Friday, August 10, 2007
08/09/07 Farmville to Richmond, VA
The people from STEPS also new someone who was manager for a restaurant so we had a breakfast buffet to start off our morning. A woman from STEPS shared with us a story about a couple of clients and the impact we had on them. She shared one story about Elsie and how proud she was to show us where she worked and what she does there. She said “it made her feel special.” That's really cool to be able to give someone that feeling when all you think you're doing is being a good listener. Because of the big breakfast I didn't get on the road until after 8:15am. We had a big police escort waiting for us so we had to be moving fast. Even with our short crew stops, my group had to be racked up for the last 4-5 miles. I rode in the last group again because a tendon or something on the outside of my left knee had begun hurting on the day before. It was just as hot and humid but we got some big help from the trees as we were riding in the shade a lot more than the previous day. Also, the shorter day helped. The grid said 85 miles but it ended up only around 70 for the guys that finished the entire ride. Once we got into lodging and I had lunch and showered, I went with Andrew so he could pick up his bike from the bike shop. On the way home we got a little lost and made it back with just enough time to change into our team clothes and get off to dinner with the team. We went to a restaurant but our meal consisted of green salad followed by pasta salad. I couldn't believe that that was our entire meal! But it was sponsored so we put on a good smile for them. When we got back from dinner we did gag gifts which was a blast! Pretty much non-stop laughing and a great bonding event as our days wind down. After the gift exchange, Andrew and I and two others went to a big bowling alley and bowled two games. It was nice to do something leisurely and different than what we had done all summer. From there we went to a really nice mall and tackled the food court, hungry again from the lack of dinner earlier. Once back to the middle school where we were staying, I did some blog updating and then got to bed.
08/08/07 Roanoke to Farmville, VA
This ride, which was supposed to be our last 100+ mile day though it ended at around 82 miles because of roads that are illegal for cyclists to ride on, was so humid and so unbelievably hot and took my group until 3:45pm to get to lodging at the Days Inn. Keep in mind that this ride began around 7:00am. I went without lunch so that I could shower and shave before an early dinner, which we left for at 4:45pm. Our dinner and friendship visit was with STEPS who both employee as well as help people with disabilities find jobs. A girl named Elsie showed me around the manufacturing workplace where we were eating (which is where she works). A big ball was getting bounced around by everyone in a group for a while and then, just as we were starting the dance party we had to go. Once we got back, a small group of us immediately went and did laundry (and I needed to so desperately). After that, I prepared my gag gifts and hit the hay.
08/06, 07/07 Roanoke, VA
Our two days in Roanoke had both busy and relaxing moments. The ride was even shorter than the 40 miles on the grid, closer to 35 miles. I rode in the first group so I and two others were the first to ride up to Hotel Roanoke. This place looked like it belonged in Europe with its castle-like features. Really a very classy place. After we did some media stuff, I got up to my room and showered and shaved. Andrew brought me back some Subway for lunch. I ate that in my room as the four of us in there watched movies and napped for a while before dinner and a friendship visit at the rollerskating rink. The Down Syndrome Association met us there, though most of the kids were too young to skate and would rather be playing in the play area. The ball pit was the main attraction I think. There was one boy in there who kept wrestling me and actually punching me hard in the stomach. I told him to stop lots of times but he just wouldn't. So I left and continued to skate. I did have one fall, not as bad as falling on a bike though. The downtown area of Roanoke offered a great, big sports bar with shuffleboard!
We had a 9:00am breakfast in the hotel's restaurant which was payed for by a former teammate's parents. It was small buffet style but good food! I had just enough time to shower between then and our visit to a camp for kids with disabilities. The Build America construction team was there working so we got to hang out with Shawn from WSU again. While there we had a lot of downtime to hang out with some of the campers. Before we left we ate sacked lunches prepared by the camp in an air-conditioned cafeteria which was much needed. It is so hot here and I feel wet all the time!!! After we got back from the camp we had our team meeting where Andrew was given the Team Member of the Week Award for bouncing back from his injury and, even though he can't ride anymore, has done so many things to contribute to the team. After, a bunch of us went to Wal-mart and the mall to do gag-gift shopping which is a tradition on the summer event teams. Dinner was at the Salem Avalanche minor league baseball game. Both were provided by the alumni of Pi Kapps at Roanoke College, an old chapter, fourteenth oldest to be exact. It was hot and humid and not really exciting but the home team won which was a first in the three games we had been to. At the beginning of the game we were taken out of the field and recognized which was really cool and one of our teammates threw out the first pitch! After I got off the phone on this night, I was walking back into my hotel room just as Barry Bonds' home-run ball was going over the fence. What do I think of it? Eh, whatever.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
08/05/07 Ride into Blacksburg, VA
Changing gears, dinner was a buffet at the school's dining center and there was a ton to choose from. I grabbed some ice cream to go and some of us headed to the football stadium and actually got to walk through the tunnel and on to the field. Whether or not we were allowed to, I don't know, but the gates and doors were open so we kept on going. It was huge! In the evening we went to a favorite hang out of the teammate from VT and then had to retreat back to the unairconditioned dorms of the campus.
