Day 48

Day 48  was to South Bend in MI. Another day, another state which are dropping like flies. We had to wake up at 5:15 to get ready and my day didn't start out the greatest. My jersey didn't dry and was wet and my stomach was in knots. We had breakfast served by Mr and Mrs. Butterbaugh and they served us some amazing egg omlette with sausage.

I rode with Chris today on our 67 mile ride. At the start my knee was clicking and was hurting as well but it subsided in a while. We rode at a good pace until 5 miles from our sponsored lunch when it started to rain. Bad luck I guess to start with a wet jersey and end with one too.

Lunch was sponsored by friends of Spencer and they had some amazing food for us to eat. I also took the time to teach Dan how to ride my bike as he wanted to tomorrow. He was an absolute natural at it. I was jealous at how good he was actually because he might be better than I am.

After lunch we cycled to Western Michigan State where we had our lodging in the dorms. After showering and having some free time I worked on my bike to clean it and adjust it for Dan to make sure everything would run smoothly for him. At around 5ish we headed downstairs to enjoy a dinner from the family of a rider in 2006. We enjoyed mac and cheese with cheesy potatoes and so much great food. It really brought all our spirits up high from being sick and tired.

Many of the guys went out to see a movie afterwards but I was just going to finish preparing for tomorrow as crew and being ready to get out of the dorm rooms quickly. I also spent some time cleaning up room on my phone as I've taken too many photos and was running out of space.

Day 47

Day 47 was to South Bends Indiana. We had to wake up at 4:30 as riding in the city would be near impossible so we needed to rack ourselves out to an easier area to ride. We enjoyed our breakfast a little bit outside of the Buckingham Fountain where we took our team photo and started off from. I road with Collin and Alex today.

Today was about 90 miles with a friendship visit in between. I have never been first before and today was the day. I really sprinted and worked hard to push myself way beyond my limits. We got to lunch first at 45 miles first but we had to stop 3 miles before it because the vans were held up by a broken train! We were able to pass all the semis trying to turn into the mess so we had to wait for the vans to get free and pass us to mark the next few turns.

Lunch was at Michigan lake and we enjoyed a lunch sponsored to us by a PM from 1992. I didn't jump in the lake but many others did, I was just anxious to get on the bike and get back to riding to make first.

After we enjoyed our relaxing rest we heading back out where I was aching but I would not be stopped. I made it to lodging first with 10 minutes to spare before the next paceline rolled in. We were staying at St Joseph School and it was very, intense in how beautiful and new it was. I was excited and took a victory shower before we headed to our dinner with the Knights of Columbus. They served us spaghetti and afterwards Collins mother sponsored ice cream for everyone.
After ice cream I headed back to lodging where I went to sleep as many of the team did because we were all pretty shot.

Day 46

Day 46 was also in Chicago! We woke up at 7 am for our friendship visit at The Envisions of Chicago. We spent some time with clients with a range of mental disabilities and I also helped clean out a grill. Something I thought I wouldn't do for a long time. We also grilled for them which was pretty awesome. Some of the guys got to help set up and help clients through a bicycle course. They got so excited after they completed it. We also spent time rocketing an aerobics ball into the sky with a parachute thingy.

We then headed back into the city where we had more time. I took a cab to the hotel my sister was staying at and my brother had gotten me a Chicago Style hotdog which was delicious. We then headed to an architectural tour of the city by boat on the Chicago river which was interesting and allowed me to see a lot of the city in a quick manner. Afterwards we walked around until they stopped at a place to get dinner and I waited until I had to go head back to go to our sponsored dinner. I said my goodbyes and I really didn't want to leave my family but I had to. I really want to go back and spend more time with both of them when I am able to. Not to mention Paula and Katie, they are my family as well.

We walked over to Genos East for pizza and the place was really cool. The whole restaurant walls were covered with peoples names and writing! We hung out with Eric who had done the first JoH ride back in 1988, the first official one that is. He had some great stories and also I learned the company he works for owns my cites' mall! The world really is small. We headed back to lodging and learned of a super early wakeup so I prepared for the following day and quickly went to sleep. 

Day 45

Day 45 was to Chicago! We got ready in the morning around 7 am for our breakfast  to which we had yoga afterwards. This was funny as 35 guys tried to balance in ways we couldn't and you could hear grunts and sighs of relief as we stretched. Afterwards we quickly got into our jerseys and had a Kids on the Block for the children visiting the YMCA for summer camp.

We racked up and headed to our stage up at target. We waited around a bit and I was anxious to arrive and see my family. So after heading out we got in double paceline formation and arrived at the Victor C. Newmann center where we had lunch and hung out with some clients. I saw my family and they were so happy to see me and I couldn't stop smiling. I was made fun of for my tan lines but I was glad to see them. They had to leave to bring my sister-in-law Katie to work but I would see them in the city a few hours later. After our visit we headed into the city where we were dropped off at Millennium Park for a couple of hours. I met up with my family and we walked around and talked before I headed over to our sponsored dinner at Club Lago.

Our sponsor basically picked the most amazing Italian restaurant to eat pasta and soup. It was really good and afterwards we headed to lodging which was this amazing golf resort called the Eaglewood Resort and Spa and it was in Itasca. I decided to go to Dave and Busters and Reggie joined me to which we met Kyle, Jason, and Baeu there. We bought 10 dollar cards which gave us 180 minutes of free play! We played until closing and then I passed out as tomorrow was an early wakeup for an action packed day!

Day 44

Day 49 was to Glenview IL, which meant we worked out way back to Illinois. We woke up at 5:30 and prepared to be racked out of the city as there were too many turns to mark.
The ride today was a quick 70 miles and was really enjoyable. The ride was quick as out legs were nice and fresh so mostly everyone averaged above 18.5 MPH and spent very little time at crew stops.

We arrived to lodging at the local YMCA which was absolutely amazing and beautiful. We set up downstairs for our lodging and showered up to which many of the guys took naps but I took time to talk to my parents, girlfriend, and my brother who I was going to be able to see tomorrow along with my sister! I was super excited to get to see them in Chicago.

After our naps we had a BBQ outside the YMCA in which we ate some delicious food and danced the night away, well except for me. There was a cool jungle gym and I was looking after a parents child Christian. We was such a sweetheart and I loved spending time watching over him!

After helping the sponsors clean up some of us went to a sponsors house where we had s'mores over a bonfire. Afterwards we went to bed and were excited for what tomorrow was going to bring to us. Obviously I was excited to see my brother and sister.

Day 43

Day 43 was our eight day off and we woke up around 7ish to get ready an action packed day. We had 4 visits but first we went to the Independence First office in which Kathy works and got to use more adaptive tools. After that we headed to Gaenslen elementary school where we spent some time with children and had a Kids on the Block puppet show.

After that we went to the Holy Trinity Church where we hung out with some of the clients and played kick ball, and raced solving puzzles. It was a really good time and some of the clients were really killer in their attitude and how enthusiastic they were.

