Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday August 31st
REST DAY! This will be the first full rest day on my trip. I am visiting a friend at Notre Dame and am a little worried about the 103 miles I have to travel tomorrow to get to Chicago. It would be nice to do a little biking today to cut down the mileage for tomorrow. I am thinking that I might bike 20 miles this late evening and spend the night at a campground, to do just that. Not much more to say about today except that Notre Dame is gorgeous and I went to a Biology class today. It brought me back to undergrad days and makes me want to go back to school.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Day 18 - Sunday August 30th
118.00 miles
8:33.15 hrs
27.7 mph Max
13.7 mph Avg
This was a long day!!! I went well above my previous mileage high and my legs feel noodled. For the first time, walking down the stairs is difficult after the ride. I am staying with a friend's family friend and they are very hospitable. Upon arriving in Edwardsburg I had beer, a large plate of ribs, tater-tots and cooked carrots awaiting me. It was the best meal I could have asked for! Thank you Wayne and Anne for everything! You really made my night!
With such a distance to travel I did not know if it was going to be possible for me to make it all the way to Edwardsburg, since I got to a late start 9:30am. It was not nearly as windy as the day previous but there were definitely some hills to conquer. These hills were rolling and nothing compared to the mountains I passed through in NH, VT and NY, but I did not want to attack them in forecast of my legs/knees giving out if I took them too hard.
Typically, I would ride for 2 hours, take a little break, ride for another 2 hours, take a little break... etc. until my destination. Of course I would have to stop randomly for bathroom breaks, etc. Since I did not get started as early as desired it meant that I would not be able to take it easy and take a lot of breaks because I would be in the saddle for a presumed 9 hours. This means any time spent off the bike for a rest could prolong my trip longer than I had time to cycle with light. So, I would have to be on the bike constantly for longer periods of time than I was used to. Lets just say that 9 hours in a saddle with a half hour break for lunch was not exaclty fun for the touche'.
This was a long day!!! I went well above my previous mileage high and my legs feel noodled. For the first time, walking down the stairs is difficult after the ride. I am staying with a friend's family friend and they are very hospitable. Upon arriving in Edwardsburg I had beer, a large plate of ribs, tater-tots and cooked carrots awaiting me. It was the best meal I could have asked for! Thank you Wayne and Anne for everything! You really made my night!
With such a distance to travel I did not know if it was going to be possible for me to make it all the way to Edwardsburg, since I got to a late start 9:30am. It was not nearly as windy as the day previous but there were definitely some hills to conquer. These hills were rolling and nothing compared to the mountains I passed through in NH, VT and NY, but I did not want to attack them in forecast of my legs/knees giving out if I took them too hard.
Typically, I would ride for 2 hours, take a little break, ride for another 2 hours, take a little break... etc. until my destination. Of course I would have to stop randomly for bathroom breaks, etc. Since I did not get started as early as desired it meant that I would not be able to take it easy and take a lot of breaks because I would be in the saddle for a presumed 9 hours. This means any time spent off the bike for a rest could prolong my trip longer than I had time to cycle with light. So, I would have to be on the bike constantly for longer periods of time than I was used to. Lets just say that 9 hours in a saddle with a half hour break for lunch was not exaclty fun for the touche'.
Day 17 - Saturday August 29th
51.36 miles
4:25.36 hrs
24.3 mph Max
11.5 mph Avg
Since I have about 3 days to get to Chicago from here I decided to take it easy this morning and not be too worried about time. I was going to head towards Ann Arbor and have lunch there while I checked out the campus. This really didn't happen for I didn't leave the hotel till about 1:30pm-ish. It was good to sleep in but it would have been better to bike an extra 20 more miles instead for then I could have camped somewhere closer to the destination I had set up for the following day.
It was fun to see Ann Arbor but I missed the majority of the campus by going down Main Street and transferring over to State Street on the south side of campus. It was very cold, VERY windy (headwind) and kind of hilly making this trip not very fun. I did have my iPod up and working which was a plus, comparative to the five day stint where it was out of battery during my trip through Ontario.
I ended up making it to Irish Hills Campground just on the West side of Clinton. The normal price for camping was $22, which is outrageous for a single tent, but he game be a 'break' and only charged me $15 for the night. That is such a high rate for having someone just pitch a tent and then go with no upkeep or anything. I think I want to open up a chain of parks across the US just for people like myself and only charge $5 per night/per person. Hopefully that would cover all the costs of the land and upkeep (probably not going to happen but it is an idea!).
Since I have about 3 days to get to Chicago from here I decided to take it easy this morning and not be too worried about time. I was going to head towards Ann Arbor and have lunch there while I checked out the campus. This really didn't happen for I didn't leave the hotel till about 1:30pm-ish. It was good to sleep in but it would have been better to bike an extra 20 more miles instead for then I could have camped somewhere closer to the destination I had set up for the following day.
It was fun to see Ann Arbor but I missed the majority of the campus by going down Main Street and transferring over to State Street on the south side of campus. It was very cold, VERY windy (headwind) and kind of hilly making this trip not very fun. I did have my iPod up and working which was a plus, comparative to the five day stint where it was out of battery during my trip through Ontario.
I ended up making it to Irish Hills Campground just on the West side of Clinton. The normal price for camping was $22, which is outrageous for a single tent, but he game be a 'break' and only charged me $15 for the night. That is such a high rate for having someone just pitch a tent and then go with no upkeep or anything. I think I want to open up a chain of parks across the US just for people like myself and only charge $5 per night/per person. Hopefully that would cover all the costs of the land and upkeep (probably not going to happen but it is an idea!).
Day 16 - Friday August 28th
77.99 miles
5:43.37 hrs
26.1 mph Max
13.6 mph Avg
Today was a VERY interesting day! It started out with me getting an average start out of Charing Cross and heading towards Windsor, ON at a brisk pace along a new route that the Sparks family recommended due to its decrease in overall distance. With a slight breeze at my back it started to rain pretty hard about 10 min into my travels. I didn't mind the rain really because of the tail wind that I had, you don't come by many of these when traveling East to West. I already had my rain gear on due to temperature outside (55 degrees) and in preparation of the clouds ahead. Unfortunately, I was soaked after about two hours of riding. With the elements against me I pushed through and arrived at the boarder a lot sooner than I expected. I was very excited to get back into the US!
Here is where things get interesting... There are two ways to cross the boarder. You can either take the bridge or you can take the tunnel. As bikes would most likely not be able to go in the tunnel I headed to the bridge. I took my time along the river taking pictures of Detroit and taking in the view of the bridge. As I rode up to the boarder patrol station to pay a toll to cross the bridge I found out that you cannot bike across the bridge either! This put me into a little predicament... I ended up calling a cab but when I found out that was going to cost me at least $50 I nixed that option. There was no way that I was going to spend $50 to go a mile in a cab!
The other options I had for traveling across the boarder were to travel back East and then North around Lake St. Clair to another boarder crossing (120 km away), Travel back East and then South to Kingsville to take a Fairy to PeLee Island and then take another fairy to Bay Point, OH, or to pack up my bike into a bag (?) and take the bus across the boarder where I was, or find another person riding in a truck and ask him if I can throw my bike in the back of his truck and then we ride across. Yes, I am talking about hitch-hiking... and I chose the last one. Of course this was probably not the smartest idea but it was a lot better than spending a couple extra days trying to get over the boarder. Anyways, the boarder patrol did not like me hitch-hiking across the boarder and the truck I was in got searched and I got a little lecture from the cop.