08/04/07 Beckley, WV Last day in West Virginia
The ride into Beckley was normal for what we had seen of West Virginia until the end when the hills became more steep and the humidity and heat were starting to wear on us. We stayed in the Mountain State University dorms which were nice and cool. The woman who had set up our lodging and was also involved for our friendship visit to come later in the evening perhaps the most delicious watermelon I had ever tasted waiting for us. Maybe it was just a great end to what had turned out to be a hot day. The friendship visit and dinner was with an organization that helped with independent living maybe (I can't quite remember). It was a good visit; I sat across from two older ladies who weren't involved with the organization or clients but just wanted to come see the guys from the Journey of Hope. One of their daughters was the woman who gave us the watermelon. Soon after dinner we found a fun, local place to hang out where the people welcomed us in like long lost friends and were just excited to meet new people, let alone guys doing what we are doing. Some great tunes during the night from the jukebox, just to name a few included Eric Clapton, CCR, and of course... Free Bird.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
08/03/07 Huntington to Charleston, WV
Lodging was at a recreational center and once we were there, everyone was napping. I wasn't that tired but no one else was awake to do anything so I tried to watch a movie on a laptop but fell asleep anyway. When I woke up I did a bike cleaning and dinner was sponsored by an alumni who couldn't be with us so Andrew and our Project Manager went and picked the Olive Garden food and brought it back to lodging for us. In the evening after dinner, Chadd from UW was the only guy who wanted to go look around so we went to a nearby mall and then ended up at some cafe and got smoothies. I got to bed pretty early on this night.
08/02/07 Huntington, West Virginia
It was hot and very humid again and we did a lot of climbing. Should be a lot of climbing over the next few days until we get past the Appalachian Mountains. The ride ended with a long climb up to Huntington High School, like usual, lodging on top of a hill. This ended a tiresome ride but we weren't allowed to go into the gym or anything until media showed up and got their shots. We ate a late lunch and then media showed up again! It's good though to get that media coverage, just frustrating at the time. Finally we were able to shower and I got a short nap before dinner. Dinner was at a park with an organization that assists people with disabilities live independently. Half of the people there were employees of the organization.
They set up Famous Dave's Barbecue to cater our meal which was great! When we got back to lodging we had a mail drop which I didn't even know was coming and so I was so excited to get a package of my favorite candy from Hailey and a package of cookies and power bars and a card signed by Aunt Becky & Uncle Don, Aunt Mary & Uncle Tim, Uncle Robby & Thu, and Nana & Papa. It was such a great surprise!
We heard a while back that Kentucky riding always offers a chance to get chased by dogs... they weren't kidding! We got chased by so many dogs today and one time I almost crashed into one that cut between myself and the guy in front of me. Another time, just before the state line like in scary movies when you get one last scare, we had to stop at a red light and a pit bull-looking dog ran from its yard towards us and we were all screaming at him over and over again until finally the owner came out and got it but we were so lucky it didn't attack because we had no where to go!
Two days in Morehead, Kentucky
I rode today mostly with just one other person in a two-man pace line which was great because it was with someone I don't spend a lot of time with. We battled the beautiful green hills of Kentucky together. We did two arrivals at places didn't have a crowd waiting for us, with the exception of Pi Kapps from Morehead State University. They brought us sandwich stuff for lunch and dinner was at a park. The visit wasn't my favorite because there were two couples at my table who were more concerned with talking to each other than me. Plus there wasn't enough food provided so we had to go to McDonalds right after. A girl working there gave me a free vanilla cone (score!). At the visit though, we got some whiffleball going as best we could.
08/01/07
I woke up on our day off at 9:30 am for a 10:00 breakfast at the dining center on campus (we were staying in the dorms by the way that look alot like prisons, inside and out) and everyone was in such a great mood! No doubt that our chance to sleep in had an influence on that. Everyone was in a good mood all day actually, finally a day without being busy and having a chance to relax. I got a haircut after breakfast and then a big group of us went to the Simpsons Movie for $3.00! Can you believe it? We made it back to lodging just as the pizza for lunch was being delivered. After, I got a short massage from a Morehead State Pi Kapp who did the Florida cycling trip and was a certified masseuse. It was relaxing enough that I took a nap before we went to dinner at a Buffalo Wings sports bar/restaurant place and I couldn't tell you why I ordered a burger when that's what we get so often for dinner from our sponsors but I did. After our team meeting I reorganized and repacked my bag for the last stretch of days coming up before the trip ends on August 12th. Then I got to sleep with five days of riding until our last day off of the trip.