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In the summer of 2000, I joined 200
people young and old, biking across the United States from Seattle, Washington
to Washington, DC to raise funds for the American Lung Association. The ALA is a
100 year old non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating the causes of lung
diseases, including smoking, asbestos, pollution, and carcinogens in our
environment. ! And thanks to the donations of countless supporters, I succeeded
in raising $7000 for the American Lung Association, which was required for
participation in the Big Ride. The seven weeks that we spent riding from
Seattle to Washington, DC were an extraordinary event in my life, one that I
will never forget. I was renewed both physically and spiritually. The following
is my daily journal from the ride:
June
16
I flew in to Seattle today, connecting in Chicago. Due to a massive
thunderstorm in the mid-west, the plane had to refuel before leaving so that we
could take a detour around Oklahoma! Although the trip was lengthened, it was
wonderful to fly over the Tetons, and then circle around Mt. Ranier in
Washington. What a spectacular and massive mountain! After arriving at the
airport and finding a shuttle to the University of Washington, any anxiety I
felt was relieved by the way everything seemed to be coming together. This is
really happening!
June
17
With a couple of days to kill in Seattle before we hit the road, I began
meeting the other participants and making new friends. In order to say that we
went from the Pacific to the Atlantic, we rode out to the Sound and dipped our
wheels in the water. First, though, we wheeled our bikes through an interesting
Solstice celebration. Even in our Spandex, we were definitely NOT the weird
looking ones.
June 18
Seattle. Rain. Orientation.
Food. Sleep. More Rain. Get ready, tomorrow we ride!!!!!!
June
19
We departed at 6:00 am from Radio Shack (our corporate
sponsors), sent off with heroic music and the roar of the crowd of
well-wishers. What a strange feeling, as I got in line and began peddling the
beginning of a 3250 mile journey. Yes, this is really happening.
We
arrived at Skyomish on the west side of the Cascades at our first campground.
The shelves in the luggage truck collapsed, due to some poor engineering, and I
got use my carpentry skills. Hey, it’s great to be needed! Not so great to
listen to the trains 100 yards away all night long.
June 20
A long climb in Steven’s Pass, crossing the Cascades. Many
of us ate lunch at a 50’s nostalgia restaurant on the summit, just before a very
brisk descent. We camped at a fairgrounds in Cashmere, and were blessed by the
absence of trains.
June 21
Today I shed any extra
weight I could (bike rack, luggage bag, extra clothing, pennies) for the most
spectacular ride I'd ever experienced. On the road before 6:00 am, and then a 10
mile climb through desert sagebrush, followed by more than 30 miles of pure
desert canyonland. Still, I made it to our destination in Coullee City,
Washington by 2:00 pm. It was my first century ride ever, 106 miles.
June
22
Another climb, about 8 miles, away from Grand Coullee Dam,
crossing the mountain to a view of perfectly straight highway through rolling
hills as far as I could see. The desert vegetation slowly turned to wheat and
rye fields. It was a wide road with little traffic, but freshly paved with "chip
and seal" (tar and gravel). Tonight we bedded down at Gonzala University in
Spokane.
June 23
I was introduced to my
roommate Dennis when he decided to do his laundry at 5:00 am. He rustled
through plastic bags for 30 minutes trying to find his detergent. Today’s a rest
day. Let’s have a little talk.
June 24
Only 80 miles
today, and with the assistance of 3 pace lines that I fell into, I reached Sand
Point, Idaho at 11:55 am! Plenty of time for the local library computer, a nap,
a freaky afternoon rain storm, and dinner with the local Order of Eagles.
June 25
We started out in a cold and serious head
wind, but the mountains, blue sky, and lakes were worth slowing down for anyway.
Before and after check point, I fell in with pace lines, and the day went
faster. We arrive in Thompson Falls, Montana. Still, I’m tired, and hit the
sleeping bag at 7:30 pm. Tomorrow we change time zones, a milestone for the
ride.
