Day 48 - 18 miles to Revere Beach

Talk about a buzz-kill......it's all over!

Breakfast was very quite this morning, as we expected it to be. Our normal morning routine was the same except we didn't deliver our bags to the truck. We huddled as we did on the first morning at the beach in Los Angeles and then we rode out together. However, rather than racing off to establish pecking order, we rode together. When forty riders ride together, dressed alike, it's impressive! We were either cheered (by smart people), or honked at by angry drivers. We were in no hurry.

At 13 miles out we made a planned stop in a parking lot. Fortunately, in the absence of restrooms there were two sets of large evergreen bushes. Immediately we deemed one the ladies room and one the men's. It's what I do now....beware! With one Crossroads van in front and one at the rear we lined up to ride (two-by-two) the final five miles to the beach. It was just like a funeral procession...we'd been told to expect these feelings after our seven weeks of bonding.

HOWEVER, today something different happened. About four miles from the beach a police car came screaming by us with lights and sirens. And then there were two, and then three. Two blocked intersections and one led the way - all with lights and sirens. Could it get any better than that? The funeral procession almost turned into a sprint finish!!

Friends and family were waiting, cheering, snapping pictures and looked really happy to see us. The police were just happy we were off the streets.

For about an hour we hugged, kissed, took pictures and even swam in the Atlantic. There weren't any waves - very weird. Our final pictures were group pictures and then we loaded up bikes to head back to the hotel.

Dana is here with me. He was at the beach and helped with the pictures and drove riders back to the hotel. My sister, Pam, didn't make the trip - we changed the plan weeks ago. Pam was truly my biggest supporter through my "challenges" on the trip. Thanks Pam!

PTD (Post Tour Depression) we are told, should set in about three days from now. I'm going to try and just sleep it off on the plane! My bike was just boxed up for shipment directly to Steve's shop and should be delivered on Wednesday. By Thursday I'll be "back in the saddle again".

On Monday I will post my final thoughts and have additional information related to the online photo gallery of my pictures. Until then....

Day 47 - 87 miles Brattleboro, VT to Burlington, MA

Although we are actually in Burlington, MA, I consider this BOSTON!!!

Today's ride was one of the most difficult, and fun, rides of the tour. After the very long and hard day yesterday I did hitch a ride in the truck after 40 miles. But, the big climbs came early in the day - it was great!

I am extremely grateful that I am back on my bike after the crash. The outcome could have been quite different. Again I must acknowledge my new friend Mary Ann who carefully assessed the situation, and with Janie's help moved me off the road.
I owe them and will make up the favor in October when we have our first reunion at my house. They're coming for a weekend of riding - imagine that!

Tomorrow we will ride the final 18 miles in our Crossroads jerseys to Revere Beach. I'm sure we'll laugh, cry and go a little bit crazy. One of our other new friends, Laura, who was only able to ride the first two weeks of the tour is flying in from Southern California to join us at the beach for the celebration.

Tonight we have our last "route rap" to talk through the plan for tomorrow morning. After dinner we'll spend some time together discussing what all of this has meant on a personal level.....that should be interesting. I'd give anything to have a snappy little PowerPoint presentation prepared. :)
Sent from my iPhone

Day 46 - 80 miles Albany to Brattleboro, NY

Very long day - fortunately I was able to finish strong, but only after ten hours on the bike due to other folks mechanical issues. Sometimes you just need to stay and help.

Tomorrow is the last long ride day. Friday we ride to the beach to dip our front wheel in the atlantic. Emotions are running high - mine, too.

Just in case you've wondered about my pictures - when I decided to bring
an iPhone I didn't realize blogspot and iPhone weren't playing well together so made the decision to craft a photo summary after the fact.

However, because I am blessed with fabulous business partners, Julie and Shelley will create an online gallery and post it to the Marketing site on Monday after I send all the pictures with captions. I will also post a link on the blog. How cool is that? Thank you, Julie and Shelley!

