Wednesday, Oct. 22nd

Orangeburg, SC to Charleston, SC  113 miles

The big day finally arrived, for it all was quickly coming to an end. The actual 113 mile ride was very nondescript, with the vast majority of it either taking place on flat rural roads with nothing around but trees and cotton fields or on the shoulder of very busy highways that scared the hell out of me. Once we started approaching Charleston, the adrenaline started to really flow, especially when we hit the last couple of miles to the Atlantic Ocean. The last 300 yards was actually going down a sidewalk that led to the beach and I was the first person to round the final corner to see all of our loved ones cheering and the ocean in plain view. It was a Kodak moment that will always remain with me. After taking the ceremonial pictures of dipping the front tire in the ocean and holding the bike overhead while standing in the water, the celebration began. We had a fabulous happy hour, which included a great slide show of the trip and dinner with all the spouses. Given the day's event, everyone was tired both physically and emotionally and retired to bed early. Tomorrow there is a farewell brunch to say your good byes before everyone departs.

FINAL STATISTICS

Total distance: 3341 miles

Average daily speed: 16.2 mph

Average daily distance: 95.5 miles

Consecutive days of 100 miles or more: 5

21 days of 90 miles or more

26 days of 80 miles or more

Longest day: 144 miles

Total climbing elevation: 166,000 feet

Greatest single day climbing elevation: 11,082 feet

FINAL THOUGHTS

One of the major reasons I did this trip was to challenge myself both physically and mentally like never before. I started training in November, spending countless hours in the gym lifting weights, doing thousands of crunches, cardio machines and spinnning classes. Once the weather allowed me to start riding, I spent every Friday, Saturday and Sunday riding, in addition to the short rides I would do during the week wherever my business travels took me. I logged approximately 3300 miles. Not only has this undertaking forced me to get into the best shape of my life, but it has made me more disciplined and improved my mental toughness and self confidence.

99% of the trip were places I had never been to and at an average speed of 16.2 mph, one really benefits in seeing how beautiful and diverse this great nation is. It certainly reinvigorated my patriotism and how truly fortunate we are to live in the good old USA.

Finally, I save the most important thought for last. I am, without any doubt, the luckiest guy in the world to have a wife that not only provided unrelenting support throughout the whole ordeal, but who strongly encouraged me to consider it because she knew it was high on my "bucklist". It was she who came home from the Trek store with the brochure and said "you have my full and total support should you decide to go". She was always there to support me in every possible way. From getting up at 5:30 every Saturday and Sunday to make sure I ate well before my long training rides, to having a meal ready upon my return. She insisted that my indoor bike trainer be positioned in the family room all winter so she could visit with me. It became like another piece of furniture that was even decorated for Christmas. Through all this, she never so much whimpered any type of complaint, but instead, provided constant encouragement that kept me going through the tough times. Quite frankly, without her, this once in a lifetime journey would never have become a reality. For all that she has done, I am forever grateful and indebted to her. Thank you very, very much Susan.

Tuesday, Oct. 21st

Union, SC to Orangeburg, SC  123 miles

Given the magnitude of today's ride, 123 miles and 6800' of total climbing elevation, plus still feeling the lingering affects of the previous 24 hours, I decided to ride in the van until lunch. I certainly did not want to potentially jeopardize missing tomorrow's final ride, so I took the conservative approach. While I was not 100%, I felt reasonably good for the 65 mile ride and given the flattening terrain, I was able to average 18.3 mph. The ride took us through Sumpter National Forest and of course, lots of cotton fields. 

