To Nebraksa and Kansas

Today got off to a great start with some wonderful pancakes provided by the boy scouts of troop 35. We had 95 miles to go to McCook Nebraska. Luckily we were about a mile away from the Kansas border. We made a quick little detour to see the Sunflower state. Then we went back on our way to McCook. The entire ride went pretty well. We were able to go see transformers 2 at a local movie theatre. I will also say that their are some bored girls in that town. It was a Friday night and they kept on following us around as we walked back to our lodging. Another 95 tomorrow to finish our four 95 day run.

Wray, CO

Today we all got off to a great start, not only did we get to sleep later than usual, but we had an excellent breakfast provided by the Fort Morgan Elks Club. I feel like since we all conquered the Rockies, the rest of our journey wouldn’t be difficult, however the last two days of cycling haven’t been that pleasant. Yesterday’s scorcher was followed by today’s blistering headwind. The smell of the passing cattle farms, cattle trucks, and grasshoppers also didn’t help the ride go by any faster. However, the games we play and the discussions we have with each other do make the ride more pleasurable. In addition, we grow closer and learn more about each other during each ride. I have always thought that I would have the closest bond with my teammates from my high school wrestling team because the training and dieting was so difficult. But after this trip is over, I feel like I’ll be as close with these guys as I am with my own family. I mean we spend all day with each other. I’m kind of surprised that we haven’t been at each other’s throats more often, but I guess fights don’t tend to occur as much when you are with a great group of guys who want to achieve the same goal. Most of us finished the ride today amid some bike problems and minor injuries and were able to enjoy the amenities of our lodging at the Wray Rehabilitation and Activities Center (WRAC) including a hot tub and a piping hot sauna. In addition, our dinner was phenomenal, one of the best we’ve had all trip. It was a potluck provided by the staff of WRAC. Usually our team is able to polish off all the food, but tonight was no easy task. The staff of WRAC made sure that we were absolutely stuffed. After dinner we performed a successful KOB puppet show for WRAC and their children.

It was a hot one

Today started off well when we were greeted with a wonderful breakfast provided by Matt Cassels mom. It was also a good day because I had just gotten my wisdom teeth out and I finished a 100 mile ride so I felt pretty tough. It turned into a logistical nightmare when two pace lines rode down the wrong street. However my pace line did not make that mistake. No we made the mistake of pushing too hard. It seemed that each person leading the pace was pushing it way too hard. The first 70 miles of the ride sucked because we didn't talk and everyone was trying so hard. To top it off we had a side wind and it was 95 degrees out. After Lunch we decided to calm it down a bit and we also had a little tail wind to make things better. 10 miles after lunch two of the riders in my pace line were racked to a KOB presentation that we didn't know was scheduled. So the four of us finished the day. But we didn't finish without some bumps and bruises. about 10 miles out Adam Caruthers clipped Dan Brown's back tire skidded and fell, I was right behind him so I had no time to break I crashed into his bike went over my handlebars and over his bike and landed on my back and smacked my head against the ground. I had a couple scrapes and an instant headache and Adam has some decent cuts, but we were able to finish the ride.

Wisdom Teeth Weirdness

So for My day off the bike in Denver didn't go exactly as I planned. The original plan was breakfast, then a chiropractor would come do free back checkings or something, then lunch with Dave Fishells family, a friendship visit, then Dinner with the Tanabe family.

Now for what really happened: for those of you who don't know I have been having a pain in my mouth for the past week and it was because one of my wisdom teeth was coming in. It has been very painful to eat over the past week, so I figured something must be wrong. Luckily Meredith Fleishman lives in Denver who I know from back home. Through her I was able to make an appointment at her Dentist for 9am today to see what was wrong.

So I took a cab ride down to 16th street where University Dental Arts is located. When I saw the dentist I got an X-ray of the area of my mouth that was bothering me. The X-ray showed one of my wisdom teeth coming in and putting pressure on one of my molars, which was most likely causing the pain. I was able to get an appointment at an Oral surgeon at 10:15 to get my wisdom tooth removed. So another cab ride later I made it to another waiting room. This place accepted my insurance and everything seemed to be going well until I needed a referral from my primary care physician. I was not able to reach them for a while since it was lunch time back east. Finally I got through to the office and they granted me a referral due to the emergency situation. Everything set up pretty well, but I was a little nervous about the procedure. My brother got his wisdom teeth out and he was inactive for a while. How long would I be off the bike, a day, two days, a week.

My fears eventually dissipated when I learned it would be a simple procedure especially since my tooth was not impacted. I got to experience laughing gas for the first time and I must say it was so weird. I was hallucinating hard core. For a little bit I thought I was dead. I didn't pass out or anything I was just out of it. I think the assistant must have given me a little too much. I asked her if the operation was over even before it started.

The procedure went extremely well and everyone was amazed at my fast recovery. I was able to make to the friendship visit and play wheel chair rugby with gold medal winner from the Paralympics. It's an intense sport. I was also able to enjoy the wonderful steak meal the Tanabe family cooked for the North team.

I happy to say that I don't have any pain at this moment and that I am going to ride tomorrow's 100 miles to Fort Morgan.