More tomorrow.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 45 - 73 miles Little Falls to Albany, NY

How many times have I said this was the best day ever? I have to say it again, and this time for four reasons. First of all I felt good. I guess you really do need to rest after you hit your head on the highway. :) Second, our route today from Little Falls to Albany was not just beautiful, but beautiful with cool weather and a tail wind. Third, I was able to ride with one of staff early in the ride and having a wheel to ride and go faster than I usually would felt like home when I ride with Dana. That was nice! Forth, one of the tour participants lives in this area and took those of us who wanted to (which was the majority of the tour) on a side trip.

The side trip was mostly on a beautiful bike trail along the river where we were able to see a working lock. It was like a fantasy ride, it was that beautiful. In the middle of the ride we rode through the historic section of Schenectady which was amazing. Several people commented they were ready to move. Honestly, it's really nice, but I know what happens here in the winter - they aren't riding their bikes - and we are riding our bikes in California!!!!

During the early part of the ride today I had some after effects of the crash that caused me to stop on the side of the highway. And when I say stop, I mean that my bike wouldn't move. My back tire actually came off the rim. When I took the wheel off the tube exploded. Never have I had anything like that happen before. All of us were required to carry an extra tire with us (which I thought was silly), but now I feel differently. Although the van was just a few miles back, it was nice to just change it quick myself and get on with it. I'm happy I've acquired the skills to do that.

Emotionally the whole group is getting crazy. The reality of this ending looms in front of us. We have two hard days of riding and then the short day to the beach in Boston on Friday. I've cried several times just thinking about it. On the flip side, I've had wonderful feelings about getting back to work and fitting an increased cycling schedule into my "normal" schedule. I have to wonder what will ever be normal again, and also have to believe that somewhere along the way between here, home and work, I'd better create a re-entry plan.

Day 44 - 78 miles Syracuse to Little Falls, NY

I didn't ride today. The wife of one of the staff was here so I choose to drive her
car to the first SAG stop so they could ride together. My plan was to ride the second half of the ride after they had finished. As it turned out, I felt it best to use this day to rest and feel stronger so I rode in the truck coming into Little Falls. Interestingly, the staff person I mentioned is a retired VSP provider. A really nice man with a darling wife!

New York State continues to be absolutely beautiful. We managed to avoid any rain today until later this evening, and then it poured again.

This afternoon, before I took a nap, I took a walk behind the hotel were the Mohawk River was once connected to the Erie Canal. Tomorrow we will ride past more parts of the canal system and be able to view the locks in action. I'm looking forward to that. Of course, I look forward to all of it every day.

Each day is passing faster than the last now. I don't know of anyone who is anxious for the journey to end.

Day 43 - 68 miles Canadaigua to Syracuse, NY

Today was an easier and shorter day and a good day for me to get back on my bike after the crash the day before yesterday. Right from the hotel there were issues. First, I was nervous which didn't help at all, and my seat was a bit off center. So, I went back and had that adjusted. Out on the road I noticed my bars were pointing sideways just enough to make me crazy, but the truck was close by and the adjustment just took a minute. So, I was off.

A wonderful (very) English gentleman rode with me his morning to keep an eye on me. And, I was very glad he was with me. We started slow and never got any faster. New York State is really very beautiful. We rode by a lake and stopped for pictures which was relaxing and a great way to help keep the pace slow. I noticed there are lots of 9-11 memorials along the roads and in the parks here. It's very sobering.

As we neared 30 miles I was obviously feeling the results of the crash and stopped several times to clear my head. My legs are feeling pretty good, but my upper body is sore. The big problem is my head. Riding over any sort of bump in the road really does hurt and then makes my stomach feel "odd". At 32 miles the SAG van came looking for us because we were so far behind the group and I took a ride. It was OK for the first day back and I'll try a few more miles tomorrow.

The big highlight of the day was our visit to the Erie Canal. The place we stopped was truly beautiful. I took quite a few pictures and enjoyed the other riders as they came through. An extra bonus was a group of ladies who'd just finished a Sunday church social and had cake left over that they insisted we eat!

It's weird to think that I'll wake up at home in my own bed a week from today. This time has gone by so fast and I thought I'd come to conclusions about a few things by now, but I haven't. Maybe on the plane....

Day 42 - 94 miles Hamburg to Canandaigua, NY

I did not ride today after my crash yesterday. Last night it was very hard to find a comfortable position, but I do feel like there were four or five hours of good rest in there some where.

