California---"I am stuck on Band-Aid brand, cuz Band-Aid's stuck on me..."

Our Warm Shower hosts were Tim Channell and Terry Bond from Fresno. They were kind enough to allow us to descend upon them after midnight. We arrived around 1 a.m. and they had left a floodlight on the grass so that we could see to pitch our tents...even a candle to see where the floodlight was lying! They both got up to see me off at 6 this morning and I was sad that I had so little time to visit with this generous couple. Thank you both so very much!


Today's flat ride was a stark contrast to yesterday's climbing. The total elevation gain for the day was 105'. I know...almost embarrassing, huh? I have had several people tell me that the stretch from Fresno to Bakersfield is downright ugly...but I kinda liked it. There is something wonderful about all of the agriculture...acres and acres of fruits and vegetables feeding thousands and thousands of people. I saw grapes and avocados, peaches and cherries, beans and corn.

I received a present today. A tailwind. The winds were out of the NW and my average for the 100.9 miles I rode was 18.35. It actually got to the point where I would chasten myself if I looked and my speed was below 20. "C'mon, girl...you're doggin' it. If you had told me I would finish a century in 5.5 hours I would have laughed at you.





The day ended just north of Bakersfield, where I hopped in the truck with Karen and split the driving to North Las Vegas. It was a little over 300 miles...our longest driving day of the trip. I'm glad it's behind us.






We are staying with Tom and Janet Thompson, friends of Patty's, and they are wonderful. We sat down to a wonderful dinner of BBQ tritips, green salad, baked potatoes, and bread. We had the evening to rearrange all of our stuff now that Patty is on board, and I put the Rodriguez together. When I picked up the bike box at baggage claim in Oakland, one of the clamps was undone and there was an "inspected" sticker on the side of the box. The bike has some damage and it will be interesting to see how Alaska Airlines handles it. One of the nameplates on the shifter was broken and the star nut in the fork had been pulled out. They also removed the plastic protectors that I had on the wheels. I wasn't happy and will probably have to take it to a bike shop for the headset issue.






Before I forget to mention it...I am going to tell you about the incredible chance encounter I had on my flight from Kona. I was sitting in an aisle seat and there was a young, good-looking fellow in the middle seat. He was watching movies and I was trying to sleep a bit...and keep my helmet under my own seat instead of his. Late into the flight he asked me if I had gotten in some good rides. I smiled and said yes, and then he asked me where? So...I told him about my little adventure. Turns out, he is Lance Armstrong's pilot. What are the odds? I gave him one of my cards, so maybe he is following along. Hi Scott. :)

Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to be in the upper 90's...we're also supposed to have winds out of the SE...sigh.


maybe you can't...because you won't...

Hawai'i---"I don't need easy, I just need possible."

The picture below was taken last night. After a short ride I went swimming with Roberta. Well, she went swimming...I did my best to tread water...and it's safe to say that I got my minimum daily requirement of sodium chloride. There were two turtles playing in the water near us and even hours after I had gotten out, they were still there. So...I took Stanley down for a look. He liked them..wanted to take one home on the plane for a pet, but I said "No, they ought to stay here with Smitty and Roberta."



At my hosts' suggestion, I took a nap in the evening. It was very good advice..I probably slept two or three hours. But...I hadn't even gotten out of the driveway before I had my first snafu. That wonderful Niterider Blowtorch, capable of 40 watts of light, wasn't working. I troubleshot for all of 5 minutes before I pulled out a headlamp I had brought along (just in case) and turned on a little Cateye LED. Marginal light, but it was going to have to do. I headed north from Kailua just after midnight, using the Kona Ironman route along Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway. The road is perfect...wide, 12 foot shoulders with smooth pavement that is free of debris. I had a little traffic the first 5 or 6 miles, but after that I often rode a couple of miles in between cars passing. It was dark...I would've loved a full moon, but the moon was nowhere to be found. I did find the rumble strip a bunch of times...let's just say the rumble strip served its purpose...it kept me awake. Two flashing rear blinkies warned vehicles coming up behind me that there was something unusual on the road, and it was hilarious how many of them slowed to a crawl.

