PurpleRide for Mom

PurpleRide Journal

PurpleRide Journal

June 19, 2005
Daniel and I have spent the past two days in S.F. Our journey will begin Monday morning at 6:00am from the Golden Gate Bridge heading to Davis, CA. Daniel and I are a bit anxious, especially when we look ahead toward Wednesday's 8573 foot climb up Carson's Mountain Pass. Yesterday, Daniel asked me "what have we gotten ourselves into."
We want to thank everyone for their generous support. We have raised almost $19,000 so far, and we haven't even begun to ride! Our goal is $50,000 so please keep passing the word on.
We promise daily journal updates, with photos as we journey across the U.S.
Please stay tuned, check in and send your best thoughts and prayers our way.
June 20, 2005
From
San Francisco, CA
To
Vacaville, CA
Miles biked
54
Time on the road
6am - 8pm
Challenge of the day
We blew 4 tires today. We left our friend's apartment at 6am, to depart from the Golden Gate Bridge. Before we got to the bridge, we blew a tire. Then we missed the ferry. Our day was super long and very frustrating. We didn't make it to Davis, CA; we are about 25 miles short. And decided to stop riding at 8pm. Hey, at least tomorrow has to be a better day!
Word of the day
Pop! (As in tires.)
June 21, 2005
From
Vacaville, CA
To
Folsum, CA
Miles Biked
70
Time on the road
7am - 4pm
Temperature
80
Challenge of the day
Both of our left knees are giving us problems. :(
Sights
A wolf and 3 donkeys. We rode through kiwi trees and strawberry fields.
Laugh of the day
Daniel's saddle-bag fell off of his bike and got caught in his back tire, with all his contents dropping along the roadside.
June 22, 2005
From
Folsum, CA
To
Pollock Pines, CA
Miles biked
45
Time on the road
6am–1:30pm
Temperature
90
Challenge of the day
Getting used to the uphill inclines
Sights
We have seen some of the most spectacular scenery ... rivers, streams, huge forests, foothill mountains (see pictures!)
Word of the day
Brian Heins. Brian is my second cousin (Mom's cousin's son) and he has offered to ride along behind us, with our gear, so we are 25 lbs. lighter! He has been awesome.
Looking ahead
Tomorrow (Thursday) we hope to be back on track and go about 70 miles. We were informed that Kirkwood is under snow and we would have to walk about 1 mi. in the snow with our bikes. We have decided to take an alternate route, which is on the highway - but don't be afraid! Brian will be behind us for safety and we will be able to make up time. We'll let you know ...
June 23, 2005
From
Pollock Pines, CA
To
Carson City, NV
Miles biked
68
Time on the road
6am–4pm
Temperature
70
Challenge of the day
Climbing uphill to 7300 ft. The climbing was challenging, but it was our best day yet. The last part of our ride was going downhill to the valley - super exciting. We are back on schedule and very relieved that things are going better. We may try to make up more time today and forge on ahead.
Sights
Lake Tahoe – unbelievably beautiful.
Laugh of the day
We saw a wagon train go by; the police had to stop traffic to let it go by. Quite a sight.
June 24, 2005
From
Carson City, NV
To
Fallon, NV
Miles biked
58, mostly downhill
Highlight of the day
Going 50 mph downhill and listening to Bruce Springsteen, "Born in the U.S.A." on the iPod. Doesn't get better than that.
Laugh of the day
After we were done biking, we saw this big rig in a parking lot hit a parked forkloader, which slammed into the back of a pickup truck, which slammed into a jewelry store. Well, WE thought it was funny ...
June 25, 2005
From
Fallon, NV
To
Middlegate, NV
Miles biked
47
Challenge of the day
Biking on "the loneliest road in America". There is nothing out here but a couple of bulls and us.
Laugh of the day
I asked Daniel if he sings along to his iPod and Daniel says, "No, but I can sure hear you singing to yours." I didn't think Daniel could hear me belting out Shania Twain with his music on.
Other
We are perfectly on schedule! We are doing pretty well physically except for our sore saddles. We are staying at a tiny $28 motel with no phone service, but they do have high speed internet.
June 26, 2005
From
Middlegate, NV
To
Austin, NV
Miles biked
62
Challenge of the day
Tire trouble, again. This time Daniel not only blew his tube, but also his tire and ended up walking the last 2 miles to town. (Thank God it was only 2 miles. And thank goodness the bike store had our size tires.)
