This month I bought glasses, bike computer, shoes, brooks saddle, bar tape, bags, and some water bottle carriers. We were also given a bikes with trays over the back wheels to carry extra gear for the ride, but I dont want to have to worry about the extra weight so Im packing light. My bike now looks like this

Last week I got my first opportunity in the 4k to interact with a few people from the cancer community. We cooked and served meals to those in the Hope Lodge in Baltimore. I got to meet a guy named Jack who had the same experience as my uncle with esophageal cancer. He gave me a lot of hope and a few answers to questions that I had. He is a great inspiration and I hope my uncle can be as lucky as he is. I also met a guy named Peter who will also be on our ride, he has similar plans to me for the post trip “trip”. We both want to try and bicycle down to Los Angeles after we arrive in San Francisco. I dont know whether or not I will want to do that after I arrive, but its a good goal to focus on.

Last week Patrick Sheridan, our ride director, and I went for a few bike rides in the Howard county area. We had a good time putting down 115 miles in 4 days, but I dont think I will be ready to handle that kindve of distance in just a day and a half like we will have to be able to do when the trip begins. We went kindve slow on the last day but we managed to make it 53 miles, which is the furthest I have ever gone.

I had a few other things happen this month, but I am using this first post as an experiment on what I can improve on. Have a great day!

At 7:30, I left my house and rode toward the bike shop to meet up with my riding buddy, whom I had met a few days previously.  This is another thing that I love about biking.  It brings together a hugely vast diversity of people who share the same zest for landscapes and large amounts of physical activity.  We tend to be a group of spontaneous adventure-seekers.  My companion had chosen the route and I was happy to follow someone with whom I could barely keep pace.

We rode south of town on roads I would have never thought to explore via car.  After all, cars are very destination-oriented things.  There’s not much to see of a place like Ohio by car.  But by bicycle…

I’m not sure my writing capabilities are really up to the task of describing how beautiful the countryside looked in the early morning sunlight.  People making tourism magazines about Ohio would have killed for pictures of the places we saw.  Everything was covered in mist that made it impossible to see more than a hundred feet in any direction.  The sunrise somehow managed to reflect off of this mist to create an effect that I can only reasonably describe as golden.  Really.  It looked like some sort of mythical promised land.  We passed dozens of Amish children walking to school who smiled and waved at us on their way to one-room schoolhouses.  We encountered winding roads through rolling hills.  Buggies outnumbered cars on the roads; these were essentially bike paths that allowed an occasional automobile.

Today I am sunburned and sore, but certain that we live in a breathtakingly beautiful place full of interesting people with unique stories.  Biking takes a world that we view in abstractions  and turns it into a tangible reality.  Statistics and groups of people become individuals as we are forced to focus on only our immediate surroundings.  I truly cannot think of a better vehicle for advocacy and connection than the bicycle.

Please keep donating! I’m supposed to have reached $2000 by the end of February, but I’m currently only at $635.  If you or someone close to you has been affected by cancer, please let me know!  I will dedicate a part of my ride this summer to that person.  Only 80 days until I depart for Seattle!!!

http://www.ulmanfund.org/Get-Involved/Job-Openings/Intern-4K-for-Cancer.aspx

Details:

Who: anyone and everyone

What: A chance to better prepare yourself for this summer, and better see the capital

When: 10 am April 1st

Where: 921 East Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230

Why: these rides are the best way prepare for this summer.

Details:

Who: anyone and everyone

What: A chance to better prepare yourself for this summer.

When: 1 pm March 18th

Where: Centennial Lake, Ellicott City, MD (The address is 10266 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD)

Why: these rides are the best way prepare for this summer.

If you or someone you know would like to be a Pedal Pal, please sign up at pp.kimbia.com/pedalpals.  For more information, email me (Emma Moody) at emma@ulmanfund.org.

The American Cancer Society Baltimore Hope Lodge is a safe, comfortable place where cancer patients receiving treatment in the city can stay for free.  YACS groups and 4K ride teams cook dinner for these patients and their family members once a week.  Please RSVP ahead of time on the YACS Facebook page to ensure we have an accurate volunteer head count.  Contact Emma Moody with questions or concerns (emma@ulmanfund.org).  Our upcoming Hope Lodge dates are:

• 2/15: YACS College Park
• 2/22: Team Portland
• 3/1: UCF Team Fight
• 3/7: Team Seattle
• 3/15: Team San Francisco
• 3/21: ALL VOLUNTEERS WELCOME!
• 3/29: UCF Team Fight
• 4/4: YACS Johns Hopkins
• 4/12: YACS UMBC
• 4/18: YACS Towson
• 4/26: YACS College Park
• 5/2: Team San Francisco
• 5/10: Team Seattle
• 5/16: Team Portland
• 5/24: UCF Team Fight
• 5/29: All 4K 2012 ride teams, with riders from the Illini 4000

Team Fight is the triathlon and road race training team of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.  Joining Team Fight is a great way to fundraise for the UCF and raise awareness for young adult cancer issues.  Team Fight also offers great ways to get involved beyond fundraising, including as a race day volunteer!  Our race day volunteers help set up the Team Fight tent, hand out water at a water stop along the course, and cheer on our Team Fight athletes.  Please contact Katrina, at katrina@ulmanfund.org or Michelle, at michelle@ulmanfund.org if you are interested in helping out during the following races:

• Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon, Saturday, March 17, Washington D.C.
• Sole of the City 10K, April 21, Baltimore, MD
• Iron Girl Half Marathon and 5K, April 29, Columbia, MD

Light One Little Candle is a reading program at the University of Maryland Medical Center Greenebaum Cancer Center.  Volunteers will encourage patients receiving treatment to read with their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc.  This is a great opportunity for direct patient interaction, but space is limited.  Please contact Emma Moody if you are interested in being a Light One Little Candle volunteer, at emma@ulmanfund.org.

YACS B’more is a community of young professionals in the Baltimore area that are engaged in the fight against cancer through service and support.  We seek to provide these individuals with networking opportunities with other cancer survivors, support groups for young people facing cancer, and volunteer opportunities for everyone looking to get involved.  Our next event will be a Leap Day Happy Hour, on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at Magerk’s Pub in Federal Hill.  Come to get energized about the fight against cancer and to hear more about the support and service opportunities offered by the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.  Please RSVP on our Facebook page today!

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-12-03/news/bs-ho-neighbors-ulman-fund-1204-20111201_1_colorectal-cancer-doug-ulman-cancer-survivor

December 03, 2011|By Janene Holzberg

Ryan Hanley spent the summer before he turned 18 thinking about organizing a transcontinental bike ride to raise money for cancer. When he entered the Johns Hopkins University, he set about selling the idea and recruiting classmates and friends to ride 4,000 miles.

The maiden effort that he had dubbed 4K for Cancer — which raised $80,000 in 2002 in memory of Hanley’s father, who had died of cancer when Hanley was 13 — operated under the university’s auspices for five years before becoming an independent nonprofit organization.

Now, 4K for Cancer is merging with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, a Columbia-based advocacy and support organization.

Founded in 1997 by three-time cancer survivor Doug Ulman, brother of County Executive Ken Ulman, the UCF is one of only a dozen nonprofit organizations in the country that focus solely on young adult patients and their families, said Brock Yetso, executive director.

“This merger will make each of our organizations stronger,” said Yetso, whose mother died four weeks after she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2000. “Society is recognizing that cancer is the No. 1 killer of our population and getting on the bandwagon.”

The missions and personal experiences of the two staffs are so complementary that they seemed destined to align, he said. Cancer turned most of their lives upside-down in one way or another, and motivated them to re-evaluate their priorities.

“There were 70,000 young adults diagnosed with cancer across the country last year — eight times the number of children,” he said, quoting statistics from the National Cancer Institute. “While there are well-funded organizations that advocate for kids and those that advocate for older adults, there are not a lot in between.”

Merging the UCF’s focus on connecting, educating and supporting young adults with cancer with 4K’s appeal to college students who want to join in the fight will help the UCF achieve the success of other age-specific campaigns, Yetso said.

“Our business model was already based on collaboration and partnerships,” he said. “We’re all about not reinventing the wheel.”

While 4K will retain its identity, staff, programming and website, it will become a program under the umbrella of the UCF, said Brian Satola, assistant director. The 4K staff has already moved into the UCF’s Baltimore office; the UCF’s Howard County office is located on Stevens Forest Road.

“We give them a lot of credit for putting egos aside and seeing the larger picture,” said Satola, whose sister faced leukemia as a child and is a two-time cancer survivor. “This merger will enable us to leverage more resources and have a greater impact. It was a question of taking something great and making it even greater.”

Jessica Protasio, a children’s instructor and research specialist at the Savage branch of the Howard County Library, said she’s “doing great” since her liver transplant in March. But it was the support she received from the UCF during a series of setbacks leading up to her surgery that made all the difference, she said.

And Protasio has been through a lot. An appendectomy was canceled last summer while she was waiting to be taken to the operating room so hospital physicians could further examine her liver. Testing revealed a tumor.

Brinner!

Bri’ish Pub Night!

http://www.facebook.com/events/249415551790583/

Combination of Organizations With a Shared Mission to

Activate Young Adults in the Fight Against Cancer

Baltimore, Maryland – November 28, 2011 - The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCFYA)today announced the merger with 4K for Cancer (4K), an organization with a shared vision to empower and activate young adults in the fight against cancer.

4K for Cancer began as the Hopkins 4K for cancer in 2001 when a group of undergraduate students at Johns Hopkins University combined their desire to fight cancer with a goal to cycle 4,000 miles across the country. Each year, the organization coordinates a team of college students to cycle across the country while raising money and awareness for the fight against cancer.

4K for Cancer grew to become a stand-alone non-profit organization in 2008, and teamed up with UCFYA in 2011. The merger announced today will provide 4K for Cancer with the infrastructure and support necessary for growth, while leveraging the relationships both organizations have fostered with volunteers, donors, and strategic partners.

“UCFYA and 4K for Cancer are stronger as one and we’re excited to welcome such an extraordinary organization,” said UCFYA Executive Director Brock Yetso. “We share common values and a mission to support young adults with cancer by providing a platform for awareness and engagement through sport. We are humbled to have this partnership and believe the next chapter of the Ulman Cancer Fund and 4K will bring many successes that we are both anticipating – and those we can’t even predict yet!”

According to 4K for Cancer Board of Directors Chairman and Founder Ryan Hanley, the merger unites two organizations that have similar histories, and an extraordinary base of supporters. Both organizations were founded on a college campus and have grown around the shared motivations of helping young adults and communities impacted by cancer.

“Our goal for the merger is to continue to empower our riders and alumni to make a positive impact in the cancer community, while improving the support that they receive to do so,” Hanley said. “By teaming up with UCF, we will gain much needed infrastructure support while staying focused on our core mission.”

For UCFYA, the addition of 4K for Cancer will enhance its ability to activate more people in the fight against cancer while using sport as a platform to raise substantial revenue to support the growth of UCFYA Patient Navigation Programs at cancer centers across the country. Over the next several weeks, 4K for Cancer will move one employee over to the UCFYA staff and four Directors over to the UCFYA Board of Directors. The merger is scheduled to be finalized with the State of Maryland in early January.

About Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults:

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF), founded in 1997, is the national leader in providing specialized support for young adults affected by cancer. With nearly 70,000 young adults diagnosed every year, our organization helps young people fight the disease and navigate treatment by providing access to information, support groups, and other specialized programs. UCF Patient Navigation Programs have set a national standard and can be accessed remotely or through onsite Patient Navigators at a growing number of hospitals in the Mid-Atlantic region. UCF is a founding member of the LIVESTRONGTM Young Adult Alliance and a national pioneer in developing innovative approaches in cancer support. UCF enhances lives by supporting, educating and connecting young adults, and their loved ones, affected by cancer. For more information, please visit,www.ulmancancerfund.org.

About 4K for Cancer:

The 4K for Cancer is dedicated to empowering young adults in uniting communities across the country in the fight against cancer through community service and support. 4K for Cancer began as the Hopkins 4K for Cancer in 2001 when a group of undergraduate students at the Johns Hopkins University decided to combine their desire to fight against cancer with their dream of cycling across the country. Founded by Ryan Hanley in the memory of his father who passed away from cancer, the 4K set off on the first 4,000-mile journeys from Baltimore to San Francisco in the summer of 2002.  The founding team included Jenn Hardy, Leah Blom, Kelly Hewitt and Brent Bass. Since its beginnings, 4K has rasied over $1Million to support the cancer fight in Baltimore, MD and communities across the country.

By Janene Holzberg, Special to The Baltimore Sun
5:48 p.m. EST, December 1, 2011

Original Article

Ryan Hanley spent the summer before he turned 18 thinking about organizing a transcontinental bike ride to raise money for cancer. When he entered the Johns Hopkins University, he set about selling the idea and recruiting classmates and friends to ride 4,000 miles.

The maiden effort that he had dubbed 4K for Cancer — which raised $80,000 in 2002 in memory of Hanley’s father, who had died of cancer when Hanley was 13 — operated under the university’s auspices for five years before becoming an independent nonprofit organization.

Now, 4K for Cancer is merging with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, a Columbia-based advocacy and support organization.

Founded in 1997 by three-time cancer survivor Doug Ulman, brother of County Executive Ken Ulman, the UCF is one of only a dozen nonprofit organizations in the country that focus solely on young adult patients and their families, said Brock Yetso, executive director.

“This merger will make each of our organizations stronger,” said Yetso, whose mother died four weeks after she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2000. “Society is recognizing that cancer is the No. 1 killer of our population and getting on the bandwagon.”

The missions and personal experiences of the two staffs are so complementary that they seemed destined to align, he said. Cancer turned most of their lives upside-down in one way or another, and motivated them to re-evaluate their priorities.

“There were 70,000 young adults diagnosed with cancer across the country last year — eight times the number of children,” he said, quoting statistics from the National Cancer Institute. “While there are well-funded organizations that advocate for kids and those that advocate for older adults, there are not a lot in between.”

Merging the UCF’s focus on connecting, educating and supporting young adults with cancer with 4K’s appeal to college students who want to join in the fight will help the UCF achieve the success of other age-specific campaigns, Yetso said.

“Our business model was already based on collaboration and partnerships,” he said. “We’re all about not reinventing the wheel.”

While 4K will retain its identity, staff, programming and website, it will become a program under the umbrella of the UCF, said Brian Satola, assistant director. The 4K staff has already moved into the UCF’s Baltimore office; the UCF’s Howard County office is located on Stevens Forest Road.

“We give them a lot of credit for putting egos aside and seeing the larger picture,” said Satola, whose sister faced leukemia as a child and is a two-time cancer survivor. “This merger will enable us to leverage more resources and have a greater impact. It was a question of taking something great and making it even greater.”

Jessica Protasio, a children’s instructor and research specialist at the Savage branch of the Howard County Library, said she’s “doing great” since her liver transplant in March. But it was the support she received from the UCF during a series of setbacks leading up to her surgery that made all the difference, she said.

And Protasio has been through a lot. An appendectomy was canceled last summer while she was waiting to be taken to the operating room so hospital physicians could further examine her liver. Testing revealed a tumor.

Months later, she awoke from anesthesia after a scheduled liver resection, in which only cancerous parts of the liver are removed, to learn that procedure was stopped when surgeons discovered her cancer had spread. A transplant became her only option as she became very ill.

“When I came out of appointments and my patient navigator was waiting for me … that just meant so much,” she recalled.

UCF patient navigators stationed in several area hospitals offer educational guidance and emotional support to 2,000 clients a year, Yetso said. “We’re there to hold their hands up to a point, but we also empower them to handle their treatment,” he explained.

UCF employees have provided everything from transportation to shoulders to cry on, Protasio said, even hooking her up with a “cancer buddy” who’d had a similar type of cancer and understood what she was going through.

As if that wasn’t enough, Protasio now participates in UCF events, which include walks, runs and triathlons. Soon 4K for Cancer’s cycling fundraisers will be added to that mix.

“I’ve learned that it’s exciting to help people and be part of the community of we, instead of the community of me,” she said. “This is an amazing organization.”

Dr. Susan Moriarty, a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente in Columbia, said her practice has helped fund UCF events and looks forward to the possibilities the merger will bring.

“Young adults with cancer are not in the news a lot, but this is a critical group and merging with another group that involves college students is brilliant,” she said.

Yetso couldn’t agree more.

“We’ve each been able to build an army of supporters using sports,” he said of the two organizations.

“But the Ulman Fund wasn’t immune to the economic downturn these last three years. With a 50 to 70 percent dip in donations, we were begging people to attend events, and we had to lay off three employees,” he said.

“The old way wasn’t working, and we’re becoming more innovative,” Yetso said. “The key is working with people who can help us do our job better.”

On behalf of the Ulman Cancer Fund and the rest of the 4K for Cancer staff, I would like to announce that registration for the 2012 ride will be opening and available to all accepted riders on Wednesday November 16th. We apologize for the delay and hope everyone is able to navigate the page well.

Please check in for future updates and news as we implement new systems to make the 4K a more rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Thank you,

Stephen Hersey

Interim 4K for Cancer Program Coordinator,
Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults

It’s that time of year again….the radio stations are playing “Jingle Bells,” the mall is decorated with twinkling lights, and red and green M&M’s are flying off the shelves – it must be time for the holidays!  On local university campuses, YACS groups are working on brightening the holidays for Maryland families affected by cancer.  This is the third year that The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults has held a gift drive for young adult cancer patients and their families, but the first year that the university community will be involved.

Undergoing cancer treatment is physically, emotionally, and financially draining.  Often, the majority of family income is devoted to paying for critical healthcare expenses.  Families are forced to make difficult decisions on how to spend limited funds.  This year, our Patient Navigators, student volunteers, and other local oncology contacts will aggregat the “wish lists” of cancer patients and their families.  Based on the responses from these forms, “wishes” will be distributed to those wanting to donate to the Gift Drive (starting Monday, November 28).  Gifts will be collected – unwrapped, and with the recipient information attached – until Wednesday, December 14.  Gift delivery will take place during the week of December 19-23.

If you want to help out with the Gift Drive, head to your school’s next YACS meeting, or contact Emma or Laura: Emma@ulmanfund.org / Laura@ulmanfund.org.  For more information, check out www.ulmancancerfund.org/giftdrive.

For more holiday cheer, come to the YACS B’More Holiday Happy Hour and Sweater Party!  It will take place at Mother’s Federal Hill Grille on Wednesday, December 14 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.  We’ll be continuing to collect gift and monetary donations during the Happy Hour.  Be sure to come dressed in your most fantastically ugly holiday sweater for a chance to win some awesome prizes!  To RSVP, please visit www.ulmancancerfund.org/holidayhappyhour.

We will be creating a menu, shopping for food, and cooking dinner for these awesome Hope Lodge residents! Please RSVP if you plan on attending!

This year, they’re raising funds and awareness for feminine cancers. Their goal is to raise $1,000 for Cancer Schmancer, actress Fran Drescher’s movement dedicated to ensuring that all women’s cancers be diagnosed while in Stage 1, the most curable stage.

We enjoyed 2 days off in Cedar City to take a detour (by car at least) to the Grand Canyon. The mini road trip was fun, I kept “resting my eyes” as a true grandma does. We got to the Grand Canyon, enjoyed a small picnic at the North Rim welcome center and then hit some of the highlights with short drives and walks to look out points. Being there really made me want to just hike to the bottom and camp (though obviously I’m completely unprepared for that, but someday I’ll do it again-I had hiked to the bottom of the south rim with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins a whole decade ago) Next time I want to hike rim to rim or just spend time exploring because that’s the only way to get the best appreciation for the canyon, removing yourself from all the tourists. It was still a great time, and yet another look and the wonders of the world, of  the country. The best part was a small group, myself, Jess, Alana, and Phoebe were staying overnight to camp! We had to drive out of the park to do so because its such a busy time of year, but it was nice to camp in a small group. I prefer it. Not that I don’t love you all and camping as a group of 27, but camping as a group of 5 is the way to go. We could actually cook a meal in a decent amount of time and its just more personal. How camping should be, being one with nature and having closer experience with each other. All in all it was a fun trip, but of course we couldn’t help thinking, “I wonder what everyone else is doing.” It was weird being apart from everyone. Gave me a glimpse into what life without the 4K will be like.

Day 53: Bryce Canyon City, UT to Cedar City, UT

Today goes out to the Devine Twins, Agnes & Rosemary.

They are my paternal Great Aunts. My great Aunt Rosemary died a few months after I was born, herself having a long battle with cancer constantly spreading and shifting from breast to lung to brain to bone cancer. My Great Aunt Agnes has ALS and was diagnosed in 2000. Since then she has been a fighter and always positive. I’ve never met someone with such a wonderful outlook on life and who always spreads so much joy. All of the Maryknoll sisters in NY tell us when we visit that she is the life of the party there-I believe it. Part of the day turned into an individual day, again due to the climbing. We did stop just before the climb for some ice cream-of course. Is there a better way to get climbing energy! I also got some airheads, and in it was a card with very wise words from Kung Fu Panda, “If you have inner peace, you will be outer strong!” Perfect words to have in my head before a long climb.

I enjoyed it though, going at my own pace and know eventually-not sure when-but eventually I’d get to the top. That’s the best mentality to have. Too often I forget it. But really just keep moving however fast or slow you can go, and you’ll get there. The thing is to never give up. Before the descent, I took my first poop outside (not in my lifetime, but for this trip). Sorry if that’s too much information, but seriously I biked 52 days across the country and managed to not have to go #2 (without a bathroom being around) until now. I think that’s pretty awesome. But pooping outside is nothing new to me, I camp etc so I’m practically an expert The descent after a long day’s climb was wonderful, as it always is. The wind was in my face and the rest of the ride into Cedar City was just perfect.  We had a delicious pasta dinner cooked by the local Catholic community and after getting reenergized with tons of carbs a group of us went to take on the Cedar City night life and rocked some Karaoke.

Today went out to Bob “Chaos” and his wife, Patricia, whom he lost to breast cancer in May 2010.I also want to thank the entire Cedar City community where in fact so many are affected by cancer as there is a large generation called the “downwinders” who have cancer in this location. Downwinders are those who were down wind of the test sites in NV back in the day and the wind carried harmful chemicals.

Chaos is a member of the Cedar City Community. The Cedar City Community was absolutely wonderful to us. The ride today was fairly straightforward. I rode with Maria, Justin, and Ganesh, as team “Can’t stop, won’t stop, we don’t need no water stops.” This was partially because between the four of us we missed the most water stops (goes back to the record breaking day). We missed one today due to missing a turn. It ended up being one of the few times missing a turn paid off because we avoided the road stricken with crickets.We also passed through a town called Minersville, naturally I had to stop and take a picture.

We arrived at our host fairly early and were able to enjoy the local pool where we split up and tested our skills at pool basketball. It was clear pretty soon that we are not basketball players but it was still so much fun.

Day 57: Milford, UT to Baker, NV I met Ann at the Grand Canyon gift shop and was chatting with her and learned that she lost her father, Harold to cancer. She also told me that her niece lost her 22 month old baby to cancer. I couldn’t imagine losing my father and life was cut entirely too short for the 22 month old, Eden. Today goes out for Ann, Harold and Eden.

We have definitely reached the desert. The ride today was terribly hot, the sun was constantly beating down on us, and shade did not exist. Today began the “4K fun” series where each day in Nevada has a theme. Today was 4K trivia where each person submitted 5 fun facts about themselves and each group had to determine which fact belonged with which person. At each water stop we were given 5 new facts to ponder for the next 15-20 miles. It was a great way to learn random things about the other riders and it definitely kept the ride more interesting.  My group was Adam, Megan, Alana, and Lisa.

We won the regular round, but lost in the bonus round because unfortunately the two teams that correctly answered the bonus question had heard the stories before. While beautiful and scenic in its own way, the ride initially was mundane. We would gradually climb for about 10 miles, reach a summit of around 6,400 feet (which pales in comparison to our 12,183 foot summit), descend for about 10 miles and then repeat for 3 total summits. The rest of the ride was pleasant with either a slight decline or flat with a tailwind. And then at the VERY end of the day, we crossed into NEVADA and stayed at the Border Inn campground which literally was right across the street from the Nevada sign.

Day 58: Baker, NV to Ely, NV Today went out  to Lindsay Lawley who Laura Stidham made her donation in honor of. The 4K fun day was trivia day and I rode with Ganesh, Maria, Ilana and Vanessa (Team Sugar Daddy). We were definitely the best scavenger hunt group and we clearly weren’t in a rush to get to the host because I think we showed up 4 hours after everyone (partially due to the 4 flats the group had). We built the tallest rock tower and created wonderful bike and dance videos. We probably found every piece of road kill along the way too. This was a day where it truly was about the journey and not the destination. We had so much fun.

Day 59: DAY OFF Ely, NV Today we had a very low key day off in Ely, NV. It was nice to spend most of the day in a bed (we had a hotel host!) Ely United Methodist Church also provided us with a great dinner.

Day 60: Ely, NV to Eureka, NV Today went out to Beverly, a member of the Ely community.

Today began our long stretches on Route 50 which is “the loneliest road” I’d say this stretch is not the loneliest. I rode today with team Bare Naked Ladies: Phoebe, Alana, Bunny, Vanessa, and Lisa. NBD

Day 61: Eureka, NV to Austin, NV Today goes out to Cindy and her mom, Cecile. Cindy opened up her community with outstretched arms for us all. Last night was one of the best dinners we had and this morning Cindy’s words were so touching. We could really see how we were impacting people we met. Cindy told us, “I don’t even know you, but I love you.” These words were so warm and sincere. Cindy’s mom will be returning home in a week, to peacefull pass around familiarity after her long battle with cancer. Our thoughts are with the entire family.

Today’s 4K fun day was alter ego day where we all had someone else to pretend to be on the 4K. I rode with Omar (Jess), and Zac (Vanessa). It was interesting to see what trademarks people had. The ride was, brown mostly but still beautiful. There was a long climb just before Austin that seemed to go on forever and than a tricky descent with tight switchbacks. We had to be careful not to miss our final turn or we’d be climbing back up. Austin is an interesting town, which is FULL of hills and not small ones either.

Day 62: Austin, NV to Fallon, NV Today went out to William Daviero who my friend Phil made his dedication in honor of. It was a century day. Unfortunately this was my first century of the ride that I’m missed because I’m a van driver. But van driving today turned out to be a difficult task. People are guaranteed to get spread out on century and other long days, making it hard to support the front and the back. Today was definitely a rode of nothing. Heat radiated from the rode and I was sweating so much without even riding. I felt for everyone out there. The worst part was that I had little to offer since there wasn’t anything along the way to get food. I did manage to stop at Midway which had a small diner/gas station filled with post cards saying I survived Highway 50 or I survived Midway just to give you an idea on the type of area we were in. I managed to have some frozen sourdough donated from the station. While I couldn’t get it to everyone at this stop, they had freshly baked sourdough by the next stop as I baked it on the side of the road (yes, that’s how hot it was out there!). Also along this road we passed the “famous” shoe tree. Needless to say, I was happy to reach the host and know everyone made it especially when 4 riders were still out when a crazy desert storm began.

This ride has taught me so much about living life to the fullest, every day. It’s something I hope I can keep in my heart and daily actions as much as possible after the ride. But those 32 Hokies who’s lives were taken too soon, too suddenly and unexpectedly and cruelly already knew about living life to the fullest.  Today was team Leg Leader Day (Pants, Phoebe, Basit, myself, Ganesh, & Zac). All 6 leg leaders rode together, so we could ride to Cali as one group since we got everyone here The first part of the ride, Fallon to Carson City was speedy. We made cycling look pretty, pace lining, turning together. In Carson City, we waited for everyone so we could begin one of our last climbs together. While waiting, we all passed out in Starbucks. I mean I was face down on the floor. That’s one thing about the 4K, you sleep anywhere on anything and you don’t even care if people will give you funny looks. The climb today was really tough and I climbed most of it with Phoebe. I love biking with Phoebe, we have similar climbing, biking, pacing styles. I’m so glad she was with me because towards the end it was getting rough and some headwinds picked up. We did finally make it and again were hugged and high-fived by everyone already there. We all waited for everyone before beginning the descent into California. At the top we danced around the parking lot, froze a bit with the passing rain storm, and overall were just completely elated and elevated.

The descent was beautiful with amazing views of Lake Tahoe to the right. It was another one of those days where after the descent, the hills were rolling but so exhausting because of the climb earlier in the day. Eventually I made it to our other waiting point…CALIFORNIA! The sign for California was disappointing (compared to the other state signs) but incredible at the same time. We did it, we biked here, we biked to California! Absolutely crazy. And again, we waited as a team. Everyone in the area was just looking at the cluster of us, probably wondering why the in the world we were so excited. We circled up and screamed out our team cheer, blocked the roads to take countless pictures. We were ecstatic, we were one.

I met Keith freshman year at Virginia Tech. He was a great person and his personal motto was living life to the fullest, which he did until August 1, 2006 when he died from an unexpected head injury. I know thinking of him will help me get up the tough climb we have at the start of the day, and just the entire day in general. Today’s ride is 130 miles! It was a new record for everyone and the best part was EVERYONE made it . I rode with Megan, Basit, and Justin. It was fitting to ride with Basit and Justin on our century plus day as I rode my first century back in Kentucky with them. We barely made it to 100 miles back then and now we crushed 130 it’s rewarding to see the progress we’ve all made on this trip. The day started with a tough climb which was fairly short climb but around 8-12% grade and each switchback elevated us a significant distance. The climb was worth it though as we were rewarded with one of the best descents of the trip.

Today went out to Grandpas. It went out to my paternal grandfather who had bone and lung cancer and passed away before he and my mom met. It went out to my maternal grandfather who suffered from diabetes and heart issues and passed away just weeks after I was born. I wish I had met them, I heard they were great men and I wonder what it would have been like to have Grandpas. I’m sure it would have been wonderful since both my grandmothers were amazing women. It also goes out to everyone else’s grandpas and of course, “Grandpa” Tom on the ride.

I rode with Jess, Phoebe, and Kaitlin as team “Grapes of Rosé.” I was a Rosé, Jess was Cabernet Sauvignon, Phoebe was Merlot, and Kaitlin was Riesling. The day was supposed to be an easy, flat 55 mile day. We cruised through the early part, not worried about the destination only the journey. At our water stop around mile 40 (which was a fabulous cheese and cracker water stop to get us ready for Napa), we were told we were going to be rerouted (of course!) and that we had to bike an extra 15 miles AND go over a mountain. 4K O.K. At this point we shouldn’t be surprised. The news of course annoyed people, since we only had 15 flat miles to go and wanted to stop along the way at some vineyards. Expect the unexpected. The best part of this reroute was that it was beautiful. Unlike our original route where I’m certain the scenery would pale in comparison. We cycled along the backroads that winded through vineyards.

The climb was tough, but nothing we couldn’t handle. I took my time getting to the top. Jess and I sang the whole way up (mostly repeating the lines of Summer Lovin’ and Ain’t No Mountain High Enough that we knew) which made for an easy going and enjoyable climb.

NAPA! What a beautiful place! Today we spent the early part of the day wandering around downtown Napa and enjoying brunch. Later we went to the Artesa vineyard which was absolutely breathtaking.

It took me back to Tuscany a bit, only Tuscany was cooler since we were in a castle. Regardless, the views around the main building were astonishing. Though I’m considered “grandma Rose” I’m still a bit young to have the palate for true tasting. It is something that is developed over time and years of practice. I look forward to practicing and another trip to Napa (maybe when I have more dough) and another trip to Italy of course.  Regardless, the wine was delicious and I know I’m still a bigger fan of the reds though a cool Riesling has its place in the summertime. The reserve Pinot Nior was definitely my favorite, but the Cab Sav gave it a good run for its money. After enjoying tasting at the winery we travelled downtown Napa for another round of tastings at TASTE. While not a winery, this place provided numerous options. We further expanded our palates while enjoying a meal at restaurant featuring types of South American street food. While isolation and solitude along much of our western route were beautiful and profound in their own way, the culinary options were a welcomed experience.

Today was the second to last riding day. One we took at a leisurely pace. One we tried to enjoy with our group as much as possible. My last riding group, “The Final Countdown” was Alana, Phoebe, Omar, and Nick Pantaleo.

I’d say it was a pretty solid group for the last day. Phoebe helped delay the ride  with a flat, which was actually welcomed in my opinion. I wasn’t in a rush for the day to end as it only brought us closer to the final day which I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Once off the bike path, we were deeper into civilization aka traffic than we had been in a while. We pissed off California drivers  when we forgot that things such as traffic laws exist (maybe we were in Nevada too long), but still we didn’t care. As is tradition, there was an unexpected climb during the end. I didn’t mind, it was another thing that made the day go just a bit slower.  The riding day concluded with a pit stop at a Mexican restaurant for some celebratory Margs just before reaching the host.

Tonight we had our final pow wow. The comments have changed so much from the first pow wow and these few hours really made me realize that I was going to miss this group of people a lot. It also made me realize, that I have to keep finding my adventures, I can’t let life get stale.

The other thing that kept the day from being 100% perfect was the fact that the ride was over. I know this end only means new beginnings, new opportunities, chances to see where these wonderful people go, opportunities to stay in touch, travel, perhaps even plan another epic bike ride. But the past 70 days were incredible, wonderful, indescribable experiences, a journey full of challenges and accomplishments (and a journey I made without getting a single flat!). Life was truly elevated on this final day, the high, the adrenaline, the pure happiness during that 11 mile ride, crossing the Golden Gate bridge, and running into the Pacific Ocean.

We did everything TOGETHER that day, a sign of how far we’ve come, how much we bonded. The water was so cold, but I felt like we could have spent forever in it, in one big group hug, letting all the emotions of the trip flow through. So I’m going to stop here, all I can say is this journey was amazing. I cannot possibly describe it so others will understand. Actually, other people will never fully understand, and that’s okay. I hold this special bond with 26 individuals on what the 2011 4K for Cancer to San Francisco really means and will cherish each memory and look forward to days we can reunite and reflect, smile and laugh.

And of course, my mom and sister greeted me in costume

I’m sitting here, in my empty apartment in Denver just barely one week after our arrival in San Francisco. A week ago at this moment we were having our final pow wow. It feels like it was years ago. It feels like it was a decade ago that I biked across the country. Maybe the realization of it all still hasn’t fully happened. All I know is that I’m terribly missing the 4K already. In a week’s time, I flew back to Philly, drove to Wilmington, had a welcome back/departure dinner all in one, and began the 1800+ mile drive out to Denver with my parents. The drive took us THREE days (granted I was in somewhat of a pinch to get out here for the moving truck and work). It took us from May 29 to July 3 to go from Baltimore to Boulder. The drive was just not the same. Other points in time I would have found it fun and exciting to drive across the country, and maybe even in the future. But doing so immediately after biking across the country was just not exciting. I didn’t have any thrill from completing a twelve hour day (750 miles in the car) or eight hour day driving as I did on the bike. The quote by Ernest Hemmingway is so true, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country the best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you and you and you have no such accurate remembrance of the country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” The only way to see the country is on a bike. I saw all the signs (or most of them anyway). I saw the people who adopted sections of highway and what or who they dedicated it to. I saw random historical markers that I never knew existed. I saw a lot more roadkill. I saw everything it seemed. When you are biking, you see the land, you feel the land, you feel the sun, wind, rain. You feel the people. I never spent so much time in a gas station or spent so much money at a gas station on something other than gas than when I was on the 4K. But a gas station was a treat, it was ice cream, it was a chance to walk in there in our chamois and jerseys and tell our story and ask for ice and water. This trip made me realize how much good there is in the world. How kind people are and how willing they are to help out some strangers.  I just want to say thank you to all. Many of the people who helped might never see this, but thank you, thank you, thank you for reaching out. I also want to say 4K team San Fran I love you and miss you already. I miss all of you, your hugs, laughs, tears, smiles, jokes, just everything. And thank all of you for making this summer unforgettable. Hope it’s not too long til we meet again (cough come to Denver cough)!

And now that I’m finally posting this 41 days after and not just a week later, I feel exactly the same. I miss everyone just as much, if not more. I already miss biking 12 hours a day.

After sweating all night in that hot house, and saying good bye to Kevin Costner – the dog that was chained to the tree in the yard – we left for Capitol Reef. This day was for my roommate at Hopkins, Rob. He’s on the 4K ride to Seattle, but, today was his last day. He had to leave to start his job in NYC. At this point, I couldn’t even imagine leaving the 4K, and especially my 4K family. I’d talked to him the night before and he was so positive about it even though I know he was crushed. I would probably be bawling if I were him, but he said he just realizes how lucky he is to have had the opportunity to come this far and see so much and experience the things he did. Today would be a long day, but thinking about Rob and how I’m lucky to experience this day at all is what got me through it. I rode with Taylor and Ganesh as team Justice League! I was the green lantern because of my helmet. The scenery changed drastically throughout the day. In the morning huge piles of boulders surrounded the road. There was no plant or animal life anywhere. Though we did see a huge cow skeleton. We passed some stretches of sand, like the deserts you see people wandering around lost in movies. Around this point we passed a man riding his horse. We learned that he was horseback riding across the country! He’d been gone for over a year. Later we went through some plateaus that were flat and very skinny at the top but very wide at the bottom. I was struck with how if I were to come back years from now, these plateaus would look different because they’re clearly deteriorating from the top down. The state that I’m seeing the country in isn’t going to stay this way forever, it’s constantly changing and I feel fortunate to see it the way it is now. Toward the end of the plateau region, it started getting really windy. Like, Kansas windy. It was miserable. Ganesh was really struggling with the wind/heat combination and kept falling far behind us. I was grateful for Taylor riding in front of me, blocking the worst of the wind from me. We were SO close to the last water stop and I was dying to get there, when up ahead I saw the steepest hill ever and my heart just sank. As we approached it, it looked vertical! After getting beaten down by the wind so much, it was the last thing I wanted to see. But what choice did I have? I just bent my head down and started climbing. It was such a steep hill and such a slow climb, I felt like I was going to flip over backwards. But of course that wouldn’t happen and I finally made it and descended to the water stop. Taylor and I just threw our bikes down and climbed in the air-conditioned van where we found 6 others fast asleep in there. We stayed at that water stop forever, just dreading the last 20 miles. But the last 20 weren’t nearly as bad. We entered the National Park at the end and it was beautiful. Capitol Reef is full of huge red rocks and cliffs that when you look closer aren’t just red, but full of swirling colors. We camped that night in the park. It had been a 95 mile day. There weren’t any showers so some people just hosed themselves off or used baby wipes, but Lisa, Emilie, Phoebe and I bathed in the river! It was freezing! And the river was red so we came out with red sediment all over us, but it was much better than nothing. And I felt very at-one with nature. We deemed ourselves the ladies of the lake. Even though it was a river. We spent the evening picking apricots and cooking spaghetti (with difficulty). While I was eating, someone’s face appeared right next to mine, so I turned, and there was… my sister Emily! I knew my parents and Emily were in the area that night but I thought I wasn’t going to see them until the morning. It was indescribable seeing them after all this time. That night, after eating not nearly enough, I went to bed in my tent with my wind-whipped face and red sediment in my hair feeling fuller than I had in a long time.

The next morning my family came to see me again, and they joined us for the morning circle. I dedicated the day to the rest of my housemates, Michelle, Emily, Matt, and Laura. They all donated to me and supported me so much before the trip. Matt’s mom donated in honor of Matt’s grandfather, Vincent Panico who died of lung cancer about 8 years ago. She said of him “he usually worked at least 2 jobs so that his wife and family of 5 children could have a good house. Whenever he and Matt’s Grandmom came to visit us from Delaware, his first thought was “what can I do with the kids?” I loved that about him.” Laura’s donation was in honor of her grandfather who is miraculously cancer free after battling for 3 years! She also donated in honor of Scott Grissom, her family member who has three inoperable tumors on his spine. I knew I would need to be thinking of all of them today because today we would be climbing a mountain! Yup, the mountains did not end with the Rockies. My group was the last group to leave the campground. My family took some pictures of us biking out of the National Park. I loved seeing them smiling and waving as I went by. In the first 20 miles before we hit the mountain, I could tell my group was feeling slow today, but I was feeling great! Maybe it was the rush from seeing my family, but I was feeling speedy and unstoppable. So Justin (who was also going fast) and I broke off from the rest of the group. I was alone most of the time going up the mountain because climbing is something you just do at your own pace. I actually passed a bunch of people and stopped only a few times to take a picture of the view of the colorful valley below. I was amazed when I reached the top that it had felt so easy! It was about 15 miles of climbing with a few rolling hills as we wound around and up the mountain, but I just did it no problem. Alanna, who was driving the support van, commented that when she passed me, I was flying! Some days on the 4k you feel horrible and slow and every pedal stroke is a struggle, and other days, you wake up feeling speedy and invincible. This just happened to be one of those days. We all lingered at the summit for a while, and we were soon joined by three other cross-country cyclists. We’d actually seen them in passing the day before. This is the second group of 3 we’d run into. The others we met in Virginia, and then again in the Rockies.

