phyllisxcountry

The Last Day

2008-05-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

The last day vibrated with energy - knowing we were at the end gave everything a heightened sensibility. The group rode a gentle, flat 40 miles to the St. Augustine fire station. I hosted the last sag stop at 20 miles but everybody was too keyed up to pay much attention to food and water.

At the fire station we lined up by twos according to age, oldest riders at the front. The St. Augustine police escorted us the final 7 miles through town, onto Anastasia Island, and to the end of the road and the Atlantic Ocean.

Joyous faces greeted us. Many riders had family and friends cheering our arrival. I spotted Zack (my 23 year old son) in the crowd and broke ranks to give him a huge hug. I cannot express my joy at being in the presence of total support and unconditional love. Thank you Zack - you rock - not to mention looked handsome as hell.

We dipped our tires in the ocean, raised our bikes in the air in triumph, and took a zillion pictures. We ate a picnic lunch with family and friends.

We rode to the local bike shops only to discover that somebody had neglected to remind them we were coming and they were all out of bike boxes for weeks. Once more, Michelle to the rescue, and by dinner time our bikes were being shipped.

Final banquet - speeches - hugs and kisses - many genuine tender moments - some awkward moments - I'm not ncessesarily at my best at these things. Back at the hotel a small group heads out for Mojitos and Latin dancing. I grab Zack and join them. He is so cool! He dances with everybody and we all have fun.

The next morning there is much laughter outside my door. I hide in my room. I can't handle any more goodbyes. I don't want any more awkward moments. It's over. It was challenging, it was wonderful. I am looking forward to TransAmerica.

From Fast to Slow to All Alone

2008-04-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I rode with Candice, Dawn and Sandra. They are the meanderers. They take their time, smell (and photograph) the flowers, and are often the last riders in. It was a GRAND day. 84 miles felt like nothing - really, truly. The weather was sunny and warm, but not too warm. The wind was at our backs. The roads were flat and silky smooth. Wild flowers were in bloom by the roadsides. Huge swathes of intense yellow bending in the gentle breeze, magenta, light purple and red.

Sandra and I both got flats and holes in our tires and Candice repaired them with dollar bills (all without ever taking the wheel off the bike, no less). She has got to be one of the most cheerful people I have ever met. We visited Itchy-something springs and got milk shakes at Floyds. It was a perfect day.

By the way, when I rode with the fast pace line my average was 15.5 but that was because I was lolligagging by myself before I joined up with them. When riding with them we were doing 18-19.

Tomorrow is the last day of the trip - we ride into St. Augustine, but today was my last real day of cycling because tomorrow I sag. I will get to ride the last few miles to the beach where we will dip our front tires into the Atlantic Ocean. I rode with the fast people, I rode with the slow people, so today I decided to ride alone. I focused on the motion of my body moving on my bike. I paid attention to how I felt, how comfortable I've become on my bike, and how strong.

For the last 20 miles I rode with Arda and Jan which was nice because I rode with them during the last part of the 107 mile day and they really helped get me through it.

So here I am, almost done! We have cycled on interstate highways with giant Walmart Trucks whose passing whoosh tugs at your bike and on deserted winding back roads. We have climbed hills topping out at 17% grade and cruised miles of flat. We have ridden into head winds so strong they nearly defied forward progress and have been buffeted by frighteningly powerful gusts. We have been nudged along by friendly tail winds. We survived hot, humid, days in the high nineties, sweat stinging our eyes, and freezing rain that turned our hands and feet numb.

I have seen thousands of cans by the side of the road. Invest in Bud Light. I have cycled by levees, and farms, and falling down houses with expensive cars parked out front. I have seen thousands of horses but only once have I seen somebody riding one. I have seen the "Southern Tier" of this country in a way you never could from a car.

Tomorrow we ride to St. Augustine and have our final banquet- stand by!

Happy Again / Bike Seat Blues

2008-04-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take too much to make me happy.

Today I rode in a pace line with 4 of the stronger riders. The ride was 52 miles and I averaged 15.5 - way fast for me. This is not something I accomplished on my own. A pace line allows you to go faster because the front rider cuts the wind. I am psyched because I was able to keep up (although I was not able to lead) and I am getting more comfortable in a pace line. Thank you to Ellen, Hannah, Mary and Judy.

By the way, it rained. Only our third time to ride in the rain. We have been most fortunate with weather.

I am also happy because my eating has been better. That always makes a big difference for me. Being with the group and eating well for my body has been a balancing act. I just passed on lunch at an Italian restaurant. I would have enjoyed the comeraderie but the picky way I order irks some people and Italian is tough in the first place. Sometimes it is hard for me to know what constitutes taking care of myself.