The terrain is expansive fields of lava flow, and 20 miles into the ride there is a lava tube on the east side of the highway. Locals take white stones and form messages against the dark lava like: "Mikala loves Jonah", "RIP Stephan", "Go Evona!"





My son gave me an idea for this trip that I want to incorporate. I want to pick up a small rock in each state so that at the end of my trip I will have this array of stones that represents all of the places I rode. I asked Smitty and Roberta about taking a souvenir of lava stone when we were sitting at the beach one morning. They both shook their heads "no". Bad juju. There are stories...plenty of stories, where people have taken rocks from the island and then suffered all kinds of misfortune. Now...I am not superstitious...but I am also not stupid. I have seen "Lost"...all 6 seasons...was a big fan. I took a piece of coral from the beach instead.

I rode to Hawi which was a little over 55 miles from Smitty and Roberta's house. The wind was strong and in my face after the road took a turn to the east, and there was a decent climb. I was, however, making good time. I turned around and headed back, stopping for a breakfast sandwich and something for my water bottles at a small market along the way. I had more wind until I could turn south on Hwy 19. I called Smitty and Berta about 15 miles from the airport, and I think that was about 7:15. They snapped a couple of photos, dropped my stuff off at the airport, setting me up to break the bike apart, (it took me less than an hour) gave me an ice cold drink and this very cool rice roll wrapped in seaweed. Hugs and Aloha to them...they are awesome. Mahalo nui loa. I got to the airport with 101.7 miles and an average of 12.7. My elevation gain was 3113'.

I am now waiting at the gate for my flight to Oakland, where Karen will pick me up around 9 p.m. I am hoping to get a few hours of sleep on the plane. We will drive to Fresno where we'll quickly pitch our tents under an orange tree in the backyard of some kind Warm Showers souls. He has sent me an email with a map of his backyard and the most level spot. He also plugged in a floodlight for us. All the kindness and generosity has me undone.


maybe you can't...because you won't...

Encouragement and Other Anecdotes to Pain

I was a little emotional when I left Vancouver last Thursday afternoon. Maybe it was the culmination of a year's worth of planning or the fact that I was past the point of no return...I don't know...but I got a little weepy as I headed south through the Willamette Valley. I was thinking of the things I was going to miss...grandsons' Little League games, picking cherries with my daughter, the ongoing war with the bunnies for my strawberries. My early summer would've been relatively mellow, and a day might have had me riding 30 miles, putzing around the yard, and then sitting on the deck with a michelada. Not that any of that made me turn around...but all of it was rolling through my mind.




I met a young fellow from Spain who had been staying with Smitty and Roberta. His name is Alvaro and he is cycling around the world with no plans to stop. His load? 165 pounds. I took a picture of him at Mauna Kea State Park where he was fixing his rear rack. He was heading to the top of Mauna Kea to see the sunrise...yes...with his entire load. He contacted Smitty and Roberta today to say that it had taken him 6 hours to ride 7 miles.




Encouragement can come from unexpected places. In the past month, I have talked to several people who barely know me that have said, "I KNOW you can do this.". Really? How do you know...because I don't even know! I hope I can remember their words when I'm out in the middle of the lovely panhandle of Texas, tired and hot, and have 35 miles yet to ride. I hold in my heart comments that have been made to me over the years...and they encourage me...stretch me...motivate me.
I don't usually listen to music when I ride because I need all of my attention on my riding and the environment around me. But I did bring an iPod along on this trip with several playlists...hills playlist, kick it up a notch playlist, sing-a-long playlist, etc. And I have found that music encourages me...now...don't laugh at my choices, but Josh Grobin's "You Lift Me Up" is easily worth another 10 miles...Rufus Wainright's "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road" is worth 5, and some of the songs from Bill's memorial service...well, I can finish the day if I'm listening to those.












