And then we flew...

Ever since I got started with all of this endurance sporting and triathlon-ing, I've been passed on the bike.  I'm an okay swimmer and a decent runner, but my biking has always been my weakness.  I hear 'On your left!' so much that it might as well be tattooed on my back.  So this summer, one of my goals was to get to the point where I felt strong and comfortable on the bike.  Whether or not I actually got faster wasn't really important; I just wanted a secure base so that in the future I won't groan with the entirety of my body and soul at the mere prospect of getting on the bike.  

The ride from Kayenta, AZ to Page, AZ was a century ride through the desert.  We got up at 4am in order to attempt to beat the heat that starts around 10am but fries you by 3pm.  We started the ride with our headlights flashing and our taillights blinking, and set out to conquer the 100 miles.  

The first 20 miles miles were miserable - uphill 1,000 feet with a 15mph wind in our face.  Fighting to maintain a 10mph average, I wondered if the ride was manageable.  The conditions were difficult, but even so, I was exhausted.  We had fought the wind the entire day before, and I just didn't have it in me to do it again.  I told the people I usually ride with to go on ahead and I would see them at lunch.

And so as I stopped to eat some Cliff Shots, everyone zoomed by and I felt defeated.  Race setting or not, being passed just plain sucks.

But, I got back on my bike and started moving...and all of a sudden my legs didn't hurt and my mind wasn't fighting me with every stroke of the pedal.  Over the next 20 miles to the lunch stop, I managed to catch everyone and even joined the pace line for the last bit.  We were no longer riding directly into the wind, so that helped, but even so - I just managed to get some confidence back, and even more than that, I managed to really push myself.  I didn't just spin up the hills, I got out of breath and sweaty and realized that you really can go faster when you manage to just move your legs.  I was riding alone so I couldn't compare myself to other people; I just got myself from Point A to Point B as quickly as I could and was happy with the result.

The 35 miles after lunch went by relatively quickly.  I rode with 3-4 other people and the miles just ticked by.  The wind picked up a bit again, but there was an overall descent that made things easy-ish.

We stopped to fill up on Gatorade and water at mile 80 and took a short nap under a rock formation...and then we started to fly.  There were three of us and I swear we defied gravity.  We passed people that had left 20 minutes earlier than us, and I don't think I could have stopped if necessary.  It was the last 20 miles of a century and we were literally riding 25-30 miles per hour the entire time.  To be fair, it was still a descent into the canyon where Page is built, but we were still against the wind...and like I said, we just passed tons of people without any effort at all.  It was the most fun I've ever had on a bike; I wish every day could be like that.

Just as a disclaimer, I'm not being snobby about passing people; I know perfectly well that it doesn't matter at all; it doesn't make me a better person or even biker...but it's just such a rare feeling for me that it was completely thrilling and kind of momentous.  It might never happen again, so for now I'm going to savor the moment.

Page, AZ is a cute little city that has great Mexican food, a wonderfully designed church (the architecture somehow made me feel really comfortable), and a ridiculously huge potluck dinner, complete with mint-chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches and cookies as big as my head.  The people who greeted us were incredibly generous and the presentation we gave went smoothly.  Everyone was in a great mood, and it was just a nice evening with a relaxed atmosphere.  I wish we had more time to walk around or watch a movie in the evening, but we all went to bed by 9 or so - we had an 80 mile ride ending with a 15 mile climb to conquer the next day and I think we were all a little nervous.

This might be the first time I've really 'tried' on this trip.  Of course every day has been challenging, and it's not that I haven't been testing myself - I have.  It's just that this is an endurance trip (biking across the country?!?), and so I generally keep the mindset that it's better to keep a reserve instead of dying before the end.  I never really push myself to anaerobic or even aerobic level, so this feeling reminiscent of a spinning class felt entirely different...but kind of awesome.  I don't think I'm capable of it every day, but it's certainly a lot of fun once in a while - it's more enjoyable to go fast than slow, and pushing yourself to the limit is always rewarding.

It's only 11 miles to the South Rim.

Zipline Across, Anyone?

No Words.

The Grand Canyon

Leaving at 4am for a century in the desert.

Arizona

You know what's really badass?

Out-biking a thunder storm.


Yesterday, heading into Santa Fe, a group of us managed to beat the rain, just by pedaling - it was (and there is no other word for it) awesome.


