Day 8

Day 8

Woke up after a good sleep in the gymnasium of Thompson Falls middle school. Leg was feeling a bit better. Still getting a bit of creakiness in the knees as well but it goes away as I start to walk. Loaded up, geared up in civilian clothes , then headed down to a wonderful breakfast at Minnies Café. If you don’t know my eating patterns, I tend to take leftovers home. Reason being, I find myself incapable of binging on food. And Minnie’s made humongous portions for breakfast. It was two breakfasts at once! Some of the riders are getting the idea that they can save money for the ride and themselves if they perch near me and don’t order anything. Silly vultures.

Breakfast announcements

Sam is sunblocked up and wide awake

Eat up! I swear it looked more appetizing in person

"Izzy...no no" - The necessary words from Timmy. What a dedicated guardian

The day was predicted to be at 90 + degrees.  Frank and I drove together for the first part of the ride. If you don’t know Frank yet, he’s this awesome Canadian crew member with the wittiest lines and a hankering for espresso. Stick with him and he’ll tell you all about Susan’s cat. They are riding buddies in the crew car.

As time goes on the cat seems to slowly disappear under odd apparel and quieten.

The first portion of the ride for everyone was quite pleasant. They were coasting and reaching speeds around 15 (so I was told). I took advantage again of videotaping and taking pictures of them. The view was remarkable. Rolling hills combined with blue rivers flowing under morning light. God what a place to be. The riders were looking great at the checkpoints, and the crew is always remarking how this year everyone seems to stick together in a similar time frame.  Makes things run smoother for going out and getting the resources to everyone.

Yeah Big Riders!

Sam and Tim flying by

Rest stop! We're fixing lunch now on the road.

Bridgett handling Big Ride details

Muk Muk Day 2 on the truck

We all get some Love!

Adopted Father and Son

The day drew on, and as the heat got stronger, so did the headwinds. That’s the tricky part out here. You have to take advantage as long as you can of the winds before they turn against you. Izzy and Timmy thought it appropriate to sacrifice me to the wind gods to appease them. Something tells me I need to stop being injured sometime soon.

Bridgett and I crossed over through the Plains of Montana and came upon the Rockies! They are incredible! I’ve never seen a mountain range that long before. I’m sure I’ve been near some, but from our viewpoint, we were far enough to see it stretch way up into the north. I got a few goosebumps seeing it. A mixture of the majestic and dangerous.

Beautiful Rockies Range

A fun part of the ride was getting in on the soap opera drama of the hand radio. Bridgett and the crew contact each other through hand radio. A sure thing since cell phones don’t work out here in some regions. The thing is, when you’re on one channel, you’re sharing it with everyone else. I was on the edge of my seat wondering if the Montanee husband and wife were able to rescue their meat out of the freezer that broke. They also discussed everyday matters, like Peggy’s lawnmower and someone traveling down to Mexico. Really cool to get in on the life of a Montanee. The end results were the meat went bad, so the husband had to bring home leftovers for supper. The wife felt really bad Peggys lawnmower was broken and called both freezer and mower big jerkys. Husband and wife agreed it was a bummer the heat got this bad and everything was just fine instead of great for the day. The drama to continue next episode! One must entertain oneself while driving for awhile j/k.

By the time we made it to the University of Montana, the temperature was at 95 degrees. I was sitting idle in the truck and felt the sun beating down on me, so lord knows how the riders were handling it. But they did, and all made it back, tired and ready to rest. Grabbed a few beers and dart games with some of the team, then settled in ready for rest day. Rest days are interesting. You just get up ready to take on so many errands, and insert fun while you’re at it. Some are checking up on their bikes, others are running (Sam) up to the big M near the university, and most of us are doing internet/work/reading to catch up on the life outside of the Big Ride. I feel so far removed from what’s going on out there. It’s a good feeling though. How many chances do you get in life to just get up and go with no deadline, no worries about outside matters, just enjoying the view and understanding your body and its relation to the elements? Not many chances. After this ride though, I’m going to be pushing for more. I appreciate the mentality that comes with this lifestyle.