Several extra keys were issued for my room so I could be checked on last night and this morning. I didn't have to do a thing. Our mechanic inspected my bike and gave it the "OK" with a caution warning about the carbon frame. Apparently due to the nature of the carbon you can't always tell if the integrity of the frame is intact.

As predicted I am quite sore, but more on my right side, opposite the side I landed on. It's a whip-lash...from behind my right ear down my neck is sore and tender to touch. The rest of my entire body just hurts. On the left side I'm scraped and bruised, but not too bad. The major impact was to my head as I said yesterday. Thank goodness for helmets!

Enough of that. The day was cool to begin this morning and then turned warm. There was quite a bit of climbing through really lovely countryside. I rode in the SAG 2 van-- we stopped several times on our way and wrote encouraging words on the road for the riders to read, for instance: Who will be DFL? (dead f$@"ing last) It's an honor that we celebrate now. You can earn it by getting lost, sightseeing for a really long time or just being the slowest person that day. It's much harder work to be last - you're on the bike for such a long time!

The weather was spectacular through the SAG stop in the Village of Avon. We set up at the fire station in the town square. There's a park across the street and small stores. All very nice. As soon as all the riders came through and we were getting ready to leave clouds rolled in and the rain started. It poured! The temperature dropped and it hailed - the van was looking like a great place to be. We did pick up three soggy riders along the way to the hotel. Everyone else rode through it, except for the really fast people who were already done!

We had a nice dinner tonight and I'm ready to get a long night of rest. Tomorrow my plan is to ride half the day and see how I feel on the bike.

A few closing comments---
The concern for me shown by this group today has been almost overwhelming. Very heart-felt words of concern and encouragement. When we left LA were told that no one would be left behind--that we were doing this together through what ever happened along the way. I'm very sure that no one every expected so much could happen in such a short time.

Six more days to the beach in Boston.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 41 - 78 miles Erie, PA to Hamburg, NY

Twenty miles outside Erie I hit an irregularity in the road and went down hard. Fortunately, my helmet did it's job by cracking in three spots and saving my head. After a ride in the ambulance, x-rays and a variety of other tests I was cleared and discharged. Tomorrow I can expect to be very sore and stiff. My head is fuzzy, but that will mend.

The good news is the doctor was really cute. Even better news is that I was riding behind our "resident medical professional" Mary Ann, who saw me fall, performed the initial assessment and moved me out of traffic. I owe her a big favor!

The bad news is that I missed most of the day of riding and will miss riding tomorrow. However, as I've said before, this is all part of the journey.
Amazing things are happening to (most) every one in the group. Relationships that will last a life time based on this new common experience have formed. We take care of each other in physical and emotional ways that have grown out of mutual need combined with individual strength and weakness both on and off the bike.

One other note before I sleep. Outside Erie this morning the land scape looked so much like Northern California. The from the road I could see the lake (which looks like an ocean) over acres of vineyards. It was absolutely beautiful. I wonder if I should have been paying more attention to the road?

A week from today we ride into Boston. What a trip!

Sent from my iPhone

Day 40 - Rest day in Erie, PA

This morning I rented a car after breakfast and headed to the mall with the girls for some retail therapy. As you know, I believe strongly in the healing power of the mall! In my book it's right there in line behind the bike shop.

After that we went to lunch, did our laundry and generally took care of all the business necessary to tide us over for another week until we roll into Boston. I can't believe the journey is almost over - I choose to focus on this as preparation for what ever is next rather than an ending.

So my bags are packed again with bike stuff in one bag and non-bike stuff in the other. I did have to ship some stuff home to get it everything in. :)

Back on the road in the morning.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 39 - 89 miles Niles, OH to Erie, PA

Not every day is a good day, but every day has it's own unique brand of charm. Yesterday was cold, but today was colder and windy and pouring down rain. We were freezing!

At 25 miles there was a coffee shop packed with most of us soaking wet and shivering. The (very nice) lady couldn't make coffee fast enough. It was funny because she handed us a whole roll of paper towels to dry our soggy selves off with and then she took pictures of all of us with our cameras. The local farmers just looked at us like we were crazy.