June 26
We grumbled when we heard that
we'd have two days off in Missoula, Montana, but after today's ride, it sounds
great. 106 miles, uphill, wind in the
face. Mercifully, blue skies, scenic
barren mountains, and the Rockies loomed ahead. It was a perfect 70 degrees
and the wind turned to our backs and the road headed downhill for the last 15
miles. It took 9 hrs., and that's a lot of time to try to think of something
other than calculating the number of hours and miles to go!
We've all
adapted quickly, getting up about 4:30, packing our bags and tents, and getting
on the road at 6:00. The riders stretch out over the miles, but there's a great
feeling that we all belong, and we give each other a lot of encouragement. Not
everyone was able to do the entire day's ride yet. They try, and if they can't,
there's a SAG (Support and Gear) vehicle passing every 15 minutes or so to give
them a lift, sometimes only to the next downhill. So far, no SAGS for me. What a
great adventure!
We're taking two days off, staying at the University
in Missoula. In the next two days we'll do some white water rafting and visit
Glacier National Park. And rest. If you're ever in Missoula, the Iron Horse
serves a great ale called Moose Drool. (This is where I developed my
appreciation for good dark local ale!)
June
27
Dennis learns quickly-- I slept until 7:00 am!. It's great using university
computers with their super fast connections, so I built a new more attractive
Big Ride web page with the friendly help of tripod.Com .
June
28
2 days in Missoula is enough to tell me that this is a great
little town--I could definitely live here. Free music in the park, great local
brew, a bit of the 60's in the air, and white water!
June 29
Another day, another century ride, 101 miles to Avon,
Montana. What a great day! Easy riding when you finally get a tail wind. It
makes me feel so strong! So it was a good day to have my first flat on the Big
Ride.
June 30
Only 60 miles to Townsend,
Montana.. We crossed the continental divide early at McDonald Pass, for a rapid
descent into Helena, Montana. It's a so-so town, nothing great. On the road we
had to gather in groups to be escorted through a road construction project. Then
the wind got a bit strong in our faces, making this 60 miles a lot harder than
yesterday’s century ride! Still, I made camp by about 1:30 pm after a break at
the A&W. I’ve learned to set up my tent at the far end of the field, so that
I can catch a little sleep and pee in the woods. My only neighbor out here in
the nether region is Carol the Iron Woman, and she probably shares these
sentiments.
July 1
Another climb, another pass,
another head wind, and another day on the Big Ride. We did "check point" at
White Sulfur Springs. The wind eased up, and the ride from there was
spectacular. But it was hot out here in the desert, and I just had to go for a
skinny dip in a beautiful blue lake along the way. Refreshed, I felt powerful,
and the tailwind and I joined forces for a fast last few miles to camp. Then an
ugly thunderstorm reared its head, and the trailing riders were actually blown
backwards by the wind, blinded by rain, jolted by the lightning, and then
(perhaps disapointedly) rescued a few miles from camp by the SAG vans. I laid on
the air mattress in my tent, hoping that I could keep it from flying away and
not be hit by a bolt from the sky. A family reunion in a restaurant next to our
camping field in Harlowtown opened their doors to the riders to give us safe
refuge from the storm! You should have seen the mix of these contrasting human
beings, gathered together by the forces of nature!
July 2
A strong wind gave our pace line a great 21
mile per hour blast to the checkpoint by 8:30 am. We had Pie at Dori’s
Restaurant, then turned and headed into the wind with a 1000’ climb up onto a
desert plateau. I fell back from the pack on the hill, and rode along with John,
the Catholic Priest. Here we encountered a great expanse of nothingness, and my
energy eroded. I also couldn’t keep up with Uli and Bob, a couple of 67 year
olds. I had a Coke at a cowboy bar and grill, which was the only building in
sight of anywhere, and I "bonked" on my way to Billings, Montana. Even the
outstanding descent into this city surrounded by cliffs was made difficult by
head winds. Sitting under a shade tree in Billings, a granola bar restored my
energy and gave me enough energy to tackle the final insult, a short but
incredibly steep ascent two blocks from the school yard where we will camp for
the next two days.