After the climb, we had a descent, which wasn’t completely a descent; there were some tough climbs thrown in there too. Then came the fun part. The Grand Staircase! This was the real descent. 14% grade! I’m not a huge thrill seeker or anything, but I loved the feeling of flying down that mountain. Of course I wasn’t reckless about it, I was constantly on my breaks and felt perfectly safe, but it still got my adrenaline going and I had another one of those “I can’t believe I’m really doing this!” moments. On both sides of the road I was looking down on endless sandy hills and canyonlands. I never even knew places like this existed. The rest of the day is a blur. We had another big climb that I was completely not expecting. It wound up this big sand-colored mountain. I was definitely feeling it this time, but I kept up with Justin and finally we reached the top. This descent was also incredible, and straight too so I didn’t squeeze my breaks at all, just let gravity carry me. And then, suddenly, it was completely flat. By now the sky was heavy with rain clouds. We stopped about 3 miles from the campsite at a convenience store/gas station that gave us free dinner. By the time the rain stopped and Justin and I headed to the campsite, the sun was setting. The sky was a beautiful post-rain pink and the land stretched out all around us. It was so peaceful. We talked about our families and if we would continue biking after the trip is over. After it’s over! It’s so weird to think that end is near. It’s exciting and sad all at the same time. For nearly 2 months we’ve practically breathed biking, thinking of nothing else. The real world seems so far away. We got to the campsite and had to find our way around in the dark. When I was in the shower line I met some bikers from another group called Bike the US for MS. We compared the places we’ve been and the differences between our rides. Their purpose is to raise funds and awareness for MS, and they had riders of all ages. Even up to age 60! I thought that was pretty amazing.

The next morning all those mountains caught up to me. Especially since I had pushed so hard yesterday. With the first pedal stroke, I knew it would be one of those slow, painful days. I dedicated the day to my friend Alex’s grandmother, Frieda Hunstad, who recently passed away from cancer after a very long, tough battle. Thankfully, the ride was short, only 50 miles. I rode with my fellow Ladies of the Lake. All of us were struggling through each mile, but we kept ourselves laughing by telling stories and being ridiculous. It was a very hot day and we were hoping the terrain would continue to be flat, but after about 20 miles, we weren’t so lucky. At the second water stop I was sitting in the air-conditioned van when Meg opened the door and said “I think there’s a little Schram behind the van.” My family surprised me again! Although I have to admit it was kind of strange seeing them at a water stop since, as I’ve mentioned, 4K life and real life seem like completely different worlds. The last 10 miles felt like 50 miles, but my family drove by us with a sign in the window that Emily had made that said ‘4K OK!’ It was so adorable and it made me so happy. I should explain that ‘4K OK” is a phrase we’ve coined to describe everything that is acceptable to do on the 4K that wouldn’t exactly pass in the real world. Sleeping on the gravel? 4K OK. Eating 4 desserts in one sitting? 4K OK. Peeing on the side of the road? 4K OK. We were camping again that night near Bryce Canyon National Park. I stayed with my family in their hotel though because for the next 4 days they ‘kidnapped’ me to join them on their vacation! We went to Bryce Canyon, The Grand Canyon, and Zion. I only missed one day of biking because we were scheduled to have 3 days off in order to see the National Parks. When you’re in this part of the country, you got to take some time off to enjoy the natural beauty. And boy is it incredible. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

And I just want to be doing this:

It is ridiculous. So basically, I am an addict and the 4K is my crack. I thought that running the half marathon might help with these withdrawal issues. So far, its just a lot of running. So I don’t know how well that’ll work out.

Also, not helping with my nostalgia issuez: I volunteered to make the San Fran promo video. So, I have to spend even more time looking at pictures and stuff and basically listening to “Save me, San Francisco” on repeat. Makes me sadsies.

Also, my #nostalgiaproblemz are leading me to some #jealousyproblemz because I was just on twitter and saw on the @4kforcancer page that a couple people had just been accepted to the 2012 ride and they are #soexcited. On the one hand I wanna say holyyyy crap you are going to have the time of your life. And on the other hand I wanna say that should be me and step off my ride, yo. Obviously, that second one is the kind of thing that I should just keep to myself.

In other news, if you haven’t heard, I now have a puppy. Say hello to Snoopy:

Isn’t he cute?!?!?? Yes, I’m aware his fluffy paws look stupid. But, he’s adorable! 4K mascot much?

Anyway, I’m very excited to have a reason to blog again. Soooo yeah.

I officially have 16.5 days until the running festival… better get running.

I just started my Saturday off by hearing the voices of a dozen or so teammates, taking a shower – despite the slow hot water and pool of water, I kept gratefully thinking “it’s 4K OK” -  put on my large helmet and biked off to a cafe to hydrate. I could say that it’s surprising how little my life has changed since this summer but who am I kidding…

Daily life is quite different.  I’m no longer sleeping on church pews. Yes, I’ve moved to Vietnam. I’m sleeping on clashing brightly colored bedding sprinkled with “love you” written on them. The voices of my teammates were over Skype coming from Baltimore on a Friday night – a night I have already lived – and the streets I biked on included Tống Duy Tân, Thợ Nhuộm, and Hai Bà Trưng. Nonetheless, Mahony still gave me bike advice over Skype:

Me: Mike, what do I do about rusted screws?
Mike: Nothing, unless…are they near the derailleur?
Me: I don’t have a derailleur.
Mike: Perfect, don’t worry.

Mr. Al, Taylor’s grandpa, commented on Taylor’s last blog saying: “I do hope that each member at some point scribes out their thoughts for their own benefit.” I just heard the line, “And I can still see the California sun in your hair,” from Bonne Sommerville’s song “Winding Road.”  Indeed, it’s time to listen to Mr. Al’s – Team San Fran ’11′s number 1 fan’s - advice and write this before that sun in my hair goes away. I do think that this blog will be a bit scattered but I hope that it is able to tie my thoughts together. As Mr. Al suggested, this blog is for me. I “publish” it for those interested but in no way expect anyone to get through it.

Taylor mentioned in her blog that she thought the 4K would make her into “some kind of changed person,” but that it didn’t. Instead, she learned some important life lessons and that the 4K, rather than resulting in an epiphany, will continue to shape her in the future. I agree. As shown by the beginning of this blog, I constantly do think about the 4K. How long this will continue is up to the future, but making sure I remember the lessons I learned this summer is up to me. This means that I need to reflect on thoughts during a time in my life that I thought I was having no thoughts. (I think that last sentence makes sense?)

No thoughts? I wondered before the trip began what you think about when you are on a bike for hours and hours day after day. In all honesty, most of the time my mind was blank, and every so often I would try to figure out how much longer to the next water stop. Sure, I had other occasional thoughts: I thought about the person I was riding for in order to inspire me during those low times, thought about attempting to pace when I was leading, reflected on relationships in my life, tried to figure out if I was lost, had occasional storytelling time, sung Summer Nights and Barbie Girl… but definitely nothing profound.

However, low and behold within this, what seemed to be, mindless days on the road were many bits and pieces of evidence to support statements, many of which are life lessons, that many of us have been told in various forms from authors, philosophers, businessmen, etc.

My first physical "step."

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Lao-tzu

I actually think the first step of this journey may have happened years ago. I had been thinking of being a part of the 4K for years. One of my closest friends, Mohammad, had bravely done the trek after his freshman year. In December of that year, I flew from Baltimore to San Francisco to visit my grandpa and say goodbye. Not only was he the youngest, strongest, and last of my grandparents to be diagnosed with cancer, but him and I had a special relationship that I don’t think anyone even in my family, including myself, can adequately describe. I remember that visit to Mill Valley, CA vividly: his final words to me (Me: I have to go Him: That’s terrible, but justifiable) and me – at a lose for words, unable to tell him that I love him, leaving that building with my aunt. On the way out, she simply said, “He was a great grandpa, wasn’t he?” (I blogged about him and that final day here).

My ride was dedicated to all four of my biological grandparents.

“There is a voice inside of you that whispers all day long, I feel this is right for me, I know that this is wrong. No teacher, preacher, parent, friend or wise man can decide what’s right for you-just listen to the voice that speaks inside.” – Shel Silverstein

That following summer I remember thinking in a parking lot that the best way to cope and honor my crazy grandpa’s death – while having a more meaningful summer than I currently was – would be to sign up for the 4K. It wasn’t until the third summer of photo stalking that that urge finally crossed the line. On August 1st of last year I applied. But over the next few months I still debated with my self on whether I would actually deposit. My mother warned me of mountains and my lack of biking experience. That so many of my teammates instantly plunged into the 70 day adventure and into leadership positions is a sign of their personality, strength and dedication to the cause. As for me, though, it took some reassuring from the 4K family that I’d survive the journey despite my absence from any physical activity. Knowing that I was riding for an absolutely crazy group of four grandparents in the end made my decision-making process smoother. But, wow, on reflection, I realized I shouldn’t have contemplated for so long. I should have gone with that feeling, that “inner voice,” however slight it was, to do this.

Exhausted me showing my grandma our long cue sheet on May 29th. The next time I would see her would be in August carrying my helmet into her apartment.

“And I would walk 500 more, just to be that man to walks a thousand miles to fall down at your door.” - The Proclaimers

The morning after depositing, I woke up to donations. It was then that I realized how tied to this endeavor I now was. I would eventually be riding for 85 people and their loved ones. Throughout the coming months I would look at my bike – aka WALL-E – and question if that was really what was supposed to get me back to grandmother’s house. Not yet on the road, there was no turning back or second guessing. I’d get to grandmother’s house in Mill Valley. As that same Sommerville song says, “I’ve been searching for a long time, still have hope I’m going to find my way home.”

“The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult.” – Marie Anne de Vichy-Chamrond

OK, maybe I already revoke an earlier statement. There was a second first step and that was on May 29th. The 4K put me in mindsets that have never been so strong. One morning at the beginning of the trip, I remember thinking that the repetitive nature that my life had become must, in some way, slightly mimic the lives of those in military service, prison, or slavery. I eventually convinced myself that my life most resembled Stanley’s in the book Holes by Louis Sacher (“the only way you can go is up”). Little did I know that come the Rockies, that’s what our cue card would say.

On day one, I…um… fell asleep on my bike. A series of unfortunate events made me have my first all nighter in Baltimore the night before the 4K.  That day I later met up with Justin and we worked our way through the cue card. I fought hard yet took another nap, during the first powwow. On day two, “Team Backwards Helmet,” got through the Route 1 detour. I stood there with Marci and Emilie contemplating if this route was really “4K, OK.”  I think the answer was no but that we didn’t really have an alternative. We got off our bikes and walked through a terribly congested construction zone. That night was the famous “Station 13″ night. I remember taking a shower in the fire station and thinking that maybe I should keep track of all the random places I’d sleep and shower in. Over the loud speaker, an ambulance was being sent to the church to get one of our riders checked out as he was suffering from heat exhaustion. On the fourth day, that heat wave was shinning brightly on us. I lost the person I was trying to ride with. I followed the cue card to an intersection, let the support van know, and waited for five others. We’d form Team Chateau; the only team to make it through the day.

Indeed, the first step, or rather first week, was difficult for Team San Fran. But somehow, I was surviving the days, taking strong first stops, which I later learned at our leg one powwow was helping others push through their days, a domino effect of sorts.

The truth is this is a photo taken when we were leaving Virginia. I didn't even see the sign when we entered.

“The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” – Mark Twain

How I made it through those days, I have no idea. As a child I always feared the NJ summers; I always stayed away from soccer camp. I’d often remind myself of my grandpa and the donor that I had carefully selected to ride for that day. “Eighty five people,” I’d say to myself, ”out ‘there’ donated out of their pockets for you to do this, most of them inspired by someone who had no choice but to wake up and drag themselves to continue to fight cancer.”

When people are suffering from cancer, or any slump, I often think they break down their challenge into smaller pieces, like days. Somehow it becomes more manageable that way. Knowing that I had 70 days of this trip – and that alums had told me that the days ahead, mainly Utah, would not be fun biking days  – I took each day as they came. An approach strategy that would not last into July when we begun to savor biking together. Please don’t think that I thought my daily life was similar to a prisoners or cancer patients. I was fortunate. With pizza donations, how could I not be satisfied? But my mentality, I think, does have some interesting similarities to those who are stuck in a dilemma.

Little did I know but I was taking Mark Twain’s advice. Early on, it really felt like a daily battle. I would text my parents that I had survived another day. I remember the days so distinctively, yet this mindset would change…

I was literally hugging the Kentucky sign upon arrival. So happy for Team San Fran to be done biking through Virginia.

“Men love their country, not because it is great, but because it is their own.” - Seneca

No joke that come Kentucky all I could think of doing was hugging the state sign, so happy that our team’s encounter with Virginia had passed. Minutes after the descent into Kentucky, I had gone into complete culture shock. Were areas of my ‘motherland’ really this poor? Over and over again I was shocked at how states and small town America matched up with how I envisioned them, mainly made from the news that I had read about them.

Yes, there really was tornado damage. Yes, there really was one too many fried chicken donations. Yes, NASCAR seemed everywhere. Yes, confederate flags were hung high. Downtown areas had begun to look run down yet our encounters with people continued to be inspirational and at some points humorous. It was on our way to Mammoth Cave that I remember meeting some locals at the bar who told us we had gone insane and to be careful “out there.” I was beginning to feel like I had entered a scene from a Wild West film. Our encounters with dogs on the other hand, not so much; I am still terrified of dogs, of being chased while biking.

I also think it’s worth knowing the Church’s place in all of this. Church communities throughout the country continuously welcomed us into their houses of worship despite our group’s religious diversity. I was truly grateful for this. The blessings we received in the morning from members of these churches were heartwarming to say the least. I think the most inspirational people we met in these communities were Father Ricky and the story of the Dziewa family in Farmington, MO and Cindy and the story of her mother, Cecile, in Eureka, NV. Sharing cancer stories further unified us with the communities we crossed paths with.

Additionally, it was obvious that many people found support from these communities, often the emotional support to deal with their cancer stories. Knowing that these communities exist is something I should always keep in mind for who knows what is in my life’s future.

Growing up I was always fascinated hearing about troops and explorers moving hundreds upon hundreds of miles on foot. Somehow this comforted me and made me think that I wasn’t completely crazy. I wonder if these trekkers, after seeing more of their own country, had similar feelings to my own. Simply put, I grew more patriotic. A bike tour like this was so heavily-threaded with hospitality and generosity that may only be possible in the United States. I fell in love from sea to shining sea.

“Cancer begins and ends with people. In the midst of scientific abstraction, it is sometimes possible to forget this one basic fact.” - June Goodfield

Illinois came and went.  However, I did squeeze in a day dedicated to my dad in his home state, we got our one and only “rain out,” and manage to go through Popeye’s hometown of Chester, IL before crossing the Mississippi and really entering the west. When this state sign picture was taken, I was riding with Tom and Nick Pucci. I can’t even begin to explain how rewarding it was for me (and the rest of Team San Fran) to ride with two determined cancer survivors.

They added a personal touch to the ride. I dedicated my support driving days to Tom, mainly because he would always go above expectations when he drove, in a way that set the bar high for others. He was our shining star after all. I got through a hard day of climbing into Escalante with Pucci’s name autographed on my calf. At our powwows, they both would remind us to be grateful for this ride, have fun (aka ‘rallying’ according to Pucci), and to go off the beaten path. Both of them became older brother figures to me; they’d inspire, tease, and look after me…when I got sick.

“It is true that no one can harm the person who wears armor. But no one can help him either.” – Kristin Hunter

I reached my “low” in Licking, Missouri. We had back to back Ozark centuries that I was dying to pull through. Our team was hurting though. Megan took the first of the two centuries off, Tom and Basit stopped after the first water stop, and each pedal stroke was hurting. My digestive system felt off and a muscle was pulled. Ganesh admitted that I was pathetically biking, literally pushed my bike, and we exchanged stories in an attempt to get my mind off the ride. I had decided that I would suck it up if only one thing was bothering me but come two issues is when I would conclude that my body was telling me, “Please, no more.” That next day I could hear my body. Kitch impressively managed to rush a group of us to the hotel we were staying at and of the 24 next hours, I slept for 20.

From my perspective, it was here that the team realized that none of us were superhuman. The reason why we had support vans was so that we could ask for help, to take off our armor (or, rather, spandex) when needed. I was told once that two things I could work on in general are asking for help and having more confidence. This trip helped me approve both of these things. It was here when I realized how despite my own reluctance in asking for help, and my fear of a negative response, asking for help can be one of the easiest solutions to problems.

Team GB entering GB (about to get "pancaked" with expired pancake mix) on what was our longest day yet

“Don’t complain, just work harder.” – Randy Pausch

OK, fine, we definitely did complain about the wind in Kansas but not without working harder. We spent 12 days circling Kansas and were glad to escape. But when we escaped it was as a much stronger team both mentally and physically. It was a team that was open arms about biking across country. I was put on Cipro (look it up if you really want to know) on the day of our second powwow. This begins my theory of being cursed on powwow days.  But we all learned in Kansas that complaining won’t get us very far. I think what I learned in Kansas is to be proactive. If you’re feeling sick, try to do something.  These days weren’t great, they weren’t the worst or hardest, but we all made the most of them. And we worked hard to go to go to Sonic day after day. Kansas is what made Colorado so amazing for everyone on the team. And for that, we should be somewhat thankful for our tour of Kansas.

“This could really be a good life, a good, good life. Oh yeah, good, good life, good life, oh, this is.” - One Republic

I vividly remember biking into the campgrounds we stayed at just beyond this Nebraska state sign. It was small town America at its finest. We biked through a lovely bike trail, ate dinner with a Relay of Life team, made smores, talked on the phone with friends, and fell asleep with one of my “4K roommates,” Caity, under the stars. The simple pleasures in life were surrounding me. I didn’t need to be told; I was living a life that many were jealous of. The opportunity to spend day after day outside is one that, by observation, more and more people do not have in the US. We were fortunate this summer. The One Republic  lyrics change in the melody from saying that this “could” be the good life to saying that it “is.” At the time, I thought the way we were living in Nebraska could have been the good life but, upon reflection, it actually is a good life.

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” – Rachel Carson

I’ve been frequently asked what the best state to bike through was. There is without a doubt only one answer: Colorado. Oddly enough, I knew that Colorado was going to be special from having looked at one too many obesity maps of the US. Colorado has the lowest rate in the 50 states. A theory is that everyone who lives there loves being athletic in the outdoors. There were two times when I was holding back tears because of the overwhelming beauty: the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon. I couldn’t help but think of the above Rachel Carson quote at the time. Nature is powerful. Being able to stare out at in nature and realize that there is so much more to life beyond your own life really does make one less willing to destruct. I’ll have to keep this in mind when I plan my next trip. Now that I am living in a capital city with a constant honking, I may need to remind myself that a weekend out in nature may be what I need to remind myself of the beauty in all of our lives that we often overlook.

Team Mesa took the day off that day to visit a cancer center

“Dear Jessica, Keep going and keep trying! You can do it! Don’t give up! Don’t give up at all! Keep going! You can do it!!!!!!!!! Keep going! - Olivia Beer, student in Ms. Klos’s class

The joys of Colorado had to end. On our day off in Moab, a group of Harry Potter fans decided to jump the border back to Colorado and go see a midnight screening of the newest and last movie. We ended the next short day of riding at one of the most unique hosts, a community house. To make the story short: I lost my appetite, we had the beginning of leg three powwow, and I ran in and out of the bathroom throwing up. I had feared Utah since the beginning of the trip. Two years ago all of the team besides Kate and Zach, the alumni rider on our team, had gotten ill and it all started at that same community house. That night, Tom, Nick, and Ganesh all helped get me through the night. But as anyone knows, there’s not much one can do in a situation like this. I tried to remain positive and not get caught up in the present pain.

Come the morning, with little sleep and appetite, the “bug” seemed to have passed but I was no doubt weak. I overheard Tom say that I wouldn’t be biking that day. Little did he know just how crazy my grandpa I was riding for was. Nor did he know my personal rule to resist biking if there was only one “minor” health issue. The community house was on Clark Street, my grandpa’s last name. I took this as a sign, reminded myself of the people I was riding for, considered how I would rather be outside and ill than inside and decided to get through a near century in the closest thing to a desert.

I asked Zach to ride with me that day. Zach was known to ask to ride with me on “harder days.” I pushed him and that day he and Omar, who also asked to ride with me, would push me. Before the first water stop, I managed to get three flat tires including the team’s only “double flat.” Our team was renamed Team Too Fun. This was either a sign that I shouldn’t be riding or that someone was testing my own personal strength. I took it as the later.

The 4K has a very hard ride schedule. Because it is a team charity ride, it is set up in a way that doesn’t allow personal breaks during those times that one might if riding in a smaller group or individually. However, because of that nature of the ride, personal strength is  made up for by the strength of others and their cancer stories.

In Kansas, each of us received notes from children in Alanna’s mom’s class. The letter of mine is cited above and is now serving as the most inspirational bookmark I’ve ever owned. People wanted me to get through that ride in Utah and I knew it. Just two days earlier I had received a letter from my brother and his girlfriend also telling me not to give up. I would think of these letters often.

I strategically picked out the donors I was riding for each day. On a century in Kansas, we were told to pick the donor that we hadn’t ridden for that inspires us the most; I rode for Dr. Taylor, Dr. Lawrence’s dedication, both who have played an incredible role in public health at Johns Hopkins. Oh I could go on and on about the people I rode for and the people that they dedicated their donation to…

I rode for Olivia Beer, the child who wrote that letter, the people we met throughout the trip that we’d end up dedicating our days to, my biggest donor, the Wasserman’s, early on… rode for Val, a donor and a cancer fighter, multiple times, rode for my old babysitter Brenda into Colorado… rode into California for my cousin Josh… rode into Davis for the Kraus’s… rode the day I was sick in Kansas for my WHO supervisor Maya…rode our first day of Rocky climbing for Mohammad… rode on scavenger hunt day for the Wolffs…rode on my “tan line day” for Mike…rode for Val in Kansas… rode into Boulder for Admissions_Daniel… rode for the Kluhspies after the birth of the first grandchildren for the family… rode out of Davis for the Lyons’… rode into Mill Valley for the Clark’s… I could go on and on hundred times.. These people in total donated $5,230 to get me through my personal struggle in honor of those people who never even were able to take a break from their personal struggle with cancer. Of course I was going to bike across the country with a minor health problem.

Thank you, all of you for the support you provided me when I needed it.

The four of us camped just outside of the Grand Canyon's north rim. Here's our artistic interpretation of the Grand Canyon - I'm supposed to be the flooded Colorado River.

“An old man near death called his sons together to give them some advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a bundle of sticks, and said to his oldest son: “Break it.” The son tried and tried, but with all his strength, he could not break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. “Untie the bundle,” said the father, “and each of you take one stick.” When they had done so, he said to them:”Now, try to break your stick.” Each stick was easily broken. “You see my meaning,” said their father.” – Aesop’s Fable

Team San Fran, played the same role in helping me get through hard days and also making me have the best summer of my life as those people in my external network that I just discussed. As a ‘bundle of sticks’ we were mighty strong and had a ton of fun. Would any of us have biked across the country individually? No. We came across impressive people in the US in much smaller groups of friends biking, walking, and riding across country for various causes. The 27 of us needed the fire of the team to keep us going. All of us had our personal highs and lows at different times and had points where team support was necessary.

Because of this, there was no bigger celebration than days when we all completed the day of riding. Trail Ridge Road demonstrated the drive that we had to make sure we all got through as a bundle of sticks. We waited together at the top of the climb. In the back of my mind, I sat there for hours thinking about Tom’s lungs and other people’s various pains. I knew everyone could get through the climb but that it would be tough. It was a joyous occasion to see everyone finish the climb, and the next day to celebrate as the support van drivers from the day before, Caity and Adam, did the ride. Waiting at the top of climbs to cheer others on became almost traditional for San Fran. That same teamwork was even shown to me on days off, in Arizona/Nevada, a group got me from the Grand Canyon National Park to join other teammates at Arches National Park. I was beyond impressed by how much of a team we had become. I’m not even going to describe this in any more detail because this is the one thing that I don’t think I can really put into words.

Our reenactment of the movie The Hangover. I'm proposing, Meg has a baby, Maria is passed out, and Caity is a tiger.

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

I think Team San Fran’s “Nevada Days” serve as the best representation of how wonderful of a group dynamic Team San Fran had. Simply put, Highway 50 had nothing on us. Highway 50 is known as the loneliest road in the US but between our planned alter ego, trivia, and scavenger hunt days, the road was nothing but lonely. Omar acted as me one day. He wore my trademark jersey, constantly said “beautiful,” and went vegetarian.  Although it didn’t look like it, we all knew that crossing into Pacific Time meant that the finish line was within distance. Perhaps because of this, I made a conscious decision to make sure that my riding teams were with people that I hadn’t had enough time to ride with and was reminded of how there were just not enough riding days to spend enough time with each teammate.

Sure, there were slight quarrels – to be expected when you spend so much time together – but overall anyone who saw our team at the end could sense a team vibe that we gave off. We liked each other. Our days off were spent together. We were not sick of each other by the end, as shown by how my state sign photos go from individual shots to team efforts.

I will admit that I had a bad first impression. After orientation I had anxiety on how this team was going to pull it off. I was jealous of Team Seattle for having people that I knew yet wanted to become friends with on their team. Team San Fran was a group of strangers. The 26 others on this team proved me wrong. I can already tell that many of these team members have tons of personal value to add as part of my closest support network. We all shared a milestone in our lives together yet know each other in a way completely different than our closest friends and family. We would not have become friends if it wasn’t for this trip. I guess you really don’t know whether you’ll get along with someone until you travel with them.

Thank you to each and every member of Team San Fran:  Alanna, Bunny, Caity, Emilie, Kitch, Luna, Lisa, Marci, Grandma Rosemary, Maria, Megan, Meg,  Phoebe,  Taylor, Vanessa,  Alex, Adam, Basit, Ganesh, Justin, Omar, Pants, Pucci, Nick, Tom, and Zach.

Team CACA bringing in California in our newly purchased thrift store one-piece bathing suits.

“My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it is on your plate.” – Thornton Wilder

I was blown away by the number of communities who had put together potlucks for us and number of food venues from chain restaurants to mom and pop restaurants that donated food. That combined with guilt-free ice cream purchases (the best pre-climb food) and thrift store purchases were top reasons why this summer was great.

The team I rode into Colorado (COCO) with reunited for our arrival into California (CACA) outfitted in one-piece bathing suits and sunglasses. I think all of us reverted back to our childhood days this summer or maybe were simply, like the quote says, enjoying the ice cream while it was on our plates. The last days were joyous: seeing my step-grandpa’s statue of the Pony Express in Sacramento, biking from my undergraduate campus to my parents’s in Davis, kayaking in Tahoe, and wine tasting after singing Summer Nights with Rosemary into Napa. Knowing that these were our final days together, I think all of us knew what we needed to do at the time: live and enjoy the moments of the best summer of our lives.

Celebrate.

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” -Oprah Winfrey

One of the greatest things my mom has taught me is to praise and celebrate those little accomplishments that you have in life. There are plants in my backyard in New Jersey which were a result of getting an internship, my mom graduating, etc. Sometimes it may seem that getting through the work week is an accomplishment in itself, if that’s the case, then reward yourself come Friday. Life can be a struggle. Because of this, similarly to the beginning of this blog about breaking up tasks into smaller pieces, rewarding your self for accomplishing those little pieces is necessary for mental sanity.

The thing about the 4K is that there was a goal and we told ourselves that every single riding day; it was in our cheer itself: “Where are we going? San Francisco.” How would anyone know we completed our goal? We’d be splashing around in ice cold water and boxing up our bikes. Because of this, come August 6^th it was not a surprise that we were surrounded by loved ones and popping bottles of champagne. It also is no surprise that my mom, who surprise visited me, was one of the helpers in making sure we all had a bottle in our hands. We had made it to San Francisco. After 70 days on the road, of course there was reason to celebrate.

In my current field of work, public health, like many others, it’s sometimes hard to have those concrete accomplishments. Sure, I am now able to say I biked across the United States. It’s a feat and a great conversation starter. But there is so much in my life that will seem like feats for me personally that are worth celebrating that others may not even noitse. I was so glad this summer to be recognized for what I did, to have the support of so many, yet this is not always the case in life.

The point is that I don’t plan to bike across a country anytime soon. Actually, I take that back, Vietnam may be on my list. Nevertheless, being able to take the 4K and relate it to other challenges in my life takes a bit of abstract thinking and knowing when I’ll know that point to celebrate is important for me.

“I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” - Steve Jobs

And with that, I think that you can tell I definitely accomplished my goal of having stories to tell my grandchildren one day. If you’re able to do the 4K and have any slight desire to, apply.  Otherwise, move on to something else wonderful even if it’s something that seems rather crazy like being a part of getting condoms in the hands of clients of Vietnamese sex workers (my current job project), then by all means go ahead. Or, well, at least that’s what I tell myself right now.

Today went out to Erika Bury who my donor, friend, former lacrosse teammate Katie Berkel made her donation in honor of. The day started off a little rough mostly due to the previous day’s ride. But it was yet another beautiful day. I rode the day with Zac, Megan and Maria.

There was a stretch of about 20 miles where we absolutely killed it. I felt like were in a bike race and actually could pull off looking like road bikers! We came upon a lovely Bed and Breakfast off the side of the road that served the world’s only Bullberry Jam. Native to the area and apparently that area only. At the bed and breakfast the owner served us up some toast and delicious jam. Again it was another one of those random stops where we met someone who had their own cancer story and he had numerous family members who had, passed from, or are currently battling cancer.  That’s the thing about this ride, I knew before I started that so many people are affected by this terrible disease but riding across and hearing stories from strangers first hand just really puts a face to all the numbers. Naturally, as per 4K tradition, there was a beastly hill (mostly due to pure exhaustion) on our way into Bryce Canyon, but no worries-we conquered it. We conquer all.

Bryce Canyon is beautiful! I never knew this area existed before, so I’m happy this journey brought me here. Bryce Canyon is almost like an inside-out cave. Large formations that look like stalagmites fill a large canyon. The reds and oranges of the rocks are breathtaking. I cannot fathom how these wondrous places form, all I can say is each place leaves me in awe. America is truly beautiful and has so much to offer, so many places for adventure, so many places to explore.

• A panel of 4K for Cancer alumni to answer any and all of your questions about biking across the country for cancer awareness and support
• Information about all that the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults has to offer for young adults affected by cancer at your university, including Patient Navigation, college scholarships, and more!
• The opportunity to sign up for different community service dates: If you want to cook dinner at the Baltimore Hope Lodge, visit local cancer centers, or volunteer with our Patient Navigator, now is the time to sign up!
• Information about joining Team Fight, the triathlon and marathon training program of the UCF.  Train for free with triathlon/running coaches, be a part of a supportive and passionate team of athletes, raise money for the UCF, and spread awareness of young adult cancer issues!
• Free pizza!!

Can’t make the first meeting?  No sweat!  All of our events are posted on our Facebook page, where you can RSVP and confirm your attendance.  Stay tuned for more information about upcoming meetings at UMBC and University of Maryland!  Can’t find YACS at your university?  Contact Emma (emma.moody@4kforcancer.org) or Laura (laura@ulmanfund.org) to start up a group today!

In other news, tomorrow is our first visit to the Baltimore Hope Lodge!  We’ll be cooking a fall-tastic meal for cancer patients receiving treatment far from their homes.  It’s an incredible experience, and an awesome way to give back.  We have a few more spots open for tomorrow’s visit, so please RSVP today if you’re interested in attending.  Just by cooking and serving a delicious dinner, you can give “HOPE” to those in the fight of their lives!

We will serve free pizza, go over YACS community service and student support, and hear from alumni from the 4K for Cancer!

You’ll be able to ask questions about the 2012 4K for Cancer rides across the country and sign up for community service events at the meeting, so please make sure you RSVP today!

The fair takes place at the Decker College Center. We hope to see you there!

Stop by, spread the word, and learn more!

We will serve free pizza, go over YACS community service and student support, and hear from alumni from the 4K for Cancer!

You’ll be able to sign up for community service events at the meeting, so please make sure you RSVP today!

In regards to YACS, last week we met with patient navigator, Elizabeth, from the Ulman Cancer Fund who gave us some amazing service projects for YACS to work on this year.  Events include: delivering books to cancer patients to read with their family, putting together informational packets to give to new cancer patients, organizing a book drive, and cooking dinner at the Baltimore Hope Lodge.  We are really excited to start participating in these great service projects!

Thanks to Meg for putting together this wonderful 2011 Team San Fran video!

Thanks to Rosemary for putting together this amazing video of the 2011 Team Seattle ride!

Today was a big day, we knew it from the start, so I dedicated the day to my big sister, Monica.

Monica, one of my donors and biggest supporters of everything I do, has been a wonderful sister to me. We’ve grown so close over the years, particularly from when I began applying to colleges 8 years ago. My group today was Phoebe and Speedy Meg. Early in the day, there was a long climb to the summit of 9,600 feet.

It was a rough 40 miles, but we were promised a nice downhill. Our team name was “Can’t stop, won’t stop, just get to the top.” After a mile of beginning our descent, there was an uphill! At least it wasn’t long, but just unexpected. However, the rest of the day was not a breeze, but rather filled with several long and steep climbs. We climbed into Escalante Grand Staircase where the views were unreal. I didn’t even know this place existed before, but it was gorgeous and pictures don’t do it justice-like many of the views we have on our ride.

At the top, there was a sign showing the 14% grade descent we would embark on. The descent felt much like a roller coaster, sometimes a cliff on each side where I’d have to take the middle of the road. I’ve come a long way because I wasn’t terrified, my hands didn’t hurt from gripping the brakes. Of course I used them to slow down around some of the dangerous curves, but I was able to enjoy the views and wind in my face during the descent and the adrenaline rush. Today ended up much more difficult than I anticipated and it was a never ending ride it seemed. We ran into a fellow cross country biker we met in KY who was riding on his own, but now was with two more companions he met along the way. Again I couldn’t imagine doing some of these climbs with all that stuff!

The good part was despite what seemed like a constant beat down of steep climbs that came out of nowhere, today was one of my more positive days. All the way up, I was able to cheer on every person who was in my sight and of course a general GO 4K! For some reason I had enough air in my lungs to climb well and cheer. We finally reached our “host” another campground after a really long detour at yet another gas station where we all stuffed our faces! Unfortunately, tonight I had to settle for a tent instead of under the stars.  I’ve successfully managed to sleep outside every camping night until now, but it had rained and I wasn’t sure if it would stay dry through the night. We also were at the same campsite as the Bike the US for MS group. The campground did have a lovely view though

If you missed the Involvement Fair last night, “Like” YACS Baltimore on Facebook,  join the YACS Towson group, or visit www.4KforCancer.org to find out more!

YACS at Involvement Night

How am I supposed to express what the 4K meant to me? What it meant to all of us? And what it still means?

All I know is that now that I’m back at school I keep having the same conversation over and over and over and over again.

Friend/Acquaintance: How was your bike ride thing?!

Me: It was awesome! I had such an amazing time.

And that is usually the end of the conversation. Which is kind of depressing because that so does not do it justice at all. But, I don’t know what I’m supposed to say in that two second conversation that would actually encompass what the 4K was. There’s really nothing. How am I supposed to describe how good it feels to roll up to the host at the end of the day? Or what it was like to tell someone about what you were doing and why and have them tell you about how their mother/sister/brother/father/cousin/friend was battling cancer and that what you were doing meant so much to them? I did find this quotation that I think is the best summation of what it felt like to ride your bike for so many miles a day:

When I go biking, I repeat a mantra of the day’s sensations:  bright sun, blue sky, warm breeze, blue jay’s call, ice melting and so on.  This helps me transcend the traffic, ignore the clamorings of work, leave all the mind theaters behind and focus on nature instead.  I still must abide by the rules of the road, of biking, of gravity.  But I am mentally far away from civilization.  The world is breaking someone else’s heart.  ~Diane Ackerman

But even that only scratches the surface.

This summer, we biked through deserts. We got chased by dogs. We slept on the floor and thought it was the most comfortable place in the world. We stood atop mountains, above rainbows. We saw snow in July. We had strangers open their doors to us as if we were old friends. We ate watermelon. (Did you know that it’s full of vitamins?) We laughed. We laughed when we were sad, we laughed when we were hurting, we laughed because we had volunteered for this and we were biking our way up the fifth mountain of the day because we chose to be there, we laughed because we knew that even though it sucked so hard the next water stop was always just around the corner. We cried. We cried when we were happy, we cried when we were biking into the wind and felt like we would never make it anywhere, we cried when we saw that glorious Golden Gate sitting right in front of us as if someone had built just as a final monument to what we had done, like it was there just for us.

But still, just saying what we did doesn’t really do it either.

It’s not even really about what we did, but what it taught us. We learned that no matter how bad something hurts, it’s not gonna kill you. And no matter how bad you’re hurting, there’s someone out there who’s hurting worse. We learned that on some days 50 miles feels like 1,000, and on others 100 miles feels like 10. We learned that sometimes home is as simple as a sleeping bag and that a shower can be the greatest reward at the end of any day. We learned that writing someone’s name on your leg might seem simple, but to that person it can mean the world. We learned that getting up a mountain would never mean as much without someone waiting at the top for you and that, contrary to popular belief, cycling is a team sport.

I can show people pictures, and tell them how much fun I had, and tell them stories and try to show them what the 4K was, but it’s just hard to describe what it really is. The 4K changed everything, and at the same time it changed nothing at all. I’m not a different person. If anything, I think I’m more confident in who I am now than I ever was before. But, the world, or at least the country, is kind of a different place for me now. I’ll never be able to walk around the harbor and look at it the same way again, or if I go to Colorado seeing those Rockies will mean so much more to me now. National forests will always give me that feeling of dread in my stomach because they inevitably mean mountains and crunchy peanut butter will always have a special place in my heart.

Often, I like to refer to things as “game-changers.” For instance, when I got my iphone? Gamechanger.

So, how was the 4K? Gamechanger. (On a whole different level than the iphone… which says a lot.)

And, yaknow, it’s weird but even though it’s a much later wake-up, getting up in the morning to go to class still sucks so much more than getting up to bike for the day.

I miss the 4K. I miss waking up to those 26 people every morning and doing our cheer and getting on my bike. But now, I’m just waiting to see what my next adventure is going to be. Where is this crazy life going to take me next? I have no idea. I’m pretty psyched to find out though.

Sadly, I guess this is my last blog post. I started this all out as “Meg does the 4K” and I don’t think I can really keep that up now because “Meg did the 4K” just isn’t really a good title… I enjoyed blogging. For those of you that stuck with my crazy rantings from the beginning, thanks, I hope I provided a little entertainment. And to all of those that donated, read my blog, sent me packages, thought of me along the way, I can not thank you enough. I could not have made it without the support of all of you. (Especially you, Mom and Dad). I don’t know who’s actually going to be reading this, so as Cindy in Eureka, NV told us “I don’t know all of you, but I love you.”

xoxo,

Meg

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

Check out the YACS Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/YACS

YACS currently has groups at:
* Johns Hopkins University
https://www.facebook.com/groups/yacsjohnshopkins/
* UMBC - https://www.facebook.com/groups/yacsumbc/
* Towson University
https://www.facebook.com/groups/yacstowson/

My name is Emma Moody and I am the Volunteer Maryland Coordinator for the 4K for Cancer.  The other Volunteer Maryland Coordinator, Laura Scruggs, and I will be working with students to help facilitate YACS as it grows around Baltimore.  Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in getting involved with YACS on campus!

Emma Moody   –   emma.moody@4kforcancer.org

We still have a limited number of 5K, Half and Full spots available.

Visit http://4kforcancer.org/join-the-journey/baltimore-running-festival/ to register.