Bike seat blues. After my last tumble I had to replace my right shifter/brake mechanism. The bike shop put my bike on a rack which necessatated moving the seat and I haven't been able to get it quite right since. First it was too high, then too low, then twisted a smidge to the left.... I haven't had any real body problems on this trip but since the seat thing my left calf has been cramping, my left quad had been sore and my right hip has been achy.

So last night I treated myself to a massage and it was great, a structural integration type massage. The fellow was a great masseuse with a great life story. Robert was in a head on collision with a drunk driver who was killed. Robert was told he would never walk again. A judge awarded him the drivers estate, 2.4 million, to be used to make himself as whole as possible which was fortunate because the insurance companies pretty much refused most treatments as "experimental" because they considered his case hopeless. He learned of a French doctor who replaces vertebrae with ceramic prostheses and artificial disks and he was able to fly the French doctor to this country to get the surgery. Robert also has an artificial hip and other parts (I can't remember all of them). He had to give up soccer but he bikes - has done a few centuries - and because structural integration was a big part of his amazing recovery he found a new career.

Tomorrow is an 80-something ride, the day after is 70-something, then the last day! Even after all this riding I still feel a mite apprehensive when the next day is a long mileage one.

I really appreciate your comments! Hearing that another sag driver took grief, another person swam with a cell phone, another rider whose best friend was her bike, friends who take the time to follow - well - I feel cheered by every comment. Thanks!

Florida Panhandle

2008-04-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Three days ago I felt unbelievably strong! My legs were bursting with energy! I went flying by people who I usually work to keep up with. It was glorious and great fun.

But yesterday and the day before were awful. My legs felt heavy and weak and I had no energy. I couldn't keep up with people who I usually pass with ease. It was hot and humid and there was a headwind - but that was the same for everybody so I don't know what was up. It was discouraging.

Why are some days so fun, easy, and filled with vitality - while other days you just slog away?

Today I sagged and had a run in with two of the riders. I do try to serve with cheer and patience and most people are appreciative but these two women got really angry with me about a misunderstanding about where I was going to be and when - and I have a very hard time with anger being directed at me. I am shaken. I spoke with Michelle, our guide, about what happened and she supported my actions and told me she had taken similar grief. That made me feel a bit better.

We are staying at Wakulla Springs in the Florida Panhandle, near Tallahassee. Many of the women went to the state park and went swimming and on a boat tour where they saw egrets, alligators, mullets and lots of wildlife. As sag I sat in the hot Walmart parking lot. I have to keep reminding myself that the money I saved by sagging bought me my wonderful Serotta bike that has made riding these many miles such a pleasure. And tomorrow is a rest day so I do get to go to the state park!

Less than a week to the end of this adventure - I cannot believe I have (almost) cycled across the country. Thinking about going? Go!

Mississippi to Alabama to Florida

2008-04-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

We spent a wonderful day off on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The sand is sugary, soft and white. The water is 73 degrees. Our condos were right on the ocean! Oh my - heaven. (To a beach person like myself.) Between our condo and the beach were two pools, quite lovely when lit from below, but pools nonetheless. Most of the women chose to loll by the pools which is totally inconceivable to me. I played in the ocean and walked on the beach. Walking on the beach is on my "top ten" list.

Shrimp. I am totally ruined for shrimp. The shrimp in Alabama is fresh and what a difference it makes. In Boston it always comes previously frozen, no matter how high end the fish market. It's expensive and tastes like cardboard compared to the shrimp here. I bought shrimp at a market - the woman said her two sons support their families as shrimpers and she sells all they catch. She steamed them for me (mild, medium or hot) for $5.75 a pound for medium and $7.50 a pound for jumbo - and man oh man were they amazing.

The Alabama coast was beautiful. We rode into Florida but it was unmarked because the sign blew down during Katrina three years ago. Mary's brother in law owns a condo on the route and he painted a big "welcome Mary" sign and draped it over his car, so that was our welcome to Florida.

Florida - our last state! Hard to believe we have just one more week and we will have traversed the country. I think you could pop me down on a stretch of highway and I could look at the road conditions, the road kill, the plants, and know where I was!

Tommorow is a 90 miler but I am thinking of adding 10 to get in a third century ride. I am feeling so strong on my bike. The biggest hurdles for me have been social, in some ways feeling like I'm back in high school, and dietary, being away from the foods that keep me feeling safe and nourished and instead being surrounded "binge" foods. But dealing with these challenges has been strengthening too and I am already thinking about my next bike adventure.

Upsidedown in Mississippi/Bayou Sara/Thoughts

2008-04-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we rode into Mississippi. Margarita party! (every time we cross a state line).