After this visit we had a small amount of time until the next one so as a van (more so truck) we headed to CVS for some caffeine. After that we headed to an Olympic Training Facility where we played.... Wait for it! Wheelchair Hockey! There weren't enough chairs so I had to wait to play but when I did it was really fun and the few clients who came to play with us really enjoyed playing with us even though we were so bad. Matt and Jeremy kept checking me and knocking my stick out but every single time I couldn't help but to laugh.

After loading up the wheelchairs in some trailers we headed to Nicolet High School where we got to play wheelchair basketball after setting up and eating dinner. I played a couple of games but I ended up rolling around the school chasing Abigail and Kate, two twins we met who are un-diagnosed, around as they were on special bikes with Steven and Luke. It was really tough rolling around in the wheelchair and my arms were killing me.

We helped clean up and headed to lodging where I showered really quickly and prepared for our ride tomorrow which was to be around 70 miles but we felt like we've been off the bike for a year when it was only 2 days.

Day 42

Day 42 was our sixth of seventh day off. Our wakeup was at 11. Most of the guys who didn't go out woke up at 8 or so. I called a couple of people and worked some things out and enjoyed relaxing before enjoyed lunch with the Moms of America (And Dad) which served us pulled pork sandwiches and also had adaptive eating utensils for us to use.

Afterwards we headed to a bowling ally where we played games with clients from the Spina Bifida Association. There weren't many clients so I played with Matt, Sam, Michael, and Josh in which we were always doing strikes in a row and having a great time.

After that we headed to a Yacht Club to hang out with the Harley Davidsons family. I sat with two friends who were breaking out the jokes and we had a great time. Sadly it was raining so they couldn't take us out on the boats they had planned to do but we still had fun. After dinner we headed back to lodging all giddy for tomorrow and what we were going to get to do.

Day 41

Day 41 was into Milwaukee WI, and was also our last day of cycling for the next 2 days. This made us all really want to push ourselves and finish out strong. We woke up at 5:30 and enjoyed breakfast sponsored by Doug's mother. He really wanted steak and eggs so we had egg sandwiches. We set off with Doug, Kyle, and myself.

We went at a decent pace for a while until 10 miles before lodging where we were told we had to be there by 2 PM. It was already 1:53 so I sprinted like a mad man trying to get there in a good amount of time. We arrived at like 2:20 with many stop lights so I think we did a great sprint. So well that we actually passed lodging because we were so focused on going fast.

After a quick shower we met our main sponsor and the one who set up our schedule for the next two days, Kathy. She had chocolate milk for us and food so we relaxed until we headed to the mall. At the mall we spent the day as groups of 5 with a client who was a female. Our client was amazing and she wasn't a girly girl so we went into some fun stores including Yankee candle and when we hit Forever 21 the laugher ensued. One of our guys put on there short jean shorts and a kitty tank on and walked around the store. Mind you he has the worst farmers tan ever and is a male. After spending dinner with our lovely new friend we got her an Iron man tank top and said goodbyes hoping to see her within the next few days.

Back at lodging we all hung out and relaxed after some hard days. First I ran to Walmart to get a new air mattress as mine was completely broken. I don't know how I did it but I managed to put a couple of holes in it which were the size of a pin needle. Afterwards I opened up a care package from my girlfriend and it honestly made me laugh and I loved it so much. I couldn't ask for anything more than her support because it's amazing.

Day 40

Day 40 was to Rockford, Illinois which happens to be the home of our very own Doug. We woke up at 5:30 and were greeted with eggs and ham which was sponsored by the camp we stayed at. We got ready and headed off for a 110 mile ride where I road with Brookes and Steven as sweeps.

We had to really push the pace to make rack points today but it was hilly and very difficult to do so. By the time we got to lunch with traffic and hills it was unsafe and impossible to make it to lodging so we had to get racked. I road 7 more miles before getting racked with Doug and we talked about his home town and his trip so far. He had a positive spirit even though he was going to get racked.

We headed to an Indoor Sports Center for our friendship visit in which we hung out with some campers. They turned me and a couple of the guys into mummies and we played UNO with some. One of the campers knew everyone's college or universities mascot. It was crazy that he even knew that Iona was the Gaels. After enjoying our visit we showered there and got ready to head to lodging and dinner.

Our lodging was at the Union hall which we had a vote prior to the day on what we wanted to eat. Chinese was the winner and we were granted with Chinese. It was amazing and I spent time talking to Doug's parents who were interesting. His father was really into physics and his mother is a Physician.

After dinner we had a projector and speakers so we watched Borat as a team and enjoyed laughing our butts off before we went to sleep.

Day 39

Day 39 was to Dubuque Iowa. Today we woken up around 5:45 to get ready but it was confusing as things had changed while I was asleep and I didn't have our messaging program on to get team alerts and it was being used for chit chat.

 

Today was supposed 85 miles and sadly it wasn't by any means. There were complications among the route and the re-route added 25 more miles. It was also 100 degrees outside was 100% humidity. I road with Baeu again and he really helped me the last 10 miles as the heat really hit me and we were slammed with some killer hills. I lost my composure on the bike for a little and I felt bad when it happened. We all were on edge from the heat and the fact we did not mentally prepare for over 100 miles.

 

We arrived to Albeit Acres which was a summer camp for those with disabilities. We enjoyed our quick showers before heading out to the Field of Dreams movie site. I didn't care for it much but I had a blast with jokes from my team. We headed back to the camp for a lovely dinner hosted by them and it really fueled us for a sweet dance. We learned a few dances as well as had fun with the clients.

 

Afterwards many of the camp counselors invited us out and many went except for me and a few other who wished to write our blogs and hydrate for the next day,

Day 38

Day 38 was to Davenport Iowa and our wakeup was at 5:45. We had to quickly clear our of the rec center as it was opening soon and people wanted to use the gym. Our breakfast was crew chief and we had some entertainment as a couple of our cyclists chugged syrup this morning. The boredom is clearly starting to set in during the mornings.

 

We headed off for our 57 mile ride into Davenport. It was flat today so me Baeu, and Jason really pushed the pace. we went so fast we finished before 12 at lodging which was a hotel. Luckily we only had two to a room this time and I was rooming with Kevin. I had gotten my message from one of the workers at the ARC we visited yesterday with a picture of Eli holding up his comic books with a smile from ear to ear! It really made me smile to get the message and I am going to miss the little guy.

 

We rested for a bit and then went out to happy joes which is a pizza place and it was sponsored by a Pi Alpha. His name escapes me but I spoke to him and he was an amazing guy. We really enjoyed the cinnamon icing pizza a lot and it soon became a game of waiting for it to come out.