Somewhere down the road lots of us opted for a "bump", or ride in the van. There's only so much you can do when you're freezing as you continue to remind yourself that it's all a part of the adventure.

At 61 miles we had a SAG stop at the White Turkey Rootbeer stand. Turkey sandwiches are their speciality and well worth the time to stop.

Off we went to Erie to begin our fifth and final rest day. The lake looks like an ocean. It seems odd to be this far north in cold weather knowing it's warm at home. It's also confusing to have a rest day on Thursday - just seems like it should be Saturday.

Tomorrow I've arranged for a rental car to see the lake. This isn't the rest-only plan that I thought was in order, but seems like the thing to do now that we're here. That's one of the best parts of the tour - just taking one day at a time and either going with the flow or figuring it all out along the way.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 38 - 93 miles Wooster to Niles, OH

It was very cold today. I left the hotel with my vest and arm warmers on, but could have used knee warmers, as well. It's unusual that it wouldn't warm up all day long, but it didn't.

We started out climbing again today for about 40 miles and then it did flatten out just a bit. Somewhere along the way we passed two very large lakes that I'll have to identify later. We tried hard to convenience ourselves that we'd reached the Atlantic....but we knew better. It was just hard today. Cold and hard.

I've developed a click in one cleat that driving me crazy!!! Yesterday I called Steve to get some clues on what to look for and I was able to reduce the frequency of the clicking, but didn't completely get rid of it. Tonight I'll work on it some more.

We are really tired at this point and look forward to our fifth rest day the day after tomorrow. It's funny, because a week ago we talked about all sorts of things that we wanted to do on the last rest day. Now, other than our laundry, we all agree there are no plans. We truly do need to rest.

Tomorrow is supposed to be colder than today. That's not bad news, it just means that we need to dress right - and everyone of us has the right clothes for most anything we might encounter.

I know I've said it before (probably several times), but this is the hardest fun I've ever had. It's great to be here. More tomorrow!

Day 37 - 97 miles Marysville to Wooster, OH

Most of the group rode 97 miles today. Those of us (me) who weren't paying attention rode a few more...

Today was a very hard ride. Lots of climbing, but then the fabulous pay-off on the downhill side. The challenge today was the climbing didn't start until mile 73. But, there was only 20 miles of it. Ouch-

Actually, there were some climbs earlier in the ride. Two bridges were out but we were able to get through--our SAG vans had to detour. One of these was a crazy climb up from a river bottom. Part of the bridge had cracked off and dropped into the river. We had to stop at the fences blocking off the break, walk around, and then climb straight up out of there from a dead stop. The staff, being the great people they are, sprayed "Oh Shift!" on the road just before the fence.

Everything here looks healthy. The crops are so green. The horses and cows are most often blonde and look gracefully beautiful out in the green pastures. Nothing looks more healthy and peaceful than the Amish children. They work in their gardens and they wave when we ride by. One little boy was sound asleep on his front porch.

Tomorrow is another long day--honestly, every day will be a long day until we're in Boston. It's all good -

Time to sleep now.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 36 - 103 miles Richmond to Marysville, OH

This afternoon when I called Dana I was anxious to tell him this was the best day of my life(on the bike). He was quick to remind me that I said that yesterday. Well, I meant it yesterday and today was even better than that!! Amazingly wonderful cycling....beautiful sights, good roads, a slight tail wind and great company.

Unlike most days when I ride alone, today I rode with a group of six other riders and it was great fun. Most of these riders are accomplished cyclists and many have years of experience touring. They know where to look for the good lunch spots and aren't shy about taking a break under a shady tree when they feel like it. In the middle of all that they hammer. I doubled the dose of Advil I'm taking and felt really good all day long. If that's what it takes, then so be it!

There were several more horse and buggy's today - I believe on their way to church. We passed a couple and then saw one driving towards us in a small town. There was the cutest little boy in the front wearing a little straw hat. He looked at the bunch of us with great big eyes.

Today's ride was long and the next two are also long. Our fitness levels at this point in the tour are very different than they were five weeks ago when we left LA.

This is hard, but this is fun. If I haven't already said it, I'm having the time of my life.

