Chris’ Journey

I finally had some good weather today. It started out cold and cloudy but quickly warmed up as the sun came out after about an hour of riding. I began to shed the layers as the day went on because I dressed for cold and rain at the start of the day. By the time I got to the first resting point to refuel and take off a few layers I had entered into Pennsylvania. We took the advice of some and took a picture in front of the Maryland sign as well. We pulled a twofer. Also by this time I was into the hills of PA. These hills were brutal. I was struggling up many of them after a couple hours. They just didn’t end. ever. They’re still going.

The morning was by far worse than the afternoon. I went up some of the hills at 4-5 mph. It was tough. For the first time all trip I was really struggling. Not only were these hills steep but they were long. Some were 3-4 miles long. The good news about these long and steep hills is that I got to go down them too. It was awesome. I got over 40 for the first time all trip, and I did so 3 or 4 times. I kept it safe though.

After the brutal morning we stopped in lunch in Wrightsville. The coolest town EVAR. But we didn’t stay long. The afternoon started off similar to the morning with nice big hills but it got better as I got into Amish country. Though it was still more hilly than any other day so far. The bad thing about Amish country and all the farms was that it smelt awful. Worse than I smell after I ride for 7 hours. It went by real fast though. I was cruising at 17-18 mph on all the flats so it was a good time. The wind came back in the afternoon too. But it wasn’t always a head wind. Sometimes it was a side wind, sometimes it was a tail wind, and at some points I even think it was just coming straight down on top of me. I ended up actually about 10 miles past Reamstown but that’s the closest populated town so we just are saying that was where we ended. I did 98 miles at 16.0 mph with 6238 feet of climbing. It was a tough day.

I never rode by an amish buggy. But I did see one about half a mile away on another rode so I went on full zoom mode and sniped a picture. I did get some pictures of them as we drove down to my Uncle Tim’s house where we are staying tonight. We met my parents here again and they will be with us until tomorrow. The weather for tomorrow looks great again compared to what it has been the past couple of days. I think that Thursday is the only day with bad weather left. Sun is in the forecast every other day.

Only 60 something miles are planned for tomorrow so it’ll be a nice rest day before a final push to the finish. The break will be really nice after the hills today. My legs are feeling it right now. Having someone to ride with on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be refreshing.

Here are todays pictures:

Day 11

Thanks for reading.
Stephen

This morning we got off to an early start in the dark and fog of Washington, DC. The good news was that it wasn’t raining and it wasn’t below 40. The bad news was that it was cloudy, foggy, and we had a 45 minute drive to our starting place.

We started at Mt. Vernon in Virginia on the Mt. Vernon bike trail. It was a nice change from the lonely roads I’ve been riding through. I had some company at the start this morning once again with my dad and his friend Bill Thornton (who we stayed with last night). My dad was riding Andrew’s bike and was learning how to use clip in pedals for the first time. It was quite amusing. He spent 10 minutes in the parking lot trying to clip in before we got started. But he got the hang of it quickly.

We got going around 9 and rode right along the Potomac River towards DC. It was an awesome ride. Though it was quite narrow, curvy, and had lots of stops so our average was a little low. We got into the city after about an hour and made a stop in front of the Lincoln Memorial. It was a nice change of scenery. Grabbed some pictures, some food, and some rest before continuing on the bike path. There was a little confusion with where exactly we were going because the trail was not well marked so we took about 18 wrong turns by the time the bike trail ended. The two flats I got slowed us down as well. So the 45 mile bike trail took a little longer than expected. Only a 13.5 average or so including all the stops at road crossings.

The slow average in the morning meant that I had some catching up to do in the afternoon. Bill and my dad left after the bike trail so I was on my own in the afternoon. The problem was that the hills emerged as soon as I left the bike trail. Not only were these things steep but they were constantly there. I went up and down, up and down, up and down like 80 times. In the 45 miles I did after the bike trail I did 3103 ft of climbing. It was tiring. Some how though, despite all the climbing, I averaged 16.8 mph. The difference between today and the other days I had a high average was that today I was working HARD. Tomorrow I expect more of the same as I make my way into Pennsylvania. But tomorrow is the longest day remaining so it will be nice to get it over with.