Laugh of the day
We encountered a HUGE bull in the middle of the road and both of us were scared to pass it. We stood there for about 10 minutes, trying to decide what to do; it kept staring us down. When it would move, we tried to go past it, but it kept staring at us and we were a little freaked out (city boys that we are). It finally moved and we were on our way – and fast.
June 27, 2005
From
Austin, NV
To
Eureka, NV
Miles biked
65
Temperature
90
Challenge of the day
I have realized I am not 22 years old anymore!
Other challenges
"Mormon Crickets". There are literally millions of these bugs all over the road. They are annoying and kind of dangerous when we ride, as the dead ones make the road really slippery. The are totally disgusting and smell like fish!
Looking forward
Daniel is looking forward to Kansas, where it is flat!
Our routine
We are in a routine now ... We get up around 5am, eat an enormous breakfast and are on the road by 6:30. We usually stop for a rest and snack around 9 or 10, then lunch around 11 or 12. We typically roll into our destination around 2 or 3.
Challenge for you
We are hitting a little lul in our fundraising efforts. Please pass this website on to anyone you know. If you'd like a T-shirt, they are for sale for $10, just email renita@purpleride.com. We could use a boost!!! Thank you.
June 28, 2005
From
Eureka, NV
To
Ely, NV
Miles biked
77
Temperature
90 degrees
Challenge of the day
4 summits to climb today. We will upload photos within the next day or two of us on top of each summit. Boy, we are tired.
Just so everyone knows
We are doing fine. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Keep spreading the word!
June 29, 2005
From
Ely, NV
To
Baker, NV
Miles biked
80 +
Temperature
90 degrees
Challenge of the day
This was one of the hardest days so far. We are really tired and quite bummed out. We ended up biking 28 miles out of the way, as we unknowingly took a wrong turn at the beginning of the day. Once we realized we were off track, the locals told us that the only way we could get back on track was to bike 14 miles back to where we started from. Augh.
Challenges ahead
Tomorrow (Thursday) we have 82 miles to go without any stops or water or food in between. After yesterday, this looks daunting. We will try our best to forge ahead. Hopefully this 80-mile stretch will prove better than today.
June 30, 2005
From
Baker, NV
To
Milford, UT
Miles biked
83
Temperature
really, really hot
Challenge of the day
Daniel and I somehow survived an eighty-three mile day with no services (no gas stations, no NOTHING). This was by far the most grueling day of the trip. We rode from approximately 5:30am until 4:30pm through the desert heat in Nevada and Utah. As the day wore on I kept cursing that we didn't get up earlier in the morning as the heat nearly ended us.
July 1, 2005
From
Milford, UT
To
Panguitch, UT
Miles biked
83
Temperature
really, really hot
Today
Daniel and I changed our riding plans today after talking to some of the locals. We decided to skip going through Cedar City and try a more direct route to Panguitch. This route added about twenty three miles to our day (Daniel will never forgive me for this as he was not a happy biker climbing an extra twenty miles to cut a day out of our trip). It was another brutal day of biking, so tomorrow we will rest and still stay on schedule.
LAUGH (NOT) OF THE DAY
Daniel and my butts are so sore that we can only laugh so we don't cry. I think Daniel's bottom is worse of than mine as he literally can no longer walk normally (I cannot help from constantly laughing).
July 2, 2005
"REST OUR BUTTS DAY"
Today
Today is heaven! Last night Daniel and I went to the Big Fish Saloon to have a couple drinks to try and take the pain away from our raw butts. We have some stories and memories to last a lifetime. We had a fantastic night as we became friends with some of the locals. The people we have met are wonderful. Peggy and Brett own the Big Fish Saloon and a Bed and Breakfast in town. Peggy (who has many of the same care-taking similarities to my mom) invited Daniel and I over for the most delicious breakfast on Saturday morning. Peggy spoiled us with fresh coffee, orange juice, bowls of fruit, blueberry muffins, and an egg hot dish.
We both felt like we were back at home being spoiled by our moms. Peggy loved what Daniel and I are doing for my mom and for cancer research as she also lost her dad years ago to brain cancer.
July 3, 2005
From
Panguitch, UT
To
Escalante, UT
Miles biked
67
Today
We got up at 3:30am and got on the road by 5am today. We had 2 big climbs.
Best part of the day
Our friend Peggy called ahead to her friend, Winnie, in Escalante to put us up for the night. Winnie made a wonderful homemade dinner for us.
July 4, 2005
Happy 4th of July!
From
Escalante, UT
To
Torrey, UT
Miles biked
63
Today
Today was a huge challenge, as we climbed from 5400 ft elevation to 9500 ft. (We basically climbed uphill from 5am until 1:30pm.) Then we had a nice downhill to end the day. We feel great, though, and are extremely happy that we are on schedule. We are going to bed early ... No fireworks here.
