City Streets make me weep

Here’s an update on my life: So, it looks like there’s a high possibility that I’m going into the Peace Corps. I went for the interview yesterday (more on that later) and got my nomination today. For those who do not know, a nomination means that my recruiter found a spot for me in a certain region of the country that needs my skills. I’ve been told that I’ll be sent to sub-Saharan Africa to (country unknown for now) and the date of my departure is around mid-July. Although my exact job isn’t know yet, it will require biology skills that I’ve developed through majoring in biology. Of course, the dates, region, and job are tentative as of right now but there is a high possibility that I will be sent to do this. So really whether I get the volunteer position or not mainly depends if I get cleared medically and how fast I do this. So what’s next?: the intense and selective medical clearance. Their picky about who they select because they want to make sure that you’re healthy enough to live in a devolving country for two years and be able to survive getting sick many times over (it’ll happen). It’s know to be extremely time consuming. Yet it comes at a great time in the semester because I’ll have a month off for Christmas break soon to work on it. And to be honest I’m not too worried about getting medically cleared. C’mon I just biked across the country. I can handle it.

This next part will either make you laugh or make you think I’m the biggest idiot in the world. Or both. I think the actual job interview itself went well. I was pretty nervous this week because I’ve never been in such an intensive interview before. My past “interviews” went something like this: “You want to work here? You look normal. Ok cool you’re hired.” The PC interview lasted 1hr and 45 minutes and was more intense than I’m used to. But I didn’t get worked up and answered the questions well. Unfortunately, the job interview was the least stressful part of my day. The act of getting there made me want to shoot myself in the foot. I never have nor will I ever live in a city. Ever. It was estimated to be a 4 hour drive but I left 6 hours ahead of time just in case something happened. And something happed. Actually a lot of somethings happened. Of course I took a wrong turn and was completely lost. But no worries b/c I had hours to find the place. After a lot of yelling, close calls, dumb one way streets, and cursing of road signs, I finally found the address. And kept going. And going. Because where does one find parking in this place? A mile later I finally found parking in some sketchy part of town and then high-tailed it in my business suit and high heels through the ghetto…… ignoring the stares. Naturally I couldn’t find the building I was supposed to be in but after asking random people I finally found it. 5 minutes until interview time. I set off the security alarms. I ran into random people. I found the office! 1 minute until interview time. 1 minute! Never have I used the phrase “in the nick of time” and meant it more than I do now. As I was signing in the interviewer came to get me. To think if I had just one more red light I would have been late. Getting back home was easy compared to getting there. I just ended up in the car pool lane. No clue how I got there. I had no idea what the “hov” lane was. A lane for blind people? All I knew is I wasn’t supposed to be there due to the many car honks I received by those stuck in rush hour. After frantically calling my dad and asking what “hov” meant I then gratefully found an exit and escaped ticket free. What a day. But at least I can laugh about it (hysterically) which is one of the main traits they look for in the Peace Corps. Ability to laugh in tough situations. Maybe I’m meant for it after all.

In other news I’m starting my official marathon training on Monday because our last cross country race is tomorrow. I guess running cross country the past few months gives me a great base for starting. I think I’ll essentially just slowly double what I’ve been doing so I have enough endurance to finish. That’s my goal, to finish. Not to get an amazing time but to cross the finish line in one piece and mentally sane. And I think wanting to be mentally sane is pushing it. Ok maybe I’ll just hope to be in one piece. The more I think about it being slightly insane is a requirement if you want to run a marathon. Sane people wouldn’t really attempt to run 26.2 miles.

Update

The whole marathon training thing isn’t going so well because apparently you actually have to run in order to train. The first two weeks of practice I injured my back (SI joint) from overuse and am now slowing trying to get back (no pun intended). One hypothesis from the Athletic trainer is that I might have gotten my back out of line from being hunched over all summer on a bike. Go figure. Ironically, I’m back to road biking but only after I convinced the Athletic trainers that I would rather dip my hand in hot, boiling lava than ride a stationary bike for recovery.
Spending 7 + hours a day biking across the country really gives one time to think. Some of that time was spent thinking about what I am going to do after graduation. After talking to others on the trip and researching it, I’m seriously considering the peace core as my next step. Why not? I’m young, adventures, and able to adjust to uncomfortable situations quite comfortably. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do so I should just go for it. I’m almost finished with my application and if all works out then I could very well be overseas at this time next year.
This past weekend I went and visited Jeff Hunt, a real good bike friend from this summer. He’s from Oregon but his grandma has some relatives down in Missouri so he got “convinced” (funny story how this convincing took place actually) to take her down to visit his all his non-relatives. The weekend was spent with much catching up, much fun, and many old people. Good times.
Other than that I haven’t had time for much else. With 6 am practices, 18hrs of classes (that rhymes), and work, I’ve hardly been able to breath.

Roxanne you don’t have to put on that red dress tonight

It’s been quite an interesting experience trying to adjust to the “real world” after 2.5 months of doing nothing but biking and of course building. No sleeping on thermorests, no reaching into a Bike and Build community food dish with just my hands, no second lunches, no nice cool weather, and most certainly no peeing on the side of the road. Just today I was driving in my car when I came on a green light that was going to turn red. Before I thought about it I yelled “stopping” and did the appropriate hand signals that a cyclist does to warn the bikers behind him/her that they are stopping. Oh boy.

One realization that I’ve had from biking across America is how strong my sense of adventure really is. Before beginning this 3,800 miles trek across the country I thought that I would do this one crazy thing, become satisfied, and therefore go back to the normal everyday life. The opposite happened. I realized how much I love doing out of the ordinary, eccentric things like this. They make life way more interesting. So what’s next? Graduate. How unconventional (ha!). But what I decided to do next is to start training for the Austin marathon that will take place in February. Besides I miss the out of breath, tiring, sweat dripping, hardcore sport that long distance running is and I’m excited to suffer like that again. So I guess I’ll blog here from time to time about that if anyone is interested. Also………

Top 12 Things I’ve learned from Doing Bike and Build:

1.) What don’t kill you will only make you stronger……. even if you think you might die (Nebraska).
2.) How happy one can be with so few material possessions. I spent most of my summer living out of a bag that I might normally take for a two day journey, sleeping on a thermorest, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day, taking cold showers at times (if there is one at all. Sometimes it might just be a hose), having 3 changes of clothes, sometimes sleeping under the stars, and not having a car! But it was the best summer of my life.
3.) Peanut butter is great on almost anything. Included but not limited to: bread (wow!), eggs, apples, sausage, strawberry pound cake, pineapple shortcake, gummy bears, bananas, pickles, carrots, peanuts, trail mix, cereal, yogurt, and peanut butter cookies.
4.) Peanut butter most certainly does not go on: deli meat, oranges, grapes, and avocadoes.
5.) The wind sucks so much (or should I say blows)
6.) Do not trust Jeff Hunt. Practical jokes are his forte and mine is apparently receiving them.
7.) Do not pass gas in the van.
8.) Most people you meet along the way are extremely nice and generous.
9.) Some are not
10.) One can become awfully close to 30 people over the course of the summer and it is strange when they are all of a sudden gone.
11.) And finally: Do not sleep between Barbra and Mark. It is loud.
12.) Roxanne never puts on a red dress. Only a red light. Oops.