 

At 6 we went to our friendship visit at a water park and we all had a great time. The clients were fun and really excited to be in the water. I spoke to an older women and she loved talking about everything! After we ate a lovely dinner there the park had started to close so we headed back to lodging which I called my girlfriend to confess my undying admiration for how amazing she was. Then I slayed a dragon and went to sleep. Only one of those statements is true.

Day 37

Day 37 was to Iowa City. We woke up a little bit later yet again at 6:15. Breakfast was crew chief and we had our circle up and we were off.

 

Today was only 27 miles and it was a lot of fun. Because it was short and we all basically sprinted the way we arrived to our stage up at Iowa City park really quickly. After some laughs and attempts to stay out of the sun we headed off for our arrival at the ARC of southeast Iowa. It was a great arrival and after a while we headed off for lunch.

 

Lunch was at the resident hall of The University of Iowa. If I learned anything from David and Kevin, it is "the" University, not just University. We had our choice of food from a Hugh buffet and it was only half open! There were bets on my table if I'd finish all my food and boy did I finish it all. I was starving,

After our lunch we cycled over to the public recreation center where we were staying the night. At the arrival I met a child name Eli who wouldn't tell me his real name. All he would say is that he was batman! So we passed by a local comicbook shop and I thought why not read some comic and see if I can get him one.

 

We had dinner and a friendship visit at thew ARC of Southeast Iowa and it was pizza. It was real fun and I learned a lot but Eli wasn't there. I left his present and left my information so I could get a responds from him. After the visit we returned to lodging and many of the guys went out because it was a college town. If you're like me, you finish up some work and passed out with your phone on your face.

Day 36

Day 36 was to Cedar Rapids also in Iowa. We woke up a little bit later at 6 and had a lovely breakfast from the hotel we stayed at. Today was around 85 miles with some nice rolling hills.

 

We were rushed for time today so we pushed the pace today even though we've been really killing it through Iowa so far. After arriving we showered at the local YMCA and hung out for an while before the ARC of eastern Iowa was ready for us to dance with their clients.

 

Our visit was fun but it was really hot. Many of the guys dancing had sweat so hard their whole shirt was wet. Our dinner was also sponsored by the arc and it was delicious. At the table I started the idea of casting our team in movies which sparked a great conversation full of laughs. After our LPI we all got ready for bed to prepare for our next ride which was going to be relatively easy.

Day 35

Day 35 was to Marshaltown Iowa and we had a later wakeup of 5:45 today. Dave and his wife also provided breakfast for us. Due to construction there was a need to rack us out of the city, but from there on out we were excited to have our red bull rage day.

 

So at the first crew stop about 12 of us shotgunned red bulls. The ride was very quick and we had our lunch outside a water park where we were going to enjoy an afternoon of relaxation. It was supposed to be a friendship visit but it was difficult for the clients to come out. We had a massive amount of fun on the slides though.

 

We headed to our lodging afterwards and we had a proclamation waiting for us when we arrived. We then left to go bowling with clients from the ARC of Marshaltown.

 

We helped served diner and afterward we had a blast bowling. I bowled with Rando and he was really good. We ended up playing 3 games at once. I also won two stuffed animals from the crane game and I gave both to some of the clients one being Rose who was a sweetheart. Afterwards we headed to lodging and enjoyed our night of rest.

Day 34

Day 34 was to Des Moines with a 5 am wakeup. As our lodging was atop a gravel road, it took a while to rack the bikes down to the actual road. After breakfast we prepared for quite the ride.

 

Today was 95 miles and the first 40 or so were pretty tough. I'm not sure if I got more used to it and I coughed up enough phlegm to make it easier to breath but the second half was easier than the first. I was sweeping with Steven today was he volunteered with me.

 

He really did push me though with all the hills and the intense climbing in the beginning. There was some rain half way through which was more fun yo ride in than an annoyance. Except the fact that some towns didn't dry yet so riding behind someone meant a face full of muddy water.

 

After finished and arriving to lodging we all enjoyed some lovely taco salads and a nice shower. There was some free time so I ran to the bike shop got some supplies. Dave Adickes is a pi alpha who sponsored our dinner which was so good! A lot of other pi alphas came out to meet us which was great and I got to hear a lot of stories. After dinner we stopped by a gas station and we all got red bulls for tomorrow. After that we went to sleep and prepared for a short day, but a race pace day.

Day 33

Day 33 was to Griswold NE. We had a 5:30 wakeup and I was feeling so so. After breakfast I found it really hard to breath and I decided to take Stevens advice and I sat out for today. It really irritated me, but it was for the best. I rode with Mark and I actually learned a lot from him which was great.

 

We crosses into Iowa and the rolling hills stopped for a while for the team. The rackpoints were hard again with lots of loose gravel roads and construction. After a awesome team effort riding we arrived at our lodging and got to enjoy an amazing lunch sponsored by David William and his wife and mother.

 

After a short nap there was a team event to a stone quary for a swim. It was really deep so I didn't swim much and I attempted to not drown. I did rope swing into the lake though. Saurabh's parents surprised him on his birthday with cupcakes and some chips and salsa for us. Afterwards we had dinner at Mrs. Williams house and it was beyond amazing.

 

After dinner we headed back to lodging as always and we he had a small team event and we attempted to build a bond fire but we couldn't find the pit.

Day 32

Day 32 was from Lincoln to Omaha NE. We were able to sleep in today as we woke up at 6:30. Today was a shorter day and after a nice breakfast I was ready to ride with Steven.

 

There was some city to start and some city to the end but all in between our ride was country and a whole lot of corn. I've never seen so much corn that I couldn't eat. Its making me crave sweet corn. We were heading to our stage up which was of course after some intense city and hills riding.

 

Today I really wasn't feeling well at all and I was having coughing fits during the ride, Steven convinced me that tomorrow would be better to rest than to push myself and completely crash. During our wait for the police escort a sponsor arrived with her children who were playing duck duck goose with our team and she borough some snacks. Our arrival was at Willis of NE and it was very hilly all the way to it. Nia who we meet before was there to introduce the Spina Bifida of Nebraska.

 

We enjoyed a lunch and had a showing off Kids on The Block for the children. After the presentation we had a carnival and so many fun games to play. My favorite was a dancing roulette game. Afterwards we showered and prepared for dinner and a huge dance. It was really a lot of fun for everyone and even though it was super hot we went crazy.

 

At lodging I took time to rest up and prepare myself for tomorrow. I was really hopping I'd sleep well enough to ride tomorrow. Tomorrow was a ride to Griswold.

Day 31

Day 31 was to Lincoln NE, with an early wakeup of around 4:30ish. We were proved breakfast from the grand island ladies and it was fantastic. We were prepared for an 100 mile ride today with an tough rackpoint.

 

So I road with Jeff and Luke today on this tough ride but we only got 60 miles in before we hit a long stretch of construction which required us to rack to get safely across, I really wasn't feeling well this day and it was a tough struggle but we bike as much as we could all the way to Raising Caine's.