Day 35 - 83 miles Indianapolis to Richmond, IN

A perfect day of cycling! Beautiful countryside, blue sky with puffy
white clouds and no wind. It was heavenly-

Two firsts today for me:

I hit a deep chunk of broken cement going through the nicest little
town and blew a tube. This is what happens when you're looking
sideways rather than at the road. It was loud.

Then, going down a hill I was approaching what looked from a distance
like an older small truck. As I got closer I realized it was a horse
and buggy. It was fun to pass, but I wish I'd stopped and taken a
picture. Hopefully we'll see more.

Found a Subway for a quick lunch and later Dairy Queen for a snack.
Everyone is feeling some urgency to take time and have conversations
before it's too late and the adventure is over.

Time for dinner.....
Sent from my iPhone

Day 34 - 64 miles Crawfordsville to Indianapolis, IN

It rained every inch of the way today. Not hard, at first, but then it poured. It's very different to ride in the rain here because it's not cold.

The Sag stop this morning was at a farm out in the country. Apparently the tour has stopped there for years. It was great, and even though we were soaking wet they invited us in like we were family. It was especially interesting when "our Germans" as we call them, explained it was the first American home they'd ever seen and wanted to understand if it was typical. That'll be a conversation that will continue for a few days!

At one point today about five miles out from the hotel the water on the street was so deep the pot holes were filled up. And, of course, I rode right into one - I hit it so hard I was surprised I didn't flat. It actually was a little scary, but I choose to believe that's the "adventure" part of all this.

Watching the news I see we are just ahead of the flooding. Outside buckets of rain are falling and thunder is rolling. Certainly tomorrow the weather will improve. Regardless, we will ride. (and we will love it!)

Sent from my iPhone

Day 33 - 79 miles Champaign, IL to Crawfordsville, IN

We had a great time today wearing our crazy decorated helmets! It was hot and windy riding that left me more tired than usual, so I'm going to sleep now.

More tomorrow-

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Day 32 - Rest Day in Champaign, IL

This has been a busy but restful day - restful because it's been a different pace than the usual many, many hours of riding. After breakfast, however, I did go for a ride. Some of the group thought that was crazy, but I was able to recruit one other crazy person to tag along. We rode back in to town which was really nice. Being a big college town there's lots of coffee houses with outside seating. So we found one with a table available and made ourselves comfortable. It was nice, very nice to be relaxed in a different sort of way for a while.

The university is here and it's huge! We took a map with us and managed to find our way through town for a bicycle tour (self-guided). There's quite a bit of history here and it was interesting to read about it along the way. The football stadium was impressive with huge brick walls and dozens of tall columns at the top. On one side construction is underway to add an additional section even taller with box seats. I took pictures from one side and chatted with someone official looking who explained they were re-seeding the practice field which is right outside the stadium and is preferred for practice sessions over the artificial turf of the stadium. Another large building at one end of the field is the indoor practice field used during harsh weather.

When we arrived back at the hotel my phone rang with a lunch invitation from the girls. One of the crew had a car so we headed back down town for lunch - again wonderful, outside and relaxing. After lunch we hit Target for a few basics and supplies for tomorrows "helmet decorating day". Sounds corny - and it is, but we're all gearing up for it. I'll be decked out complete in a silver crown complimented with pink rose buds!!! AND, they had matching pink gloves with the same pink rose buds. All I have to do is cut the ends off of the fingers on the gloves and use my electrical tape to attach the crown to my helmet. We all wondered why electrical tape was on the packing list. :)

Next on the agenda for today was a movie at 2:00. Six of us piled back in the car and saw "Sex and the City". Loved it!!

Somewhere along the way I'll have dinner and the begin the preparation routine for tomorrow. It's a short day - I believe only 84 miles. On a sad note, we've realized there are ONLY 14 more riding days left. In the middle of that we'll have another rest day, our last, in Erie. It is hard to believe, but I will see you all soon.

Day 31 - 95 miles Springfield to Champaign, IL

Beautiful day today which made for fantastic riding. The rain over the past couple of days caused quite a bit of flooding to the extent that two bridges on our route were washed out forcing us to detour and add miles to our day. After 107 miles yesterday you'd think that would seem like a bad thing, but it was such a nice day that we just didn't care.