Needless to say, I made it over the boarder safely, but I was unable to get in contact with unemployment. I guess that will have to wait until next week.
When I got over the boarder and through Detroit I had little time to get out of the city and find a camp ground to stay at. As you can imagine, there are not many camp grounds around the suburbs of Detroit. I stopped at a grocery store to look at a map and asked around. As I was checking out, talking to the cashier, a lady overheard my conversation and approached me when I was outside packing up the food I bought on my bike. She started talking to me about how she loves to bike around and some of the options I had. She was going to get in touch with a friend who lived fairly close by and see if I could camp in their back yard but ended up offering to put me up at a Redroof Inn for the night. This was truly a treat and made my day a lot better compared to me previously thinking that I was going to be stranded in Canada for a couple nights.
I ended up spoiling myself this night and went out to eat. My days total expenses came in well above the budgeted $15/day that I am trying to stay under but I didn't really care at the time. Overall, I am well under my budget and things will work out.
Here is where things get interesting... There are two ways to cross the boarder. You can either take the bridge or you can take the tunnel. As bikes would most likely not be able to go in the tunnel I headed to the bridge. I took my time along the river taking pictures of Detroit and taking in the view of the bridge. As I rode up to the boarder patrol station to pay a toll to cross the bridge I found out that you cannot bike across the bridge either! This put me into a little predicament... I ended up calling a cab but when I found out that was going to cost me at least $50 I nixed that option. There was no way that I was going to spend $50 to go a mile in a cab!
The other options I had for traveling across the boarder were to travel back East and then North around Lake St. Clair to another boarder crossing (120 km away), Travel back East and then South to Kingsville to take a Fairy to PeLee Island and then take another fairy to Bay Point, OH, or to pack up my bike into a bag (?) and take the bus across the boarder where I was, or find another person riding in a truck and ask him if I can throw my bike in the back of his truck and then we ride across. Yes, I am talking about hitch-hiking... and I chose the last one. Of course this was probably not the smartest idea but it was a lot better than spending a couple extra days trying to get over the boarder. Anyways, the boarder patrol did not like me hitch-hiking across the boarder and the truck I was in got searched and I got a little lecture from the cop.
Needless to say, I made it over the boarder safely, but I was unable to get in contact with unemployment. I guess that will have to wait until next week.
When I got over the boarder and through Detroit I had little time to get out of the city and find a camp ground to stay at. As you can imagine, there are not many camp grounds around the suburbs of Detroit. I stopped at a grocery store to look at a map and asked around. As I was checking out, talking to the cashier, a lady overheard my conversation and approached me when I was outside packing up the food I bought on my bike. She started talking to me about how she loves to bike around and some of the options I had. She was going to get in touch with a friend who lived fairly close by and see if I could camp in their back yard but ended up offering to put me up at a Redroof Inn for the night. This was truly a treat and made my day a lot better compared to me previously thinking that I was going to be stranded in Canada for a couple nights.
I ended up spoiling myself this night and went out to eat. My days total expenses came in well above the budgeted $15/day that I am trying to stay under but I didn't really care at the time. Overall, I am well under my budget and things will work out.
Day 15 - Thursday August 27th
99.11 miles
6:48.59 hrs
35.4 mph Max
14.7 mph Avg
Three trip records were broken today! I hit the 1000 mile mark on my bike trip, I went over 90 miles in one day and I averaged 14.7 mph. Overall it feels pretty good to be this far in the trip! Surprisingly, it was not till the second half of the trip that my averaged jumped so much. The first half average was at 12.5-13 mph and at the 40 mile mark, after lunch, my legs felt pretty good and with a little tail wind I averaged about 18 mph for the next 2.5-3 hours! I was very happy to be knee-pain free for I would not have been able to do this with any knee pain. Hopefully they feel good tomorrow too!
Since today was cold and wet, I ended up wearing my full rain suit. I feel like this helped my knees out by keeping them warm and dry! I took off the jacket at one point but kept the legs on and it seemed to work wonders.
A special thanks to the Sparks family for hosting me this evening in Charing Cross, ON, Canada. The hospitality was amazing and the company even better. It was great meeting you all and hopefully our paths will cross again in the future. Thanks to the Asher family as well for the pie and sponsorship of my trip!
I am needing to get out of Canada by 4:30 tomorrow so that I can call unemployment before the weekend. I will just have to plan for this by leaving early in the morning.
Three trip records were broken today! I hit the 1000 mile mark on my bike trip, I went over 90 miles in one day and I averaged 14.7 mph. Overall it feels pretty good to be this far in the trip! Surprisingly, it was not till the second half of the trip that my averaged jumped so much. The first half average was at 12.5-13 mph and at the 40 mile mark, after lunch, my legs felt pretty good and with a little tail wind I averaged about 18 mph for the next 2.5-3 hours! I was very happy to be knee-pain free for I would not have been able to do this with any knee pain. Hopefully they feel good tomorrow too!
Since today was cold and wet, I ended up wearing my full rain suit. I feel like this helped my knees out by keeping them warm and dry! I took off the jacket at one point but kept the legs on and it seemed to work wonders.
A special thanks to the Sparks family for hosting me this evening in Charing Cross, ON, Canada. The hospitality was amazing and the company even better. It was great meeting you all and hopefully our paths will cross again in the future. Thanks to the Asher family as well for the pie and sponsorship of my trip!
I am needing to get out of Canada by 4:30 tomorrow so that I can call unemployment before the weekend. I will just have to plan for this by leaving early in the morning.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Day 14 - Wednesday August 26th
80.81 miles
6:43.10 hrs
33 mph Max
12.0 mph Avg
Today started out great with the Ring family, in the house I slept beside the previous night, offering me a shower and food in the morning for my trip. They are a married couple who have a summer house right on lake Erie.
After a nice shower, some fruit, granola and a banana I headed down the coast. Within five minutes of my departure it started to rain. I threw on my rain coat and kept peddling. Of course it was also cold and this did not help. My left knee started hurting about 10 miles into the trip and I found myself keeping as much weight off it at all times. Every time I would stop to check the map my knee felt better instantly but when I got back on the bike the pain was increased 25% over the previous pain.
After about 40 miles of biking I stopped at a convenience store and spent a little time getting warm. As the rain slowed down I threw on my rain pants and coat and continued to peddle. I don't know if it was the extra heat that the insulated pants gave or maybe some increased pressure on the knee but my knee pain went away! I went the rest of the day without pains!
The weather was a little funny for the rest of the day. Half the sky was clear blue (to my north) and the other half was dark and rainy. The sun never came out for more than a couple minutes at a time but when it did it felt so good!
As dusk approached I decided that I would peddle until I hit 80 miles and then start looking for a place to stay. I fortunately ran into an older gentleman in his yard and he offered up some grass for me to place my tent on. His wife cooked me some pork chops and I enjoyed the best tomatoes that I have ever tasted fresh from her garden! (I don't like tomatoes, but these were good!)
