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Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Friday, July 31, 2009
Day 5: the end
Last night I got to sleep on the table bed again. Layne and I rock paper scissored and I won! It was nice to sleep on the bed again and get a somewhat decent nights sleep. It was sooo hard to get out of bed this morning. I even missed my daily dose of ibuprofen. Bummer. It was also very cold again this morning as we started out. We got on the road at 6:25 which was the earliest we had started. The road was pretty hilly to start, but as we got farther east it started to even out more. Traffic was super busy this morning too. It seemed a little bit dangerous. Especially because all of the cops in Dakota county decided to be super lazy today. Usually at busy intersections there would be a ms society volunteer and at the really busy ones there would be a police officer there to direct the traffic and let us know when we could cross. Today 4 out of 5 cops sat in their cars and didn't give us much direction at all. It made it all that much more dangerous. Apparently Dakota county didn't know we were coming until this morning. Likely story. The last 10 miles of the trip was on the cannon valley trail, which was so nice compared to the busy roads. We crossed the finish line around 10:30 am having completed 50 miles today. We must have been excited to be finished because we booked it today. It felt good to be done.
I returned home this afternoon to a different apartment. My poor husband had to move while I was gone. He had some great help, but he was a busy boy! I am happy to be home and I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone that has supported me on this trip. Thank you for your monetary and moral support. Every dollar raised will go toward a great cause and every encouraging comment on here really kept me going. It really means a lot to me that you all read this. I will post pictures tomorrow once we get our Internet hooked up at the new place. So check back. And just as a final note - I registered for next year. I can't wait to do it all again!!
I returned home this afternoon to a different apartment. My poor husband had to move while I was gone. He had some great help, but he was a busy boy! I am happy to be home and I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone that has supported me on this trip. Thank you for your monetary and moral support. Every dollar raised will go toward a great cause and every encouraging comment on here really kept me going. It really means a lot to me that you all read this. I will post pictures tomorrow once we get our Internet hooked up at the new place. So check back. And just as a final note - I registered for next year. I can't wait to do it all again!!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Day 4: Bring on the hills!
Last night was my turn on the floor, which really wasn't all that bad until I woke up this morning to dad walking back and forth in my "bed" trying to find his toiletries that he never successfully found. So I basically woke up being kicked in the ribs. We all groggily pulled on our spandex and then had our ceremonious doling out of the ibuprofen. This is how we start every morning.
Today was a shorter day, about 44.55 miles altogether which seemed really short compared to yesterday. But boy was it hilly. It seemed that the hills never quit today, so I'm glad that it was only 40 miles. There was also a pretty nasty headwind. Otherwise the day was prett insignificant. Nothing from the ride really sticks out in my mind.
We got to new Prague at 11:45 am and found out that there is no camp ground in the city. Grampy did some negotiating and our home for the night is a funeral home parking lot. When you need electricity you can't be picky about where you get it from. It is nice and quiet though. We all showered and then had dinner at one in the afternoon. It was great. Then we all took a nap and are ready for bed. Tomorrow we are riding our final 50 miles from new Prague to welch village which is near red wing. Layne and I haven't paper, rock, scissored to see who gets to sleep in the bed again tonight. I guess I will report back tomorrow on where I got to sleep.
I will try to blog when I get home tomorrow afternoon. Thanks so much everyone for reading, it means a lot to me that you have followed us on this trip. See you all soon! <3
Today was a shorter day, about 44.55 miles altogether which seemed really short compared to yesterday. But boy was it hilly. It seemed that the hills never quit today, so I'm glad that it was only 40 miles. There was also a pretty nasty headwind. Otherwise the day was prett insignificant. Nothing from the ride really sticks out in my mind.
We got to new Prague at 11:45 am and found out that there is no camp ground in the city. Grampy did some negotiating and our home for the night is a funeral home parking lot. When you need electricity you can't be picky about where you get it from. It is nice and quiet though. We all showered and then had dinner at one in the afternoon. It was great. Then we all took a nap and are ready for bed. Tomorrow we are riding our final 50 miles from new Prague to welch village which is near red wing. Layne and I haven't paper, rock, scissored to see who gets to sleep in the bed again tonight. I guess I will report back tomorrow on where I got to sleep.