I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Hawai'i. I was fortunate to be here for an outdoor concert honoring King Kamehameha IV. There were several groups of hula dancers, and I thought it was wonderful...reminded me of sign language. There is a piece of me that whispers, "you could just spend the next 50 days here, you know...". Smitty and Roberta have been wonderful hosts and I will come back to Kona...to relax and drink in the history that is here. But I am going to ride a bit today, and perhaps get in a short nap...for the adventure begins at midnight. Mahalo...and Aloha.
maybe you can't...because you won't...

Fun and Games

3 days until I leave...8 until the actual riding starts. Last night I broke down my Rodriguez coupled bike and packed it into its case...1hour and 6 minutes. Here's hoping the baggage handlers are kind. I am busy just telling everyone good-bye. Tomorrow I am headed to Yakima where 2 of my children live with their families to love on all my darlings there. The past week has been crazy with trip preparation and a mountain of things that need to be done at home before I go. I probably shouldn't have said it, but I told my sister-in-law that riding 100 miles a day was going to feel like a vacation. Jinx.

And I'm not saying it hasn't been fun. I'm all about fun. For example: over the winter I like to leave my tubes in and keep patching them after a flat...see just how many patches I can put on them until I have to pitch them...and this year I had a personal best...13 patches on one tube. That tube might have been 2 years old, come to think of it. You know, reuse, reduce, recycle.



When I rode my coast-to-coast in 2005, I used a line from a song everyday to sum up how the day went. On this trip, I'm using movie lines. Each day I will add a line from a movie to my blog post...either something taken from a movie that was filmed in that state, or the state was mentioned in the line, something like that. When I have finished Alaska, I will post a "key", and you can see how well you did at guessing the movie and who spoke the line. I'll give you the first one, Hawaii's: "I don't need easy...I just need possible."

I am taking a little friend with me on this trip even though he cannot drive yet. His name is Stanley. Laura, one of my biking buddies, had her third grade class create Flat Stanley, and he will be going to all 50 states with me. It's a great way to help teach about geography and her class will be following the blog www.cyclingwithflatstanley.blogspot.com. They will be reading about Stanley's adventures and making sure he doesn't get into any trouble.



maybe you can't...because you won't...

Ride, Eat, Sleep, Repeat...

Ride, eat, sleep, repeat. Add a little yard work, grocery shopping, bill paying, and you have summed up my life as of late. I make lists every day. And at the end of the day, I feel as if I have gotten a lot accomplished, but the mountain of details needing my attention still exists. I leave in 9 short days.

I turned 60 on Sunday. It was a full day, blessed with sunshine, good friends, and a nice ride. At one point, I wondered...how did this happen? Wasn't I just 40 a short time ago? The years seem to zip by..."Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it." Remember that line...you're going to need it when I get to Illinois. I'll explain next week.

I had to send my Garmin back for repair. I have read some complaints about their customer service, but you won't hear anything but kudos from me. The turnaround time was less than a week, and they were responsive within 12 hours by email. I have downloaded the maps from MapMyRide so that I have the option of turn-by-turn directions, and will test at least part of the Washington century later this week. I am interested to know what the battery life is with the turn-by-turn directions on...and anxious to see that marvelous little screen that reads: "arriving at destination".

There have been flurries of emails passing between my biking buddies and me. Two of them will be sharing a bike, and another just sold her home and has to be out by May 14th. There is the shared equipment to consider...who is bringing what, so that we don't duplicate items and carry way too much stuff. We are discussing phone service, and truck keys, laundry and medical information. And about the time I think we have covered everything we can possibly cover, someone comes up with something I hadn't thought about.

Like...brakes. My truck is a 2006 with just over 100,000 miles. I bought it used and don't know if there has been any brake work done on it, so...after a dream that Liz had, where we ended up sliding into the lobby of a government building because we had no brakes...I'll get them checked. :). Silly? Maybe...but I would rather spend a little more time doing these sorts of things now, than have to deal with it in the middle of Arkansas. There are far better things to do in Arkansas...have you been to Mammoth Springs?


maybe you can't...because you won't...