6:43.10 hrs
33 mph Max
12.0 mph Avg
Today started out great with the Ring family, in the house I slept beside the previous night, offering me a shower and food in the morning for my trip. They are a married couple who have a summer house right on lake Erie.
After a nice shower, some fruit, granola and a banana I headed down the coast. Within five minutes of my departure it started to rain. I threw on my rain coat and kept peddling. Of course it was also cold and this did not help. My left knee started hurting about 10 miles into the trip and I found myself keeping as much weight off it at all times. Every time I would stop to check the map my knee felt better instantly but when I got back on the bike the pain was increased 25% over the previous pain.
After about 40 miles of biking I stopped at a convenience store and spent a little time getting warm. As the rain slowed down I threw on my rain pants and coat and continued to peddle. I don't know if it was the extra heat that the insulated pants gave or maybe some increased pressure on the knee but my knee pain went away! I went the rest of the day without pains!
The weather was a little funny for the rest of the day. Half the sky was clear blue (to my north) and the other half was dark and rainy. The sun never came out for more than a couple minutes at a time but when it did it felt so good!
As dusk approached I decided that I would peddle until I hit 80 miles and then start looking for a place to stay. I fortunately ran into an older gentleman in his yard and he offered up some grass for me to place my tent on. His wife cooked me some pork chops and I enjoyed the best tomatoes that I have ever tasted fresh from her garden! (I don't like tomatoes, but these were good!)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Day 13 - Tuesday August 25th
43.39 miles
3:44.36 hrs
25 mph Max
11.5 mph Avg
This morning I spent my time getting up for I knew that it was going to be a rest day and I would only go about 40 miles or so. I went down to a cheap all you can eat buffet and loaded up on food. The food was not all that great but I got plenty of it!
When I got back to the Double Tree I put on my bathing suit and headed down to the pool. I sat in the hot tub for about 20 min and then went into the dry sauna. The sauna may not have been the best idea because it may have dehydrated me but it felt great when I was in there. Of course, when I got back up to my room it was almost time to check out and I still had to pack everything up and I still had wet clothes from the previous nights bathtub laundry extravaganza! (It was really not that fun but I like to stay positive!)
As I hit the road at about 2pm, after stopping at the travelers information center for a free map that is HUGE, my knees were in near instant pain. The next 3:44 hours of riding were miserable. It was sunny, which was nice, but it was also very windy and the pain never stopped.
At the end of the day I stopped at a long beach and talked to a few people about my trip. I inquired about camping on the beach and everyone thought that it would be ok. I eventually decided against it and decided to ride towards the next camp ground (3 miles away).
The camp ground wanted $30 for the night and I would have nothing of it. I said no thanks and rode towards the next camp ground, this time looking for some people to talk to who may offer up a spot in their yard. I approached two people in a driveway, one an elder man on a bike and the other a mid age woman. I inquired about a camp ground near by that was not $30 a night or if they knew of any land where I could pitch a tent for cheap. The older gentleman, Stan, informed me that he just cut his grass and offered for me to stay in his yard for the night.
We rode side by side down the street at a pace of about 4 mph, it reminded me of one of those postcards with a father and son doing something special together. As we chatted, I talked about my trip and when I proceeded to tell him I was doing the trip for cancer research Stan stated, " I don't think much of cancer research." This threw me off guard... what do you mean you don't think much of cancer research???!!! I could tell at this moment that this conversation was going to be awkward. I did not think that it would become more awkward until I continued to talk about the trip and he interrupted me stating, "Wait, your American?" His demeanor totally changed at that point and I couldn't believe it. I then proceeded to wonder if this was a common feeling that Canadians had for Americans.
As we pulled into his house. The back yard was full of mosquitoes but I was not going to let that stop me from have a good nights sleep. As I inquired about jumping in the lake, something clicked in Stan's head and he told me that if I wanted I could go and camp out between the two houses across the street (he owned the 30'x6' strip of land between the two houses, marked off by some stakes in the ground). This spot was perfect for it would bring me closer to the water, allow a great view of the sunset and there was a breeze that kept the mosquitoes away!
The one worry in my mind was what the neighbors would say when they saw my tent on the side of their house...
3:44.36 hrs
25 mph Max
11.5 mph Avg
This morning I spent my time getting up for I knew that it was going to be a rest day and I would only go about 40 miles or so. I went down to a cheap all you can eat buffet and loaded up on food. The food was not all that great but I got plenty of it!
When I got back to the Double Tree I put on my bathing suit and headed down to the pool. I sat in the hot tub for about 20 min and then went into the dry sauna. The sauna may not have been the best idea because it may have dehydrated me but it felt great when I was in there. Of course, when I got back up to my room it was almost time to check out and I still had to pack everything up and I still had wet clothes from the previous nights bathtub laundry extravaganza! (It was really not that fun but I like to stay positive!)
As I hit the road at about 2pm, after stopping at the travelers information center for a free map that is HUGE, my knees were in near instant pain. The next 3:44 hours of riding were miserable. It was sunny, which was nice, but it was also very windy and the pain never stopped.
At the end of the day I stopped at a long beach and talked to a few people about my trip. I inquired about camping on the beach and everyone thought that it would be ok. I eventually decided against it and decided to ride towards the next camp ground (3 miles away).
The camp ground wanted $30 for the night and I would have nothing of it. I said no thanks and rode towards the next camp ground, this time looking for some people to talk to who may offer up a spot in their yard. I approached two people in a driveway, one an elder man on a bike and the other a mid age woman. I inquired about a camp ground near by that was not $30 a night or if they knew of any land where I could pitch a tent for cheap. The older gentleman, Stan, informed me that he just cut his grass and offered for me to stay in his yard for the night.
We rode side by side down the street at a pace of about 4 mph, it reminded me of one of those postcards with a father and son doing something special together. As we chatted, I talked about my trip and when I proceeded to tell him I was doing the trip for cancer research Stan stated, " I don't think much of cancer research." This threw me off guard... what do you mean you don't think much of cancer research???!!! I could tell at this moment that this conversation was going to be awkward. I did not think that it would become more awkward until I continued to talk about the trip and he interrupted me stating, "Wait, your American?" His demeanor totally changed at that point and I couldn't believe it. I then proceeded to wonder if this was a common feeling that Canadians had for Americans.
As we pulled into his house. The back yard was full of mosquitoes but I was not going to let that stop me from have a good nights sleep. As I inquired about jumping in the lake, something clicked in Stan's head and he told me that if I wanted I could go and camp out between the two houses across the street (he owned the 30'x6' strip of land between the two houses, marked off by some stakes in the ground). This spot was perfect for it would bring me closer to the water, allow a great view of the sunset and there was a breeze that kept the mosquitoes away!
The one worry in my mind was what the neighbors would say when they saw my tent on the side of their house...
Day 12 - Monday August 24th
77.17 miles
6:14.27 hrs
21.4 mph Max
12.2 mph Avg
Niagara Falls baby! The ride into Niagara was beautiful. I met a guy on the road, Mike Bundy, who gave me $16 for my trip, it was my first sponsorship! Thanks Mike!
I stopped at a bunch of fruit stands along the road, talking to people and filling up on some great, cheap, fruit! Fruit has become a main source of nutrition for me as it has made itself very prevalent along my route. The problem is that you need to consume a lot to fill up, but it makes a great mid-ride snack.