Wish me luck at the acupuncturists today! I’m hoping for some good news. It may be a few more days are needed to get the inflammation down but at this point I accepted that better earlier in the trip to take care of injuries then run myself down mid way and not make it to the end. It’s all fun either way!

Day 7

Day 7

Waking up knowing I wasn’t getting into my bike gear was surreal. It’s only been 5 days combined of biking and I felt I’ve lived the life of a cyclist for so long. Get up, gear up, pound food, then head on out into the morning sun.  I felt very optimistic that the day would become Big Ride worthy, so I followed the other bikers in the morning routine then saddled up in the box truck with Bridgette.

While although I wanted to be on the bicycle this whole trip, being on the other side was a treat.  We were cruising through the panhandle of Idaho, windows down, watching the morning sun hit the glassy lakes and pine tree covered rolling hills. I took advantage of this new perspective with my camera, capturing the riders on the route as we sped by. I’m assuming some don’t really understand that they’re crossing the country by bicycle until they’re not on a bicycle.  Everyone seemed so small and looked like they had a far far way to go (which they do).  You aren’t doing much sitting in a car. The idleness gives you time to assess the distance for what it is. For example, while on bike you’re looking for every checkpoint and thinking about your body, how your gears are handling, where’s the next food stop. You’re not sitting comfortably, looking around and thinking of how many minutes it’ll take to get to the next city.  As Bridgett put it, you are living more in the present.

Muk Muk changing bike for truck

Amazing Views!!

Early morning riders

I remember yesterday at Sandpoint High School when Timmy and I saw a map of the US. Stretching his arms out to cover the distance, it was then I think he took into consideration how far we have to go. It’s far! But man oh man is it awesome to think we all have that much time to live this lifestyle.

They say baby steps are the name of the game. Makes sense, there’s only so much one can take into consideration when doing something of this magnitude. Besides, the other name of the game is living in the moment. I haven’t really encountered anyone yet on this team who is raging with the “East Coast or Bust” mentality.  We all stop to smell the roses, jump into a river, play cards, and then some. It’s a great way to exist.

So yeah I’m feeling more comfortable now being off the saddle for the time being. It was hard to accept but I saw I could be a part of the experience by dishing out the food and helping Bridgett with Big Ride matters. We’re all getting across the 3,300 miles somehow. I’m more then happy to be setting up food for hungry riders to get us there.

Here are a few details on the trip. We crossed over into Montana today. At the lunch stop had a great time interviewing Jill, a Montanee shop owner with a big love for her state. Driving along the river we spotted deer, hawks. Apparently some of the riders behind spotted a cub crossing the road. Wildlife rocks!

The seemingly endless beautiful road through Montana state line

A taste of locations to come

Muk Muk being spoiled by Chacko carrying him on bike. Made it to Montana!

I made it too!!

Arriving to Thompson falls, Bridgett and I set up camp. During setup I had a chance to talk to Juanita and Tom, two employees of the middle school we are staying at. Tom gave me the rundown on the 1920 boiler room that stood out amongst the middle school buildings. It is a tall chimney like structure with no doors. Apparently the coal was thrown down a metal chute, which is now sealed off because people kept throwing down objects after the boiler was shut off. Fun little random fact. I also found out Thomspon Falls was struggling with job opportunities, hence the dwindling population. For an area so beautiful and quaint it’s a shame to think it’s on a downward spiral. Americans treasure the intimate, closely connected communities, and yet many seem to struggle in holding together.

A railroad station in beautiful Thomson Falls.