 

We enjoyed a lovely lunch that was honestly do die for after a hard ride. After we finished eating we rode all the way to lodging a couple of blocks away and had some spare time before heading to our dinner at the Sertoma Club.

 

They served us amazing potluck food and we had some great conversations with them. Afterwards we headed to the ARC of Lincoln to dance the night away with many of their clients. After dancing the night away we headed back to lodging where some of us hit the hay. Tomorrow is to Omaha.

Day 30

Day 30 was to Grand Island NE. We had a little extra time to sleep as well as a short ride. After breakfast we got rolling for a day with little to no hills. It seemed very flat for the most part and there was loads of corn.

 

We had an arrival and we were staged up at a john deer dealership and we had a blast relaxing. I road with Reggie today and we killed it. We road to our arrival at the holiday inn and enjoyed some press photos. We put our stuff away and had lunch with people from the ARC of Nebraska and it was amazing. KFC, DQ, and sonic all donated food for us!

 

We had free time afterwards which I used to take a nap and a long shower. For dinner we went to the Elks lodge where we enjoyed some good burgers and danced the night away. Everyone was really high on energy even though it was really hot.

 

Afterwards we were dismissed for the night and one of the ARC clients invited us to sonic and a couple of guys and myself went for some smoothies. We had some laughs and then said goodbye as we headed back to go to sleep.

Day 29

Day 29 was to Minden NE. After our 5:30 wakeup the ladies who fed us dinner came back to make breakfast for us and it was just as amazing as dinner was. We prepared and set off for a Kong 95+ mile ride.

 

The ride had some rolling hills in the beginning but it was nothing we couldn't climb. The tour de France was getting to me and I kept climbing the hills really fast due to my wish to climb at 16mph like they do.

 

We arrived to lodging and unpacked and relaxed for a bit before dinner. Dinner was sponsored by pizza hut and there was so much food! After dinner we headed back yo lodging and enjoyed our night.

Day 28

Day 28 was to McCook and it was around 96 miles. We started with an amazing breakfast from the boy scouts and there was so much good food. We headed out for McCook a seemingly easy ride. I road with Saab for the first time today and it was very interesting to talk about school and life goals.

 

The ride started out fantastic for about half of the way but then we hit these massive rolling hills about 5 miles from lunch. Lunch was aside a lake and some of the guys decided to jump in. I did not myself but many of the guys were joking about there being dead fish and the water being green.

Because my paceline left lunch quickly we arrived to arrived to lodging early which was a church with a wedding going on! We were shuttled to showers and then set up in the basement of the church after the wedding. The lovely ladies of the Memorial United Methodist Church.

 

Afterwards I enjoyed joking with the team before we left to watch Despicable Me 2 which was sponsored by Steven's mother. It was a great movie and we all went to sleep as soon as we got back to lodging as it was late. Tomorrow we ride into Nebraska and touch Kentucky for a small stretch.

Day 27

Day 27 to Wray Colorado. We woke up today which a pleasant surprise of delicious food from the Elk's Club. After our circle up we proceed to head of to Wray. During circle up we were warned about seeing 10,000 cows. We all laughed thinking it was a joke. Here's a bit of forshadow, it wasn't,

Today was only an 86 mile day and we enjoyed for the most part flat land riding and lots of corn. About a quarter way through we passes a ton of cows and then again we passed even more cows. It never gets old screaming hey cows! We finished pretty early on and we enjoyed a bit of rest after an amazing crew chief lunch.

 

Many of the guys and myself enjoyed going to the water park near lodging and we had a blasting going down the slides and watching people just off the diving board. Afterwards we enjoyed a small bit of rest before our friendship visit.

 

The Cub scouts made dinner for us and they were adorable. There was so much good food and we also enjoyed getting to talk to them before we did a kids on the block presentation. Afterwards we played with the kids for a while before saying our goodbyes.

 

The facility we were staying in had a hot tub, sauna, and a steam room. I spent some time in each with Reggie before sleeping the night away as I was seriously pooped. Tomorrow is a ride to McCook.

Day 26

Day 26 was to Fort Morgan. We left the hotel around 6:30ish after a great breakfast and circle up. Today was 96 miles that honestly didn't feel that long. Leaving Denver was not as bad as we thought it would be.

 

As we were riding we all to a second to see the mountains we would never see again. It was weird to only have flats and rolling hills out of Denver. Yet towards the end the road got terrible and many people had issues. Bad roads wreak havoc on bikes and specifically the wheels.

 

When we finished we had to take the vans to shower and afterwards had dinner at the Elk's club. I really loved hearing about all their community service projects and the fact that they were hosting a concert with the Blue Oyster Cult. After our dinner half the group went to see fireworks yet some of us enjoyed just resting before our ride tomorrow to Wray.

Day 25

Day 25 was our day off in Denver. We woke up early in the morning for a breakfast at KRG headquarters and we were in awe in how beautiful and awesome it was. Bruce's office had a mini Push America wall which was awesome and I spoke with their IT guys for a while. We also watched the tour de France during breakfast and man it makes me want to buy a brand new bike to ride.

Afterwards we had free time as in a whole 6 hours and I went to get some supplies and after went to watch World War Z with some of the guys. I then got new shoes before we were off to an event called pedal for pennies. This annual fundraiser was at Feril lake and participants road their bikes around the lake for laps and donations. I road with one of the rides and I took a spill by mistake. Whoops! We played some games and threw water balloons around until an awesome BBQ dinner.

After dinner we had a huge dance and you guessed it, we did our dance and everyone loved it. We then dance the night away which was really awesome. We said goodbye to Bruce and his family as this was the last time before DC we would get to see them and we headed back to lodging.

I was really beat and my room felt the same way so we got ready for tomorrow and hit the hay. Now starts a huge stretch of distance for us. 95, 85, 95, 95, and then 55 miles. I feel like I'm in the tour now.

Day 23

Today was day 23 and we woke up at 7:15 for breakfast with the campers at the Rocky Mountain Village. After we enjoyed a lovely breakfast we were split up to work with the campers. I got to go enjoy horse back riding. I helped the campers on and off the horse and walked beside the horse just in case. All the campers had developmental disabilities and they were all so interesting and full of joy to meet us.

Before lunch we got prompted to dress up like zombies as we were going to invade the camp. The camp has been hyping this us as a zombie invasion and this was the theme of the day. Build America was working as we were running around during lunch and enjoying lunch with the campers as zombies. One camper Emily was chasing us not the other way around!

We had a free break after lunch and a couple of guys and myself went on a hike and got to see the whole camp from a ledge on top of the mountain. It was a good break but it started to rain. After the hike the campers finished their break and I was assigned to fishing but it started to pour outside.