Hopefully I get a Pennsylvania sign tomorrow because I didn’t get a Welcome to Maryland because we were on the bike path. It was a bummer. But good to get another state out of the way anyways. All the pictures are from this morning because I was either struggling to get up a hill or down a hill at 30-40 mph.

Tonight we are at Aislinn’s cousin’s house in Maryland. We had an awesome dinner and it’s once again awesome to get out of a hotel. In the hotel I eat dinner on my bed so it gets everywhere. So the biggest plus of staying at someone’s home is that I don’t have to sleep with my dinner. Always a plus.

Here are some pictures from today:

Day 10

Thanks for reading.
Stephen

The good news is that there was no wind today and I only had to ride 61 miles. The bad news is that it was pouring rain, cold, and hilly.

We got off to a late start today mainly because we had no need to rush. After an 8 AM wake up we said goodbye to my Aunts and my cousins Andrew who were headed back to normal life again. We had a few moments of confusion this morning in terms of getting back to where we were starting for the day so by the time we got there it was already 10 AM. Luckily this was no problem because it was such a short day of riding.

It was a little different riding without Andrew at first but I quickly got use to it and was settling back into a comfort zone. The ride started off going through Richmond and Ashland but quickly brought me back out to the farms in Virginia. With these farms came hills. Lot of hills. Not long hills. But many many short steep ones. It was a very obvious change from what I’ve gotten use to over the past week. The hills were much better than wind though.

We once again had some confusion when I got to the first meeting point and Aislinn was not there. Of course this was the one day I didn’t have a cell phone with me because it broke. After 15-20 minutes of standing at Old Ridge rd. She finally got there and I was off again. I think that we were both a little lost without our help.

The rest of the day went off very smoothly, well for me it did. Aislinn seemed to be driving off road in the car because when she drove past me a few miles after our last rest stop she was dragging half a tree with her. It was quite amusing.

I ended up doing 61 miles. It was a nice short and easy day for some recovery. I actually felt very strong today and averaged 16.3 mph. Having no wind to deal with was a huge help. By the time I finished I had only been riding for a little less than 4 hours. This was a little different than usual. I ended in Fredericksburg, VA but I will be starting tomorrow in DC. This is my only day where I drive a part of the east coast rather than riding it. Mainly due to safety concerns on the road we decided to do this.

Tomorrow we get to ride through downtown DC on a bike trail. I am really looking forward to getting off of all the country roads through trees and farms. I will be riding right downtown before I get out of the city on my way up to Butler, MD.

Tonight I am staying with some family friends in Vienna, VA. My parents came down to meet up with us and to visit them. It’s great to get out of a hotel again. We had an awesome home cooked meal and get to spend some time with different people. I’m learning all about the Physics of Golf and all about India. Not only do I get a great dinner and comfortable bed here, but I also get to learn. Learning is always good, right? And good is what we want, right?

Oh and taking pictures in rain, by myself, and when I see very little change means not the most exciting pictures. BUT I promise tomorrow’s will be good.

Here’s todays:

Day 9

Thanks for reading.
Stephen

Well today was miserable once again in terms of weather. The morning actually wasn’t too bad. No rain, just cold and windy. Of course this was a headwind but it was only 5-10 mph today. By the afternoon, however, it was raining, 40 degrees, and we still had a head wind. Compared to yesterday it was about 18 times better. But still not fun.

We got off to a late start because we were so exhausted from yesterday but were fortunate enough to get some good miles in before the rain start. Very shortly after we began we were able to put North Carolina behind us and cross into Virginia. Always good to put another state behind us. But the best part of the day came a few miles later when we met up with Judy Lessard. A woman who has been battling the disease for the past few years. To see a woman who has battled the disease be able to ride 2 miles on her bike with us is unbelievable. The disease does so much damage to the body that being able to ride a bike is an amazing feat. It was such an honor to ride 2 miles with her. She is an unbelievable woman.