Be Still, My Heart...

If I could leave tomorrow, I would. I am anxious. I have this gnawing feeling that if I spend too many more days doing training rides of 60 or 70 miles a day, I'm bound to have a mishap. I have had a few close calls with cars...right hooks, passing too close, turning left right in front of me at a busy intersection...sheesh.

I am creating small hills of equipment in my bedroom...camping stuff, food stuff, clothing stuff. I am itching to "pack" it...but I won't let myself...yet. While the routing is done, I don't have confirmation on all of our accommodations, so I need to make a few more phone calls, send a few more emails. The city of Gordon, Nebraska came through in a big way. There aren't a lot of options for camping in NW Nebraska, and Gordon just happens to be 105 miles from the Wyoming border. I contacted the city manager about staying at the city park and he assured me that would be fine. He also told me that the park is across the street from the police station and the tornado shelter. O...kay. That could be important because NE Nebraska often gets severe weather during the month that we will be riding through Gordon. And me with no Auntie Em in the truck...

Anchorage was another place where I was uncertain of accommodations...until yesterday. Liz has a cousin, who along with his wife, read my entire list of things I need while I'm there...ride from the airport, place to put together bike, place to sleep, place to store bike box, ride to Girdwood...and said "no problem". Wow.

I will tell you something I believe. That when you commit to something...give your heart, your energy, your resources to it...God begins to move to make the pieces fall into place for you.

I love a quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe-

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back--concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."

It doesn't mean everything will be easy, or without what I call "snafus"...but there have been for me...both on my C2C trip and in the planning for this trip, numerous acts of unforeseen assistance. If it wasn't so full of wonder, it would almost be comical.

maybe you can't...because you won't...

A Meeting of the Minds

Most of my bikin' buddies were at my house last night for another meeting. We are less than a month away from departure, and the mountain of details might frighten a normal person. We're not normal. I hope they don't mind me telling you that, but all of them get this wonderful look on their face when we start talking about this trip...yes, it will be work, but such FUN work.

Liz had sent me an email with a link to an article about recovery. The article talked about the nutrition side, but also a cold water dunk...something I had never heard before. Here is the link: 

 http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PBOnePieceView?storeId=10151&catalogId=10751&languageId=-1&pagename=264

I think it gives new meaning to "Go jump in a lake!"

All of my routes are on www.MapMyRide.com and can be viewed publicly. Either use my name Cindi Rauch, or my username litespeedin to find them. I would be interested to know if you can access the maps easily.

The Bone Locker rack came and is on the truck. It's a great rack and perfect for what we want to do. We put three bikes on it last night at our meeting, and after a bit of adjustment, I think it's going to be easy on...easy off. I didn't like the amount of wobble in the hitch receiver, and looked online for a solution. I ended up slipping some old credit cards in between the stinger of the rack and the hitch receiver...and it worked pretty well.



The routing is done. And about the time I finished the routing and emailed my hosts, one of them wrote back to tell me they were moving out of state. Another may have to help his daughter relocate. So...I'll be doing a little rerouting. I realize this is life...things change, people move, plans fall through. I have given all my bikin' buddies permission to smack me alongside the head if I allow any of this to cause me stress. I like the way Laura put it, "Sometimes, the change allows you the most wonderful of moments...a "meant to be", serendipitous kind of change.

We talked a lot about food at our meeting. I had made some whole wheat pasta with pesto, chicken, and roasted peppers, but I like it better with regular pasta. So did they. But all of them said they would eat either one. Do you see why I love these ladies, why I asked them to go with me on this trip? They are so easy to please. Patty's salad of cabbage, avocado, jicama, and cilantro was a big hit, and so was the tangerine wheat beer that Liz brought. We have 3 or 4 meals that we can make quickly...and that may have to do. If anyone knows how we could do baked potatoes, let me know...I think we would all like a loaded baked potato. Perhaps in...Idaho?


maybe you can't...because you won't...