Laugh of the day
I had Daniel laughing so hard when I scared some cows on the side of the road.
In Daniel's words
I'm startin to enjoy going down these hills a lot more now, especially since my bike does seem like it will hold together at speeds of 40-50 mph. The main reason I'm diggin the hills is the combination of hanging on for dear life and heavy metal pounding through my brain. By the time this trip is over, I'll probably have listened to Slayer's album Diabolus in Musica about 68 times.... That's gotta be worth some Spanish credit right???
July 5, 2005
The Roughest Day Yet
From
Torrey, UT
To
Hite, UT
Miles biked
about 100?
Temperature
over 100 degrees
Today
This morning we biked from Torrey to Hanksville in really good time. Since we arrived at 10am, we thought we would forge ahead and go to Height, which was another 40 miles. On the map it looked like there would be a rest stop and a motel. Many hours into our ride, we were almost out of water and a little panicky. We flagged some bikers down who gave us water and food. A while later we flagged some more people down and asked how many miles to Hite (we were a bit confused) and they said 2-3. We made it to Hite, barely, only to find out that the only gas station in town was closed. And no place to stay! So we found this Ranger station and knocked on his door. The park ranger, Brett, graciously took us in for the night. He provided food, water and a place to stay. We are so thankful. We realized we flirted with trouble today. It was admittedly a little scary.
Looking ahead
Tomorrow we ride to Blanding. Blanding is 80 miles away, with no stops. This is probably the most challenging part of the trip.
July 7, 2005
We're OK!
From
Hite, UT
To
Natural Bridges, UT
Miles biked
53
Temperature
over 100 degrees
Today
We were a little more careful today and have decided to camp out about 40 miles before Blanding. It was 50 miles uphill today, and we didn't want to have another disaster like last night. The awesome camp ranger, Brett, met us with cool water along the way. We were really hungry and met a family from New Jersey that made dinner for us as their campsite. Food has never tasted so good! And Daniel even ate a bunch of vegetables - he was hungry!
Looking ahead
Tomorrow we ride 40 miles to Blanding. We will leave about 3:30am and roll into Blanding around 7 or 8 for a HUGE BREAKFAST.
July 8, 2005
Big Breakfast
From
Natural Bridges, UT
To
Blanding, UT
Miles biked
40
Temperature
hot
Today
We left the campsite at about 5am and rolled into Blanding for a huge breakfast. My friend, co-worker and huge PurpleRide supporter, Mary, has flown to Denver, CO and driven to Blanding to be our caravan support for a few days.
July 9, 2005
Long, crazy day
From
Blanding, UT
To
Rico, CO
Miles biked
80
Temperature
hot
Challenge of the day
Today was a long, hard day. We were so thankful to have Mary with us, as we had some technical problems ... Half-way into the ride today, my right hand shift started malfunctioning. Let me tell you, having only 3 gears to shift to and from on the mountain climbs is super frustrating. I would have to coast on the downhill and then pedal really hard on the uphill. Augh. We pulled into Rico around 1pm, so we put the bike in Mary's rental car and rode into Telluride (next town) to the bike shop. I thought this would be a quick fix, but NO. It was a big problem, as I needed a new part for my bike. The bike shop we were at in Telluride didn't have the part, and neither did the other two bike shops. We called and found the part in Montrose, which was another 65 miles away. So we drove to Montrose, then back to Telluride, got the bike fixed (Chris, from Telluride Sports was awesome - didn't charge us a thing!) and then were on our way back to Rico. And if that weren't enough, we encountered some chaos on the side of the road ... A guy had fallen pretty badly off of his motorcycle, and the motorcycle was on top of him. Mary and I stopped the car and assisted an EMT by lifting the bike off of the severely injured guy. What a day.
July 10, 2005
Cindy Williams
From
Rico, CO
To
Telluride, CO
Miles biked
40
Temperature
hot
Today
Cindy Williams found out about our PurpleRide adventure through PanCAN and has been a HUGE help. (Cindy lost her daughter to pancreatic cancer a few years back.) She has put us up in a gorgeous hotel called "The Ice House". It is by far the nicest place we've stayed. We got in early to Telluride, so we have seen the town and gotten some great photos: waterfalls, scenery, the town. Telluride is a big celebrity place and a ski town. We like it here! Thank you, CIndy!
July 11, 2005
Best day yet!