When I got to the US side of Niagara, the town looked like it was going into the shitter! There were many signs up for "Opening Soon" and a lot of closed doors. I did not feel comfortable biking through the city and the road conditions were brutal. I am very surprised that I did not get a flat.
As I crossed the boarder into Canada things turned very upscale and beautiful. I took many pictures of the falls and the surrounding area. I don't know when I will get to post these... probably when I make it to Hudson, WI, come the second week of September. I ended up deciding to cash in my HHonors Rewards points for a free hotel room at the Double Tree on the strip. The reservation used all 30,000 points and I was a little upset about this but the room was amazing! Two queen beds.. a large shower... two cookies... a bunch of coffee and a great location with a view! I spent the night out on the town walking up and down the main streets people watching and exploring the splendor of Niagara Falls. Overall it was a very good day! I was so relieved to be out of NY State and in another country.
6:14.27 hrs
21.4 mph Max
12.2 mph Avg
Niagara Falls baby! The ride into Niagara was beautiful. I met a guy on the road, Mike Bundy, who gave me $16 for my trip, it was my first sponsorship! Thanks Mike!
I stopped at a bunch of fruit stands along the road, talking to people and filling up on some great, cheap, fruit! Fruit has become a main source of nutrition for me as it has made itself very prevalent along my route. The problem is that you need to consume a lot to fill up, but it makes a great mid-ride snack.
When I got to the US side of Niagara, the town looked like it was going into the shitter! There were many signs up for "Opening Soon" and a lot of closed doors. I did not feel comfortable biking through the city and the road conditions were brutal. I am very surprised that I did not get a flat.
As I crossed the boarder into Canada things turned very upscale and beautiful. I took many pictures of the falls and the surrounding area. I don't know when I will get to post these... probably when I make it to Hudson, WI, come the second week of September. I ended up deciding to cash in my HHonors Rewards points for a free hotel room at the Double Tree on the strip. The reservation used all 30,000 points and I was a little upset about this but the room was amazing! Two queen beds.. a large shower... two cookies... a bunch of coffee and a great location with a view! I spent the night out on the town walking up and down the main streets people watching and exploring the splendor of Niagara Falls. Overall it was a very good day! I was so relieved to be out of NY State and in another country.
Day 11 - Sunday August 23rd
85.5 miles
6:35.32 hrs
331. mph Max
12.5 mph Avg
Today was a very rough day! It rained all day, there was nothing to look at and my iPod ran out of juice so I had nothing to distract me from the dullness of the ride.
On a happy note, I did meet one gentleman who expressed that he would like to donate to the cause. This made me think of what I can do to be a little more aggressive in my campaigning for the cause. I do not have a set strategy for making my goal of 15K for the LAF. If I want to do this I am going to have to spend some extra time in a couple cities and sell some food or something. Anyone have any ideas?
6:35.32 hrs
331. mph Max
12.5 mph Avg
Today was a very rough day! It rained all day, there was nothing to look at and my iPod ran out of juice so I had nothing to distract me from the dullness of the ride.
On a happy note, I did meet one gentleman who expressed that he would like to donate to the cause. This made me think of what I can do to be a little more aggressive in my campaigning for the cause. I do not have a set strategy for making my goal of 15K for the LAF. If I want to do this I am going to have to spend some extra time in a couple cities and sell some food or something. Anyone have any ideas?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Day 9 - Friday August 21st
85.69 miles
6:05.25 hrs
39.9 mph max
14.1 Avg
As you approach the Adirondacks from VT, as I did yesterday, and you ride up and down the rolling hills you can't imagine anything more beautiful. Once you cross over the boarder of VT/NY, the what once were mystic mountains turn into what seem to be little hills (compared to the White Mountains); It is kind of a disappointing site. It wasn't till I biked along Lake George that I thought that the Adirondacks were truly beautiful. I gazed into the crystal clear lake with large hills bulging out of the water to define the outer diameter and was immediately in a state of awe.
I stopped along lake George at a visitors station and met this very nice lady whom I talked to for quite some time about the Adirondacks. She convinced me to bike a certain route that she ensured would be low in traffic and not a lot of climbing, I think she mixed the two roads up! The route she sent me on started off with a 5.5 mile climb up the side of a mountain!
The funny thing about NY is that I think they try and deceive you whenever possible. Ask me why next time you see me and I will explain all the ways that they make you think one thing and deliver something totally different.
I wandered into a town called Camden at the end of my trip today and they had a Firemans Fair going on. I talked to a couple firemen and they allowed me to camp out under the large tent on the fairgrounds because it was going to rain 1/2 to 3/4 an inch. I unfortunately had to wait until the fair was over (11pm) to finally pitch tent. Prior to the end of the fair I had 3 potential donators to the cause, had fallen asleep on a bench for a least 30 min and was given some free fried clams by the fireman. The clams were not a good idea for they did not settle well and I had stomach aches all that night and the next morning.
6:05.25 hrs
39.9 mph max
14.1 Avg
As you approach the Adirondacks from VT, as I did yesterday, and you ride up and down the rolling hills you can't imagine anything more beautiful. Once you cross over the boarder of VT/NY, the what once were mystic mountains turn into what seem to be little hills (compared to the White Mountains); It is kind of a disappointing site. It wasn't till I biked along Lake George that I thought that the Adirondacks were truly beautiful. I gazed into the crystal clear lake with large hills bulging out of the water to define the outer diameter and was immediately in a state of awe.
I stopped along lake George at a visitors station and met this very nice lady whom I talked to for quite some time about the Adirondacks. She convinced me to bike a certain route that she ensured would be low in traffic and not a lot of climbing, I think she mixed the two roads up! The route she sent me on started off with a 5.5 mile climb up the side of a mountain!
The funny thing about NY is that I think they try and deceive you whenever possible. Ask me why next time you see me and I will explain all the ways that they make you think one thing and deliver something totally different.
I wandered into a town called Camden at the end of my trip today and they had a Firemans Fair going on. I talked to a couple firemen and they allowed me to camp out under the large tent on the fairgrounds because it was going to rain 1/2 to 3/4 an inch. I unfortunately had to wait until the fair was over (11pm) to finally pitch tent. Prior to the end of the fair I had 3 potential donators to the cause, had fallen asleep on a bench for a least 30 min and was given some free fried clams by the fireman. The clams were not a good idea for they did not settle well and I had stomach aches all that night and the next morning.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Day 8 - Thursday August 20th
I am too tired right now to add anything to the blog besides numerical input... it is as follows:
74.76 miles
6:19.47 hrs
43.0 mph Max
11.8 mph Avg
Let it be stated that the ride time is the actual time I spent peddling on my bike. My computer has an automatic setting that stops recording if the bike stops. So, when it says that I rode for 3 hours or so... I was probably on the road for 5 hours as it does not include breaks and such. Today was a long, hard day. A ton of climbing and a long distance. I look forward to the next couple days since the mountain stages are done until the Rockies!!! It is dissapointing to leave them all behind, as they give great scenery, but they are a pain in the ass sometimes, that you can take literally!