The ride from Las Vegas to Santa Fe was my favorite trip so far. It was 70 miles, which by now sounds like low milage. The first 30 I rode by myself, pushing myself way harder than I would have with other people. [Don't let them pass you. Push! Don't let anyone pass you! Don'tletanyonepassyou.Don'tletanyonepassyou.Don'tletanyonepassyou.] I have fun pumping up the hills when I'm by myself, but when I'm with a group and I start to fall behind, I just get really discouraged and give up. I'm going to start riding by myself more when there are mountains to conquer.



And so during that first 30 miles, no one passed me and I was the 8th or so person to get to lunch. I'm getting so sick of people passing me. I know it doesn't matter at all, but every once in a while my competitive streak kicks in and I can't stand it anymore.

Then after lunch, I rode with people I don't usually even see during the day, and had a blast. Surprisingly, I can keep up. That 40 miles skirting the edges of the Rockies was the most fun I've ever had on a bike. There were some challenging enough hills, but there were also a bunch of flyingdon'tfalllookforpotholesdon'tdieYEAH!!! downhills. We had a tailwind for the last 15 miles (and we don't get many tailwinds with this east-west route of ours), and we were easily climbing at 24 miles per hour and pumped it into Santa Fe peaking 30mph on the flats. The grin stayed on my face for hours.

Santa Fe is 7000 feet above sea level and I'm starting to be able to feel the elevation. It's the highest capital city in the US and we're actually staying downtown. A lot of times we're on the outskirts of the city we're in and it can be hard to deal with cabs, etc.

I've been exploring by myself. It's a day off and I'm spending it alone; I need some time to myself - living with 32 other people is great most of the time, but sometimes I just need some space to breathe.

Last night we went out to a bar. I used a fake ID for the first time in my life. (I lost my Driver's License somewhere along the way - any suggestions as to what to do?) and I learned that between the extreme dehydration and elevation, I'm an incredible lightweight. One drink and I was drunk, 3 drinks and everything was spinning; I could get used to the prospect of cheaper nights out on the town.

So, now I'm going to a bookstore I found yesterday just at closing time, and then the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. Then tonight I hang out with my flute teacher from Rutgers and tomorrow we have a short 50m ride to a lake. Rumor has it that we're going to attempt a found-items fashion show. I'll have pictures...

The Mosquero Pictures

Naked Mile in the High Desert Prarie

Today I rode my bike naked with 3 other people for a whole 2 miles; pictures abound, but not to worry - they won't be posted here (or anywhere, hopefully). It was a blast. The best part was that when I got into the host site for the night and saw that we once again had group showers - I didn't panic and wait until everyone was done so that I could shower alone. Somehow, riding my bike without clothes on helped my fear of locker rooms and I was able to just shower with other girls. I'm definitely not yet a 'naked person', but I think I might have taken a big leap towards being comfortable in my own skin, so to speak...

So, we've hit the mountains. The days are hard and long and windy and demoralizing. And did I mention absolutely gorgeous? Tomorrow we do 74 miles into Santa Fe and then have a day off. I can't wait to get there and explore the city; I'm even going to an opera with my flute teacher from Rutgers who happens to be there for the summer. It'll be great to get a reminder about the music portion of my life, and having a day off of riding is definitely going to be beneficial for my legs.

Yesterday, we were in Mosquero, NM (we're in Mountain time!!), a town of approximately 100 people. There was a bar and a restaurant and a store and that's about it. But the best part was that by some twist of miraculous fate, a Cowboy Camp was going on nearby. In the midst of an awe-inspiring thunderstorm, all 32 of us piled into vans and shuttled over to Bell's Ranch (300,000 acres!) and had hamburgers and hotdogs and banana pudding and the best coffee I've ever tasted. There were drool-worthy cowboys and old singers and some of us even learned how to 'rope a cow'. Afterwards, we went back to the town bar where we played pool and two-stepped with the cowboys. It was a perfect night in New Mexico.

Today's ride was impossibly hard, but still amazing. My friend Kristin and I met a couple that brought us to a rodeo where their 12 year old was competing as a bull rider. Complete culture submersion and shock; I didn't know places like this still existed. The other grandson (aged 9 years) gave me a hug upon meeting me and a wooden cross when departing - I'm going to keep it forever. The two kids had cowboy hats and boots and spurs - absolutely adorable.