From
Telluride, CO
To
Montrose, CO
Miles biked
62
Temperature
hot
Highlight of the day
Cindy has helped us once again! We were riding along today and a news van rode along side us, and asked us if they could take our pictures and do a story on us. Cindy had contacted the local news stations. We just watched the segments tonight. They were great segments and we are very happy for the publicity! And we are just about to go meet the Mayor of the town tonight.
July 12, 2005
Almost done with the Rockies!
From
Montrose, CO
To
Gunnison, CO
Miles biked
66
Temperature
85-90 degrees
Today
Pretty good day today ... we had two big climbs and the first one had a headwind. We usually climb at about 8 mph, but with the wind we were at 5 mph. A little frustrating, but we made it. Brian Heins stayed with us last night in the hotel and rode with us today, carrying our luggage in his car. What a great relief. Thanks, Brian!
Laugh of the day
We encountered a road construction crew as we were doing the first big climb today. There was a construction guy holding a "SLOW" sign. Daniel says to him, "I'll try to keep it under 40." The guy just laughed.
Looking ahead
Daniel's girlfriend Lindsay is meeting up with us tonight and will carry our luggage and drive with us for a few days.
July 13, 2005
From
Gunnison, CO
To
Salida, CO
Miles biked
66
Temperature
90-95 degrees
Today
Today was the last big summit climb. Today was a little hard, as I thought a lot about Mom during the ride.
The owners of the hotel last night, Mel and Jane, at the Budget Lodge in Salida, CO.
Looking ahead
Renita and Amy are coming to meet us on Saturday and ride with us for a week!
July 14, 2005
Daniel's Disaster
From
Salida, CO
To
Pueblo, CO
Miles biked
96!
Temperature
90 degrees
Today
We left at 4:45am this morning. We took a break at about 30 miles. I kept on going; we agreed we'd meet 10 miles up the road. Lindsay was driving behind David, thinking Daniel would catch up, but Daniel ripped his tire (not just his tube) not even a mile into his ride. Lindsay and David were well ahead by this time, not knowing that Daniel had ripped the tire. David decided to keep going. Lindsay got to Daniel a while later, after a guy had picked Daniel up and rode him into town a ways. Daniel did arrive safely, even though it was 3 hours later than me.
Highlight of the day
Jim Babcook lost his son, Dave (who was a big biker), to pancreatic cancer years ago and saw our website though PanCAN. Mr. and Mrs. Babcook put us up in a nice hotel and took us out to dinner tonight. We shared stories about Mom and Dave Babcook. Many thanks to Jim and his wife!
Tonight my college friend, Joey, is meeting us out for our second dinner (we've been hungry).
July 15, 2005
From
Pueblo, CO
To
Ordway, CO
Miles biked
52
Temperature
95
Today
Daniel blew a tire first thing in the morning, which was a bit of a set back. I got a flat a couple of hours later. Our "short" 52-mile day turned out to be a lot longer than we had expected. We arrived in Ordway around 2pm.
July 16, 2005
From
Odway CO
To
Eads, CO
Miles biked
63
Temperature
95–100
Today
Lindsay (Daniel's girlfriend) left us today to go back home. Renita and Amy arrived in the late afternoon. I never thought I would be so happy to see my sisters (even Renita!). I was very happy to receive all the inspirational letters from friends and family that Renita brought from home. And the snacks and goodies are a slice of heaven (we¹re a little sick of burgers).
Thanks, everyone!
July 17, 2005
Super Sister Support
From
Eads, CO
To
Leoti, KS
Miles biked
81
Temperature
100
Renita's update
We're in Kansas! And boy, is it F_L_A_T!!! Today Amy and I got a taste of what David and Daniel have been up to for the past 28 days. The biking was much more challenging than I expected, given the heat, but I survived. We did 81 miles, but left at 4am to avoid the heat of the mid-day, which was a VERY smart move. We will continue to get up really, really early and bike in the dark and see the sunrise in order to make good time. Amy has been a great support in the Mini ... I think she's having fun, too. She provides food, water, laughs and music for us along the way. We will have pictures up by next week, so stay tuned!
Highlight of the day
The owners of the motel we are staying at, Bruce and Rhonda, comped our room for the night, as they thought our cause for cancer was a great one. Thank you, Bruce and Rhonda!
Looking ahead
We are trying to cut some miles and time out of the rest of the trip by re-routing ourselves in more of a straight line toward the finish. We hope to get through Kansas a day or two ahead of schedule, as it is flat, we are having good weather and making good time.