The rain started around 12 but didn’t get bad until around 2. It was very similar to yesterday except the wind wasn’t nearly as bad. The body was beginning to go numb again though. There were two things that helped us though. The first was that we were only doing 82 miles rather than 130 miles. This meant we were able to get out of the cold and rain much quicker. The second was that my legs felt really strong. We ended up averaging 15.8 mph despite all the weather conditions.

Overall today was awful but far better than yesterday. In fact I barely remember yesterday. I will never be able to understand what went on yesterday, mainly because I don’t remember it. My body simply stopped functioning. I apparently was slurring words, I couldn’t hold onto anything, my hands and feet were tingly, and I was mentally just not there. The extra sleep last night was very helpful.

Sorry for the lack of twitter updates recently. The rain destroyed my phone but I will be getting a new one soon. So the twitter updates will be back.

Tomorrow is going to be a very short day thankfully. Only 61 miles or so. But it is going to be raining again, a few degrees warmer though.

Here are both today’s pictures and yesterday’s pictures. I apologize for the lack of pictures. When its cold, rainy, and windy pictures are the last thing on our minds. So we were really only able to take them before it got bad.

Day 7

Day 8

Here are some of my aunt’s pictures from today.

Day 8- Aunt Sally

Thanks for reading.
Stephen

Words will never describe what today was like for us. But here is my attempt: 130 miles (7 mile detour), 10-20 mph headwinds, pouring down rain, sub 40 degree weather, a flat tire, 11 hours from start to finish. It took every ounce of energy and will power for me to finish the day. If I was put in the exact same situation again, I would not be able to finish 99 out of 100 times.

We started off around 8 A.M in brutal winds and freezing temperatures. The morning actually wasn’t bad at all until we got about 5 miles away from the ferry we were taking. We entered this weird area with phosphate mines and we had NO tree coverage. The wind at this point was worse than any other part of the day yesterday. Luckily it did not last long and we were able to make the ferry. But for those 5 miles we were struggling to go over 10 mph.

After we got off the ferry the wind eased up a little bit back to 10-20 mph. But it did begin to rain. We were able to get some pictures here before the rain got bad and the crazy winds came back. Thats basically the only chance we had all day. We ended up stopping for lunch in Plymouth, NC with about 75 miles left to go in the afternoon.

The afternoon was where things started going down hill. Less than 5 miles into the afternoon I got a flat and had to do a full bike change. This meant that I no longer had my GPS to track all my stats for the day. But the important thing was finishing. The cold, head wind and pouring rain at this point was basically unbearable. We lost almost all feeling in our entire body as the day went on. All the training and preparation for the ride meant nothing once we got half way through the afternoon. It was purely a mental battle for the final 40 miles.

Unfortunately I lost the help of my cousin Andrew with about 30 miles to go. Not because his legs were too sore and tired, but because his fingers were purple and he was completely numb. He put everything he had into riding with me this week and I honestly don’t think I could’ve done the whole thing alone. We were all expecting him to do about 30-50 miles a day because he is really just a recreational cyclist who began training a few weeks before the ride. But he rode every single mile with me until the final 30 today. He has been a huge help to me. Tomorrow is his last day so I’ll have to try to adjust to riding alone.

The final 30 miles were just painful. As soon as I left without Andrew I just began to hammer as hard as I could. The first 25 miles out of those 30 were easily the fastest I’ve done the entire trip. I was so motivated to finish the day that I just didn’t care about the numbness anymore. I could feel nothing, couldn’t move my fingers, and couldn’t see anything. But with about 5 miles to go my body just shut down. I went into pure survival mode. I went from averaging close to 20 to averaging around 10. I lost all feeling, motivation, and everything was just a daze. I couldn’t read anything, didn’t know where I was, and as soaking wet/freezing. But at that point I knew that I needed to finish the day. By the time I got in the car I couldn’t talk right, think straight, move my hands, anything like that. But now I’m all better. And thats the good news. I am lucky. People like my mom, Judy Collins, Paul Hawthorne, Judy Lessard, and Tim Hornbeck had to deal with that type of feeling for months while going through the treatment. I like to think that today simply gave me a small taste of what it may have been like for them.