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the day before we rode into san francisco we had a barbecue at stinson beach for all of our friends and family.  the drive out to the beach was insane; the roads were super windy and surrounded by cliffs that dropped into the water.  it was really foggy but the views through the haze were absolutely incredible, befor then i had only seen scenes like that in pictures.  it was really cool to meet everyone’s family at the barbecue.  everyone talks about their family a lot so it was awesome to finally be names to the people i’ve heard about so much.  and of course it was awesome to finally be reunited with my own family.  i am so lucky to have had such an incredible support system back on the east coast during my journey… so many of my family members wanted to greet me in california that i basically had a small entourage in tow.  my mom, dad, sister, three grandparents, and uncle all traveled to california for my arrival.

later that night, we went back to where we were staying in mill valley for our last night together.  we had our last “pow wow” and we all shared our favorite memories and what we were going to take away from the trip.  i think what everyone commented on the most was what an incredible group dynamic we had.  i’m obviously biased, but i really can’t imagine a 4K group that got along better than we did.  although we were a big group of 27 people, we were so close knit.  there were really no cliques or splits into smaller groups; everyone hung out with everyone else and we had virtually no drama or fighting.  i honestly don’t know how we got so lucky.  the stars must have aligned and brought us all together or something because we were an absolutely amazing group.  i just can’t express how awesome we were.  we are all so different, but somehow all of our personalities worked together and meshed so well.  we were certainly a motley group but i wouldn’t have had it any other way.

the morning of our last day was an absolute blur.  only ten miles separated us from our final destination.  we invited our parents to our last dedication circle.  we decided that instead of having one big circle the team would be in one circle and then our friends and family would make a circle around us, which is funny because that’s the way it always was.  not literally of course but everyday along the journey we would dedicate to our families and loved ones and at the same time they were supporting us from afar- reading our blogs, helping us with food along the way, sending care packages, listening to us complain when we called them after a long day.  we were always surrounded by them in spirit so it was cool to end the ride with them actually encircling us.

after we wrapped up our dedications, we set off for the golden gate.  we rode out of mill valley, through sausalito and then we stopped at the scenic overlook before crossing the bridge to take pictures.  it was foggy, windy and freezing but that definitely didn’t put a damper on the mood or excitement.  the question i’ve been asked since i finished the 4K is “what was it like to cross the golden gate?”  and to be honest the answer is pretty terrible.  in my head, i imagined this incredible moment of being able to look out over the water and being totally overwhelmed with what i had just achieved.  but unfortunately the walkway on the other side of the bridge was closed because of construction so there was only one pathway for both directions of traffic for both cyclists and pedestrians.  so in reality, everyone’s focus was on trying not to collide with other bikers and tourists walking across the bridge.  but i managed to make it across the bridge without careening into any crazy tourists.

we headed to crissy beach where all of our friends and family were waiting for us.  after 70 days and all the craziness that this journey took, we finally dipped our front tires into the pacific ocean.  then, we all jumped into the ocean which was maybe the most exhilarating thing i’ve ever done.  it was such an insane moment of togetherness for our team.  i think all of our parents looked at us like, “aren’t you so cold?” “why would you ever jump into the freezing cold ocean?”  but it wasn’t like that for any of us.  i didn’t matter that the water was freezing; we made it, we were all together and that was all that mattered.

and then all of the sudden it was over, and it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks.  i wouldn’t have to wake up the next morning before the sun, pack up my stuff and get on my bike.  the team had a banquet that night at a restaurant in fisherman’s wharf, so we all knew we would see each other in a little while after we left the beach.  but i think we all knew that it wouldn’t be the same after we walked off that beach; leaving the beach marked the end of a long journey and all of us going our separate ways.

when i first signed up for the 4K i thought that by the end of the 4,000 miles i would be some kind of changed person, like i would have some kind of epiphany or self-discovery.  but i realize now that that mentality is an immature expectation and doesn’t really do the trip justice.  to be honest, i’m still the same person i was before i left.  that’s not to say that i wasn’t changed at all by my experiences, i’ve definitely learned some important lessons about friendship, living life to the fullest, and being grateful for everyday i have.  but i can’t say that i “found” myself or i’ve profoundly changed.  i think that rather than inciting some major, sudden change, the 4K will continue to shape me in the coming weeks, months and years.  i think i’m only beginning to wrap my head around what we accomplished, and i feel like the best is yet to come in terms of how i can learn and grow i reaction to my experiences this summer.  i found a quote by henry david thoreau the other day that said, “‎”one must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.”  i’m definitely going to try to keep my experiences in my awareness as my life moves away from the 4K.

so what have i been up to since the 4k ended?  well first i was in california for a week with my family which was really, really amazing.  it was a nice opportunity for some quality time with my family and explore ca.  then last saturday night i flew into baltimore because i need to start work at my new job on monday.  so i never got to go home to new jersey which was weird and kind of hectic (hence why i said my life has been a whirlwind!).  i’m working as a research assistant at the Kennedy Krieger Institute which is an affiliate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and focuses on working with children with developmental disabilities.  i just started in my department on wednesday and i really like it so far.  it has been a big adjustment between starting a new job, moving into a new place, trying to meet new friends and getting acclimated to a completely new city.  in general it’s difficult going from living in what i like the call the “4K bubble” to going back to the “real world.”  first of all, it’s difficult to stop stuffing my face all the time, i can’t really justify it anymore by saying that i’m exercising at least eight hours a day.  but the hardest transition has been to go from being surrounded by people who became my family for over two months to being on my own in a city where i don’t really know very many people yet.  that’s definitely been super difficult for me but luckily it’s not easy to stay in touch with my 4K family through texting, facebook and phone calls.

i have to end by thanking everyone who has given me so much support along the way.  when i was away, i don’t think i realized how many people were following me and cheering me on from back home.  my family started telling me how their friends and coworkers were all following me on the website and it really blew me away.  just another instance of not really understanding that magnitude of what you’re doing.  so thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the love.  whether you donated, responded to one of my blog posts, listened to me talk endlessly when i called you to catch up, sent me an encouraging text, sent me a care package, gave me someone to dedicate a day to or anything else please know that you are the reason i made it to san francisco.  seriously, i would have never made it alone and you were such an essential part of my journey.

until my next adventure….

love, love, love,

taylor xoxo

The next day we entered Utah! It was a century day and it was really, really hot. I dedicated my ride to my donor David Dennis and his good friend and colleague, Norm Ezell, who passed away from cancer in May, 2010. Some bizarre things happened during the ride. We entered Utah near the beginning of the ride and the road we were on was surrounded by these plateaus that looked purple in the distance. About halfway through the day we passed what looked like a ghost town, only spookier. Because not only were there a bunch of broken down houses and junk all over the place, there were cars parked all over too. And the models spanned several decades. It looked as if some kind of nuclear disaster had caused the people to suddenly evacuate or something. It was just very strange and creepy. Obviously we couldn’t help but explore… I was so sure we would find skeletons, but we didn’t. As we got closer and closer to those rock plateaus, a huge storm started brewing. Our route had us heading straight for it! I have never been in a storm quite like this one. We were basically in an open desert so the sky was massive all around us, and I could see the wall of storm clouds headed for us. The lightning was insane! Rosemary, Vanessa, and I took shelter under a bridge, while some others found an awning of a house. It felt like an apocalypse. When the storm was right over us, the thunder was so loud I thought it would make me go deaf. The thing is though, it was scary, but in a thrilling sort of way. So I was actually just full of excitement the whole time as we huddled together under that bridge. Finally we saw a sliver of blue sky and before long the storm had passed. From then on the scenery around us was unreal. We started off biking through a canyon, then we reached the plateaus and rock formations that were off in the distance earlier. Sometimes I would look around and just think “this is crazy! Look at what I’m surrounded by right now!” I will never cease to be amazed by the natural beauty. That day into Moab was about 102 miles and it felt very, very long, but it was actually one of the better days of the trip.

We had a day off in Moab the next day so we went to Arches National Park. I’ve apparently been there when I was six. In fact I lost my first tooth there! So of course that’s all I remember about that time. This time, we hiked up to Delicate Arch. Looking at the arch, I can see why it’s so famous. It was beautiful, and we also saw the moon rise over the canyon behind the arch. That night a group of us went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter! It was super nerdy of us, and it also meant that we got about 2 hours of sleep because we were biking the next day, but of course it was well worth it.

That day was the end of leg 2. In our reflection of it, we all talked about how leg 1 had been torturously difficult, but leg 2 was just … fun. Of course it had its challenges; I mean, we biked over the Rockies! But these challenges were different. We faced them with a certain confidence because we’d already experienced so much hardship, We thrived off the knowledge that we could do anything we set our minds to. I think that’s what the 4K is all about – getting through the tough challenge so that you can fully appreciate the victory.

And finally as is tradition, here are some more fun facts that we learned from leg 2:

1)    Our country is BEAUTIFUL

2)    Mountains really can be purple. And red and white and green…

3)    When you’re going fast down a mountain and a bug flies into you, it feels like getting punched by a 4-year-old.

4)    July snowball fights are the best kind of snowball fights.

5)    There really ain’t no mountain high enough to keep us from biking over it.

The next day we had a day off in Glenwood Springs and we went white water rafting! The rapids only got up to level three so it wasn’t dangerous or anything, just a lot of fun. We started off in the Crystal River, then the Raging Fork, and finally the Colorado River. The water temperatures were freezing and of course we all looked really attractive in our wetsuits. I absolutely hate cold water so I sat in the back where I was least likely to get splashed.

The next day we headed to Paonia. I dedicated this day to my donor Betsy and her dedication to her aunt Jeanette and her aunt’s second husband, Joe. Both lost their battles with cancer in 2010. In Betsy’s words, her aunt was “a very dear, sweet woman who dedicated much of her life to serving others.” The start of the ride was surprisingly cold, but pleasant because it was flat and we were on a bike path. But, we could see we were headed straight for mountains. So you know what that means. In my group was Zac, Phoebe, and Ganesh, so we called ourselves team leg leaders plus one. (And I was the plus one of course). After the first water break we passed a huge waterfall so we stopped for a while to explore. We climbed up to a few different spots and were soon joined by other groups as well. At the end of the 20 miles was a big steep climb. It wasn’t very long – just 3 miles – but it felt a lot longer because of how steep it was. Still I couldn’t help comparing it to Hater’s Gap in the Appalachians which was also 3 miles but 100 times worse because we just weren’t as strong as we are now. I felt pretty good going up and again we had a beautiful view! The water stop was at the summit, so it was nice to get there and know that all we had left was the descent. And it was probably the best descent of the trip so far. It was steep and best of all, straight! So we went flying. I got over 40 mph which I was pretty excited about, but some of the guys got up to 48 mph! The rest of the day was all downhill or flat so we really enjoyed it and just soaked up the scenery. We were the first group to reach our host, Paonia Methodist Church. When we got there, we met our new best friend and biggest fan, Kyler! He’s the grandson of the pastor and he came just to see us because he loved last year’s riders so much. He was adorable and so excited to be there with us. As was the rest of the community! They’ve been hosting the 4K all 10 years and they gave us such a warm welcome. The pastor was wearing 4K t-shirts from past years. We also met a Hokpins alum who lives in Paonia now! He lost his wife to cancer years ago. I’ll never forget Paonia and how much they made us feel at home.

Yet the last night of the trip, the night before we biked in Portland, I remember sitting down in the church we were staying at in St. Helen’s to try and write what I wanted to be my “final” blog post. David walked in not too long after I had pulled my computer out from my over-stuffed backpack and encouraged me and the other 4Kers who had escaped into cyber-world to put down our computers and to enjoy the last night with the team.

I couldn’t have been more relieved to hear David say that. I had been staring at my blank computer screen wondering how I could write everything I wanted to say. How I could put into words how much I would miss my 4K family. How I could describe the amazing generosity we had experienced across the country. How I could sufficiently thank every person who has supported me and my 4K team along our journey. How I could explain that despite biking over 85 miles everyday for the past 70 days (minus the weeks I was injured…oh how long ago that feels now!), I’ve never felt so energized in my entire life.

When I shut my laptop, all that I had written was “Go 4K, Go 4K, Go.” It seems these words, words I have chanted every day this summer during our daily morning cheer, have become engrained into my mind. When I couldn’t think of anything else as I biked, as I slowly climbed the mountain after mountain it seemed we came across the last few weeks of the trip, these words would pop into my head. I would chant them under my breath. My heart beating to the sound of the chant.

Nothing was more amazing than chanting these words, no sorry, SCREAMING these words on the top of my lungs, with my arms around my fellow 4K riders as we stood in Pioneer Square the next morning in Portland. Knowing there were crowds of people around us staring, but being so completely in 4K world that it didn’t matter. The energy we had standing in that circle I believe would be enough to power any vehicle across the country.

That morning, before we set out for our 30 mile (so short!) ride into Portland, I remember calling home. I didn’t know how to feel, how to deal with the fact that we were ending. I was feeling down and then feeling down about the fact that I was feeling so down—I had been waiting all summer for this day and now it was here! I should be more excited!

My 4K summer should have taught me a few things. One: how you feel in the morning is never how you will feel in a couple of hours. There is nothing like having 25 wonderful, dedicated, energetic and excited people around you to wake you up and make you excited to live life that day. There is nothing like getting up and getting right onto your bike to give you a jolt of energy.

Two: It is not about the destination, but the journey to get there (I know.. a little corny, but please bare with me…the last few days away from 4K have put me in a nostalgic state of mind). This trip was not about getting to Portland. It was not about day 70, but every day and every mile it took to get to day 70. I found that the hardest days I had biking were the days I spent looking at my odometer and checking how many miles we had left until we reached our destination city. Surprisingly, they were often the shorter days. On these days, the goal was to get there and to get there quickly so we could take care of other things we needed to do. My favorite days were the long ones when we would mentally prepare ourselves for a long day of riding. I knew there were many more miles ahead, so why check what mile we were on? I spent time talking with my fellow riders, thinking about what I want to do after I graduate, quickly switching the topic when that became to scary to think about, thinking about my friends and family at home and how wonderful their support is, contemplating how the universe came to be, thinking about every person we have met along our journey and thinking about the individuals for whom we were riding that day. Where we were going and how long it would take to get there didn’t matter.

And as soon as I got onto my bike that morning, my mood shifted. As we paired up to caravan into Portland, as we shouted “Go 4K, Go 4K, Go” biking through the residential neighborhoods on our way downtown, as we road together, smiling, laughing, shouting, and pedaling hard, I couldn’t help but think “this is unbelievable.” I had never felt so alive before.

During our closing ceremony in St. Stephen’s Church in Portland, we each had the opportunity to share some final thoughts. It was a wonderful chance to let out a few of the millions of emotions spiraling through our bodies. I told my fellow 4K riders that when I found out that I could rejoin the 4K after falling, it was like receiving the most amazing gift in the world. Having the chance to spend the summer with my fellow riders, to experience the incredible generosity that we encountered across the country, and to live with purpose and passion every single day… I wish that everyone could experience the joy I experienced this summer.

I told my fellow riders that when I’m feeling down or alone, my mom always tells me that she’s there for me, she likes to say she’s in my “sangha,” meaning she’s on my team, she’s there cheering me on. I told them that for the rest of my life, every one of my 4K teammates will be in my “sangha” and I will be in each one of their’s. I will think of them when I am telling myself “I cannot” and I will hear their resounding shout: “yes, you can!” I will think of Lubas cheering Bianca up the hill. I will think of Steve riding next to me as I struggled up the windy mountains of Wyoming, talking to me and keeping me distracted. I will think of Nate always offering to carry my bag. I will think of Brian smiling and taking beautiful photos the last few weeks of the trip as he bravely rejoined the trip after falling. I will think of Nancy sitting in the hospital with me when I fell. Luke smiling, making a sarcastic comment, and giving me a “pound-it.” Val talking to me about the meaning of happiness on the side of the road as we change a tire. I will think of the way Bilqis smiles and the way it makes me want to smile, too. Brandon’s ability to make an impromptu speech and speak with such sincerity and conviction. The way Arvind has taught me to take life one moment at a time and not to worry about the future…

This list is in no way exhaustive. There are too many wonderful memories to list. In the ceremony, I shared with each rider what about them I will always carry with me. I hope that each rider knows I meant every word of what I said!

The 4K motto is “Cycle. Inspire. Unite.” I spent a lot of time staring at this motto on the back of the jersey or t-shirt of the rider in front of me…As I read this over once again, I realize that for me, the most powerful word in the motto is “unite.” There is nothing in this world more amazing and more powerful than feeling the support and love of the people around you. Than going to sleep next to your closest friends and waking up next to them day in and day out. Than knowing there is always someone in front of you waiting for you and always someone behind you to support you if you fall behind. Than meeting someone by the side of the road and then being invited to their house that night for a huge barbeque dinner (thank you, David and Jane of Eugene, Oregon for doing just that!). Than coming into a community you’ve never been to before and receiving a warm welcome, even being welcomed into the homes of complete strangers (a huge thank you to Pastor Jerry and the Tillamook, OR community who redefined “warm welcome” for us). Than telling someone that you will be dedicating your day to their lost loved one and seeing a smile break through their tears.

Thank you, 4K, for teaching me what it means to feel loved and support and for letting me love and support others so deeply.

1. At first I was dreading the end of the 4K because it was the best 10 weeks of my life. Every single day was an adventure. The people we met and inspired, the beautiful landscapes we saw, the exhilaration after climbing a mountain, the camaraderie with my teammates – everything was amazing. But then I realized that I was more excited for the future; the 4K has given each of us the strength and confidence to do literally whatever we want. The day after climbing the Rockies, we were at a cafe and on the wall there was a quote that said, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” We all have that attitude now that we’ve biked across the country. Hell, we’ve had that attitude since the very beginning of this adventure. But now we feel it in our hearts – we can do anything. Don’t call me naive. I biked across the country on no training. DON’T say I can’t do what I want.

2. I have 26 new family members. They have each left a permanent mark on my heart and have inspired me in their own ways. I try to explain to people certain feelings I’ve had on the 4K, but nobody really gets it. My teammates are the only ones that have shared these feelings with me. They understand without needing me to explain.

3. I was flipping through a magazine in Napa, CA. On the cover was a man with a cigar and tuxedo looking all distinguished and wealthy. I hated the expression in his eyes. He was proud of his wealth and success, but in a self-important way. Then I found an article on shining your shoes. Horrible. Who reads stuff like that? I had the horrible realization that many, many people are shallow. I had been living in the 4K bubble with 26 amazing people who are the complete opposite of shallow, so I’d forgotten that there are people whose only goal is to make money. I realized how my values had changed on the 4K: I value the people in my life, and the fulfillment my heart finds in the things I do. I found so much fulfillment in pushing my limits every day and inspiring the people we met along the way. Thank you 4K.

I would like to thank everyone who supported us monetarily or emotionally throughout this journey of a lifetime. I had the opportunity to see the Midwest as well as the Old West of America, and it was splendid! Perhaps in the future I may see moving out to the Midwest as more of a possibility hahaha. I really enjoyed seeing the simple lifestyles that those people lived in, in contrast to our multifaceted lives as residents of Maryland.

Although biking was tough the first few weeks, the group pulled together and strengthened to the point where we were hitting 28 mph in some areas. My group one day completed 20 miles in under 54 minutes, which is pretty fast on a bike. (Basit/Ganesh/Zach)

As we went on we learned that the bike ride was more than an adventure: it was an opportunity to learn about the rest of America and also about the cancer patients everywhere. Anywhere we turned, we saw cancer evoked response from anyone present. It affects everyone, and no one is resilient to its eventful grasp. We spoke to patients, toured cancer facilities, and learned how the disease is more of a life-changer than anything else. Patients in the Midwest would have to drive over an hour to go to cancer treatment facilities.

We dedicated our days to our donors and family, thanking them/ thinking of them in our times of need whilst climbing mountains and biking through the worst atmospheres teeming with bugs and heat.

However, in the end we knew that we had just biked across the country, “biked across the @#%@# country”, as some of my peers would put it. It was more than the destination, it was the journey that mattered the most. 27 bikers, brotherhood runs deeper than friendship. I was glad that my team was so close!

Thank you everyone once again.

-Omar Bukhari

Cities/Towns I would consider living in:

1. Boulder, Colorado.

2. Marion, VA.

3. Austin, NV.

I laughed, I cried, I peed outside. I learned to ignore sore muscles and butt pain. I camped in an actual tent. I took a hose shower. I learned that cell phones don’t work in a lot of the country and how to pack a large amount of stuff into a very small space. I hula danced and took helmet-pillow naps. I learned to despise the wind and sing into it when all I wanted to do was cry. I was reminded that people can be extremely kind and will go above and beyond what you expect from someone you will never see again. I learned that highways can be extremely lonely, but never when you want them to be. I learned just how slow 20 miles can seem and just what it means to do something from sun up to sun down. I learned how to drive a tractor and listened to corn grow. I met people who really taught me what it is to be a fighter and that a cancer diagnosis isn’t the end of the world. I saw how beautiful this country is and learned why some people don’t leave their small towns in favor of the big city. I learned that mountains can be even more calming and serene than the ocean and that I can actually do anything.

But most importantly I fell in love with 26 amazing, hilarious, infuriating, fascinating, generous, surprising, caring, inspiring people. 26 people who will always have my back and will always be up for another adventure. 26 people who are all a little bit crazy but have the biggest hearts you’ll ever find. 26 people who embraced life and who will hopefully always feel invincible.

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey and I hope this journey never ends.

We finally poked around, did some last minute shirt signing, ate a little breakfast and joined our family outside for a last dedication circle. It was strange having other people there while we did our morning routine for the last time, but it was nice that some of the bags were taken ahead of time so it was that much less to have to pack in the vans

The dedication circle was full of love for the San Fran 4k and for all of the support we had in family making efforts to be there, be it physically or in spirit, everyone was there. My dedication went to the seed in all of us. There has been a seed of altruism and service in every single person that has been involved with the 4k. It is now all of our choices in what we do with this seed. I hope that we all continue to be the difference and get involved as much as we can. We all have a duty o jurist and grow our seed and one day, when it is our day to have our last breath, we all would have made a difference. I believe that if we all put in just this small amount of effort we can breed an increase in positive energy and hope. This is my prayer.

After dedications Basit gave a wonderful speech. He metaphored the terrain with our encounters, with our events and with our memories. It was very beautiful and Basit if you read this I am serious. Email me a copy! But after that we did our cheer. It was so wonderful how close the circle was. We have never physically been that close, but every day on this trip we seemed to get tighter and stronger. Wow we have an amazing group.

We left the Scout hall in Mill Valley, our last host and headed for the bridge. After the emotion of the circle up I did not feel anything on the ride. I just kept telling myself stay focused and remember. This is the end of something great and the beginning of something even more beautiful.

We had to stay single file for the majority of the ride but that was so great. I tried to stay near the middle/back to see this fantastic group of people. So straight, so perfect, and so memorable. The air was chilly and that could not have been more appropriate. As we approached the Golden Gate Bridge there were a couple of small climbs and my legs felt like jello. I almost wanted to get off my bike to make it last a little longer. I would have walked those 10 miles to make it last longer. I am going to miss this so much.

But as tradition, after a few hurdles to climb the bridge was in sight. It was so special to see all the smiling faces and all the pictures taken at Vista Point. My Aunt margie that passed away 2 years ago immediately came to mind at first site and how final this all was. My first dedication was to Margie who lived and worked here, who passed away, I am here.
We continued onto the bridge where it was tough bc of all the pedestrians. An elderly lady collapsed just as I went by her and I immediately stopped. I thought she had something serious go on by the way she fell, but she had fallen from a crack in the concrete. I thought I was about to start CPR and what a dramatic ending that would have been. I elevated her arm to help slow the bleeding, while Adam prepared with band aids applied one. Man I am going to miss seeing Adam every day.

We continued on remaining causious and ready to clip out while enjoying the view of Alcatrez. Wow. This brought us down to the end of the bridge where we waited for the remaining riders to stay together.
We continued on in a tranquil fashion to Chrissy beach where cheers met us. Our famy was there stocked with champagne to celebrate and what a moment. The sand never felt so good as when I was surrounded by those 26 people.

We lined up and then raised our bikes for photos with the bridge in the background before we all plunged into the icey bay. It was so cold a first but we all circled up and it was so warm after that. I really believe that the content feeling of warmth from the group was somehing more. Something that will never go away and will slays be there to fall back on.
We circled up one final time for our cheer and slipped on our alum bracelets. Wow. After we all grabbed a bottle of champagne, popped the cork, and took a toasted drink. What a beautiful moment of celebration. Not soon after we sang Tom his 27th birthday song and gave another toast. The team slot began to dissolve into their family, but not forever. We will always be a team.

The family members present enjoyed a glass of celebration and then began helping with packing. I left with Jim with my bike, a duffle, and a backpack. All of my belongings the past 70 days. It really reminds you how little a person actually needs. On the way to Jims house I could not help but talk about all the special moments of the trip and how muh this really taught me about team work. Mr. Al really lit the match with his enthusiasm about the deeper meaning of the trip. It cannot be put in a spreadsheet, or equation, and to a certain extent even words. This trip has brought a greater understanding of life and people. I am so thankful to have this gift going into the future.

I saw the home that Jim and Margie made before heading to the shower. It was nice to have a bed and shower. The luxuries but we got ready for dinner and headed back to the city. On the way in I saw the van with Maria and her parents and Rosemary. That was a I could see but I got so excited. I could not wait to see them again. It is like I can’t stand being away from these wonderful people.

When Jim and I got parking we headed into Boudin Bistro and Bakery for dinner with everyone. Jim was great and got a couple of glasses if wine to celebrate and it was so bitter sweet. I am going to miss all these people so much. We sat with bunny and her family and I enjoyed the chicken with sale, green beans and desert. Bunny gave a toast at the end of he dinner and I knew it was coming. The goodbyes were near and I almost wanted to leave without a scene. To say good-bye, no. Just a see you later.

The first person I came to was Marci. She has been such an unbelievable player on this trip and she has made such a positive impact on me. Thank you Marc

Next I slowly began to make my way around the room, jess, Ganesh, milk bologna, o man. I would write a book to each of you on here but I guess that is what my warm and fuzzy is for. Meg I am Giotto send you the other 10 I have to write so make sure you get them out! Thanks so mich for taking that responsibility.

When I was heading out of the restaurant after hugging Adam 5 times, I saw I missed a couple people. Basit, Alex, Taylor and Alanna were sitting at another table and I am so glad I got a chance to hug them one last time.

After heading out I went back to my uncle’s house very happy and sad at the same time. I am such a fortunate person and I am ready for the next phase of my life. Thank you 4k and God bless!

Roll on!
Megan

Love and best wishes,

Alex

What does San Francisco mean?

In these past few days as the end of our trip grew more and more imminent, and the trip was coming palpably to a close, I asked myself: What does San Francisco mean?

Is it just the end? Our final goal, our last bridge to cross, leading us seraphically to the edge of America. Is this just us fulfilling our young adventurous ideal, running out of land to explore, diving into the waters, celebratory, as the cold sand dissipates to the frigid pacific blue. Or is it not more?

The more I thought the more I found myself painting San Francisco with the massive entireness of the trip. Soon, in my mind, the Golden Gate was not only a sullen orange, but also sun splashed gold like the warm, wind blown Kansas wheat, heavy, ghastly green like the eastern Kentucky Appalachians,  mucky brown and gray like the mighty Mississippi, brilliantly tan and white in layers like the Grand Staircase in Utah, perfectly golden like the patterned hills of Napa. San Francisco is all the beautiful country we’ve seen; this great continent that has been such a treat to all our eyes and the landscapes that reached down into our hearts and wrenched emotions of such intensity as yet we hadn’t felt. But still, San Francisco is more.

San Francisco isn’t only a foggy city of strangers speckled with family and friends awaiting us as we ride proudly in.  No, San Francisco is home to special few denizens, for we carry all those we met with us, all those who helped us, and the many we helped. Dive into the waters knowing we lived Al Dzieawa’s dream in cycling across America, and that we made his family and Father Ricky proud, know that the firefighters at station13 will feel their warmth and hospitality helped carry us through to this momentous day, that Bub and the people of Cave in Rock believe more strongly with each pedal we push that we hold promise for the future of America, that the tears that Cindy shed for Cecile were also tears of joy for our cause and for the smile we brought her old mother through our actions and words, to Cindy that’s the best thing we could’ve given her ,that we are faithfully fulfilling Rockstar Shirley’s advice, that all those innumerable, innumerable people, who are so unpronounceablely important, that told us with nothing but sincerity in their eyes that they were cancer survivors and they appreciated what we were doing (and soon to be what we have done) rested happily that night for our efforts. More personally, we carry the legacy and life of all those we dedicated our individual rides to as we dive into the blue expanse. Even still, San Francisco is more

San Francisco is us, it’s all we’ve done and all we’ve been. It’s how hard we’ve pushed ourselves, it’s how many times we’ve quit, it’s how many times we’ve fought till the end. It’s all the tears and the joy, it’s all the Sip and Spins, and morning cheers. It’s the meaningful dedications that made us cry. San Francisco is the sunrise that pushed us forward, away from most of our homes in the east. San Francisco is the sunset over the mountains prodding us coyly to chase it further west until we could chase it no more, and we’ve done it. We’ve fucking done it. There’s no more land, the sun’s leading us west one last time. One time over the bridge, and into the fabled blue pacific.

To many, on day one San Francisco was ethereal, nothing more than a dream that hadn’t yet cemented into reality; too distant to be true. But now, on old Frisco’s footsteps, it feels as alive and vibrant as ever. San Francisco is teeming with the reality of this trip, that we actually biked across America, that we did something good, that we uplifted those we met and fostered hope and inspiration in those we set out to fight for, cancer patients, everyone. San Francisco is teeming with the reality of us, and I have to say, I love all of you, each and every one with all that I am and for all that you’ll ever be. Nothing and no one can take this away from us, but we must understand we were only part of this journey. That the journey was greater than us and we’ve yet to know the good we’ve done. We have to smile, and smile big at how fortunate we were to meet all the people we met, to have known such generosity, to have stumbled unsure into a vastness of love. So many times we’ve been humbled y the generosity of the good-hearted people we met, and it was just us following our route and the journey taking us into their homes. As for now I’m just wallowing, trying to take it all in, and I’m damn blessed to be doing it with you guys.

Now I’m rambling, but at its heart, San Francisco is the most meaningful thing we’ve done so far. San Francisco is more than me and you and the end of our journey; it’s everything, and that’s good because we still have everything ahead of us.

As always please feel free to donate! This has been great, thanks to my fellow riders!

Also on a happy note I am mono free and am feeling much better! Off to San Fran!

We had a fun night last night and got to sleep in this morning. I headed down to the whole foods store with Adam, Omar, Justin and Maria and had some coffee. When we walked by a bike shop they gave us some bile boxes to help with sending them home. Only need 20 more

When we got back the true chaos started trying to get everything done for the BBQ. We also had to go through the tents and other 4k property. Annoying but a necessity for a trip like this. Organizing this many people is not easy. By Meg and a couple other people did the shopping and we packed up the vans to head to Stinsin beach.

The beach was so much fun and wow was the drive in beautiful. A little rough bc the road was so windy, but so much fun looking at the water. Meeting all of the family members was so cool. When I saw them in Baltimore I did not really know what was going on, but now after hearing stories about peoples family, I felt like I knew all of them. Being around all of that positive energy was so awesome and I will never forget it. My Uncle came and he was able to meet more people as well. I am so glad that I have been able to share my experiences with so many people and inspire.

We took some team pics at the beach and after we cleaned up and the families headed out we headed back to the host. Again the motion sickness was brought on after that ride. Definitely not easy, but we made it back safe.

Most of us laid down when we got to the host to let our bellies settle and wait for Zach to have our final pow wow. Caity made team CDs where everyone threw in a song which was a great idea. Emily made awards to capture some unique characteristics that we voted on for the individuals. Everyone got at least one and that brought on more laughing one of my awards were most likely to succeed. Very nice to sing praises tonight.

We all went around the circle and gave some final thoughts about the trip. Wow. Tomorrow is the last day. The comradery and willingness to stay in touch is something I really hope works out. We have such a special group here and I am so thankful for that. There were lots of tears, laughing and reflection on this trip of a lifetime.

I opened up with how this trip has taught me to let things come and go with the flow. I am so thankful for this increase in patience. Also how thankful I am for all the individuals on this trip. I need addresses to send Christmas cards! But I brought back the theme of the 4k and talked about the cycle, inspire and unite. Of course we all peddled our way here and the inspiration throughout the trip has rung loud and clear. Wih all the people we have met, family of riders, and riders themselves, this trip has been so inspirational. The final element of unity was shown perfectly at the cookout this evening. Thousands of people have been brought together by this ride and people will continue to be brought together. We all have thousands of shoulders to lean on and people who understand and are willing to do anything to help.

This trip has been such a blessing and it will be an honor to finish the ride together tomorrow.

Roll on!
Megan

In true Team Seattle form, we started our morning a little late. Rolling out at 10:50 am instead of 10:30 am. It continued in true Team Seattle fashion with the Queen Anne Hill and a flat tire 3 miles outside of Pike Place Market.

But the 7 mile day ended in true 4K fashion when Team Seattle, the original Team Seattle, rolled into Pike St. and 1st as a 26 member caravan. We turned the corner and saw a huge crowd of people standing on the corner of Pike St. and 1st Avenue cheering us on and holding signs because we had made it. After 68 days of ups and downs, of tears and smiles, and of uniting and dispersing, Team Seattle had rallied and now we had done it. We had arrived. We were there. Because after whatever crap the day, the week or the month brings, Team Seattle always ends on a high note. ALWAYS.

As we turned the corner into the Market, I couldn’t help but smile and cry. Because encapsulated in that moment was the 68 days of friendships, of bike grease, and above all of rallying. Team Seattle had done it. We had paved the way and what had seemed like an endless to-do list had found its conclusion. And I could say that I was part of the team that stuck it out. That persevered and had found its reward. I was part of a family.

The slow clap began for the last time, slowly quickening.
Where are we from?
BALTIMORE
Where are we going?
SEATTLE
Who are we?
4K

Here is to you, Team Seattle.
Becca Mathias. Rosemary Mallonee. Dara Male. Eric Grammond. Ali Samadpour. Abo Raum. Alex Hinch. Emma Moody. Graham McClurg. Michael Nightwing McNair. Nicole Lunardi. Kate Barry. Lizzy Malone. Sarah Grant. Rebecca McGivney. Colette Szabo-Long. Liz Kaplan. Stephen Watts. David Panks. Rhiannon Desideri. Lauren Boyd. Elan Hourticolon- Retzler. Katie Marie Osborne. Vanessa Ward. Rob Keleher. and Cousin Alex.

Thank you for believing in me. For supporting me. And for loving me.

———

My mom and dad left Maryland two weeks ago, and drove out west following a good bit of the route we biked. Tomorrow they are meeting up with the team for our last community dinner in St. Helen’s! Growing up, my mom and I would watch Gilmore Girls and sing along to the theme song, the Carole King tune, Where You Lead (I like that youtube version because her daughter is singing backup vocals). I’ve thought about the lyrics a couple of times during the ride and the feelings of love and support that well up have helped me get through.

When you’re out on the road, feeling lonely and so cold, all you have to do is call my name, and I’ll be there on the next train.

I never needed to call to say “come rescue me,” but it has definitely been nice to know along the way that my parents would be meeting me in Portland to take me home. It didn’t take much to convince them to drive out west. I remember saying, “I wish the route took us through Mount Rushmore and the Badlands” and my mom saying “why don’t we come get you, and we can see them on the way home?”  On Saturday they’ll be driving into Portland with us to the closing ceremony in Pioneer Square.

Loving you the way that I do, I know we’re going to make it through. And I will go to the ends of the earth, cause darling, to me that’s what you’re worth.

Tomorrow I’ll have MOM and DAD written on my two calves. The two of them are my rocks , inspiration and joy. I can’t wait to see them! My ride tomorrow will also be for all those moms and dads of my 4K teammates, the moms and dads who’ve fed or housed or encouraged us along the way, and all the moms and dads who are absent because of cancer. Awesome parents are awesome! And I’m glad to have two extra-super-awesome ones to call my own.

Oh, and as a side note, WE MADE IT TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN TODAY!!!!!

At the first of many breathtaking overlooks!

The coast from Tillamook to Cannon Beach was spectacular. We had tons of fun running into the water at Cannon Beach, dipping our bikes in the ocean, doing our cheer, jumping around in the sand to stay warm and generally celebrating! Many more pictures are to come. I dedicated my day to the spirited 9 and 12 year-old  brothers of the family I stayed with last night in Tillamook. Aidan and Devin lost their father just 7 months ago to cancer. He’d battled for five years. Their mom and grandmom were also wonderful women and I had a blast visiting with them last night! I also dedicated my ride today to my brothers, Reza and Elias, who have jumped into the freezing cold Atlantic ocean with me at the strike of midnight on new years a number of times, and have generally taught me to partake in shenanigans.

You never know how it’s all going to turn out. But that’s okay. Just as long as we’re together, we can find a way.

So close to San Francisco. Biked into mill valley today and could see the skyline across the bay. Only 10 miles away. People in cars started to roll down there windows and congratulate us, because there is no question that we have done it and made it to San Fran, only the bridge left to conquer. Get excited, I am.

We were finally truly back in civilization too. A bit of a shock to the system. Traffic lights, cars, houses, multiple houses in the same place. It was no longer acceptable to pee outside but also not necessary as there were gas stations, everywhere!

The rest of day was spent heading west to San Francisco, which is always a good feeling. The end was close now, a fact we were reminded of when we saw the freeway sign to San Francisco and people were happy to push hard knowing it was our last big day of riding, it couldn’t after all be too easy to get to San Fran or everyone would do it.

Along the way we had a fantastic cheerleading team in Maria’s family. Her dad having cooked us an awesome dinner the night before was smiling at us half way up the mountain and provided us with a great water stop alongside his co-workers at mile 100.

The end of the day was longer than expected but it was only fitting as I had dedicated the day to my grandad who has definitely taught me the value of  doing things the right way over the easy way even if it does take longer.

I woke up today (at 4.30am) rolled over to look at Kaitlin and whispered, in my loudest whisper, “we’re going to California today!”

An epic day was in the making. At mile 60 we hit Carson City, it was hot and we’d left rural Nevada behind. The urbanization of the East Coast had returned only it was sunnier, the women were blonder and the roads were wider.

We weren’t in California yet though. We had a mountain in between us, quite literally, a tough 10 mile climb and the following descent.

I was joined in my climb by Grandma Rose. We struggled together, aching legs, sore bums and all as we wound through and up the Sierra Nevadas. Nevada sat behind us overcast, California out of sight in front. But 2000ft and a dust storm later we reached the summits. One of the most jovial summits of 4k and despite the rain there was singing, dancing, high fives and hugs. California waited just round the corner… I turned to Lisa before my descent and said what I’d been waiting to say the whole trip “I’ll see you in California” and then Bunny walked up to me and cried. It was an emotional moment.

The descent was pretty awesome but a little too much pedaling was perhaps required. The lake unfolded in front of you with the sun shining off its beaten silver surface and the snow capped mountains rose behind it. And then we were riding through the streets of Lake Tahoe and into California.

Everyone waited on the street corner of the state line, in front of a Nevada casino, as we arrived one by one from the descent. Then many photos were taken.

The day was dedicated to my cousin Layla and best friend Healy both great supporters if mine and full of sunshine.

This morning Jim joined the dedication circle as well as 2 men from the community. My dedication went to Oasis Life Church. They have given so much support in this cause and I am excited to get home and talk about some of my experiences!

The next thing on the agenda was driving to the host and unpacking the van. The Scout Hall was a great accommodation and had prepared a dinner for us. I unpacked the van and had to head back to bring a tire to Tom. He was having a hard time with his so I found them to bring a spare. I then headed to a car wash after cleaning out the whole van. Let’s just say there was quite a bit of junk but not a worry. Cody kept me company on the phone while I did it Fifteena is nice and sparkly now

I met up with Nancy, Meg’s mom, and she took me to a Mexican place a lot of the riders stopped at for a bite. When we headed back there was a dinner and showers to be shuttled to. We went to the YMCA about 20 min away.

Now we have to see what the night holds. We made it!