Great dinner, a few massages dished out for the tired riders, and a wonderful ice cream treat at Little Bear finally landed me here with enough time for the computer. I’m not tired, so I didn’t want to pass this opportunity up to blurt out a few thoughts. I found Muk Muks grandfather in Little Bear Ice Cream shop, got a bit of a tan now on my left side (it’s inevitable though, the right side will always be facing the sun), and randomly learned once I’m 32 I will have lived 1 Billion seconds long.  That’s a lot of seconds.  In my spare, idle time sitting here I realized by the end of this year I’ll have lived close to 726,500,000 seconds. The Big Ride is going to be approximately 4,147,200 of that. 4,147,200 seconds to be remembered for a lifetime. AWWWWW!! JK.  Ok ok cheesy moment over. That’s as nerdy as I’ll get on this trip. Good night folks, we’re all bedding down and I’m craving chocolate. Time to go chocolate hunting in Montana!

Small businesses tell it how it is. Amazing Ice Cream store!

Muk Muks Grandfather in Little Bear Ice Cream store!

Bubba the Minnies Cafe mascot!

Day 6

-We started off the day bright and early leaving from Gonzagas University dorms. I think the whole team was in agreement, Gonzaga freshman have it good. These dorms suited well for our tired sore butt squad and we settled in to stay over night Day 4 and Day 5.

-Day 5 was bright and early for me. Left the window shades open so early morning sun kicked me out of bed. Then again, passing out at 7 PM from pure exhaustion gave me a wide window of day time for exploring Spokane. Got the starbucks and REI trip down. Purchased a new handlebar bag to carry my food easier. With supplements and other camping gear thrown into a bag, I headed to downtown Spokane. Passing over the bridge, oh man, check out these falls!

Gorgeous!

-Spokane is a quaint, family oriented city. We came just in time for Hoopfest. 8,000 teams of 3 on 3 with more then 28,000 people coming from all over to attend the festivities. While we were not enrolled in the competition, Izzy and I knew we could dominate if we really wanted too. Check out our slam dunk abilities. That’s what happens when you bike more then 300 miles, you gain superpowers!

Too much power!!

-I chilled out in the Hoopfest area to enjoy food and the company of Sam, Amy and Tim. Heading back to REI Sam and I, two past collegiate runners, decided that since our biking has given us superpowers, we could take on the toughest runners around!

Go Sam Go!

Got it!!

Ok so all that was yesterday. Today folks, day 6 I met my match with my knee. We started off leaving Spokane on a beautiful morning with a light tailwind behind us. I stayed with Chacko and met up later with Sam to make a group of 3 for the first 50 miles. Along the way Muk Muk decided Chacko was going too slow and so popped his tire with a staple.

Chacko taken down by Muk Muk and the Staple!

We hung out there for a bit while Chacko lounged about not wanting to change his tire correctly (kidding), then Alan came up with his tazer and got Chacko back on the road.

Road Support- Alan holding a tazer: "Chacko get back on the road"

So we got back on the road and my knee did the good old “I’m just going to really swell up now and cause you excruciating pain” approach. Thankfully we made it to nearby Newport to ice and elevate my leg in a sports bar while watching the US lose to Ghana in the World Cup. During that time I was debating this whole leg situation. Ok, we’re 6 days into the ride, there are 42 left. I have an inflamed ITB. Calling a few people helped me make up my mind. Be smart and live to ride another day. I called it done 20 miles out from camp after the pain became too much. I never started this ride to be an EFI, and I need a few days off to get the leg back to its best. So my decision is to take 3 days off, one being a rest day, and do fast treatment measures. Cindy, Noel’s wife, helped me with touch therapy, and I’m going to search for an acupuncturist in Missoula for our rest day. Cross your fingers for me. As Alan said though, this ride is not meant to be painful. No Pain, No Pain. I appreciated the view from the Sag Support car. Idaho is beautiful! Sitting in the car I couldn’t help but laugh thinking how I want to bike over the mileage to make up the 188 miles I’ll be missing. But truthfully I’m not missing anything. Going cross country with this group is what it’s all about. We’re here to support a cause and each other, and whether I’m on the bike or helping set up their rest stops, I feel grateful to be here.

Send good energy my way for my knee! We’re going to get back on after Tuesday! Oh and my favorite part of the day is when Chacko, Sam and I were cruising down the hill with a lake on our rights surrounded by forest. We all were whooping and hollering, thrilled to be out here! Thanks for coming along!