It seems like a distant memory that we were riding through the desert, but yet it was only 5 weeks ago. It truly has been a trip of a lifetime and it certainly not only met my expectations but exceeded them in every regard. I cannot say enough good things about our guides, Dave and Stephanie. They are not only exceptional guides who did everything to perfection, but they are exceptional people and I will always be grateful for the great memories they provided me. Check back for commentary on tomorrow's ride and some final thoughts 

Monday, Oct. 20th

Asheville, NC to Union, SC  104 miles

At 12:50 am this morning, disaster struck with a vengeance. I was hit with a severe case of food poisoning, probably from the fish I had at dinner. I spent the vast majority of the night in the restroom and by morning I was not feeling any better. As much as I wanted to ride, there was no way possible given my condition. In fact, the van had to make a few abrupt stops to accommodate the unfortunate circumstances. The guides were kind enough to get me to our next hotel as quickly as possible so I could catch a nap. While the outflow has greatly diminished, I am still nauseous, dehydrated and weak. We will see what tomorrow brings and make a decision at that point. 

Sunday, Oct. 19th

Cherokee, NC to Asheville, NC  67.6 miles

Frost was definitely on the pumpkin this morning with the thermometer showing 31 degrees. I put on every bite of warm clothing I had, it was as if I was dressing to go snow skiing. We started at dawn to beat the sightseeing traffic that would soon bear down on us as we headed for Asheville via the Blue Ridge Parkway. We started our last major climb 3 miles into the 67 mile ride. 10 miles at a 5-8% grade quickly warmed up the body. By the time I reached the summit, I had my coat and jersey completely unzipped with my bare chest fully exposed. With not a cloud in the sky and the early morning sun highlighting the peaks of the Smoky mountains, it provided surreal moments of beauty. The descent was very steep(9-11%) and unbelievably cold. Given the temperature at 5100' was in the upper 20's and you add the windchill of 30+ mph, it was down right brutal. I reached a point were I couldn't feel my fingers, thus inhibiting my ability to apply pressure to my brake levers. What seemed like eternity, but was actually only 20 minutes, I reached the next town and was able to jump in our support van to warm up. The rest of the ride took us through small towns via remote roads and just when you thought the scenery couldn't get any better, it did so all the way to Asheville. I was planning to go visit the Biltmore Estate but unfortunately the ride took longer than anticipated. Tomorrow we cross into our the final state of South Carolina.

Friday, Oct. 17th

Crossville, TN to Townsend, TN  104.7 miles

The topography of today's 104 mile ride was much of the same as the previous couple of days. Even though the ride wasn't quantitatively the same as the previous day's ride, it still proved to be quite challenging and rewarding. The last 15 miles followed the very picturesque Little River. The trees continued to show their magnificent colors, despite the heavy overcast sky. I was so mesmerized by the beauty that it took me over an hour to go the final 15 miles. We are now nestled in Townsend, TN, which is the entrance to the magnificent Smoky Mountains National Park. During the course of the ride, we crossed into our final time zone. It is hard to imagine that it is all going to come to an abrupt end in five days. It will be a very emotional and bittersweet moment. 

Saturday, Oct. 18th

Townsend, TN to Cherokee, NC  57.4 miles

The guides called today's short 57 mile ride a rolling rest day to Cherokee, NC. However, I strongly disagree since we had two significant climbs. The first being 14 miles and the second climb, which was considerably steeper, was 15 miles. Being that the trees are in peak color and it is the weekend, the traffic was very busy on the narrow two lane road. Unfortunately, the combination of fog and clouds prevented one from having any visibility at the various vantage points. By the time I reached the summit, the temperature was 36 degrees and I couldn't feel my toes. I jumped in the van to warm up before making the very chilly descent. Soon after I started down, the sky started to clear up and the Smoky's showed their stunning beauty. I do not know if I have ever seen such unbelievable foliage colors. With the traffic hot on my tail, I  had to let it ripe and I flew down the mountain at 35 mph +, matching the posted speed limit. Tomorrow it is off to Asheville, NC via the Blue Ridge Parkway.  