I had volunteered in the kitchen and helped cook the dinner for that night. Many of the guys had become zombies again during dinner and while I was cleaning up the kitchen the campers had a zombie defence event and I got to see a small bit of the battle against the zombies with water guns. Afterwards we had our circle up goodnight and goodbye. I really loved this camp, there was just something magical about it. I ended up buying a beanie from the camp as a memento from a camp that touched my heart. Tomorrow is a ride to Denver and also a major arrival for us. We also get to meet the Transamerica team which is awesome! I truly miss the Build America team already.

Day 21

Day 21 was hyped up due to rabbit ears pass. This pass leads to the continental divide and starts our climb to Loveland pass which is the highest point you can archive by highway. Today Dustin joined us who works for KRG and is the south teams coach. Bruce was also riding and his son was working with crew for the day. After a wonderful breakfast we were off.

Today was a 105 miles ride and the rabbit ears pass was about 11 miles long with a steady medium grade. The divide was awesome to reach yet I only hit 60 miles until I was racked due to an error in my pace line. I roads with Jesus who was teamed up with Layton. We had a fun time joking and I got to learn more about Layton and what it is like to live in Colorado.

It started to rain but many of the guys pushed it to our shower area at a recreation center. We waited a while for lodging and later headed to a nice restaurant for a lovely dinner, which cost me a trip yo the hospital. There were pine nuts in the salad and I didn't notice until after I ate a quarter of it. I never had a serve reaction to pine nuts but this time was different. After a couple hours in the ER I was fine and sent home. Quite the experience.

After my scare, we headed back to lodging to rest for the next days climb of Loveland pass which his 11,990 feet high. We are also heading to Empire tomorrow.

Day 24

Day 24, Denver and our bug arrival was today. We had crew chief breakfast as we were up very early in the morning. Today was a short ride but a very important one that we needed to hurry. I was upset to leave the camp and I wanted to stay with the campers and Build America, yet there was very little I could do to change that.

I road with Kyle and Reggie today and we rocked it. We had a small climb to lockout mountain which looked over Denver which was beautiful but it had some scary descents with hairpin turns. For the past 3 years someone has gotten seriously hurt going down. Safe to say we took it very slow. We road hard and fast through Denver and actually met a pace line from Transamerica half way through.

We finished at the Denver Broncos stadium for a tour! We waked onto the field and took many photos and I got one with Bruce which was sweet. We then had chipotle for lunch and it was good but I wasn't a huge fan of it. We the hopped on the bikes and road to an arrival that was quite large. We enjoyed ice cream in front of the capital and then road to our hotel.

We had some free time and then we headed to the Rockies stadium to watch a baseball game. I'm not a huge baseball fan but I enjoyed watching the game even though they had lost. Afterwards we waked back to lodging and I had a great conversation with my lovely better half and I went to sleep. Tomorrow is breakfast at KRG!!!

Day 22

Day 22 was to Empire and due to the hospital visit I was racked due to P&P. Bruce and a couple of the KRG family was riding with us today. Breakfast was fantastic as always and the cyclists headed off. I road with Sam as crew needed him to help mark 2 turns in one. Today and tomorrow are going to be tough days due to road blocks and construction.

After the first turn we marked we headed straight to Loveland pass and it was beautiful. At the very peak of some mountains we were able to great cellphone service but it was a beautiful sight. We also met a hiker who has accidentally lock himself out of his car and Jesus gave him his jacket to wear while he waited.

Twenty minutes later we were confused as we saw a couple of silver vans like ours climbing the hill. Upon closer inspection it was the Build America Team! Being up there early waiting for the cyclists allowed me to really speak to the other team and get to know them a whole lot better. I really admire what they do with their construction work and I highly suggest you look them up when you have the chance.

We cheered on the pace lines as they climbed up the finally few feet up the pass and we all took a team photo at the top. After the pace lines finished we arrived at Rocky Mountain Village which was an easter seals camp. We hung out with Build America for a while waiting for our lodging area to become ready. After we moved in we had dinner with the campers and they were so awesome with their songs and chants.

Afterwards there was a small talent show and we brought the business with our dance. They even had a costume room and some guys pulled out some great costume ideas. After watching everyone's skit we had a big circle up to say goodnight to everyone and then we had ours and you never saw anyone so excited to be told wakeup was at 7:15. We also went to McDonalds to get some ice cream and I ended up getting some postcards from the shop next door.

We all went to sleep afterwards and enjoyed a nice quiet evening. Oh wait, half the team is snoring for some reason and its never happened before.

Day 20

Day 20 the awesome city of steam boat. Today was a 6am wakeup and we enjoyed a lovely crew chief breakfast and we got to meet the one and only Bruce Rodgers. He is the father of the Journey of Hope. 27 years ago he cycled across the United States in 40 days to help raise awareness of Push America. Now he also is one of the three creators of KRG capital which is an equity firm that is the capital sponsor of our trip. Without this man and his family, none of this would be possible.

Today's ride was short, so short we were confused as to what to do with our free time as we finished in about 2 hours and a half. Many of us went to get food at a local restaurant. We had an absolute blast and I had a really spicy burger. We went out with Layton who happens to be Bruce's son.

After I showered I went around the town and finally got a haircut. For dinner we had another visit with a different horizons group. We first met Debbie and Bruce and they both had amazing characters. Bruce was playing jams for us to dance to and Debbie loved to hear our stories.

Afterwards Bruce Rodgers bought us all candy and ice cream which was awesome. A couple of the guys went to a shop called F.M & Sons which had advertisements on the highway 100 miles back. After the fun we headed to bed for another ride.

Day 19

Day 19 was to Craig Colorado. We woke up and ate breakfast for a tough day ahead of us. I road with Mike Jones and Micheal Brooks for one of the most annoying rolling hills of all time. I didn't rack myself which was a achievement for me and not to mention it was a super tight day and rack point was not far off the whole day. We rested at a gas stop before cycling together for an arrival at a girls and boys club. We enjoyed eating ice cream and playing with the kids until we had a kids on the block presentation.

For dinner we met with a horizons group which serves those with disabilities as well as their clients. We had some amazing food and had a huge water fight with water balloons and using water bottles as squirt guns. Some guys were even soaked with coolers full of water.

Back at lodging we had our team meeting as the next few days are going to be very demanding as well as rewarding. Tomorrow is going

Day 18

Day 18 to Dinosaur Colorado. Our first day our of ten in Colorado. We woke up an hour later than normal for a double pace line ride out of town to safely navigate out of the town. The ride was a tough one and I road with Reggie. Around 50 miles I really bonked out and eventually came to a screeching halt. Many of the guys had issues today because it was a super brutal day.

We enjoyed a dinner made at our lodging and many of us went to get milkshakes and we passed out. Nothing much here in the town of

Day 17

Day 17, Park City to Duchene Utah! We were back to our 5:30 wakeup and I made a mistake clipping in and I was racked due to a safety control measure.

