It's all about the climb

Cycling 85 miles up a bunch of mountains is no easy task. But the ride was simply amazing. And I don’t care what anyone says about this country, it is absolutely beautiful. The ride was difficult, but the views were unreal. Especially during the downhill part of the ride, where we topped out at 46 MPH. It was a little nerve wracking knowing that if I messed up even a little going at that speed that it would not end well. The Lions club members made the drive up to Markleeville to cook us dinner when we finished the days ride. We slept in an extremely small rec center that was absolutely freezing. You can check out some pics and videos on my facebook page from the Kirkwood ride.

Crank it up

Onward to Jackson, Ca. I decided to ride with J-Post and be in a faster pace line in order to make the ride. Everything was going fine until Jimmy’s tire ripped from a bunch of glass on the road. I stayed with him until changed the tire tube which took about 25 minutes and let the other two cyclists in are pace line go ahead. I really wanted to make rack point so after Jimmy changed his tire we started booking it averaging about 20 miles an hour. Jimmy’s tire ripped yet again and since we stopped to grab his new tire at a rest stop we attempted to change it, but for some reason the tire didn’t fit his rim. So about 30 minutes later a J-Johnson stopped to pick us up because we couldn’t finish the days ride, but then he realized that he didn’t have room for our bikes on the car. So one of the injured riders in the car offered to let Jimmy use his bike to finish the days ride. So once again amid another bike problem Jimmy and I booked it to the end of the days ride in time.

Jackson Ca was a nice little small town and we were provided dinner and breakfast by the Local Lions club chapter. Dinner that night was amazing and we needed it to make for the epic Kirkwood ride the next day.

Don't get racked

Not making it to rack point made me extremely mad, so I wanted to crank it up a notch in order to finish the ride. However I learned the hard way of the rules of the road. I always want to test myself physically during rides and during uphill climbs I like beast it up that hill, however the “rules of the road” are very important on this trip for our safety. I broke one of those rules by getting too far ahead of my pace line, which is unsafe especially on an uphill climb. Therefore I was “racked” for the day after 5 miles. I was so frustrated, that I didn’t talk to anyone for like a half hour. I eventually cheered up and let it go, especially when I heard that J-Post’s whole pace line got racked for crossing a double yellow line.

We had a great friendship visit in Sacramento and I met Jimmy’s Vaeth’s aunt, uncle and cousin, who were generous enough to bring us two air mattresses to sleep on since we would be sleeping in a middle school gym for the first time.

Napa Valley

I have to say that Napa valley is beautiful though I was disappointed I did not make rack point due to a slow pace group I was still content on the days ride. I wish I had climbed over to some of the vineyards and ate some grapes.

We also had a great friendship visit today in the Napa Valley. The people there were extremely nice and the food really re-energized us. I am definitely learning a lot about myself on this trip and about my teammates. We head to the “Sac” tomorrow cya later.

first friendship visit

So yesterday was everyone got settled and put their bikes together. I must say I was very proud of myself for figuring out how to do it with some assistance.

Today we had our first friendship visit, which was fun and exciting for everyone. We played basketball and toured the facility, which has wonderful programs for people with disabilities.

We also did some skills training on our bikes in the early morning. I "ate it" trying to pick up a water bottle from my bike. We then took the team picture down at the golden gate bridge. I must say the city of San Fran had more smog than I expected. I also feel like it will take me a couple more days to get used to west coast time

My arrival

On the plane ride over I found that I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

I got into San Francisco today, it looks like a nice area, but I have not done much exploring yet. Tomorrow is my first day of orientation. I can't believe the yankees are losing 4-0 to the sox. It's weird not being able to watch the game. I going to take nap now so I can get better acclimated to the time change.

Getting ready

Hey everyone, well I'm almost packed for my departure to San Fran on Tuesday. We have four days of orientation and training before we start on Saturday. I also want to thank everyone who has supported me in my preparation for this event. I'll check back in when I get to San Fran