I needed those margaritas (yes, I had more than one) because I took another header. Either my front tire blew or I hit a big bolt in the road, I went flying over my handlebars, scudded down the road for quite a ways, all the time thinking, "when I am going to stop skidding so I can assess the damage?"

I bloodied my knee, elbow, side and shoulder, abrading large holes through my bike shirt and my skin. I hit with such impact that the road wore right through my handlebar tape and proceeded to wear away some of the handlebar itself. But once again I was lucky - nothing broken. The first two cars that went by offered assistance but I declined. I was determined to fix my flat and ride on.

And I actually did fix my flat (for the first time all by myself and while injured!) but I had damaged my pump in the fall and was unable to inflate the tire. Eventually some other riders came upon the scene, fetched the SAG, and I sagged in for the day. My bike needed some attention to be rideable and some more before it will be all better - but I was able to ride today - 75 miles into Pascagoula.

St. Francisville, Louisiana, - a few days back we had a rest day in this charming and historic town. Some of us stayed at the St. Francisville Inn, a lovely old Victorian building. I inquired of the innkeeper about the history of the building and was surprised to discover it was built by Mr. Wolf, a properous Jewish citizen. Turns out there was once a large Jewish population that established a settlement called Bayou Sara. One of the philanthropic Jewish citizens built a high school for the town which is still standing, although in seriously deteriorating condition. There is also a synagogue - boarded up. And a Jewish cemetary that is maintained by the lone surviving half-Jewish citizen. Nobody could tell me what happened to the once thriving Jewish community of St. Francisville.

Short thoughts:

Dogs. Yesterday two riders were bitten by a dog. They went to the ER and are fine. Now that we are in more populated country there are more dogs and more dogs running free. Candice blows her whistle and it stops most of them in their tracks, although one doberman appeared to be deaf, resulting in the fastest ride of her life... Sue squirts her water bottle at them. Kat sweet talks them.

There was one incident where Candice was blowing at the same time that Kat was sweet talking which made for a very confused dog.

Debbie invited one to chase her and the poor little thing (it's legs couldn't have been more than 4 inches long) kept up with her for a mile at 18 mph. Eventually it couldn't even bark and we felt so concerned that Micki, who was sagging for the day, drove it home.

Our longest day - 127 miles. Most of the women did it! Some did most of it, between 100-127. I was bummed because it was my day to sag. Actually I was fortunate because Carol rode the first 63, and voluntarily sagged the second half so I could ride the second 63. Thank you Carol! Still, I was a little sad that I didn't get to go for it.

And the bridge we were supposed to cross was OUT. Very out as in largely non-existant. Most of the riders carried their bikes over a hairy, high, falling apart bridge, and rode on. It was a great adventure. As the sag I had to detour around, boring.

Many of the women are feeling ready for the trip to be over, a little home sick, variations on these themes. Some feel tired, miss their own beds, husbands, friends. While I share some of these feelings I cannot say I am ready for the trip to be over. I feel as if I could go on forever.

Crawfish, Crayfish, Crawdaddies and a nun

2008-04-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Guess what? They are all the same thing! (Except for the nun).

They look like small lobsters, about 4 inches long, and they are boiled in oil, spices and jalapenos. To eat them you tear off the tail and peel it. It's a lot of work. You are left with a tiny but delicious piece of spicy fish. To get a "meal" takes hours. The generally recommended "serving" is 5 pounds per person and eating them would be the evenings entertainment.

We got to try boiled Cajun crawafish last night when a local Woman Tours alumna showed up at our hotel in Oupelousa with 60 pounds of boiled crawfish and a nun.

(The nun happens to run the school she works for - but I just couldn't resist saying "60 pounds of crawfish and a nun.")

Louisiana: many roads have cracks with grass growing out of them, drivers have been patient and courteous, honeysuckle blooms by the side of the road, road kill now includes turtles and snakes, roadside restaurants include gumbo and etouffe, fewer Bud Light cans by the side of the road than Texas, lots of loose dogs. Speaking of dogs - I would have expected to find big tough macho dogs but a large percentage of the dogs chasing us are of the small and yappy variety.

Tomorrow we cross the Mississippi River! Because the river is flooded the ferry we were scheduled to take is not running. Instead the group will be sagged in two groups in a three hour round trip to St. Francisville where we have a layover day.

Bye Bye East Exas, Hello Louisiana, the rock

2008-04-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

We cycled out of Texas yesterday, crossing the Sabine River. There was a sign saying "Welcome to Texas, Proud home of President George W. Bush." One woman, a very successful business woman it should be noted, got a picture of herself mooning the sign. Yes, we are getting quite uncivilized, peeing everywhere, exposing out behinds at the slightest provocation. (Not that I consider W a slight provocation).