Thursday, Oct. 16th

Nashville, TN to Crossville, TN  130.3 miles

Today was a big day...130 miles and 11,082' of total climbing elevation through the "hills" of Tennessee to Crossville, TN. The forecast called for 90% chance of rain, however, we had no more than a few very light sprinkles that lasted only a few minutes. Despite the heavy overcast, the scenery remained spectacular with the trees showing more color the further east we travelled. Exiting Nashville during morning rush hour provide a new meaning to rush, but there is no road rage to report. Having fresh legs after a day off enabled me to cruise at an average speed of 16.5 mph. Tomorrow it is off to Townsend, TN, just another 105 miles and 9000' of total climbing elevation.

Tuesday, Oct. 14th

Erin, TN to Nashville, TN  71.8 miles

Given today's relatively short(71 miles) yet hilly(6465' total climbing elevation) ride into Nashville, we arrived just past noon at the historic Hermitage Hotel in downtown. It is an absolutely beautiful and very elegant hotel that has been the hotel of choice for many presidents, dignitaries and celebrities for nearly 100 years. Certainly one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed at. It was another gorgeous fall day and the scenery was not disappointing, particularly along the banks of the Cumberland River. Things became interesting when we got into the mix of urban traffic, especially riding through downtown, but all arrived without incident. Susan and I spent the afternoon with Nicholas, before having a group dinner at Capitol City Grill. Tomorrow's rest day activities will be very low key and the highlight will be celebrating Nicholas's birthday at Ruth Chris's.  

Monday, Oct. 13th

Union City, TN to Erin, TN  98.3 miles

It was an absolutely perfect fall day in eastern Tennessee... mostly sunny, low 80's, light winds and the trees showing their best fall colors. Trek Travel uses a computer program that routes each day's ride and it is amazing on how beautiful the scenery is on these very rural roads. For instance, on today's 98 mile ride to Erin, TN, we were on roads of any significance less than 15 miles, the balance were on very small two lane back roads that wound through hills, woods and pastures. A common theme of these remote roads is dilapidated houses with junk filled yards which have multiple dogs that come out barking at you. Fortunately, they have been all bark and no bite. Tomorrow it is onto Nashville, where I will meet up with Susan and Nicholas to celebrate his 22nd birthday.

Sunday, Oct. 12th

Popular Bluff to Union City, TN  105 miles

It is truly amazing how the terrain can go from being so hilly to almost perfectly flat in such a short distance. A good portion of today's 103 mile ride was through the the farm lands of Missouri. Our first sign that we were entering the real south were the very large cotton fields, which were being harvested. The majority of the group formed a pace line that enabled us to vastly improve on yesterday's 14.5 mph average speed and it helped battle the 15 mph southerly winds. At the 88 mile mark we reached the mighty Mississippi River, which we were going to cross on a ferry. However, due to funding shortages, the ferry was not operating and the closes bridge was 35 miles away. Therefore, we loaded up the van and made the hour and half trip over the river and ended up in Kentucky where we would have landed if the ferry was in operation. Fortunately, it was only 15 miles to our Union City, TN hotel. 

Saturday, Oct. 11th

West Plains, MO to Popular Bluff, MO  110.5 miles 

After yesterday's exhausting ride, my legs were very fatigued this morning and felt as if I had five pound ankle weights on them. This was not good considering today's ride was to be a repeat but only longer. Like yesterday, the hills started immediately after leaving the hotel and continued nonstop for 90 miles of the 110 mile ride. On average, the hills are 1/8 to 1/2 mile in length and the grade ranges from 6% to a steep 16%.  On the climbing portion, I can only go 6-8 mph and need to stand up the majority of the time to gain the necessary power. I felt totally exhausted only 25 miles into the ride and I just wanted to make it to lunch at the 50 mile mark. I had serious reservation at lunch about how much further I could actually go and the mental toughness was really being tested. I told myself, as long as I could still move my legs, I was not going to quit under any circumstance. Once I reached the 90 mile mark and the terrain became more subdued, I actually got a second burst of energy and had no trouble finishing the ride. Hopefully tonight's massage will cure the majority of my aliments.