I've learned so much within the past couple of days - I feel like I'm finally living up to the proverbial 'you learn something new every day'. I learned what cowboys actually do for a living, that part of cowboy fun is to chase a goat and dress it in rancher clothes, what it means to 'run a cow', the difference between calfs, yearlings, heifers, steers, and bulls, and I even witnessed the tying of a goat. It's all pretty awesome; anymore of this and I'm going to get a hat and some boots and become a cowgirl.

Dinner was at the Plaza Hotel here in Las Vegas, New Mexico - just typical spaghetti with meat sauce, but it was served on fancy plates with real silverware, so it felt more special than usual. This town is cute; it might not be the Vegas strip in Nevada, but the New Mexican version is probably more suited to my taste anyhow; we're even here for the big North vs. South football game which is apparently the biggest rivalry within 200 miles.

This country of ours has so much open land. We traveled 98 miles today and there was not one town in between. And remember, the town we left (which was the first town in the 50 miles before that) had 100 people with a graduating senior class of 4. I danced with two Mosquero School graduates.

Here in Las Vegas we experience a bona-fide city with operating gas stations and a Dairy Queen, but there is still the definite sense of vast openness. I was told we're in the high desert prairie, and the name fits perfectly - mountains, ranches, and genuine cowboys; it couldn't really be any better.

And now we're in the West.

92 Miles from Memphis - Amarillo

a perfectly packed trailer to begin the day

a windy ride

Pictures from a Rainy Day

The house with the poodle during the lightening storm.

signs from the lunch restaurant

Memphis, TX - I didn't even know it existed.

Today should have been easy - only 73 miles, and most of it flat.

Waking up to a thunderous sky and air with an ominous chill however, did not provide for the easiest riding conditions.

We started our day at McDonald's to take advantage of our free breakfast, and I managed to eat as healthily as McDonald's will allow - a biscuit, some eggs, orange juice, hot tea, milk, and a chocolate milk for the road. The cashier laughed at my abundance of liquid intake, but the opportunity to have both caffeine and orange juice seemed way too good to pass up...and besides, we've got to hydrate, right?

While we were sitting at breakfast though, the rain started coming down and it was obvious it wasn't going to be a passing sort of storm. A bunch of us hadn't been all that intelligent and had packed rain jackets, arm warmers, etc into our luggage that had already been put away for the day...the leaders were nice enough to let us unload the whole trailer to get our gear - I'm incredibly grateful because the day would have been otherwise completely miserable.

And so we started our ride, me protesting the whole way. I was convinced we should hitchhike. Overall, I'm determined to ride every single mile of this trip, but at that point, I really didn't care at all. Any guy in a pickup truck would have looked like a savior.

But, we kept pedaling forward (I resorted to counting strokes for a while - I got to 800-something before my brain threatened to explode), and we eventually got through enough miles to make me realize we were really going to do the godforsaken ride. We spent a bunch of miles remembering every day and every city of the trip - we managed to recall all of the different host locations and even moved on to details from each meal. I want to write down a bunch of key words so that I can keep it all in my head as much as possible.

During a stint of lightening, we sought shelter at a little house where a standard poodle was keeping watch. I tried to befriend it by smiling and talking, but it just looked at me like I was a little bit of a moron. Then, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch around mile 35 in a little town (Hollis, OK) and ate catfish and burgers and raised $60 for affordable housing.

After lunch the rain was a lot more calm and the rest of the ride was uneventful. The last 20 miles into Memphis, TX were hillyhillyhilly, but I had been warned beforehand and they weren't nearly as bad as they could have been. The rain had cooled everything down, and most of the hills were just long with low grades - I like those much better than the short steep ones.

Overall, it was actually a lot of fun to ride in the rain. We ended up in a group of about 8 people, and we talked and laughed a lot. The ride that should have taken 5 hours took more like 7, but it was a day that made me smile, so that extra two hours were well worth it.

And so now we're in Memphis. I showered, napped, and ate and now I'm ready for bed. One more long (90+m) ride into Amarillo and then we have a day off. My legs need a break to recover and rebuild, and my butt is more than a little sore. 5 AM wake up tomorrow; I hate thinking about it and every morning the first thing I say is 'I wanna go home', but then I get on the bike and eventually get to the next city and I'm almost happy.

Oklahoma!

(written yesterday, Saturday, July 12.)