A woman who had done this ride last year greeted us at our hotel with gumbo, pulled pork (pulled tofu for me), pralines and Mardi Gras beads. We celebrate each state line with Margaritas so it was a festive evening.

The terrain is now flat. Our maps don't even bother to show elevation profiles. The ride today, 90 miles, went through lovely back roads with crawfish farms and rice paddies. The weather was high 60's and sunny, so Kat and I decided to do a century - our second century! And I am not even particularly tired - me, who never even wanted to do a century!

I wasn't going to say anything about what is happening at home but this entire experience is colored by it. My husband has basically stopped functioning, stopped going to work, stopped communicating. He has positioned himself so that he is eligible for neither unemployment nor disability. There is a real possibility of losing the house I have lived in for 30 years, and since my pottery studio is in my house, that means losing my job too. As much as I try to stay in the moment I feel as if I am walking around with a huge stone around my neck, day and night. It affects my ability to sleep, my ability to interact with others. I don't want to dwell upon it but I want people following my blog to know.

Thanks for your love, support and comments!

East Texas and A New First and Weight

2008-04-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today it rained. It rained most of the day. Yesterday I'd sent home my rain pants.

Yesterday we had a day off in La Grange, Texas, and the general consensus was we were out of the cold weather and into the hot and humid. The desert areas of Arizona and New Mexico and West Texas got cold at night and we'd start the day with arm and leg warmers, jackets, hats, long fiongered gloves. After a few hours we'd shed these garments, often leaving them in the SAG. People were eager to get rid of unnecesary gear - all that schlepping. So many of us used the day off to send stuff home. Plus we figured if it rained it would be warm rain.

I've never really cycled in the rain. But I sure did today, 73 miles worth, and it wasn't so bad. I did have my jacket and a hood to go under my helmet. The only problem was my fingers got so cold that I couldn't shift. It was in the high 60's and the wind chill and rain were enough to freeze my fingers. Rain pants and full fingered gloves would have been nice and I think I would even have enjoyed riding in the rain!

East Texas has money. Our ride two days ago was incredibly beautiful - large expanses of green fields, neatly fenced, beautiful homes, magnificent swathes of wild flowers. We are riding on back country roads, rather like I imagined when I envisioned riding cross country.

Weight. Most everybody has lost weight. One person lost 18 pounds and many people have lost 5 - 10. Your's truly has gained 3 pounds. I refuse to say anything more at this time.

Texas Trophies, loneliness, crashing

2008-04-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Texans really like to kill animals and display their heads. I am not making this up - even the Dairy Queen has two huge animal heads hovering over the booths. Our hotel, the YO, has literally hundreds of animals in the lobby. There's an enormous bear, rearing on it's hind legs, fangs bared - a large bowl of flowers placed incongurously by it's paws. In one corner the head of a mother giraffe nestles around a baby giraffe. It made me cry.

I am not against hunting if it's done in a truly sporting manner and with respect for the natural balance. But sitting in a blind with a rifle, waiting for an animal to approach a nearby feeder - there's no skill in that, no honor in that. It's just plain murder. And nobody eats giraffe.

Many of the ranches we pass are hunting ranches stocked with imported and bred exotic animals. "Hunters" pay big bucks to shoot the animals. I am told this is far more profitable than ranching. We do pass ranches with cattle, horses, goats and sheep but many are "gentleman" ranches - lifestyle hobbies as opposed to profitable enterprises.

I am feeling just a bit lonesome because I haven't made a "friend". Everybody is really nice and inclusive (mostly) - it's not that. But a friend is someone who has your back and you have theirs. You check with each other before heading off to dinner, you stop for each others photo ops. Some of the women came with friends, some have formed friendships, some are like me. Sometimes I ride with a group. The companionship is nice but the groups "friend nucleous" determines where and when to stop and for how long. Sometimes I ride alone. I keep my own pace, stop for photos and linger where I choose. Both are good.

Yesterday was not a great day because I crashed. I was stopping at a Dairy Queen for a DQ Fudge Bar (fat free, sugar free, 50 calories) and the handicapped ramp that I assumed ran right up to the door, made a sharp turn to the left. I smacked into the step and went flying over my handlebars. I sat up and thought, "Damn, I've got brain damage," but it was just that my glasses were dangling from my face so I could only see out of one eye. What I do have is a shiner, a fat lip, a purple chin, a sore chest, a very very sore pubic bone, and a bruise the size of the state of Texas on my left inner thigh. Also someone opened their car window and hurled an extra large cup of soda at me. It was not a good day but I am still having fun!