As I was on my bike today I thought a lot about cancer and what it must be like to fight against it. I then related it to the bike trip in the sense that this trip is my cancer... I must conquor it! There are no excuses... I do not get a break. I will bike every day no matter what the elements throw at me. I may try and dodge them but I must fight through this. I was granted the opportunity to do this amazing trip and I am going to make the most of it! This is the moment in my life where I define who I am, what I have and where I am going... it is my opportunity, my challenge and my choice in life. I MUST make the most of it and do it to the fullest. This is the only way! NO EXCUSES!
Now that I may have said something that I will regret down the line I must go to sleep... my eyes are droopy and I need to replenish for tomorrow... a day of projected heavy rain!
74.76 miles
6:19.47 hrs
43.0 mph Max
11.8 mph Avg
Let it be stated that the ride time is the actual time I spent peddling on my bike. My computer has an automatic setting that stops recording if the bike stops. So, when it says that I rode for 3 hours or so... I was probably on the road for 5 hours as it does not include breaks and such. Today was a long, hard day. A ton of climbing and a long distance. I look forward to the next couple days since the mountain stages are done until the Rockies!!! It is dissapointing to leave them all behind, as they give great scenery, but they are a pain in the ass sometimes, that you can take literally!
As I was on my bike today I thought a lot about cancer and what it must be like to fight against it. I then related it to the bike trip in the sense that this trip is my cancer... I must conquor it! There are no excuses... I do not get a break. I will bike every day no matter what the elements throw at me. I may try and dodge them but I must fight through this. I was granted the opportunity to do this amazing trip and I am going to make the most of it! This is the moment in my life where I define who I am, what I have and where I am going... it is my opportunity, my challenge and my choice in life. I MUST make the most of it and do it to the fullest. This is the only way! NO EXCUSES!
Now that I may have said something that I will regret down the line I must go to sleep... my eyes are droopy and I need to replenish for tomorrow... a day of projected heavy rain!
Day 7 - Wednesday August 19th
58.2 miles
4.49.05 hrs
47.4 mph Max
12 mph Avg
Today I passed the 400 mile marker and have set that as my minimum for travel each week. I want to travel at least 400 miles a week. I will shoot for 500 but will be happy with 400. Hopefully this means that I can make it to the Californian coast before it gets too cold.
I am sad to have this be the last day of riding in a group, but hopefully this means that I will be able to ride farther each day. I look forward to the possibility of meeting more people like the three I met yesterday and hope that it happens again shortly!
This night will be spent in luxury for I will not have the opportunity to stay in a real bed for $25 again, for a long time. I must head out now and make it through the Adirondack Mountains before it gets too late and starts raining! It could be a long day and night! Peace and love to all, I look forward to what adventures lie ahead!
4.49.05 hrs
47.4 mph Max
12 mph Avg
Today I passed the 400 mile marker and have set that as my minimum for travel each week. I want to travel at least 400 miles a week. I will shoot for 500 but will be happy with 400. Hopefully this means that I can make it to the Californian coast before it gets too cold.
I am sad to have this be the last day of riding in a group, but hopefully this means that I will be able to ride farther each day. I look forward to the possibility of meeting more people like the three I met yesterday and hope that it happens again shortly!
This night will be spent in luxury for I will not have the opportunity to stay in a real bed for $25 again, for a long time. I must head out now and make it through the Adirondack Mountains before it gets too late and starts raining! It could be a long day and night! Peace and love to all, I look forward to what adventures lie ahead!
Day 6 - Tuesday August 18th
45 miles
3:45.53 hours
37 mph Max
11 mph Avg
Today was a light day. I ended up spending the morning at the local library in Lyme printing off little cards to hand out to people with all my information on them so that I did not need to stop and write it all down every time. Since I had to purchase a roll of packaging tape when I mailed my computer home I decided to laminate these cards as well. This took me a lot longer than expected, it is the perfectionist in me, and I didn't get riding until around 3:00 pm. I was shooting for 40 miles and ended up being motivated to do more due to meeting three cyclist along the way.
I met these three cyclists on a large hill just over the boarder in VT. They are 26,28 and 32. It is an interesting group of guys that I fit in very well with. I was mid climb when one of them flew by me on the hill/mountain. He said a couple words, something about can't stop to talk, I had no idea what he was talking about. When the second one caught up with me he was not short of breath and talked to me a little on the way up. As I got to the top, I talked to these two guys for a couple min before the third showed up. They were doing a 400 mile loop of VT and NH, a route they got off of AdventureCyclist.com, the same site I was basing my route off of. Lucky for me, they were all heading towards Ticonderoga, NY and loved company. This meant that the next two days I had people to ride with and converse with!
There were a few setbacks in riding in a group: they convinced me (I allowed them) to spend more money than I normally would have on lodging and food, it prevented me from getting an early start every morning, it made it difficult at times to stop and take pictures while enjoying the scenery, I was not able to bike as far as I wanted and go at my own pace (if that be faster or slower). Along with the setbacks there were some advantages to riding in a group; it was never boring during the ride, we could travel faster than I could solo, I did not have to worry so much about planning my route because they had detailed directions from adventurecycling.com, they provided extra motivation that made travel easier.
Overall, I am very glad that I got to meet these three riders. This experience is more than just riding across the country to raise money for great organizations but it is also to get out in the world and hear different peoples stories. In each and every story there is wisdom to be shared and a moral to be gained. It is great to experience a wide range of perspectives by people within diverse cultures/areas/lifestyles.
3:45.53 hours
37 mph Max
11 mph Avg
Today was a light day. I ended up spending the morning at the local library in Lyme printing off little cards to hand out to people with all my information on them so that I did not need to stop and write it all down every time. Since I had to purchase a roll of packaging tape when I mailed my computer home I decided to laminate these cards as well. This took me a lot longer than expected, it is the perfectionist in me, and I didn't get riding until around 3:00 pm. I was shooting for 40 miles and ended up being motivated to do more due to meeting three cyclist along the way.
I met these three cyclists on a large hill just over the boarder in VT. They are 26,28 and 32. It is an interesting group of guys that I fit in very well with. I was mid climb when one of them flew by me on the hill/mountain. He said a couple words, something about can't stop to talk, I had no idea what he was talking about. When the second one caught up with me he was not short of breath and talked to me a little on the way up. As I got to the top, I talked to these two guys for a couple min before the third showed up. They were doing a 400 mile loop of VT and NH, a route they got off of AdventureCyclist.com, the same site I was basing my route off of. Lucky for me, they were all heading towards Ticonderoga, NY and loved company. This meant that the next two days I had people to ride with and converse with!
There were a few setbacks in riding in a group: they convinced me (I allowed them) to spend more money than I normally would have on lodging and food, it prevented me from getting an early start every morning, it made it difficult at times to stop and take pictures while enjoying the scenery, I was not able to bike as far as I wanted and go at my own pace (if that be faster or slower). Along with the setbacks there were some advantages to riding in a group; it was never boring during the ride, we could travel faster than I could solo, I did not have to worry so much about planning my route because they had detailed directions from adventurecycling.com, they provided extra motivation that made travel easier.