I hope the worst is behind me. I am not sure my body could put up with another day like today. In fact I think if I had done this at any other time other than during this trip I would not be able to walk the next day. But I’ve got 80 something miles to do tomorrow AND I get to cross into Virginia. But the best part of tomorrow is that I get to ride a small portion of the day with Judy Lessard. A woman who has battled the disease. I am really looking forward to that. Hopefully the weather will be a little better for us.

And finally I am happy to say that I am slightly more than half way home. Mileage wise that is. Today was my last day over 100 miles. I have a few days that are hopefully a little easier and will let me recover a bit. But then I get into the hills and mountains up north. That will be fun..

I will get pictures up tomorrow. We have very few from today. Only when the weather was decent were we able to take the camera out.

And thanks to everyone who has commented. It’s really nice to know people are following us and supporting us. I apologize for not being able to respond yet but hopefully on some of the shorter days coming up I’ll be able to catch up with some of you.

Thanks for reading.
Stephen

If I had Amyloidosis and this trip was my treatment, then today would have been day 1 of high dose chemo. We had 106 miles planned which wasn’t a big deal, but the 30 mph head winds were a big deal. Right from the start we knew it was gonna be a tough day. By the time we got to our first rest stop about 24 miles into the day my legs felt more tired than they did at the end of any other day. To make things better we started the second half of the morning by going out onto an Island. During our 9 mile adventure on the shores of North Carolina we rode as hard as we could and managed to reach speeds up to 14.5 mph. As I said before, head winds are not fun. We managed to battle our way off the island to get to lunch in Jacksonville, NC.

Luckily for us lunch was the best part of the day and a nice break from the brutal winds. We met Judy Collins, a woman who once battle Amyloidosis and is now 100% in remission. It was great to finally meet someone who has battled the disease and hear her story. We were also lucky enough to meet with a newspaper reporter from the local newspaper in Jacksonville. It as a really awesome opportunity. Both Judy and Suzie were extremely kind . We had lunch at a very good little diner in the city. The waitress, Jersey i believe was her name, was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. She was not only kind enough to have us at her diner for lunch but she also gave me a good luck coin that her father gave her 49 years ago. To be given a coin that met so much to her and so much to her father really meant a lot to me. I will certainly be keeping that coin with me for a very very long time. She said it brought her 49 years of good luck so hopefully it will bring me some good luck in the near future. Overall we were able to have lunch with 3 amazing people who all made a big impact on us.

The afternoon was just like the morning. Strong head winds and tired legs. By the end of the day I was exhausted. The best part is that it’s behind us now. The worst part is that tomorrow is raining, 10-20 mph headwinds, and a high of 41, oh and it’s the longest day of riding on the trip. Tomorrow is the real test. If I can get through tomorrow then I have a couple easier days before I get into the hills. There’s not much I can do about the weather tomorrow so I’ll take it as it comes. I’m prepared for the worst.

Since today was so hard we had limited time to take photos here is today’s 6.

Not a full album but it’s all we took today:

Day 6

Thanks for reading.
Stephen

Wow. Today was the complete opposite of yesterday. While we still had some head winds, it was completely different. We had 103 miles planned so we got started around 9:00 in Conway, SC. The roads we were on today were about 18 times more busy than the past few days. We probably saw more cars today then we did during the past 4 days combined. This meant there was much more single file riding rather than just cruising along next to each other. Single file riding means drafting. Drafting means more resting more often. More resting more often means fresher legs. Fresher legs means faster riding when not drafting. Faster riding + Fresher legs means more fun. Fun is good. And good is what we want according to my friend Brad. So today was really good.