Hey Seattle

The last post was just way to glomy and didn't really catch the essence of how I feel and what went on. I really can't explain to anyone just how amazing it felt to be running into the pacific coast with my full bike clothes still on. It must have been a site to innocent by standards when 31 bikers in matching attire rode up to the ocean, dropped all bikes on the beach, and ran screaming at the top of their lungs into the icy, frigged waters of Seattle. When we got into the water we then preceded to hug/dunk everyone in site several times over. Of course I forgot to take off my helmet before going into the water so this was even more of a site. At least I remembered to take out my cell phone and camera because not everyone did (sorry Marty and Sophia!) The build up of this actual event wasn't even enough to prepare me for the amazing reality of what actually happened. Many of the rider's friends and family came to cheer us on and watch the entertaining site of all of us plunging into the water. We certainly didn't let them down. I even had the "bright" idea to ride my bike into the salty water. Bad idea. This extremely impulsive decision might have cost me my bike. Afterwards I was told that my whole bike might rust due to the sand and salt water. I cleaned it up right away and now I can only hope for the best.

Aside from the bike accident and telling everyone goodbye, these past few days have been the best and most fun days I've ever had in my life. Sadly this makes leaving Bike and Build so much more difficult. We celebrated my 21st birthday a few days ago which had to have been my favorite birthday ever. Can you say Karaoke? Oh yeah! We had the final banquet on the beach as the sun was setting over the Seattle skyline. I've honestly felt like the last few days have been some amazing dream. The fact that I've gotten here with just a bike still hasn't sunk in. It's going to be so crazy trying to adjust to everyday, normal life. Beds! Hot showers! Fried Food! Yes! I went to explore Seattle today with a few other friends. Seattle is probably one of my favorite big cities I've ever been in (aside from the fact that it rains a lot). The views are amazing and everything is easy to get to. I couldn't see myself living in a big city like this though. I'm a small town girl and will most likely always be one. Well got to go and get my 4 hours of sleep so I can be well rested for a full and exhausting day of travling. Ha! Lack of sleep is the only drawback of these awesome past few days. Check back in for my next and most likely final post that is soon to come. It will sum up th whole trip

Silence

Oh boy here it goes. I'll try not to be too sappy but it was so sad leaving people after spending every waking hour with them for the past 2.5 months. I've just had to say almost 29 different goodbyes to everyone on the trip with each one getting progressively harder and harder to do. I'm typing this in a silent room at our final host site b/c most everyone has already left. In typical Hannah Wagley fashion I decided to take my time and leave A.L.A.P. (as late as possible). So as it goes I'm one of the last Bike and Builders here. And it's sad. Real sad. For the last few days I've been thinking what it is that I will miss most about this trip. I wasn't sure at the time. Would it be waking up 45 minutes too early to the sound of do-do-du-do-du-du-do because somebody forgot to turn of the stupid alarm? Heck no. Maybe it will be fighting over food like a pack of hungry wolves? Nope. What about taking cold "showers" with the water hose while trying to suppress the natural screams that one tends to do when they have negative whatever degree water running down the pants. Naw. "I'm from Texas ya'll" so that's not how I roll. And now, only when I sit in this strangely silent room writing this, do I actually realize what it is that I will truly miss the most about Bike and Build. Noise. Plain and simple. The natural, unavoidable noise that 31 people make when staying in such close corridors, the noise that at times gets way to annoying even for earplugs, and the noise that typically consists of much worry free and oddly contages laughter. Oh yeah this is way too sappy. The irony is that the peace and quite that I have craved from time to time is finally here and all I want now is some more noise. I guess I could just sing to myself but that's just not the same. I'll consider myself fortunate that I've been able to spend 2.5 months biking across the whole country with some of the most amazing, craziest, and goofiest people that I've ever met in my life

Washington!

A few days ago we entered our final state. Washington! If you asked me a few months ago how I pictured it to be I would have said that I pictured myself super tan, super excited, and super tired. Well it wasn't exactly like that. For one "super excited" is only one of the many mixed emotions that I've felt. I also felt a little down that this cross country journey is so close to ending. It will feel so strange and slightly sad when I wake up without someone sleeping 2 inches from my face. Or when I'm not woken up in the middle of the night by snoring that sounds like a train (Mark Smiley). Granted I'm not going miss smelling bad morning breath that isn't mine but I know I'll miss all the people that I've gotten to know so well over the course of 2 months and 4,000 miles. I also felt kind of happy because this means I'm a few short days from returning home. I haven't been there very much this summer and I honestly miss it a little.

And who would have ever thought that Washington would look like a desert? The part we've been through is oddly reminiscent of Nebraska. Minus the headwinds. The past few days have been so much fun which makes it even more hard to say goodbye to Bike and Build. We had an amazing build day with the main task being to paint, swam in a sparkling blue lake like you see in the movies (and lost my cell phone there), finally ate an Idaho potato, ate the best watermelon of my life, slept under the stars, saw a weird Lazar light show, flew/biked down a mountain without falling, went to a rodeo, had Gilbert the monkey safety returned to me after being hung out to die (too much to even explain), and I'm turning 21 in 4 days! Whew! Oh and I just got through biking all day in 101 degrees! I got to get acclimated to Texas somehow right? I've also been asked to give a shout out to Glenn and Barbara. So hi!

Hey we have 1.5 weeks to go

We just had our 3rd and final day off. This was long anticipated and much deserved after so much biking. The days preceding this day off were very fun but very hard. This time we actually had it in a town with a population over 10,000. The only bad thing about this is that you have so much you want to do and see in the awesome city that you could potently end up wearing yourself out. This is what happened. But it was so worth it. Missuala, Montana is one of the most interesting towns I have visited so far. I went to a concert in the park during the morning and floated the river during the evening. Now when you think of a river in Montana your first instinct might not be to get in this river. You might reason that the river could be cold since it is in Montana. Well you must remember that we are all crazy enough to bike across the country so the thought cold river never entered our mind. It should have. As soon as I hit the water I knew that this would be an interesting experience. It got so cold that after an hour of continues shivering I decided to get out and walk along the highway for the rest of the way. A few other of my warm blooded friends had the same idea. This wasn't the most comfortable experience of my life but at least I can say that I floated a river in Montana.

Other that this the days have continued in regular fashion. Wake up at 5:00, leave by 7:00, lunch at mile 40ish, 2nd lunch at mile 70ish (for long days), 3rd lunch on your own (if only you knew how much we ate), get into town, nap, snack, check out town, write post cards, dinner, other stuff, snack, and sleep. And I'm still hoping to see a bear. From a safe distance.