Overall, I am very glad that I got to meet these three riders. This experience is more than just riding across the country to raise money for great organizations but it is also to get out in the world and hear different peoples stories. In each and every story there is wisdom to be shared and a moral to be gained. It is great to experience a wide range of perspectives by people within diverse cultures/areas/lifestyles.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Day 5 - Monday August 17th, 2009
64.23 miles
5:48.43 hrs
42.6 mph Max
11.0 mph Avg
Overall this was a very good day for biking! The weather was cool, the birds chirping all with the sound of the stream running down the hill to my right. I had set my alarm for 4 am in fear that the park rangers would find my tent and give me a hefty ticket. Of course, I hit snooze till around 6:00 am, in my typical fashion. After quickly eating a healthy breakfast of organic peanut butter on a spoon, dipped multiple times in granola and chocolate, I headed up the rest of the White Mountains.
My legs ached with each stroke of the peddle and I did not seem to have the energy of the previous days ride. The mountain seemed to have it in for me, as for the portion of this giant I finished at the end of the previous day did not seem nearly as difficult. I thought to myself, what is it that I did different? Is the food I consumed for breakfast weighing me down? Maybe there was a little too much dairy (I am allergic) in the chocolate? I pushed all these thoughts to the back of my mind and continued to ride, telling myself, "no excuses!"
With both my knees taped, for injury prevention, I found a cadence that I liked and pushed on up the slope with two full water bottles and a packed trailer. I had just passed the last water stop for 12 miles before I found a place to camp the previous night and used one water bottle to make a scrumptious cup of boiled freeze dried vegetables with ramen. The thought crossed my mind to turn around, go a mile back, and refill my empties but after confirming with the map, as to the next water stop, I decided against it. I should be able to go 6 miles on 48 ounces of water!
As I rode the next 5 miles in agony, I gained a routine of climbing hard for 5 min and then taking a 30 second to one minute break to take in the view (aka. I needed water). Soon enough I found my water sources getting low and I started to worry. As I looked at the map and saw that I passed the last water stop without even knowing it, I really started to panic. I went from one scenic look out to the next in hopes of finding someone with some extra water. With about 6 ounces of water left I stopped at the third scenic view and decided to stretch and wait for someone with H2O...
I sat around for about 15 min taking in the view and stretching. Since it was so early in the morning there was little traffic and no observers stopping by. Every passing car I was filled with hope, and then disappointment. There was one car that stopped by for a brief moment but did not even take the time to get out of the car and take on the full effect of the mountains. As I saw that car drive away, I noticed a man in a car, hidden in the shade on the upper side of this two tear lot. The other lot was located on the opposite side of the highway from where I was located. I watched the man get out of his car, go in his trunk and pull out a gallon jug of water to wash off a cup or fill a cup with water. He was too far away for my eyes to tell exactly what he was doing, but the important thing was that my eyes knew that he had the vital elements that my body needed... H2O!
As I finished stretching I thought how I would approach this man who seemed to be living out of his car, or at least slept there. I had remembered seeing him earlier in the morning at a different parking destination where I stopped to take a sip or water myself, he nearly hit me backing out. With little left to do besides admit to this stranger that I was an idiot and did not ration my water intake properly, I approached.
I asked the man, who was sipping on a cup of coffee, if I could by any chance trouble him to spare some of his water for a poor soul lost in this world. He happily agreed and proceeded to take two gallons of water out of his truck. As he filled my two water bottles, he started telling me his story about his life and what he was doing. He was living out of his car and had been for the past 2 years, writing a book about traveling. After a few jokes, to ease the situation, I told him my story about my travels followed by important questioning of where exactly I was on the map in my hand. He proceeded to share his woes about how the maps are all wrong and such and how we are actually 'here', as he pointed to a spot on the map. Thinking that I still had about six miles to climb I followed up with, "Where is the summit?"
With my eyes still glued to the paper in hand he took his finger off the paper and said, "there".
I said, "Where?"
He turned to me, as to make eye contact, pointed straight out in front of him and repeated, "there, about 50 feet past the trees that block the road from our view!"
"You mean to tell me that I am about 15 vertical feet from the summit? Holy cow!!!! I don't need your water!", I screamed as I threw the water in his face! (I didn't really do the action of throwing the water in his face... but I did say it! It just gives the story that much more effect, doesn't it?) Anyways, I asked the gentleman if he wouldn't mind taking my picture and he told me to meet him on the other side of the summit, for the view is that much better! I ended up talking with the guy for another 30 min about the best(easiest) way to get out of the mountians once in Lincoln, his book that he is writing, travelers in general, etc. It was good company in a beautiful place!
Now came the fun part... the decent! 8 miles of downhill, where I didn't have to do an ounce of work nor consume an ounce of water! Sadly, my max speed was realized at 35 miles per hour when my BOB would start to shake.. slow decent, boooo!
As I rode through the base town of Lincoln I found an internet cafe and post office conveniently located right next to each other. I spent the midst of the day online, updating my blog and finishing the website, before I mailed my computer off to Hudson, WI. This means that my blogging and updates to the website will most likely slow down. I know... sad isn't it? If you have questions about anything please feel free to text me at 7153381039 during the day and I will fill you in with any information you may desire (ALMOST any information pertaining to the trip, for you literalists out there!).
With my route all planned out for me, and my load depreciated I was anything but worried about the ride ahead of me. As I turned onto 118, the road of which I was informed was the best (least hilly) way out, I noticed that the road was not perfectly kept, nor was there a large shoulder as there was on 112 (the alternative route of which I remember seeing on a topographic map as having a pretty large climb!). Against better judgment, and with some misinformed advice, I proceeded up what I assumed to be the a 'little hill'. As I continued to climb... I continued to swear with every persistent slope around every corner with minimal to no flats in between. I kept thinking to my self... ok, this has to be the last one! 3 miles later I find myself climbing the last accent to the peak. When I reached the top there was a sign behind me, heading the other direction that stated, '8% grade next 3 miles' (I had just gone up that). It was a great feeling to topple that climb. I remembered thinking to myself at the bottom that if it climbed for more than .5 miles I was going to turn around and take 112. Now, I was happy that I did not.
Not more than 30 seconds after I took another picture next to the daunting sign, the guy who gave me the advice to take this route pulled up to the summit in his car. He rolled down his window and said, "Sorry, I didn't remember that hill being so steep nor so long, should have taken the other one! Can I fill your water?"
Overall, I thought it was a pretty funny situation; random guy who almost runs me over, gives me water at the top of the first peak, gives me poor advice on the road to take out of the mountains, and meets me at the top of the next peak feeling guilty of the advice he gave. He did end up giving me a map of VT and NY to use in my next two days of traveling though.
The decent of the hill down from that climb was amazing though! It seemed like it lasted a lifetime! I was also able to go over 40 without my trailer BOBing around (for those of you who don't know the brand of the trailer on my bike is BOB).
The only other thing I have to complain about for the rest of this day was the horrid road I had to to travel on 25A to get to my night time destination, Lyme. There were 1.5 inch gaps every ten feet that spanned the whole road for a good 15 miles... my butt was soooooooooo sore!!!
I sat around for about 15 min taking in the view and stretching. Since it was so early in the morning there was little traffic and no observers stopping by. Every passing car I was filled with hope, and then disappointment. There was one car that stopped by for a brief moment but did not even take the time to get out of the car and take on the full effect of the mountains. As I saw that car drive away, I noticed a man in a car, hidden in the shade on the upper side of this two tear lot. The other lot was located on the opposite side of the highway from where I was located. I watched the man get out of his car, go in his trunk and pull out a gallon jug of water to wash off a cup or fill a cup with water. He was too far away for my eyes to tell exactly what he was doing, but the important thing was that my eyes knew that he had the vital elements that my body needed... H2O!