Today was 92 miles, the first 54 of which were directly into the wind. Misery on 2 wheels. I rode the first 32 by myself, constantly berating myself for the difficulty of not being able to ride faster than 14 miles per hour without a full fledged asthma attack. When I found people at a grocery store at mile 32 and they were equally tortured, I instantly felt better. No, not rejoicing in other people's misfortune, but just happy to realize I'm not the weakest cyclist in the free world.
The last 40 miles though, heading into Oklahoma, were totally awesome - wind at my back, the landscape changing with every passing mile. Up until now, this trip has mainly been constituted by states and sites that I have already experienced - and seeing them from a bike has been new and awesome - but crossing into Northern Texas and then Oklahoma, which I've never seen before, was incredible. I took pictures of nothing and everything, and just generally rode with my mouth gaping open.


Tonight was McDonald's night and I now want to puke all over the place. I arrived there absolutely starving, but a McGrilled Chicken Sandwich, Fillet o Fish, Big Mac with Cheese, McLatte, soda, milk, and a sundae with extra hot fudge later, and I officially want to die or purge my stomach - whichever comes first. McBarf. Starting tomorrow I'm going to start eating better - it's amazing that I've managed to gain so much weight while biking 80 or so miles every day. It's kind of gross and moreover, I just want to feel better biking. I'm sluggish from tired muscles, but I think better nutrition would also help. It's hard when only carbs and junk food are abundant and I'm constantly more hungry than a starving dog, but I just need to pay more attention to what goes down the hatch regardless of inconvenience...
I kept my spandex on for way too long after the ride today (we didn't get showers until 6 pm and I didn't want to change into my clean clothes without showering), and now I think I'm going to have major butt rash problems. Cause and effect, once again.

Tomorrow morning we head to Memphis, TX after another McDonald's gorge. Neither the bike nor the meal are particularly appealing right now, but hopefully after a good night of sleep I'll feel better.

I've been kind of homesick the last couple of days. I don't know exactly what home I'm sick for, so I guess it's more of a loneliness that I feel. I'm constantly surrounded by good, hilarious, fun people, and I really like all of them...but sometimes other things from real life are still overwhelming and I don't know exactly where to put those thoughts in the context of this trip.

I can't wait to keep heading west; uncharted territory is exciting, and the fact that we've already made it almost halfway across the country is mind-boggling.

Cause and Effect

(I haven't had internet service for a while, so this was written on Friday, July 11.)

Today I rode the 78 miles from Decatur, TX to Wichita Falls, TX by myself. I had exhaustion in every single muscle of my body and soul and wanted to ride at my own pace.

And then at a certain point I started to think. I started to think about lots of things, but mainly cause and effect...and how life is just a big chain of reactions.

One thing leads to another and all of a sudden you're in a place and situation you never dreamed for yourself.

And yes, bad things can happen to good people, and good things can happen to bad people...but I wonder if maybe there is a lot less chance in the world than I previously assumed.

And how long are we allowed to punish ourselves? Is it maybe easier to crucify yourself than to forgive?

It's laundry night tonight and I'm one of the unfortunates that is on laundry duty for the week. Washing everyone's dirty bike shorts is just plain gross.

Decatur is one of the cutest towns I've ever visited; they had an outdoor movie at night and an old courthouse from the 1800's that overlooked the city - the judge let me sit in his chair and use his gavel. Then there was the bike shop in a living room of a house that was more a museum of old bikes - the 80+ year old man who lived there told stories about bikes and airplanes.

Tomorrow is 90m long and my knees hurt. I miss running and swimming, but biking has reinvented itself in my head; I might have finally made my peace with the machine.

It's funny how you can create people that don't particularly exist. You make people be who you want them to be. It's not their fault when they disappoint; it's more you not being realistic in your expectations. Warning signs are pushed to the back and then through your head because you don't want to admit them; maybe learning to really listen would help to avoid unnecessary pain. At least that's the way it is for me.

I've been told I deserve something great, that I shouldn't settle. But, don't we all deserve something great? So who gets the bad ones? What do they deserve? Is it all part of the chain of events or is it stupidity or is it random? I wish I knew because I'd like to see the path in front of me without squinting.

Tomorrow the McDonald's in our host city is providing dinner - whatever we want, however much we want. A couple of months ago I never would have imagined being excited about that, but right now a night off of spaghetti and in a restaurant of sorts sounds more perfect than fast food ever should.

I'm startled by how quickly the trip is suddenly passing. I want to reach the destination, but a part of me also wants to prolong the journey - I don't want to leave this made-up world where malls are oddities and cars are inconveniences. But then again, it would be nice to wake up later than 5am and wear something other than spandex. A small price to pay for a trip across the country with 31 others, but a price nonetheless - I need enough sleep or I get impossibly grumpy.