Ok this is going to be long but worth the read

This week has been the best week at Bike and Build so far. So we did the infamous Teton pass a few days ago. And it was epic. The Teton pass is named after the famous Rocky Teton Mountains of Wyoming. Everyone had been talking it up for days so most of us were prepared for the hardest day of the trip. It wasn't. The climb started at the beginning of a bike friendly trail and ended about 4 or 5 miles later. Granted it was steep (about 10% a grade the whole time) but doable. There were actually times when my front wheel would go up but that might just be due to my riding style. I didn't stop the whole way up. Now this isn't because I'm an amazing cyclist. Nope. But rather because I thought that if I stopped and took a break then I wouldn't have the energy of willpower to continue (Ha!) The best part came at the top when a few others who were already there had music going from the van and were cheering everyone else on. As more and more riders got to the top we formed a line and hit (friendly tap) the riders as they were nearing the top. We then proceeded to have a mini celebration consisting of a dance party and a peanut butter, banana, and raisin sandwich. Oh and the 2 mile descent was pretty cool too.

A few days ago I did a pretty amazingly stupid but cool thing (ok more stupid in retrospect but cool at the time). I got dangerously close to a wild buffalo at Teton national park. I was riding along when I spotted a huge hunk of fur walking in the field of the national park. Of course I call over Michael and Frannie to check it out with me so I would feel safer (like 2 other people can defend me against a 500 lb wild beast). After we realized that it wasn’t a bear (yes there was a short time when we thought it was and ran away as fast as possible) we got a few up close snap shots of the thing and attracted a whole entourage of RVs. That same day we also got to go over the continental divide which was over 9,000 feet. No wonder I was out of breath all day.

We entered Montana yesterday. I believe there’s no better welcome into a state than a 3 mile down hill right after the state line and that’s what we got. Me and Montana are going to get along great!

One of the reasons (one of many) why this week has been so amazing is that headwinds are almost non-existent here. I’ll take big mountains over the windy plains any day. Yeah going up a mountain is hard but at least you get some nice scenery going up it and a sweet reward at the top. A downhill! But with windy plains there is no reward or anything to look forward to. It just a vast hopelessness of fighting the wind the whole way while seeing cornfield after cornfield after cornfield after cornfield after dang cornfield. We also got to go to Yellowstone National Park yesterday. We took a swim in the Yellowstone river which was so awesome. Until we saw the leaches. On us. But that problem was quickly resolved and it turned out to be a great evening. Oh and we saw a bear up close. But in the safety of our van.

Another great thing about this week is that we actually had hosts who took us into their house overnight. I can barely remember the last time we were in a house or for that matter the last time we slept in a real bed (3 times). Or took a shower when it wasn’t cold or when someone wasn’t rushing you. It was a big highlight of the week. Especially because they had a hot tube and 3 cute little children. Thanks Mrs. Dona! All in all one of the best weeks ever and I haven’t even written half of it.

Surreal sunsets and snow caked mountain tops

Random collection of facts and thoughts

~Wyoming is the most awesome state ever.

~Surprisingly, the vast expanse of space and sparse population of the state do not make it boring (unlike Nebraska). In fact it is these characteristics that work to give it a type of rustic and enchanting feel.

~ I spent an afternoon on a real Wyoming ranch. I got to milk goats for the first time and feed the milk to baby sheep. No I did not drink this milk nor did I have an impulse to do so.

~ My total Number of flat tires: 9

~ Average number of flat tires: 4

~ Most number of flat tires by one person: 16 (sorry Emily!)

~ Total number of cemeteries passed: 125ish

~ We did another century ride yesterday in Wyoming. It went very well and was so much easier than riding 77 miles straight into the wind.

~ The day we did the century we didn't pass one town that had more than 30 people. We only passed one single gas station. Literaly 100 miles of nothing.

~ I think we are one day away from being in the Rockies.

~We just met a man on the road who is biking 17,000 miles around America. He has been on the road for 3 years now. Wow.

~ We are about to climb the Tetons of Wyoming. It is said that many cars will honk at cyclists going up this. Not because of impatience but for encouragement to complete the seemingly crazy task at hand. Hmmmm. Or maybe they honk as if to say "what the heck are you thinking".

~We are now in Grizzly Country. I don't think the dog pepper spray I carry on my bike would work on a bear. Let's not find out.

~ I just passed a town with a population of 1. Yes that's right 1. I got a picture

~ Jeff Hunt and Mark Smiley thew me into a moving river. It was cold. And wet

~ 2.5 weeks until we reach the coast of Seattle.

Oh boy I can't wait for Wyoming

What do you call 3 trees beside each other in Nebraska? A forest! We are almost out of Nebraska and all I can say is whoa. It is our day off today and it is much needed (we get 3 complete days off this summer)! This week we biked approximately 495 miles with 104, 77, 88, 84, 95, 47. Whew! It was certainly the most challenging state I have biked through yet and I'm sure most everyone else can agree with this statement. Imagine 25mph winds. Now imagine biking straight into these winds for 90 miles while staring at cornfields for hours. Towns are few and far between. I have literally ridden through many "towns" here where the population signs read 50 people or less(one had 9 people!) We are in the middle of nowhere. This will drive anyone insane. Riding in these conditions and this atmosphere is what we did for the past 6 days. Although some days the wind was much better than on other days. If we got lucky, we rode into crosswinds which are a nice break from tailwinds. Yet strong crosswinds threaten to fling you off your bike and into oncoming traffic (if there is any) and fighting to stay on your bike can sure make one tired.

One of the biggest challenges of the week had to be staying properly hydrated. We're basically out in the middle of nowhere and if you run out of water then it can potentially be a problem. The trip leaders did a great job in making sure we got the H20 and Gatorade we needed. It's strange because this crazy wind will blow all the sweat off of you and one might be tricked into thinking that they haven't produced much sweat. Oh but they have. These past few days I've gotten into a situation where I wasn't consuming enough electrolytes. This can make for some pretty tough days. Without the aid of essential electrolytes, exhaustion comes much easier and faster. A few of the riders found me just siting in the sun on the side of the road. I just had one of those moments where I couldn't peddle another stroke. They took me into some shade, gave me some electrolytes, and off I went. Also one of the riders took it upon himself to make sure I had enough Gatorade when I got in from biking (because I was acting really stange)and was constantly making me drink the whole afternoon. Times like these (and many other times this week) have really shown me that none of us could get through without the constant help and encouragement of people in our group.

While it is a safe statement to say that Nebraska isn't one of my favorite states, the challenge of it makes one a stronger cyclist. The fact that we biked directly into the strong, prevailing winds for the majority of the time will certainly make the upcoming Rockies easier to handle. The large distances between each "town" allowed us opportunities to come up with creative ways to pass the time while on the bike. Aside from counting road kill (oh boy what fun), we managed to have "dance parties" on the side of the road. On certain days we do this in 13 mile increments so we can celebrate that fact that we are 13 miles closer from being out of the state of Nebraska. We get off the bike, turn on the portable speakers, and dance. Didn't I say Nebraska will make anyone insane? To give it credit this state did have some pretty cool things. There was a fossil museum that me and some of the other riders explored. It was worth biking 8 miles out of the way because you got to see some amazing fossils that had once roamed Nebraska (not the fossils but the actual animal). Apparently Nebraska once had a climate like Africa where Rhinos and elephants roamed. Well I could write so much more about this amazingly intense and awesome week but my time is running up in the library.