Wild flowers by the sides of the road are blossoming before our eyes - blue bonnets, indian paint brush, and lots of pink and fushcia and yellow things I wish I knew the names of...magical....

Another electronic disaster and a new friend

2008-04-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

I rode into Kerrville last night after a lovely 50 mile ride through Texas hill country, feeling quite pleased with myself because we had two significant climbs (over a mile each and topping out at 15% grade) and I had done them easily and was feeling strong. The hotel, the YO Ranch, is much nicer than our usual bland digs, and I had even found wheatgrass juice in town and had just downed a double shot. So the world looked pretty good.

Then I hopped into the hot tub in my bike clothes - with my cell phone in my pocket.

Bye bye cell phone. Verizon will be sending me a new one but not until Monday (it was insured) and all my numbers are gonzo. So, if you are reading this, I need everybodies cell phone information all over again. Please emailthe numbers! I had addresses in there too so please include those. I am embarassed to admit I don't ven know my own kids cell numbers by heart. Gar, do you have a master list from the wedding that you can email me?

So, feeling pretty crummy, I sought out a yoga class. Jackie, the teacher, turned out to be a jewel of a woman who spent the day with me. We had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant and then she took me to Starbucks for a decaf, Frappachino, light with sugar free caramel syrup. I feel much better. Yoga and Starbucks, a winning combination!

Life and Death in West Texas

2008-04-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

West Texas goes on and on and on..... It's been 10 days since I could access both the internet and a computer and three days since I've had cell phone service. We cycle 50 - 60 miles and there is nothing but empty, scrubby, sere, terrain. It's straight out of an old cowboy movie. You can imagine a cowboy who lost his horse staggering out of the hills gasping for water. You can just see Apaches lining up on the edge of a mesa, getting ready to head you off at the pass. I am real happy to be with a tour. Being out here unsupported would be scary but we meet other cross country cyclists who are doing it.

We pass a bunch of pregnant mares and a newborn foal barely able to stand on it's wobbly new legs. We also pass lots of road kill. We've seen cats, dogs, skunk, rabbit, javalina (a kind of wild pig), armadillo, deer and calf. Sometimes we scare off dining buzzards as we ride by, and there are always lots of them soaring overhead.

One day we pass a moving van lying askew on the highway. Later we find out that the 39 year old trucker had a heart attack and died.

Texas chip seal - put down some tar, roll some gravel on it and you have a cheap road surface that will shake the fillings out of your teeth and rattle your bike to bits. The surface is so rough and creates such rolling resistance that downhills are nearly as hard as uphills. No coasting - constant pedaling is required.

My first century! 108 miles! About 8 of us do our first century and almost everybody goes 100 miles. Those who have done a century before say this is the toughest they have ever done. We had Texas chip seal, hills, hot weather and HEADWINDS. The headwinds actually make make pedaling uphills easier than pedaling downhills because the hills block the ferocious wind.

We cross the Pecos River. "We'll meet up west of the Pecos." Wasn't that a familiar line in old Westerns?

We are now about halfway through Texas and into hill country - lots of small hills that go up and down. They can be fun when you speed down and let momentum carry you part of the way up the next. Sometimes that just doesn't work and they can be tedious and tiring. I sagged today and everybody looked happy and strong on the hills. Once again, I wished I were riding.

And we are seeing trees - something we have not seen for a long time. Yes, tumbleweed does tumble across the road just like you might imagine - big fluffly unpredictable balls of tumbleweed.

There is so much I could say but I dont want to make these entries too long. I thought this trip would go on forever but it feels like it's flying by!

Kingston to Las Cruces to El Paso

2008-03-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

Gusts of 40 miles per hour, all day winds of 20-25 mph - today has been our toughest day despite being "only" 67 miles. Pedaling into the wind was tougher than climbing. Pedaling crosswise to the wind we had to tilt our bikes to stay upright.

On the lighter side Cheryl bought us all bunny ears and most of us cycled in them. I walked into Starbucks in El Paso in my bike clothes with bunny ears and the fellow behind the counter was so amused he gave my my decaf Frappachino light with sugar free caramel for free!

Yesterday was a personal best - 88 miles (longest I ever rode) and 16.1 mph (fastest I ever rode). The terrain and weather helped. We descended from the Black Mountains in Kingston into Las Cruces with the wind at our backs.

It took two weeks to pedal across Califormia, Arizona and New Mexico. It will take three weeks to cross Texas!

I love reading your comments but I don't have your email addresses to respond because I'm using borrowed computers, so if you would like a response please email me so I can answer.