I road with Jesus and helped support the team during a long and hilly day. After the ride we were told to put on our bathing suit as we were going to the lake. At the lake we were greeted  with locals who had snacks and water for us. The lake was freezing and some wonderful guys had volunteered to take us tubing! Benny Reggie and I wanted to do it together but we ran out of time. The water was absolutely freezing so maybe we lucked out.

Afterwards we headed back and enjoyed dinner in the park sponsored by locals in the area. The food was amazing as they made these fried dough cakes with honey butter. Afterwards the team had some well deserved rest and I had a fire going in me to ride.

Day 16

Day 16 our day off in Park City that required biking. So we awoke to suit up for a police escort to whole foods. We road 4 miles down hill for an amazing breakfast. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I was so excited for breakfast. Maybe it was the briskets and gravy.

We headed back to the hotel and changed for a trip to the Utah Olympic Training Park! My van was so excited to be there and we enjoyed the alpine slide. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch provided by Barb at a deli on Main street in Park City. She also gave us a wonderful serving of ice cream. After lunch we had free time until our Friendship Visit.

We went to the national abilities center and road bikes with some clients. Doug and I road hand cycles up a dirt trail and it was scary going down it. I really enjoyed helping teach a young child how to ride a bike as well. We had pizza at the hotel and prepared for tomorrows

Day 15

Day 15 was from Salt Lake City to Park City in Utah. We woke up a little later and went to McDonalds for breakfast. After breakfast we went to a local park to meet up with Trails, which stands for Therapeutic Recreation and Independent Life Style. This was a organization the focuses on bringing sports to those who have various pysical disabilities. For example today we would hand cycle. One of the cyclists Roberto took off fast so we thought no swear.

Wrong, dead wrong, I rode with people normally whom were close to giving up a little way through and when I did it I was dying from how hard it was to cycle with your hands. It really put alot into perspective for us. After that we had our lunch at whole foods which is an organic store and then off to do 30ish miles to park city.

I rode with Jeff, and Kyle as sweeps. We climbed a huge hill to take a team photo at the end. After our decent we were racked to transport across a freeway. Once we unracked our project manager noticed the time and had us rack again to quickly go to lodging and get ready for dinner. Dinner was at the Wastch Brewery and it was fantastic. They had some great root bear as well. Afterwards I headed back to lodging to hit the hot tub and for once in 10 days, a bed.

Day 14

Salt lake city, day 14 from Payson. Today I rode with Jesus as a crew member and really got to spend time to understand and learn from him. We had a good heart of heart as well. Today also had two ride along cyclists today.

The team went through a couple of cities as well as some changes in scenery that were well needed. Lunch as provided by the United Methodists Church and by the President of Utah's CTF chapter. CTF is The Childrens Tumor Foundation. She spoke to us of her son Travis whom was awesome and had been diagnosed with NF.

Many of us were on there verge of tears when she was speaking and he touched us so much. He also came by to everyone and handed us candy and bracelets. After lunch we headed to lodging and to the bike shop. I was so excited to get a seat even though it was my third choice. Thank you so much Alex for helping me pick one out. We headed quickly to dinner at Iggy's grill and it was phenomnial. It was sponsored by out ride along Jeff.

We then headed to the Mormon temple to take pictures and learn a little. When we got back to lodging I directly went to installing my bike seat and testing it out. Tomorrow will tell if it helped or not.

Day 13

Day 13 was from Delta to Payson Utah. We got up early again and proceed out for a 80 mile day. Today was a tight day with a quick rack point. Today I rod with Matt and Luke who I never road before. We talked too much about food and it ended up making us really hungry. Because today was so tight I racked myself to allow them to finish on time.

the team finished only to wait for the rides of CAF which is the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and one of their daughters who has epilepsy as well as CP. They were all females which was a change in pace for an all guy group and we ended up as a huge pace line at the end. At lodging we had a meal prepared by prison workers which was delightful.

There was free time and we had subway for dinner and and a team meeting afterwards. We spoke about a couple of things including interviews and safety on the bike, we started to slack on that in the desert in which I almost had a major fall that day as well.

Tomorrow I am racked but the good news is I will be getting a brand new saddle which should help me.

Day 12

Today was the lovely day 12 and the ride into Delta Utah. We woke up early per the usually and got ready to enjoy a 96 mile day with an added 4 miles to make it a century. I rode with Travis and Doug today during one of the most boring rides ever.

The desert is real cool once you are it and then your hate for it gets higher each mile you go. Not to mention Utah has a bad habit of just pouring gravel over their roads instead of repaving then. This made for a bumpy ride in which rocks were flying everywhere.

I finished today through the pain for my first century, this was great news for me and we had a team dinner at a Mexican restaurant and had team vehicle cleaning. Needless to say van 1 was the cleanest and best van out of them all. Not because I'm in it or anything.

We headed back to lodging and rested up for the days ahead of us.

Day 11

Day 11 was from Ely to Baker Nevada where we doubled the population of the town. Literally. So today we enjoyed a lovely breakfast but something was different for me with the 65 mile day. I saw it from the other side, there crew side.

I was racked for the day to recover and I road with Sam, a crew member for the day. This was fun to see it from the other side and see how much effort the crew puts into helping is along the way. Now we arrived to the town where there was very little, but with a little town came a refreshing sight.

At lodging we ended up napping for a while until one of the crew members hit the fire alarm and set it it off, by mistake of course. We went for a stream activity which was a tour of the Lehman caves. It was very interesting and fun, but most guys were in love with the fact they had cheap and amazing ice cream there. Afterwards we took a ride 10,000 feet up to take a team photo in front of the huge mountains behind us.

We had dinner with the towns people of Baker and they were really amazing. They had some amazing food and gave us a small lecture on waster supply in Nevada and the issues that are arising. We went back to lodging and enjoyed a night of no cell phone service. Sadly that meant families were in the dark today. Tomorrow we ride into Utah!

Day 9 & 10

Day 9 the trip from Austin to Eureka. We work up at around 5:30ish to leave for a climb to Eureka. Uncertainty nothing much happened today as its going to be slow until we hit Utah or Colorado,

Dinner was provided by the lions club and it was fantastic. Its always really nice to meat lions from across the country.

Now day 10 had more to offer and it was the trip to Ely Nevada. We had a later wakeup and enjoyed our normal crew chief breakfast. Today was an easy 80 miles but the wind was against us today. This made the bride 100 times harder.

I pushed myself as hard as I could but  I was racked today and went to a home shop for a new saddle but sadly there was nothing for me. We were greeted at lodging which was a highschool by then student council. They provided dinner for us and we had to wait a while to finally move into the gym for logging.

Many of the guys went out to see the man of steel but I passed because I promised to see it with my better half when I come home. I hung with kyle and Doug for a while before passing out before tomorrows ride.

Day 8

Day 8 is special as its our first century ride. A century ride is a 100mile ride and we actually were doing a little more than 100. We enjoyed a crew chief breakfast and headed off. We were heading from Fallon to Austin.