Day 4

-Oh man today was like I died on day 3 and woke up a new person Day 4. Knee is still in pain but it can bend more. We slept in a gym at the Odessa High school and so I was well rested. Not that sleeping outside keeps me up but I felt more comfortable not having to set up a tent and take it down the next morning. I said farewell to my awesome friend Justin. He is heading back up north by bike, carrying his gear. Very admirable. Without him many lessons would not have been learned.

-I set off at a great pace after an amazing breakfast. I forced fed myself with vigor, hoping to avoid another episode like yesterday. I stuck with a group of 6, including Chacko, Kristin, Bard, Izzy and Timmy. We were flying in the early morning through farmland! It is so beautiful out here. Endless fields of wheat and morning sun made the early trip memorable. Chacko and I stayed together for the ride. Chacko is originally from India but is living in Arizona right now. Has one of the best attitudes I’ve ever encountered .

-My knee was doing better in the morning but of course over time it started to annoy me again. The good part was that I’m getting used to pain/soreness all over so it was just a minor detail. We rode so fast today that all I can do is sum up the trip. Great ride, amazing mint chocolate chip milkshake in a cute towns soda fountain shop, cool breezes and a beautiful ride into Spokane! The picturesque hills and pine trees of Spokane delighted us as we flew down a long hill. I think I got up to 37 mph just coasting. What a rush to come here for our first rest day! Chacko and I picked up a few bonus miles, so I think I’ll be over 3,300 miles at the end of the trip if I keep being an EFI (Every F@$#ing Inch). We got to Gonzaga University, I jumped in the river with a few riders, and settled in for the night after a great dinner at the cafeteria. Rest day for Day 5! We’ve done 325 miles so far on this trip. Big Wow!

Gorgeous!! Fields of flowers and rolling hills coming up!

Chacko resting. Both our butts were in pain by this time :P

My favorite sign! Washington has such witty people.

Day 3

-Decided for the night to hang out and sleep under stars with my friend Justin (he’s your ultimate outdoor man). It was worth it . Aside from the curious skunk that came right behind our heads to check out my leftovers, I slept comfortably. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and a cool day. Man this is quite the adventure so far. I tested out the knee and it was still in the same condition, so was limping around again.

-Had a great breakfast with the team and got to catch up with Noel and Cindy. What an awesome couple! They have so many adventures to share with others. Noel gave a lesson yesterday on the geology for the upcoming scene we’d bike through. Kind of cool to hear more the reason for why the landscape is shaped as it is. Cindy gave me an idea for biking across Europe. Get 6 of your friends, a barge, and have at it! Imagine biking all through the waterways of europe while your friends handle the barge! Awesome to think about.

-We got on the bikes and set off cautiously on a bridge with no side pass for us. Went smooth and I started off slowly up the hill. The knee was not working so well for the start so I favored it and used my left leg more. Good ol’ Timmy pushed me up the rest of the hill. There’s a hilarious and friendly group called the three musketeers on this trip. Timmy, Izzy and Kristin. If you need a pick me up just hang near them and they’ll brighten your day . We passed by a monument of wild horses far off in the distance. It was majestic.

- We set off into barren land, then into farm land. Along the way met a favorite character of mine, Elke. Elke owns a small Espresso shack in George Washington. On hearing what Justin and I were doing she gave Justin a freebie espresso and a few other gifts, including her story . She came from Germany, set up shop and has been in the area serving truckers good tasting less acidic americanos for more then 10 years. Great lady! Who would have thought someone can tune in to what truckers need to drink for their trip . Mother of the Truckers .

Elke with Muk Muk!

-Justin and I set off again and I told him to go ahead. I was going way way slow to help my knee. Then came hardship time. It was getting hotter and I was really only going about 10 mph. I got a flat along the way, which was great timing before I charged forward again because I got to stop by a house with a friendly family who offered me lemonade and advil as I changed my tire. Advil kicked in to get me through to the next check point with Alan, our bike whisperer.