Happy Easter, Passover, spring solstice.

Phyllis Biegun Conquors Emory Pass

2008-03-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

I did it! About 5000 feet of climbing, 47 miles, 10 mph average. I felt pretty good although on the last climbs I had to rest and let my heart rate settle down. We were at over 8000 feet so that may have contributed. It was definitely the most beautiful ride yet. We are in the Black Mountains at the very funky Black Range Lodge in Kingston, New Mexico - population 30. Geronimo and Cochise used to hang out here - it was Apache territory.

My trip to the Gila Cliff Dwellings yesterday in Silver City (home of Billy the Kid), was wonderful. In 1270 the Mogollon Indians lived in the hillside caves, building rooms for birthing, living, cooking and ceremony. They made mortar from stone dust and urine which in in place today; you can still see their handprints from building the walls - 700 years later.

We cross the continental divide - 6355 feet

2008-03-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

I was sagging today as our group made a tough climb, over 4000 feet, over the continental divide. Almost everybody made it and I wish I had been among them - but the day after tomorrow is an even more intense ride over Emory Pass at an elevation of 8228 feet and about 5500 feet of climbing. As you can tell I am feeling strong!

I did stand on my head under the continental divide sign. When I figure out how to post pictures you'll get to see it. Note to Danc'n Feet (my dance troupe): see, I am practicing!

We are in Silver City, New Mexico. Tomorrow is a rest day and I've arranged a trip out to the Gila cliff dwellings and hot springs. Stand by for info.

Finally, there is trouble at home. A family member is in crisis. It's hard to be away but there's not alot I could do at home either. I don't want to be here obscessing about what's going on at home, and I don't want to be here in denial. How can I maintain awareness and balance and be in present time?

New Mexico

2008-03-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

76 miles, 14 mph, wind at our backs, yucca cacti in a landscape that stretches on forever - welcome to New Mexico! Yucca are funny looking cacti with a short fat trunk, a big prickly ball of green spikey leaves, topped by a tall skinny trunk supporting white fragile looking disks. It's a very odd looking plant.

For those of you who know me you will be shocked SHOCKED that tomorrow we cycle across the continental divide (a big climbing day) and I am deeply disappointed that I will be sagging instead of riding. Me - who always did what she could to avoid hills!

Roadkill - saw an owl, and lots of unidentified furry remains. Also seen in the road are lots of glass, a toy car, teething ring beads, shredded tire pieces.

Speaking of glass, I've had 4 flat tires, 2 of them today. The first was caused by a piece of metal from a steel belted radial truck tire, the last from a piece of glass, the other two of undetermined causes. I have still not successfully fixed a flat all by myself but I am making progress. Unbelievably I had just removed my rear tire when a Danish gentleman rode by, on his way cross country, and offered to help! I mean we have not seen any other cyclists and there he was just as I got the tire off! Maybe the gods don't want me changing flats?!

Food - tonight we had margaritas in honor of crossing the state line. Linda Baldwin, the chef, does amazing things out of the back of a truck with a propane stove. The food is healthy, light and delishious. Tonight we had tomali pie, a big green salad, fruit salad with fresh mangoes.

Safford, Arizona - What time do you get up for breakfast at 7?

2008-03-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were supposed to climb about 4000 feet and everybody was a bit nervous but when had pedaled 30 miles to Superior, Arizona we discovered it was snowing up the mountain. The road was busy and narrow with no shoulder. Our guide, Mic, decided it was too dangerous to ride with such limited visibility. We loaded our bikes onto the truck and SAG wagon and drove the 25 miles to our hotel. Because it took two trips to SAG everybody we hung out at the Buckhorn Cafe, home of the Worlds Smallest Museum. We met one of the owners who once walked across country to publicize the plight of homeless veterans.

Today started out cold and wet. Sunny, warm Arizona was a damp and miserable 40 something. It was the first time I ever deliberately set out to ride in the rain but my technical clothes and rain gear worked. I was warm and dry and comfortable. Then the day warmed up and the sun came out and it was perfect riding weather. Mt. Graham to the north was majestic and snow covered. I rode 76 miles and feel fine.

Group dynamics are beginning to emerge. People are forming riding groups and social groups. I am never quite comfortable with this sort of thing. People are starting to get annoyed with each other (just a bit - really everybody is delightful). I knew this would happen and I suspect it will get worse but then we will emerge on the other side. It will be interesting to see what happens - and a little scary.

Finally, the answer to my question. According to my various roommates the time to get up for breakfast at 7am is: 5:15, 5:45, 6:00, 6:15.