I will try to blog when I get home tomorrow afternoon. Thanks so much everyone for reading, it means a lot to me that you have followed us on this trip. See you all soon! <3
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Day 3: Challenge...?
Since I have started every other blog with a description of my previous nights sleep, today will be no different. I got the table "bed" to myself and it was wonderful. Layne and I decided that we would take turns for the next 3 nights, and last night was my lucky night. I slept like a baby. Layne said that dad snored all night (whoops, sorry dad I gave you away) but I never heard it. It was great.
Today was our longest day. 72.5 miles when all was said and done. I toyed around with the idea of doing a century (100 miles) since we would only be about 30 miles away from it. As my dad and I were riding the last 10 miles to the finish line, I ran the idea of turning around by him. He said he absolutely didn't want to, but if challenged, he would. I said that I really didn't want to either, but I am also always up for a challenge. It was a very delicate conversation after that. Both talking about riding a century, but also both of us being as careful as possible that it would not turn into a challenge. It was a funny conversation and we decided that it was an offer that neither of us wanted to accept and we left it at that. He then spent the rest of the ride teaching me about differnt types of weeds that grow in fields ("anything in a field that is not supposed to be there is a weed!"). He is in farmers heaven this week, riding by all of the fields and checking them out. I dubbed the term "croparazzi" for him. He really liked that one.
This morning was freezing and they served ice cream at the first rest stop?? I didn't have any. I couldn't even take my coat off until the second one! It was sunny for most of the day and I am working on some wicked tan lines! Today was also a litle more hilly than the other 2 days. The downhills are harder for me than the uphills. I get hand cramps from holding my brakes so tight. I am not a fan of going downhill on a bike when semis are speeding by the other direction and the cross wind nearly knocks you off your bike. Scary.
Tomorrow is only about 45 miles so it should seem like a piece of cake compared to today. I would like to dedicate my first 23 miles to my coworker Desirae who's 23rd birthday is tomorrow. Happy birthday des! Until tomorrow!
Today was our longest day. 72.5 miles when all was said and done. I toyed around with the idea of doing a century (100 miles) since we would only be about 30 miles away from it. As my dad and I were riding the last 10 miles to the finish line, I ran the idea of turning around by him. He said he absolutely didn't want to, but if challenged, he would. I said that I really didn't want to either, but I am also always up for a challenge. It was a very delicate conversation after that. Both talking about riding a century, but also both of us being as careful as possible that it would not turn into a challenge. It was a funny conversation and we decided that it was an offer that neither of us wanted to accept and we left it at that. He then spent the rest of the ride teaching me about differnt types of weeds that grow in fields ("anything in a field that is not supposed to be there is a weed!"). He is in farmers heaven this week, riding by all of the fields and checking them out. I dubbed the term "croparazzi" for him. He really liked that one.
This morning was freezing and they served ice cream at the first rest stop?? I didn't have any. I couldn't even take my coat off until the second one! It was sunny for most of the day and I am working on some wicked tan lines! Today was also a litle more hilly than the other 2 days. The downhills are harder for me than the uphills. I get hand cramps from holding my brakes so tight. I am not a fan of going downhill on a bike when semis are speeding by the other direction and the cross wind nearly knocks you off your bike. Scary.
Tomorrow is only about 45 miles so it should seem like a piece of cake compared to today. I would like to dedicate my first 23 miles to my coworker Desirae who's 23rd birthday is tomorrow. Happy birthday des! Until tomorrow!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Day 2
I would like to start by clarifying something. Layne doesn't snore, she never has. So that will narrow down the possible culprits from Sunday night. Last night was definitely better. At least for snoring. Layne and I decided that table bed just isn't big enough for the both of us though... So for the next 3 nights we are going to take turns sleeping on the floor. But I am so tired right now that it doesn't matter where I sleep, I just want to pass out.