"What are Hushpupies?"

So I underestimated the distance that we had actually traveled. According to other rider's odometers we are now actually about 1,850 miles into the ride. This means that yesterday was actually our halfway day! To celebrate we rode 104 miles. Ha! Ok so that was actually already on the trip schedule and had nothing to do with our halfway celebration. But it was still cool that we had our first century (100 miles) ride that day. All in all my first century went really well. Most everyone else felt the same way. I've learned that you can ride way farther than you think you can as long as you have several rest stops, fun people, an overabundence of food, an optimistic view, hills to keep you sane, and of course ice cream. Fun people is probably the most important thing on the list. We've invented several games along the way to keep the entertainment level high. This includes: A.) Seeing how long you can scream while going down a hill (I won), B.) Getting 18 wheelers to honk at you, C.) Counting the number of road kill per mile, D.) Playing "would you rather" (I can't even explain), E.) Playing the spelling game (I lose or should I say loose) We were just so exhausted by the end of the day due to our 4:30 a.m wakeup, 90 degree heat, and of course 104 miles. I was asleep by 7:23 p.m.

We are in Nebraska now. If Nebraska is half as nice as Iowa then I will be happy. So far Iowa has been my favorite state. Who would have thought Iowa would have been so amazingly beautiful and hilly? On a sad note 2 of our riders had to leave. Julie, a national competitor in tae kwon do, received a broken arm from doing tae kwon do at the YMCA and Hanah had to leave for a while to be with a friend in need. But we plan for both to be back soon. They will be greatly missed by all.

On an interesting side note, I found it very funny that most the people on this trip do not know what a hushpuppy is. That's like asking what a French fry is! I never knew that hushpuppies were such a southern food. I also never relized how different things could be up here. Today I had to discribe what a fire ant and a red wasp was. Also, the amount of fried food consumed up here is like 1/4 the amount that would be consumed where I'm from. One of the first things I'm going to eat when I get back is chicken fried steak smothered in gravy (also a dish that many have never heard of) But I love learning new things and seeing how other people do stuff.

1,350 miles and counting

So we're in Iowa now. Is there less corn? Yes! And more hills! (I love hills) But the wind is still here and I feel it is too stubborn to leave anytime soon. So the States I have successfully biked through so far are: Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, PA, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Before this trip I had only been to one of these states (New York). We still have Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana (really looking forward to that one) and of course Seattle. None of which I have ever visited. We've already biked about 1,350 miles, passed 81 cemeteries and countless roadkill, fallen about 17 times (approximate group total), and got approximately 3 flat tires per person ( I beat the average with a total of 8 flat tires). I think either next week or the week after that is our halfway point. Wow how time flys when you're having fun!

Yesterday I had one of the best rides I've had on this entire trip. It was early morning, the wind hadn't really picked up yet, the sky was blue, it was nice and cool, and the birds were chirping. It was just really pretty. I think I've finally made my peace with the flatness and found the beauty of cornfields. Afterwards, we all went to a pool party that one of the previous Bike and Builders hosted. It was a blast! A perfect ending to a perfect day. Today was a little tougher (82 miles) but was interesting. Some of us stopped at the Dairy Queen for a break. I've found we make plenty of food stops. The local news reporters just happened to be there and we got on T.V. They just asked us a few questions about the organization and filmed us riding around the parking lot. I'm glad we got some good press for afordable housing.

Against the Wind

Well it's been a while since I've posted. Sorry. Between the lack of internet access and being super tired everyday I come in, I just haven't been able to blog. We've all a sudden had a big increase in daily millage. The past few days have been something like 96, 85, 89, 79, 93, 49 miles and I am tired! Today is our first official day off! We have 0 miles planed and we're not building any houses. So to recap the past week. We've moved out of the mountains and hills and are now in the plains. The scenery went from constantly changing amazing views seen from the tops of hills to um...... cornfields. And more cornfields. I have to say that the plains aren't my favorite but every place is beautiful in it's own way. And I have a long while to discover this beauty. The hardest thing about the plains are the non-stop winds. Normally, when one bikes across the country, they go from west to east in order to have the summer westward ends at there backs. But I guess Bike and Build choses to start in on the east coast and head westward because biking across the country isn't hard enough for us. Ha! So what does this mean? Well the Midwest winds are blowing directly against us about 90% of the time with winds ranging anywhere from 17 to 45mph. I've never experienced anything like this before. The added challenge of these winds will only make Seattle more rewarding.

We had a build day about a week ago and it was very memorable. Our task was drywalling and cementing which went well but requires patience. The chief of police of Dayton, Ohio came to say a few words to all of us and we got on the news. That afternoon our hosts all gave us tickets to the professional AAA baseball game to watch the Dayton Dragons. And that morning we had police escorts to escort us out of Dayton. I'd visit this place again. We went through the states of Ohio, Indiana, and we're working getting out of Illinois. Next is Iowa and I'm really hoping to see less corn. We'll I have to go b/c I'm borrowing somebody's computer and they want it back but I'll still try to post as much as possible. Thanks for the support.

How's your butt?

This seems to be the most common question asked among the group. This fact implies 3 things: 1.) Most have butt problems of some form. Anything ranging from saddle sores too bad some have to miss a day of riding to bruises on the butt (my butt's fine actually. I'm just having a lot bike problems). But when you spend most of your summer sitting on a seat that is half a size of your butt, it is not that surprising. 2.) That we as a group actually care enough about one another to ask about the current butt situation. We realize that help and support from each other is crucial if we want to reach the West coast. Everyone is pretty much considerate of each other's problems and want to help out in any way. 3.) That we have actually gotten close enough in the 2 weeks that we have known each other to ask about the delicate situation of a person's butt. Gender is not an issue. Iwould say that more is learned about someone here in a 2 week time period than elsewhere in a 6 month time period. Even if there are some things you rather not know. And we have 8 more weeks.