July 3
Ahh, rest! We did laundry in
the morning, and then hung out in town watching 10,000 motorcyclists converge on
Billings. The Big Ride is not the big story in this town today!
July 4
We had a very short 54 mile ride to Hardin, Montana. It
was an easy climb and feeling refreshed, all the riders made it in, with time
for pizza and smoothies along the way. Some of the riders visited the Custer
Little Big Horn battlefield, and others went to a rodeo. I skipped them—they
both feel tragic to me.
July 5
We
rode today through the Crow reservation in southern Montana, and then crossed
into Wyoming finally, with a bit of head wind. Riding diagonally through Montana
The Tandem bike spilled, and Emily had to have stitches to her knee, but she'll
be back on the road in a couple of days. It was a hot day, followed by a rather
creative "talent" show in the evening in Sheridan featuring the Big Ride’s
finest.
July 6
I rode mostly by myself today with a good
tailwind for the first half, followed by 40 miles of head wind into Gillette. It
began with a tough but beautiful climb that seemed to go on forever, somehow
always circling back to show us receding views of the snow-covered peaks that we
camped close to last night. This was our longest ride, 114 miles. We’re tired.
July 7
We have
moved quickly through the northeast corner of Wyoming, and tomorrow will bike
into the Black Hills of South Dakota. Yesterday’s 103 degree heat and 114 mile
ride wore us down a bit, but we look forward to a rest day on Saturday. Despite
the fatigue, we all are still thrilled with the ride, and wouldn't be any place
else. A shorter ride today left plenty of time for a visit to the Newcastle,
Wyoming library (it's cool inside), and some slow but welcome computers. We're
getting stronger and perhaps
philosophical about the long rides through vast
stretches of nothing but hills, wind, grass, and sage brush. If you've never
gotten up at 4:30 on a desert morning, you don't know what you're missing!
I’ve been pondering my own thought processes.. Today, new
ideas emerged, nothing life-shattering, but perhaps life-changing. I'd like to
start up an outdoor adventure company in the Berkshires. (And I did!
Go to http://www.bikenewengland.com/ )
July 8
After so many days in the arid areas of Montana and
Wyoming, we climbed yesterday into the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota.
Although it was a long 85 mile ride with countless hills, we felt only the
thrill of being in such beautiful forests, with mountain streams and ragged
rock formations just above our heads. We were treated to what seemed like an
endless downhill thrill ride as we left the Hills and headed north toward Rapid
City. Today I pulled the Burley cart,
which carries our Chain of Hope with hundreds of names of people who suffer from
lung disease, and for whom many of us are riding.
The approach of
clouds, rain, and lightning added a little more zip to our
pace, and we
pulled into camp refreshed and more enthused about the Ride
than ever. Camp
today in Rapid City is a bit of a dump,
but tomorrow is a day off!
July 9
It’s raining, we’re not
close to town, and some of the riders are feeling a bit of despair. I’m still
psyched for the ride, however. While I
won't go into it here, there have been some changes at home. It’s been a while, and I wonder what
adjustments we’ll be having to make?
(*suffice it to say that the changes, while difficult, have made my life more
wonderful.)
July
10
Leaving Rapid City, we headed for Kodota, another 103 miles. Very flat for
20 -30 miles, then some badlands, and more flats. Not a lot of civilization out here, so when the Riders spotted a small
restaurant in the middle of nowhere, we all converged like a swarm of locusts.
At checkpoint we were close to an old preserved ghost town. I checked out the
stores, which looked totally dilapidated. Outside an Indian asked me for a
couple of bucks. I gave him one, and he said he needed five. I told him to keep
looking.