In the desert you are fighting many things which makes cycling in a flat area painful. First would be dehydration and the second would be not eating enough. With a long ride you can't eat enough on the bike to restore the calories we burn riding. The third is mental fatigue. Nothing changes and there isn't much scenery to occupy the time. Talking is hard when the wind is hitting you at 20mph so you are stuck doing nothing by spinning along.

Sadly I was unable to finished, I was riding with Buae and Chris and at mile 86 I wasn't doing ton well with pain and I didn't want them to not make it so I ended up racking myself. It hurts but I can't let my teammates fail because of my inability. Sitting in the saddle gets extremely painful for me late on and nothing seems to help it. It just drains me so quickly.

We finished and stayed at a local church, to which after resting and showering at a local pool showers we headed to then park for a very special dinner from the Austin ladies. We arrived t the smell of something amazing and later we found out that they had a thanksgiving dinner for us and it was amazing. To thank them we sang the rose for them and then proceed to head back to lodging to rest from the long day.

Day 7

Today was day 7 and we were heading from Carson to Fallon. We woke up really early, by that I mean 4:30. We enjoyed some pancakes made by the Kiwanis club and my god I've never missed pancakes so much in my life. They also had tons of fruit which was amazing. After the breakfast we headed onto us 50. Some people may recognize this road as its the most loneliest road in america.

We had a 65 miles ride and it was quite brutal in the desert.  I road with Doug and matt and it was a very fun time. Doug is actually pretty awesome for being the oldest guy here and matt is a character. It hit 103 degrees and the air was so dry, yet the team pushed through and finished early so that allowed so well deserved free time which I spent sleeping and talking to my better half.

At 6 we went to a friendship visit with the humble shedders which is a company which helps people with disabilities get jobs and teaches them job skills. We stayed for a long time because we were having a ball dancing and singing karaoke. Some of the team members sang some funny songs that actually fit them very well.

So we were greater at the end by our project manager who was absent because his van, and the van I'm assigned to got a flat in the desert. He radioed into every van and said that we were heading to Walmart for van mascots. We all rushed inside to find our mascot and we chose a shark because we had the two top dogs in our van. Yet ad soon as we all head to lodging van 5 stole all the mascots and then begin the mascot war. The shark tank will not be defeated.

Day 6

Today was day 6 and we left from lake Tahoe in California to the capital of Nevada, Carson. We were happy to hear of a rather late wake up and a short ride of 30 miles, we were even more surprised after we learned we would be heading to two friendship visits to preform our puppet show dubbed kids on the block. We packed up and enjoyed our lovely crew chief breakfast

I left that day expecting a crazy difficult day but after climbing I was granted with a yellow sign that almost made my heart explode of excitement. 9% grade for the next 8 miles. It was the most beautiful thing zipping down a mountain at 40mph, that is until we hit a sign that said "fresh oil". After speaking with the team we almost all freaked out when we saw that because there are a few things you don't want to see when going down hill and that is one of then. After the lovely downhill we hit the green flat plains of Carson and enjoyed a quick and easy ride.

We first headed to the boys and girls club which is a summer and after school program and we enjoyed a lovely lunch of pizza and salad. Then we spent time playing with the children and eventually watching our own puppet show. For a bit of rehearsing, our guys did amazing. And the one of the funniest part of the day, our own funny man Jack, showed bicycle safety to the children. He was telling them to check their brakes and he was flailing his bike around. We also learned a clapping cheer called "energize".

The second friendship visit was at the children's museum, which makes it seem even worse that we had so much fun playing like kids. Eventually we ended up watching the puppet shown again and then watching Jack explain safety on the bicycle again.

We enjoyed a huge and amazing dinner at the house of Billy a rotary club member. The food and house was amazing and we enjoyed the whole time we spent there. Afterwards we had a team meting and people were presented awards for being awesome. After that we all ended up heading to bed as we were all tired from the long day.

Day 5

Today was day 5 and a rest day for us. In the morning we woke up late (8 am for us) and a bunch of us went for breakfast at Denny's. It was my first time and it was alright. Then at around 11:30 we went paddle boarding. Me + water = not a good mix. The whole team including myself had a ball and enjoyed our time at lake talaho.

Afterwards I ended up getting a new phone as mine was really stopping me from enjoying some aspects of the trip. The team uses a chatting program to enjoy some banter and my phone dies quickly when using service. This also meant I couldn't take as many photos as I wanted. Shout out to Mark for being patient and driving me to the store. And beau also helped take care of my laundry so I could get the phone. I also sent home things I didn't need to lighten my load.

At night we had dinner at the Blue Angle restaurant. It was fantastic and I enjoyed speaking to Jeff the owner's wife and hearing his story. He was really knowledgeable as well as generous to feed us and set up the paddle boarding activity.

Today was a great recovery day and a great bonding time for the team. Tomorrow is a short day but we do have many places to go to. I'm getting my excited by the day.

Day 4

Today was day 4 and it will be a short entry. I was racked around mile 60 of 95, and I did almost all the climbing. Today the saddle pain was too much to overcome.

It was very beautiful climbing the mountains but it was very difficult. I ended up switching pace lines for a bit because sweeps were changing to let everyone have a chance to make it.

After lunch I was a sweep with Kyle and he was extremely motivating yet the pain was just too much. I stayed with it until the crew determined we could no longer make it and continue. I thank my team so much for their support and I am kicking myself that I couldn't make it. Tomorrow is our rest day at lake talaho.

Day 3

So we road from Sacramento to Jacksonville today and it was really on the struggle bus. I had stayed up late trying to adjust my bike which also meant I woke up even earlier than needed to get ready form the ride. We actually had a sponsored lunch yesterday and breakfast today from the same lovely lady. She made these egg and bacon hand tarts which were so good!

We road out today and for some reason my saddle was really affecting me for the worst. I was tight and in so much pain. We went over how dangerous this road we were taking could be because of a narrow shoulder as well as many big rigs traveling on it. When a big rig comes by it can actually suck you in which could be Scary if there is someone behind them.

We only road 46 miles or so, it was also relatively flat. We had one huge hill at the end but we overcame it together as a team because by that point we were all close together in pace. We enjoyed lunch at a visit we rolled into and the feeling could not be explained.

I shook the hands of 100 people and they were happy to see the team and I. Yet the feeling was that I was happy to meet them and hang out with them. I met some real true characters and generally couldn't stop smiling. Apparently they had the best chili dogs ever but I skipped those. Real bummer. When we were leaving one guy did some of Elvis' moves as he was named Elvis and we all cheered him on. Afterwards he  hugged one of the team members and exclaimed that he loved him. It was such am experience.

As we were leaving we get warned when we turned left, be in our smallest gear. We were all worried and then came to a 18% grade hill. They name it hotdog hill as usually there are leftover hotdogs we take and bring back after the visit. I went slow but I didn't stop up the hill. After that we washed up and rested till we went to Mel's dinner.