-Made it to the next town by singing my way through. Times get tough with a bad knee but singing can take care of anything. I think my favorite song of the moment is Hakuna Matata. Funny moment where I guess I called Jay on accident and he heard me sing my way through to the next town lol. Made it to the next town and stopped by for a smoothie. Justin stayed behind for the next stretch thank god. Next stretch was almost unbearable.

-Justins’ water radar was on and we found an irrigation canal to stop by and take a dip in. Good break from the heat.

The Canadian found water!

- Afterwards we were slowly cruising through barren land and I got a bit loopy. Didn’t realize how slow or weak I was until Justin decided we should pull over to find shade and eat. Pretty much learned the valuable lesson of force feeding here. Throughout the day I rejected anything wholesome since my stomach wasn’t in the mood. Got me in the end. If you don’t know much about biking, we’re burning on average 7 calories per minute. Add on weather conditions and wind, our hydration and calorie intake is put to the test. Burning 6000 calories is the standard day for us. Never thought I’d ever burn that much in one day. So salted peanuts and chips did not do the job for me. We made a quick shade stop and got more nutrients in me.

Shade stop!

-The day was getting late and I was slowly pushing my way through. The body told me to stop before we got to Odessa, but with the help of our awesome crew member Frank and Justin, they kept me motivated to get through the last 26 miles. By the time I saw Odessa I was so exhausted and mentally warped from the pain I started crying. It was a good cry. Sort of what you would experience if you felt like you were near collapse for so long and finally saw an oasis in the desert. It was a good reminder that this journey attests to the willpower each of us riders have. Frank was waiting for us with a bag of ice for my leg and Justin got me up the last little hill where the other riders cheered us on and helped me settle in.

-Lessons of the day include the importance of force feeding, shade finding, fast tire changing and keeping your humor no matter what. All of the riders had a challenging day in the heat and wind, but we all pushed through. What a great group!

Day 2

Morning time means jump up fast and get ready for a whole new system of waking up. Wake up, pack your stuff, take down the tent, gear up, and get all to the truck in time for breakfast. Well…yeah. There’s gonna be another chance to get it done in that way. We all slept in this beautiful camp ground with huge pine trees and crazy ass “I’ll get to your lunch sandwich before you do” chipmunks.

I unfortunately did a bit of damage to my right knee loading the gear truck. It buckled under the weight of my bag while stepping up and I got a sharp pain on the right side. It slowly faded at the beginning but picked up again throughout the day. At this present moment I’m still crossing my fingers for tomorrow to bring good luck. I can’t really bend or straighten without pain. Not swollen or bruised, so not sure yet what to do. But did the average ice, elevate and biofreeze routine. Time will tell.

Sorry folks its late and Day 2 will be up for next post. But soon to come are pictures from Day 1 and 2 because I’m too tired to describe everything at the moment and nervous for tomorrow morning. Day 2 was challenging, to say the least. A dry heat, painful knee and long hills contributed to the tired, sore and upset feeling at the end. I walked it off jumping in the nearby river to ice the legs.

But while getting to the second camp ground I had a great moment of “we need to struggle soon enough to understand the cause”. I didn’t think the sentimental message would come up so soon, especially on Day 2. I don’t have lung disease, no one god willing has lung disease in my family, but to struggle for something that is a reality for other people and their families opens up a whole new level of understanding and compassion. It’s not the breathing that really brings it into focus while on this ride, it’s being alone sometimes in the middle of nowhere trying to get up that long hill with a headwind bearing down and realizing it’s just you and you alone that is facing all of this. To face it is heroism. As a group are all heroes.

On the Road

For the sake of taking advantage of limited internet connection and time on the road, things get to be summed up for now

Seattle: Amazing Vibe. Loved the bohemian lifestyle and the small quaint coffee shops. Night before the Big Ride began we geared up, talked it out, and went over the many scenarios of the first day. The big mountain range was in our minds, and the make or break idea was making a few of us nervous. But soon enough settled down and dreamt of first day coasting.