Then the Badlands! Awesome cutouts of earth and stone, unlike
anything I’ve ever seen. I took my time in the Park. After our thrilling ride
through the Black Hills, we had returned on our day off to visit Mt. Rushmore
and the ongoing work to create a mountain carving of Chief Crazy Horse. It was
great to see these incredible feats, but if I may be honest, no human effort
could match the sculpture of nature that we witnessed as we biked today through
the Badlands! I had no idea such a place existed on the face of the earth. Bands
of Red, yellow, and white streaked the needle-sharp pyramids of rock and soil,
some worn by wind and water to only two dimensions! No photograph could do
justice to the three-dimensional effect as we biked through the park, with our
eyes
aimed everywhere but on the road! A 20 mile per hour headwind at the end
of the 105 mile ride to Kadota did nothing to dim the memory of this awesome
sight.
July 11
Today the winds blessed us, and we turned
another 100 miles into a quick morning trip to Pierre, the South Dakota state
capitol, despite 20 miles of butt-jarring road resurfacing along the way. Here
we are camping along the banks of the amazingly clean and refreshing Missouri
River. I would never have known that South Dakota is such an awesomely beautiful
state! This is the middle point of our
ride, in terms of miles ridden, time on the road, return to Central time, and a
change in scenery now to endless stretches of grass and grain waving in the
winds. Our enjoyment of the Big Ride continues to grow!
July 12
On to Miller, South Dakota. With a
good road and slight tailwind, I pushed hard and made it into camp at 11:30 am,
giving me plenty of time for the internet, a nap, and friends. The people here
came out, putting on a feast and a wonderful reception. Feeling that so much in
me is beginning to change, I took advantage of the free haircut being offered by
a local beautician. When I told her that this was my first professional cut
since high school, she replied, "Then honey, I’m going to give you the works!"
It was also a sad day, though. Three riders had a close call when they
were struck by the extended side mirror on a truck pulling an RV. Sheri and Lana
are ok, a bit banged up,
but will be back on the ride. Mary will have to
return home to nurse a fractured hip socket, but apparently surgery will not be
necessary. We have all grown to care about and for each other, and these three
ladies are good friends. We are like a rolling community (and sometimes a
rolling party).
July 14
Yet another perfect blue sky day.
I've been so lucky—I haven't ridden in rain yet! The people of South Dakota have
turned out for us at every stop, treating us to homemade deserts and genuine
hospitality! I'm sitting in the Mayor's office in Elkton, S.D.,
(population
about 700) using her computer, after having put down some watermelon and cookies
at the town hall! This is part of the "Tour de Pie", a locally famous bike ride,
and we’ll all receive certificates suitable for framing for our participation in
it!
Later, we camped in a great city park in Tyler, Minnesota, had a
beer or two while watching the Tour de France in the local bar (Will that be Bud
or Old Milwaukee, sir?) . Some of the local kids thought we were amusing, and
decided to keep us up tonight by circling the camp, blowing their horns, and
shouting less than entertaining vocalizations from their cars.
July
15
We’re in New Ulm, Minnesota tonight and tomorrow for a rest day. The
big event of the year, the German Fest, is this weekend. It took a turn for the
strange when a rather intoxicated little old lady pulled Phil, our energetic and
enthusiastic 79 year old, out onto the dance floor. I think she wanted a piece
of him. Not to be outdone, the dance floor was soon full of very sweaty Big
Riders, doing our decidedly pathetic but energetic versions of the Polka.
July 16 My
first piece of advice when riding long distances is to also walk some every day,
or at least stretch the calves. After
jumping around with the Polka last night, my calves are totally locked up. I have to take baby steps, and am wondering
if I can actually still ride.
I walked (limped) around in search of the
elusive Good Cup of Coffee, then watched "The Perfect Storm". It was a nice day
off, and I spent most of it on my feet, walking slowly around town at a snail's
pace.