July 18, 2005
From
Leoti, KS
To
Ness City, KS
Miles biked
81
Temperature
76 (a "cool front" moved through)
End-of-day update
We ended up the day in Ness City, and didn't encounter any more rain! (Thanks to our resident weather expert, Amy.) We had a hotel that actually had a pool and a hottub, so that was quite a treat after a long day of biking. We went out for pizza and crashed about 7 pm, which was good, because we knew we had a long day ahead the next day.
Mid-day update:
We have stopped for a while to get out of the rain. We have 30 miles left to go today, and we will probably get on the road again soon. This is the first we've encountered rain, and the cool temps actually feel good! We got up again at 3am today and were on the road by 4am to avoid the mid-day heat, which probably wasn't necessary today, but at least we got a nice head start. 50 miles by 10am isn't bad! We haven't had internet access for a while, since the towns we've stopped in (or even passed) have been tiny. We are here in Dighton, at the county library and they even have wireless internet. We are lucky to be here and out of the rain!
From now on, we should be able to update the site daily, so keep checking in on us!
Frustration
Daniel has such bad luck with blowing tires. But today, he blew it in town, while we were stopped anyway, which was good luck for a change. In Daniel's words: "I've blown enough tires in the last few weeks to last a lifetime." I concur.
July 19, 2005
From
Ness City, KS
To
Lyons, KS
Miles biked
96 (oh yes)
Temperature
90 (felt like 100!)
Today
In Amy's words: WOW! These guys are incredible! I get tired just watching them all bike – I can't imagine how exhausted they must all be each afternoon. We have been getting up at 3 am and on the road by 4 am. Usually, I pack up the car while they smear their "butt butter" on their bike shorts and put on 45 sunscreen. Since it is very dark when we leave, I follow behind the three of them with my hazards and bright lights on until the sun is up; this is usually for about two hours. The first and last mile of the day are always done to Green Day's song "American Idiot" blasting out of the Mini Cooper. We find a place for breakfast whenever we can and grease ourselves up with small-town fried eggs, hashbrowns, etc. and get back on the road. When it is light, I "leap-frog" everyone – I drive 10 miles ahead, stop on the top of a hill, read a book or go for a walk, and wait until they pass to make sure all is okay. I refill their water, give them energy food and encouragement when they want to stop. Today was an extra long day and we didn't get into Lyons until 1 pm. Renita persevered and arrived around 2 pm – what a trooper she is! I was worried about them today when it started getting hot and circled back to see them many times. In my words... DAVE is always happy and ready to go. Every time I drive up to him, he's always got a smile on his face. He's determined to finish early! DANIEL is always mentally-prepared and gets in a groove. When I pull up to him, he's usually rocking out to his iPod and at least has a little smile for me. RENITA is tough. I could not bike the miles she is every day considering that Dave and Dan have 30 days of biking on her! She trained hard at home and it's paying off. The 96 miles today was grueling, but they did a great job. Now I need to go back to the motel and unpack everything, get waters filled and the cooler packed for tomorrow. It's time to eat dinner and go to bed by 7 – we're all hungry and tired. I've got some great pictures to post when we get a chance. Stay tuned!
July 20, 2005
Hydrated and Happy!
From
Lyons, KS
To
Emporia, KS
Miles biked
108
Temperature
96 (heat index 110)
Amy's update
My siblings are amazing. We planned on going 67 miles today and they decided to go another 41 miles since the wind was pushing them a bit. I spent a lot of time driving back and forth between Daniel, Dave and Renita in the 10 hours they were biking, making sure they were hydrated and happy. We are going to eat at a steakhouse for lunch/dinner and I'll probably give all of them backrubs too. I am so proud of us! :)
July 21, 2005
Chaffing and more chaffing
From
Emporia, KS
To
Iola, KS
Miles biked
82
Temperature
92 (heat index over 100)
Renita's update
Dave and Dan are ripped! They are in great shape and doing these rides with ease ... except for one thing: their butts. Oh, are they sore! And quite chaffed. David yelps every time he sits down on his bike. Ouch.