Roll on!
Megan

Our second day in the Rockies was the day of Trail Ridge. Trail Ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest paved road in the U.S. with the elevation 12,183 feet! Unfortunately for me, it was my scheduled van driving day. Driving the support vans is something we all do and it’s obviously a very important job, but I admit I was pretty bummed about driving the van on this particular day. Trail Ridge is the highlight of the trip! It’s a 25 mile climb up the mountain with gorgeous views around every turn. All day I watched my teammates bike up the mountain from the van window and I could see their looks of determination and feelings of accomplishment. I wanted so badly to be doing it with them. The view on the way up was unbelievable at every turn, but seeing it out the van window just wasn’t the same. Seeing them all reach the top was bittersweet… I was proud that everyone had made it, but hearing them discuss how amazing it felt to reach the top after hours of struggle was just too much for me. I wouldn’t be able to say that I biked up the highest paved road… it’s one of the greatest challenges of the trip and I didn’t overcome it. I actually started making plans for how I could come back next year as an alumni rider to do this day. (It’s a common thing to do…in fact we had an alumni rider with us). BUT it turned out that my plan-making wasn’t necessary. My team discussed it decided that Adam (the other support van driver) and I should have the chance to do this day as well because it’s something that no one should have to miss. We already knew that the next day was only 45 miles so the other riders would really only need one of the 2 vans supporting, so the other van would support us biking Trail Ridge!

I was so excited and relieved when they told me and I went to bed feeling eager for the next day. I woke up in the morning full of excitement and anticipation. Even though this day is supposed to be the hardest day of the trip, there was no doubt in my mind that I would kill it out there. I dedicated the ride to my team because they gave me this incredible opportunity. The day took on a whole different meaning for me because it was a day that I thought I wouldn’t have the chance to have. Adam would be biking it too and Justin decided that he wanted to do it for a second day in a row! (Keep in mind that Justin likes to do crazy things, like bike 80 miles standing up out of the saddle).

So the three of us packed all of our stuff into the mini van and Emilie drove us back to the beginning of the trail. I remember every detail of the climb. It was breathtakingly beautiful the whole way up. I can’t even describe it in words, so be sure to look at the pictures I included. Since I had already driven the trail, i knew what to expect. The three of us stuck together the whole time. We stopped at all the scenic overlook spots to soak up the view. The first half was filled with views of sprawling green mountains and valleys. There was a huge rock structure at the first stop that we climbed up to get an even better view. As we kept going up the mountain, there were a few waterfalls – the result of melting snow from the top. Before long we started seeing snow next to us on the trail. Snow right next to me in July! We reached the halfway point – a popular spot for cars to stop – and it had in my opinion, the best view. We took a pretty long water break here, but left in a hurry when it started to rain. There is a sign next to the road at about this point warning of crazy weather conditions. The day before, the bikers went through some intense rain when they got up this high. For us, it was intense wind. And let me tell you, biking up a mountain with the wind rushing past you in all directions is not the easiest thing to do. And it almost ruined the highlight of the day: standing on the 4K rock. Every year it is tradition for each rider to take a picture on what has been named “the 4K rock”. It’s a flat-topped pile of rocks off to the side of the trail and behind it is a backdrop of huge snowy mountains.

So, when we get to the rock, we each lift our bike over our head and take a picture. This was a really big moment for me because it’s such a great tradition and it makes you feel almost invincible standing up there surrounded by all those mountains. BUT the wind was so strong that standing on the rock, let alone lifting my bike overhead without being blown off the rock, was almost impossible. But I was determined to do it because this was one of the things I was most looking forward to and I was NOT about to let the wind stop me. I probably tried for about 15 minutes to hold it up for long enough for Emilie to take the picture and by some miracle, I finally succeeded! From there on, the weather got even crazier and it was getting really cold. The green scenery was entirely replaced by huge snowy peaks. We also saw some elk. They were so close we could have reached out and touched them. My legs were tired and my breathing was labored, but I was so full of adrenaline and anticipation of what it would feel like to reach the top that it didn’t matter. And then, after hours of climbing the moment we’d been looking forward to all day finally came. We reached the summit! 12,183 feet! I literally felt on top of the world. There isn’t a sign there because if there was, there would be a huge traffic jam of cars because people would get out to take a picture, but we took our own victory pictures anyway. But we couldn’t linger very long because to the right we could see a HUGE storm rolling in. It was completely black, the clouds were blocking the mountains from our view. So we hurried to the visitors’ center and got there just as it started hailing… the largest hail I’ve ever seen.

Walking into the center felt AMAZING. I felt exactly how everyone else on my team looked yesterday. I really can’t even put it into words. We got some food and hot chocolate and waited out the storm. I bought an “I made it to the top!” shirt… it’s probably my new favorite shirt because it represents one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. Once the storm passed, we made our descent down the mountain, It was about 20 miles of switchbacks and it was pretty cold going down at first, but it felt great. We also passed the continental divide! After the descent there was about 15 miles of flat road before reaching the end of the National Park. When I was about 5 miles away, it started pouring. But even though I was soaking wet and cold, I didn’t care one bit. When all three of us reached the van, we drove to Kremmling, where the rest of our team had biked to. As soon as we pulled into the church, everyone came rushing out cheering for us! It was probably my favorite moment of the entire trip. Every single one of them gave me and Adam a hug and I became so overwhelmed with happiness, it was all i could do to keep myself from crying. I will never forget this day.

I decided to get some stuff done this morning like mail away package home and do a final load of laundry on the road. It was nice getting out and seeing what was around Napa a little on the way to the post office and laundromat. My Uncle Jim called and he came to spend some time here since it is so close to his house. It is crazy how far we have come. It blows my mind every time I think about it.

When Jim got here we headed toward Sonoma Valley to drive through all the vineyards. It was so cool how they rolled with the hills and then we got to the redwoods. I have never seen them in real life and that was so cool. We went up on some private property belonging to people in jims family and he showed me a redwood that had the largest trunk I have ever seen in real life. Crazy.

We continued on to a restaurant called the Tides in bodica bay. It was where The Birds was filmed and it was really beautiful. We saw seals go by in the water which was really neat. we both enjoyed a crab salad and I had the salt water taffy after.

We headed back on the road and headed toward the coastline. The sand is so different from the east and the rocks in the water are very unique. When I finally walked down to the water and put my feet in I could not believe it. I was standing in the Pacific. How cool. And I rode a bike here.

We headed back toward Napa and walked around grabbing a drink and quesedilla. It was nice to have a slow day in such a beautiful place.

Now we are looking forward to a short day tomorrow and I have my last drive day. So exciting.

Roll on!
Megan

1. Whether it’s the flu or cancer being sick really sucks
2. Being sick is inconvenient
3. Being sick makes biking difficult

After spending one sleepless night vomiting outside a youth ministry house in Corvallis I had thought that whatever bug I had would pass. Three days later I’m still feeling under the weather. My first thought after getting sick was: this just isn’t fair. The second after saying that I realized that it is never fair that anyone gets sick. All my wonderful donors and everyone who I have met and dedicated rides to has been touched by cancer or some other sickness. People should not have to be in pain. Understanding that had made everything we are biking for even more meaningful. I also really want to thank Brian and Lubas who stayed up with me all night to make sure I was alright. Being sick is scary and having them there with me even though we all desperately needed sleep was incredible.

As this trip winds to a close (we arrive in Portland tomorrow) I realize more and more everyday what a blessing it has been. I have learned so much and will miss everyone on he team terribly. Hopefully my blood work comes back clean so I can bike into Portland with everyone tomorrow feeling good!

As Bilqis said early in the trip its all about the joys and the struggles.

The circle today did not have any visitors but we were on the ball counting off and not messing up the cheer. This is a rare occurrence. My dedication today goes to lab 133. This is the lab that Cody works in at Eastman Chemical company. They are always asking about the ride and providing support back at home. I am so happy Cody likes his work and his group. Here is to you 133!

It was 5 of our job to support the community today and have some community service in Sacramento. Adam, Caity, Ilana, Maria and I headed to the cancer facility and got a small tour and information on what they are about. It is tough in hospitals bc they do not have us on file for shots and things like that so we could not do too much. It was still fun to go and tell a community about our mission.

After leaving the hospital we went to historic Sacramento and walked around. It was really fun going in the shops and it was right along where the train used to run. We also saw the golden bridge which was fun.

After that we headed back to Davis and walked around heir downtown area with all the little shops. It was nice to see the communities we biked through closer today. We headed on to napa and found the host where we unloaded the van and Maria’s mother and Aunt brought is pizza from Zachary’s. The pizza was so good. I had the spinach. After dinner I could not help but take a nap from still being tired from the weekend and long ride tomorrow. We are heading to Downtown joes in a little to see where the night leads us

Roll on!
Megan

I’m working to say this but there really is no other way… THANK YOU.

As this trip began I figured I’d blog stuff so people could get an idea of what we were up to; I only figured the moderators would ever really read it. I write things a lot but no one ever reads it so I had no real intent to have more than a handful of people in the organization reading what I wrote, but how I was wrong. The comments you all have left me really helped me through this trip in ways you can never imagine! Knowing that people were actually interested in what we were doing and what I had to say made it all worth it. I could surely drag this out for ages on end but there is no need; the message is clear… Thank you all for everything you have done.

Today I dedicated to Sheila Watson. She is a dear friend to a friend and donor of mine, Ginger. Sheila is battling cancer and I always hear from Ginger how strong and inspirational Sheila is as a person and that is so special. Ginger’s dedication was in honor of Sheila. Today is for you Sheila!

We started off knowing how long it was going to be, but excited about getting further into California and to start descending. The climb early was tough with a 12% grade, but what is nice about those is that they are usually not as long. This was oddly enough almost and enjoyable climb, it may have been bc we knew it would be the last significant climb. At one point we had to cross traffic to more switchbacks and Uncle Jim and Maria’s father were there waiting to make sure it went smoothly. We reached the top and Jim was there to greet and we waited for the majority of the team to make it up before heading down. Jim had a story from his youth of that exact location we reached. It is crazy how life is a circle and you come back to things and places you don’t expect. I think we were at about 7200 feet and we were going to sea level wow

As we began descending we encountered a lot of construction and very very small shoulders. An RV passed me at one point and I swear if I put my elbow out I would have hit it. But that was the worst of it and it was really fun having a gradual descent. As in for the next 30 miles Jim met me at a couple places onyx way down and that was cool.
The further we went down the warmer it got and the pines slowly began to go away. They were replaced with vineyards and various fruit trees and plants. We could definitely tell we were in California

We had a water stop in a town called Placerville that was so cool. There were all kinds of little shops and places to eat. With the scenery before and the town it was a really neat area. We went through Folsom, as in reference to Johnny Cash, and the. Entered the bike route. It was so nice riding on that away from traffic and having a windy road along the river that fluctuated elevation quite frequently. I thought it was really fun having a different kind of road to ride on.
After dealing with some mixed up directions after leaving Sacramento, we finally made it to the host in Davis 128.17 miles later. Rosemary and I were saying how that would be the longest ride of our lives

We went to the pool and took a shower before having an amazing dinner from the Mercurios. They have been so awesome and wow the food was great. Hummus, bread with olive oil, salad with avocado, steak slices, plums, grapes…wow. It was so good.

But man I am pretty spent so calling it an early night. Volunteering tomorrow!

Roll on!
Megan

My group today was Arvind and Steve. We later acquired Jason.

In 1955 there was an earthquake that knocked a mountain over, blocking the river. As a result a lake formed, called Earthquake lake. We rode by it and it was quite a site seeing a collapsed mountain. Just goes to show that even mountains can be moved.

We passed through some western towns that you see in the movies. Swing open gates, and stores all made of wood. Nevada City and Virginia City were their names and they were previously mining towns. There were millions in gold and especially in the hills and streams of Alder Gulch. As we biked by we saw many tall piles of rock on both sides of the road, mines still in operation today.

Today was also the day that we experienced our first tailwind. I reached speeds over 40 mph on flat ground!

And unfortunately there were bad things that happened. Brian had to be taken to a hospital in Idaho. He is doing well now. While worrying about Brian we struggled up a mountain with terrible 15 mph head winds. The strong sun and some of the hottest weather we have had in a long time did not help.

It was a long day.

After getting into the host most of the team went to a local BBQ while the vegetarians went in search of some noodles. After a heaping bowl of ramen Bilqis, Arvind, Lubas and I went to find frozen yogurt. We happened upon the most exciting fro yo spot in town and along with having amazing yogurt (and eight different flavors of Mochi!) they also had Just Dance. Needless to say we took to the dance floor. Our repertoire included that’s not my name, d.a.n.c.e and the Jackson five. After such a long day on the bike I could not have asked for a better evening.

I hear the rooster and that means it’s time to start the day.

Much love,
Val

I honestly don’t even really have any words for what this feels like.

Some pretty awesome things have happened since my last blog post. These awesome things did not include the entire state of Nevada, which I was not a fan of.

On Saturday we biked into California. It was spectacular. We had to bike up a mountain on our way into Lake Tahoe and when I got to the top everyone was there cheering and there were high fives and hugs and basically a dance party on the top of the mountain. And then the descent into Lake Tahoe was absolutely breath taking. It was one of the most spectacular feelings to come down the mountain around the lake and know that California was right there, that I could actually see it and was about to be there.

Today, we biked 130 miles, our longest day of the trip. I wouldn’t even really say it was hard, it was just really long. It’s pretty amazing how far we’ve come. Not even just literal distance, but physically and mentally. On the first day of this trip we had to bike like 55 miles and it took all day and I thought it was hell. Now I can bike 130 miles in a day. There are no words.

Only 3 biking days left… Let the crying begin.

The people of Ely in the form of the Elk club, Lions club and a local church provided us with great food. Including some amazing peanut m and m cookies. I rode out of Ely in the memory of my god mother’s friend Bridget.

In Eureka we once again were provided with great food by the pool after a day of some girl bonding. Cindy did a lot for us. It was touching to hear about her Mum’s story and they will both be in my thoughts till I reach SF.

Austin is a small but fascinating town. With a high school of 23 people and no real grocery store. I dedicated my day out Austin, to Rusty the son of the woman who cooked us dinner, and who as a child was one of the first to receive chemotherapy, when it was still experimental.

Fallon was 110 miles away and the next town on highway 50, our favorite road. It was also the next town from Austin and was a particularly hot ride (around 100) full of nothing much but more hills and valleys. The food at the end and the a night of AC however saved the day. Along with the promise of reaching California.

This morning started with a late wake up about 7 which felt really nice. I had a couple more hours before Jim would be here so I decided to try and sleep a little longer. When I got up there was a neat arts and crafts thing across the street so I walked over while waiting for Jim. He picked me up and we went for coffee after chatting a little we headed to the Gondola to really get a good view of Tahoe. We made it just in time bc there were lightening storm watches in which they ended up shutting it down an hour later. We were able to ride up and see the area. Let me tell you this was one of the prettiest views I have ever seen. Heavenly is the perfect name. This place is absolutely amazing. It was very special to share the ride with Jim bc of my main dedication for this ride to my Aunt Margie. Tahoe is the last place she skied before her death from cancer a couple of years ago. Jim is the person I wanted to share this experience with bc she was the love of his life. I am so blessed to have had this experience and again been a person to help understand and relate to with a cancer story. I say Thank you.

After they shut down the lift we went on a ride around the lake. One of the highlights was Emerald bay. It had a waterfall and small island and the rock structures with the trees were so beautiful. We continued around to where the 1960 winter olympics were held and that kind of thing is always neat to see. Next we had lunch where the river rafting ended at a cool little outdoor burger place. My inner fat kid came out with the double cheeseburger and fries, and a toast to California next we headed on to some more views of the lake and to a point on the North side that Reno and Carson City could been seen clearly. I went around the whole lake thanks to Jim. Very special.

We went and got another cup of coffee and checked out some photos before he took me back to get ready for dinner at Harrahs. Good thing my mom mailed me that dress Dinner was amazing and seeing the sunset over the lake from above was gorgeous. I am such a lucky person. I have so much gratitude toward all the people that have supported this trip in a phone call, dinner, a package, a donation, or a thank you. It all means so much and I will never forget it.
Now for our longest day yet, 122 miles tomorrow. Better hit the hay
Roll on!
Megan

This was the bottom of the mountain and we were the last group to leave the water stop. We biked up the mountain and went down the 20 mile downhill so fast that we were the first group to make it to that water stop. From there, we formed a peloton and biked the 33 miles into Hamilton at 25 mph. But with a lovely lunch stop in the middle thanks to Mo, Valerie and Natalie.

Needless to say, the day went on forever, with us finally getting into Wisdom 11 hours later at 6 pm…

Huge loving thanks to Valerie! I was so frustrated, tired, angry and upset, but every time I saw her that day she would cheer me up. She brought me a handful of grapes before they all ran out, filled my water and cheered when she passed us in the van. Her and Nate did a wonderful job in the water van that day and did not get to sleep until 1:30 am. They picked up Brian and Chris Young from the hospital in Idaho, making it the longest and worst day for the water van ever.

And thank God we did. =)

I was able to make it to Church that evening, drank a 5 dollar 32 oz espresso milkshake, and I had a wonderful conversation with my grandmother, Babcia Henia.

The day started off well packing up in Fallon. We had a couple community members join our dedication circle and my dedication for this monumental day goes to Layla, Lori, and Hunter. These are my nieces and nephew. I am so happy to have them in my life and to watch them grow. I am very lucky with my family and the beautiful people that I have in my life. My hope is that the 3 of them have no fear in going after their dreams. We can all impact others and accomplish so much by having no fear. I love those 3 and I am very proud to be their Aunt

The ride was a slow one with all of the butt issues going on this many miles is not always very nice on the body. But we kept plugging away into Carson City before the climb up Spooner. It was a very hot day and the wind really got bad by the afternoon. This was one of the tougher days on the trip for me. I knew what was ahead and Tahoe kept me motivated. My uncle Jim met me at the summit and the team all had hugs to celebrate before the decent into the city. What an amazing feeling. We were about to be in California.

We came down and all met up at the state sign to take lots of pictures. It was such an amazing feeling to say I rode my bike this far. We can do anything. After the photo shoot I went to the church to get my stuff and went and took a shower before dinner at the Riva grill with Jim. I had a California Cobb salad in celebration the view at the restaurant right on the water was beautiful. The night crept in and after dinner we went over to Harrahs to check out the casinos. I have never seen something like that and wow. That is a lot of energy. How much fun.

After a long day I was ready for bed but not before I celebrate with the team a little down the street Now off to bed to really see Tahoe tomorrow!
Roll on!
Megan

I thought of my childhood friend Sam, and how I found out her Father passed….I was in Wildwood at the time, it was August and I was going into my freshman year of high school. I received a phone call from Sam, she told me, and I didn’t know what to say or think. I just remember profusely telling her I was sorry and that I would immediately come home.

I thought “What the Hell?” I know some people, even family members that really don’t believe in a God because of moments like these. It’s moments like these that makes you doubt this higher being.

Then there was the thought that his father must has waited for him to come home and see him. And it’s moments like those that make you realize how strong a human being can be, and the connection we have to each other.

The night proceeded to get darker, Nate was going home the next day because he also found out that day his grandmother had died because she had lost her battle to breast cancer. He would return in a few days.

One day, and two deaths due to cancer within a group of 25 random people who are bike riding across the country to fight cancer. There are no coincidences in life, just wake up calls and this situation is all too real. On this ride we dedicate our days to different people each day. There is no need for me to re-dedicate my days, I could easily fill up my legs with different people each day. Either by just encountering people in the streets of the towns we visit or further reaching out to my friends and family at home.

Forget the statistics- I have grown up thinking cancer is like the new “old age” because I know more older generations dying due to cancer than just peacefully with grace and age, and it’s become normal to hear someone’s grandmother or grandfather had cancer, or has it. Well, as I get older, it’s becoming progressively more normal to hear my friend’s parents have cancer. Or, that my friends don’t have a father or mother because of cancer. Better yet, there was a 2-year-old girl in D.C. diagnosed with cancer recently. Very simply: That’s messed up.

I remember awaking in my tent to a car, lights, and a cool breeze, some muffled laughs and talks- It was the boys coming back from dropping off Brian. I was delirious still- confused as to why they were rolling into the house around 6am. I went back to sleep for another hour.

Woke up. Took a look around… time to get ready so I can sit and blog? Well I tried at the time. I think I was still playing catch up with the blogs. (Look at me now, I am 9 days away from being done and I am trying to catch up as much as possible. ) – Anyways, I went to this really cool bicycle, 2^nd handbook, and coffee shop (TRIFECTA!). There was a couch with my name on it there. Furthermore, it was before noon and I saw they had a real espresso machine-“One cappuccino please?” Yes, that’s right- I ordered a cappuccino, it made me feel civilized.

The rest of the day was simply blogging, working, post card writing, and I went back down to Boulder to pick up my bicycle ($160 in repairs!). The drive back to Fort Collins was a peaceful one; it was beautiful to see the sun set behind the Rocky Mountains, the houses on the mountain slowly started to light up. I looked at them imagining a family sitting around to watch a TV, or making a big dinner. Oh how I missed home. Yet at the same time I loved that moment of driving in the car and listening to some great music with Chris Lubas. We had a great jam session in the car of just listening and singing to great music with the windows down. A wonderful summer night drive.

Our group was the fastest group: Chris Lipinski, Clayton Lively and Steve Hersey. We all made it up the mountain very fast! It was about a ten mile climb.

Riding down the other side of the mountain, it started to hail. And hail hitting you at 30-40 mph hurts soo much! We could not look up without hurting our eyes and getting pelted in the face. Eventually it softened into rain as we made it to the bottom of the mountain. The green scenery and mountains were gorgeous and then I put on the jets. For the next 19 miles of flats and hills, I average around 25 mph even in the rain. Chris was chasing after me but ended up being two minutes behind, yelling angrily “LUBAS! LUBAS!” because he could not catch up.

Everyone was so cold from the rain, and cold temperature on the mountain. Chris Young, Nancy, Luke and I tried to go out and get a hot dinner. But there are very little restaurants in Saratoga and we did not have a kitchen. The Valley grocery store gave us half off and we bought eggs and cooked them on a tin heated with coals.

And the story of “Young Man” was born.

We arrived at our host, it was a friend of Brandon’s and she welcomed us into her home. Which turned into a modern day Animal House. There was a couch on the porch (someone slept there), three couches in the living room (all taken to sleep on), The living room floor, two tents outside, two bedrooms that fit 2 people each. Then Jenna called in a favor and got us another house to sleep in that some people stayed as well. To be honest, I loved our vagabond ways. I don’t necessarily go to an animal house college, and this ride has given me that college experience that I do not have, and let me tell you- two months is enough. When riders arrived you could feel the upbeat spirit, it was Fourth of July, it’s the summer, and we were in Fort Collins known for breweries and fireworks. Grrr those Red Coats! Yay Independence! Forth of July!

We reached the pacific ocean a few days agao. Technically it was just an inlet but seeing the water was extremely emotional all the same. I truly knew that I was going to finish this trip not matter what but realistically I knew the obstacles that could present themselves and get in my way and I never once thought I was invincible. I do think I am sometimes. I made it though and, yes, I teared up knowing that I did this. This trip was one of my greatest desires to complete, just to see what I am capable of and what my limits are. Personally I don’t want to set any limits and I don’t necessarily know if I’ve found any yet haha. It was amazing to take my shoes off and walk into the water, dip my bike into the inlet and lift it over my head (something I had been working on since the last time I attempted to do that…dropped the bike on my head after a mountain climb : ) )

It’s just amazing that today is August 1 and that in 3 days I will be seeing my dad in Seattle and getting ready to fly out with him on Saturday. There is so much right now that I am looking forward to seeing (and eating..cough cough STEAK cough cough) at home, things that I have taken for granted for most of my life. I am also looking forward to maintaining contact with the people I connected to on this trip and keeping those friendships with me.

It has been a hard journey at times, especially now. It’s the end and everyone is eager to get home to normal life (might I throw in there what exactly is normal?) but David C. who managed to come see us made a good point. Our commitment to this ride is like marriage: at first we all agree with each other and get along and find that thrill in something new and exciting. As time goes on we start to find flaws and things that we don’t necessarily agree with or like and are presented with a challenge, even question why we’re still doing this. When we signed up for the 4k, we agreed to commit ourselves to each other, the team and the mission and we can’t loose that just because we are starting to “check out.” We are not breaking up, and we need to see this through until the big ride into Seattle and leave on a positive note in order to keep the relationships we have built. Like a marriage, we will not always be happy or get along or agree, but in working together to compromise and sort out our differences we will essentnially build a stronger bond. We need to see that we all did this together and we will share this experience for the rest of our lives. I am so happy that I was able to complete this trip, inspire so many people that I met along the way and can honestly say that I want to stay in touch with the friends I have made here.

I also want to say thank you to all who have been supportive of me and made this trip a reality and hope that those who I have dedicated my rides to know that every mile was for them, to encourage them to keep on going.  I could not have done this alone.

Jen and David inside the teepee at Camp Mak-A-Dream

After our off day in Missoula, we all drove out to Camp Mak-A-Dream, an hour east of town, to visit the camp while it is in session. It was an incredible facility, and Jen, our host and guide was a delight. As of this year, the camp has served over 5,000 children, young adults, and adults who have gone through cancer treatment or been closely affected by cancer. For one week, they get to play games, sing songs, ride horses, do the ropes course, and generally get to enjoy themselves like kids should. There were some awesome stories of campers who have returned throughout the years as volunteers and camp leaders.

Clearwater National Forest

After returning to Missoula, we cycled in the afternoon the 35 miles to Lolo Hot Springs, our shortest day of riding on the trip. We spent the evening playing frisbee, setting up our campsite, and taking advantage of the Hot Spring pools! The next day’s ride to Kooskia was long, but the route along stayed by the river the entire day and was absolutely gorgeous. We had a community dinner that evening with a few touching moments.  When the Kooskia First Presbyterian Church, where we stayed that night, remodeled a couple of years ago they decided to add two showers to the facility, with people just like us in mind!

Anywhere you sat down underneath the tree, you were within arms' reach of a couple dozen apricots

The next day’s ride from Kooskia to Riggins had a couple tough climbs, with an enormous downhill as a payoff. The luchstop that day was my favorite of the last two months. We stopped at Skookumchuck state park, right on the side of the highway.

We tried to catch falling apricots from the tree at Skookumchuck Recreation Area

There was a beach where we all jumped into the river to cool off from the heat of the day (it was our first truly hot day in many weeks), there were picnic tables in the shade, there were fountains to fill our empty water bottles, and best of all- there was an apricot tree literally raining fresh apricots!! Miraculously, Brian and Nate, who were driving the lunch van, drove by and saw us, and delivered lunch to them not long after we arrived (a very fortunate occurence, as we were all entirely out of cell phone range, and didn’t know how we were going to convey the message to them that we’d all stopped there). We spent three hours splashing in the water, playing frisbee with the locals, laying in the shade, and stuffing ourselves with fresh apricots. It was like a dream.

For our challenging 110 mile ride from Cambridge, Idaho to Baker City, Oregon, I dedicated my day to 6 of my friends from University of Delaware. They all donated when I was fundraising, inspire me in many ways, and have families who have been affected by cancer in one way or another. (Em, you are written on there also, to the left of Gina!). It made the climbs more bearable (or at least more interesting) to think about the mental and physical challenges that each of you have taken on, and how you have persevered. We rode into and out of Hell’s Canyon that day, and by the beautiful Brownlee Reservoir, which separates Idaho and Oregon. All six of these people are also water lovers, dabbling with sailing, water skiing and other water adventures, which made it particularly fitting when I looked on with longing as a few ski boats passed on the reservoir.

We biked here!

Crossing into Oregon was monumental and exciting! It didn’t seem real. We reminisced about how we freaked out when we reached the Ohio border almost two months ago. Now we’re here, at our last state line, and though we don’t feel much different, I know that we have changed a bit. I could see it in the way we hopped back on our bikes and climbed up the next hill, no problem, or how we fixed a flat a few miles down while taking a break at a gas station and sharing our mission with a few passing folks. We also made it through the 80 more miles we had to ride without too much problem, and we interacted with our awesome hosts in Baker City with ease. I’m proud of our ride and I’m looking forward to finishing out our last week strong and unified, leaving a positive enduring impression in our own minds and those we’ve met along the way.

We have our last off day in Bend today, and tonight we’re heading over to the Ronald McDonald House here to serve dinner to the families staying there!

WY–Day 43: Jeffery City, WY

Day 44: Lander, WY

Day 45: Dubois, WY

Day 46: Jackson Hole & Rest

Due to time constraint and the basic fact that, as beautiful as Wyoming is, there aren’t that many moments that pop in my mind within each place we went through days 42-45 that are worth giving each place it’s own post. So here is a post that compiles Rawlins, Jeffery City, Lander, and Dubois.

For starters lets talk about Wyoming. There are more animals in this state then people, as opposed to New Jersey where there are more humans than animals… this was a culture shock to me because in New Jersey we have animals and humans and when in doubt the people act like animals too. This was the beginning of a mental lull for me. My home sickness seed had been planted, and it was being watered, especially when we went to Jeffery City population 25. This is not a Joke.

Jeffery City once upon a time was a huge Uranium mining ‘boom town’, and then it all died when the US sold the mines to USSR. However, the contract should be up soon, and Jeffery City should be back in action. Interestingly enough, it will be back in action to the dismay of the people that live there. This was hard for me to understand, to see people actually like the fact there was only 25 of them there. Yet, I myself have trouble to change that is forced upon me, or the ones I have no control over, so I can understand after living so long with such a small town mentality, that the thought of more people moving into “Your Town” could be a hard thing to adjust to. None the less, the host was very welcoming there. Note:  There was no showers so we took  “sink showers” which is basically washing yourself down in the bathroom with a rag. I have no problem with this, but it Jeffrey City it was FREEZING- NUMBING actually. We watched the Wizard of Oz and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on a projector in the gym of the church, it was kind of cool watching Wizard of Oz there because when you went outside, it was like a storm very similar to the one Dorothy Went through- including the desolate atmosphere with the big sky that swallows you. It was too similar. I needed to go to sleep. And that I did.

Dubois, was REFRESHING! The ride to the Dubois was a little rough around the edges, I remember I just was not feeling it that day. However, I made it there and it was wonderful! We went Square Dancing! I had the greatest partner, he was an older man originally from up state New York but, after a visit to the west with his wife they moved to Dubois and never looked back. I square danced with him and his family (you need 8 people in a square). And let me say I think I did a great job! I wore my thrift store 26 dollar cowboy boots and danced until I sweat.

The next day was JACKSON HOLE! Thoughts on Jackson Hole, well the Tetons are beautiful, and riding next to them was surreal. Yes, Jackson Hole is beautiful but very touristy, I thought I was in the western part of Disney world the way the town is structured along with all the foreigners that worked in every store. I wouldn’t call it civilization; I would call it a theme park trying to be civilization. Beautiful, just over sold. However, the experience there was awesome. We stayed at the Episcopal Church there and they had a youth room with a big TV, Couches, and a plethora of movies. It was so great to just sit there and watch movies, eat ice cream and relax (on our off day there). Don’t Panic! I did not waste my whole day doing that; I just did it towards the evening. I ventured through the streets of Jackson, littered with over priced outdoor stores, coffee shops, and antique stores.  Oh Jackson, it’s in a hole, that means we had to get out of the hole the next day… on to Yellowstone

I couldn’t wait to start this day. “Day 2 Bianca” would have cried before even seeing the mountain-but, this was “Day 40 Bianca,” she wanted to get to the top of that mountain. I reached out to my friends and family for support before I started the day. The overwhelming response of text messages, e-mails, calls, and messages on facebook pulled me through. I know I am an advocate of action speaking louder than words, but words have their weight and on this day they weighed a ton. I could not stop biking, I had too many people rooting for me, too many people who believed I could do it, stopping was not an option.

The first 20 miles were flat. It was the most stressful flat I have ever encountered. There was a vast land of fields around us and ahead of us on that one road were the mountains. Which one was I going to climb? It was a cloudy day, cold, I was so anxious to bike, to push.

This was my mind:

Riding to those mountains was like in the Lord of the Rings The Return of the King (3), the last scene when the horses are running to Mordor, towards that evil tower eye sitting in the sinister mountains. I kept pretending that I was in a modern day version of it. I needed to prevail, get to the top, finish.  By no means am I the fastest rider, I am usually last, especially on climbs, but I get there…. maybe that is why I compare myself to the underdog characters like Frodo and Sam, or Rudy, they might be the last but, they have heart. You have to have heart.  – Yeah, you have to have heart. That’s it. That is the key. You can be the fastest biker, the strongest person, but with those talents if you don’t have heart, then well, it’s a waste isn’t it? Heart is what fuels the mind and body to keep pushing when those entities have been exhausted. The passion in the eyes of a person who puts heart in their task, is quite unmistakable. You can see the hunger they have to accomplish their mission, their stubborn will to keep going. It is a fantastic feeling when you are in a terribly challenging situation and your heart won’t let you stop. That is what happened to me going up that mountain.

I put myself in a low gear, braced myself, and wouldn’t stop. This may be inappropriate in a way, but what the hell- for some reason beyond my sane comprehension I thought of my mother and father waiting for me at the top of the hill, in perfect harmony. When this thought came into my mind I started to cry. All of my years having divorced parents and not once did I ever even try to imagine them standing next to each other without being bothered by the others presence. Oh what a great thought! What an impossibly ridiculous apparition I formulated in my mind. This is how I knew my mind was wearing down as my climb continued. I thought to myself “I must be crazy, I wonder if it’s the altitude.”

On to the next thought- Uncle George, Aunt Chikkie, Aunt Lisa, Aunt Terri, Cara, John, Carol, Vicky, Bobby, they are all at Aunt Chikkies house and I am there too, we are all having dinner and small talk and oh how I miss them! I tried to imagine what my Uncle George’s face would look like when I told him I made it to the top, I couldn’t. I could only think of all the smart ass remarks he could possibly say, or how he always says “Chikkaayy could you get me….. (fill in the blank)” I missed that. I continued to think of my family, Allison, Christina, Robby, Scotty, Jimmy, Isabella, Dad, my Uncles and my Aunt Elaine. “Robby, you there? He is around the corner Bianca, go to the next switch back, he is there, Robby I know you are there” I was talking to myself halfway through the mountain, I started to see snow around me…  After this my mind was the repetitive thought of “Deep Breathe In- and then I would say in a a release of breathe-“ I love you I love you I love you.” It was a low whisper, a release of the inhale. I was talking to everyone when I said this because I wanted everyone to know that I did love them. Nonina, my grandmother, I would tell her “ti voglio bene” I thought of Pavorotti, making cookies, cleaning up the garden, driving with her. Memories kept flashing in my mind.  I kept saying I love you, there was something comforting about it. It was even more comforting knowing that I would write this all down for all to read, so they would know that I thought of them on this ride, on this mental and physical battle.

I thought of Holy Angels, Bri, Sam, Brielle, Kat Palazzato, Amanda, Appollonia, Serafina. Oh how I thought of Serafina! After I diminished the thought of my parents harmoniously waiting I replaced it with my best friend Serafina waiting at the top. I couldn’t wait to get to her. “SERA! I am coming you impatient son of a bitch” yup. I said that aloud, because if she was waiting there, she would be impatient for sure.

There was also a point where I tried to get myself really mad, so it could fuel me. I thought of lost friends, those who have wronged me, those who have left me or scorned me and yeah, it got me mad. And then there was the biggest smile across my face…. Because all of those people well, suck. I couldn’t care less at that point, and even now, about what the hell happened because I just biked my ass from Baltimore to Cheyenne, soon to be Saratoga Wyoming- then onto PORTLAND! I wasn’t going to stop there and I am never going to stop doing what I am doing, or being me. So at that moment I decided they were no longer worth thinking about, worth even giving them a moment on my mountain. Finito.

Just as I made the last turn I looked up a saw a figure jumping up and down at the top. It was Chey, although at the time I pretended it was Serafina. I couldn’t believe I made it. I couldn’t believe it was the top…. I thought… I thought there would be more? Wow that wasn’t so bad… I mean don’t get me wrong, it was painful, but hell I thought it would be a lot worse. I suppose in the end, it was all in my head.. as usual.

Another thing that this trip gave me was a positive attitude, or learning how to deal with my against and turn into a positive quickly. Also- I have thought about this a lot and I have realized I am one of those crazy american italians… the ones that I make fun of. Being away from all of them, has made me more into one. My emotions are on my sleeve: I am happy, I am sad, I am mad, I am dancing, singing, and everyone knows it.  My life is an opera.

Furthermore, I am reading a book by Beppe Severgnini, a native Italian who has a knack for whittly pointing out the inner workings of the Italian mind. The book is called “La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind.” The more I read it the more I can’t stop laughing and comparing myself and my family to it (especially my aunt natalie and my Nonina, along with Vilma). There is this one sections called the “psychology of the stoplight” that I cannot get out of my mind because it is so spot on. Severgnini describes how Italians have rules that are relative, they are not simply “the law.” For example, Severgnini describes-

“When Italians see a stoplight, their brain percieves no prohibition (Red! Stop! Do not pass!). Instead they see a stimulus. OK, then. What kind of red is it? A pedestrians about this early. That means it’s a negotiable read; it’s a ‘not-quite red.’ So we can go. Or is it a red at an intersection? What kind of intersection? You can see what’s coming here, and the raid is clear. So it’s not a red, it’s an ‘almost red,’ a ‘relative red.’ What do we do? We think about it for a bit and then we go.”

I do not do this with red lights, but I do this with everything else. Everything is Relative, this rule I learned from Ally in highschool. I may have always followed it, but not being in denial about my mental state made my life easier.

Sometimes in the morning when I ride I pass by houses and I think of my Father’s home in Asbury. How I would wake up in the morning sit on the couch and watch cartoons as my dad makes some sort of shake, Charlie Ray comes in with a dozen bagels- even though there are still left overs from the day before…. bagels and locks are made and then Peppino, JP’s dog comes out with a shrilling yell, the morning lullaby has been stabbed with the bark of this 10 inch dog. However, I miss it.

Staying in their Home made me feel like I was home. It is a hard feeling to describe- how much you appreciate staying in one place as opposed to living out of a bag. It was like for a moment the bike ride stopped and everything was at peace. Julia and I had the greatest conversations with Randy, everything from bonding about divorced parents, to celebrity gossip, thoughts and feelings about the trip. It was like talking with one of my Aunts from back home. My Aunts are all characters and within each of their personalities there is something I would like to take a piece of, and just like my Aunts, I wanted to take a piece of Randy’s personality. She had lived a full life, and she keeps living it. She has her own interests and business- in this way she is independent and at the same time she is with Kit, a man whose life according to Randy has been more than adventurous but also humble and giving, her relationship with him is co-dependent when it comes to support. Their relationship to me was perfect. Different interests and up-bringing but they respect their differences and their foundation is based on the underlying basic beliefs they share. I loved being at their home and in their presence. That night after dinner Kit came home with ice cream for Julia and I… it was awesome. You would think on this trip that I would be in shape or lost weight, but since I always make it a point to have ice cream in every town I visit, this is not the case… haha.

The next morning Randy and Kit left Julia and I a donation for ourselves, it was instructed that it was for us to use to treat ourselves in Boulder and to have fun. So.. (I’ll get to this).. when I was in Boulder I bought an awesome t-shirt from a thrift store with a donkey on it and some post cards to send home. Thank You Randy and Kit for giving me a family away from family, even if it was only for one night.

We also saw cows, lots of cows because there were feeding farms. This is where they have cows for endless miles in a confined area and they feed them until they are fat enough to ship off and make it to your dinner plate. Blunt? Yes. True? Yes. You read about the treatment of cows and such all the time in the books and documentaries and the crazy vegans, but when you pass on a bicycle through these feeding farms you are sickened because you just past all this beautiful vast land of grass and then you seen this endless dirt pinned area of cows and an unfortunate stench. I wanted to get off my bike and cut down the fence and have the cows storm the open range. I kept screaming “FREE WILLY!” granted, they were cows and not killer wales, but they have the same black and white color…

Moral of this post:

The age of a person is not an accurate scale of their strength. It is their spirit that determines the person they are, and their spirit is fostered by the village that supports them. Abby, has a village like none other. Paralleling my experience to hers, I can say that my team is my village and as a result I have been able to come this far. Cheers to Abby, Cheers to her village.

* This money was actually put towards the work on my bicycle – It was discovered that I completely bent the frame.

Today my dedication involves 3 people, appropriate for such a big day. The first 2 are a couple, Steve and Penny and the other is Stefanie. Steve is fighting colon cancer and Penny is his wife doing all she can to help him battle. It is never just the person with the illness who is fighting. Stefanie Worked with my older sister Jennifer and she beat breast cancer. She really showed her determination and kept living through her treatment by working and continuing her life. A true inspiration!