July 17
So--I can still barely walk, but I can ride! The wind blew us in to Owatonna,
Minnesota so fast today that I'm sitting in the town library writing this at
11:00 am! After we left camp, I saw a
line of white geese flying parallel to our path. Four were ahead of a second
group of three, who were flapping hard trying to catch up. The lead goose up
front would make broad, strong wing movements, and after a few of these would
rest one time. The three following him were perfectly in sync, watching and
following his movements. The
stragglers caught up, and they veered toward
the west, moving swiftly out of sight in a single line. For a few moments, I
felt like I was one of them, as we earthbound cyclists took turns leading and
drafting in the pace line.
July
18
Trees have reappeared, along with
cattails, milkweed, and so many other plants that we see out East. Today we
biked over 90 miles into a stiffhead wind to Winona, MN, where we actually get to sleep in beds at the
state university. I was surprised to encounter low mountains and some
not-too-bad climbs outside of town. I did not know that these were the western
edge of the Mississippi River bluffs. It
appears that they were originally an elevated area of sandstone and limestone,
former sea bottom. Fissures in the stone eventually widened to valleys, creating
separate mountains, and numerous streams running toward what became the
Mississippi River. The glaciers of the last ice age carved scoops off the side
of the bluffs as they slowly scraped their way down the river bed. But the
absence of glacial till in this area of the Mississippi River valley leaves this
as a bit of a mystery.
Ever since we left
Seattle (2100 miles ago) we have followed the trains, even waving and seeming to
get to know the engineers personally, who love to blow their horns in response!
In Wyoming and South Dakota, the cars were filled with coal from the local open
mines, the trains sometimes over a mile long. We crossed the Missouri River,
encountering vast stretches of wheat fields, and grain silos dominated the
horizons; the train cargo changed to endless cars of wheat. Still we followed
the tracks, and today they
reached their destination. Winona sits on the
west side of the Mississippi River, and the tracks went right up to the loading
docks, where I saw grain being poured into huge barges being prepared to ship
downstream.. Later tonight we'll tune in to ESPN and get the latest news on
Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France. I'm sure we have more than our share of
wantabee Lances with us!
July
19
It's definitely starting to feel like home! We crossed the
Mississippi River at La Cross, and wound our way through some back roads and
good climbing hills to Viroqua. Today I saw miles of water lilies, a muskrat and
a red-tailed hawk; I stopped and got fresh warm home-made cookies from a Amish
family along the way, and checked out how their
windmill/water pump worked.
It's been cold (5 degrees colder than the previous record), but started warming
up by afternoon. The cold is invigorating on the ride, and I reached Owatonna at
10:30 am! I didn’t even bother to check into camp till later in the day, instead
preferring to spend some quality time in the library, and later stopping by a
local book store to purchase a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance.
Tomorrow we'll reach Madison, and stay over in a dorm
again, with a day off. Then we'll quickly whip through Illinois and Indiana in 4
days. The Polka legs are almost ok now--I've started some stretching to try to
prevent that from happening. And I'm
already dreaming about the next cycling trip!
July 20
We're in a dorm again, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. We avoided
the direct route, Highway 14 for the past two days and instead crisscrossed it
on secondary roads with little traffic but lots of hills and more lush
vegetation. I stopped in for a coffee and donut at a small town diner—started
something of a conversation with a local farmer at the counter. Weird how they
all looked almost identical! Later we
did "check point" at the Frank Lloyd Wright museum. I would have gone on the
tour, but they wanted so much for even the slightest souvenirs or refreshments,
that I guessed that the tour was a rip-off as well. Riders who did the tour
confirmed that suspicion.
Today was 110 miles of climbing and
descending, and strangely enough, I grew stronger as the day pushed on, so that
for the last 20 miles I found myself standing on the pedals. I have a theory
that the energy of a city accelerates everything coming into it, like the way
gravity curves space and pulls objects in. I'm sure you've noticed that with
cars, but it is apparently true for the Big Ride too!