Friday, Oct. 10th

Branson, MO to West Plains, MO  106.2 miles

Yesterday's rest day was very relaxing. After a leisurely morning, Susan, Leslie and I headed out to beautiful Table Rock Lake, where I rented a boat for the afternoon. It was an absolutely perfect day, mid 70's, not a cloud in the sky and light winds. I had a great time with the girls and shared a lot of laughs.

Today's ride was long(106 miles) and very challenging. From the moment we left the Hilton Hotel, until we reached our hotel in West Plains, MO, it was nonstop hills. In fact, the total climbing elevation of 9265' was our greatest to date. Soon after we left, we encountered very dense fog, which caused serious safety concerns because my glasses kept fogging up and the narrow, hilly and twisting road provided  no shoulder to ride on. Fortunately, it lasted only about 10 miles. Despite the challenging terrain, the beautiful scenery we had on Wednesday's ride remained with us all day. Needless to say, I will sleep very well tonight. 

Wednesday, Oct. 8th

Neosho, MO to Branson, MO  93 miles

Today's 93 mile ride to Branson was one of the most scenic rides to date. What a contrast to the trek through Oklahoma. The rays of the early morning sun attempting to break through the fog laden trees, created some very interesting visual affects. The entire ride consisted of beautiful winding and hilly rural roads through wooded areas and pastures. A substantial part was through the Mark Twain National Forest, where the narrow roads became very hilly and twisty, which made it nerve racking because there was no shoulder to ride on and cars could not always see you. Being very anxious to see Susan and Leslie, I pushed it fairly hard and actually arrived at the hotel within 5 minutes of their arrival. Seeing them and receiving their hugs made me one very happy biker.  

Tuesday, Oct. 7th

Bartlesville, OK to Neosho, MO  110 miles

During today's 110 mile ride from Bartlesville, OK to Neosho, MO, we surpassed the 2000 mile mark and are almost 2/3 across the country. The heavy overcast skies and the occasional misting/light rain did not enhance the same repetitive scenery of the past five days. The good news is we are finally out of Oklahoma and the wind was out of the northwest, therefore providing us with somewhat of a tailwind. This certainly was a factor in my being able to achieve an average speed of 17.5 mph for the duration of the ride. I am looking forward to tomorrow's ride to Branson, MO for several reasons. The biggest being Susan and my sister Leslie will be there to greet me and spend my day off with me. It will be almost four weeks since I've seen Susan, the longest time apart in our 26 years of marriage and I cannot wait to see her. Secondly, after nine consecutive days on the bike and over 900 miles, I am really ready for a break in the action. 

Monday, Oct. 6th

Ponca City, OK to Bartlesville, OK  73.4 miles

I was awoken this morning by the wind whistling against my window. When I opened the curtains, the wind was not my only issue, it was also raining. If you have ever ridden a bicycle in the rain, you know, no matter what you do to stay dry, you are eventually going to get completely soaked. With the temperature at 62 degrees, my main concern was to stay a warm wet. Soon after we left Ponca City, we were out in the flat plains and mother nature gave us a good beating. At times, the wind was blowing so hard that the rain felt like sleet. To make matters worse, I not only had my first flat tire of the trip but a total of three flats today. Three and half hours later we reached our lunch destination and the rain had subsided. With no rain, dry clothes and the scenery changing to rural roads that meandered through the wooded rolling hills of the Osage Indian Reservation, today's 74 mile ride to Bartlesville, OK turned out a lot better than I anticipated.  

Sunday, Oct. 5th

Enid, OK to Ponca City, OK  74.5 miles
Much to my dismay, when I opened the curtains this morning and saw the wind blowing with vengenace from the south, I really wanted to go back to bed. Actually, the 74 mile ride to Ponca City, OK wasn't as bad as yesterday due to the fact that we were riding in a northeast direction. In fact, we benefited from the 20+ mph winds for about 20 miles. The scenery was much the same as previous days, with the exception of more oil wells and a huge refinery as we entered Ponca City. By arriving at 1:00, it provided some much needed down time.