Contrary to riding alone I pace lined with three other women for most of the day. They call me "Twig" and argue over who has to ride my wheel because I create less draft than the other "bigger" women. Most of it's just a joke. We had a great time and crushed a few of the men who are used to passing us by.

Tomorrow we rest, which means we'll probably go to movie and do our laundry. When we arrived today all we could think about was finding a nice filling meal, or a feeding, as we call it. In the restaurant the waitress went to great length to explain there would be no tomato on our salad due to the recent health concern in SO many states over unwashed tomatoes. We broke up laughing -- those first 22 people who fell ill -- that was us in New Mexico!

It's happy hour here, so I'm off to get happy now.
And, I almost forgot - Hi, Tara!!

Day 30 - 107 miles Quincy to Springfield, IL

Last night thunder woke me up. It rained all night and most of the day today.

Never, never, never would I have thought I'd say a 107 mile ride was easy, but it was easy today - even in the rain. I loved it and could have ridden further.

The staff tell us we're all getting stronger and I guess today is proof of that. They also told us that we've had the worst weather any tour group has ever experienced and that's why we all thought 107 miles in the rain was a good thing.

The bridge up and over the Illinois River is quite a memorable structure. It's very large and very blue. Like yesterday I was alone and climbed up and over as fast as I could. Again, there wasn't a shoulder so I took the lane and went for it. Unlike yesterday, I could tell there was some sort of big truck behind me. All I could do was keep going - fortunately the other side of the bridge dropped off fast and I was able to make quick work of it. What made this experience memorable was the big wave from the truck driver when he passed me on the other side of the bridge. It was a "you go girl" wave! Or maybe he was just glad I was out of his way....or maybe he was happy he didn't run over me....who really knows?

One more day of riding and then our forth rest day. This is really happening fast now. Each day our big map with the route drawn on it is in the hotel lobby. Tonight when we came back from dinner we took a look and could hardly believe how far we've come - it's really a strange feeling to be here.

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Day 29 - 75 miles Kirksville, MO to Quincy, IL

We all started out this morning tired and sore from the hills yesterday. It should have been a recovery ride today in preparation for the 107 miles we have in front of us tomorrow, but the wind was blowing hard again and it quickly turned into a slog. In addition, we were trying to out run a hail storm that's on the way. We did beat the hail!

Never-the-less, the riding was still amazing. I am eternally grateful to my good friend Michele Ledbetter who tricked me into learning to ride my road bike in the dirt. At one point this afternoon we were on the shoulder of a road so rough I would have gone down had I not had "...have confidence in your character" pounded into my head by Michele. Thanks girl!!

At the very end of the ride - 10 miles out from the hotel we came to the Mississippi. I should say, I came to the Mississippi alone - sometimes you look back and then forward and you don't see anyone. It's clear why it's called the Mighty Mississippi. It's huge. So there I am in my little ring trying to climb my way up the bridge. The wind was blowing, the milk chocolate water swirling below and the cars swerving around me because there was NO shoulder and I had to take the lane. It was really sensory overload! Not to mention, I felt very small next to the "bigness" of it all.

Once in Quincy, Illinois starts when you reach the other end of the bridge, the street went straight up again. The ride across town was the nicest 36 blocks you can imagine. Beautiful homes under a fabulous tree-lined street. I was in no hurry and rode slowly to the hotel. It actually wouldn't have mattered if I'd been in a hurry because I didn't have anything left in me to be in a hurry with.

Rash update: It appears I was bitten a few days ago, on my chest, by something. There are several opinions about what bit me that I won't go into right now, but the result is an allergic reaction to the bite. The ugly itchy rash has moved from my chest in two directions. Today it was on my neck and moving up onto my scalp and on my legs. By the end of the ride I could have screamed, but it wouldn't have helped. Tonight I opted to order a pizza and stay in rather than go to dinner. Aveno Oatmeal Bath seems to help allot. I'm told it will be much better in a couple of weeks - just about the same time the ride is over. Go figure.

More fun tomorrow!