So is that energy
the combined mental forces of all those people, or is it our own energy being
manifested by changing conditions? I was reflecting on just that today; it feels
like there is infinite potential in the world, and under the right circumstances
just about anything can happen. It's not that everything is preordained and
waiting to happen somewhere; it's more like we're both in and part of an
infinite and unlimited cosmic "soup". By trying to live our lives to the
fullest, we taste a bit more of this soup, which opens up yet further
possibilities. We can call this soup God or the Creation or Everything or
whatever, but I don't think it's realistic to label it or define it or even
think we can begin to understand it. The
more questions we ask about it, the more questions achieve their potential to be
asked! I thought when I embarked on this
journey that I would perhaps find some answers, but instead am discovering more
wonderful questions!
July
21
Madison is a sweet college town, without the big city feel, even
though we must have biked at least 5 miles through the city before we reached
the university, where we are staying over for a day. It's amazing how quickly we
learn our way around each community, most of which we will see for only a few
hours after the day's ride. The most sought after locations are the library
(computers, magazines, air conditioning and soft chairs); food; the best bar;
bike shops. Did I mention food? I suspect that in addition to
physical
skills and stamina, we also have improved our abilities to quickly learn and
adapt to changing situations. And in this hyper-paced world, that's a plus.
On the other hand, our sense of continuity would be trashed, except that
we certainly have a sense of belonging to an extraordinary and stable community,
the 250 cyclists and crew. Home for the Big Ride is not a place, but the company
of the people whom we have come to belong to. Of course there is also the time
spent on the road. Some of us bike mostly alone; others prefer being in a pack.
We're here for a lot of different
reasons; the biking is just what we all
do.
While I haven't heard any complaints, I think in the back seat of my
mind there is a little kid who asks "How much longer till we get there?" The
grownup holding the
handlebars answers "just enjoy the journey!"
July 22
We left Madison for Belvidere, Illionois—80 miles of
easy riding, with some climbing. I took my first wrong turn in the company of
about 10 others, and we managed to get in an extra 7 miles, before
stopping. . On the way we passed through
the Illinois state line at Beloit, a particularly unappealing industrial town,
despite its reputable college. However, the riders from Illinois had raced ahead
and met with friends there who set up a welcome table, complete with ice cream,
cookies, and fake Abraham Lincoln beards. The contest is now on for the best
welcome.
I passed by John, and he kidded me with, "Fine, don’t say hi!".
Well, I’d become a bit embarrassed by this point about not being good with
names, including his. Later at dinner, I introduced myself, and he to me. From
that point on, whenever we see each other, I make a point of yelling "Hi,
John!", and he does the same with me. He’s a great guy with an amazing story
about how he pulled his life together.
 July 23
Wow, another
dorm so soon! Just overnight in Naperville, a college town with a trendy main
street. On the way here I checked out a Greek Orthodox church with amazing
architecture. The woman in charge allowed me to walk into the sanctuary (after
first donning a robe to cover up my biker shorts); It could have been the
Sistine Chapel!
July 24
We managed
to bypass Chicago by taking endless side roads, but still had to breathe some of
its nasty air. After a while we got on a great bike trail, followed by some
pretty rough roads. It was a long ride. While all the back roads we are taking
do add on 10 or 20 miles each day, it
rewarded us with a more leisurely pace that allowed me to stop
and
chat with a lady about her flower garden,
a very sweet
Mennonite lady offering free cookies and cold water, and
several kids with
lemonade stands, and of course--corn. Seeing all the
bikers coming out of the corn for pee breaks reminded me of the movie, "Field of
Dreams". If you plant it, bikers will pee in it. When we arrived in LaPorte,
Indiana, we were welcomed to our first Indiana camp with a feast that wouldn't
stop, thanks to the good people of that town. It went on from the moment we
arrived (1:00 more or less) till 10:00 that evening, with lots of corn, a pig
roast, cookies, more corn, oodles of veggies, and 900 twinkies.