We knew today would be tough so Tom, Vanessa and I headed out right when we finished the cheer. I love the early morning smell out here. It reminds me a lot of visiting my parents when we were young in Michigan and the way that the morning and evenings there smelled. We really kicked up our speed a notch and covered 70 miles before noon. Soon after that stop we had a bump in the road when Tom had a little tumble. As he said just lost focus for a second, hit my bike tire, and was on the ground. He ended up just having some bumps and bruises but finished the day strong. Tom and I did well working together with the strong wind today. It got very hot and tough in the afternoon.

Upon arriving to the host, I was in desperate need to do laundry. I went down to Cea and got all clean. Man probably only one more wash on the road. Crazy.

Our host had a wonderful dinner with salad, chicken, veggie burgers, fruit and pasta. It was such a good summer post ride meal. Really amazing. I had some long conversations on the phone today. All kinds of planning to do. I just need to try and stay in the moment.

Now after a long day another tough one is tomorrow and I am looking forward to seeing my Uncle Jim in Tahoe.

Roll on!

Megan

Riding into Benklemen was a hard, long, windy and hot. We had a water stop almost every ten miles. This day is blurred to me because of the heat. I just remember the thought of “keep peddling.” Yes it was flat but the heat and the endless roads, roads where all you see is more road. There is no city to set your eye on as a goal, just more roads, more corn, more land, and more sky. The only thing that denotes human existence are the telephone lines and the road- and the occasional car.

Funny Moment: When coming into Benkleman, Brain missed the HUGE sign that said “Welcome to Benkleman” and kept peddling on the road. Chris Lipinski and Arvin had to rush up to him to get him to turn around..oh Brian.

In Arapahoe we had host families and I was fortunate enough to stay with Carol Jean. An older woman, who reminded me of a mixture of my Aunt Natalie and Gran (Mary Lou). Aunt Natalie in a way because Carol Jean was very active and still kept up her farm (Aunt Natalie has her victory garden and is a great swimmer!) and like Gran because she made ice tea the same way- heating up a pot and then chilling it in the refrigerator. Let me say a few things about the Farm- IT WAS HUGE, IT WAS PITCH BLACK AT NIGHT, and It had cows! It was a great experience. Ally, Jenna, and I stayed at the farm, it was about 15 minutes outside of town.

Funny Moment:

When we were getting together with our hosts Carol Jean comes up to us and says: “Hey girls, you will be staying with me out in the country..” Ally and I looked at each other at this moment and Ally proceeded to say to me “I thought this was the country… (referring to the town of Arapahoe)”- we were wrong, that was NOT the country at all compared to the 15 minute drive to the farm.

In the morning Carol Jean made us Waffles! I then proceeded to spend the day in the Library securing hosts in Montana and Wyoming. It was a very productive day. I like sitting down and getting work done. I am in my element when I am trying to attain a host or food donations. I came from a family of entrepreneurs and business people, I think of them and their ways and just go for it. I really really love the prospect of winning over a stranger. I have learned this about myself on this journey.

At the library I made great friends with the people there and even ordered lunch with them, it was not your typical quiet library, it was more like the place some of the people come and sit and talk about the little things in town, it was great.

As I was coming down a small “bump” of a hill and peddling to get ready for the next hill ahead I was speaking with ally next to me and as I turned my head to look in front of me I saw Katie slow down, as to stop and pull a little to the left, – Ally being to my left also swerved to the left around Katie and I swerved to her right. When I came around her I thought I was clear to keep pushing, but- there was Arvind completely stopped on the side of the road next to another rider (I can’t remember). There was no stopping me from going into him. All I can remember is his face, even that I can barely describe. The next thing I remember is the blow and then the gravel. My helmet slide in front of my face down covering my forehead down and pressed against my nose. I felt the gravel pushing against my helmet. I could not tell you where my legs or arms were but I knew I was off my bike sliding on my head. When I finally came to a full stop I remember opening my eyes and looking down ahead of me, peoples feet were running towards me, they were off their bikes. The immediate response I had was crying, someone was holding my hand, the first thing I heard was “Bianca, don’t worry you still look good, there is only a small scratch!” I thought for a second my Aunt Lisa was there because I couldn’t believe the first thing someone said to me my face was okay- actually if she was there she would have already been calling a plastic surgeon for the scratch on my chin. I literally said “I don’t care about my face, Where is ally?” Ally, was in front of me holding my hand and explained to be “We thought your face was ripped off with that fall Bianca, your face looks surprisingly good.” Yes, she is an honest one. After she said that she checked my teeth, nothing was noticeably chipped, however I did chip a really small piece of one my bottom teeth, it’s just a little more jagged than before. Steve, the director of my ride came over -” Bianca I am checking you for a concussion, I am going to need to touch your face”- the story behind this is the fact (thanks to Aunt Lisa) I really don’t like it when people touch my face, because you do not know where their hands have been and your face is bionafied personal space, it’s the first thing people see and gain -a shallow- but real first impression: you do not want people touching it. Needless to say I really did not care if he touched my face at that point. The result was No Concussion, yup no surprise there. If I was able to be whitty enough to think about my Aunt Lisa while people were discussing my face I would hope that I would forget about that during a concussion.

The Ambulance showed up and they patched up my arm, face, and fingers. I refused to be driven via ambulance to the hospital and instead just went in one of our support vans. Nate and Alex were driving the water van that day and they immediately came to take me. Ally was right behind me making sure I was going to the Hospital, whether I wanted to go or not she was making sure I got there. Any questions, concerns, or things that needed to be said- Ally said them for me. When I was in the car I was crying because I wanted to be back on the ride.

Me: I just really want to be riding, I should have rode.

Ally: Yeah you are right, your so weak.

Me: ALLY! What the hell?

Ally: Well if you are going to say ridiculous things so am I.

This is Ally Gilmartin.

When we got to the hospital, it was empty. I know you think I am joking. But seriously, it was empty. We came through the emergency room doors to find the front desk was closed? It was like a movie. We walked down the third hallway and finally found some people…. Obviously I was their numero uno patient- because I was arguably their only patient. This was the first time I ever had to go to the hospital. The nurses were great, the doctor as well (they called him in from the town). I got x-rays and a scan of my head (so cool)- nothing was wrong! Well, physically nothing was wrong but I am sure a psychologist would argue differently…..

In sum this was the damage (starting from my head down to my toes)

-headache, and sore spots on my head (sore near the forehead and the lower back of my skull near my ears)

-muscle spasms in my neck-shoulders (this was the following day)

-Face: my nose was a little swollen and bruised (as if my nose didn’t look Italian enough…) with a little scrape (very small). On the right side of my face on my chin there was a circular open wound scrape, nothing deep but noticeable. I have been applying neo-sporen everyday- it’s looking good.

- left arm: scraped near the elbow with huge raised bruise, forearm was bruised as well

-right arm: on the upper part of my arm there was deep tissue bruising which made it hard to lift things with that arm for a little

* really it was my arms that hurt the most after the fall. I was very very lucky to have my helmet on, and that it slide forward protecting my face. Further more I was wearing my rain jacket which was scraped up as well, if I had not been wearing it I would probably have had more scrapes on my chest, stomach, and arms.

After all of this I get to say that I had a really badass fall. I also want to give a shout out to Arvin, the rider that I hit that day and whose wheel I killed. He was not hurt thankfully and he was a really great sport about me crashing into him. Many people could have been really mad about it, but he was not, he just rolled with the punches and I thank him for his support and attitude.

“Glenda the Good Witch” – We were in Kansas, so we made Wizard of Oz references.

“Lions, and Tigers, and Bears Oh My!”

“Shake it”- dance off challenge

“Jelly?”- long story

“you can do anything you put your mind to”

“Whip it, Whip it good”-musical lyric

“Moo (arrow towards cows)”

At the end of the day we cleaned out the van, showered, got new oil in the car, and sat down to a great dinner thanks to the Annunciation Catholic Church in Frankfort. The company was great and so were the Hamburgers, especially the ones marinated in French Soup.

The ride into Lawrence was literally a bumpy one. There was about 30 miles of gravel to push across. However, I enjoyed this because not only was the road practically deserted, it allowed our groups to ride together. So it was just the whole lot of us (the majority) just riding through the gravel. There was the occasional dog chasing us down…. (there are lots of dogs in Kansas.) However, we got through it. I dedicated this day to Aaron Owens. Aaron was a friend of the life guard at the community pool in Paola, he was recently diagnosed with Lung Cancer at the age of 22. I honestly know nothing about him, aside from his diagnoses. However, I know I will probably always think about him, similarly how I always think of Brian, the son of Coralee (in Penn) who passed away at the age of 30. On this trip, I have met many people who are generally older that are diagnosed with cancer, but cancer is creeping up on the youth. In fact it already has- that is why there are organizations like the Ulman Cancer Fund to help that generation gap that is usually looked over when people think of cancer. I would like to give Aaron a good look in the eye and tell him, everything is going to be okay- that he should take everything one day at a time. I cannot stress the power of focusing on ONE thing at a time.

The Arrival:

Lawrence, Kansas can be best described as the “blue dot” in a red state. The streets are filled with vegan sandwich shops, crystal & herbal medicine shops, thrift stores, and the occasional stranger shaking maracas for money…

That being said, it is a beautiful town in Kansas that is full of life.  The minute I got to the host I put my bike away and just walked on to the main street (Massachusetts street) found the first thrift store and played dress up. I was channeling the movie “Pretty Woman.” Coming from the NY/NJ area, thrift stores are the new Betsy Johnson- they are expensive despite the fact  the cloths look crazy. However, in Kansas they are much more realistic about what the prices should be, since the cloths have already been worn. For example I bought a pair of leather cowboy boots for $26.00 and then jean shorts and a t-shirt for $12.00 total. I guarantee if that store was in New York, things would have been different.

We stayed at Trinty Episcopal church where Pastor Rob was very hospitable to us. So much so that he brought movies for us to watch on the projector downstairs. So that night we watched Harry Potter! As the movie ended though, people had already fallen asleep and that means the symphony of snoring began.

There are a few people on this trip who like to snore. There is Brandon, Clayton, Steve, Brain, and occasionally Chris Lubas. It was recently suggested that their locations of sleep should be announced so people can properly place themselves away from their musical sleeping ensemble. I agreed with the statement but at the same time, similar to how I have gotten used to climbing hills, I have gotten used to their symphony of sleeping.

When we hit the entrance to the Teton National Park, we split into smaller groups to account for the increased traffic in the park and started riding in beside mountains covered with forests and lakes that stretched on for miles. Lots of great photo opportunities as we went on and we all stopped many times before lunch to take advantage of those.

At the lunch break, we had the option of riding through a “dangerous” section with traffic and limited guardrails or getting shuttled 30 miles past that section. The park rangers had OK’d us riding through, so a couple of groups went for it. I decided to shuttle and went in the first group with Jenna and Ashley. As soon as we sat down in the van, I succumbed to the air conditioning and fell right asleep. When I woke up, the water van told us they just took us up a mountain and so we had 21 miles of downhill followed by flats left. Great news.

We ride up about a half mile and…find a sizable uphill waiting for us. Well, maybe we had just a bit of mountain left to climb. An hour later, we had been steadily climbing hills that didn’t seem to have any matching downhills. We’re in the process of climbing yet another hill when the water van pulls up to us and motions to stop. They say: “You guys have been going the wrong way!” We ask: “When’d we miss a turn?” Their reply: “Right when we dropped you off, about 10 miles back. You guys didn’t have to climb these mountains. Get in the van, you guys deserve it.” I guess we made up for the distance and uphills we skipped by shuttling.

An hour and half later, we were back at where we started. This time, we took the turn and enjoyed 21 miles of downhills followed by flats with a bump every now and then. Much better. When I got there, I felt like taking a quick nap, so I hopped in the back of the 15-passenger van. Apparently, people were leaving for the showers, so when I woke up, I found myself 30 minutes away from our campsite with none of my stuff, laying in the back of a van. Said oh well and went back to sleep. The next time I woke up, I was back at camp. Everything turned out ok. Not only that, our dinner crew had already prepared rice, beans, and chicken skewers marinated in Italian dressing. We followed that up with some smores and then went to sleep.

Woke up the next morning to the coldness of camping outside. Embraced the rest day and tried to sleep in. When I decided I couldn’t take the cold anymore, I got up and checked my watch. 9:30 AM. Eh, that’s late enough. A couple of people were heading to the diner for hot breakfasts and ice cream, so I tagged along. Had a cinnamon roll and a scoop of ice cream. A couple of people were leaving to go bike Yellowstone, but I was still hungry, so I stayed with Ally and Ashley who were going to a cafeteria for lunch.

The van said they’d be back in an hour, so we grabbed some sandwiches and checked out the gift store. An hour later, the van was nowhere to be found and we had no cell phone service. Cool…just a couple miles to walk back to camp in an unknown direction. So we waited a little longer. And waited. After we decided that we didn’t want to spend the whole day sitting outside the Yellowstone cafeteria, we started walking. Fortunately, there were signs back to camp. Along the way, Ally decided to come up with a buffalo song, which she used to lure a buffalo out of the forest. Next, she managed to find an elk and bring that out. All we had left to find were wolves and bears. I’m happy to say we didn’t encounter any of those. After walking an unspecified number of miles, the minivan happened to pass us on the road. Hopped in and asked for a ride to the nearest source of water.

We ended up at the general store next to the boathouse so Ally, Ashley, Mo, Valerie, Julia, and I rented a motorboat and went for a ride around Yellowstone Lake. It was a nice refreshing ride, quite reminiscent of my days in crew. When we got back to camp, all the people who’d gone biking were still out, so we started on dinner. Those of us who were there took the supplies we had (green peppers, potatoes, carrots, and ground beef) and started up a fire, took some aluminum foil, and started grilling. We had a good time and the food turned out alright. Everyone else ended up getting back around 9 so that was when dinner happened. A pretty good day enjoying the outdoors.

The second half of the day didn’t have too many surprises either, and when I say surprises, I mean water stops. Luckily, everyone in our group had a camelbak and thus no problems with water, but some people were definitely riding the hate train about not having a break. Getting through the last stretch was hard, but the best thing about the ride to a rest day location is knowing that you don’t just have one night to sleep, you have a night to sleep and a whole day to explore the city (or sleep more).

We stayed at the Grand Ave United Methodist Church right in the middle of Kansas City. We first went to the Hope Lodge in Kansas City (unfortunately, our last Hope Lodge for this trip) where we prepared a dinner of pasta with marinated chicken and veggies. I ate dinner with a woman named Tracy and her family. Tracy was originally from a part of Kansas around 50 miles north of Kansas City and came down to be treated for leukemia. I was glad to hear that her treatment was going well and to see how supportive her entire family was, including her mother who was also staying there to support her. We talked about her son, who had just been at a golf tournament earlier in the day, and how they were going to celebrate later that night with some ice cream. Tracy also asked about what high school I went to and we found out that her college roommate actually went to the same school as me. Small world, huh? I told Tracy that I would dedicate my ride the day after the rest day to her and the best for her treatment.

Also at the Hope Lodge, I had fun solving a 1,000 piece puzzle of the D.C. cherry blossom festival with a couple other patients. It’s been a long time since I did one of those, but it was a lot of fun. We also met Leroy, a really cool guy who shared his personal stash of chicken sandwiches with some of us and showed us cool card tricks. After we left, it was also Ashley’s birthday that night, so most of the people on our ride came together to give her a great night around Kansas City.

On our rest day, we all started out by going to the library and putting a solid 2.5 hours into catching up on blogging. A couple of us biked up to a coffee shop called Happy Gillis to pick up some breakfast first and we had some great homemade  food. The Kansas City Library is a beautiful place, around five stories tall with a movie vault on the ground floor and a life-size chess game on the roof. Of course, we played a round of “speed” chess before we went out to explore the city.

Our first destination was the City Market, a pretty quiet collection of shops filled with all kinds of delicacies. I stopped by a tea shop and picked up a cup of bubble tea. Other people went to an Italian deli where they were selling sandwiches with fresh deli meat and fresh mozzarella balls. From the bite I had of Chris L.’s sandwich, it was delicious. I would’ve gone and bought another one for myself, but knowing that our host was providing us with chicken and rice tacos made me hold back. I still kinda wish I had gone and had a mozzarella ball though. Before we left, Brian spotted a local produce market where they were selling boxes of mangoes for $5 each. Such a good deal. We couldn’t resist, so we got a box with about 16 mangoes.

After dinner, a couple of us really wanted to explore more of the city and get some good photos, so we biked deeper into the city, eventually hitting the World War I memorial. I’ve got some pictures of that which I’ll put on facebook eventually. Had a lot of fun in Kansas City, even if it is a bit smaller of a city than the big metropolitan cities we have on the east coast.

The riding that day wasn’t too difficult physically—we traveled downhill almost the entire way from Lolo Hot Springs to Kooskia, pedaling at a steady pace of 18 or 19mph. Once again, however, I found myself getting stuck in a negative mental space. I couldn’t stop from looking at my odometer to see how many more miles I had, I couldn’t help but focus on whether the person behind me was getting too close—was I pedaling too slow? When I saw a small hill, I would brace myself, tell myself I needed to pedal harder, pedal harder, no pedal harder! It’s funny what our minds can do, how relative everything is… Any other day those small hills would have been nothing.

When I could feel myself getting stuck in these negative, demanding mental spaces, I tried to step back. To think about my friends and family members at home. To think about everyone who donated to my fund. To think about why I was doing this. To remember that it is not how fast or how hard I pedal that matters. No, what is more important is that I take the time to enjoy every second of every ride, to enjoy the thrill of being alive and healthy. To carry the spirit of those who have fought or are currently battling cancer—to take it one moment at a time, one pedal at a time.

And so I began to look around me, to take everything in that I could. I stared at the gorgeous pine trees lining the river canyon we were riding through (we were following the same trail that Lewis and Clark took—amazing!). I began to notice how many different shades of green there were. How the green was even made of other colors depending on the light—blue, purple, yellow, brown. I began to think about the fact that people hundreds of years ago had stared at these very same trees. Incredible! A few days ago, Bilqis shared with me something she had read on the side of the road about Lewis and his journey. She told me that before Lewis died, he wrote in his journal that he had come to the realization that all that mattered in life was to find joy and happiness in every day. I thought about this as I followed Lewis’ very same path into Kooskia. And I found that with my mind focused on things other than biking, my pace quickened and the miles went by without me even noticing. It was like I had found some secret haven in my own mind and I was so excited to have found it.

At dinner in Kooskia that night, I met a woman from the congregation named Rose. Rose was born with cerebral palsy and was told that she would not likely live past 28. She sat next to me that night, healthy and with a smile on her face—she is over 60 years old. Over dinner she told me that 15 years ago she also battled brain cancer, undergoing radiation therapy in Spokane, Washington. She recently underwent another surgery. All the time that I talked to her, I could not help but be amazed by her incredibly strong, bright spirit. Rose told us her story with a smile on her face, telling me how lucky she was to be healthy and alive today, how amazed she was by what we were doing and how grateful she was for our efforts. She woke up early the next morning to join us for our dedication circle, even bringing us homemade jam and a jar of peanut butter for our breakfast.

I put Rose’s name on my calves the next morning and was thinking of her as we started up the major climb up to Grangeville, ID on our way out of Kooskia. When the demanding voice in my head started to tell me to go faster, to push harder, when I began to check the mileage and think about how much more I had to climb, I thought of Rose. I thought of the fact that Rose is unable to walk, confined to a wheelchair. I thought of how much she would cherish even being able to use her legs to bike at all—regardless of how fast or how hard she went. I thought of her encouraging words and knew she would not care how fast I went up the hill. She would be proud of us all and she would want us to enjoy every second of the ride.

I am so glad to have met Rose. For the rest of the trip, I will think of her and her smile when I need to be reminded to find joy in the small moments.

The toughest part would have to be just dealing with the day to day stuff away from the team. We’re so close to California, and I feel like I’m missing out on some good experiences.

Despite all of this, we’ve had a memorable couple of days. We spent Wednesday in Eureka, Nevada. We had an amazing dinner hosted by Cindy Adams and other members of the community. It was the best tasting meal I’ve had in recent memory. The next morning we had amazing breakfast burritos at a little restaurant called The Pony Expresso. Cindy arrived and gave me some colorful gauze wrap, which was nice because I was always running low on it.

The circle-up in the morning was one of the most emotional on the trip thus far. Earlier we learned that Cindy’s mother Cecile was battling cancer, and we wrote her letters of encouragement that she could look over and know that we were thinking about her during her fight. When Cindy accepted the letters, she began to cry, and she shared more about her mother and her fight. It took me a moment to realize that I was tearing up, as were others. I composed myself until the circle was over, but it was hard when I overheard Cindy talk about how hard it will be to lose her mother. I love my mom more than anything, and being gone for so long, I miss her like crazy. I can’t fathom life without her.

Cindy was very brave when she spoke about her mother, and the kindness that she showed towards us really demonstrates how well Cecile has raised her. Cindy said Cecile will come home August 5th, and on the 6th she is eager to show her the news of our arrival in San Fran. When I get back on the bike in the next few days, I plan to ride for Cecile.

This moment came at an interesting time for me. Not riding has made me feel a little detached from everyone, even though everyone is being wonderful- always checking up on me, not minding my naked butt in the bathroom as I redress my scrapes, etc. Also, it’s tough to be so close to California and have to deal with these desolate stretches between towns in Nevada. All this resulted in a loss of focus. However, hearing Cindy speak really touched me, and reminded me what this trip is all about. She ended with the line, “I don’t know you, but I love you.” For her honesty and her kindness, we love you too Cindy.

Much love,
Val

Every year campers get to make a tile to hang up in the art room.

4k’ers inside the huge teepee that the camp has.

After our visit to the camp, we had a short 30 mile ride to Lolo Hot Springs that I dedicated to all the kids at the camp. I was inspired by the happiness and joy I saw in their faces even though they are currently struggling with cancer. I want to have that same positive attitude as I continue my challenging trek to Portland.

After breakfast we circled up and the owner of the diner Corvin and another community member that set up the 2 meals in Eureka for us, Cindy, joined us. Her mother is battling cancer and will return home next week to celebrate the remainder of her time with her loved ones. Cindy really brought a special gift to us today with her emotion and love she showed. She told us to do all we can and that she does not know us but she loves us. The emotion in her voice and her words of inspiration just drew the emotion out of me. This morning was a strong reminder of what we are doing and again how we are relating to people. We were a group of people just at the right time for her to show there are so many people supporting people like her, trying to make a difference. I am so glad we could be there for her to give her a little light in this very dark time. I hope this light can help celebrate her mothers life a little more and show thanks.

Today my dedication goes out to Doug. He is the brother of Marv Ennis, a very dear friend to our family and was just recently diagnosed with cancer. Doug has also rode a bike across the country and has shown support in our journey. Again cancer does not discriminate and other than the medicine, people just need love and understanding. It is a scary battle and every day I have learned a little more how much that really means. We are praying for you Doug.

The ride today was not bad to start out. It was much of the same with small climbs and valleys, with one big 10 mile climb at the end. The weather was pretty good all day with sunshine and the mountains were very beautiful in the distance. It was very entertaining at water stops to see the impersonations of each other. That is a fun thing about this group. We can poke fun and have a good time and people do not get upset. Definitely a positive with a group this large.

We made it to the host at the Austin Baptist church and it is a very small town. The showers are at the pool across the street and we have a dinner at the host of lasagna. Tonight we may even watch a group movie other than that I plan to study and then maybe start some warm and fuzzys. These are letters we are writing to each other to read when the trip is over. Just common experiences and thanks to fellow riders. It will be very fun to write, as well as to read letters to me from the 26 other riders. Until tomorrows 110 day!

Roll on!
Megan

Today my dedication is going to the moon family. Dan Moon is a member of my church in Johnson City and always has a positive attitude. The donation was in honor of Helen Moon and Geneva Depew. He and his wife always greet everyone with smiles and praise that always seem to come at just the right time. They have one of those relationships you look at and hope you can emulate. I am very thankful for them and all the positive energy they bring. Hitting the road today it is hot and lots of climbing ahead. That positive mindset will have to be put to work.

The terrain starting out was not too bad and definitely not as bad as we originally expected. I rode with Pucci, Taylor, Emilie, Zak and Marci. This road is supposed to be known as the loneliest road in America, but there was quite a bit of cars, not towns although. The terrain was absolutely beautiful. We went over 4 ridges falling into the valleys in-between. The shrubs and rocky hills were so beautiful with the blue sky and shrubs. Today was not as challenging to climb and we felt much better after having some time yesterday. My only complaint is my left hip is a little sore. I am not sure if it is from the hotel bed or riding. All is good though. We are in the home stretch

We arrived at Eureka Elementary School and had the cafeteria to sleep in. Another sheltered location so we are all happy. After I set up my bed and rinsed out my shorts, a load of us headed to the local pool to shower and then have a dinner.

The food was some of the best food we have had on the trip with veggies and chicken and this amazing fruit punch that was home made. After dinner we assigned alter-egos for the next day full of impersonations. It was pretty fun. We headed back to the elementary school and I studied a little before heading to sleep. It was nice going to bed early.

Roll on!
Megan

0being covered in bike grease

0chaffing until I bleed

0eating 3-5 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a day just for snacks

0eating a second breakfast less than an hour after the first

0thinking pasta, beans, suddenly salad and anything else available all mixed together is the most delicious creation simply because it  can be eaten and is all that’s available

0shopping for team food at 3am before a 5am rise

0packing 30 duffel bags, 30 sleeping pads and bags on top of a huge van each morning

0sink showers and sink laundry

0living for finding the next gas station

0thinking that 70 miles of biking is a short day and being excited that we’ll get in early and be able to relax

So, so much more. I can’t wait to come back with stories. Going to bed now.

This morning was worse for me than yesterday. I finally broke down when the valve fell off my tire in the morning right as I was trying to finish getting ready to head out for the day. I had to sit out for the last 60 miles yesterday because I destroyed my knee on the hills early and started out the day feeling pretty awful. I’m glad I did though and was able to ice the knee and get ready to finish up these last few days. This is it. As I was saying though it’s getting harder and harder to keep going. We roll into hosts late, rush through dinner, maybe get a shower but I’ve found that sometimes I’m too tired to get myself to do that. The others feel the same way. Then we get up early for another long day. Repeat.

I rode for my brother today. Keeping him in mind, I knew, would be the only thing to keep me going. There is so much here that I just do not want to deal with anymore and so much at home that I want back. I am going to do this of course but I’m definitely fighting at this point. I know everyone and every reason I’m doing this deserves me to be in the highest spirits possible through the last couple days. I will do it.

My team mates were amazing today with getting me through the 90 mile ride. Abo changed my tire this morning as I was just balling my eyes out like a baby. It was such a small gesture but huge for me..I can’t even release my tire with levers because I have no upper body strength. Totally embarrassing so I’m glad he jumped in to fix the problem. My ride group was amazing as well in boosting my mood. In fact Katie dedicated her ride to me. That meant a lot. She’s a doll. The others were all really supportive too in keeping me positive and motivated.

I finished the ride. I just finished dinner. It’s 10 o’ clock and I’m getting ready for bed…just giving my followers something to read so they can stay updated. Only 80 miles tomorrow, but there’s a mountain to climb so it’s going to be rough. Especially since we’ve had back to back 90 mile days this week and we’ve heard from locals that the winds are intense. This is when it counts the most. We’ve got to make a strong finish.

Much love,
Val

Our stop by Cedar City and the Grand Canyon was great. On the way into Cedar City 4 miles out of the town I got a flat and was very willingly rescued by john who pulled up like a knight in shining armor threw my bike in the car and drove me to the host. He also provided chocolate milk and homemade jerky. It was really fantastic to see him for a couple of days.

From Cedar City we hit a bunch of mountains and valleys. The pattern quite quickly became climb 10 miles, descend 10 miles, valley for ten miles then repeat for 90 mile day.

I had some big dedications to make, after having receive an email from my Godmother Sara, who told she had lost 3 friends in the last three months to cancer. It really helped to serve as a reminder for why we are doing what we are doing. I rode to Milford, UT for Jane and her family and to Baker NV for Janet and her family.

Enjoying a day off in Nevada today. We made it to Pacific time, and we’re only a state away!

Sorry this is a bit chaotic and rambling I’m tired. I will attempt to blog again more coherently soon.

Getting this deep into the trip we are really starting to slow down. It is nice to have down time and not much of anything to do. We definitely took advantage of that and the tv today. I also got to catch up with family on the phone after having really bad signal for the past couple days. It was really nice.

For dinner we went to the Methodist church. Tonight my plans are just to take a shower and study before calling it an early night. We start 4 days in a row tomorrow and that will be the last of our many days in a row of riding. Crazy.

Roll on!
Megan

I mentioned before that the slogan for the American Cancer Society is More Birthdays. I decided that my slogan is More Ladies Nights.

The girlfriends I have had over the years have been wonderful. I have had so much fun with them over the years. I want to shout out to Meredith, Becky, Katie, Kammy, Anna, Burtch, Bridget all wonderful women I met at Virginia Tech and have been great friends with over the years. We’ve enjoyed many margs or bottles of wine together, a break from the motonony school or grad school can sometimes be. A group of girlfriends is so refreshing when in an engineering program and I mostly see guys on a daily basis. The statistics are startling, 1 in 3 women will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime. We are a group of 8, putting odds against us and so I cannot fathom any of us having to go through that battle. So today is for more ladies nights. May we all drink and be merry and someday we’ll join the red hat ladies, someday we’ll be old Hokies back at a VT football game. Today was a tough day, a 94 mile day. The hardest part was mile 60-80 as the winds picked up and there were several steep climbs. It’s tough enough climbing steep hills, but with winds against you sometimes it feels as if I’m going to just fall off my bike since I’m going so slow. It is also frustrating when you have to pedal hard down a hill. Overall the ride was beautiful, but in a different way. We definitely reached the desert, desert sands around. I made a sand angel at one of the water stops. Today my group was team Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I was Splinter (who is the wise one that teaches the turtles), Nick was Donatello, Adam was Raphael, Alex was Michelangelo, and Justin was Leonardo. Capital Reef was a national park I never heard of, but was still interesting. Many of the rock formations looked like Swiss cheese or what I imagine some of the reefs look like when scuba diving. Tonight was our first of a long stretch of camping nights. We also were attempting to cook pasta for 27 people, 25 of which biked 94 miles, with two small camp stoves. We can do anything, right? Pretty ambitious and fortunately a park ranger came over and lent us his camping stoves as well. Still a slow process but could have been worse. We ended up eating late, around 9pm, and then I tuned in to sleep under the stars. I really enjoy being out in the open and surprisingly I don’t get any more bug bites than I do on a normal basis.

Today was a slight struggle getting up after getting 2 hours of sleep, but surprisingly it wasn’t as rough as other mornings. I dedicated the day to Helen Wozniak, who one of my donors Lindsay Huber made her donation in honor of. I was on team 9 ¾ today which consisted of Jess, Maria, and Vanessa. The day started out riding along a beautiful bike path that paralleled the highway. We were completely immersed in the red rocks of the area. The day overall was fairly short, and mostly scenic. I did have to find some small sagebrush to use as a ladies room in a rather sparse, desert area.

We stayed in a very interesting home in Green River that I guess could be considered a community house of sorts. The décor was just short of astonishing with star wars, Obama in a cowboy hat, the pope, a hanging collinder, and buzz light year. We were hoping to add our own artwork to the wall (a wedding gift I purchased for Alex and Bunny) that would have fit in perfectly, but of course we couldn’t find it in the black hole of the van.

Tonight we also had our third pow wow of the trip. This was special as you could really see how much we grew as a team and how much of a family we have become. The general comments were related to finishing as a team, getting everyone to the host, a complete change in mentality about biking. Most people discussed just getting there. Sure some days would take a while, but it’s about the journey, enjoying it, making the most of it, one pedal push at a time. A major triumph was of course everyone getting to the top of Trail Ridge, which showed that everyone is physically and mentally capable. We each have our own tough days our own personal hurdles to get over, but we realize when someone needs a lift to get them through the day. Maria had especially touching words when she discussed how we became a family, which is so true as I care about everyone in this group. I know I’m going to be sad to leave them, but I am also excited to see where everyone is headed and what great things they will do in life. Tom also brought up a very relevant idea. Everyone was talking about this being a once in a lifetime opportunity. Sure, biking across the country might be a once in a lifetime thing, but we can’t stop living. We don’t have to conform to what we think is the path we are supposed to take or get ourselves stuck. Seize all opportunities. Go study abroad, if your job takes you somewhere, go, if you want to move to another country or part of America for a while just do it. Embrace life, live life. This is much like what Rockstar Shirley is doing, and something I want to hold onto. Live, love, laugh and never stop trying.

Most of today was a typical day off, touring the town, buying souvenirs, and doing laundry. The evening, however, was special. We all went up to Arches National Park for the sunset. We went to Windows and then to Delicate arch. Walking to Delicate arch was surreal and it felt like we were walking on mars (or what we imagined mars would seem like). When we got to the arch, the moon was beginning to rise and instead of watching the sunset, we watched the moonrise. I have never watched a moonrise or even expected to see a beautiful one like this. The moon was surrounded by various blues, pinks, and purples each shade gradually getting darker while the moon grew brighter. I was in awe and it was beautiful sharing this moment with the 4K family.

After the moonrise, half of the group went to see midnight Harry Potter back in Grand Junction (yes, of course I was in that group)! We drove 2+ hours back to Grand Junction to see the midnight showing since it was not playing in Moab. Certainly this was crazy, we wouldn’t get back until 5:30am only to get up at 7am to bike. Fortunately the following day was a “short” day. The lack of sleep was totally worth the adventure of going to Grand Junction and seeing the awesomeness of HP.

Today went out to Rockstar Shirley.

This was the second century day of leg 2 and also the last day of leg 2. The morning started off great with Main Street Bagels opening the shop early to provide us with delicious, toasted (a rarity) bagels!

I cycled today with my co-leg leader, Basit in our awesome matching jerseys purchased at a thrift store weeks ago.

The ride was great, and not nearly as rough as anticipated. While hot and sunny on open, empty roads it was a really beautiful ride.

Again, Colorado surprised me with its ever changing landscape. We also entered Utah, notching another state off and the awe of how far we’ve cycled really sinking in.

About 40 miles out of Moab, after cycling past a ghost town, a storm or rather the apocalypse was beginning. Some groups were already ahead and probably in the canyon. We were on the outskirts, listening to the thunder and the wild streaks of lightening. We only made it about 4 miles from the water stop and decided we had to take shelter. Three of us, Caity, Vanessa and I, carried our bikes off the road, down the bank, to hide under a bridge. The storm continued to pick up with howling winds, roaring thunder, and flashes of light across the sky. Pretty much the Apocalypse was occurring. The rain poured down and the wind blew it under the bridge, keeping us from staying entirely dry. We at least were not as soaked as other groups, or the front group that biked through the storm. As the winds died and the rain slowed to a sprinkle, we emerged from our hiding place to forge onward. It’s crazy to think that back in Illinois, a storm less of that magnitude stopped us from biking and we all go shuttled. Now it just causes us to pause, seek temporary shelter, and then move on. No one wanted to get shuttled, we all wanted to continue biking and knew that the storm would be quick. We met back up with the other group who was just a few miles ahead and regrouped into our teams. The rest of the ride was through a canyon which was gorgeous. Overall, the day was spent on roads less traveled further reinforcing how we are really seeing things that not many people get to see.

Today I dedicated the day to Katie Fitzgerald, who my friend and teammate Michelle made her donation in honor of. Michelle used to visit Katie at a center when she was in grad school at Duke. Instead of biking today I went with 7 other riders to Grand Junction to visit St. Mary’s Cancer Center and the local hospice. We took a tour of the cancer center which was a beautiful place where they have a lot of support for the patients. At the center we briefly met Shirley, a volunteer at the center (who came to dinner later and was just amazing). We also met Tracey and Andrea. Andrea is 22, and was in the center for more blood work as 3 months prior she was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer that does not usually strike the young and would be more common in people over 40. Her mom had kidney cancer four years ago and really stressed being your own advocate. She discussed how persistence is what kept her here today because she knew something was wrong with her own body and would constantly push doctors for more tests. Andrea also was sick for the past year and it was difficult to diagnose her blood cancer. Ironically enough, before we arrived at the center Andrea was talking to her mom about wanting to run a marathon. We came in and shared our accomplishments, and shared how Tom, one of our riders, will complete this cross country cycling journey 1 year after being diagnosed with cancer. It is our hope that she will continue to fight and one day run that marathon. After visiting the cancer center we went to the local hospice which was the most beautiful place. It is a non-profit hospice that has 13 large, comfortable rooms. The entire building is calming and aesthetically pleasing. Butterflies and stain glass are a common theme throughout. We also learned that one of the builders, Dan, had a brain tumor at age 32. He continued to build the hospice because he truly believed in it and passed away at 34 leaving behind his family. The walkway around the hospice is named “Dan’s Walk” and just truly shows the kindness and connections between people.

Dinner was provided by several organizations. Wendy who is a part an interfaith group pulled together amazing things on two days notice. I was so happy that Shirley, who we saw at the center, was at the dinner. She was wearing a shirt that said, “I’m not a rockstar, I just party like one.” I saved her a seat between me and Emilie and it was the most amazing conversation I have had in a while. Shirley is truly an inspiration. She had breast cancer 3 times. She is now 88 and has traveled all over the world. Shirley was full of wisdom, everything she said was so true. I’m so excited to have met her, so full of life despite some of her setbacks, and just always moving forward. She said, “I move up, and I don’t look back at who is chasing me, it’s the only way.” Other lines related to loving yourself first because it’s the only way you can love others and you need a little bit of ego to move forward in the world and take leaps and bounds. She continually travels and will be going to Germany and Romania in August. She travels through an exchange program called French Force International where she stays with hosts and really learns the culture rather than having every step planned and staying in hotels. Shirley was filled of great wisdom, even her saying some of the most simple things that would seem obvious were just so profound and true. The best part is she visits her grandchildren in Denver, so I have already exchanged information to visit with her when I move out to Colorado in August!

Today I dedicated the day to Charles Bennet, who my friend Katie Murray made her donation in honor of. I rode with team O.R.J.I. (Omar, myself, Jess, and Ilana).

It was a great riding day where the first 20 miles were along a scenic bike path that actually had a speed limit posted for bikes of 20mph! We continued to cycle along a river and then began a steep 3.5 mile climb.

While that climb was challenging, the decent and rest of the route was quite the reward! I reached my maximum speed of the trip so far of 40.5 mph on the descent! After the long descent, we maintained 18mph to the host, with Omar leading the way. I was excited to get Omar to lead all the way at the host because he doesn’t like to lead since he’s worried about getting lost. Today was the perfect day for him to be up front since there were fewer turns. A mile out of Paonia, we stopped at a winery and enjoyed some free tastings. We learned that the manager of the winery had his own battle with cancer and they donated a few bottles of wine to us along with some snacks.

We stayed at the United Methodist Church of Paonia, where the pastor Russell, whom I’ve been in contact with, was just as wonderful in person as on the phone, and his 5 year old grandson is absolutely adorable. He was so excited to hang out with all of the riders and his grandmother even bought a 4K shirt for him. Russell and the entire congregation were so welcoming. They also had the best meals for us, both a delicious dinner with plenty of vegetarian sides and hearty breakfast. A nice surprise (more for the Hopkins students) was the Johns Hopkins alumni that was present at the dinner who lost his wife a few years back to cancer. I also met a retired mining engineer who went to Colorado School of Mines. It was nice talking to someone in my field and getting some more guidance (every bit helps) before I start work! A woman from the congregation also gave us $50 to get ice cream at the local ice cream shop!

Today we all enjoyed a day off in Glenwood Springs and most of us went whitewater rafting. Our river guide, Jessica spends the summers rafter and the off season in Antarctica! I found that unbelievable and she works with providing meals for the scientists. It was interesting to hear about since I never met anyone who has been to Antarctica. This was further proof that there are all sorts of opportunities out there. We rafted 17 miles along parts of the Crystal and Colorado rivers. It was another pleasant way of seeing the surrounding area and we didn’t have to pedal!