As I finished stretching I thought how I would approach this man who seemed to be living out of his car, or at least slept there. I had remembered seeing him earlier in the morning at a different parking destination where I stopped to take a sip or water myself, he nearly hit me backing out. With little left to do besides admit to this stranger that I was an idiot and did not ration my water intake properly, I approached.
I asked the man, who was sipping on a cup of coffee, if I could by any chance trouble him to spare some of his water for a poor soul lost in this world. He happily agreed and proceeded to take two gallons of water out of his truck. As he filled my two water bottles, he started telling me his story about his life and what he was doing. He was living out of his car and had been for the past 2 years, writing a book about traveling. After a few jokes, to ease the situation, I told him my story about my travels followed by important questioning of where exactly I was on the map in my hand. He proceeded to share his woes about how the maps are all wrong and such and how we are actually 'here', as he pointed to a spot on the map. Thinking that I still had about six miles to climb I followed up with, "Where is the summit?"
With my eyes still glued to the paper in hand he took his finger off the paper and said, "there".
I said, "Where?"
He turned to me, as to make eye contact, pointed straight out in front of him and repeated, "there, about 50 feet past the trees that block the road from our view!"
"You mean to tell me that I am about 15 vertical feet from the summit? Holy cow!!!! I don't need your water!", I screamed as I threw the water in his face! (I didn't really do the action of throwing the water in his face... but I did say it! It just gives the story that much more effect, doesn't it?) Anyways, I asked the gentleman if he wouldn't mind taking my picture and he told me to meet him on the other side of the summit, for the view is that much better! I ended up talking with the guy for another 30 min about the best(easiest) way to get out of the mountians once in Lincoln, his book that he is writing, travelers in general, etc. It was good company in a beautiful place!
Now came the fun part... the decent! 8 miles of downhill, where I didn't have to do an ounce of work nor consume an ounce of water! Sadly, my max speed was realized at 35 miles per hour when my BOB would start to shake.. slow decent, boooo!
As I rode through the base town of Lincoln I found an internet cafe and post office conveniently located right next to each other. I spent the midst of the day online, updating my blog and finishing the website, before I mailed my computer off to Hudson, WI. This means that my blogging and updates to the website will most likely slow down. I know... sad isn't it? If you have questions about anything please feel free to text me at 7153381039 during the day and I will fill you in with any information you may desire (ALMOST any information pertaining to the trip, for you literalists out there!).
With my route all planned out for me, and my load depreciated I was anything but worried about the ride ahead of me. As I turned onto 118, the road of which I was informed was the best (least hilly) way out, I noticed that the road was not perfectly kept, nor was there a large shoulder as there was on 112 (the alternative route of which I remember seeing on a topographic map as having a pretty large climb!). Against better judgment, and with some misinformed advice, I proceeded up what I assumed to be the a 'little hill'. As I continued to climb... I continued to swear with every persistent slope around every corner with minimal to no flats in between. I kept thinking to my self... ok, this has to be the last one! 3 miles later I find myself climbing the last accent to the peak. When I reached the top there was a sign behind me, heading the other direction that stated, '8% grade next 3 miles' (I had just gone up that). It was a great feeling to topple that climb. I remembered thinking to myself at the bottom that if it climbed for more than .5 miles I was going to turn around and take 112. Now, I was happy that I did not.
Not more than 30 seconds after I took another picture next to the daunting sign, the guy who gave me the advice to take this route pulled up to the summit in his car. He rolled down his window and said, "Sorry, I didn't remember that hill being so steep nor so long, should have taken the other one! Can I fill your water?"
Overall, I thought it was a pretty funny situation; random guy who almost runs me over, gives me water at the top of the first peak, gives me poor advice on the road to take out of the mountains, and meets me at the top of the next peak feeling guilty of the advice he gave. He did end up giving me a map of VT and NY to use in my next two days of traveling though.
The decent of the hill down from that climb was amazing though! It seemed like it lasted a lifetime! I was also able to go over 40 without my trailer BOBing around (for those of you who don't know the brand of the trailer on my bike is BOB).
The only other thing I have to complain about for the rest of this day was the horrid road I had to to travel on 25A to get to my night time destination, Lyme. There were 1.5 inch gaps every ten feet that spanned the whole road for a good 15 miles... my butt was soooooooooo sore!!!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Day 4 - Sunday August 16th
Day 4
58.59 miles
5:32.10 hrs
36.1 mph Max
10.5 mph Avg
Today I entered the mountains of NH! After taping my injured right knee I found my legs spunky and ready for anything. I cruised up about 15 miles of slopes in about 2 hours or so and found myself in a stream, taking an 'ice' bath (thanks Mike!). Originally I was going to purchase a camp ground but after talking to a couple local campers they said that I only needed to do that if I was going to build a fire. So, I just found a nice piece of grass right off the stream and pitched my tent.
The encouragement and energy of the people on the Kancamagus mountains was amazing. With every corner there was an amazing view and people honking while sticking a 'thumbs up' out their window (at least I thought it was a thumbs up, maybe not?). There were people offering me food when I stopped and beer at the end of the day! It was quite lovely. There was one point when I stopped and met this lady who wanted some credentials of some kind. I am going to have to make up some business cards and get them sooner rather than later. I think I will ask my brother to do something about this. Overall a good day!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Well, since my other blog that I set up specifically for my fundraising event is not working... i will just have to use this one for the same purpose!
Here are my stats on my trip thus far
Day 1
58.43 miles
4:52.47 hrs
36.2 mph max
11.9 mph avg
I got to a very late start (2pm) and booked it as far as I could before sundown. I went to a camp site at about 7:30 and they wanted $40 for me to pitch a tent there. I politely told them about my cause and they guy would have none of it! He said, "Everyone is raising money, I have given out too many sites already, it has to stop somewhere." I then told him "no thanks, I will go elsewhere." I then went down the street a mile and found a clearing in the woods... pitched my tent and spent the rest of the night worrying about getting eaten by a bear!
Lesson of the day: there will be no out of saddle sprints or out of saddle climbs. With the trailer on the back and the frame being steel, there is a lot of bending that goes on when I get out of the saddle. Hopefully I won't need this!
Day 2
71.49 miles
6:53.36 hrs
40.4 mph max
10.3 mph Avg
I learned one critical piece of information today. If I go faster than 35 mph my bike starts taking over and wobbling all around. Not too fun when trying to book it down a hill! I spent a lot of time on the road and didn't get very far, comparative to yesterday. I did find a nice little place to camp on Highway 27 that only cost me $12, I got a hot shower, a pool to lounge in and they even cooked me breakfast the next morning! Not to mention the free blueberries and 2 cucumbers that I recieved as well!
Day 3
66.42 miles
5:37.49
32.4 mph Max
11.7 Avg
Gorgeous trip today! I decided to alter my route a little and head down to Portland, ME so that I could stay closer to the ocean. Unfortunately I did not get to see it again! The highway was just a little too far off of the coast to have that view. At the end of the day I went to a loading dock/beach to inquire about some camp grounds around. I ended up asking some ladies who were just loading their boat up and one offered for me to stay in her back yard for the night. I was so gracious for their hospitality! Their house was right on a lake where I immediately jumped in and played fetch with the dog. They even bought me some food! Thank you Calise Family!