July 25
A long ride again, but good things
always happen! Three of us stopped in a roadside cafe for lunch, and some of the
other patrons heard us talking about the Ride and the ALA. When we were finished
eating, the waitress let us know that someone had covered our bill for us! The
route was a little longer due to road construction, but we detoured through
Topeka, Indiana where there were hundreds of Amish farmers and their families
attending a cattle auction. There were more buggies and beards in that town than
bicycles on the ride! What a great mix! Tonight we camped at a large local park
in Kendalville, Indiana. Keeper sang with his guitar while we roasted
marshmallows!
July 26
A short 69 mile ride, with smooth
roads, miles of corn, and a great welcome party that the Ohio riders threw right
in the middle of the road, since "there weren't no cars nohow there". Later I stopped and talked with a farmer,
who maintained a platonic smile as he told me that the weather around that spot
was all dried up, that he wasn’t even planting a crop this year, and that he was
pretty dried up with age himself. None of this seemed to bother him in the
least. I asked him about this, and he just replied, "Maybe next year will be
better."
At Napoleon, Ohio tonight, a local group came out and did a May
pole dance for us, and then got some riders in on it, along with a bit of square
dancing. I'm a bit shy , and felt like sitting and watching. All the good food has almost put an end to
the dream that the
spare tire we all carry around might just disappear. We
could resolve to do penance for the next 10 days, but it'll never happen.
July
27
We took back roads again, a little more "chip and seal", but altogether
another good ride. I’ve been pushing the bike (and myself) a little harder, and
averaged 15.5 miles per hour today. The crops are changing here; lots of corn,
but also soybeans, cucumbers, and lots of cabbage. We reached, Sandusky,
Ohio--it's a day we’ve been anticipating! Not only is tomorrow our final rest
day, but tonight the Big Riders converged on Cedar Point
where after a
fairly easy 80 mile ride, many of the Big Riders took on the world's fastest
roller coasters at Cedar Point. After enduring a 93 mph, 87 degree drop, we
passed by monitors which had recorded our expressions. Sheer terror was apparent
on most of our faces. In the car behind me sat 3 of our oldest riders, including
Phil, who is 79. They looked like they could have been playing cards or having a
cup of coffee. I asked Phil about this, and he replied, "What's there to be
afraid of?" This guy is non-stop. On his
next birthday, he plans to do his
first parachute drop. He's already a medal-winning runner in his age category;
his wife is the reigning over-80 national tennis champ.
One of the many
great things about this ride has been the disintegration of age prejudices. I've
come to the conclusion that the responsibility for this lies primarily with
those of us who are "older". Our minds age similarly to our bodies. Just as we
need to stay physically active, it is important to expand the horizons of our
thinking, like children. A little
growing up is ok, but it's over-rated if you ask me. So many people that we have
met on the Ride have said "Oh, I wish I could do something like that, but I know
I couldn't". Well, maybe some couldn't, but most of us never know our own
potential. And as long as we never take the first step, we'll never know the
journey that could have been ours.
July 28
I spent my off day
biking around Sandusky, which except for the coaster park isn’t much., except
for a great little coffee house/sandwich hangout that seemed out of place in
this town. I had time to finish Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; it
was the right book and the right time. For the first time in weeks we were
crowded together in a small camp, and the guy next to my tent was throwing up
all night. Looks like a stomach bug is going around.
 July 29
I woke early and took off to get away from the puking going on all around
camp. Roller coasters or virus, who
knows? . Again being pulled in by magic
city force, I made some good time. We rode through Cleveland, a fascinating and
interesting city. While a lot of the riders were looking forward to the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame, I was drawn to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where
I spend three hours. They even had a planetarium, and the bones of the famous
early humanoid "Lucy". When I came out, I discovered that it had rained. I still
haven’t gotten wet on this ride! Then I got a little off route, and stopped to
chat with a couple of guys on a road crew. They were fascinated by the ride, and
had some really cold water.
July 30
Talk about culture clash!
I arrived early today, Sunday, at camp in Canfield at the country’s biggest
fairground, and a monster truck show! We could hear the engines miles before we
reached camp! Redneck rock music
was blasting out of speakers over our
heads as we pulled in to the fairgrounds. At first I felt a bit of anger, but
eventually decided to deal with that by checking out the show. I got there just
in time to see a Big Truck flip. The crowd loved it—I think that’s what they
were waiting for, because in just a couple of minutes the show was over, the
crowd went home, and Big Riders went to sleep.