Today goes out to Carol Huffman who my friend Matt Miller made his donation in honor of. I rode with Bunny and Justin. The ride today was gorgeous. Most of it was on unpaved roads, which for once didn’t bother me or really anyone else. The route took us through yet another amazing part of Colorado. We went from snow covered mountains to red and grey soils and sands. The red soil is a result of oxidized iron while the sandy, grey rocks are indicative of calcium deposits. We rode along a good portion of the Colorado River. Being on unpaved roads with few cars passing us reinforced how we were getting to see things that most people don’t get to see.

Today I was the designated van driver and missed out on a 42 mile, mostly downhill ride. The scenery looked beautiful, but overall glad I didn’t miss a big day. All the riders were in by noon. I dedicated the day to Team San Fran because I’m so proud of everyone’s accomplishments yesterday (and Katie and Adam who are going to ride Trail Ridge today since they were van drivers yesterday, and Justin who is going to ride it for the 2^nd time in a row). We’ve all come so far, crushed personal hurdles, and have really grown as a team and family. Today is just for fun, today is for smiles and sitting back at the host and just relaxing because everyone deserves it! We were hosted by Kremmling community church, who have been supporters of this organization for many years and we had delicious lasagna. Everyone enjoyed relaxing and watching Shrek since we don’t often have downtime for movies or TV, or even have it as an option. I enjoyed spending most of the afternoon in the local coffee shop, which is one of my favorite, Saturday or Sunday activities to do.

Since we made it up Trail Ridge it seems as though everything will be downhill, not literally obviously. We are out west, there are still mountains but since everyone made it to the top, we know we have no limits and can do anything. When we have tough times ahead, we will know we can make it through, we just need to keep pedaling.

After packing up the tents for the last time on this trip we had oatmeal and circled up. My dedication went to Jeremy Cornett today. It is his birthday and he is a person of living and loving life. He is such a special person that refuses to let down no matter how bad things can get. I am lucky to have him as a friend.

Once we hit the road we had a scavenger hunt filled with things we should take photos of that kept our eyes busy. With the tough terrain we lost focus after about twenty miles. It was tough getting on and off the bike so much.

We had 2 big climbs today and the second was a little tougher and longer than the first. The wind really picked up after the first water stop but we kept chugging along. Looking up at the mountains all day was really inspiring. We went by no towns and were on the same road all day but the surroundings were beautiful.

Just before getting into town we found out we had a subway donation. I was so happy for that. Those subs really are the perfect meal. After swinging by subway we finished the ride into the Jailhouse motel. This crazy wind storm with sprinkles popped up but we made it just in time for the weather to break.

I am sleeping in a bed tonight that will be very nice. I am excited especially with having a day off. We were donated a dinner at the Elks Lodge of spaghetti. It was so good and I was very hungry after a tough day.

With the day off tomorrow the team spent some quality time together that night. So many stories, so much laughing, and so many memories. Love the 4k.

Roll on!
Megan

The day before yesterday we went from cedar city, Utah to baker, Nevada. I rode with nick pucci, basit, zach and vanessa.  I dedicated my ride to a family friend sarah decker who is a 16 year old currently battling a very rare form of cancer. The day was tough because of the heat which made the day so much more difficult.  The terrain from there to the present is very repetitive.  It will be flat, then there will be a long slow climb, and then a descent.  Although we did have a distraction in that we played 4k trivia with little known facts about each of us and we had to guess which facts belonged to each person on the team.  We made it to baker which is literally right on the border between Utah and Nevada.  We camped out there and woke up the next day to head out to ely.  I rode with kaitlin, adam, phoebe and alanna.  I dedicated the ride to my aunt annette who is a kidney cancer surivivor and one of my biggest supporters who reads the san fran blogs regularly.  The ride was about 65 miles and nearly identical to the day before.  However, it was overcast and cloudy so the heat was much more bearable.

Since we’ve arrived in ely, we’ve been treated like royalty by the local community.  The elks club paid for us to have subway for lunch, made us dinner, provided lunch for us today and bought snacks for us to have at water stops.  Once again, i am so blown away and thankful for the generosity shown to our team by complete strangers.

Today I ride in memory of Sidney Thomas Rainey, father of grandma Ola. At 91, Ola is still a peach, active, and witty. One of fifteen children, she has also lost a brother and husband to cancer. Listening to her talk about moving to Missouri in covered wagons was unreal.

Paddy Phelan is in my thoughts as well.

I rode out of Kooskia for Rose, born with cerebral palsy, doctors didn’t treat her scoliosis because they didn’t expect her to live long enough for it to matter. Today she has survived cancer, birthed two children, and made raspberry jam from scratch. Stories like hers are what keep me going.

Emma and I wrote the beginning of a song yesterday on our way to Libby. It goes to the tune of “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music.

Team Seattle’s Favorite Things

Downhills and tailwinds
Shoulders and snack bins
Bike trails and showers and fields full of flowers
Community dinners that bring lots of food

These are the things that make us feel good!

Tan lines and street signs
Sunscreen and peeing
Gas stations, coffee and lots of toffee
Laundry facilities, lots of clean clothes

These are the things every 4Ker knows!

When it’s uphill and its freezing
When I have a flat….
We simply remember all of these things and then we don’t feel so bad!

Emma and I are still working on the next few verses. But stay tuned! Our goal is to fully encapsulate Team Seattle 2011 in song….  hopefully by Seattle

The day started off very tough with 3 significant climbs. It was crazy bc the mountain only seemed a couple of miles away when in fact it was about 10 miles away. The gradual incline made it feel like we were riding in sand. But nonetheless we kept peddling and we made it. Alex had a tough spill but everything is good and Emily and Omar did a great job van driving to keep up with everything. Emily had to go refill the water coolers bc of it being so hot the riders went right through them.

After about 50 miles the terrain became much flatter again and we had an ever so slight tail wind. My group took our lunch break at mile 70 where a 6 inch subway sub was donated. So perfect. This stop is where we got our last clues in a trivia game. We were given random facts about various riders and had to identify which rider went with which fact. This game really kept us entertained all day and it was fun when we reached the Border Inn campground to find out everyones facts.

The last 15 miles went really well and wow. We are in Nevada. As in the Pacific time zone…as in one state from California. I cannot believe how far we have come and how exciting all of this is. Wow.

We had a nice dinner at the border inn and then after watching a beautiful sunset headed off to bed. The sunsets are so clear and dry out here. The sky with very little clouds and the tree free mountains in front. Totally different than back home. This is also our last night camping on the trip so one chapter is closing with more to follow. Wow.

Roll on!
Megan

Yesterday we rode from Missuola to Lolo. We didn’t start the ride until about 3 because in the morning we visit camp mak-a-dream. The camp is located in Montana and provides children who have or have had cancer the opportunity to have a normal camp experience. We donated 2000 dollars to the camp and when we made our donation jenifer (the camp director) was so happy she began to cry.

As the front wheel turns in a direction undesired my only thought is “I hope Abo makes it out okay”. As Nightrider begins to buck me off the saddle instincts quickly kick it, my reckless childhood has saved me once again.

You’re starting to go vertical: unclip from the peddles, jump over the handlebars, spot your landing, put out your arms, brace for the roll, the bike is chasing you, tuck, your feet are there, the bike just hit you, push the bike off your shoulder, stand up, watch Abo roll away safely, walk it off, there is torturous pain in your side, take a seat.

2.5 seconds is all it took, but this will be something I will never forget. This pain is denying me range of motion in my right leg along with some upper body, I think I’m fine.

Yesterday we had a short, 45 mile day out of Glacier and in to Kalispell. “Easy” was not really the word for it. We woke up to a downpour that kept us all wet and chilly as we tried to pack the vans and take down tents. It was hard to be in good spirits at that point. I woke up feeling really sick. I went to bed feeling sick too. I dedicated the ride yesterday to Haley Walsh, a 1-year old daughter of a family friend who went into surgery for a tumor on the 21st. It was the hardest 45 miles I have had to ride on this trip so far. For some reason I just wasn’t feeling it and it was hard to keep going. I think it was a reality check though, that it was so hard. I kept going for Haley though and I hope that keeping her in my thoughts helped her and her family through this tough time.

Today on the other hand was a beautiful 90 mile ride into Libby. We will be moving on to Idaho tomorrow! I rode for Haley again today because I wanted her to have two days dedicated to her, especially since I wasn’t in my best spirits yesterday.

I’m so excited to see my family soon. I think this trip will have a perfect, natural culmination and I will honestly say that I am ready to reach Seattle, go home, and figure out what is next.

Thank you everyone who has helped me raise the funds and provided me with the support I needed to make this trip possible. I have loved riding for someone each day and I hope my dedication and motivation to keep going even when it’s cold, or raining, or uphill, or on gravel, or into a storm, or against the wind, or, which is more likely the case…all of the above, will inspire them to hold on and keep fighting.

Today I am riding with Pucci, Kaitlin, and Adam.

The dedication circle was special today sharing with 6 community members. They spoke of community members battling and it reminds us of how cancer really is everywhere. My dedication went to the Runion family. Bill was a big donor of the trip and is a big supporter in Cody and my life. He lost his father on July 19 and I have him and his family in my prayers. I am very grateful to have a man with wisdom and support in my life. Cody and I are having our ceremony on his land and he has been very helpful in my application process for medical school. It means a lot to have that kind of support. Thanks Bill and you are in our thoughts and prayers.

The ride today was not too bad. It was pretty flat with little wind. My group had some great conversations about the trip and the value we find in our fellow riders. A big part of the trip is meeting people and experiencing all these wonderful things with them. It has been fantastic and I could not ask for a better group.

At one point today we went about 5 miles of thousands of desert locust. It was insane how they were all over the road and pretty frightening for some lol. But we made it past all in one piece

When we arrived at the host, Milford High School, we found out there was a pool next door. So of course we went over and jumped in. The people must have thought we were crazy but it was fun diving and then playing basketball. So much fun. I think I may have smoothed out some of those terrible tan lines but that may just be hope

I went ahead and took a shower and then took a little nap. That pool really wiped me out along with some fun abs with Caity. We then had dinner donations of pizza and Chinese. So delicious.

Now with the early day in I am going to try to get some more studying in before calling it an early night. Nevada tomorrow!

Roll on!
Megan

Day 16-

So I don’t remember much about the actual ride into Cave in Rock, except that we crossed a state sign and my bike computer fell off (I was at ~935mi then). There are two things about Cave in Rock that I really remember: the wooden deck in the back of each room that overlooked the mighty Ohio river, and the unique sense of place the locals had.

Really the first point is a perpetual happening on this trip. That is, each day we are greeted by great new views and sights that few will ever see. This day was no different; I remember hazily that the moon sat bright in the sky but was shrouded by clouds, faintly illuminating the rippling river and making the passing party boats barely visible. I wish I could have taken a good picture at night, but my iPhone camera was unable to capture the night time scene due to darkness. Emilie, Alex, Pucci, and I just hung around appreciating the view then. The next morning the sunrise was equally as breathtaking, but in a more serene way. The calming shades of pink, blue and purple layered the sky, providing a picturesque backdrop to the river. Cave in Rock is truly beautiful and a place I would consider returning to. Jeez this is getting so long already.

Now to my second point; the people in Cave in Rock, and small towns across America, I have found, have a very unique sense of place that seems strange to urban and suburbanites like me and my peer-group. We stopped for ice cream before dinner in Cave in Rock, as is 4k tradition, and asked a local for directions. We had an address or a cross street, I can’t remember, but either way it was to no avail. She told us plainly that she had grown up here her entire life and knew none of the street names, instead she recognized places by what institution was there. So instead of knowing that the church we were headed to was on such and such street, she knew it was around the corner by some person’s house and the grocery store. This is in stark contrast to my perspective where everything I’ve ever known (house, school, neighborhood, etc)  has been through the lens of an address system. You see, the people in Cave in Rock and in other small cities have a more concrete and meaningful sense of place. Instead of having their memories tied to arbitrary street names that are populated by identity-lacking chain stores, their memory of the place is tied to the long standing history they have with said place. They know it by stories and time spent there, by what their parents told them of their experiences in those stores, by the people they know and love and the community they belong to. Though they have no extravagant monuments, each place holds emotional content that is monumental in volume. That people think this way was one the most beautiful things I’ve happened to learn on this trip.

Day 17- Cave in Rock to CCCAARRRRBBOONDALLLEEE

Mike Mahony’s new catchphrase was coined, a humorously intense shout, “TO CARRBOONDDALLEEE” has now been forever registered into the 4k San Fran 2011′s vocabulary. Great day indeed.

Day 18-  Carbondale, IL to Farmington, MO

This was it, we crossed the fabled Mississippi and took our first pedals in the West. But it was a damn long day doing so. I had been feeling under the weather, but due to my recalcitrance I kept on biking anyway. The day as tiresome for me as the illness sucked my energy away, and my back was hurting from riding an undersized bike.

By the time we reached Chester, Il (hometown of Popeye the sailor man) and waited to caravan across the Mississippi (as is tradition) I was hurting, bad. It was a rough day for me that got even rougher after crossing into Missouri. After the fun and pictures at the other end of the bridge we biked happily for a few miles, made a turn, and were smacked into a harsh reality by a strong headwind. Welcome to the west. Dogged, I pressed on, only to get lost with Zach by about 13mi. After getting put back on course by van trip to the equivalent mileage, it was a time trial to make it to the host before mandatory shuttling. We had a fantastic dinner set up in Farmington that we couldn’t be late to (but managed to be late anyway, as is tradition). Zach and I pushed hard against the wind and caught up with another group at the last water stop. If my memory serves me correctly, Zach, Caity, Jess, Rosemary, and I headed out from the last water stop together. I was feeling weak and my back was glowing with pain so I fell back out of the pack with Rosemary. At our consistent pace we managed to get to Farmington as the last two people of the only eight who made it that day. What a rough day of riding.

The dinner, though, rectified all of it. Big thanks to Father Ricky and the Dzieawa (sorry for the misspelling) family! We heard the story of Al Dzieawa, who passed from cancer despite being in great shape and an avid cyclist. It reminded me us that cancer can affect all types of people and that it sometimes unfairly targets the best of us, amongst which Al truly was; he inspired the opening of a bike hostel and his lasting legacy will be that of helping others.

-Graham & Michael “NightWing”.

I’m so excited.
I’m so scared.

Anyone who has read my blog for quite sometime (i.e. Since before this trip actually started) knows that these same feelings were running rampant through me before this trip started. It’s kind of funny, before I was nervous to start this trip, and now I’m nervous to go back to real life once it’s over. I don’t care what anyone says, this is not real life. The 4k is just an unreal experience, that’s the only way to describe it. And the thing is, I don’t think anyone can really understand exactly what that means until they’ve done it. It’s just so impossible to even put into words.

Myself and the other 4Kers have been talking about this a lot lately: life after the 4K. I never even really considered before that there would really be a before and an after. I just thought I would do the 4K and then it would be over and that would be that. But it’s a lot more than that. The 4K has shifted things for me. The other night I was sitting on the top of the mini van with Tom and Emilie stargazing and conversing and Tom said that he hated when people called the 4K a once in a lifetime experience. Emilie and I both disagreed because, of course, nothing will ever be like the 4K. But, Tom in all of his wisdom had a good point. He basically said that we shouldn’t let this be THE adventure of our lifetime because we’re all still so young and we have so much we still can do. This trip has taught me a lot of things, which I’m sure I’ll be sharing in my last two weeks of blog posts, but one of the biggest is to not ever settle.

We have this thing in our cheer every morning where Justin yells “Are we not more?” and everyone yells back “WE ARE MORE!” and it started out just as a joke but, for me at least it has become a much larger thing. Because, we are so much more. We are capable of so much more with our lives. In this trip we have proven that we are capable of so much more than the ordinary. Now that I’ve had this adventure I don’t ever want to stop. I need to keep doing crazy adventure things.

I’m also never going to be able to stop doing 4k things either. I’m 4k for life. Brian from the Ulman Cancer Fund was here for a few days and he got me thinking that I should join Team Fight, Ulman’s triathlon training program/fundraiser. I have no desire to run a triathlon, but a year ago I didn’t have any desire to bike across the country either, so we’ll see.

Now that I’m finished ranting…

On our ride into Escalante last week we ran into this guy, Eric Conroe, and two other cyclists. They’re going to San Francisco too and it was kind of crazy running into Eric because we had first met him in Kentucky, and there he was. When we met him in Kentucky he was biking entirely by himself, entirely unsupported. Now, he had run into these two other guys a couple weeks ago and they decided to bike the rest of the way together. The next day we ran into them once again and when Tom was talking to them about his cancer, Eric just casually mentioned that he had had lymphoma when he was 17 and had a tumor removed. And now he’s biking across the country. Essentially entirely in his own. I can’t even imagine. So, of course, I dedicated a day to him. He is really inspirational.

When the team visited the Adventure Cycling headquarters we got a chance to hang out with a number of other long-distance cyclists, including Russ and Laura, whose blog I’ve been following for a year now! I had quite the celebrity moment.

Inside the ACA office, there is a wall of photos of all the cyclists who have stopped by this season. Here Valerie is, proudly pointing to our group shot! We heard about the Bikecentennial, the 1976 cross-country ride, with a route very similar to our own, which launched the ACA.

Onto Idaho today, after we all head to Camp-Mak-a-Dream, just east of Missoula, for a visit with the campers!

The mid section of our ride through Wyoming was a whole lot of nothing in terms of development, but there was certainly a lot to see. I was amazed by the vast amount of untouched, beautiful rolling hills and colorful trees that I saw in Wyoming.

Then there was Yellowstone. I knew of it’s popularity, but I had no idea what all the hype was about. I’d say the bike ride into Yellowstone National Park and to our campsite was one of my favorites. We biked along the edge of the Yellowstone Lake, up and down the rolling hills, and along cliffs. I was impressed by the park’s choice to keep the natural aesthetic appeal by limiting street signs and guard rails, making our bike ride even more awesome. Of course we saw a few moose, elk, and bears. I even spotted a grizzly bear cub from the side of the road, which was a bit terrifying considering the fact that momma bear was most likely somewhere close by watching my every move. We moved on very quickly to avoid any bear interaction.

Our camp site was right on the lake and we got the chance to gaze at a full moon one night that elegantly lit up the water. At night in the tent I was worried about getting out and going to the bathroom after being told about the bear that strolled through our camp site the morning before we arrived. That was one terrifying walk to the bathrooms, but I had Katie with me who was entirely calm and made fun of me for worrying. We made it back alive.

Within the park I got to see Mammoth Springs and Old Faithful, which is a geyser that erupts regularly ever 90 minutes. It amazed me to see the timeliness of a part of nature and also the amount of energy that was naturally used to shoot water 30 some feet in the air at great force for a few minutes. The landscape of Yellowstone is the result of a huge volcano that erupted and collapsed thousands of years ago, leaving the ground with an underlying layer of hot magma. This magma is the source of heat and energy that fuels Yellowstone’s amazing geysers and beautifully colorful hot springs.

I had an amazing time roughing it in the real wilderness for the first time of my life, being disconnected from wifi and cell service. It allowed me to appreciate the simple beauty of Yellowstone.

I went and took a shower and Ganesh, Emily and I went to Zion national park. It is crazy how each park looks so different. Yes they are all rock and Canyons but they are totally different in structure. The grand canyon was so cool how the surface was so flat and then this tremendous hole appeared. Zion national park meaning sactuary was established by president Taft. The weeping rock, river walk and emerald pools were all so beautiful. This park was so different than he others because we were down in the canyon with the Virgin River. It was so beautiful to see the microecosystem changes and all the living elements.

On the shuttle ride back it was totally dark and the stars were amazing. They seemed to layer and be countless. Wow
On the way back Jessica and I split the hour long drive. I went to sleep almost immediately. Much needed. Until tomorrow!
Roll on!
Megan

After the hill, there was a half mile stretch into Idaho where we were able to snap some photos. For about 5 minutes we were one state away from Oregon! Then it was back to Montana. We were greeted with the descend that everyone had been waiting for. During the downhill, I found myself pumping my brakes and slowing down more than usual. Brian’s accident has made me realize that regardless of how skilled of a biker you are,  you are never guaranteed a safe ride. As I’m sure everyone is aware, Brian has taught our team so much on this ride. He has displayed such heart and perseverance in his dedication to the 4k and our goal. In the aftermath of his fall, I know we have all decided to renew our commitment to riding safely not only for ourselves but also for our friends and family.

We stayed at Grace Lutheran Church in Hamilton. The church members were so kind and welcoming when we arrived. It was the first time in a while that we had both showers and a community dinner, so it was really exciting. The home cooked meal was amazing, and despite my fullness, I couldn’t resist a second plate! After dinner, we talked with our hosts about our ride and their experiences with cancer. One church member who was particularly friendly was a two time cancer survivor named Joel Olinghouse. He had battled melanoma and prostate cancer. Even after all his struggles, he was still such a positive and fun person to talk to at the end of a long ride.

On the way to Cleveland, Ohio we ran into a glitch and had to find a new host for our second night within 24 hours. So we rolled out all our moves and started working. Bilqis called Churches, I called the YMCA, we had our riders who belonged to Fraternities and Sororities calling their local Chapters, and finally we had people reach out to their family friends that might be in the area. For a moment or two we held our breaths.

However, Jane’s grandfather used to be the Dean of Trinity Commons (the beautiful cathedral I mentioned) so she called their church, dropped some names, and we were set! The next day still needed to be conquered so that is where Katie comes in: She had a connection with a family friend that opened his arms to all of us. His name was Jim and he went to Rutger’s with Katie’s Father. The main point here is the fact HE IS FROM NEW JERSEY! yaya! Salvation! Let me note that there is some unspoken common bond between people from New Jersey, especially North Jersey. The more and more I am away from the Garden State and more I miss the attitude of the people there. So as I am wheeling my bike in the backyard Jim mentions his father is from Hudson County New Jersey, without a second look I was in the dining room having coffee with Jim’s father just talking about Hudson County and Jersey people attitude. It was great. People give New Jersey a lot of slack but the fact is- it’s an awesome place, and so are the people. Some of us have some heavy, loud, intimidating attitudes but, in actuality when we make fun of each other and call each other names, it means we love you. – In any case let me get back to Cleveland. After my wonderful conversation with Jim’s Father I went with Bilqis and her boyfriend (he was visiting) to see an Urban Farm.

An Urban Farm is basically a huge lot within a city that is used as a community garden. Usually the produce in Urban Farms are sold to local restaurants, they are also used as community projects for big brother and little sister programs, and in Cleveland’s case- immigrants from Somalia who were raised as farmers took over a plot and not only made work for themselves but, it benefited the local community. The concept of Urban Farming has always intrigued me and it was awesome to go have a tour of one.

Afterwards we walked down the block to find a glass blowing store, and an awesome outside bar where we met people their and talked to them about what we were doing. The hospitality and support we have received from people everywhere we have gone has been eye opening. Furthermore, I have met some great characters that represent our lovely country, such as the mom who actually does Roller Derby in Cleveland. Really cool. Later we went to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. This museum is fabulous and must see if any traverses through Cleveland. This is also where I saw one of the Great Lakes (ERIE) for the first time. I honestly never thought that day would come because like I have mentioned in the past I am a beach person. However, the Great Lakes are worth seeing.

At the end of the day we all trickled back to Jim’s house where we packed our belongings and all biked together to the local church to sleep. Jim led the pack on his bike, it was a great moment.

We got a little lost at the start and there was a long tough gravel hill underneath overcast skies but it was all worth it for the rest of the day. At the crest of the hill we hit an awesome descent, mountains rose up either side as we headed towards thin clouds the hung lightly above a green valley and the Colorado River. It was so unbelievable that Mike reclimbed the hill twice to get a video of the descent.

The next 50 miles was full of red rock (that Colorado is named for), river canyons and spectacular views. We followed the river much of the day and the gravel road below us was all but forgotten for looking up.

The end of the ride was cut short due to flooding but everyone was in good spirits in the shuttle to the host, joining in a sing song of the ever more appropriate Motown favorite “Ain’t no mountain high enough.”

This morning we are not yet on the road because we are volunteering at camp make a dream. I am excited to do this service project as a team because I really think it will help us to refocus on the mission.

Tonight we will be camping at Lolo hot springs which I am very excited about because it means that we will get to go swimming (this is probably the only time you will ever hear me excited at the thought of camping). This is also our last camping excursion for the trip as we have hosts for the rest of the way to Portland. All of these “lasts” are bitter sweet.

I have become so comfortable with the 4k way of life that the thought of leaving is pretty nerve wracking. It is strange to imagine not waking up in a room with 24 other people every day. It is also really hard to process that we will not all be together like this again after the trip. I guess the fact that this trip ends just makes me appreciate everything a little more.

My take home point is similar to the one that Betty smith establishes in a tree grows in Brooklyn: always look at everything as though you are seeing it for the first or last time and then your life will be filled with glory.

Much love,
Val

Today we are crossing over from Montana into our second to last state, Idaho. The days that seemed to drag on and on as we pushed up those grueling hills, cursed the pouring rain, or saw mirages of ice cold beer off in the distance on those brutally hot days now seem to have flown by. These next 14 days are ones that won’t be taken for granted. In days past, the endless stream of fast food, or that sudden mountain appearing after being promised that the whole day was downhill would have crushed my spirit and made me long for my fresh vegan cooking at home or the barely noticeable hills climbed in my car. But for the next 14 days I will embrace the cold pizza and savor every hill because it has finally hit me: this is a once in a lifetime experience, and it is almost over. I will never get to have this experience with this unique group of young people ever again. For better or worse, this is our time. This is our summer and it’s almost over. We are blazing the very first 4K Oregon Trail. This is our legacy. So bring on the French fries, the mountains, the heat, the rain; we are ready for it.

Our host church in Missoula was built by the guy who inspired the novel “A River runs through it”.

After exploring the offices, we were asked to take part in a photo shoot for possible submission in an upcoming ACA publication!  We also had our photo taken and put up on the Hall of Fame Wall (next to the photo of some riders from Team Seattle that stopped in earlier in the way on their way through).

A little while later we went to Bryce canyon np, which had some pretty spectacular views in it. The rock formations were remniscent of the Chinese warriors since there were so many similar looking formations. It was pretty cool to see. Brian Satola was there from the ulman cancer fund. It was nice having a familiar face with us.

Yesterday we saw the grand canyon which was unreal. It was not so much amazing as unfathomable. There is no benchmark in your head to compare it to, no reference point for the brain to use to attempt to describe the size. Moreso than saying it was great or awesome or whatever, it was just a sense of smallness and being overwhelmed. Pictures do not do the grand canyon justice.

The ride was quite long, about three hours but was made better by a generous sandwich donation from a local inn. Everyone slept at least some on the return ride (not counting the drivers). Upon our return myself and two others had a party under the stars talking about our experiences and reflecting.

Very few biking days left so if anyone has any ideas of dedications get them to me now.

Thanks for reading, Tom.

When I awoke from my nap  I found a little chipmunk crawling around under the tent. I woke up when he crawled under my arm. I was startled, but when I moved I scared him off. I got up and did laundry with Marci and Bunny. I then went to lunch at Ruby’s Inn Restaurant. They gave us a free lunch buffet. It was so exciting. I wasn’t too hungry, but I still had some mash potatoes and corn! I also enjoyed a delightful ice cream cone and piece of cake despite my claim to fullness.

After lunch I drove Maria to a hospital in Ceder City to have her leg looked at (just a check up, everything turned out fine). We stopped at a bike shop to pick things up for our teammates and we also went to Walmart to stock up on items for the snack bin. The drive back was a lot of fun. We stopped by Starbucks and a local deli shop to prepare for the 2 hour drive back to Bryce Canyon. I was able to charge my ipod at the hospital. As we enjoyed the mountains of Utah, I exposed Maria to Super Mash Bros., Reel Big Fish, and some other old school punk bands. We had a really good conversation. Maria probably got to learn way too much about my life in high school and my obsession with music and bands. I enjoyed getting to know more about her as well. I can genuinely say I had an excellent time off today.

When we returned to the campsite I reorganized the snack bins and repacked the very clean van (thank you Bunny and Marci for going to get it cleaned!).  Then I hung out in the bathroom because it was the only place with outlets. I caught up on blogging and post cards!

The ride didn’t seem that bad until later in the afternoon. Maria needed to trade tires with Meg (our van driver for the day) because she had two broken spokes. Then later on she got a flat….then I got a flat. Haha. We are so lame. It took us forever to finish the 94 miles not just because of our mechanical issues, but also because of the terrain and the heat. We really were having a tough time. We all felt fatigue and were just not mentally in the zone. We manage to get into the campsite at like 8:30pm just before it had gotten dark. At this point we realized we were on the bike for over 12 hours. NOT OKAY! We washed up in the sinks and layed down in a tent. Maria’s leg was really hurting her and the group was having trouble making pasta with the cooking supplies we had. Luckily, a very kind ranger from Capital Reef lent us a better stove and bigger pots. Thank you Basit and Alana for the non-wheat pasta! OM NOM NOM NOM YUM!

I past out right after I ate. I was so exhausted from the day and my knees were throbbing….

I biked in group 9 ¾  which included Rosemary, Jessica, and Maria. We all wore out Harry Potter 3D glasses. It was pretty baller. I dedicated my day to all the people lost in the last episode of Harry Potter and to Miss Bunny Brooks for her 23^rd birthday. I can’t imagine having my birthday on the 4K. Birthdays are a really big thing in my family, especially for me. I always have a party or some kind of crazy adventure with my friends. Not gonna lie, already planning for the big 2-2 in October. Contemplating an adventure down to Orlando for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure and then a night of Halloween Horror. I love horror. I don’t know why. I guess it says a lot about me actually. I love adventure and I love to be scared and push to my limits. That’s what horror does. Granted, I don’t think I would ever want to be chased by Jason or have Freddy lurking in my dreams.

The ride to Green River was a pretty easy 50 miles. I enjoyed it. I took 5 minute power naps at all the water stops. When we finally got into Green River we rode up to a little house with all the rest of the bikes parked in front. We were a little confused, but then we realized that it was a volunteer house the community set up for people who are passing through town. They have a dog outside named Kevin Costner. They have people who come by and take care of him, but there was a little note saying we could walk him if we pleased. Mike Mahoney was all over that.

We then went over to the Boys and Girls Club up the block for dinner. We had turkey sandwiches. They were delicious. We also had cake and sang to Bunny. It was really nice. After dinner we had our Pow Wow. These are probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. We go around and say what has inspired us so far and what our biggest challenges have been. For me my biggest challenge and biggest success were within 2 days of each other.

My biggest success was climbing trail ridge, which you have already read about. It was amazing to not just be on top of the mountain, but to feel so loved and supported by the group. However, my biggest challenge was 2 days later when I got lost. I got too far ahead of my group and took a wrong turn. I climbed a mountain thinking that someone would eventually pass me. Then there was a 20 mile decent. I shot down it without even thinking. I ended up in a town with phone service, but everyone else was in the mountain without it. All I could think about was how stupid I was and how scared I was about the group getting mad at me. I called everyone I knew, sent out mass texts, and even reported my location to the sherriff’s department in case they called me in as MIA or was concerned about me flying off the mountain. I got directions to meet up with them further along the route. I would have gone back up the mountain if it wasn’t a 20 mile climb of hell. Turns out my route was 2 hours faster then the route the team was taking so I was about to meet them at mile 70 were we were getting shuttled to the host.

I felt really awful, but still manage to enjoy the little adventure I got to go on. I met a lot of local cyclists, saw a bald eagle, and saw a family of deer in front of someone’s house. However, those 2-3 hours of fun time along was not necessarily worth upsetting my entire team and feeling like I was on the outside of the group. I felt really bad, but didn’t know how to express it. I definitely got really defensive and kind of put my guard out because I knew the lash out that was going to come my way. Some people said something, others stayed silent. It was difficult for me as a leader because I constantly tell people to stay together and get upset when they don’t. Then here I was all by myself with no way to contact anyone. The day turned out alright. I beat everyone to the end and waited patiently. However, it still taking time to get past the incident and gain the respect back. =/

I didn’t actually get a chance to share that in the Pow Wow, but I guess I’m sharing it here.

Overall, I think everything on our trip really has been great. People get testy with each other, but ultimately we are family. I may not always get along with my brother, but he is still my family and I love him. That is how I feel about the 4K. No matter what, I love everyone!  Everyone is here for a reason and that ultimately, is what I love about everyone!

I dedicated the day to my mom. She is a strong woman who has inspired me my entire life. She recently told me because of things going on at home she may not be able to make it out to San Francisco when I arrive. I am really sad that she may not be there, but I completely understand the situation at hand. She has been doing everything she can to support me on this trip and I have been so grateful for that. Our relationship has been a bit of a roller coaster over the past 3 years that I have been in college, but I am loving the high that we are currently at. I like being able to call her and talk about anything. Especially when I am feeling down and just need someone who truly knows me to support me and remind me why I am here. My mom has been one of the biggest care givers for my family and I didn’t think twice when deciding to dedicate the day to her. She has been having a tough time transitioning her life and I think she is strong and a fighter. My whole family really is. Life Survivors.

I rode out of Grand Junction with Caitie and Ilana. We stayed together pretty well and kept up a good pace. When we got to the first water stop all of the groups had beaten the van to 20 miles. It was nice to have a little break. The first 40 miles were really easy. The 20 miles to mile 60 were pretty epic. We came across a ghost town and our group and another decided to stop and explore. It was crazy. I found an RV with magazines from 1989 (the year I was born). There were tiny broken down houses full of junk. I found a tiny abandoned post office. There was one house I was going to go explore until Meg pointed out a satellite dish and Pucci pointed out the light on inside. Someone actually lived in this little ghost town. I really wanted to knock on the door and ask about the town…. Then I remembered movies like The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn, and Chainsaw Massacre. Thanks, no Thanks! Then we went on a little more adventure. We decided to smash some car windows in. No worries, we made sure they were both abandoned, non-functioning, and had a smashed window not from us. It was so much fun and so stress relieving. Well… I had a really tough time actually… haha it only took me 150 tries….

When we got to mile 60 we could see a huge storm in front of us. Like idiots, we decided to bike as far as we could. When we saw the lightning hitting the mountain right in front of us, Caiting, Rosemary, Basit and I decided to hide under a bridge for shelter. Basit biked ahead to get the rest of the groups… only to get caught in the storm and end up under a wooden awning with them. Caitie, Rosemary, and I listened to the storm pass over us. We didn’t get too wet and were just a little cold. We were like little trolls. It was so funny. When we met up with the groups ahead of us they were so wet and cold. I felt awful for them.

The rest of the ride ended up being really sunny. We biked all 102 miles into Moab. We got to bike next to a river that was flowing red from the clay that ran into the water during the stone. We were riding our bikes in the middle of a canyon. It was sooooo pretty. Utah is already starting to look good, despite all the horror stories I have been told. I think if we stay positive, then the trip will remain positive.

After breakfast we came back to the host and went back to sleep.

It felt so good to get those couple of extra hours before heading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I was so excited to go bc I have never been before. Utah has really been a beautiful state with all of it’s parks and scenery. Really amazing.

It took about a 3 hour drive to get to the canyon and an hour time change. It is so crazy to think how far west we are!
We arrived and it was really spectacular. I found put the north is about 1,000 feet higher and much greener than the south. It is so amazing to look at something like that. I wish I could describe it better than that.

We ate a sandwich and some snacks and headed out to see some more views. The Bright Angel and Angels Window were so beautiful. It gave such a vast view of the canyon. There was one more that was a little bit of a further walk out but the name is slipping my mind.

We gathered back at the vans after and had another snack before hitting the road back. We spent about 6 hours there and it was a blast. On the way back we saw views of the trees more before the sun finally set. There were so many deer crossing the road, Pants did a good job driving. I am always a nervous reck with stuff like that.

About 1 hour into the trip back we stopped at an inn/restaurant/shop and they donated sandwiches. That really hit the spot to get the rest of the way back. I cant say I remember much after that bc I was sleeping, but we got back safe and sound and another memorable day on the 4k has been made. So cool.

Roll on!
Megan

On the way out we passed the red canyon that was very impressive. I stopped and got a coffee and then set up the first water stop. I decided the theme for my stops were going to include bluegrass music. Almost none of the people have really heard it before and it was a lot of fun playing Balsalm Range, Mountain Heart, and Newfound Road to name a few.
By the second stop groups were starting to get spread out bc of the climbing but we made it work. The summit was around 10,000 feet and the scenery getting there was beautiful. Duck Creek and Navajo lake were beautiful. The riders said it was not terrible, just a long climb.

We got to Cedar City and a local Caholic Church hosted dinner. The spaghetti and cantaloupe were so good. After dinner Marci needed some running shoes so we walked down to Sports Authority.

After we went back to our host, the episcopal church and I was really tired so decided to just go to bed. It was chilly in the church but it was rewarding to sleep inside again.

Roll on!
Megan

That morning we had breakfast at a nearby church that made us some huge, amazing cinnamon rolls. So on this trip I probably eat double the amount of what I normally eat, as does everyone, but even so we were all still struggling to finish them. The church members joined us in our dedication circle, and I dedicated my ride to one of my donors, Cliff Wagoner and his Godson Chris Zimmerman who is currently fighting a very tough battle against lung cancer that has metastasized to the brain.

The beginning of the ride was very hilly, but I was at least distracted by the amazing scenery. We also found a tractor sitting at the edge of a field. There was no one around so we climbed up into it and pretended to drive and took pictures. It was one of my goals to do this before leaving Kansas, so mission accomplished! The one downside to the day was that at least every 20 minutes we were passed by a cattle truck. When you’re on a bike and a cattle truck passes, you get blasted in the face with the horrible smell. I would take a deep breath and hold it as soon as I saw one coming, but obviously it’s extremely hard to hold your breath when biking! The absolute worst was when we discovered where all these cattle were coming from and going to… cattle farms with thousands of cattle packed together in an area much too small. The smell lasted forever as we biked past and I literally couldn’t breathe the whole time. We changed time zones after the first 20 miles. So now we’re in mountain time. Not long after that, we reached the Colorado border. We were really excited to be leaving Kansas for good. Our picture with the Colorado sign is epic (see below)… it was actually posted on the 4k home page for a few days! We also got some free Subway for lunch, paid for by the city council. So all in all the day was great, and it got even better when we got to Yuma. We biked to First Presbyterian Church of Yuma where we were greeted by a large number of community members. They took us to their homes to shower, then we came back to the church for a community dinner of tacos, salad, and the most amazing fruit salad. This church has been hosting the 4k for all 10 years of its existence and it was clear that they love having us every year. We made some luminarias for the Yuma Relay for Life: one for one of our own loved ones, and one left blank that will be filled in by someone in the community. After that we went to the home that we would be staying in that night. I stayed at Dave’s house with Marci, Ilana, and Jess. I couldn’t believe the kindness and trust that he treated us with. I needed to go to the store, so Dave let me drive his convertible! He also had a hot tub and a beautiful home. That night the sunset was gorgeous because of all the open space around his house. It also felt amazing to sleep in a bed and just be in a house! I didn’t realize how different it feels to sleep in a homey place since I haven’t been in one for so long. It was one of the best nights I’ve ever had and I can’t thank Dave and the city of Yuma enough.

The next morning the church members made us a breakfast of french toast. Then we set off on our ride to Wiggins, CO. I dedicated this day to my Aunt Debbie. It was her birthday and she is a donor of mine. Her donation was in honor of Donna Magryta so I dedicated my day to her as well. The 80 mile ride was quick and pretty easy. When we were 15 miles out we stopped at a Goodwill. It’s one of our favorite things to do… shopping at Thrift stores. We’ve all been getting the most ridiculous 4th of July clothes to wear on our ride into Boulder tomorrow (we’ll be spending the 4th in Boulder). I had already found my costume in Salina, but I did find a biking tank top for only $3! My team (Team Sailor Moon) got a little lost on our way to the host, but somehow, magically, we got there. The town was really small and in the middle of nowhere but the church we stayed at was nice. After extremely cold showers at a nearby high school, we had dinner at the church. It was spinach lasagna and it was amazing. That night we had our dress rehearsal for the 4th of July ride… trying on our outfits and adjusting them. Oh and I forgot to mention, this day is day 35… our halfway point! It’s crazy how fast the trip is flying by.