Saturday, Oct. 4th

Woodward, OK to Enid, OK  113.2 miles

Today was another first for me. I completed my third consecutive century ride(100 miles or more) and at 1755 miles we are now more than halfway done.

 The first part of the ride passed through Boiling Springs State Park and was actually scenic relative to the past couple of days. Contrary to what I was beginning to think, there are trees in Oklahoma. It wasn't long until we were back to the desolate landscape. The weather forecast had predicted a temperature of 90 and winds blowing from the south at 25-30 mph. Unfortunately, the meteorologists were right. Except for 2 miles of the 113 mile ride, we either had severe crosswinds or headwinds. I have never ridden in such strong winds and after 7 hours on the bike, it really takes its toll on you. There were times the dust from the fields was blowing in such a manner it reminded me of Wisconsin's blowing snow. When faced with headwinds, I could only maintain 9 mph at best. My average speed was 14.5 mph. Fortunately, the next two days are relative short rides of 75 miles each day.

Friday, October 3rd

Guymon, OK to Woodward, OK  129 .7 miles

Given the magnitude of today's 130 mile ride to Woodward, OK, we were on are bikes early and witnessed a beautiful sunrise over the plains of Oklahoma. So far, that is the only thing of beauty that we have seen in this state. I now how have a different interpretation of what Sooners stands for... the sooner we get out of this state the better. The wind was already making its presence felt from the south, which gave me an unsettling feeling that I was in for a long and hard day. The first 20 miles or so continued to be flat terrain, but it then gradually turned to gentle rolling hills for the next 100 miles. When you are out in the middle of nowhere, you are looking for anything to entertain you. I have noticed that the cattle and horses will stop grazing and watch you very carefully pedal by. One horse actually started running parallel with us for about a half a mile. As you can see, desperation is setting in. Tomorrow it is on to Enid, OK, a mere 110 miles away. 

Thursday, Oct. 2nd

Clayton, NM to Guymon, OK  114.5 miles

Twelve miles into the ride, we crossed into the panhandle of Oklahoma. As I described in yesterday's entry, there is absolutely nothing around but grass plains and an occasional oil well. It almost makes central Illinois look good. Thank goodness for ipods to help distract the mind. The road conditions were really rough for the vast majority of the 114 mile. Every 10-15 yards you would cross a crack(expansion joint) and it would jolt you. Needless to say, this compounds the already tender and very sore backside. Once again, we formed a paceline and made really good time up to lunch, averaging 25.6 mph for the first 50 miles. The wind picked up and was a stiff crosswind out of the south. This obviously hampered our speed but we still ended up averaging 21.4 mph for the day. May the wind gods be kind to us tomorrow since we have 130 miles to travel.

Wednesday, Oct. 1st

Raton, NM to Clayton, NM  95.8 miles

Today's 95 mile ride went from Raton, NM to Clayton, NM. Once again, the day started with a gradual climb for the first 18 miles, but then the last 3 miles we hit the steepest climb to date with a grade of 10-12%. After reaching 8100', we began a long descent down to the Great Plains, which was confirmed by the sighting of buffalo herds, antelope and absolutely nothing else as far as the eyes could see. To think that we have five more days of these deplorable surroundings is going to be a real test for the will and determination. The intensity of the wind increased as the afternoon progressed. To combat the unpleasant conditions, we formed a paceline, which consists of forming a straight line and rotating the front rider. This constantly keeps fresh legs doing the heavy work and allows you to recuperate before it is your turn again. Without a paceline, there is no way that I could of averaged 16.7 mph. So far my body and mind have held up extremely well. It is truly amazing how they have acclimated to the challenge. Lets just hope it continues for the next three weeks.