Day One (5.9 miles): The Adventure Begins

Waking up this morning was like any other day; grumble and flip the covers back over my head wishing for a few more minutes of sleep. Get up, shower, get dressed, then proceed to drag my half-awake self up the stairs. Its a morning better than most, breakfast has already been made for me. After a hearty meal, I am finally ready to face the day. It's like a madhouse, my family rushing around, throwing my gear in the car, finding all the last minute tidbits. We jump in the car and speed off toward the start of my ride. Once we arrive at the start, the magnitude of my journey finally hits. I am at the start of 5000 miles and wont see my family again for almost 5 months. I already miss them and I haven't even left yet. Gear is loaded on my land yacht and I'm ready to go. Tiny Dancer plays over my speakers, an appropriate song to christen my cruise across the nation.

 Now it's the middle of the day and the sun is blaring down on my back. I feel the sweat pouring off my brow as I start chuggin' my way up the mountain. Lungs burning, tearing up a droning incline. Ella is just having the time of her life, tongue out and enjoying the wind. Then there's me, tongue hanging out gasping for air and desperately needing water. I finally make it to the very top, triumphant as I am tired.Flat roads are a godsend after that never ending incline Hill of Hell. I cruise my way through Backwoods Hicksville Nowhere Kentucky. After monetarily enjoying my sweet relief, I slam right into another hill. This one is much steeper but much shorter as well. I do my best to haul my ass and 80 pounds of gear up this monster. Almost to the top, I can pedal no more. I take what energy I have left and march the last 100 yards to the tip top. Thank God its a massive downhill! Blasting my way down the other side, Ella is enjoying every moment of the rushing wind. Flying past a small church, I am waved down by a little old woman named Anne. She offered me a place to stay, warm showers and food for the night, along with another cyclist. Anne Whitetree runs Freeda  Harris Baptist Center and ended up saving us from a storm that night. If I had passed that church, it would have been another 60 miles to the next destination. So I thank her for that and unfortunately I do not have a picture of her to share. I also made new friends with another cyclist named Joel on his way to Seattle. 60 years old and still kicking ass on the road. His daughter literally kicks ass, she is a professional MMA fighter. So for tonight I end with a bowl of Mac and Cheese and a cold glass of water.

Meet Joel