We woke up on Sunday and I could feel the excitement in the air. Today’s ride into Boulder is one of our big milestones that we’d all been looking forward to since the beginning. We are spending 2 days off in Boulder, plus it is our last stop before we start climbing the Rocky Mountains. I dedicated my ride this day to the people of Yuma (the place we stayed 2 nights ago), specifically a man named Leonard that I met briefly who lost his wife to cancer in 2007. I rode with Taylor and Emilie, we had a rough start because Taylor had a flat (I’m still going strong with no flats! knock on wood). But everything quickly turned around as soon as we noticed that straight ahead of us in the distance we could see… The Rocky Mountains!! The road we were on had us heading straight for the mountains all day so for 80 miles we watched them get closer and closer and clearer and clearer. I know it sounds strange that we were so excited to be approaching the mountains… reaching them means that we have to climb them. But the Rockies to us are kind of like a symbol of how far we’ve come. We all feel so much stronger since the Appalachians, and we’re excited for the challenge of tackling them. It’s like there’s no question that we’re going to make it over them, and it’s exciting to think that not only are we about to bike THROUGH them, but we’ve biked all the way TO them from the east coast!

We also had a few surprises today. Jin was supposed to meet us in Boulder, but when I pulled into a water stop, there he was! I was so happy to see him, it made this amazing day even better. Meg’s mom and sister also surprised her by showing up at a water stop. It was a great day all around, there was so much excitement and anticipation in the air that the 80 mile ride felt like nothing. We all stopped about 5 miles from Boulder and changed into our 4th of July clothes. Then we rode in as one ridiculous looking group. Check out some of the pictures below. We had a community dinner that night with the Portland team. They had a day off in Boulder too. Despite our friendly rivalry with the Portland team (ever since they graffitied our van in Nebraska), we put that all behind us and had a nice dinner with them. It was fun to compare stories and experiences.

The 2 days off in Boulder were so much fun… I didn’t realize what a great city it is! It’s right at the base of the mountains, there are people biking everywhere, and everyone loves the outdoors. We shopped around the downtown area and went to see fireworks at the CU stadium. It was one of the best 4th of July fireworks shows I’ve ever seen. Jin and I also went down to Boulder Creek and drove around the mountains for a while on Tuesday – to get a preview of what I would be biking through! – and we were just in awe of how beautiful the views are. Everyone also had a chance to get our bikes checked out at REI and they were nice enough to give us a discount on anything in the store. I bought some new tires and other things I would need for the second half of the ride. It was a great weekend of relaxation and since we spent 2 days there I got to enjoy being in a new place for once instead of spending all my time on the things I need to get done on days off. It was a great way to launch into our Rocky Mountain experience, and I am so ready for it!

The day’s ride was not about riding quickly and getting to the host but about allowing ourselves the time to take in the surroundings and simply enjoy the breathtaking scenery.  In between giving wildlife the right of way and pulling into turnouts to capture pieces of Yellowstone to share with family and friends at a later time, we met James Perkins.  He approached the two of us and Brian to ask us where we were from and why we were in blue spandex.  After we answered his questions and shared our 4K stories, he grew silent and looked away for a moment.  “Maybe you kids will cure me someday,” James said to us with a sad chuckle.  James had been battling prostate cancer that metastasized into an aggressive bone cancer.  Accepting that his condition is terminal, he chose to spend what little time he had left driving across the country with the full intention to golf in each and every state.  James stayed a while, sharing with us his story.  He gave us a kind donation, wished us luck, and then left.  We dedicated our ride to Sheridan, MT to him and I know that there will be many more of those rides to come.

Don’t give up, Mr. Perkins.    

at the northern rim of the grand canyon

The 4K for Cancer is excited to announce that we have moved into our new offices in the Locust Point neighborhood of Baltimore (921 East Fort Avenue, Suite 325, Baltimore, MD 21230).

We are sharing the space with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults as part of our growing partnership which includes our $300,000 pledge over three years to fund a Young Adult Patient Navigation Program at Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Young Adult Patient Navigation Program offers comprehensive services to young adult cancer patients, working in conjunction with the cancer center’s multi-disciplinary medical care teams, social work staff and other care providers.

In addition to the Navigation Program, sharing an office space will allow 4K and Ulman to partner on a variety of mission focused programs and events. Stay tuned for more details.

It was roughly 5:00 in the evening when Team Seattle was sitting down to a macaroni and cheese dinner when seven year old Hunter and his five year old brother Parker rolled up to Granite High School on their bikes.

“We saw all the bikes and we wanted to check it out” Hunter said, “Where are you guys going?”

“Seattle.” we said.

Hunter’s eyes got wider, “Seattle? Well, I rode my bike up the big hill into town today. I guess that’s nothing compared to what you do, though. I had sixty cents and I wanted to get a soda.”

While Hunter continued to relay the events of the day, his little brother was still zooming around the parking lot. He stopped. “Oh man!” he yelled, “hey, can you guys fix my bike?” Hunter attempted to tell him not to impose so much and to be more polite. But Parker came bouncing up, ignoring the requests of his brother, “my chain fell off.”

I walked over to Parker’s bike and starting fiddling with the chain. Steve joined me and within five minutes Parker’s chain was back in place and he was once again zooming around the parking lot.

Hunter reached into his pocket and pulled out sixty cents, offering to Steve and me. “Can I make a donation to your ride?”

The 4K isn’t about the type of support or even the quantity of funds. At least that is how I see it. It’s about the stories. We are uniting communities. Even if that means a seven year old, a five year old, a dropped chain and 60 cents.

While our 80 mile days at 6,000 feet usually leave me gasping for oxygen, there are moments each day during the ride that I look up at the expanse of azure and can’t help but see the royal blue jerseys of Team Seattle. Perhaps I am biased when I say that Team Seattle has gone through its fair share of challenges. Perhaps that is indeed the nature of a cross-country cycling trip- an emotionally charged, mission based cross-country cycling trip. Perhaps its naive to think that being with the same group of people for 54 days wouldn’t occasionally trigger flaring tempers and clashing personalities. But what in the moment seems to be insurmountable challenges seems only in the end to be yet another 10,000 foot peak behind us. If there is one thing that I love about Team Seattle it is that even after the most challenging of days, we wake up ready and waiting to climb the next mountain and the face the next trial that awaits us- usually one bigger and better than the last. For us, the sky really is the limit.

Before coming to Montana, people told me that without fail I would come up over the crest of a hill and see a sprawling landscape. Just yesterday, we were pushing mile 80 and came up upon a hillcrest only to see a majestic snow-capped peak in front of us framed by the pines along the road. Our ride group of five couldn’t help ourselves but to stop and take in the image that lay before us, utterly awed by the splendor and beauty of it. We clipped back in, and descended the other side of the hill, turned a corner, and to our delight saw yet another mountain, this one bigger and more amazing than the last. That, I’m told, is the essence of Big Sky Country. That, I’ve experienced, is the essence of Team Seattle. Hope.

I drove into Jackson Hole with Natalie and Bilqis in the lunch van. Much thanks to Valerie, Brandon, Bilqis, and (I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting other people) everyone else who helped call restaurants in Jackson Hole ahead of time so that we could prepare lunch for the day. It was a great team effort which culminated in a relaxed day for the lunch van and plenty of delicious and healthy sandwiches, pizzas, salads, and other foods for the riders that day. The ride into Jackson from Dubois was essentially a climb over the Tetons, leading to a majestic view at the mountaintop followed by a steady downhill. Jackson itself was actually a pretty small town, area-wise, but packed with shops and people. We stayed at the youth room in the Episcopal Church of Jackson Hole, a sweet place with plenty of couches, a huge TV/PS2, and a guitar and drum set (which ended up being our wake up call the next morning).

The next day, a couple of us took the van out to nearby Yellowstone National Park and hiked up around Jenny Lake. Beautiful sights all around as we went up mountains surrounding the river, eventually ending up around Inspiration Point, a cliff which overlooked the lake yet still sat in the shadows of the higher mountains. After agreeing that we’d been starving on the mountain for a couple of hours, Arvind, Allie, Jenna, and I went to Teton Thai for a bit of food variety. There we learned that not having spicy foods for a month means that four out of five stars on spiciness is too spicy, regardless of how well you could handle spices previously. That night, Brian arrived back from Northern Virginia shortly after his father’s funeral. Having known Brian for about four years now, it was hard to see him go home, especially given the situation and everything we had been doing during the past month of this trip. Seeing him back again so soon was inspirational for our whole team and just encouraged us all to fight on for the cause.

I slept through the whole next day…  (the first real rest day that I used to rest)

On my rest day I got to finally see Omar Bukhari and Justin Chang, my good friends on the San Francisco trip. It was really good to see them again and to hear about their trip and stories.

On the ride in we saw the second biggest cattle farm in the country. Cows could be seen for miles.

I drove the lunch van today and a huge thanks to the bank in Wray, Colorado for providing us all with Subway! Oh yes, and we finally entered Colorado.

We rode from Lander, WY to Dubois, WY which is about 80 miles. The ride was beautiful and fun. I was riding with Allie, Bonks, Chey, and Ashley. We decided that we weren’t going to rush ourselves so we went with the pace of a snail. We had an amazing downhill half way through the ride. I decided to video tape it as I went. This seemed to be a great idea when the downhill began, but once I got moving I realized I needed my full attention and both my hands. The rest of the ride was beautiful. The scenery in  Wyoming has never been boring. When we arrived at Dubois I decided it was time to clean my bike. Clayton said he would supervise me, but wouldn’t get his hands dirty. I was extremely successful if you ask me my bike was working perfectly after trying to put it back together twice. Once I was finished I needed to shower because I was literally covered in grease. Naturally I wiped some of it on Clayton because he was just too clean compared to me. After I showered the whole team went square dancing!! It was great. I danced with a man named Bill who is originally from New York and has lived in Dubois with his wife for the last 9 years. He taught me the dance and then after the first set I partnered with Nate who needed to learn the moves. He picked up on them very quickly. The whole night was a lot of fun! We are all anxious to ride over the mountain tomorrow!!

Although Ally, Chey, Chris Lubas and I climbed as a group, each of us celebrated the second summit of the day in our own way.

Yesterday, the team climbed two mountains between Sheridan and Wisdom. It took a lot out of us, and it took a good bit of time, but we made it. The thing is, it’s not just about making it to the top of the climb. It is about making it to the top with everyone in your riding group. It is about making it to the top after riding 100 miles yesterday, 75 miles today, with 30 more to go, 70 miles tomorrow, and over 1,000 miles in the next two weeks. It is about making it to the top worried about your teammate beside you whose knees are aching, the teammate behind you whose breath is short, and especially the teammate 200 miles away recovering in a hospital from serious surgery. It is about making it to the top through the freezing cold winds, glaring heat of the sun, ruthless speeding trucks, and a near-constant fear of falling.  It is about making it to the top, knowing that once you get back down, you still probably won’t have cell reception to tell your mom that you’re alive. Finally, it is about the people you encounter on your way to the top, like the motorcyclist I spoke with whose brother lost his wife to breast cancer when she was just 32-years-old. Every person on my team climbs mountains every single day of this ride, no matter what the terrain.  You can see this in the dedication circle every morning, the way we cook dinner for one another, move each other’s belongings and bicycles, call ahead to hosts and food donors, stay in contact with our loved ones back home, blog as often as we can, and, oh yeah, bike our hearts out. It takes a lot out of us, and it takes time, but we’ll make it. In two weeks we’ll be at the Pacific Ocean; tears swell up just thinking about it.

A view of Beaverhead National Forest

Jumping for joy at Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park

The days we spent in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park were incredible. The 100 mile ride from Jackson to our campsite in Bridge Bay, Yellowstone flew by as if it was only 30 or 40. Around every turn and hill there was a new landscape with a breathtaking view. The scenery went like this: forest, hill, river, lake, canyon, river, forest, hill, lake. It was crazy beautiful! I also had great riding groups, coming into the park with Jane and Julia, and then leaving it with Natalie and Valerie.

The steam at Grand Prismatic Spring, the 3rd largest hot spring in the world, reminded us of Maryland humidity.

A couple coincidences: entering Yellowstone, the couple who took our picture by the park sign told us that they’d taken our picture 3 days before- which meant they’d run into the Seattle ride! Also, we met a woman who works for a children’s oncology organization in Portland at a scenic overlook. We took down her info and hopefully will make some connection for the closing ceremony.

We had a lot of fun coming out of the park visiting Old Faithful, seeing other geysers and hot springs, exploring the visitor center, and checking out the cascades. Props go to Mo for the best solo water stop ever: wading in a stream with an army of vacationing families with small children at the bottom of an epic downhill ride. The entire time we were in the park, I couldn’t stop thinking: I can’t believe I’m here. I can’t believe we made it here!

But…

I have a stronger stomach. I’ve learned to wash clothes in the sink. I can tell direction based on the position of my shadow. I have some pretty awesome calf muscles. I have a new method of transportation. I get to see mountains from the seat of my bicycle everyday.  I can bike with no handlebars. I have finally traveled West of the Mississippi. I can construct a tent. I know how to repair a flat tire. I have 25 amazing new friends. I get to wake up every morning with people who inspire me.

I have spent a lot of time second guessing myself and searching for happiness. For the first time in a long time I feel content if not with who I am then with who I am working on becoming. I can tell the difference between things that I want and things that I need. Right now I have everything that I need and more then that I have a sense of purpose.

Right now I am in riding my bike in Montana and I am happy.

Maybe these thoughts we spurred by Brian’s return to the trip last week (yay!) in Jackson, WY. At our team meeting, Brian reminded all of us of just how amazing it is to be part of the 4k world. I remember feeling a sense of loss after having to leave the trip for a few weeks, a loss Brian said that he also felt when he left. While I wish desperately that the circumstances that led Brian to leave the trip hadn’t occurred, I am so grateful to have him back and to be reminded again what an incredible experience this is. When I was at home, I remember telling everyone to cherish and honor everyday of the trip. Now I find myself needing to be reminded of that and I thank Brian for providing me with that inspiration.

The third leg of the trip officially started after Jackson and it’s been a bit of a rough start. After having yet to complete a single century day (100 miles in one day), in the last week I have completed three! Two of the three were in the past few days and also including some tough climbs with strong headwinds.

I know a couple of people have blogged about the wonder of the wind—the way in which the wind can so quickly switch from being your biggest supporter to your biggest obstacle. On our journey from West Yellowstone, MT (just outside of Yellowstone Park) to Sheridan, MT, we experienced this wonder of the wind firsthand. We had an incredible tailwind that carried me 30+ mph on the flats (!!) for more than 30 miles until we turned and the tailwind became a strong headwind just as we hit the major climb of the day. Unfortunately that was also the day that I decided my back was feeling good enough not to wear my heavy (and sweaty) back brace. The wind quickly taught me a lesson—the back brace was doing much more than I thought it was! With the support of my team members, including Alex, Brandon, Ally, and Julia in the support vans, I made it up the mountain despite the pain. I was so grateful to see that Ally and Julia had taken out my bag with my brace inside at the top of the climb—thank you so much!

On that day, as well as the following day, I found it difficult not to focus on what part of my body hurt, how much I wanted the wind to change direction, how many miles more there were in the day…still how many miles there were left… still how many miles more… I could tell how defeating these negative thoughts were as I felt the panic set in and the tears well up in my eyes. Then I felt the stronger part of myself rise up, take over, calm myself down and put things in perspective. I began to sing songs, to notice how the white line on the road curved and twisted. Rather than dwelling of what shouldn’t be and what wasn’t right, I tried to stay in the moment and to be curious and excited about what was right in front of me.

I also thought of Brian again that day as we traveled to Sheridan. Unfortunately that morning Brian had a terrible spill on his bike and badly injured his jaw. I thought of Brian’s strength and the pain he must have been feeling at that same moment as he rode in the ambulance to the hospital. The fact that he has endured so much in the past few weeks. Today I can happily announce that he is once again back with us (just two days after surgery) and that I can still see his spirit and strength in his eyes.

More than ever before, I am realizing how much more this trip is a test of mental strength and perseverance than it is physical strength and perseverance.

Peace and love,

Jane

Anyways, he is right.  The 2011 Portland ride has the important responsibility of paving the way for all future 4K Portland trips.  And, boy, we are doing an awesome job blazing through.  Along with creating the new portion of the route, paving the road includes finding hosts in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon, figuring out ways we can reach out to the cancer community in these places, and spreading our message for the first time in a way that leaves communities inspired to continue the fight against cancer.

Not to sound cocky, but I have to say the 4K is fortunate to have the 2011 crew be the first to go through this new territory.  All 26 of Portland’s riders share similar positive qualities as well as introduce their own unique characteristics to the table.  Every one of us truly loves talking with our hosts every night.  Every rider makes it a point to tell hosts why we joined the 4K and what our experience has been like thus far, whether our audience has two or 60 people.  When someone tells us how their lives have been affected by cancer, you can guarantee that every rider will dedicate the next days ride to that person.  All of us have been stopped by random strangers at gas stations, grocery stores, even bars to be asked what’s up with our matching cycling jerseys and spandex.  Every rider will stop what they’re doing and talk to strangers, knowing the powerful impact it can sometimes have just by filling others in on our journey and mission.  Some of us like to listen while some of us like to talk (cough, Bianca, cough).  Some don’t mind cleaning/cooking and others take the role of being team photographer or technician.

We understand as rider’s of the 4K we have the big burden throughout the entire trip to spread the 4K’s mission. Although, each one of us feels like this final leg is the most important because of what it means for the future of the 4k. Let me be the first to tell you though, this has been favorite part of the trip.  The entire state of Wyoming was beautiful- not just the northern part. Hosts from Cheyenne to Jackson were fabulous, taking great care of us and teaching us about the state of Wyoming. We had a fun night square-dancing in Dubois. Cycling along the Tetons and into Yellowstone was one of the coolest experiences in my life. Montana has been a really neat state so far.  The small towns and mountains are different than any we’ve seen in the country.  So in 2011, there is the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers and the 4K’s Portland Trailblazers.

Luckily for me, the ground in Montana did not want me to miss out on Walt Disney’s sage advice and knocked in my front teeth and cut up my lips and chin when I flipped over the handlebars of my bike and hit the pavement at 20 MPH.  To be totally honest, I may have asked for it, as I tried to take my camera out of my CamelBak while riding my bike, causing my Camelbak to fall and jam my front wheel, catapulting me to the ground.

Now my handsome visage is temporarily marred by bloodied and swollen lips and exposed sutures.  I expect to get the sutures out in five days, and the doctor said the swelling would completely heal in ten.  My teeth have been temporarily straightened by wires, but I will eventually have to get them sealed through root canal therapy or replaced after the ride.  All and all it is not too bad, and I have decided to done a surgical mask to cover my injuries till they are healed.  Despite the dentist and SARS jokes, I now have acquired a set of medical scrubs far before any of my other friends aspiring to be doctors.

People have complimented me on my perseverance to come back to rejoin the ride after such an injury.  While I appreciate such comments, I do not deserve them.  My father worked for over five years while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment to support my family.  He worked in the constant shadow of exhaustion, nausea, and most importantly death.  The worst I will suffer from this injury is a week of swollen lips and some fake teeth.  If I cannot get up after such a insubstantial, non life threatening injury, it would shame my father’s efforts.  I apologize to my mother for causing her such worry so soon after my father’s passing, and for defying her wish for me to come home, but this is a personal struggle I must overcome.

It started off wonderfully with an offday in St. Louis. We stayed in the dorms of Umrath at Washington University.  I don’t think the team has ever been happier than we informed them that we would each have our own beds to sleep in with tempurpedic mattresses.

In STL, we took the team to the Arch and to Pappy’s BBQ, where we were fortunate enough to meet Pappy in the flesh! He was awesome and offered to take pictures with us.

After being fully spoiled at Wash U with the posh accomodations, we left Saint Louis soothed only by the thought of the flat roads in our future…that was until we realized that Missouri IS NOT FLAT. Whoever told us that the midwest was flat was lying. So many hills.

The next day we biked from STL to Montgomery City, MO.  This was one of the worst days thus far into the trip. We rode for over 13 hours in the heat and humidity of great old Missour-ah. We finally arrived to Lazy Day Campgrounds at 8pm, ate dinner, and then went to bed in our tent. Little did we know that the adventures for the day had just begun.

Nancy and I were awakened by thunder, lightning and 60mph winds at 4 in the morning. As I reached out of the mosquito net to try and hold the tent’s rain cover from blowing away, Nancy called our director Steve to ask what we should do. As he told us to stay in the tent, another rider ran over to our tent and told us to evacuate. The entire Portland ride was ushered into our vans as a tree was toppled by the wind and landed in between two tents that were approximately 20 ft away from each other and as another tree lost a large branch that landed on a thankfully empty tent. As the weather was too vicious to ride in, we were shuttled to the next site in Fayette, MO.

After two fairly easy days, we are currently sitting in the Kansas City Public Library where the team is trying to catch up with all of our missed blogging.

Things we have learned in the past week:

• Place your bags in the corners of tents so you do not blow away.
• Dont place tents near trees.
• Subway is SO much more delicious after biking.
• We <3 Chipotle.
• Slurpees are ridiculously awesome.
• Beds spoil you.
• Water resistant is NOT the same as water proof.
• Inspiration to finish a tough riding day can come from anywhere.
• Ice is a commodity, not something to be taken for granted.
• My sleeping bag > others.
• Everyone should buy an LL Bean Sleeping bag.
• DEET is worth it.

Physically the ride was not too terrible, but it was a mentally challenging day for most. The van drivers forgot most of our food supplies in a refrigerator at the Gilda’s Club in Louisville and were also largely unsuccessful finding food. This meant a lunch of a quarter of a subway sandwich. While the sandwiches were good while they lasted, they were not nearly enough after our first 80 miles so we ended up stopping at a Wendy’s to supplement our lunch. After our brief refueling with hot chicken sandwiches, spicy nuggets, and a large Pibb, we were infused with the energy to finish the day strong. We were also helped along by the fact that we had been mentally preparing for a huge mountain that was supposedly at the end of our ride today, so when it never showed up, we were happy to finish out the last 5 miles.

Dinner tonight was provided by the First Baptist Church of Vincennes. They served us a delicious meal of beef stroganoff, salad, pasta, baked potatoes, ice cream and cookies. We are so grateful. Best meal of 4k so far.

The golden arches of McDonalds on the top of one of the biggest hills welcomed us into Frostburg. The first half of the ride was pretty easy but the route got much hillier towards the end. Compared to yesterday, today was a breeze.

We got in pretty early and spent the afternoon cooling off in a stream, doing bike repairs, doing laundry, and catching up on some well deserved sleep. We capped off the night with a team meeting (touchy feely circle). It was really inspiring to hear what everyone had to say. There have been moments of tension within the group since the ride began, but this really brought everyone back together and reminded us of why we’re all doing this. The heat and mountains have been really hard on everyone.

Day 4: YMCA – Ligonier, PA (Van duty)
Day 5: Camping at YMCA – Slippery Rock, PA (87 miles)
Day 6: Westminster Presbyterian Church – Youngstown, OH (50 miles)
Day 7: Trinity Cathedral – Cleveland, OH (76 miles)
Day 8: Rest Day – Cleveland, OH
Day 9: Berean Baptist Church – Mansfield, OH (105 miles)

2714.9 calories burned

Day 10: Camping at Delaware State Park – Delaware, OH (52 miles)

Day 11: Cancer Support community – Dayton, OH (95 miles)

We have improved so much since Day 1. Yesterday, we went at a ridiculous pace and ended up biking 95 miles in around 4 hours but it was a very sad day for 4k.  We lost one of our strongest riders, Jane Williams. While pulling into the first water stop, she met a patch of gravel, fell off her bike, and fractured her L1 vertebrate.  I (Nancy) rode with her in the ambulance and we spent the day at the Dublin Methodist Hospital.  It was really hard to see a friend go through so much pain and have to pull out from the ride.  We dedicated our ride to Cincinnati today to Jane.  We love you and will miss your fun injections and poop shaman-ing!!

I (Luke) don’t think that either of us have ever gone through something like that. It felt like doing one legged squats for literally hours at a time. There is nothing worse than finding the willpower to keep biking up until the next bend hoping that it will all be over when you reach it, to realize in one swift second that the road just keeps on going. This happened at least 5 times up the first mountain and by the second mountain I was too busy looking down at the road to even think about where the top was. Although the climbs were almost (although not really that almost) worth it because of the downhills afterwards. I hit 40 miles going down the first mountain. That’s twice as fast as the speed limit for cars! I was really scared that I was going to hit a small rock or something on the way down and get flung towards the farthest reaches of the forest. Luckily that didn’t happen.

Getting up the last mountain of the day was one of the most challenging things I (Nancy) have ever done.  After riding at an incline on the lowest gear for half an hour at 4mph I fell off and started walking my bike with Natalie and Katie.  It felt like we were actually being baked alive.  We were also running low on water and no end was in sight.  At some point we became delirious and began forgetting each others names.  We hit a new low when we ripped our jerseys off and ran across the parkway to run our bodies under a trickling stream of water.  It looked like we had never seen water before in our lives.  Saying that it was hot outside is an understatement.

We also had a bit of a mental problem with some understatement about today’s route from our director Steve. He promised us respite after the first mountain, that the road would lead us 3 miles down hill then become flat for the duration of our ride until the next mountain. Steve has a much different definition of “flat” than most us, and it turned out to be just a bunch of smaller, yet incredibly hard to climb hills. They would have been doable under a normal riding day but after the mountains most of the group didn’t have anything left in the tank to keep on chugging.

Upon arrival in Bedford, PA, our final stop for the day, we were treated to nice showers at a local high school, some delicious food in a church (pasta, meatballs, garlic bread, orange cake, apple crisp, devilled eggs, salad, etc), and AIR CONDITIONED rooms to sleep in. There is seriously nothing that either of us can appreciate more than air conditioning after a day in the sun.

We are both super sore. Tomorrow should be fun

We weren’t ready for this…but we worked our butts off and our group managed to be the first ones back, just in time to unload the vans.

We’re staying the night in a church gymnasium but its way better than it sounds; free wifi, brownies, chips, fruit, salad, fried chicken, and mac n cheese.

The ride was tough but we’re looking forward to tomorrow.

Here is a quick recap of the last few days:
We had a rest day in Jackson, WY and saw the Tetons, a majestic group of mountains just outside the town. The sight of the Tetons was easily the most beautiful thing I’ve seen this entire trip and possibly in my entire life. Brian also returned to the team. It was so great to finally see him after about three weeks. Next we headed to Yellowstone National Park where we camped out for two very cold nights. Yellowstone was also incredible due to the wildlife (bears!) and magnificent geysers. My first day back on the bike was a 71 mile ride out of Yellowstone. Although a little tired I was so happy to be riding again and thoroughly enjoyed the views I was able to see. Tomorrow we will have a short 50 mile ride to Missoula, MT.

In Jackson I had the opportunity of meeting a lovely woman by the name of Kathy whose store I happened to walk into as I was exploring the town. We got to talking about 4K and she told me both her parents had died from lung cancer. Not only that but she knows many other people affected by cancer including her friend Diane who is currently battling cancer. She then proceeded to give a donation to the 4K cause. In honor of Kathy, her parents, her friends, and Diane, I dedicated the next day to all of them.

Outside of Yellowstone I met a woman who had a family member, Shawna, recently pass away from cancer so I dedicated my day to her.

A couple days ago we had another misfortune fall upon our team. Brian, who just returned to us, had a nasty fall and “took one to the face” (in his own words). He was taken to a hospital in Idaho where he underwent surgery for a fractured jaw among other things and returned to us a day later. Personally, I think Brian is insane. Not only did he refuse morphine in the hospital but he rode in the water van on his first day back and did a spectacular job of it. I think the real reason I consider him completely crazy is because in reality I’ve just never met a person as strong as Brian. As everyone on this team has repeatedly said- Brian is such an amazing person despite all that has fallen on him. He is a role model for all of us.

One last quick shout out goes to Chris Young, who is our unsung hero when it comes to accompanying people to the hospital; Bilqis, who spent the last two days staying back (really REALLY far back) so I wouldn’t be riding alone; and finally Bianca and Lubas who helped me fight my way up a mountain yesterday with their smiles and encouraging words.

The ride from Green River to Capital Reef national park was long (95 miles) the scenery was stunning but scarce and the heat was close to unbearable, especially for the last 35 miles. 

Hot and sweaty we entered the campsite and became one with nature. A bustling place with no showers, a few of us chose to bathe in the stream (a definite bonding experience) while others opted for a hose. After my refreshing dip in a slightly silty river Emilie and I headed to the apricot orchard, 100 yards from my tent, and picked some fresh from the tree as a pre-dinner snack. Meanwhile deer roamed freely around us truly unbothered by our presence. 

I dedicated the day to my aunt and her family who I want to give big shout out to. They have been amazingly supportive of this whole trip and I wouldn’t be here without there help. 

Our ride out of Capital Reef was tough from the get go. 35 miles of grade 6-10 % climbs. 4000ft gain to a 9600ft summit. A fantastic 25 miles descent into red rock canyons, terrifyingly beautiful drop offs each side! A 3mile climb at the end if the day under a hot unforgiving sun made it one of the most physically challenging days of the trip but on arrival at the campsite everyone was in surprisingly high spirits. 

I dedicated the day to my mate from home Pippa K, one of my best friends and a donor who lost an aunt to cancer. She helped me get through a tough one.

Escalante to Bryce Canyon should have been an easy 47 mile trip but my body was exhausted. My my back and neck are complaining as are my knees and wrists and calves….. The tough two days before had taken a kit out of me and the trip here was 47 miles to long, so I am now much enjoying a day off.

Arches National Park was truly awesome like landing on Mars, everywhere you looked were natural rock formations including Delicate Arch (photo to come/on my facebook, but google image it too) a beautiful arch of orange rock formed over the centuries. We even got to see the moon rise over the valley below which was an indescribable experience.

The night ended with a trip to the midnight premier of Harry Potter, the lack of sleep was worth it, not only for the film but also as it was nice to do something reasonably normal. Life on 4k is far from real life.

Our last night in Colorado we feasted like kings and queens thanks to the church that gave us dinner. Grilled chicken and full corn in the cob, made for a great meal. Also got to meet some of the community including Holly, who woke up at 4 the next morning to open up Main Street Bagels and feed us breakfast. I dedicated my ride from Moab to Green River to her Grandfather – EZY Boy – who lost his battle against cancer a few years ago.

On the 13th 7 of us had the opportunity to visit the Grand Junction cancer centre and meet Debra. The centre provides great  facilities for patients alongside treatment such as art classes and yoga sessions. Alongside meeting Debra who does an amazing job taking care of and helping out so many people we also had the pleasure of meeting a number of current patients. Speaking to them was a great motivation and a reminder of why we get up and bike each day.

There was one older women in particular (who I was sorry to not get the name of) who had such fight and liveliness in her eyes. She was so excited to hear about what we were doing and pulled us into a group hug, in which I struggled to hold back the tears. Sometimes when you are biking the heat and the hills get to you and the “why” gets forgotten, so to those of you that we met thank you for giving us back the “why” for the last leg of this trip.

There is nothing to say about Brian other then he embodies all the qualities that I admire and strive for in myself. Never have a met someone so brave and so selfless. Minutes after falling Brian was already joking with the EMT via note and trying to convince everyone he was alright.

Brian may be the youngest member of our team but he has demonstrated on numerous accounts more bravery and maturity then I have ever witnessed. While the views I have seen in Wyoming and Montana have been beautiful, and the stories that I have heard from strangers and friends have been truly encouraging I have been most touched Brian and team Portland as a whole. This experience, this journey, and these people have changed me forever and I am so thankful for that. Alright back to entertaining our fabulous van driver Nate so that we stay awake after our almost 24 hours in the van together.

Cycle. Inspire. Unite.

me and marci at bryce canyon!

I have to admit I was pretty nervous about entering Utah. Id heard nothing but unpleasant things about past 4kers experiences in Utah. But up to now its been pretty amazing.

Our first day was in moab which was just a few miles from arches national park. We went to the park in the early evening so we could watch the sunset. The hike was a bit longer than any of us were hoping for, our walking abilities have all gotten pretty sad. But we fought through, passing tourists in flip flops and sundresses and we trudged up with camelbaks in tow. Even more amazing than the sunset was the moon rising over the arches.

From moab we biked through some other parts of Utah that I honestly can’t remember, but we did have some excellent bread and cheese. If only there was midride wine. Now we have a day off in bryce canyon, the most ridiculous caricature of American life, but were going to the canyon now so that should be awesome.

Also, I bought some rockin Utah socks that have the arches on them and day Utah! on the bottom. They may be more enthusiastic than I am.

*cool breezes and shade when it’s over 100

*warm weather after being stuck in the cold and hailstorms for 2 days

*tailwinds

*cold water

*showers

*laundry

*descents

*completing a big climb

*any place to lie down

*any kind of food available

*stretching

*smooth pavement

*gas stations

My main role will be to provide support for the riders as they finishes their amazing 4000 mile journey across the United States. I am excited to hear their stories of success, struggle and ride dedications; and in turn, share them with you via our new video story telling initiative – 4K Voices.

I speak on behalf of the entire 4K for Cancer organization and Board when I say how proud we are of this year’s riders. It will be honor to be with them for the next two weeks.

The ride was pretty good with Zack, Rosemary, Maria and I. Maria had some trouble with her leg again today and had to stop after the first 20 miles. It was a tough day of climbing, especially at the beginning and end.

When we arrived at Bryce Canyon there were all kinds of signs for things to do. This is a typical tourist trap but offers a ton of fun things to do. We may check out horse back riding tomorrow and definitely the canyon. It will be fun to hike again tomorrow.

After arriving at the campground we went to scout food. We got some good donations from the Ruby Inn that owns mostly all the shops here. I am so excited for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. We had dinner at the Western fast food and my turkey sandwich was fantastic with the french fries and cherry coke. I am so thankful.

When we got back to the campground the fire began. Meg started it and I decided to step in and help a little. The boys collected wood and soon enough we had a beautiful long lasting fire. Brian from the Ulman Fund is here to join us and this has to be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable nights we have had in the trip. It is so wonderful to just sit around and enjoy everyone’s company. Thanks for another great time 4k.

Roll on!
Megan

What I got out of this ride, however, definitely tied together the challenges of this trip and the parallel challenges that cancer brings. You never know what to expect, parts of the journey are going to be excruciatingly painful both emotionally and physically. Some parts will be easy, like riding downhill with a tail wind and some will be more like riding uphill on gravel for miles.

Today was hard. But I am so happy for finishing the ride. Maybe it will make the other obstacles I encounter less daunting. I feel that if I made it through this, I can make it through a lot more than I thought.

The day started a little rough bc I had a soft tire. It started as a slow leak and progressed into a flat after the first water stop. I checked the tire and there was a small metal sliver which I pulled out then I replaced the tube. It has held strong ever since. the flat did not start the day off well and my patience was a little thin for what was to come. The day was full of rolling hills, extreme heat, and very windy conditions. It was tough but as always, we made it.

When we arrived at the host, the camp site was so cool. There were all offbeat apricot, chestnut, and apple trees around to be picked. It was so fun to eat fruit fresh off the tree that was so delicious. The night did not get too cold and it was really great to sleep under the stars again. Basit, Justin, Ganesh and Alanna were good enough to prepare the pasta and hot dogs. There is not much around so easy pasta always fills our bellies.

The next day we knew there were some big climbs ahead and tried to prepare ourselves. It has been a challenge this week with the terrain and dry conditions, but one more day to fight. My dedication went to Anita and Fred who are Codys aunt and uncle. They are such wonderful, down to earth people to have in life. They are always there to support the tough times and to celebrate the good. Again I am so fortunate to be jointly such a wonderful family!

The 4500 feet or so we climbed at an 8% grade really proved to be as hard as we expected. It was a lot of fun chatting with Alex and Adam and meeting another cross country rider, Eric. Meeting and interacting with new people to see what made them want to ride is always a lot of fun.

The descent after reaching the peak was really magnificent. It was so much different than the descents in the Rockys because here it is dry mountainous. It was full of small green bushes, rocks, canyons, and sand. So wonderful.

Omar was good enough to get a dinner donation so we had a cheeseburger and come waiting just before the petrified forest national park. That burger was amazing and I really could have eaten 5. But all is good. I bought a bag of beef jerky and enjoyed every piece. When we got to the camp site it started to rain but all the flies were up on the tent so we just had to secure them. I am relaxing now and ready for some sleep. Until tomorrow!

Roll on!
Megan

Finally did laundry today! Can’t wait to bike in a clean jersey : )

Our last few days in Colorado were complete with beautiful scenic rides and warm, welcoming people. After a day off in Glenwood Springs, where we got the chance to go white water rafting down the Colorado River, we rode 75 miles into a small town called Paonia. We were greeted by the United Methodist Church and their wonderful community who has been hosting 4K for several years now. We had a huge homemade dinner and I was lucky enough to sit with the distinguished speaker of the night. Felix Belmont was a 1940 graduate of Johns Hopkins University and lost his wife, Pauline, to cancer 8 years ago. He spoke to us about his days in Baltimore and his appreciation for what we were doing. It is always so nice to hear, that is exactly what keeps us going on the days when the heat is beating down and all we want to do is give up.

The next morning we continued on with an 80 mile ride to Grand Junction. We got to stay in very nice dorm rooms at Mesa State University– with TVs! It was so weird being able to sit down and watch TV, I feel so behind with everything. We went to another community dinner that night where we met even more amazing people. This time I got to sit with a sweet and spunky 88 year old woman who had more energy than I did. She was about 5 feet tall, had short white hair and was dressed in pink from head to toe. Her shirt read “I’m not a rockstar, but I party like one,” in red and blue rhinestones. Her name was Shirley and she survived breast cancer three times. She was wonderful. She spent the evening giving myself and a few other girls tips on how to take advantage of everything in life and live it to the fullest. At 88 years old she still travels the country visiting friends and making new ones. She was unforgettable and I will continue to keep her vibrant spirit in my thoughts for the rest of my life.

The next day, myself and 7 others visited the cancer center at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction. We got a tour of their beautiful facility and were able to visit with some of the cancer patients while they were receiving treatment. The first lady that we were introduced to was in such great spirits. She immediately jumped up to greet us and thank us for what we were doing. She then had us all give her a big group hug and said to us, “I’m going to make it. I’m a fighter, and I’m going to make it.” That is exactly the kind of strength we are all working to inspire in cancer patients everywhere. Having the strength to get through the dreaded side effects of treatment is sometimes the hardest part. It was so great to hear that and see the strength in her eyes.

As we moved on, the next person I spoke with was an older man who has been fighting bone marrow cancer for 7 years. 7 years of living with this awful disease. He comes to get treatment about every ten days and has yet to give up his fight. We spoke with him for awhile, learning about his life and letting him know that he is not alone and that his strength is exactly what we are fighting for.

The lady that was giving us our tour is also inspirational. Her name is Debra and she is a skin cancer survivor and is now in charge of survivorship at their cancer center. This hit close to home with me because I chaired the survivorship committee for Loyola’s RFL for two years and it is something I’m very passionate about. She works to make cancer patients’ journey before, during, and after treatment as enjoyable and bearable as possible. Her job is extremely important and deserves a ton of credit.

After our visit, we were off to Moab, UT. We had a day off here and were able to explore two national parks: Canyonlands and Arches National Park. They were both incredible. It literally felt like we were in a different world. We were able to see the sun set and the moon rise over Arches National Park. As Alex and I were trekking back to the van in the dark, we came across another couple who was struggling to find the path back. We began walking and talking with them and telling them about the 4K and soon learned that the woman was a breast cancer survivor. It still astonishes me how prevalent cancer is. There is someone different that we meet every day that has been touched by cancer in one way or another. Although it is always nice to hear the appreciation for what we are doing, for once it would be nice to come across someone that has never had cancer effect their life.

The other highlight was the huge downhill we had for about 5 miles on 14% grade. We were bombing down into the canyon, and it felt like we were touring another planet. Maybe Jupiter, due the colors. I didn’t have a working bike computer, but I’m guessing I hit mid 40′s on the downhill, seeing as some riders were able to break 50mph. It sounds scary, but it was like a rollercoaster, it was great.

I can’t believe we only have about 18 days left.

Did somebody put this here as a joke? -Alex Hinch

We did our circle up this morning and my dedication went to a very good friend Stephanie Moore and her family. Steph is one of those friends you could call anytime and pick up right where you left off. She is a very driven person with one of the most sincere hearts you will ever meet. She is in PT school now at ETSU and she is going to be wonderful. I am so proud of her and I am so lucky to have her as a positive influence in my life. Can’t wait to get back and catch up! Love you Steph.

Our host had a dedication to her 2 sisters who are both breast cancer survivors. They live in Tennessee and I told her I do now as well and she just gave me a hug. It is amazing how just a little bit of commonality can bring people together. It was a really great feeling.