The lion's club as been hosting our dinner and breakfast for our journey for many years now. All the men and their wives were very fun to talk and get to know. They know a lot and have done a lot in their time. They told us they do fundraisers all the time and one of them they sell bear in a small town. They sell 140 kegs in 4 days. That is insane! I can't wait to see what they have in store for breakfast for us.

So tomorrow is Kirkwood and it will be the hardest ride we have. 95 miles and 12000 feet of climbing. For some reason its getting hard to sit in my saddle so I'll see how tomorrow pans put.

Day 2

Today was day two of our journey and the team was excites to get out rolling. Yet we got ready late and it caused us to start off a little late. Not to mention i washed my cloths and the didn't dry all the way through. We had our normal crew cheif breakfast and stretched for a hilly day. I rode with a brother named Alex who has a lot of experience cycling.

Boy was the route amazing, until we hit mile long hills at a high income. Alex kept pushing me and encouraging me to push forward and not stop when I was really tired and annoyed at climbing what Dean calls hill passes. They seemed more like mountain passes as we saw many hills cut in half for the road. Very neat, however it does as a bit of danger to the trip at hand

Now I personally developed my cycling quite a bit due to Alex's help. I got the right seat height finally. Was able to learn how to ride 4 inches from the wheel of the person in front of me. He really pushed me to my max and it was really motivating.
After cycling something like 67 miles we got in our formation for an arrival at Sacramento, California. Our arrival was our first and I ended up getting half wheeled and falling down. Whoops. Yet many of the students from The South Side Art Center came to our arrival to see us. We headed to lodging and prepared for a visit to the center.

We arrived at the center and got a tour from one of the students. Their art was everywhere and if I had enough money I would have bought them all. Not to mention the pieces that are in galleries around Sacramento. After dinner the students sang and played many funky songs that really brought us back. It was truly mindblowing how amazing they sounded. I kept humming the songs in my head through the rest of the night it was so good. I was sad to leave, but alas it was time for the students to leave.

Before the visit I went to the bike shop for new gloves as mine had holes and some new tires. These tires have kevlar in them to stop the inner tube from getting punctured and giving me a flat. The team had its first community sleep over in a gym and had to get up extra early due to taking so much time to get ready. Tomorrow we hit Jackson ville, something our project manager has been hyping.

Day: 1

Today was the kickoff of our journey at the golden gate bridge. Many of my team member had family and friends come visit us and cheer us on. It was really cold in San Francisco. I think it was below 47 degrees and super foggy. It was so foggy that is was misting a little around us. After a special crew chief breakfast we needed north across the San Francisco Golden Great Bridge. It was actually kind of scary when it is wry and the wind is hitting you on your side.

It was last in the line due to volunteer end to be the sweeps or the guys who make sure everyone gets through. I had a brother Jeremy's volunteer to be my partner and boy we had a blast. We did end up taking a couple of wrong turns here and there but it was to be expected. We also spent quite a bit of time enjoying the beautiful land to Napa. We had a few cyclists end the day due to injuries. Yet on the bright side we all finished the route for the first time in 6 years. As the sweeps we really pushed our teammates to make is past the rack time and eventually to the lodging.

After our ride finished we headed to our friendship visit. It was a BBQ and a party to celebrate a couple of teams who play softball. I first went and spoken to a Johnathan and his mother and they were very interesting. He was a real huge sports fan and loved the giants. After eating I ended up playing volleyball with many of the softball players as well as other people attending the celebration. Boy I had a blasts and some of those softball players really now how to play other sports. They did some really amazing serves and spikes. All and all even though I was tired I had a ton of fun and would have liked to stay much longer. One person I met, who's name escapes me really enjoyed to trick us by tapping our shoulders and we would always blame each others. Another player was hysterical and called us the Journey of Whimps. He also considered children over the age of two to be old timers. Not sure what that made himself then. He also drives! Which scared me a little but he seemed to be a really safe and defensive driver.

All and all today was hard but we were excited to finish our first day and kick off. Tomorrow holds new and even greater challenges for me but I know that I will overcome them. Tomorrow we get up around the same time to do it all over again!

Orientation

On June 5th 2013 I left from LaGuardia airport to Oakland California for the 2013 north route orientation for the Journey of Hope. I flew with my good friend and brother Sanjeev and we were greater at Oakland by my good friend Benny and the crew member Kyle Roth. I arrived at the hotel and got settled in and relaxed for a while before we started our meetings. I got to know some of my teammates very well and they are hysterical and just all around amazing. Each one not us has something to bring to the table and it just really makes us a strong group all together.

The second day we went over more information and got ourselves settled in. We practiced getting our stuff together and packing up in the morning. Mark, one of the crew members is the "team mom" and provided us with some really good breakfast.  After all that we headed over to the Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation Center. We had played a basketball game against the wildcats and it was unreal. I wasn't very good but I had a blast and really connected with the participants there. One player, number 33, was insanely good and was sinking 3 point shots like it was nothing. Another older man, number 47, was constantly stealing the ball and making 2 point shots. We got a tour afterwards and the place was beautiful and had such character to it, Push America had actually built a play unit here in the late 1900s and it was really nice to see a price of Push's history.  .

Day three was skills assessment. We actually went to the area where mythbusters is filmed but we had to leave due to an error with permits. Yet it was still very cool to see. I ended up doing second worst in the balance test but I know I'll improve in time. Afterwards we had a lovely lunch and headed over to  the golden gate bridge to take our team photo. It was really windy but I got an awesome photo of my chapter brother Reggie and I highfiving in front of the bridge. We then went to cliff bar headquarters to meet one of our corporate sponsorships. It was really cool inside and their work atmosphere is absolutely amazing. I really enjoyed meeting the people who make sure we have good energy bars on the road. They work with all organic material so i know I'm putting good stuff inside of me.

On day four we set off for our practice ride of 27 miles in a very hilly area of California. We climbed a total of 1600 feet which is a quarter of what we will do at kick off. The whole team finished in a timely matter and we know we'll have to work hard to tighten up our lines and cycle a bit faster. We had a very awesome friend of push america, Dean, help us fix our forms and learn to ride in a pace line. He also made sure all our bikes were good enough to get across the country in one piece. Afterwards at night we had our kick off dinner and so much family came out to support us. It was a great sight to see.

Tomorrow I wake up at 5:15 to start our kick off at the golden great bridge in San Francisco in California. We will cycle 70 miles tomorrow. I am a little nervous and excited to kick off and ride so many miles in a one day. I know this journey will be tough but it will be all worth it. Please make sure to read our team journal at pushamerica.org as I will be writing very soon!

To my friends and family thank you so much for your support and encouraging me to push further in life and it means so much to me that you all do. To my better half, thank you for believing in me and giving me the strength to push on.

(Sorry if this is very hard to read, typing on a phone is not easy!)