We rode 61 miles today. Getting back on the bike this morning was quite the task. Well maybe not so much a task as the most painful thing that I have experienced in a long time. But after the first few miles it got better, I am dreading tommorrow. It's going to be so much worse! Anyway, enough whining. We rode from Montevideo to redwood falls. When we got into town today we went down the longest, windiest hill we had been on yet. Then we immediately had to go back up an equivalent hill. It was pretty tiring for the end of the day. So we got to the top, almost got hit a couple of times due to intersections with no stop signs whatsoever, and then crossed the finish line under a sprinkler. So after we get in the camper we find out that before we went back up that big hill we had ridden right past our campsite for the night. And Grammy knew it, she just didn't tell us. She knew that if we knew we would choose to not go up the hill and cross the finish line. we would just go to the campsite instead of climbing the hill. We couldn't believe she held that valuable information from us. But then again we wouldn't be able to say that we finished the tram.
We got to the campsite, showered off and then had dinner at the country kitchen at 4 pm. I took an hour and a half nap and could go back to sleep for the night right now. I am looking forward to tomorrow but also dreading the first approximately 10 miles or so. Hopefully I will have cellphone reception tomorrow night too. Until then!
We rode 61 miles today. Getting back on the bike this morning was quite the task. Well maybe not so much a task as the most painful thing that I have experienced in a long time. But after the first few miles it got better, I am dreading tommorrow. It's going to be so much worse! Anyway, enough whining. We rode from Montevideo to redwood falls. When we got into town today we went down the longest, windiest hill we had been on yet. Then we immediately had to go back up an equivalent hill. It was pretty tiring for the end of the day. So we got to the top, almost got hit a couple of times due to intersections with no stop signs whatsoever, and then crossed the finish line under a sprinkler. So after we get in the camper we find out that before we went back up that big hill we had ridden right past our campsite for the night. And Grammy knew it, she just didn't tell us. She knew that if we knew we would choose to not go up the hill and cross the finish line. we would just go to the campsite instead of climbing the hill. We couldn't believe she held that valuable information from us. But then again we wouldn't be able to say that we finished the tram.
We got to the campsite, showered off and then had dinner at the country kitchen at 4 pm. I took an hour and a half nap and could go back to sleep for the night right now. I am looking forward to tomorrow but also dreading the first approximately 10 miles or so. Hopefully I will have cellphone reception tomorrow night too. Until then!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Day 1... They Lied
Let me start by describing my night last night...
Grammy and Grampy have an RV that comfortably sleeps about 4 people. There is a bedroom in the back, and then a bed over the cab of the truck which both sleep about 2. There is also a table, that folds down into a "bed". This so called "bed" is approximately 4 feet wide, by 5 feet long. I brought a tent for my sister and I to sleep in, but after getting to Ortonville and feeling how intensely hot it was, we thought against sleeping in a tent for the night. That and we didn't feel like setting it up/taking it down in the morning. So we made the table into a "bed" and went to sleep. It was uncomfortable. Like, REALLY, uncomfortable. I'm short, and it was too short for ME. We're talking SHORT. So anyway, that's not even the problem. That I can live with. Someone, which I will not name, was SNORING.... all night. And it was unbearable. I woke up from what little sleep I was able to get with a headache. Not a good way to start the first day of riding, which was supposed to be 58.9 miles.
They lied. It was 65 miles. For some reason, I feel like a person should be warned about something like this. Granted, it's not that much farther, it just sounds so much worse. I won't bore you with all of the details, I will just give a few highlights:
We were up and at 'em at 5:30 this morning. I don't think I have woken up this early since riding TRAM last year. Up before the sun rises is definitely not my style. So we got up, got packed, got air in our tires, and started on our way. The reason the route was longer is because they "changed it" at the last minute. Supposedly there was a new, paved bike trail that we were now taking. Yeah, it lasted for 1/4 of a mile and then we were on rough, bumpy roads the rest of the day. There was also wind.. and lots of it. Now, wind is definitely not always a bad thing. Especially when it's at your back for most of the day, but when we would turn to go north for a few miles it was almost unbearable. I would look down and see my odometer, which had just been at 18 mph, drop to below 10, but I felt like I was pushing harder than I had been going 18. Oh well, it was at our backs for most of the day. 65 miles and 4 rest stops later and we were finished for the day, around 2 pm, and that's including 4 LONG rest stops. At every one, dad would be on the phone with an insurance agent, adjustor, inspector or something like that. Thanks to the storm they now need a new roof, and 4 new sides on their house. At least he was able to come.