By the time we got to our first meeting point we had crossed the line into North Carolina. It was nice to put another state behind us. From the time we got into North Carolina until the time we finished for the day the weather and riding was PERFECT. We averaged about 17.5 mph until lunch where we met up with my Aunt Debbie, Aunt Sally, and Uncle Timmy boy. It was good to see some more familiar faces. After a quick lunch stop at Subway (for the 18th time since we began) we headed off towards the coast. The plan was to catch a Ferry to Wilmington around 3:15 so we had to ride pretty hard to get there on time. If we missed it we would have had to wait until 4:00. And waiting is bad. And bad is not what we want. So we averaged 18.1 mph on our way to the ferry and got there with about 7 minutes to spare. The ferry was a nice little break from the day and the trip. It was the first time we got to see the water since Jacksonville and was a good change of scenery.

After the 30 minutes ride on the ferry we only had about 20 miles left to go until Wilmington so we just cruised the rest of the way. Sally and Timmy were our cheerleaders for the afternoon. They pulled over about every mile and danced on the side of the road. It was weird and sometimes slightly disturbing… But appreciated anyways. We ended up rolling in around 5 PM after 103 miles. It was good.

Overall we ended up averaging roughly 17.2 mph for the day. That’s well over 1 mph faster than any other day. The legs felt better today than they have during any other day on the trip. I hope that I didn’t go too hard today just because they felt so good. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow. But today was one of the most fun days I’ve ever had on a bike. And almost all my fun days happen on a bike. Because when you’re on a bike, everything is fun. Except for strong headwinds, those are no fun.

Tomorrow is not suppose to be as good weather wise, but hopefully just as good in every other sense. I think it is going to be a high of 57 with possible rain. But the good news is that I have an interview with a newspaper tomorrow in Jacksonville, NC and get to meet a woman who has Amyloidosis. That will be a good lunch break.

Tonight we are staying at our family friend’s house. They were kind enough to offer us a place to stay while we are here in Wilmington. The home cooked meal made by my wonderful aunts and a non-hotel environment is a good change. Tomorrow we are back to a hotel in New bern, NC so we are enjoying it while we can.

The internet here is too slow to upload the 6 pictures I usually do but here are THREE albums from today. Two are mine and one is my Aunt Sally’s.

Day 5

Day 5 cont.

Day 5 Sally's Album

Thanks for reading.
Stephen

Today was the first real battle for me on the bike. Thankfully it’s over and I can now put it behind me.

We started a little later than usual today since we only had 101 miles to cover today, so a good hour less than the last 2 days. We got going around 9 so the sun was up and it was warming up. The day started out like the other 3 with no clouds, few cars, and easy riding. That quickly changed about 10 miles into the day. For the final 91 miles we faced a head wind that did not let up. Every pedal stroke was a struggle. At one point Andrew and I were trying to work hard together for a few miles in hopes of getting through the day quicker. Unfortunately when I looked at my Garmin GPS we were only going 12 mph. It was brutal.

Andrew was a huge help today. Without him I would have taken much longer and wasted much more effort. Being able to take a break from riding in the wind by drafting off him every few minutes was a huge help. If it weren’t for working so hard during the first half of the day we would have averaged less than 14 mph. I originally hoped to average right around 15.5 mph. By the time we finished we had an average of 14.6 mph which was not bad at all considering the wind. But it certainly took it’s toll on my legs today. Hopefully tomorrow they will be ready to go again.

We will be leaving South Carolina tomorrow and heading into North Carolina. It’ll be nice to get into a new state. It’s always good to get to a new state, seeing my progress on the road helps a lot. We will also get our first night in a real house rather than a hotel tomorrow night. So hopefully everything tomorrow goes much better today. Change will be good.

Today was not much of a picture day but here are 6 from today.

And I apologize for the lack of pictures and good pictures. Today was too much of a battle to try to take pictures often. Though we did get some before while it was still sunny and now windy. Tomorrow’s will be better.

Day 4

Thanks for reading.
Stephen

3 days down, 13 days to go. We had another early start in the dark this morning with a 6:45 AM alarm clock. It took awhile to get going, but we got started just after 8 in Statesboro. It was once again a perfect day with no clouds in the sky, few cars, and warm temperatures. Though we were in a much more populated area today than we were the past 2. More houses, fewer churches, more people, fewer farm animals, it was a good time.