July 31
I'm writing from the computer lab at Indiana
College in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where for the last time we get to stay in
dorms. We're in our last week now, and will be arriving in
Washington, DC on
Saturday, August 5. I really enjoyed
today's ride: 105 miles, crossing the border from Ohio to Indiana, Pennsylvania,
with a couple of dozen serious hills and equally exciting down hills. I felt
strong, powered by a 12" Subway! We
dripped with sweat as a dark rolling thunderstorm moved up from behind to add to
the challenge. I made it in just before the deluge. What a roller coaster ride!
These seven weeks have been an awesome journey, and I have many people
to thank for your moral support and for your contributions to the American Lung
Association that made this possible. I'm sure that this won't be my last "Big
Ride"; I'm already thinking about the West Coast and Europe. For a while,
though, I'm looking forward to the thrill of being home.
August 1
Seventy miles, lots of
hills, and two awesome downhills, one seven miles long! Time to find the
brakes! I got another subway, and felt
strong again today! Coincidence? Maybe. I mean, I was doing the hills in my
middle ring, while seated! I vote Subway the official sandwich of the Big Ride!
I pulled into Holidaysburg and got my tent up in the football field just as a
torrential downpour swept through. Still, I haven’t gotten wet! This is a sweet
tourist town, so different from the sad-looking mining towns of the last couple
of days.
August 2
Today was my record day for speed, being
the 10th rider to pull into Mifflingtown, PA. Of course a short 76 miles and
some tailwind helped; we had to work around a bit of construction along the way.
In order to keep us off busy Rt. 22, we took smaller local roads, and climbed
high. At one point I could look hundreds of feet down and see Rt. 22, wide and
level, following the river. I love these hills!
August 3
Today was the final exam, with two incredible climbs. I think everyone made
it, even though it was a push for me in my small chain ring. We stopped and
celebrated at each summit, taking pictures of ourselves by the DANGER: 14 DEGREE
DESCENT sign. Arriving in Gettysburg was our reward, where some of the bikers
took the bus tour.
 August 4
With only 36 miles to ride today,
following the group photo shoot several of us went to the Gettysburg Museum and
then toured the battlefield on bikes. This is the best way to visit this awesome
place . After lunch with a few friends, we headed out, and the short ride to
Frederick, Maryland still seemed about right.
In Frederick we camped
next to the local semi-professional ball field. Having learned by now to go with
the flow, I joined a couple of guys and we went to the ballgame, my first ever!
O.K., I did little league, but I was a squirt then (still am) and spent my days
on the bench. So it was therapeutic. The game was great, and the crowd even
better. The hometown guys won in the bottom of the 10th, after having been down
by 6 in the 7th inning. The victory was followed by a great fireworks show, and
any Big Riders who might have been trying to get the regular allotment of sleep
had a bit of a surprise.
August 5
Saturday , and we finished
up the Big Ride with a short 60 mile ride into Washington, DC. We gathered about
a mile from the Lincoln Memorial, and then rode in single file to a wonderful
reception by friends and family who had come from all over the country to meet
us there! The thrill was dampened a bit by the word that one our riders, Roger,
fell today, breaking his hip. So close, so close! It was time for me, my bike, and the 50
pounds of clothes, sleeping bag, and tent that had been my sole possessions for
seven weeks to return home. It's hard leaving all of these wonderful new friends
that I've
struggled, laughed, sweated, and lived with so intensely! I doubt if any of us will ever be completely
the same. After many hours of riding through the countryside, we all became
introspective, and more acutely aware of the things that are important to each
of us in life.
--Gordon Harris, founder: Bike New
England
For further information, email Gordon at Bike New England, or call (978) 312-1006, or by cell phone (978) 979-6598 .
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