Overall, it was a pretty easy, all things considered, day today. Hopefully the wind will remain at our backs for the second leg of the trip. Tomorrow, we will be riding from Montevideo to Redwood Falls. Another 60.5 miles. I sure hope they aren't lying!
Grammy and Grampy have an RV that comfortably sleeps about 4 people. There is a bedroom in the back, and then a bed over the cab of the truck which both sleep about 2. There is also a table, that folds down into a "bed". This so called "bed" is approximately 4 feet wide, by 5 feet long. I brought a tent for my sister and I to sleep in, but after getting to Ortonville and feeling how intensely hot it was, we thought against sleeping in a tent for the night. That and we didn't feel like setting it up/taking it down in the morning. So we made the table into a "bed" and went to sleep. It was uncomfortable. Like, REALLY, uncomfortable. I'm short, and it was too short for ME. We're talking SHORT. So anyway, that's not even the problem. That I can live with. Someone, which I will not name, was SNORING.... all night. And it was unbearable. I woke up from what little sleep I was able to get with a headache. Not a good way to start the first day of riding, which was supposed to be 58.9 miles.
They lied. It was 65 miles. For some reason, I feel like a person should be warned about something like this. Granted, it's not that much farther, it just sounds so much worse. I won't bore you with all of the details, I will just give a few highlights:
We were up and at 'em at 5:30 this morning. I don't think I have woken up this early since riding TRAM last year. Up before the sun rises is definitely not my style. So we got up, got packed, got air in our tires, and started on our way. The reason the route was longer is because they "changed it" at the last minute. Supposedly there was a new, paved bike trail that we were now taking. Yeah, it lasted for 1/4 of a mile and then we were on rough, bumpy roads the rest of the day. There was also wind.. and lots of it. Now, wind is definitely not always a bad thing. Especially when it's at your back for most of the day, but when we would turn to go north for a few miles it was almost unbearable. I would look down and see my odometer, which had just been at 18 mph, drop to below 10, but I felt like I was pushing harder than I had been going 18. Oh well, it was at our backs for most of the day. 65 miles and 4 rest stops later and we were finished for the day, around 2 pm, and that's including 4 LONG rest stops. At every one, dad would be on the phone with an insurance agent, adjustor, inspector or something like that. Thanks to the storm they now need a new roof, and 4 new sides on their house. At least he was able to come.
Overall, it was a pretty easy, all things considered, day today. Hopefully the wind will remain at our backs for the second leg of the trip. Tomorrow, we will be riding from Montevideo to Redwood Falls. Another 60.5 miles. I sure hope they aren't lying!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Currently...
I am in the camper with my family (Grammy, grampy, mom, dad and sister) driving all the way to the west side of Minnesota. Once we get to ortonville we will set up camp and then relax to prepare for the long week ahead of us. I still have not done any training. I don't think that my one mile round trip ride to ben and jerrys last night counts. Oh well, it shoudnt be too awful. I hope. We left from welch village this morning, which is down by red wing and are now taking county road 19 to the west side of the state. We have gone down one very long very steep hill that I am hoping we don't have to climb back up, but at the bottom of the hill was one of the host cities, so unfortunately, climbing out of that river bed will most likely be unavoidable. We'll see how it is on Wednesday or Thursday. Otherwise the trip so far has seemed pretty flat. Then again I have never been this far west in mn, so I don't really know what to expect. We will just have to wait and see! I am just thankful that my whole family is here because as of Friday night there was some question about whether everyone would be able to make it. My parents are farmers in sw Wisconsin and they had the worst hailstorm my mom had ever seen in her 25 years of living in the Midwest. There was golfball sized hail that ripped holes in the siding of their house and broke a huge hole in my little brothers bedroom window. Worst of all it wiped out about a thousand acres of crop, which is about one third of the farm. Dad thought he might have to stay home to meet with insurance people, but fortunately he was able to come. I guess he will just have to deal with it when he gets home.
I will post again tomorrow after our first day of riding. Tomorrows ride goes from ortonville to Montevideo and is 58.9 miles. Looks like we won't be getting eased into anything here! I'll let you know how it goes!!
I will post again tomorrow after our first day of riding. Tomorrows ride goes from ortonville to Montevideo and is 58.9 miles. Looks like we won't be getting eased into anything here! I'll let you know how it goes!!
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