My legs were certainly feeling a little tired today after yesterdays 118 miles which was my longest ride ever. But after about 25-30 miles they got warmed up and they felt amazing the rest of the day. As the we get further north the hills are getting longer and steeper which is not fun but something i’ll gradually get use to. I’ve been trying to look more long term while riding and making sure i take all the hills easy at this point. There’s no need for me to try to average 16.5 rather then 5.8. It’s not worth the effort.

For most of the morning we were lucky to have a tail wind pushing us along but by afternoon that wind had turned around going right into our faces. Having my cousin Andrew riding helped a ton since we were able to switch off up front while the other one drafted. it was nice to be able to have a break from the wind every few minutes. Having him there has been keeping me from boredom too. It’s much more interesting when I have someone to talk to and take weird pictures of while riding.

The only mishap of the day came after lunch when my Aunt Judy had to make an emergency stop at the eye doctor. Luckily she is fine now though her eyes are dilated so everything is very bright for her. This incident, however, caused us to miss our final rest stop of the day. We were able to meet up with them about 15 miles later but suffered through a period of no fluids in the 80 degree weather.

Unfortunately Judy is leaving tomorrow from Charleston in the morning. She will be greatly missed. Since the beginning she has gotten us dinner, drove the car, filled our water bottles, everything we’ve needed. Without her and Aislinn I basically would still be in Florida. They’re essentially my own personal support crew. They do all the work while I just ride my bike. And that would be way more difficult if I didn’t have Andrew riding with me. He has been a huge help. Without the three of them I would not be able to be doing this. They are awesome.

We ended up doing 122 miles today and put Georgia behind us. The legs are feeling very very good though they are getting a little tired, not sore, just tired. Tomorrow is shorter than today so hopefully it’ll provide my legs with a little recovery. Hopefully there won’t be any unexpected detours.

Here are 6 photos from today:

Here is the rest of them:

Day 3

Thanks for reading.
Stephen

Our day started off very early this morning at 6:20 (felt like 5:20) in the pitch black town of Jesup, GA. It was surprisingly cold when we left the hotel to drive to our starting place. Unfortunately we had to drive about 25 miles south to get there. Driving south is quite painful when you know you are trying to get north.

We finally started riding just after 8 on the Brantley County line. Andrew starting riding with me today rather than meeting up with me later in the day like yesterday. We were geared up in arm warmers, leg warmers, and flashing lights at the beginning as the sun was rising. The morning was full of amazing riding. While some of you think the scenery is not very exciting (it does get repetitive) I think it’s one of the most amazing places i’ve ever ridden. There were points where we went 10 miles without seeing a car and we basically saw no major buildings besides churches and houses (more churches than houses). I’ve never really had the chance to get out of a suburban area to ride before and now I know how much i’ve been missing.

The morning went by really quickly and by the time we stopped for lunch we had gone 67 miles. At this point we were finally beginning to see signs of civilization and real houses. We ate at a nice little diner and the people there were unbelievably nice. Everyone seems to be so friendly around here. Compared to the northeast where everyone is always in such a rush, these people all take the time to be friendly to everyone they see. One guy we met in the diner at lunch was asking all about where we were riding and what we were doing. He was just one example of how nice everyone around here is.

We got going again after lunch around 2pm. We took a wrong turn at one point and went off route for a little but finally found our way back on route while only doing a few extra miles thanks to the new garmin GPS I bought. Other than that and being chased by a dog (who caused Andrew to eat it) the afternoon was relatively uneventful. We ended up doing 118 miles averaging roughly 15.9 mph. Andrew was able to go the whole way today which was awesome. The day would get pretty boring without the company. Oh and we also saw another person riding a bike for the first time since we started. It was quite exciting. He was asking all about what we were doing and how far we were going. We had to get a picture with him. Oh then two kids on mountain bikes asked us to race.

Tomorrow we are going up to a town just outside Charleston, SC. It’ll be good to put another state behind us. Hopefully tomorrow goes as smoothly as today. The weather was perfect, the legs felt great, and the landscape was beautiful.

Here are some pictures from today:

Click on the picture below to see the rest of the photos from today.

Day 2

Thanks for reading:
Stephen