbs and it’s windy quite often, so I’ve been getting used to riding with headwinds too. Since last August, I’ve biked over 1,800 miles and hope to bike at least another 200 miles before the trip starts.
So, what’s the scoop on the trip? This is a cross country bike tour through America by Bicycle (www.abbike.com). It is the “Across America North” tour and it is 50 days long. We start in Astoria, OR on June 17, 2007 and end in Portsmouth, NH on August 6, 2007. Our route: OR, ID, WY, SD, MN, WI, ferry across Lake Michigan, MI, Ontario, Canada, NY, VT, NH. Total mileage: 3,629 miles. We will average 80 miles per day. This is a fully supported ride – we stay in hotels, breakfast and dinner are included, they carry our gear, there are mechanics to fix flats and do bike repairs and there are regular check-in stops along the route each day where we will sign in and can get food and beverages. They will even pick us up and give us a ride in the van if we crash and burn (literally or figuratively). However, I plan to ride EFI – Every Fabulous Inch! There are 65 people signed up to for the entire trip and another 10-12 will join us for segments along the way.
Other details: I have really, really, really short hair (I mean really – it’s almost as short as my dad’s….) for easy care – I hate helmet hair! I can tell I am building muscle, but so far I don’t look any different (ie, leaner). My biggest concern is how my bio-suit will respond to this challenge. I hope to have most of the “kinks” worked out before this trip starts. Right now my knees are fine, I haven’t cramped up, but my my feet get sore after about 3 hours on the bike and my low back does tighten up by the end of a long ride when I am fatigued. I do lots of stretching!
I have been biking (but not enough), getting gear, getting used to new biking shoes and making arrangements to be gone for 52 days (mail, lawn care, bills, etc.). I’ve also outfitted my laptop with a wireless card for easier access to the internet on the trip. I got a digital camera and now just have to figure out how to use it and get photos posted….
I’ve completed a metric century (100 kilometers, 64 miles) - though I came in dead last. However, it was only because of mechanical problems – my chain jammed up with less than 10 miles to go and I had to wait for the mechanic for over ½ hour (he was already at the finish line party having a burger). Since I was last, I had my very own pace car to follow and I was cheered in at the finish line. I didn’t get a burger though – they were cleaning up by then.
As I’ve been training, I’ve discovered that I average between 12.3 and 12.6 miles per hour – no matter the length, terrain or wind conditions of the ride. That means it will take me about 8-10 hours to ride 100 miles. I have signed up to do a century ride tomorrow – wish me luck! It will be a good indicator as to how physically prepared I am. I’ll let you know how long it takes me and how good (or bad) I feel when I finish….
My name is Jean and I will be biking across the country starting June 17th. My sister Sarah contacted family and friends and created TEAM JEAN – a support group of sorts - to provide encouragement and support to help me fulfill one of my dreams. There are so many people wishing me well, I decided to share my adventure with everyone by writing about my trip on this blog - the TEAM JEAN Travelogue.
The Bean you see on this site is my mascot (one of my nicknames is Jean Bean) – it was created by a friend of Sarah’s (Tia – thank you again!) as part of the official TEAM JEAN t-shirt Sarah had made up for me and TEAM JEAN. I love the Bean and wear my shirt proudly!
First, why the heck am I doing this? Well, biking across the country has always been a dream of mine – ever since grade school. A while ago I came across one of my writing assignments from 6th grade – I had written about my dream to be able to take off on my bike and explore the country. So, it’s been on my life list for a long time. Since my divorce, I have been getting reacquainted with myself and decided now was the time to follow one of my dreams. I am very fortunate to have the means and the vacation time and supportive administrators to be able to take this time off to actually fulfill this dream. Also, I am not getting any younger, and I think my bio-suit (body) can still survive this craziness.
Next, what have I been doing to get ready for this adventure? Last fall I purchased a new road bike (a Lemond Versailles) and it is a sweet ride! I biked on and off last autumn and got an indoor trainer (a stand to put my bike on, so I could pedal inside) for the winter months. I used it some and also did some cross country skiing. This spring, as the weather has gotten nicer I’ve been riding outside – so far my longest ride has been 64 miles. I’ve been getting in some hill climbs and it’s windy quite often, so I’ve been getting used to riding with headwinds too. Since last August, I’ve biked over 1,800 miles and hope to bike at least another 200 miles before the trip starts.
So, what’s the scoop on the trip? This is a cross country bike tour through America by Bicycle (www.abbike.com). It is the “Across America North” tour and it is 50 days long. We start in Astoria, OR on June 17, 2007 and end in Portsmouth, NH on August 6, 2007. Our route: OR, ID, WY, SD, MN, WI, ferry across Lake Michigan, MI, Ontario, Canada, NY, VT, NH. Total mileage: 3,629 miles. We will average 80 miles per day. This is a fully supported ride – we stay in hotels, breakfast and dinner are included, they carry our gear, there are mechanics to fix flats and do bike repairs and there are regular check-in stops along the route each day where we will sign in and can get food and beverages. They will even pick us up and give us a ride in the van if we crash and burn (literally or figuratively). However, I plan to ride EFI – Every Fabulous Inch! There are 65 people signed up to for the entire trip and another 10-12 will join us for segments along the way.
Other details: I have really, really, really short hair (I mean really – it’s almost as short as my dad’s….) for easy care – I hate helmet hair! I can tell I am building muscle, but so far I don’t look any different (ie, leaner). My biggest concern is how my bio-suit will respond to this challenge. I hope to have most of the “kinks” worked out before this trip starts. Right now my knees are fine, I haven’t cramped up, but my my feet get sore after about 3 hours on the bike and my low back does tighten up by the end of a long ride when I am fatigued. I do lots of stretching!
I have been biking (but not enough), getting gear, getting used to new biking shoes and making arrangements to be gone for 52 days (mail, lawn care, bills, etc.). I’ve also outfitted my laptop with a wireless card for easier access to the internet on the trip. I got a digital camera and now just have to figure out how to use it and get photos posted….
I’ve completed a metric century (100 kilometers, 64 miles) - though I came in dead last. However, it was only because of mechanical problems – my chain jammed up with less than 10 miles to go and I had to wait for the mechanic for over ½ hour (he was already at the finish line party having a burger). Since I was last, I had my very own pace car to follow and I was cheered in at the finish line. I didn’t get a burger though – they were cleaning up by then.
As I’ve been training, I’ve discovered that I average between 12.3 and 12.6 miles per hour – no matter the length, terrain or wind conditions of the ride. That means it will take me about 8-10 hours to ride 100 miles. I have signed up to do a century ride tomorrow – wish me luck! It will be a good indicator as to how physically prepared I am. I’ll let you know how long it takes me and how good (or bad) I feel when I finish….
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