Today was definitely an weird experience, but that it what this whole trip is about a life experience. Something that I can look back on. I don't think I will ever forget getting my wisdom teeth out in a strange city. It was pretty amazing how easily everything was set in place. It couldn't have happened without Meredith, my family and the staff at the dentist and oral surgeons offices.

Well I gotta go to bed I'm pretty tired from this eventful day.

Empire Colorado and Denver

So the 40 mile ride to empire was pretty tough, but exciting. The first half of the ride we had a steep climb up to love land pass which is actually 12000 feet in elevation. I tried to call my mom to tell her that I was on top of the world, but no cell phone service. The view was simply amazing. I'll post the pics on my facebook. The downhill was pretty steep with a lot of twists and turns and was a lot of fun as well. Our lodging was pretty nice and everyone got a bed. We had a friendship visit at the summer camp for people with disabilities, which actually brought me back to bad memories of summer camp from my childhood. I couldn't believe the amount of camp songs the counselors knew. It was endless.

The next day was a ride into Denver. It was one of the more beautiful rides I have been on this summer. My pace line and I also got to ride with the man the myth the legend Bruce Rogers. For those of you who don't know Bruce started the Journey of Hope in 1987. The last part of the ride was a downhill with so many dangerous twists and turns, but we all made it down safely. The road looked like one of the roads in those Mazda zoom zoom commercials.

In Denver we got to meet up with the Transamerica route, so I got to see my fellow Virginia Tech brothers. It was a lot of fun catching up with them. Both routes even got a tour of Mile High stadium, which is where the broncos play. When we entered the Jumbo-tron read "Welcome Journey of Hope" it was pretty neat.

The arrival in Denver was probably one of the more important arrivals in the trip. We got escorted to the State Capital by the local law enforcement, where a mass group of people and local television stations were waiting to meet us. Denver is a really awesome city. I feel like I would want to live here after college.

That night we did our "Peddle for Pennies" event where we rode around the local city park lake on our bikes with a person who had a disability to raise funds for special Olympics activities.

Tappin the Rockies

I haven't kept up my blog up to date very well, but in my defense there always isn't Internet access. So I'm skipping a couple towns and putting in parts from various places in the last week.

Anyway Dinosaur Colorado was very interesting place. We got there early because we were racked for most of the ride because of construction. We stayed at a elementary school. Our shower situation was pretty interesting. We showered at a truck stop. I know what your thinking it must have been disgusting. I thought it would be too, however they were quite clean. But the interesting part was that these showers had two shower heads in one shower. So picture a regular shower but with two shower heads. Anyway it was made for two people to shower at the same time. It was quite interesting. Heider my brother from VT were about a half a foot away from each other.

The ride to steamboat springs was fairly simple, but my pace line including me encountered many flats throughout the 40 mile ride. The shower situation was a much better than Dinosaur. We got to the local hot springs spas to shower, but before we cleansed ourselves with soap we did it with hot relaxing natural water.

Today's ride was Breckenridge, this ride was probably the most difficult of the trip. 110 miles into the Rockies, 9,000 elevation. The pace line I was in was doing well. We were the first group into lunch at mile 70, but oddly enough we were the last group out after lunch. I have learned that you can be the fastest cyclist on the team, but if your equipment isn't working well that day, like if you encounter a couple flats you will probably finish last or close to it. It felt really good to finish the ride especially after I kept getting sharp pains in my knee, but that's nothing a bunch of Advil and an Icy Hot patch won't fix.

It's pretty weird that today is July 4th. It certainly doesn't feel like it. After we ate dinner some of the cyclist went out to see the town, which was probably a bad choice because the walk was so long and lodging is up on top of a big hill. Needless to say I am exhausted writing this blog, but my mommy wanted me to update it. I'm going to bed. Got to get up early to hit up Loveland Pass tomorrow: 12000 ft elevation.

Salt Lake City

Today's ride started out great we had some gorgeous weather and scenery. However 30 miles into the ride we came up on a construction zone that did not seem to end. So the team had to rack for the last 50 miles into Salt Lake.

We had our first arrival in a while. We rode into the local Saturn dealership where they provided us with lunch. We quickly showered to get to the local raging waters water park for a friendship visit. We all had a great time with our new friends at the water park. There a particular slide with a big drop and even though all of us were a little hesitant everyone made it down the slide safely. Usually when our team goes somewhere a lot of people stare at us because were such big crowd, but at the water park everyone wasn't staring because of are large crowd, but because we had such weird tan lines. I mean my stomach and back are completely white compared to my arms, legs and face.

The next day we had a day off from cycling, but we had a friendship visit a the National Abilities Center – Bronfman Family Recreational Center & Ranch. This was one of my favorite friendship visits yet. This center is doing some wonderful things for people with disabilities. They have a range of people that come to the center to enjoy their facilities. This week kids with visual impairment stayed at the center. I had the pleasure of spending time with lovely girl named Bridgen, who is blind and has a cochlear-implant due to her loss of hearing at an early age. She was extremely bright. She's a senior in high school and said she wants to be a child psychologist and help children with disabilities. She spoke often about her older brother who wants to be an optometrist to help people who are blind.

Before I spoke to Bridgen the north team got to climb a 30 foot rock wall, only blindfolded. It was pretty difficult and scary.