Yesterday was a tough day. I woke up to the sound of rain coming down hard on the roof. It did not stop. On top of that we left when is was 51 degrees out side. It was so cold that I could see my breath. Oh and did I mention it was raining. I put on 4 layers of clothes. As Nike says "Just do it". And I did it. And it was so much more fun than I would have anticipated. Yeah we were all cold,wet, and shaking at lunch, but other than that it was an epic ride. The presence of cars had decreased due to the weather and the dogs where hiding in their houses. So we had the roads to ourselfs. After doing a ride like that I can now say that we are all now officially cyclists. Our accommodations were excellent too. We stayed at a church where the preacher was an avid cyclists. He got us all the gear we needed. And he fixed my bike! I was having so much trouble shifting gears that I was told I would have to buy a new derailer. I had already spent a lot of money on other bike problems on the trip that I didn't want to have to buy a new derailer too. In case I haven't mentioned, I've had way too many bike problems than is normal. I've already had to buy a new wheel, tire, tubes, etc. But this awesome guy just happened to have an extra derailer laying around so he totally fixed it. Now I don't have to get off my bike and manually shift it with my fingers (it's what i had been doing) Oh and now we are in Ohio. So it's been Rhode Island, Conneticute, New York, PA, and Ohio. And I need to rest up for tomorrow b/c I think we have like an 85ish ride tomorrow up mountains.

Hey

Daily Mileage so far:
35
54
51
42
83
70
off
74
57
58
40
We'll start getting up there in mileage until we average about 70 per day.

Extra mileage due to getting lost: 44
Graveyards passed: 39 (not to sure why I'm keeping up with this)
Current Elevation: 2424 (I think)
Dead deers on the side of the road: 3 or 4
Fastest Speed going down a mountain: 40ish (used the breaks the whole time)
Speed going up a mountain: ha!
Total flat tires for me: 5

So I feel like I pee way more on the side of the road than I do in an actual toilet. So far it's been going great (not the peeing just the actual trip. Although I guess that's going great too.). We're in the second week into the trip and this is by far the easiest of the 2. The first week was like a body shock and this week I think I'm certainly beginning to adjust. Except for today. Today was for sure the worst day of the trip. We woke up and it was like 55* outside. We all thought it would warm up b/c well this is the summer. Then it started raining. Then my gears wouldn't shift correctly and I was stuck with one hard gear for climbing the mountains. Then my knees started getting to me b/c of the hard gears. Then we all started shivering and shaking. In the summer! Then I got into the support van for the remainder of the ride. But if that's the hardest day yet then I think it's pretty good. Plus I still have a lot of extra miles stored up from getting lost that I'm still above the projected total mileage. I hope I can get my bike fixed before tomorrow so I can ride. (I've been having a lot of bike problems)

But I'm through talking about the bad stuff b/c there are so many cool things on this trip. Me and a few other riders went to the grand canyon of Pennsylvania. It was only 10 miles out of the way and was so worth it. It's no Arizona but it was pretty cool. We got tons of pictures and it was overall a great day. Actually everyday has been great. I'm getting used to getting up a 6:00 every morning and riding these crazy mountains. I'm getting used to sleeping on the floor with the next person half a finger width away (we are very cramped for space here) The views on the mountains are incredible and are totally worth the climb. Another bear was spotted by someone else on the trip. I wish there was more time to type but these little boys are waiting for me to get off so they can play video games :( Oh and we got to stay at the YMCA today and it has a steam room! And showers with curtains! Yay!

Hi

There's so much to say and so little time b/c people are waiting for me to get off the Internet. We've been to Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania. It's been 6 days into the trip and all I can say is Wow! The tough times and the good times have varied about as much as the terrain. And this is the mountains! The former is usually experienced about halfway up the 6 mile climb to get to the mountain. But, thankfully, the fun times are much more prevalent. It usually happens when I'm flying down a mountain at 40t miles per hour. The hard time comes when you run into a huge pot hole going this speed. As I have found, this isn't good for the body or bike (but I didn't fall!) The coolest thing was when we spotted an amazing waterfall. Everyone then preceded to strip down to bike shorts and sports bra and jump in. Cool stuff like this happens all the time on this trip. Also one of the girls on the trip (Frannie) spotted a bear crossing the road not to far in front of her. The constant companionship from a variety of people with different backgrounds and view has also been great. The last few days of trials have made us really grow closer as a group and it's only been a week! By the end of this trip we'll be like a big family.

The hardest and also the most epic day was yesterday. On the trip we hadn't ridden more than 53 miles and we had 73 miles scheduled for yesterday. Most of this was to be ridden up a mountain with a 200ft to 1,200 feet elevation gain. Well we all got lost. We ended up riding 83 miles with the majority being up a mountain. Including breaks, it took 11 hours. Without breaks it took about 9.5 hours of pure pedaling. The people that I rode with made it so much more fun. We were all a little loopy by mile 62 from pure exhausting work and after that we pretty much just laughed the whole time. I fell down going up a hill and couldn't get up after that for a while b/c we were just laughingso hard. Cars were driving by wondering what the heck was going on. But when we got to our host we knew we had it made. We are used to sleeping on the floor of gyms but this host gave us keys to a resort. Sweet! We had our own beds and everything. The best day so far! The sense of achievement felt after a day like that is indescribable and can only be felt after pushing through intense pain.

Providence!

Well the past few days have been great. I managed to squeeze everything I'll be using in a little bitty bag. I only have 3 shirts for the whole trip. I also managed to successfully navigate to the city of Providence which is an accomplishment in itself. No lost luggage and no missed flights. We've just been hanging around here in Providence for orientation for the past few days. Tomorrow is when we officially leave on our bikes to start this thing. We're all just getting to know each other since we'll be spending almost every waking hour together for the next 2.5 months. Everyone is great and very easy to get along with. They're the only people besides me who doesn't think biking across the country is crazy (hmmm wonder why?) The only problem is slight communication difficulties. Most everyone is from the north so I have to get asked a few times to repeat what I just said. Especially the word oil. Lets just say that the southern draw isn't very common here! But it's actually a very refreshing change and highlights the diversity of America.

We had a short 20 mile "shakedown" ride yesterday around the city of Providence which was absolutely insane. The city, I've learned, is somewhere we're I never want to ride again. Cars, stoplights, and clipless pedals do not go together. In case you don't know what clipless pedals are, it is a type of pedal that you actually clip into (kinda like skis). So basically you're stuck in these pedals unless you do a certain twisting motion to get out. This twisting motion must be learned or you will fall for inability to get out of the peddles. It's great for biking because you are able to pull up as well as down which is more efficient. Yet it is not so great for the stopping and starting that is common in the city. Well apparently the city didn't phase anyone else and they were able to get out of the pedals fast enough. Not me. I was the first fall of the trip. And so far the only. But hey at least I'll go down in the books as the first. It was in a very nice, soft patch in the grass and I just sort of tumbled over in front of the red light. Good thing that 95% of our riding will be out if the crazy city.

P.S: And get this. I just had to close the window to my dorm (where we're staying at) because I got to cold. Ha!

I'll miss you bed

Goodbye nice soft pillow. Head, get used to sleeping on wadded up shirts for the next 2.5 months. Legs, get used to working overtime (extra, extra, overtime). Butt, well…… what can I say? Become buns of steel? Maybe I can hope for that but I’ll be content with just being able to sit down everyday. I am ecstatic about starting this long, and much anticipated event. Although I don’t want to be deluded into thinking that biking across America will a bucket full of peaches and cream (or cherries). In fact, in a sense these next 2.5 months could very well be the toughest and most challenging time of my life. Yet I feel that these next few months will also be saturated with many laughs, thrills, good times and in short, adventure. The unknown is what scares but it’s also what enthuses me. And I can’t wait to start building houses for people. Yeah, I’ll have fun. Yeah, I’ll be extremely tired. Yeah, I’ll fall a few times. Yeah, I’ll hit my hand with the hammer (I’ll just stay away from the nail gun!) But it will be one amazing ride.