Phoenix and another amazing woman

2008-03-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

67 miles into Phoenix and I averaged 14.4 - a new best. Okay, to be honest, it was all flat with a net negative gain, in other words, down hill. Still, it was 67 miles on my bike and I'm barely tired.

We had the best scenery so far - saguero cacti all over the place reaching their fat prickly arms to the sky. Some are just one column while others have numerous arms. Most just reach up but a few are squiggly. There were clumps of beautiful wild flowers all over the place - yellow and orange and purple. All very lovely and completely different from our New England landscape.

My roomate last night was another totally amazing woman. She looks like a snuggly grandma who would be home baking - and indeed, her computer screen displays four hugely smiling grandchildren. A year and a half ago she decied to retire and do something different. She didn't cycle. She didn't even own a bike! So for her first bike trip ever she decides to go across county! She bought a bike, set to training all on her own, and here she is!

Tommorow I sag again.

2 miles uphill to Starbucks

2008-03-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

Granted, it was an easy day - 57 flat miles - but when I got to Wickenberg, Arizona (the "dude ranch" capitol of the wordl) and discovered that Starbucks was 2 miles back up the hill I had just come down I didn't even hesitate! I think this signifies a new level of fitness.

Yesterday was ELECTRONICS FROM HELL day. First I accidently knocked my camera out of my backpack while squatting behind a dead tree on the highway. I discovered it was missing 13 miles later. Penny suggested going back for it - I would never have thought of it. I mean what dead tree near the 10 mile mark? I told Michelle (the sag for the day) what the tree looked like and miracle of miracles, we found it! Michelle, "Could it be that one?" Me, "I don't think so but it's worth checking." And there it was hanging from a branch. Thank you Penny and Michelle.

Then my bike computer flew off when the mount broke. It flew into the road but I was able to retrieve it before it was run over and without getting squished myself.

Finally I left my phone charger in the hotel. I was cheered to discover that Anne, one of the strongest riders on the trip and a generally impressive person all around, had left hers too. Happily Kelsey, the hotel manager, has mailed them to a hotel two days down the road.

When I get to my room each night my roomate (we rotate each night) is often talking to her husband or life partner, happily relaying the highlights of the day. If I called my husband he would most likely hang up on me. The contrast is stark and bleak and even though I am having the time of my life I sometimes cry.

Tomorrow we cycle into Phoenix!

My first day of Sagging

2008-03-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

I am in Blythe, California, a tiny town by the border of Arizona. The ride yesterday was 89 miles and it was my first day of driving the SAG - support and gear. I was in the car from 8 am until 5 pm. I enjoyed seeing everybody go by, offering water, snacks and encouragement. It was interesting seeing the ride from another point of view. I picked up several women who were too tired to ride further and ferried them in, or sometimes just down the road a few miles.

Getting the bikes on the car wasn't too difficult but everybody had an opinion so I tried to listen to everybodies opinion and still get it done.

It was rewarding - but I would have rather been riding!

The women, the riding, the feet

2008-03-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

First of all - my roomate for tonight has bigger feet than me. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I'VE MET A WOMAN WITH BIGGER FEET! So this may not sound like much to anybody else but it's a thrill for me.

The women on this trip continue to amaze. There is a woman who had a stroke. She is partially paralyzed so she rides a recumbant trike.

There is a woman from Shanghei, China who came to ride with a friend. There's a woman from Oahu, Hawaii, who started a single person real estate company and built it into the biggest real estate company on the island. There's an African-American woman, a Japanese woman, two doctors, one of whom attended Cosmonaut school in Russia, lawyers, paralegals, Navy brass, teachers, and I'm sure I will discover more.

Today I rode 67 miles, mostly downhill. We passed amazing hills that were nothing but rocks, huge piles of rocks, precariously balanced rocks. We rode along the Mexican border, peered into Mexico and saw lots of Border Patrol Police.

Yesterday we climbed over 5200 feet, 46 miles and most of it up. We stayed in Jacumba, population 400, with sulfur hot springs in which we soaked.

Tonight we are in Brawley, California, in the desert. Tomorrow is our longest ride so far, 90 miles in the hot and windy desert and it is my first day to sag. I am told it will be a lot of work - the other three SAG drivers tell me the job is even tougher than riding and tomorrow will be a lot of work because many people will want or need a ride, at least for part of the way.

Comments - I love reading them. If you are reading my blog please do leave me a comment! If you want me to answer put in your email address.

I am SO HAPPY to be here. So far this trip is everything I hoped and more.

What Happened to my bike - Thank you Christine!

2008-03-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

I sent a post from my phone telling about my bike but I see that it is not here. So sorry this is out of order.