Amy's update
This morning at 5am, while following Renita, Dave and Daniel with my hazards on, I got pulled over in the Mini and I thought, "Well, he's not pulling me over for speeding!" The cop was really nice; he saw my hazards, but not the bikers until he was real close, and thought something was wrong. I assured him I was just trying to keep them safe, and he nodded and said, "have a good day." Whew! Then, in the next little town, Dave, Daniel and Renita should've all gotten speeding tickets because they were going 37mph in a 30mph (they were on a hill). Then coming out of the town, we saw a mom and her son walking their dogs; then we got closer and saw they were walking their goats! It was kind of funny to us city-folk. We're all now relaxing in a Super 8 Motel and are about to go get dinner. :)
People in Kansas
We like Kansas! The people here are soooo nice, and are extremely courteous on the roads. We get lots of smiles and waves from strangers. And in a small town Gridley we stopped in today, we got a donation and wonderful well-wishes from a very sweet woman whose husband has leukemia. We have gotten two hotel rooms totally comped from wonderful managers who believe in our cause. And if they haven't comped us, we have gotten great discounts. The people are great, but we also love the roads here! Kansas takes great care of the highways we have ridden on - they are very smooth, and easy on the butts, which is really helpful these days. Thanks, Kansas!
July 22, 2005
Goodbye Kansas, Hello Missouri
From
Iola, KS
To
Nevada, MO
Miles biked
60
Temperature
98 (heat index over 105)
Today
Today was fairly easy, in comparison to the days this past week. It is getting REALLY hot quite early in the morning (it is 80 when we leave in the dark). We crossed into Missouri early this morning and immediately the roads were BAD. (Again, thank you Kansas for a nice ride!) We settled into an EconoLodge and Amy and I attempted to sit at the pool, but since it was 101 and humid, all we could do was jump in the pool and run back to our air conditioned room. We continue to be amazed by Dave and Dan's perseverance and stamina day after day.
Looking ahead
Tonight Amy's husband, Nick arrives with the doggies (Amy's Ipo and Renita's Nina). Nick is providing even more support for us this weekend. And I'm sure the dogs will provide encouragement via waggling tails ...
July 23, 2005
HOT in Missouri
From
Nevada, KS
To
Camdenton, MO (Lake of the Ozarks)
Miles biked
96
Temperature
101 (heat index 110)
Renita's update
This was my last day riding with the boys and I have to admit, I pooped out. Everyday it has been so hot out and it has seemed like it can't get worse, but it has. And the further east we get, the more humid it gets. Today was definitely the hottest and most humid day so far.
We were planning on going about 60 miles, but Dave and Dan insisted on forging on another 36 miles to the next town. I thought I'd quit while I was ahead and not get a heat stroke before going back to MN. Dave and Dan, of course, were "fine" and refused to slow down. They wanted to take advantage of us being there and providing water along the way, so we supported them, a little reluctantly, since it was so darn hot -- we were getting a little worried about them. But, we have to remember that they have been at this for over 30 days and are in great physical shape. David insists that he "melts" in the heat, but he did just fine.
Cold beer and pizza and Dairy Queen were a nice treat when we got to the Lake of the Ozarks.
Amy's update
Nick (my husband) and our dogs traveled with us today and we had a lot of fun taking in the beautiful scenery at the Lake of the Ozarks. I think Renita, Dave and Daniel liked seeing dogs in their support vehicles during the day - it brought many smiles to their faces. Today was a hard day because it was so hot and humid but we made it, thanks to the support vehicles! I continue to be amazed by my siblings tenaciousness and shape they're in.
Laugh of the day
I think Dave & Daniel have a way of mesmerizing cows, or else the cows are just as amazed at their biking shape as we are; whenever we go by a pasture, ALL the cows turn their heads and watch, every single time...
July 24, 2005
Proud (and Sad) Sisters Go Home
From
Camdenton, MO
To
Saint James, MO
Miles biked
82
Temperature
102 (heat index 117)
Amy's update
Renita left this morning to go back home while Nick and I supported Dave & Daniel during their biking today. Nick, Ipo (my dog) and I were sad to leave them at the end of the day because we had such a good time together. I think that this was the best trip I've ever been on with my siblings, and I am sad that I could not go longer with them. I know I've written this before, but I cannot get over how much work Dave and Daniel are doing to raise money for pancreatic cancer research; it is amazing, they are amazing. I am so proud of them!
Lesson learned(?)
We think Dave has finally learned not to clip his feet into his pedals while getting started biking on an uphill...
July 25, 2005
Surprise Help and Fuel!
From
Saint James, MO
To
Farmington, MO
Miles biked
82
Temperature
98 (heat index over 110)
Today
Daniel and I left this morning a little nervous, as we knew we didn't have the help (water anytime we wanted it) of Amy and Renita for the first time in a week. As I was riding in the dark at 5am, this car pulled up to me with the window down and a woman said, "Hi." I couldn't see her and I kept on riding, wondering who she was and what she wanted. Her dog started barking, and I looked over and realized it was my friend Mary with her dog Trixie (my buddy)! Mary had driven all night to surprise us and be our support for 3 days. Pretty awesome.
