Okay...I have put this off long enough. I understand why the last chapter in a book is the hardest to write...because it means it's over. I finished my ride a month ago and I think it was easier to ride a hundred miles than to put together all of the stats for this trip. Life has returned to normal for me...I ride 30-40 miles each day, mow my lawn, pick my blueberries, and get a daily wedding checklist from my youngest, who is getting married in September.
I rode down to Bob's Red Mill in Clackamas a couple of weeks ago and bought some steel cut oats and whole wheat flour. Remember that great oatmeal we had at Pete and Paula's house in Rhode Island? Well, I haven't forgotten it, and when the weather gets colder, I will be making myself a bowl with raisins, walnuts, and maple syrup for breakfast. I ended up gaining 4 pounds and have now put on another two. Ack!
We put 12,532.5 miles on the truck. That is a little more than I thought, but then we got lost a little more than I thought we would too. We all became better navigators, better map readers, better communicators. If you think 5 women can't get along in difficult situations (blowing dust in Arizona, a dandy thunderstorm in Oklahoma, a host who bailed on us in Ohio, hundreds of pounds of stuff that has to be packed and unpacked daily), think again. We had one skafuffle...brought on by a combination of fear, miscommunication, and plain ol' fatigue. We gave each other some space, and within a couple of days, the situation was resolved and I think all of us grew from that experience. I know I did.
I ended up riding a total of 5,032.7miles. There were a handful of times that I inadvertently turned the Garmin off, forgot to turn it back on, and rode extra mileage so that each day, the screen would display a century. Yeah, I know...
Karen, who was with me the entire lower 48, rode 45 of those days and 1807 miles. Patty rode 1056 miles and Laura rode1775. Liz rode 460. If you add up all of the miles this trip produced, you get 10,130.7 miles. It's mind boggling. So far, in 2012, I have put 11,223 miles on my bikes.
The trip cost me a little over $8000.00, a bargain when I consider the time frame and memories. I would ask the same people to support me...they were everything I had hoped for...if anything, I felt a little sheepish about how WELL they took care of me. I would reroute North Carolina, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. And I would buy a new ice chest. Seriously...I think we bought a ton of ice.
My favorite ten states, in alphabetical order, were: Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. Can I add two more? Hawaii should have made the list, but remember, I was riding at night, so I really couldn't see anything. Washington should have made the list too, if only by virtue of the company I kept.
There are cyclists who have ridden in all 50 states and a handful of cyclists who have ridden a century in all 50 states, but to my knowledge, no one has ever ridden 50 consecutive centuries. If you have, I'd like to talk to you...compare notes...share stories...find out what your therapist is saying about you... :) I realize that some people...cyclists even...aren't impressed...I was on a blog where someone thought it would have been better...greener...if the 5000 miles had been continuous. They were put off that I chose to cycle down Wolf Creek Pass...but then, they weren't cycling in those mid-20 temps, nor were they peddling against the 23 mph headwinds we had later in the day. Think what you want...I.don't.care. I set a goal, put my resources, time, and energy into that goal, and achieved that goal. I'm finished...I'm happy...and I'm beginning to wonder what else is out there that I might want to tackle.
maybe you can't...because you won't...