We hit the road after not waking until 7 becuause of the short ride today. It was only 50 miles and there was not much of anything going on in the scenery. It was a lot of desert and dry heat. It was pretty funny in the last 2 miles we had 4 flats. Out of no where. Well it was funny in one sense and pretty frustrating in another. But we made it to the host, a community center, and had a dinner soon prepared. We had turkey sandwiches and some pasta that filled us up before our leg 3 pow wow.

The stories of our inspiration were different as to be expected. Everyone focused on the terrain, but more importantly the unity of the group. It is so much fun to have the group together and experiencing all of this. It does not matter about the beginning or the end, it is about the journey and making the most of what you are given. This trip is so beautiful and I hope we all continue to impact and inspire people like we have done with this experience. It is truly an amazing and a beautiful thing.

Now it is night time and tomorrow will be another great day. I am really glad my mom sent nasal spray and Vaseline in a care package. Let the nose bleeds begin with this dry air. O well

Roll on!
Megan

Utah is beautiful but I’m definitely not in love with it the way I was with California. Yesterday, we had a day off in Moab and we went to Arches National Park. I’d seen arches in pictures before but that’s really nothing like how it looks in real life. It was breathtaking.

After arches, a bunch of us went on a crazy adventure to see Harry Potter at midnight. We had to backtrack to Grand Junction, CO, an hour and a half drive, but we made it happen. I had basically resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn’t be able to see it until Cedar City, but when I saw people getting all excited about it in their Facebook statuses I had to find a way. I biked today on roughly 1 1/2 hours of sleep but it was completely worth it. Harry Potter was my childhood. I grew up with him. I always kind of hoped I’d get an owl inviting me to Hogwarts. And now it’s all over. Luckily, we were able to work our own kind of 4k magic to be able to see it.

Tonight we had our pow wow for leg 2, since leg 3 has now officially started. A pow wow is basically this thing that we do at the start of the trip and the end of each leg where we all sit in a circle and say what has inspired us to get this far. For team san fran we all have a pretty similar feeling that we would not get anywhere without each other. The 26 people with me everyday are the biggest inspiration I could ask for. I get on my bike everyday just in awe of how far we’ve come. I look around me at the beautiful scenery and I can’t believe that this is happening. This is a once in a lifetime thing that we’re all doing and we’re not just doing it for ourselves, we’re doing it for a cause. Spectacular doesn’t even begin to describe it. I don’t think that anyone could every really understand what I’m trying to say unless they got on their bike and did this trip. It’s amazing.

Am I rambling? I might be.

In other news, I got a large slash in my almost brand new tire today and I will be driving the van tomorrow so I can try to fix it/hunt down a new one. I’ve made a California playlist to entertain the riders at water stops. Songs include: California Girls by the Beach Boys, California Gurls by Katy Perry, Hotel California by the Eagles, More Bounce in California by Soul Kid #1, Going to California by Led Zeppelin, and, of course, Save Me San Francisco by Train… Among others.

Also, I have to give a HUGE thank you to the Harveys for their absolutely amazing care package. It was the best surprise I could have asked for. The 6 pound bag of gummy bears was demolished by 4k riders in less than 24 hours. (see attached photo of us being gluttonous.)

With another beautiful day, 7 of us headed to Canyonland national Park. The canyons were labelled as islands in the sky and they were truly magnificent. It is crazy to think how rivers dug these canyons and are continuing to do so today. A park ranger told the story of Powell and his cohorts in the exploration of the canyons. It was very cool to hear about the Green River, the Colorado River, and others that made a major impact. I could not imagine being an explorer and discovering something to that magnitude. The west is a divine beautiful mystery.

This afternoon we went to Hogi Pogi for lunch and I had a turkey and cranberry sandwich. This was of course adjoined by way too much icecream. It was good going down though.

After that I decided to walk back to the host and got a great sticker for my bike from Moab. I decided to begin filling out post cards, do a section of study, and make phone calls home. It is going to be tough upcoming bc of service and lack of outlets to charge. It will be ok though. Just a couple weeks.

I was feeling prety tired so decided to take a nap before we headed to the arches. I made a little oatmeal and several people went to subway for dinner. We then headed out to the second national park of the day and man was it beautiful. We were able to see some windows up close before we made the 1.5 mile hike to the delicate arch. It was so perfect. Like nohing I have ever seen in my life. It was so neat to watch the shadows rise up the structure allowing the full moon to show it’s beauty. Wow. We are all so lucky to be experiencing things like this. It was fun talking to people walking in and out the rocky terrain and telling them about our group. It is so wonderful to see the awe in peoples faces knowing what we are doing. They almost always follow with tons of questions and it is very inspiring to have that interaction.
After heading back in the dusk then dark Bunny and I had a great conversation. Tomorrow is her 23 birthday so happy birthday Bunny! Another birthday celebrated on the trip. Birthdays are a celebration of life I will do my best to never take for granted. This is something I have definately learned on this trip.

Now it is time to reorganize myself to get back on the road tomorrow. Another amazing story to put in my mental library of memories. Thank you 4k and thank you to everyone supporting this cause.

Roll on!
Megan

Our days off in Yellowstone were rough but still exciting. We were stuck in 3 hailstorms and it rained most of the time we camped. The nights were absolutely freezing and got me thinking about how I am going to handle the even colder weather in Glacier soon. We were able to layer up to a point but of course, I was still pretty cold.

I find it amazing that we only have 21 days left. I feel like I just started. I am starting to get a little homesick though. I’ve been kind of emotional this week for various reasons I know people back home would understand and it’s hard to find that same support here. My team is wonderful and has helped me out immensely, but I still have that pull toward my friends on the east coast. I am still loving every day and don’t wish to be anywhere else, but I am also happy that I will have something else to look forward to after August 4th. I can’t wait to see what the next few weeks will bring : )

at canyonland national park

We headed out in a group of Bunny, Tom, Marci, Emily and I and the beginning went very well. The terrain was very pleasant and easy. When we were on 70 for about ten miles we hit the Utah sign. I cannot believe we rode to Utah on our bikes. It really hit me seeing that big beautiful sign. The group continued on at a great pace and it started to warm up in the afternoon.

When we reached more canyons the temp dipped a little with big black clouds rolling in. We were stuck in no mans land wih no service, no shelter and no other options. We stopped to put our jackets on and valuables in dry places and headed on. We were rained and hailed on with extreme wind for about 15 minutes before it passed. The lightening was about 5 miles south of us so that was the most important. Tom and I had rear red flashing lights so we stuck to the back of our group. We stayed very close the whole time to be more visible as well. It was definately tough but we did what we could.

The sun came again and it was almost like it never rained within about 30 minutes. Amazing. The Colorado River we rode along had some elevation and it was so cool to see the water rush down to it. The last 20 miles of the day were so wonderful. Tom and I were talking about how we don’t know how to describe it in words. It was all straight up and overwhelming. Just like in the pictures but in real life!

We reached Moab safely and got to the host ably 2 hours before the following groups. The other groups were in a good spot to stop so the storm held them up. We showered at the aquatics center and met up with people on the team who did community service. I found out the USA beat France in the world cup semis and will play in the championship against Japan Sunday! Go USA! I am going to switch drive days I think so I can watch the game. Hopefully I can make it! Bunny, Marci, and I went and did laundry which was a relief. It is tough when you don’t have that many clothes so laundry is great

After the whole group went to the local brewery and had a 25% discount. I got the Moab burger and it was a lot of fun. I have to remember to relax sometimes when I get really hungry I definately try to push the issue. I guess that’s what happens after 102 miles. But we had a great time and went back to the host after. I was really tired and decided to not stay up too much longer and hit the hay. Can’t wait to see stuff in Moab tomorrow!

Roll on!
Megan

When in Paonia we were warmly greeted and really well fed. The Hopkins students amongst us were given the chance to talk to a 1940s alum! Kyler made us feel at home, along with all the other members of the community. An awesome spread of pasta salads was presented and a trip to the local ice cream store finished a great day and led to bed by 9pm. 

I dedicated my day to my Grandma an incredibly strong woman and a great supporter of mine.

To inspire and unite

June 28, 2011

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We had our dedication circle with many visitors this morning that was pretty special. My dedication went to Codys other grandmother Jo Anne. Her husband battled cancer and she has to be one of the strongest people I have ever met. She is always so welcoming and believes in everything she does. Thank you for all of your sweet words

We headed out with a couple local riders, Bill and Mike. It was really neat to ride with them to hear more about the community and what brought them to Paonia. It seems to be a place people from all over find to call home. That makes it very fun with the diversity of culture and general tolerance. They took us around the Great Masa which apparently a top 10 climb in the country. Very steep. I spent a lot of time talking to Mike and he had very wise words for me. He said do not worry about commercialism and write your story. It does not matter what you have or what your salary is, but make yourself happy and do as much as possible. It is about what we do, not what we have. I think people like to say that they do this but it really is a tough thing to do. I am very appreciative to his words and support in our cause. I look forward to see where this road takes me

As we journeyed on the scenery became muh more arid. It was as if the face like features of the rocks in the canyons were beginning to be filled in with sand and dirt only leaving the eyes of faces in some places. The plateaus were so beautiful and again something I have never seen in person before. How neat. I also saw an elk farm and buffalo farm heading out this morning. Again what a sight to see in person. I am so lucky to have this opportunity.

The ride became pretty desolate the second half and Pants, Adam and I were keeping a pretty good pace. This was all until I heard this strange tapping coming from my bike. I found I had a flat and was just going to pump it up to get to the water stop only about 3 miles away. Then I saw the fish hook. My lucky day to have a fish hook in my tire in the middle of a desert. At least the hook caught something. I could not pull it out in fear of ripping my tire, so Adam waited with me while Pants rode ahead to get the van. When the van came I took wire cutters to get the hook while I then pushed the remanded out with my fingers. No needle nose pliers on hand. I then took a dollar bill and folded it while then placing it in the interior of my tire between the tire and tube. I got a new tube and reassembled the tire in no time at all. Back on the road with 23 miles to go it is still holding up!

When we arrived at Mesa state university it was a very good welcome, the dorms are amazing! They are very new and so awesome. I was able to close a door and sleep in my own area tonight in a suite style dorm. So nice to have some privacy.

We then had a true summer dinner at a local church. We had grilled chicken, corn on the cob, salad,’steamed broccoli and a fruit mix. Hosts and communities treat us so well. It is so amazing to be a witness of so much generosity.

Now I am goig to read and close that door to have a good nights sleep! Utah tomorrow!

Roll on!
Megan

this is my new friend kyler… his grandpa is the pastor at the paoinia methodist church where we stayed last night.  everyone there was so so hospitable and welcoming.  they’ve been hosting 4k riders basically since the ride started.  they kept thanking us for coming there, when i thought it would be just us thanking them for having us.  they prepared us a delicious dinner and then kyler and his grandma led us down to ollie’s ice cream shop which serves the most delicious homemade frozen treats.

this morning the church members whipped us up breakfast burritos.  we then set off for a 70 mile ride to grand junction.  i rode with phoebe, alex, omar and alana.  it was definitely a long day but we had a lot of fun.  tonight we’re staying at mesa state university in the most beautiful dorms i’ve ever seen… seriously it looks like a hotel!

tomorrow we cross into utah…

To maintain tradition, we all took pictures on top of the 4K rock which was a few miles after the 2 mile high marker.  It was so exciting seeing everyone standing on top of the rock, like we were on top of the world as well as really becoming rooted in 4K tradition. To me that rock is like a pact, a pact made to never give up, a pact that anything is possible if you try.

The feeling  I had reaching the top and getting to the welcome center was nothing I ever felt before. Upon entering the welcome center, I found every rider who was already there and hugged every single one, and hugged everyone who entered after me. This was no time for simple high-fives, we really accomplished something. EVERYONE finished. Just 40 days ago, people were struggling; we had days where we needed to shuttle people, not today, not on the hardest day of the trip. We all ROCKED the Rockies. We all showed that we can do anything, really that anyone can do anything if you stay focused, have support, have patience, and persevere.  I couldn’t be happier and more proud to be a part of this group.

We stayed at the top, relaxing and enjoying the view. At one point, we looked out the window of the welcome center and saw that we were over a rainbow!

How awesome is that? Actually being on top of a rainbow shows how high we were and was just so surreal. Eventually we started our descent sometime after 5pm. The first part of the descent before reaching the continental divide was rather scary.

The roads were wet, parts were covered with snow melt, and a dense fog loomed over the mountains decreasing visibility. Despite the increased anxiety and adrenaline, it was still a nice reward for climbing to the top. After the continental divide, the scenery was beautiful and the wildlife was bountiful.

All in all BEST DAY EVER

The ride to Jeffrey city was really beautiful. The amazing landscape in Wyoming has been a surprise. I am not sure what I expected from Wyoming but I was not anticipating it to have the most amazing scenery of the trip thus far. Everyday the land changes presenting us with mountains or vast fields. The one consistent element of Wyoming has been the wind but even that is made bearable by the beauty of the land.

We stayed the night in the Baptist Church in Jeffrey city. Our hosts at the church were very gracious and we had a nice time talking to them. The only true annoyance was the crazy amount of mosquitoes. I have never in my life been ambushed by so many insects at one time. I am now covered in bites.

Today Alex and I drove the water van (I drove and she directed and DJ’d). It was a nice break for both of us and despite no cell reception everything went smoothly. We arrived in Lander Wyoming (population over 6,000!). Today was the first time in three days that we have had access to legitimate showers which made everyone very very happy.

I have realized that the 4k is all about fulfilling basic needs. If everyone has enough food, enough sleep and a shower (this happens on occasion) then everyone is in a good mood. The night after our wonderful stay in Yuma everyone came in with the largest smile having had a good dinner a bed and a shower. I have found myself daydreaming back to the shower and beds in Yuma often over the past four days.

It is amazing to think that the trip is passing so quickly. As of yesterday we had twenty eight days remaining. On one hand this feels like a lot and on the other hand I have already realized how much I will miss this experience. I think that sometimes I take for granted how lucky I am to get to go on an adventure like this and it is my goal to live every moment of it to the fullest.

Just a quick shout out to Kristol: We all miss you! We are so happy that Nate is coming back today and can’t wait for Brian to return too. Alright I’m off to help with some pasta preparation but I hope everything at home is well and I miss and love everyone.

The ride started off with a steady uphill as we were doing what I hate heading against the flow of a river. The incline was not too noticeable, I am just hitting a spot in the ride where I am just getting tired. But only 2 more ride days and some good sleep and everything will be good

The rocks looked much different today than the canyons we saw a couple of days ago. In the canyons the horizontal layering and red color are so impressive. Today the scenery was much greener. It is amazing what diversity this state shows in it’s landscape. Absolutely stunning.

About half way through the ride we started to climb. It was a 3 mile stretch but we climbed a couple thousand feet reaching the top of McClure Pass at 8755 feet, about 3500 higher than when we started. It was a very hard climb but offered amazing views of the river and distant mountains. The east side of the climb was very steep, but we enjoyed the west side where for about 20 miles we cruised at a very comfortable grade downhill. That was a lot of fun to come down. I have to give a shout out to Maria. She was really struggling with pain in her leg after reaching the top of the mountain but faught through and finished the day. Her fight is wonderful.

When we arrived at the host, we first passed by many vineyards and some local brewing places. I always think it is so neat when places have local things they are proud of. Makes things interesting, unique and fun. The host at the Methodist church were all full of smiles when we arrived. They are a previous host and were so excited to have us back. They took us down to a rec area to shower and then we came back for a feast! They had so many veggies and salads to enjoy. They also had sliced turkey and wow. It was so nice to have a healthy meal. We also lucked out with lunch today because we had sandwiches donated and tons of fruit donated thanks to Toms hard work. The apricots, black cherries, apples, nuts, etc. were so good!

A presentation was given and an alum of Hopkins gave us a visit. He was a 1940 graduate and that was pretty special. After we headed to Ollies, a local ice cream shop, and I had a couple scoops of the almond joi. That definately tipped off the day on a good note. Now I am getting myself organized to read and go to sleep. Until tomorrow!

Roll on!
Megan

In the past few days I have had a sudden influx of free time, something that was a rarity on the ride.  This also brought a feeling of emptiness and lack of purpose.  Since the beginning of the summer my daily life has been driven by all aspects of the 4K mission, to cycle, inspire, and unite.  I cycled everyday to commute to the next host and continue along our journey towards Portland.  Through my daily struggles with wind, heat, and hills I tried to inspire those who were fighting cancer to not give up.  And through all this, I tried along with my fellow riders, to unite everyone in the battle against cancer and to strive for a cure.  While these may sound like lofty goals, I worked to accomplish them not for just for the people I met along the ride, but also for my father who had been battling brain cancer for over five years.  It is already hard to support a family of four, but to do so while fighting a debilitating disease was a feat that struck me as being almost superhuman.  Every time the going on the ride got tough, I thought of all the things my father was struggling against and that thought gave me the extra spurt of energy, the additional determination to push through.

But after my father passed away so soon after my arrival back home, I became disenchanted with what I had been working towards on my ride.  How could I possibly compare a cancer patient’s ordeal with radiation and chemotherapy with the looming shadow of death to my trivial struggles on the road that at worst resulted in a leg cramp?  How could I even imagine that I was making a difference when I couldn’t even help the person I dedicated my ride to?  I felt as everything that I thought I had accomplished this summer had been worthless.

But then I remembered the faces of the people we talked to at the Hope Lodge.  I remembered the smiles on their faces when we told them what we were doing.  I remembered how touched my friend had been when I said I dedicated my ride to her grandmother who recently passed away from cancer.  I remembered all the supportive teammates I had, and how they were still riding for me and my father.  I remembered all the struggles we faced and the feeling we celebrated when we persevered.  There was never a meaningless moment on the 4K ride, and there was never a moment where we did not achieve something.  My father may have lost his fight, but it does not mean there is no hope for others.  He spent his moments in life with concern for others, trying to make sure my mother, my sister, and I were taken care of when he was gone and there is no greater tribute to his memory than for me to do the same.

This is why I decided to come back and finish the ride in his honor.  I will continue to strive for the same goals that I did at the beginning of the ride, and if anything I will try even harder.  My father taught me to show concern and care for others, both in life, and even more so in his passing.  So as I rejoin my team in scaling the Rocky Mountains and down into our final destination of Portland, I will continue to ride for my father and everyone else who has been affected by cancer.

Once we started the climb, I focused and got into my zone. Music and the encouragement of the van drivers kept me going the entire way up. I had expected a 20 mile climb, so when I reached the peak at 14 miles I was ecstatic. I had never been so excited to see those of my teammates who had already made it to the top. Our surroundings were covered in snow, so needless to say, after the initial wave of excitement, I was freezing in my spandex and rain jacket. The first part of the descend was awesome because of the beautiful view and because I was moving much faster than 6mph. Half way through, it started the hail. Luckily, we found the lunch van shortly after the hail started. Then the rain came. I tried to enjoy the descend and not having to pedal, but I couldn’t stop shaking. Once we got out of the mountains, the temperature rose slightly.

We stayed in the music room Saratoga High School that evening. Being indoors was fantastic after being frozen all afternoon, but once I took my gloves off, I saw that the mosquito bite on the back of my left hand had expanded to the size of a clementine. I have been slowly losing feeling and mobility in my left hand the past few weeks, so once I saw the swollen mess all I could do was laugh. The knuckles that once pointed out were now small craters. My left hand was actually kind of convenient for it served as a pillow for me later that night since I did not have one on the trip.

Day 20 (June 17th) – If you’re reading the other blogs you’ll know that Day 20 has been coined “Ozark Day,” as we finished our climb through the Ozarks in Missouri.  It was a 105 mile day into Springfield, Missouri and was likely the toughest day I’ve had on the trip.  The whole day was filled with hills, scorching heat and dogs.  Finally making it into Springfield as the sun was setting was a great feeling, and it was made even better because nearly all of the riders made it.  Lots of hugs and picture taking ensued and we had a nice night off and awesome hotel rooms to stay in.

Day 22 - Happy Father’s Day!  Dedicated my day to my Dad who has always supported me and allowed me to grow into the person that I want to be.  Best Dad ever!  Today we had a 112 mile day into Girard, Kansas.  The state sign for Kansas was pretty lackluster but we were excited to leave Missouri.  It was another hot day but I had fresh cleats (my old ones had worn out from walking on gravel so I couldn’t clip in to my pedals) and new gloves so I was feeling good.  When we got into town I talked to a newspaper reporter and stopped at a Sonic for some food and drink.

Day 23 – Drove the mini-van today and it was meant to be a short 55-mile day.  However, we got our first taste of Kansas winds and the bikers looked like they were struggling in the 35+ mph winds.  It was nice to be in the van though and enjoy the big Kansas sky.  We found a church to stay at as we were supposed to camp but it was going to storm overnight.  We had a great cookout at the local park and we were even treated to a Hula show by a local Hula group!  Who would have guessed it?  The storm that came through was pretty epic and most of watched it for a bit.  Half the sky was bright and half was pitch black and the sky that was pitch black had lighting blasts at least every second.  It was like nothing I’ve ever seen.

Day 24 – Last day of Leg 1.  I’m happy for the leg leaders Nick and Phoebe who were given a very tough leg to manage.  It was a 90-mile day into Wichita and I dedicated my ride to a friend of the McBride family, Michael Vesey.  The ride was nice as I had my iPod speaker out and we saw some great scenery.  The big rolling hills of Kansas had started and we saw a ton of livestock. Riding through the city of Wichita was fun and we were the first group to make it to the host, Wichita State University. Day off tomorrow!

Day 26 – Today was a nice 50-mile day into Hutchinson, Kansas and I dedicated my ride to the Ferrier family’s dedication - Mike and Helen Ferrier.  Got a flat tire from riding over some glass and Zac and I had a hell of a time trying to fix it.  Caught back up with the group and we came upon a giant haystack which Zac and I climbed and took some pictures.  We got into Hutchinson around 2pm and we found the rest of the team hanging out at a Mexican restaurant.  It was nice to have some free time during the day and we checked out the town and laid around the church that we were staying at.

Day 27 – Gross alert!!!  The last couple of days I’ve noticed that a giant sore had been growing on my butt but it wasn’t affecting my riding too much until today.  I literally couldn’t even sit on the saddle so I just decided to try and break the 4K record for number of miles biked while standing (~15 miles).  I dedicated my ride to Timmy Dunn’s Aunt and Godmother.  Made it 20.6 miles before I sat down but alas another rider Justin crushed my record just a few days later (props to Justin).  It was a good 63-mile day into Salina, Kansas and the scenery was amazing.  We took a lot of pictures, got to know each other better, and made it into town fairly early.  I ran to the walk-in clinic for my issue and got some antibiotics.  Later we had a nice Italian dinner with some community members and even gave a 4K slideshow presentation!

Day 28 – Dedicated my ride today to Kate Jacob’s dedication, Rosemarie Aulson.  We were flying today and made it to mile 60 by 11:15.   The terrain was very much what you would expect in Kansas and we could see for miles.  The last 15 or so miles were very tough as we had to take a gravel road and the wind that made the 98 degree heat bearable disappeared.  When we got into Great Bend, Kansas we passed a water park which our awesome hosts eventually got us into for free!  It was nice to feel like regular people and spend a nice summer afternoon by a pool.  Our farmer’s tans really appreciated the opportunity to catch some rays.

Day 29 - My sore had gotten so bad that I decided to take the day off and give it a chance to heal.  Tom and I had an awesome day in the van and it was one of the best non-biking days I’ve had on the 4K.  When we got into Hays, Kansas we all hung out and relaxed and I shaved my face with the exception of my mustache (more to come on this later).  The team had a nice night out in Hays and a day off!

Day 31 – Dedicated today’s ride to Marian Leitner’s dedication, Medea McEvoy.  We had a 90-mile ride into Alma, Nebraska so that we could camp at the campgrounds there.  The views were phenomenal and the weather was perfect.  I don’t like camping that much but if there was ever a night to camp, it was tonight.  We had a nice evening there and got treated to a great meal from some of the local Relay for Life ladies.

Day 32 -  We headed back into Kansas today and had an OK day.  Things started off fine but it got very hot by the afternoon and we were struggling at the end.  Made it into Norton, Kansas and stayed at the local high school.

Day 33 – Today was a really rough day and I dedicated my ride to the father of my sister’s friend Amy, James Brown.  I think we ended up doing 103 miles in 105 degree heat.  My body was hurting, there was a strong cross wind, and there were plenty of big hills to climb.  It took us a while to finish given the heat although we did make a pit stop in Bird City, Kansas for some ice cream.  By late afternoon the air was so hot and thick that I couldn’t even breathe through my nostrils.  By the time we got to the high school we were all dead and I just laid on the floor for at least an hour and didn’t move.  We were treated to an awesome dinner at the local church and gave a 4K presentation.

The special thing about today was that my uncle Jim came to spend the day! He met us at the rafting and it worked out perfectly. He joined our crew and we were down the river. We spent time on 3 rivers today, the Crystal river, fork something was the second, and finally we ended on the Colorado River. I have never been on a level 3 before and it was awesome! We encountered about 7 or 8 rough patches in the 15-20 mile ride but nothing was too bad. We all rented wet suits to protect from the 45 degree water so that was a big help for the splashing. Jim and I sat in the front so we got extra wet but man it was an awesome experience. We saw grey herrons and bald eagles along with a couple other animals of nature

After we arrived back at Whitewater rafting, I returned my suit and got dressed to head to lunch with Jim. My Aunt Margie had spent time skiing in Aspen, about a thirty min drive away, so we headed there for lunch. We ate on a roof top at a restaurant called Ado’s and the chicken and cherry salad was delicious. I miss hearty salads so that really hit the spot. It was nice to pick Jims brain and learn more about Margie and family relationships. He pointed out where the ski lifts were and we walked around Aspen a little. Now I have seen the famous town! Very cool.

After lunch we headed to see the natural springs here in Glenwood Springs. They were really glorified swimming pools and I was a little disappointed but nonetheless, we saw them. We both needed a pick me up so went to a local coffee shop and sat down and talked. It was a lot of fun to just catch up and figure some stuff out. I am very thankful he made the effort to come here.

For dinner we went to a place right on the river and I had lobster! I have not had lobster in forever and it was perfect! Lol Jim helped me figure out some of the exoskeleton cracking and man it was good. He brought me back to the church after and I caught up with Cody and my Mom on the phone. Man I am such a lucky person to have the people in my life that I do. This ride really magnifies how thankful I am and how appreciative I am for the efforts people make in my life.
But it has been quite I day and I must slumber so until tomorrow!

Roll on!
Megan

Speaking of that, today was white water rafting day. Most of the group went on the river and we had a great time. It was an early wake up, but we had to leave the church before their services began anyway so no big deal. After rafting we had a pretty great meal at a local brew pub and now are all about to sleep. Colorado is a very cool state, with fun things to do and great views seemingly around every corner. The one question I have is where does all this rain come from? Ever since we hit the mountains it seems there is an afternoon shower. At this very moment there is rain coming down on an otherwise lovely day. Any answer for why that is?

Tom

We left the campground and headed southwest to Norton, KS. Yes, we went back into Kansas. I dedicated this day to the Relay for Life team that made us dinner the night before. Relay is something I participated in all four years at Hopkins and I loved being a part of it, so I want them to know how much I appreciate all that they do for the community and for us. It was a short day, only about 45 miles. But, the evil headwinds returned. How soon we forgot about them… well, they reminded us why we hated them so much. It definitely wasn’t as bad as the ride the week before, but the wind slowed me down considerably. Along the way, Megan and I took a detour to a small town just off the main road to see if we could watch some of the women’s World Cup game. The town reminded me of a movie set ghost town… I was actually surprised to see people walking around and cars parked in the streets. We were unsuccessful because of the Presidential Address, so we got back on the windy road. We all stopped at the Dairy Queen across the street from the school on our way in, then we napped the afternoon away in the hot gym. Dinner was paid for by the city council at the Pizza Hut across the street. Just by walking there, I felt like I was sweating so much that I needed another shower. The heat wave was upon us and we would be biking through it tomorrow.

On Thursday we woke up at 3:45! In my normal life that’s about when I go to sleep… I have never woken up that early. But, we wanted to leave as soon as it got light enough so that we could knock out as many miles as possible before the heat got really bad. The predicted heat index was 115 degrees and we were biking 105 miles! There was a certain mood that morning as we packed up our sleeping bags. We knew that today would be tough and that it would take a lot of mental strength and a lot of water to get us through the day. We ate a delicious breakfast outside in the dark, made for us by the Lion’s club. They joined us for our dedication circle, and asked some of us to dedicate our ride to some members of the Norton community suffering from cancer. I dedicated my ride to Jessica Porter of Norton, and I hope that the battle I fought that day will help her in her own battle. Because, this day we pretty much faced everything that is a biker’s worst nightmare… heat, wind, AND hills, and a lot of miles on top of that. The wind was the worst in the morning, which was unfortunate because we couldn’t get as many miles done before the afternoon heat. Though, Vanessa and I did finish 60 miles by 12:00. The last 45 seemed to take forever. The heat really picked up and I felt like I was biking in an oven. It was stifling and there was no escape from it. The wind also came back and usually it provides a little relief from the heat, but it was so hot that it was like being blown in the face with a hair dryer. I was constantly drinking water like it was my job and just counting down the miles until getting to the host. When I was about 5 miles out, I had gotten separated from Vanessa and I started feeling cold and I realized I had stopped sweating. Recognizing these as signs of heat exhaustion, I chugged some more water. I was so close to the host and I relied on pure adrenaline to get me there. When I got inside I sat on the floor and drank a whole bottle of water. I was the second person to get to the school but at first I couldn’t find anyone and I wandered around wondering if I was in the wrong place, or if maybe I was hallucinating. Finally I found some people but it was just very strange. We had a community dinner that night – one of the best dinners so far – at a nearby church and we gave another presentation. It had been a very long and tough day but almost everyone finished. I’m amazed at how far everyone on our team has come. There’s no way we would have all finished this day if it was in the first few weeks. This is the toughest group of people I’ve ever met and spending every hour together pushes me to get through every obstacle.

Tonight we’re headed to Cody, which is our last night before we reach Yellowstone. I’m currently chilling at our lunch stop in the gazebo out front of a retirement center where they let us fill up on water and use the bathrooms. I can honestly say that this is the first lunch stop we’ve had in a while that’s at an actual establishment, which is nice. The last couple of weeks have been a lot of breaks on the side of a road with our tarp tied up for shade. It’s a bit of a culture shock being out here, but I still love this trip.

Yesterday at lunch on the top of the mountain, we met a family who was on an RV camping trip through the Make a Wish Foundation. Mika, their 13-year old son, is a cancer survivor, and it was great to meet him and talk about our mission. The team took a picture with him, and it was definitely a feel-good moment to speak with him–especially when he thanked us for riding.

When we started out it was a very cold morning with lots of cloud cover. The terrain was very hilly and my legs were so fatigued from the previous days of climbing. The thing that made it the toughest was that about 50 of the 70 miles yesterday was on compact dirt and gravel. It had rained the night before so the dirt was muddy in some parts. But we all worked really hard and we were rewarded with purple mountain and red canyon views. It made you feel very small, and as Lisa said, humbling. Riding along the Colorado river was so beautiful. The sights out in the west are so different than the east in their own beautiful way.

We could not ride the last 20 miles because of the river flooding the bike path. We shuttled the end of the ride bc there was no alternate route and got to the church, Glenwood church of Christ. It is a very nice church with carpet to sleep on, always a plus. We continued to unpack our things, shower and figure out our packages and t-shirts. I am very excited to mail these shirts we ordered home.

For dinner we went to a southwest grill, Moes that was absolutely delicious. I love moes and I was really excited about the Joey Bag of Donuts. For the most part after dinner we all spent time together relaxing and having lots of laughs. Tomorrow we are all very excited about the day off and rafting. It is going to be great!

Roll on!
Megan

After a day off in Glenwood springs, we rode into Paonia, Colorado. The first 30 miles we relatively flat and had some beautiful canyon views. Aside from a few pressing digestive issues that may have been linked to a surplus of fiber-rich clif bars, it was a good morning. The next 10 miles included a short 3 mile climb and then an awesome 10 mile descent. The remaining 20 miles were flat or downhill, and the views were spectacular. It was a great end to a day that turned out to be pretty spectacular.

Group Of Bike Riders Surpassing Donation Goal

POSTED: 6:44 pm MDT July 12, 2011
UPDATED: 7:02 pm MDT July 12, 2011

Instead I woke up at 6:30 AM hopped in the van and headed to Lander, the next town on our trip. Lucky for me I am working on calling hosts today with Bianca instead of sitting in the prison that others like to call the lunch van. In Lander we happened to walk past the office of the local newspaper so we told them about the 4K mission and scored an interview.

Later today we will be picking Nate up. The team is on it’s way to becoming whole again!

In honor of July 11th, aka one of the greatest days of all human existence, I would like to dedicate today to two of my best friends who donated to the cause and love free food almost as much as I do- Diana and Jackie. A special thanks goes out to Jackie for all the donations she got for me from her friends and family, most of them who have never even met me. I definitely could not have met my $4,500 goal without her.

I’ve been looking forward to med school for the last two years, but am still feeling sad, missing all of the 4K team and disappointed that I didn’t complete the journey I began.  My last day with the team in Boulder was jam packed (pun intended) with what we call ‘jelly moments’** (here’s a small sample):

- Seeing the Rockies as we approached Boulder and then up close as we got into town: on the 4K I lived day to day, wake up, bike, spread mission, eat, sleep.  There wasn’t room for much else.  Early in the trip we frequently dropped phrases like: ‘when we get to the Rockies it will be…’ or, ‘I wonder what the Rockies will be like compared to the Appalachians’ but I never thought about what it would feel like to see a mountain range that I knew was 2000 miles away from where I started.  The sky was a clear blue with a little bit of fog in the distance.  Nothing could hide the dark, rocky mountains in the distance…sheer beauty.  I took a deep breath as we got closer and savored the fresh, crisp taste of the air.

-  While biking in rural parts of the country, on empty roads, we usually don’t get to tell the few drivers that pass us why we’re riding or where we’re headed.  On foot, in a bustling town like Boulder, there are plenty of people that notice a group of 25 students wearing blue biking jerseys walk into a restaurant and are curious about our mission.  At Mountain Sun, Bill and his friends asked us what we were up to.  After a short description of the ride, he invited me to sit at his table to tell them more.  Soon, Arvind, Lipinski and Brandon joined me to talk about why we ride and the highlights of the trip so far.  Bill and his friends told us about how cancer has affected them; Dave’s* father is currently battling pancreatic cancer. Together, they donated $300 to the 4K.   At the end of the evening, we were unprepared for Mountain Sun’s cash or check only policy, and agreed to mail them the rest of our tab in the ‘Karma envelope’ they provided.  A few minutes later, our young, hip waitress, told us that the manager believed in us and our mission and would comp the rest of the bill.  Instances like these, where complete strangers feed you, provide you with a place to sleep, comfortable bed, a place to shower and companionship when we were all so far from home, from where we started and so close to feeling insecure and jumping on the next flight home, were the gooiest, stickiest jelly moments of the trip.

To all the people that I rode for, and those I met along the way, thank you for inspiring me to get as far I did.

Karen Gardner, Dorothy Holley, Crystal Wilson, Sam Yu and Kamna Auntie.

Until the 4K team makes it to Portland, my heart will be with them rooting for and wishing them well throughout the tough terrain of the west.

* changed name

** The term ‘jelly moment’ originated during 4k training and orientation 2011 in a difficult to remember anecdote by David K. Conover. The term describes an instance that stirs warm and fuzzy feelings inside an individual or group of individuals.  These instances are often remembered forever.

Riding into Boulder

At the summit there was a boy on top named Micah who was a cancer survivor who was on a Make a Wish trip. I thought that it was so cool that he was there the day we made that  climb and was able to get a picture with us. His face just lit up as he talked to us and I thought that was pretty neat to see us making an impact then and there.

The climb itself was hard, but so beautiful. I didn’t stop for more than 10 minutes the whole way. I just got into my rhythm and kept moving forward. I just can’t believe sometimes that I’m doing this and it is the rewarding feeling of a climb like that, that I live for. I’ve been going through some rough emotions and this ride is what I needed.

107 miles tomorrow. Can’t wait.

Yesterday we rode from Laramie to Saratoga and experienced our first taste of the Rockies. During the ride I think it is fair to say that I progressed through almost every possible emotion and temperature. At the bottom of the hill I was filled with excitement about the coming adventure, about 5 feet up the hill I was questioning my sanity, at about 100 feet I was marveling at the breathtaking beauty of the scenery, at 300 feet I was wondering how to best preserve my remaining Gatorade. Riding down the hill was also an adventure. After zipping down the switch backs and playing in some snow on the side of the mountain it started to rain. The rain promptly switched to hail which had me questioning whether my life had become some sort of cosmic joke. After a soaking lunch break during which I managed to drop an entire tray of sandwich’s Mo, Alex and I prepared to finish our ride to Saratoga.

Before climbing the mountain I relayed to the team the message that my cross country coach would tell us before we raced in highschool. He would always tell us that “your mind quits before your body, and that your body quits before your heart”. At the points on the hill when my mind told me to quit I reminded myself that my body could keep going. When my body felt as if it couldn’t climb anymore I thought of the names on my calves and the people in my heart who I ride for.

One person that I ride for is my mom. My mom is a thyroid cancer survivor and underwent a minor procedure to have a lump removed from the back of her head two days ago. The procedure went well but it really meant a lot to me that so many fellow riders also kept my mom in their thoughts. Another person who helped me through the hill was Brian. Brian’s father passed away the other day after a long fight against cancer. Brian’s stoicism in handling his fathers death and his courage to support his family have really inspired our team. I also kept Nate’s grandmother who passed away the same day as Brian’s father in my thoughts.

While riding, working, living and eating with 26 other people is sometimes a challenge I am so proud to be a part of the Portland team and so inspired by all of the other riders. Mo inspires the team everyday with her positive attitude, constant smile and devotion to her father. Clayton, who decided to do the ride in memory of his father, is always eager to connect with our hosts and spread the 4k message. I admire Jane so much for her tenacity and spirit coming back to the ride after a broken back and climbing to the peak of the 10,000 ft mountain. Natalie shows such perseverance returning after a severe bout of mono. The passion, love and courage of my fellow riders is really what keeps me going everyday.

I would also like to give a special shout out in this message to Andrew. Andrew is a patient of my stepmother who is currently battling a rare form of childhood cancer. While climbing mountains I try to channel the bravery of Andrew. Andrew deserves a chance to grow up, to learn to drive, to go to prom, to fall in love, and to go on adventures (ie riding a bicycle across the country). By biking everyday I hope help give him that chance.

I immediately called the crew to tell them the good news and everyone was so happy for me. I couldn’t stop smiling all day—I felt like a new person! No longer weak…no longer handicapped. I was free!

The first few days of riding have been absolutely amazing…and hard! It’s pretty incredible how much of your strength you lose when you’re off the bike for four weeks. The first morning back on the bike my legs were cramping up before mile 10. Thankfully I had the wonderful support of Arvind who rode with me that first day. Arvind is the perfect companion to my racing mind and constant worrying. “Just take it one day at a time, Jane. You’ll be back in no time.” I took Arvind’s advice and decided to just stay in the moment. To enjoy the feeling of being back on my bike before getting to the worries about how the next few days might feel. And it felt AMAZING.

Unfortunately when we arrived in Cheyenne that afternoon we received the incredibly upsetting news that Brian’s father had passed away that morning. None of us could believe it. We sat in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, our host that night, in silence, with tears streaming down our cheeks. All of us felt the pain of our fellow rider, Brian. After seeing everyone sitting in separate corners of the room, heads down and faces red from crying, I suggested that we all come together to support each other and to support Brian. We huddled together, holding each other close and holding Brian and his family in our minds and hearts.

Later that day, we received the news that Nate’s grandmother, Catherine, had also passed away that day from cancer. I couldn’t believe the news. That night I went to sleep early, feeling both physically and emotionally exhausted. I lay down and felt the weight of Brian and Nate’s losses.

To both Brian and Nate and your families, please know that you are in my thoughts and in my heart. I am wearing Sam Yu’s name and Catherine’s name written on my legs. Their spirits are helping me get through these first few days on my bike! More than ever before, I feel the purpose and importance of what we are doing. To watch my fellow riders lose family members has put this journey in a completely new perspective. I not only ride for my friends and family members from home. I ride for my new family: my fellow riders.