Food
Mary knew that we were getting sick of eating on the road, so she has made us homemade food! She made us Mom's Spaghetti and Meatballs (my absolute favorite) and we are chowing on it tonight. She also brought a small grill, so we will be eating brats tomorrow night. This is heaven!
Looking ahead
It is still very, very hot, and we are getting tired, but we are more determined than ever to get this ride done and get it done sooner than we anticipated. We are on track to finish about a week early right now.
July 26, 2005
From
Farmington, MO
To
Carbondale, IL
Miles biked
86
Temperature
high 90's
Today
The roads in Illinois are awesome. Even though it was in the 90's today, it felt like we got a relief from the heat. The humidity is still unbelievably high, though. Tomorrow it should be a lot cooler, thank goodness.
Food
Italian chicken on the grill. Yum.
July 27, 2005
Perfect weather
From
Carbondale, IL
To
Henderson, KY
Miles biked
88
Temperature
72 – just perfect!
Today
It was amazing how much easier it was to ride without the oppressive heat! We felt great today, and could have gone a lot further, but decided we'd better stop for now. We started one hour later, so we got an extra hour of sleep and we stopped for a big breakfast, as we didn't need to beat the heat. It rained on us the last 3 miles, but we didn't mind; it was refreshing.
Food
We're having brats on the grill tonight. Thanks, Mary!
Fast finish
We are on track for finishing up the ride more than a week early. If we continue at the pace we are currently at, we will finish by Aug. 8. Please keep cheering us on, and pass the word along. We'd like to get more donations going through the last few weeks we're on the road. THANKS!
July 28, 2005
MN Twins Nite
From
Henderson, KY
To
Elizabethtown, KY
Miles biked
119 – can you believe it?
Temperature
83
Last night
We got to watch the Twins vs. the Yankees last night! We haven't watched the Twins all summer. What a treat.
Today
We slept in a bit and left at 6am. We arrived at our destination, 119 miles later, at 4:30pm. We are going to take a dip in the pool and relax tonight.
July 29, 2005
U of Kentucky tonight
From
Elizabethtown, KY
To
Berea, KY
Miles biked
100
Temperature
85
Today
Today was an easy day, with the heat subsiding. Lindsay and her sister are here, helping us out. Tonight we are driving 45 miles north to Lexington, Kentucky to see Daniel's "college hometown". We will meet up with some friends and get some pizza.
July 30, 2005
From
Berea, KY
To
Booneville, KY
Miles biked
68
Temperature
mid-80's
Today
We are able to bike during the day now, since the heat has subsided, so we're not getting up at 3am! We are in a very small town that doesn't have a motel, but we are at a B&B. The owner has been very nice to us and she is going to make us a huge breakfast tomorrow before we depart.
Last night
We had a great time with Lindsay and her sister, going to Lexington to see Daniel's second home. We met a lot of his friends and had pizza together. We were kind of party poopers, as we had a hard time staying awake at the end!
Looking ahead
We may reach our end destination much earlier that we planned, if everything goes OK in the next few days, going up the Appalachians. We anticipate coming into Yorktown on Sunday. Can you believe it?
July 31, 2005
From
Booneville, KY
To
Hindman, KY
Miles biked
62
Temperature
mid-80's
Today
This was our first real day in the mountains. We have one pretty significant climb tomorrow.
August 1, 2005
In Virginia!
From
Hindman, KY
To
Vansant, VA
Miles biked
82
Temperature
mid-80's
Today
It is really green here. The Appalachians are so beautiful and much, much different than the Rockies.
Looking ahead
Admittedly, we are getting a little bit burned out and are ready to be done. Good news: we plan to pull into Yorktown on Saturday! Only a few more days to go.
August 2, 2005
Four days and COUNTING!
From
Vansant, VA
To
Pearisburg, VA
Miles biked
90
Temperature
upper-80's
Today
Long day today, as we got on the road at 6am and got off our bikes around 4pm.
Thank you
To all who have sent emails, a HUGE thank you. You don't know how much it has helped keep us going! We are getting a little tired, and the encouragement is phenomenal. It is so cool to see that people are checking this daily. We can't believe it. (Then again, I STILL – after 40-some days – can't believe we're doing this!) Sorry to not be able to respond to every email, but we have limited access to email.
In Daniel's words
The colony of fire-ants that have been living in my bike shorts are finally gone. (It doesn't mean I don't have a very large scar on my butt the exact size of my bike seat.)