Day 1: Opening ceremony was awesome. We got the breakfast of champions, eggs and potatoes. Bags packed, bike checked, geared up in an awesome jersey made by Evonne, we settled around the trusty ride gear truck.

Izzy and Me!

Muk Muk ready to go!

Tonja and Me! She and her husband Jeff met Big Ride '05. Thanks again for everything!

Past director saying "I'll give you two words, You're Crazy!!" Jk!

Bike ready to go! Thanks Coates Cyclery!!

A few notes from the day:

We winded through Seattle on a nice and lovely trail with a view of the river. Seattle has many bike commuters let me tell you. So many I think they got irritated we were one big jolly group not going to work. Sorry Seattle, but you gotta have fun too on these things.

wooo!

Before entering the freeway Justin and I scored some Sambazon from a WholeFoods to get us ready for the mountains. Soon after we entered the freeway to head through a mountain pass. Ok, not cool with Big Rigs. Not cool at all. But it was still very enjoyable and amazing to see the mountains after the big monster of steel got out of the way. But yeah, Big Rigs, gotta get away from them.

I’ve been trying to master the art of eating while riding. Justin picked up some cherry pits (Justin btw is my friend from Mexico joining us for three days till he does this crazy canadian thing and heads back up to Canada by bike by himself, with panniers, and determination. Also learned to master art of cherry pit spitting. Red drool is not attractive, but neither is choking on your bike.

Justin the Canadian with his awesome espresso

A few mishaps on the way. Almost hitting Justin while checking the cue sheet. Hitting debris on the highway. And cutting myself with my bike chain!

This is an amazing group for the Big Ride of ’10. What a great collection of characters. I don’t think I’ve ever been surrounded by this many people with great drive, ability, humor and compassion for so long a time.

We (four of us) skipped having our bikes shuttled due to construction and took a gravel filled trail (not recommended for road bikes!!). Was definitely worth the extra miles since we got up close to the lake and saw the mountains behind it!

The four of us were the last ones in to dinner. Pitched my tent a second time again in an amazing camp ground and had the feast of Champions, Fajitas!! Alumni and present riders combined, we were a happy group with a bonfire roaring in between.

Oh and my last minute detail of the day, I never showered as efficiently as I did that first night. Geez, I got everything done, including brushing teeth, shampoo and condition, soap and wash my clothes, and even relax for maybe 10 seconds. Wow.

Day 2 coming up!

Sambazon Awesomeness!

For the next 7 weeks I’m taking my fitness to a whole new level. I joined the American Lung Association’s Big Ride Across America. Leaving Seattle on June 21st and arriving in Washington D.C. on August 9^th these heroic cyclists will pedal 3,300 miles in 48 days averaging more than 83 miles per day while each raising a minimum of $6,000 for the vital programs and research of the American Lung Association. The Gift of Breath is the Gift of Life. I’m grateful to have Sambazon take part in this Gift.

Some Sambazon Smoothies at work

I like to treat my body as a temple. This 7-week bike ride will demand both my mental and physical ability, so staying healthy is a priority. I incorporated as much wholesome, healthy and organic foods as I could into my diet while training for this ride. Sambazon has been in my training regimen for some years now. A company founded on sustainability, Sambazon reflects all the values I look for in choosing training products. Their organic Acaí juice blends provide the right balance of fiber, protein, omega fats and antioxidants that jump starts my day.

Breakfast Energy!!

When Sambazon offered to help me prepare for this bike ride I was stoked! Aside from generously donating money for lung disease research, I was set up with their amazing smoothie packs to prepare in the blender every morning before training. I like to add vanilla flavored almond milk with bananas and strawberries for a great tasting breakfast treat. Usually post rides I would crave something sweet so having a Strawberry Samba flavored smoothie sitting in the fridge was the ultimate reward! I crave energy-fueled food, and this purple berry does the trick.