P.S. Thanks to all who have supported me. Thanks to all who have read this blog. I’m not taking my computer on the trip so my blogs might be far between. But I promise I’ll document the trip every chance I get. Keep me in your prayers. I’ll need it! Thanks!

Running? Cycling?

Just got through with a run. I’ve been away from my bike for 3 days (it's headed to Rhode Island) so I’ve been running to keep whatever fitness I may have (Ha!). And boy is it slow! I feel like I’m just trudging along mile after mile but hey at least I’m not breathing hard! On top of that my I-pod just stopped working so I can’t listen to it when I run. I might not have one for this trip now. Biking has spoiled me and now running just seems a little on the boring side. Don’t get me wrong, running is my first and last. But not my only. It pays my way through college and I know I’ll run for the rest of my life or until I can’t get out of bed. Honestly though cycling is so much more fun! Not better or worse, just more exciting. Running feeds my competitive drive and cycling um…….. not so much. When I bike I feel like I can just stop whenever I want and do whatever I want without having to keep a certain pace. Is that the most amazing view ever? Well I can stop and take a picture. They sell the world’s best hamburgers here? Well I can get off and decide for myself. With running its get in, get out, and try to beat the previous time (sometimes). I love doing that. They are both great but for completely different reasons. I just thought I should put that out there as my I-pod is broken and this is what I think about as I’m running along. I’m so ready to get on my bike again. Then again I’m sure there will be a few times this summer after cycling every day when I would prefer to lace up my running shoes than my bike shoes!

Dehydration pretty much sucks

It so hot down here in Texas and Arkansas! The heat here is unbelievable and I can’t wait to go up north and avoid all this heat during the summer. Although I’m sure it can get hot there too. The last few of my rides where so slow and hard so I got really worried that I was losing it. Then it dawned on me that it’s probably due to the fact that I’m riding in 90+ temperatures with 70+ humidity. I attempted a 70 mile ride just a few days ago and it was an absolute disaster. I couldn’t drink fast enough from my camel back to make up for the sweat I was losing. It ended up with me laying spread out on the side of the road (no I didn’t fall I was just chillen). I couldn’t so much as move my big toe without getting these intense cramps. But luckily I ended up getting back safely (after 50 total miles) without puking or running into things that I kept seeing two of. I really wish cyclist were around this area that I could ride with because it wouldn’t have been too scary. I’ve actually never cycled with anyone before unless you count riding around the street when I was a kid. I’m really happy that they’ll be plenty of people to ride with and keep me company because it gets a little board riding by myself for 4+ hours in tight cycling pants while weirdoes honk at me. But anyways back to dehydration. It really wasn’t that big of a deal but I learned some great lessons as far as dehydration is concerned. Drink as much as possible. It’s much better to pee on the side of the rode than lay spread out on the side of the road. Despite these few difficulties, I’m extremely ready and excited to start this thing. In exactly 8 days I’ll leave for Providence. I just boxed up my bike today because I’m sending it to DHL tomorrow so for the next 8 days I’ll have run instead of bike. I’ve got to stop writing so I can go study (mini semesters aren’t fun) Bye!

Such is the Life of a Cyclist

I’ve never understood the infatuation dogs have with cyclists. Maybe infatuation isn’t the word, maybe it’s more like um………. hate. What about a bike makes a dog want to chase it down and try to bite the cyclist? I must have been chased by at least a dozen dogs today. I’m starting to fear dogs more than cars and I find myself picking routes based on how dog populated it is rather than on how safe it is car wise. I really do like dogs a lot and they seem to like me but we just don’t seem to get along when I’m sitting on a bike. And honestly I don’t understand owners who don’t lock up their dogs when they know that they’re dangerous and try to bite people. I just feel like this is irresponsible and inconsiderate of others. What ever happened to social responsibility? And really half the dogs that chase me aren’t trying to do anything more than run beside me while barking. I don’t have a problem with this as long as they stay away from my tire. But I’ve learned to tell the difference between a nice one that wants to play and one that wants a piece of leg. I’ve encountered the latter many, many times today and I’m almost out of pepper spray because of this. Plus I seem to have gotten a little on myself and can’t stop sneezing. But enough of my ranting. I feel better now but I just wish people would lock up their mean dogs, especially the pit bulls.

Holy Hill

Note: this post is completely random and tends to go from one thought to the next quickly. But I’m a pretty random person so it just comes natural. Feel free to skip over my rambling wherever you feel is necessary. Yesterday was my first time to successfully change my bike tube all by myself! I’m pretty proud that I did it myself without any help but all it takes is a little patience and time. I must have had a really good tube because it lasted for about 400 miles. Anyways today I had a 30 mile bike ride planed for after class since I had already ran quite a bit before class. I thought 30 wouldn’t be bad at all but I decided to do this on a new trail (actually it was a highway with cars swooshing by but it had a pretty good shoulder so I’ll call it a trail). Well it ended up being the single hilliest ride I’ve ever done in my life. Arkansas really is hilly compared to where I’m from (Texas for all of ya’ll who do not know). It ended up being pretty hard but I’m very glad I found this new “trail” because it’ll be great training for the 3 weeks I’ll be in Arkansas. I almost averaged 16 mph and I honestly have no clue how fast or slow this is because I’m new to this cycling thing. If I had to guess though I would say it’s more on the slow side. Hopefully that will improve as I start to ride with people and get used to cycling. When I first started cycling, which wasn’t that long ago, I was averaging a little under 12 mph and riding 15 miles was a huge accomplishment so I think I’ve come a long way. I’m no stranger to endurance sports as I have run cross country competitively for the last 8 years. I think my cross country background will help me a little with cycling. Or at least I won’t be surprised at the pain that comes from cycling great distances. I was actually worried when I made the commitment to do Bike and Build that cycling all summer without running any would have a negative effect on my cross country season this fall. Ha! Then I realized that biking up to 115 a day (average 70) isn’t exactly like I’m sitting on the couch all day watching Dr. Phil and eating ding dongs. Hey I might even come back in even better shape. And if not it’s all good because I would have rode with some neat people, helped others, and obtained some amazing tan lines. I guess that’s it and now I have to go study :( Peace

24 days!