My bike arrived at the very last minute, just as we were in our orientation meeting. Christine picked it up for me from Bernies Bike Shop and brought it to the Holiday Inn. So, yes, my bike got here in the nick of time and I got to ride out with the group. Whew!

Christine is Rich's first cousin and she has been the most wonderful hostess in San Diego. She saved the day with my bike, took three days off from work to help me and play with me. We went to the zoo and the wild animal park and she got passes. She indulged my raw food thing and took me to Rancho's Vegan Market where they make the absolutely best burrito I have ever eaten, for $5. And once I had one I just wanted to keep going back. Christine patiently and lovingly took me.

My First Day!!!

2008-03-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

The women on this trip are amazing.

Judy is 67, about to be 68; she had non-smokers lung cancer and had part of her lung removed - in January! Here she is less than three months later riding across country!

Another woman broke her pelvis in December in a biking accident. There's a woman who had a stroke and another who has edema in her leg as a result of cancer surgery and has to ride with a compression stocking and massage her leg to keep it from swelling too much. Then theres the woman who has serious bridge phobia and has worked long and hard, approaching bridges a few feet at a time, until she could ride over a whole bridge without having an anxiety attack.

Today was a first for me - literally. I am nearly always at the back of the pack, last one in. But for some reason today I was one of the first three. I wasn't any faster than usual so I'm not sure why. Many of these women are marathon runners, tri-athletes, and veterans of many impressive bike trips.

We dipped our tires in the Pacific ocean at Dog Beach in San Diego. I've got a photo and I've discovered it is possible to get it onto this site, but I don't know how yet. We rode about 33 miles, clumbed about 2000 feet. It was about 85 degrees and sunny. One day down 56 to go. 33 miles down, 3077 to go.

Bah on Belmont Wheel Works

2008-03-05T09:45:00.001-08:00

A week ago Monday night I hauled my butt and my bike to BWW despite having a fever of 101, being woozy and feeling unsafe about driving. I'd been in bed with the flu for four days feeling truly awful but I knew I had to get my bike shipped to San Diego by last Tuesday so Bernies Bike Shop could get it assmebled and ready for trip. Those of you who know me will have no doubt that I told all of this to the guy at BWW in great detail - complaining about being sick and feverish, excited about my trip leaving the following week. I am not one to walk in, demurely ask them to ship my bike, and walk out. I was told my bike would go out on Wednesday by UPS Air. Instead my bike went out Friday by ground. BWW claims that I never mentioned anything about time sensitivity. The first thing I said to the fellow when I walked in the door was that I was sorry to show up so sick but time was of the essence. I am truly mystified.&nbs p; All I can figure is that the guy just wasn't paying any attention to me at all, was day dreaming off in his own mind somewhere. BWW is taking no responsibility and I will never feel the same about them.

So my bike is not here and isn't even due to arrive until after the trip departs! Am I upset? Yes. What is going to happen? Stand by....

An inauspicious start

2008-02-28T06:38:00.000-08:00

I’ve never been all that attracted to hopping on my bike in winter weather but I was committed to doing so this winter. I was certain that the motivation of my cross country trip would get me out there. And it did, to (lowering) degrees. I mastered weather in the 50’s, then the 40’s and I even got comfortable in the 30’s. I’ve been out in the 20’s but I needed a little bitching to keep me warm. But I was not about to bike on ice, in snow or rain. People do, but they are pretty extreme. And of all winters this one has been the snowiest in many years.

I don’t know if it was that way, or just seemed that way, but when we did get a good biking day I was otherwise committed to teaching, a yoga workshop, the first aid class I took for this trip. And when I had a day free…snow! So Mother Nature did not cooperate with my plans. Maybe it’s that SUV I drive.

Second – the flu! I did get the shot and I rarely get sick. I can’t remember EVER having to cancel a class because I was sick. But I have had to cancel several classes and get a substitute for others. I have been in bed all this week with a 102 degree fever, coughing, headache, dizziness, and not enough energy to sit up! Web MD says the cough and fatigue linger for weeks and I have to climb from sea level to 4000 feet when???

Finally my raw food group encouraged me to seek the support and cooperation of the chef on my trip. As many of you reading this know, I have struggled with chronic fatigue and an eating disorder for many years. This year I have been experimenting with a raw foods vegan diet and I have been very encouraged with the results. I’d like to keep up with it as much as possible because the difference in my energy level is huge and if there’s one thing I’ll need – its energy! I was most definitely not met with the response I hoped for; in fact they are now pretty certain that I’m a neurotic, entitled, disaster.

So I start this trip with three inauspicious events. Sometimes it’s hard to tell – is the universe saying “Don’t go, don’t go” or “Don’t give up, don’t give up”?

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