And FYI, I am going to cherish these next four days because I won't have to hear the same questions from Dave over and over again, like, "What about you, Daniel? Have you ever stood on a big chunk of cheese?" I guess we talk about these things to keep ourselves sane. Or something like that.
Looking ahead
To get to Richmond by Friday and Yorktown by Saturday, we need to average over 80 miles per day the next few days in the mountains. We are confident that we can do it. But extra thoughts and prayers our way surely can't hurt. We know my Mom is with us, too.
August 3, 2005
Thick fog
From
Pearlsburg, VA
To
Bedford, VA
Miles biked
87
Temperature
high-90's, almost 100
Today
Super-foggy out this morning. Daniel's mom, Marilyn (my step-mom), has joined us for a few days for support. She drove behind us for a few hours this morning because of the fog. Thank goodness she was here, as it would have been a little dangerous without her.
Deep thoughts
So I was thinking today (I've done a lot of that, believe it or not!) about my sister Amy and how great she is. (It was her birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday, Amy!) Anyway, I was thinking that gosh, someday I want to find someone just like her. But then I got to thinking how black and white she is and how she drives a gas-guzzling SUV. Maybe not. Love you, Amy Jane! : )
Media
We got interviewed by a local paper today when we stopped for breakfast at Hardee's. Hooray for local media! Now, let's get some national attention!
Almost done
45 days down; 3 days left. Can you believe it?
August 4, 2005
TWO DAYS LEFT
From
Bedford, VA
To
Farmville, VA
Miles biked
70
Temperature
100 degrees
Today
I entertained Marilyn today by bugging Daniel and saying over and over, "I don't want this trip to end." Daniel kept rolling his eyes. You can't believe how cool it is to be this close to the end ... And, we are so excited to be done.
The roads are terrible here, and there is basically no shoulder, which isn't very fun.
Media
We were interviewed by a Richmond, VA newspaper today and will have a photoshoot with them tomorrow.
Looking ahead
Tomorrow we may have some PanCAN supporters biking with us into Richmond. And PanCAN is putting us up at the Doubletree Hotel tomorrow night.
August 5, 2005
Home stretch!
From
Farmville, VA
To
Richmond, VA
Miles biked
70
Temperature
over 100 degrees
Today
The ride today was good, but STEAMY hot. The roads again were terrible with traffic and no shoulder, but thankfully Marilyn rode behind us and Doug, a representative from PanDAN, rode in front of us with their cars, so we were kind of sandwiched-in and safe. Doug was going to ride his bike with us, but decided to do the car thing, for safety. He also said that he couldn't believe how fast we were going. We're crusin'! PanCAN has put us up at the Doubletree in Richmond. Thank you, Renee, from PanCAN!
We took a 3-hour nap when we go to the hotel today. We are pretty tired, but soooo pumped to be done.
Looking ahead
Tomorrow is our LAST DAY! We have gone 47 days without rain, so we're crossing our fingers about tomorrow. There is a bunch of media that will be meeting us in Yorktown. We are so looking forward to the end of this journey and dipping our feet into the Atlantic! And champagne!
August 6, 2005
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!!!
From
Richmond, VA
To
Yorktown, VA
Miles biked
54
Temperature
high 90's
Today
We are done! We made it from sea to shining sea in forty-eight days. So many people had said that it was going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to finish in sixty days (many even stated that we would never make it). We only took one rest day the entire trip, so needless to say we are very tired. For the last ten miles we were both noticing how our bodies were sensing the end was near as we were feeling some serious soreness. In Yorktown, we dipped our front tires in the Atlantic, popped a bottle of champagne, lit a couple of cigars, and relished the moment. I thought about my beautiful mother many times today.
In Daniel's words
It's finally here... The day some thought would never happen... Oh it happened alright, it happened, BIGTIME! The ride was pretty easy and pretty quick. The smell of victory was thick, especially once we were about 10 miles away, because we could see the ocean once again after 48 days. 48 days of hills, desert, nothing, mountains, cornfields, biker chasing dogs, cows, donkeys, lamas, flatlands and roadkill. But we're here... We are here, we survived, we're early and we could not be stopped.... Booya people, BOOYA! Thanks for following this circus, for donating and for making it bigger than we thought possible. This is Diggady D (so David has named me over the past month and a half), signing off... 10-4 comrades.
Looking ahead
PanCAN is putting on a hors d'ourves get-together for us tonight in Richmond. Renita has come to do some picture-taking and video clips of our last day. She is driving us to Baltimore tonight for a party that my step-sister, Jennifer and her husband are putting on for us. We fly home tomorrow. Don't forget about our party next Saturday. See you there!