PS - It was nice to craft this post on a real life-size computer this evening while everyone was gone to dinner. Most nights, as you know, I update from my iphone and then you have to deal with my typos. Thanks for your patience with that. Most of the tour folks do have blogs but many have now taken the "screw the blog" attitude. I'm not going to do that. It may be brief at times, but I'm enjoying this.

Day 28 - 75 miles Chillicothe to Kirksville, MO

Very hard ride today. Beautiful and interesting, but very hard.

We all have our good days and bad days, but overall as a group we know who the really strong riders are. They tend to stick together. This doesn't mean that the strongest riders finish first every day. Along the way there are colorful spots to visit or stop and eat - so depending on how you choose to spend the day you may arrive at the hotel earlier or later than the other riders.

Today, however, was different. I didn't realize it, but the stronger riders saw all the hills as a challenge. The first of them finished at 11:55 this morning. I finished at 2:00 after taking two breaks and stopping to take take pictures. The staff is great because no matter when you roll in they make you feel like Lance Armstrong winning yellow!

The weather is overcast today with a tail wind which saved us. We rode through one little town setting up for a parade. They had carnival rides set up on the road we were supposed to turn on so we rode up on the side walk to get around. We did notice the drivers in this town never look before they turn so it was good to leave there.

Tomorrow we cross the Mississippi River into Illinois. I can hardly believe any of this -

Sent from my iPhone

Day 27 - 86 miles. St. Joseph to Chillicothe, MO

Today was the best cycling day ever! Last night it thundered so loud it woke me up-- rain poured down. This morning the sky was filled with broken clouds. We rode through mile after mile of the most beautiful country you can imagine. At times it could be mistaken for Hawaii-completely green and lush.

Lots of hills today, but the bigger hill day is tomorrow. At times I felt like I was flying!

There is some ceremony surrounding the ride. We had our third team day today when we all wore our Crossroads jerseys. (note: my jersey fits perfectly in contrast to almost everyone else. Thank you, Star!) To honor the DeKalb Historical Society in Maysville we rode out 30 miles and regrouped at an elementry school. When everyone arrived we rode into town together to be greeted by the "old folks" who had a huge table filled with home made goodies for us. It was wonderful to be there with them. They kept thanking us for coming to see them....and we kept thanking them for having us. They have a scrapbook of every year the tour has visited since 1997 and told us we were the highlight of their year. Wow-

The rest of the day only got better as we continued to ride up and down through miles of beautiful landscape.

I still struggle with a heat rash, or whatever it is. The nurse on the tour suggested a visit to the ER for steroids, but I'm trying to avoid that. On the way into town I was able to find a pharmacy that was helpful. There's some sort of issue that almost everyone has to deal with. All part of the journey.

Three weeks from today we'll be in Boston and this will all be over. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

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Day 26 - 87 miles Topeka, KS to St. Joseph, MO

My biggest fear was not making it through Kansas. Early this afternoon, under cloudy skies we crossed into Missouri. Picture the Missouri River like the American River by Sac State only very muddy. All the rivers and creeks outside CA have been muddy.

It wasn't hot today, but I was sticky before we left the hotel in Topeka. We rode out of town through a beautiful area with fantastic homes and amazing yards -- a huge contrast to the neighborhood in St. Joseph we rode through to find the hotel tonight -- quite old with large unimproved properties.

The last eight miles today were hard-mostly climbing, and not easy after 80 miles of rollers. Tomorrow we face 140 hills in a row (can't quite visualize), but will let you know!

Two things really stuck out for me today:
1- My bike (my Orbea) is an amazing machine.
2- If you eat a foot long hot dog at 50 miles you'll still feel strong at 80 miles.
These are both good things to know.

The other thing I'm absolutely sure about is how wonderful it is to see America from a bike. It's very up close and personal.

I've developed a heat rash that's about to drive me itchy crazy! After dinner tonight I'll look for a pharmacy.

The weather report isn't sounding good for tomorrow - time to turn it off.

More fun in the morning.

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Day 25 - 106 miles Abilene to Topeka, KS

Today marks the half way point of our trip to Boston. The ride was absolutely beautiful, and very long.