I can’t believe how fast time has gone and how close I am to the start of the trip. It’s really going to happen! In about 3 weeks I’ll be sitting on a seat that is half the size of my butt while sweating like crazy for 4-9 hours everyday. All in all I’m pretty excited but I have to admit I’m a little nervous. There’s always the question in the back of my mind asking if I’ve trained enough for this. Then I realized the other day that one can’t really train “enough” for this. In order to be fully prepared you’d have to spend like 5 hours a day on the bike and that’s just not gonna happen. I mean we’re going to be going over the Rockies. The freaking mountains! I think the best thing to do training wise is to get in shape enough so your body won’t go through complete shock at the fact that it’s got to peddle 70 miles per day. I believe I’ve done that. Ok so I hope I’ve done that. We’ve still got 3 good weeks and although I still have to be here at college to take a mini semester for that whole time, I think I can get in a few good rides.
As far as gear goes, I’ve got most if not all my bike supplies (still contemplating on aero bars) I finally broke down and bought a seat that actually allows me to sit down after riding :) I also realized that butt cream for chaffing is most certainly something that one should never skip on to save money. I learned the hard way that butt cream is right up there with food. You need it or you will not survive. It’s going to be one amazing summer!

Minivans

So I had a very interesting but unfortunately unpleasant experience with a driver while biking yesterday. It ends up with an older woman in a minivan chasing me down. But I’m getting ahead of myself and should probably start from the beginning. Well I’m riding down the back roads, enjoying myself, singing a little song, and just taking in the scenery. Out of nowhere this women, who looks to be in mid 50’s, drives toward me but won’t move to the left or right(it’s a narrow road). There’s nowhere for me to go but somehow I narrowly miss her. It was one of my closest calls. So as she’s driving away I turn around and do the whole hand motion that involves shrugging your shoulders and moving your hands upward as if to say “hey what is that all about”. I continue riding and brewing about the incident but about a minute later I see the infamous minivan coming up on my side. This lady is yelling something out of her window looking pretty mad. She continues in this aggressive manner until I realize what she’s saying. She’s like “hey did you just flip me off?” Um nope I didn’t. I just give her a confused look until she drives off. So apparently shrugging your shoulders and raising your hands up isn’t something you should do because it looks as if you’re giving someone the bird. I guess next time I won’t do that. What’s so funny about the whole situation is that it’s an older lady in a minivan chasing me down. A minivan! I always thought that it would be like some big muscled up dude on a Harley that would tend to be aggressive toward cyclists. I’m just not used to dealing with aggressive drivers. It’s just weird to me that this would happen because in the small southern towns that I ride in everyone is really friendly. I wave, they wave. It’s generally a great area to ride. The only thing I worry about are the dogs chasing me and trying to bite. But sometimes…….

Goal!!!

Holy cow doesn’t even cover it this time. I met my fundraising goal! I can’t believe it! To say that the generosity of so many friends and family is overwhelming would be an understatement. I can’t say thank ya’ll enough. You have made this trip possible for me as well as contributed to the affordable housing cause. Thank you!!!!

This trip is getting closer and closer. And the fact that I’m biking across the country is becoming more real. It’s finally beginning to dawn on me. A few months ago biking across the country seemed so far away and almost like a dream. But this is actually happening and I can’t be more excited (although a little bit more nervous as I get closer). Honestly, I’m going to miss my bed w/ electric blanket, hot showers, transportation involving gas, and my running shoes. But all of this is going to be replaced with amazing things, all to be experienced with the company of amazing people, who I haven’t even met yet. In less than two months I’ll be dipping my back wheel into the Atlantic Ocean only to dip my front wheel into the Pacific a few months after that (its a Bike and Build custom).

Yesterday I did a 60 mile bike ride just to make sure that I could. It’s the most I’ve ever done in my life! I got a little lost at the end and actually missed one of my classes but at least I now know that I can do it now. And the weird thing about it is that today I didn’t feel sore at all (although the ride itself was pretty difficult) and actually got in a 5 mile run today. This is a very good sign since we’ll be biking more than that every day. It was a great ride all in all, no wind and very good scenery. But I did learn lesson # 5: do not hide your camelback (only source of water) on the side of the road at the beginning of the ride to lighten the load. I thought I would just take it off for a second and come back to get it after I finished checking how far a certain road will go. This is incredibly dumb. The road ending up being way longer than I ever thought, my exploring side wanted to check it out, and long story short I didn’t come back for it until mile 55. Needless to say I was very dehydrated but the lesson learned was worth it: stupidity makes one awfully thirsty.

Cows aren’t really holy but......

Holy Cow! I just opened my Bike and Build account to check for any new donations and boy was I surprised! I just had an influx of so many generous donations from friends and family. I just wanted to say thanks so much to everyone. You all have helped out tremendously and I’m well over half way to my $4,000 mark. I consider myself blessed to even be presented with this unusual opportunity and even more so for the encouragement and support of friends and family. Ya’ll have turned a bad, study filled day, to a super fantastic day and I am grateful.
As far as training goes, I’ve gotten in a few 50 mile rides over the course of spring break. So I think it’s going pretty good and I’m thankful that the weather has cooperated. I honestly don’t see me doing too many rides of that distance as I try finish up the semester. My goal is just to do a little riding or running everyday to keep in shape. Paper and project deadlines are getting closer and the workload isn’t getting any lighter. College, you gotta love it.

Riding against the wind is like swimming up stream

It’s times like this when I wish I weighed more than I actually do. I’ve never ridden in wind like I did today and the whole time I had to fight to keep from being pushed over. It was a constant 17mph with gusts at 27mph. I’m not too sure how that compares to the winds on the plains that I’ll be riding through but I hope it won’t be that bad. But something tells me it will and that I better just get used to it. The good thing is that I got in a 50 mile (the most I’ve done so far) ride facing the wind for the majority of the time and I felt pretty good. Though I must admit there were those times when I just wanted to throw my bike on the ground out of frustration and say a few choice words. But I didn’t. Other than that I’m just enjoying my spring break by doing nothing. It's great

Can't wait

So I finally did it. I finally fell off my bike! I guess fell off isn’t the right word to use since my bike was still attached to me by the clipless pedals. I’m not exactly too sure what happened but my chain did this weird thing in the middle of changing gears. It basically got stuck and the pedals wouldn’t turn. I was going up a steep hill, lost momentum, and fell. I didn’t suffer a severe injury, just a few scratches. I’m just glad I got it over with and now know it’s not so bad. I’m also thankful for this amazing weather here. It’s been sunny and 70 for the past few days so I’ve gotten in some great rides. I feel bad for my fellow Bike and Builders up north who probably can’t get out to ride because of the cold. I’m so ready to do Bike and Build this summer! There will be no research papers, neuroscience tests, sitting in class rooms, studying until odd hours of the night or figuring out what to wear the next day (highly fashionable bike shorts every day!) Although I’m not going to lie, I will miss my comfy bed w/ my electric blanket. It will just be me, a bunch of other crazy people, and the open road. We’ll be doing our best to lend a hand to those in need and pedaling like crazy every day while sweating bullets. Can’t wait

Hey. It's been a while

Well I’ve been really busy here lately. Classes are getting more demanding as the semester wears on and I’ve been doing my best to prepare for this upcoming summer. I got in a 40 mile bike ride the other day. It’s the most I’ve ever done by far and actually went really well. I felt like I could do more and I wasn’t sore the next day (it was still difficult though) On top of that I didn’t fall of my bike once! My goal is to do one really long ride once a week and increase the distance by five or ten each time until I get my mileage up there. Then the rest of the week I plan to run or bike some more. The only problem I foresee in this is finding the time. But I’m sure if I practice better time management (less facebook!) then I can get it done.