And on that note...it's 8:56 and my bedtime. Good night.

Free McDonalds for dinner: Anything you want, whenever you want.

Hi, I'm looking for a guitar and a vacuum...(Decatur, TX)

If your entire day was a hill, what would you have waiting for you at the top?

Each day, we have a question of some sort to think about during our ride. They range from the ridiculous (if you could have one liquid coming out of each finger, what would your ten liquids be?), to the more thoughtful (what makes America for you?).

Today's was just a bit too appropriate because the day was hill-ridden, with an excess of wind and potholes. My butt is incredibly sore; let's just say it was the wrong day to choose tri-shorts instead of the more padded biking ones.

But, we finally conquered the 95 miles, and I have to say - it was a beautiful ride. Ridiculously painful, but absolutely gorgeous.

Tomorrow we have another 90+ day to get into Dallas, where we'll crash and then spend the next day building. I'm excited to stay in one place for two nights, and I can't wait to see what we'll be doing on the build site.

This trip is amazing; I never want to re-enter the real world. I miss playing the flute and having music be an integral part of my life, but this life-in-transition is definitely suiting me right now. I get frustrated with the lack of privacy (32 people around you all the time), and of course I look forward to lunches that stray from different varieties of peanut butter and jelly, but all in all, everything is perfect. I learn more about myself and our world every day - our country and her landscape, and all the different types of people that I never before opened up my eyes enough to notice.

At the top of my hill? My dog [that I miss so much I hardly ever let myself think about her] with Phil, the best friend I'll ever have. I'm happy now; I'm happy with who I am and what I'm doing - overall, but especially this summer - but sometimes I still mourn for things that are lost. There isn't any harm in that, I don't think. I'm not living in the past, but just appreciating what I had and knowing why I'm still searching.

What's at the top of your hill?

What to expect.

I'm constantly expecting things.

I'm expecting a job; I'm expecting to find love; I expect myself to be able to do anything, and to do it well.

I hate it when I have trouble doing things that other people do easily. Why doesn't the stupid nail go into the damn wall straight? Why does the screw get caught in the wood every single time when I use the drill?

I like building. It's fun; I'm learning a lot.

I now know how to install siding, sheet rock, and insulation (fiberglass hurts), and how to mud walls - and it's really awesome to get the chance to do this stuff. It's rewarding work. Sweat equity - who knew I would actually enjoy it?

Until it doesn't work the way it should.

Then I get mad.

I get mad that I can't do things easily. I get mad that I'm not coordinated. I get mad that I'm left handed. I get mad that I don't know anything besides how to play the flute.

Then I get even madder. I get madder that I'm a weak biker, even though I've conquered quite a bit in the world of endurance sports. Why is it that some people (girls!) who had never ridden more than 30 miles at a time before this trip can ride faster than me without even trying?

I know I'm whining, but god it doesn't seem fair.

I'm happy I'm doing this; I'm proud to be doing this. I 100% realize that I should be more than grateful for this opportunity - both physically and mentally - and even and in terms of having enough time to partake.

So I'm not complaining. I'm just saying...sometimes I just get mad that I can't do everything better than everyone else.

And yeah, I'm just joking. Kind of.

Ugh

I dropped my phone last night (it fell out of my pocket), and now the power button is stuck down and the thing just repeatedly reboots. Anyone with an iPhone or iPhone knowledge have any ideas about what to do? As far as I can tell, I'm not going to have access to an Apple store until I get to Dallas on July 7. I can survive 3 days without a phone, but I'm not all that optimistic about it being fixable; a quick google search infers that there isn't much to be done besides paying the repair fee ($200?!?) or getting a new phone (in which case I would just wait until the 11th and get the new version).

Anyway, I'm not whining - I'm the idiot who dropped her phone in the same manner as previous phones (note: don't keep phones in your pocket)...but I just thought someone might have new advice.

Oh, and if you were planning on calling me...maybe email instead? I don't know what kind of internet service I'll have over the next few days, but at least my computer is in working order. I'll also try to check my phone messages from other people's phones or something.

:(

We're nuts!!

Happy 4th!

The best coffee/beignet shop ever.

Oh-so appropriate.

Getting the Tattoo

The Bayou

Mississippi Mud, Sweet Tea, and Boudin - almost home!