I am very tired-more tomorrow.
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Day 24 Rest day in Abilene, KS

One of the challenges on the tour is finding a computer. I'm happy to have my iPhone - and I'm getting faster with my index finger - weeks ago I gave up on ever coordinating both thumbs.

Four of us girls are out exploring today. Since the hotel computer has a "repair man called" sign on it we've stopped at the library so they can check email. I'm sitting outside on a bench soaking up daily life here.

We had a fantastic lunch at a very unlikely and cool little place decorated with unique colors, art and furniture. The menu was full of surprises and a refreshing break from the usual power food that keeps us going day after day on the bike.

At high noon sirens started to go off--really made me jump! Apparently that's just what these smaller towns do. After several rounds of different sirens the church bells started to ring. No one around here looks like they need to be reminded to eat with sirens and bells, but you never know....

In addition to sight seeing it is important to rest, but there's so much to get done just to keep up with the daily pace. Laundry is a huge issue for some riders. My preference is to hand wash each day, but some think that's too much work. I choose that over sitting and waiting for a washer/dryer. Technical wear easily dries overnight.

After we take in a few sights I'll clean and lube my bike and put new tires on. If I were at home I'd ride for another 500 miles before switching to new, but out here I'm opting for the proactive approach.

Tonight we're going to the "chicken place" for more local flavor. Tomorrow we ride 106 miles with lots of climbing.

It's all part of this absolutely amazing adventure!

PS: Visited Eisenhower Center and the Greyhound Hall of Fame. Great!
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Day 23 - 62 miles McPherson to Abilene, KS

A great day on the bike! After 22 miles fighting a cross wind we turned toward Abilene and enjoyed a tail wind. Kansas continues to surprise
me with crisp, green views.

I had to laugh out loud at myself today---after the turn it was so pleasant to look out across the county side---I could hardly believe that I was seeing a huge red and white hot air balloon rising out of the Kansas horizon. The closer I got the higher it rose.......until it turned into the top of a cleverly painted corn silo.

When I arrived at the hotel this afternoon my plan was to rent a car to use tomorrow (our third rest day). The local car rental number was listed in the hotel directory and I had the nicest conversation with an extremely gracious lady who explained their policy is to only rent to residents of the county. Additionally, there were no cars available because of the recent hail storm that broke lots of car windows. She shared that one local car dealer had windows in 30 cars broken. She told me to be extra careful on my bike and find cover if it started to hail again. That sounds like a good plan to me.

There's quite a bit to see here in Abilene. Tomorrow I'll visit Eisenhower Center, the Greyhound Hall of Fame, and several beautiful historic mansions that I saw on the way through town. Not having a rental car will be fine - I'll ride my bike.

Time to eat and rest.
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Day 22 - 65 miles Great Bend to McPherson, KS

The wind continues to blow from the East making us ride into a head wind that slows us down. Today was stronger than yesterday, but not as strong as the day before, so can't complain - and it wouldn't do any good anyway!

It's been three weeks since we left LA - this is hard for me to believe. What is even harder for me to get my head around is that exactly one month from today I'll be back in the office and all of this will be a part of my history. I continue to feel so grateful for this opportunity and all the people who encourage and support me.

Along the windy way today I took quite a few pictures - there are so many different shades of green. I remembered my dad and how much he loved green. He painted in oils and used lots of green paint. And, he painted our house a variety of shades of green during the years we lived there in Salinas. There used to be a TV commercial about a guy who could fix anything by painting it green. That was my dad.

Most often I find myself riding alone and that's OK with me. As I explained to one of the staff yesterday who said that I always look so happy on my bike, I figure I've only got so many miles to get a lot of thinking done. So I'm happy to be on my bike, I'm happy to have the time to think, and I'm to think about getting back to the my life when this time is over.

Tomorrow is another short day - 60+ miles, and then we have a well deserved rest day.

One last thought in this random list for today -- while I was riding into town my phone dinged - I knew a text had arrived and guessed it was from my husband, Dana. It was. He'd send a text that said: At Maidu MKT. I knew he meant he been up Salmon Falls, down into the canyon, up Old Forest Hill Road and back to the market before heading down Auburn-Folsom to home. This ride, his normal training ride, would make most of the folks on this tour cry. It's all relative on the bike. All good.