Here are my stats on my trip thus far
Day 1
58.43 miles
4:52.47 hrs
36.2 mph max
11.9 mph avg
I got to a very late start (2pm) and booked it as far as I could before sundown. I went to a camp site at about 7:30 and they wanted $40 for me to pitch a tent there. I politely told them about my cause and they guy would have none of it! He said, "Everyone is raising money, I have given out too many sites already, it has to stop somewhere." I then told him "no thanks, I will go elsewhere." I then went down the street a mile and found a clearing in the woods... pitched my tent and spent the rest of the night worrying about getting eaten by a bear!
Lesson of the day: there will be no out of saddle sprints or out of saddle climbs. With the trailer on the back and the frame being steel, there is a lot of bending that goes on when I get out of the saddle. Hopefully I won't need this!
Day 2
71.49 miles
6:53.36 hrs
40.4 mph max
10.3 mph Avg
I learned one critical piece of information today. If I go faster than 35 mph my bike starts taking over and wobbling all around. Not too fun when trying to book it down a hill! I spent a lot of time on the road and didn't get very far, comparative to yesterday. I did find a nice little place to camp on Highway 27 that only cost me $12, I got a hot shower, a pool to lounge in and they even cooked me breakfast the next morning! Not to mention the free blueberries and 2 cucumbers that I recieved as well!
Day 3
66.42 miles
5:37.49
32.4 mph Max
11.7 Avg
Gorgeous trip today! I decided to alter my route a little and head down to Portland, ME so that I could stay closer to the ocean. Unfortunately I did not get to see it again! The highway was just a little too far off of the coast to have that view. At the end of the day I went to a loading dock/beach to inquire about some camp grounds around. I ended up asking some ladies who were just loading their boat up and one offered for me to stay in her back yard for the night. I was so gracious for their hospitality! Their house was right on a lake where I immediately jumped in and played fetch with the dog. They even bought me some food! Thank you Calise Family!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Recalling the Change
This is a post that I wrote quite a while back but never finished it. I am posting it now in hopes that I do not lose sight of the things that have happened to me thus far. There were many things that I wanted to share but never got around to it. Those things include
My experience exploring NYC with Bryon McDonald for the first time
My ultimate experiences in MA
My change of goals
etc.
I don't know if I will ever write about these subjects but I feel that it will be good to at least mention them now so that when I look back I can remember what was important to me during this time frame.
“It is now September 28th, the day before my 24th birthday. The inevitable day that is the middle ground to becoming un-young. It has been quite some time since my last blog. Now that I have had over 6 months off of writing, I hope that I can filter out the unimportant details, or the ones I have forgotten, and focus on the things that have really made an impact on me so far.
As I re-read my posts of the past I recognize many grammatical errors that I want to change. I would typically go back and change these but I have come to the conclusion that these imperfections of grammatical significance are not something to be erased from the past. These mistakes defined “me” in that moment. I therefore have accepted these mistakes and have decided to leave them unaltered. To catch you up to present date, this entry will be about the impact that Frequencies has had on my life.
When I left off writing, I was talking about my experiences while traveling to a familiar place; home. The only difference was that I was experiencing life through a different set of eyes. This was a time in my life where I truly felt like things made sense and it was becoming clear who I was with every passing moment. Unfortunately, not everyone was accepting the “new me”. I found that many people were impervious to change and would not accept it in the least. This was very evident in the way that a couple close friends were treating me. I can’t blame them for not treating me different as if I had not experienced what I did I doubt that I would really understand how 2 weeks away could change someone so much. I was very upset though, and these circumstances really made me think about how blind some people are in their ego state of mind. The impact that the ego has on everyone has become dramatically obvious. It seems a common trend that we let this ‘fad’ take over our lives.
I have really learned to appreciate the little things in life. One of them is the company of any other person. Since I moved to this new area (Western Mass) with no friends at all, it has been hard to get out and make friends. At first I was very lonely but this taught me that when there are people around me to be grateful for their presence in my life.
Once I found an ultimate team (funny story but way to long to type) friendships quickly formed but during the time of limbo (between groups of friends) I really connected up with some of my close friends back home and it made me realize who in my life is very important to me. (You all know who you are!)
To put everything into organizational thought is very difficult at this moment because I am not entirely sure of everything that I have perceived. I don't know how it all ties together or the meaning behind each occurrence. All I can do is put it on paper and hope that someday, when I look back on it, I can recognize a pattern that makes sense. A pattern that has defined my character and symbolizes ‘me’.
I am tired of sitting around waiting for things to happen. This is going to stop! From now on I am going make my own luck!“
My experience exploring NYC with Bryon McDonald for the first time
My ultimate experiences in MA
My change of goals
etc.
I don't know if I will ever write about these subjects but I feel that it will be good to at least mention them now so that when I look back I can remember what was important to me during this time frame.
“It is now September 28th, the day before my 24th birthday. The inevitable day that is the middle ground to becoming un-young. It has been quite some time since my last blog. Now that I have had over 6 months off of writing, I hope that I can filter out the unimportant details, or the ones I have forgotten, and focus on the things that have really made an impact on me so far.
As I re-read my posts of the past I recognize many grammatical errors that I want to change. I would typically go back and change these but I have come to the conclusion that these imperfections of grammatical significance are not something to be erased from the past. These mistakes defined “me” in that moment. I therefore have accepted these mistakes and have decided to leave them unaltered. To catch you up to present date, this entry will be about the impact that Frequencies has had on my life.
When I left off writing, I was talking about my experiences while traveling to a familiar place; home. The only difference was that I was experiencing life through a different set of eyes. This was a time in my life where I truly felt like things made sense and it was becoming clear who I was with every passing moment. Unfortunately, not everyone was accepting the “new me”. I found that many people were impervious to change and would not accept it in the least. This was very evident in the way that a couple close friends were treating me. I can’t blame them for not treating me different as if I had not experienced what I did I doubt that I would really understand how 2 weeks away could change someone so much. I was very upset though, and these circumstances really made me think about how blind some people are in their ego state of mind. The impact that the ego has on everyone has become dramatically obvious. It seems a common trend that we let this ‘fad’ take over our lives.
I have really learned to appreciate the little things in life. One of them is the company of any other person. Since I moved to this new area (Western Mass) with no friends at all, it has been hard to get out and make friends. At first I was very lonely but this taught me that when there are people around me to be grateful for their presence in my life.
Once I found an ultimate team (funny story but way to long to type) friendships quickly formed but during the time of limbo (between groups of friends) I really connected up with some of my close friends back home and it made me realize who in my life is very important to me. (You all know who you are!)
To put everything into organizational thought is very difficult at this moment because I am not entirely sure of everything that I have perceived. I don't know how it all ties together or the meaning behind each occurrence. All I can do is put it on paper and hope that someday, when I look back on it, I can recognize a pattern that makes sense. A pattern that has defined my character and symbolizes ‘me’.
I am tired of sitting around waiting for things to happen. This is going to stop! From now on I am going make my own luck!“
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