There is also a possibility that I’ll be able to go back to New Orleans during spring break and help build houses again. It was a good experience when I went a few months ago and I thought I’d learn even more going back again. The only problem is getting the money to do it because right now most the cash I get goes to my Bike and Build fundraising goal of $4,000.

I just got through running my 3rd half marathon. I’ve been training for that so now since that’s over I can really start training on my bike more. This half marathon was my worst and slowest one yet (maybe b/c of the heat) but I’ll leave out the gory details (just look at the before and after pictures on facebook) I’ll just say that at this moment walking down the stairs right now is barely manageable and a jog around the block is unthinkable. But I’m sure I’ll experience soreness like this countless times as I bike across the country so I need to adopt a suck it up type attitude and go for a run or a ride tomorrow.

My cool new bike

So I finally got my new bike a few days ago. It’s a specialized Allez triple and I’m sure that means nothing to most of ya’ll. I didn’t know what one was a month ago either. And let me tell you I was missing out.. Before getting the bike I had never sat my butt down on a real road bike. I just rode around on hybrids and thought that was fun. But I just took the Allez on a test drive and it was amazing! I didn’t realize what a huge difference a road bike makes. It’s so much faster, easier, and just simply more fun. I went on a 28 mile ride and that felt much easier than if I did a 15 mile ride on my hybrid. This bike most defiantly gives me more confidence about riding cross America. I have to admit though it’s going to take some getting used to. The bent over riding position of a road bike will probably make me a hunch back for life (hey we’re riding 4-8 hours a day). Due to my substantial lack of coordination, the clip-on pedals will probably cause me to fall over a few times while trying to get on (but that’s what helmets are for!). But all in the entire bike is amazingly amazing :) and I can’t wait to ride it this summer! So I better leave you with that thought before I sound too much like a bike commercial.

It's hard to think of a good title for these things

Well I still have a flat tire. That means my total bike milage this week is 0. But I've been running a lot so I'm not too worried. I got in a good hilly 10 miler the other day so if I can run the hills then my theory is that I can bike them too. I think :) The awesome news is my new bike is about a week or two away from being here and then I'll really get in some good training. Oh I got a job at our university starbucks. I'm pretty happy about that because 1.)it gives me extra money to get good bike stuff and to donate 2.) Employs get free coffee! This is absolutly great since I'm probably their best customer as it is. Too bad they're losing some good business. As far as fundraising goes, I'm going to have to do somthing different but we still have a few months. Peace.

Baby it's cold outside

Lesson #4(Lessons 1-3 in Previous Posts): Do not eat 3.5 PB& J sandwiches and attempt to run directly after.

Good news: I’m going to get my road bike from Bike and Build here pretty soon!

So I’ve been back in school for over a week now and it’s been crazy. At the begining of other semesters I just kind of ease into the work but this semester I had to jump right in. It will be one of my toughest semesters because of all the biology classes but I guess I’ll learn a lot. Plus I have this summer to look forward to.

I got in a pretty long bike ride and it’s a lot different than riding back home. Here in Arkadelphia, Arkansas if you’re not riding down a hill then you’re going up. It makes for great training though and once I get an actual road bike (I ride a hybrid) it will be twice as fun. But that was the last ride in a really long time because a few days ago I just discovered that my tire is completely flat. This wouldn’t be a problem if I had a tube but I used my last one a few days ago and the nearest bike shop here is about a 2 hour drive. There’s no way I’m going to make that anytime soon because of this crazy schedule. Not the best preparation on my part. So now I’ve just been doing a whole lot of running to at least stay in shape. Other than that I’m just trying to keep my head above water and get back into school/study mode.

Stupid rut

Well fundraising is not going very well right now. I'm trying to get a job so I can contribute to the cause. I'm also working on getting in my school newspaper so I can spread awareness. But I'm in a rut and I need to think of something creative. But what?

Antarctica

So I just got through taking the most amazing shower of my life. You may be wondering why or most importantly what this has to do with biking across America and building houses along the way. Well I just got back from a mission trip in New Orleans. We spent a week building houses for Habitat for Humanity in the 9th ward(the place most devastated by hurricane Katrina). So on the first day after being gone all day building, we came back dirty and tired, and proceeded to take a nice, hot shower. I quickly realized, after hearing the unpleasant screams of my team coming from the showers that this dream would not become a reality. No hot water. This wasn't just cold like it would be if there were no hot water heater. This cold was like someone had imported ice from Antarctica and proceeded to melt it above our heads. But what I'm getting at here is that I learned an important lesson while standing under the shower fighting off frostbite. Aside from good ol' fashion character development one can only obtain from having freezing cold water dumped on their head, I learned to put things in perspective. Here I am complaining about a little cold shower while others have lost their, valuables, homes, and even loved ones to hurricane Katrina and Rita. It's the least I can do to sacrifice a little comfort to help those who have lost so much more.
Building houses for a week has been an insightful and cool experience. I learned how to hammer quite well without the sacrifice of my thumb. My fingers were less fortunate. I also met many neat people who were just as driven to help out. Although Katrina hit more than 2 years ago the damage is still evident in much of New Orleans. Countless houses that were once homes are now just sitting there because the damage is too great for anyone to occupy them. There's still so much sand everywhere and some roads in residential sections aren't paved. But it's getting better due to the work of many volunteer organizations and the people who help out. The only downside to all of this is I haven't been able to run or bike for a whole week. I'm not to worried because the building, hammering, climbing, cutting, falling off ladders, etc. isn't exactly a walk in the park physically. But today was my first day back running and I must say it felt great. All in all I gained some insight, some building knowledge, and had fun helping out with habitat for humanity.

Lactic Acid = :(

So I've gotten a lot of things done since the last time I've posted. First, I finally got some biking shorts! I'm so excited but I must say they will take some getting used to. It's not like it makes me feel like superman in tights or anything. I've been anxious to go for a spin in my brand new shorts but it's been cold so I've mainly stuck with running. But I did get in a 27 mile bike ride for my second time. That might not seem like much but it's a huge thing to me because I'm not quite used to this whole cycling thing yet. But I will be. And I'm glad to say that it was much better this time around because sitting down on our furniture was a lot less painful. I think the best thing about the ride was that I did not get chased by one single dog!
The next really cool thing that happened was that a couple of newspapers came and interviewed me. I just told them how awesome bike and build is and how I want to help with affordable housing. It was neat. So thanks for all of y'all who read the newspaper and are now checking out my blog. Well that's about it except to say Happy belated new years.