We start tomorrow on a grand adventure to spread awareness of lung disease and the steps the American Lung Association is taking to combat it. Follow me as we go across this amazing country of ours! Thanks Sambazon for making my training more efficient and providing the world amazing purple berry love! Can’t wait to find your smoothies along the route!

It Begins!

It’s been a crazy, fulfilling 8 months of planning, training and hoping for the best. And now the best is about to get better. I’ve made it to my goal: raising $6,000 for lung disease research and riding for the ALA’s Big Ride. Your generous support is what made this all possible.

I’m sitting here in a trendy Seattle coffee shop planning for the unexpected. Hearing a few stories from previous Big Riders reveals to me that this trip, already unique in preparing for it, will be nothing short of life changing. There will be days with tail winds, riding as though we are flying, being in constant awe of this country’s grand scenery. And of course, there will be days I’ll want to find every possible expletive in the book to explain my situation. Nothing can prepare someone for this long and challenging of a trip. So the idea is to go with the flow while bringing your best humor, will power, and flexibility. It will be amazing, and I’m taking you all with me!

This will be the closest yet I’ll be transparent with the land. Almost every night we’ll sleep outside, and almost every morning ride silently down a long stretch of road with, god willing, the rising sun. So for that reason internet will sometimes be hard to come by. But please, e-mail, text, or mentally send good positive energy for me and my team of amazing riders. I’ll be updating as frequently as I can on my blog at www.mas2186.wordpress.com. I’m grateful to have this chance to help others while doing something extraordinary.

Here’s some pics from the Seattle wanderings . So fun!

Last day of my first bike box! Bye Bye old friend

My amazing new friend Tonja from Big Ride '05! Muk Muk strikes again in Seattle!

Muk Muk the Seattle Champ!

Seattle Fun

Our friend the street comedian! Of course my favorite one was "Help, sex doll deflated. Need money for new inflatable one." Seattle has some characters

My tonic

I took a step back today to remind myself why again I was doing this ride. I remember it started off as a random curiosity, and soon formed into a goal: to do what is most difficult for others in order to help them. I can breathe strong, long, and at will. There are those that can’t. So I’ll exert myself for them and surmount the difficulties of lung disease through vision, action and passion for life. Simple. Because I can.

I head off to Seattle tomorrow with two bags and my bike box. Cory from Coates Cyclery took care of gear preparations, and some last words of advice for the long road ahead. I scored myself some awesome Jelly beans with electrolytes! Yum! Today Kent and I packed the bike. Was a bit nervous for once doing any type of mechanics with my bike in front of him. I’ve come so far in learning about bikes and was hoping to show him that his valuable lessons were coming along on the ride . Thanks Kent for being an awesome teacher and friend!!

Kent getting this beauty ready for a long ride

I’ve managed to get most of the camping gear in the one back pack, and even have space for the international man of mystery: MUK MUK! Mascot for Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Random right? Yeah so I got this idea that Muk Muk, a gift from that special someone , should cruise across the country with me not only to raise eyebrows and copy the Travelocity gnome, but to let everyone know that anyone, even a furry little stuffed animal with the biggest smile, can make it across (also for a pick me up if ever the going gets too tough). Stay tuned for his future whereabouts!

Wishing he was starting off in Hawaii. Sorry Muk Muk, can't bike across the water

Cali life for Muk Muk is grand. Palm Trees everywhere!

And finally, at the end of the day, I finished my old school arts and crafts project. I put the names of all my sponsors on a bike jersey . It’s not professional, but it has a touch of personality

Kent getting this beauty ready for a long ride

Wishing he was starting off in Hawaii. Sorry Muk Muk, can’t bike across the water

Cali life for Muk Muk is grand. Palm Trees everywhere!

Soon to be updated! Monday the 21st is our starting day!! Please don’t hesitate to keep contacting me e-mail, or phone, i’ll have both for most of the ride. I’m tempted to take a picture of myself showing I have no major bike tan lines but figured i’ll just be freaking out when I see the after picture…should be fun