One Down - Forty-Five To Go

The Ride Across America has officially begun.   We left San Diego on June 24th and if all goes as planned we'll return to Long Island on August 24th.  Our views along the way will obviously be very different.

Day One Gene's View;

I'm going to be honest with all of you - this blog is going to be short.  Mainly because I am completely and totally knackered!  As a result this is going to be less of my usual (I hope) entertaining banter and more straight to the point - just the facts ma'am!

First off, I'm happy to say that we (okay, I) have completed the first leg of our Ride Across America!  This will probably be one of the most brutal legs of the entire ride (aside from tomorrow) for so many different reasons.

To begin, we got a late start today.  For the first time since we left Northport everyone actually slept late, later than we probably should have.  As a result, we didn't get our wheels dipped into the ocean until about 9:00.  I would post pictures of the dipping but I'm just too tired right now.  If you want to check some out, go to my facebook page and see some of the photos we took this morning.  We were also very surprised and pleased to see that Jim Connor was able to be there to see us off.  We were so touched that he took time out of his Sunday morning to come and meet us.  It was nice after so much cyber conversation to actually meet him in person.  So when the kids and I rolled out we had a sendoff party of two - and it was all still in the family, although many times removed!

The kids and I then rode the first four miles together along the bike path and we met Amy at the end.  After (finally) getting the kids' bikes loaded back on to the van, it was time to go for real!  By this time it was 9:45 - about 3 3/4 hours later than I will normally be rolling out.  Of course this meant that I would be facing one of my worse fears - riding in the middle of the day during the hottest hours.  But more on that in bit.

The beginning of the ride went fairly well and the elevation wasn't too bad - just gentle rises that would gain maybe a hundred feet before leveling off.  And then the hammer was dropped!  Outside of Alpine, CA the road started tilting up and it kep on going - for more than seven miles at a 6 % grade.  By the time I topped out it to hit the highway section I was at 2800 feet and still climbing.  I had also gone through four bottles of water and a bottle of gatorade.  And there was more to come!

I also ended up riding on the highway for 3.5 miles (it was all part of the Adventure Cycling Association's map) and wouldn't you know it - it was all uphill.  By the end of that section I was up to 3100 feet - and still climbing.  By this time it was about 1:00 in the afternoon and I'd been climbing since 11:30.  I had to actually get off the bike three times, not because it was too steep, but because my legs were cramping up so badly I couldn't pedal.  I found that by stretching and walking about 30 yards or so I could stretch them out enough to get back on and pedal some more.

I finally turned off the highway and I was so excited because I knew that I would be only 12.5 miles from where my family would be for the evening.  There happened to be a turn off/park and ride just off the highway and some cyclists were finishing up their rides and loading up so I rolled over to ask them about the terrain.  They told me that there was still a couple of hard climbs but then a 2.5 mile screaming descent into Pine Valley - ahhh, the last part music to my ears.
Unbeknownst to me, at EXACTLY the same time, Amy and the kids were driving by on their way to look for me and restock me with water since it was taking longer than we had originally thought.  They went all the way back to Alpine and then came back.  They finally found me about five miles outside of Pine Valley.  I had finished my last two water bottles and I'm pretty sure I was starting to dehydrate since I was beginning to exhibit some of the classical signs - mainly dry mouth, thirst, light headedness and headache.  And it was probably being exacerbated by the exposure to heat and sun.  All in all, a brutal time.

But then I looked over my shoulder and there they were!  They had caught up with me, refilled me with water and I was able to finally make it into Pine Valley - only four hours after I left them in San Diego!  After some time getting clean and drinking more water, I got everyone's bikes ready and we went for a bike ride to the park in Pine Valley.  Yes, I know - what was I thinking?  But the kids really wanted to go for a ride (I guess I inspired them) and we went for a ride and then had ice cream.

After a few hours chilling at the room we finally went to dinner at the diner and here we are.  See, not much to report, just the facts.
Well, that's it for now.  It's 9:30, I'm totally wiped, and I have some more mountains to climb in the morning!  But its worth it as it is all for the kids of Sunrise! Stay well and I'll be seeing you on the road!

Day One Amy's View;

After they rode the first four miles with Daddy, I packed the kids into the car and took off for our much looked forward to first day.

After an uneventful and relatively level first half, we met Gene in the parking lot of a 7-11 to refill his water and give him encouragement.  To be honest, I was thinking to myself that this was pretty much like every other ride he’s done on many weekends; and after waiting an hour for him to arrive I was wondering if we should change our plans to meet halfway each day and instead the kids and I would just head directly to each new hotel.  Especially after he told us that he’d stopped at another 7-11 to get water and didn’t need our supply.

“He normally rides 40 or 50 miles without me bringing him provisions,” I thought.  “Why does he need us all there now when he can take care of himself?”

We headed off for the second half of the drive to our pleasant little motel in Pine Valley with thoughts of change in my head.

In each small town we passed through, I pictured him stopping to use bathrooms or replenish his water supply.  I was fairly certain our strategy would be altered by tomorrow.

Then we hit the mountains. Twenty miles of hot arid climbing with no place to turn when in need of water or support.  Every time I had to pump the gas pedal to put the car into overdrive and listened to its struggling engine, I thought of my husband on a bicycle trying to make it up the same climb.  My husband who hadn’t been on a really grueling ride in months.  My husband who had just spent the past seven days sitting in a car for ten hours a day.  My husband who was 49 years old and not necessarily in the best shape of his life.

By the time we got to our motel, I was convinced he was sitting on the side of the road dehydrated and despairing because the mountain had beaten him on his first day.  I gave the kids lunch, filled up the water bottles with ice and cold water, and we jumped back into the car to retrace our steps on a mission of mercy.

By the time we’d driven twenty miles back, I was nearly frantic with worry.  Why hadn’t we seen him?  Had he been hit by a car and knocked into the brush at the side of the road?  Had he been overcome by water loss and rushed to some strange hospital?

The return drive was tense as I tried to hide my concern from the children, but I could sense that Sarah had many of the same thoughts.  As we passed the “Pine Valley 5 Miles” sign we caught sight of a familiar jersey up ahead.

“Daddy!” yelled all three kids simultaneously.We stopped to offer our now not-so-needed water and support, and to hear a few quick tales of his first day’s journey - including the conversation he was having with some fellow riders as we drove past on our outward-bound search.  By the time the kids and I had gotten back to the motel and settled in, he was there.  But my thoughts about changing our planned daily routine had vanished.  I’ll be meeting him halfway every day – at least until we’re out of the 100+ degree temperatures and the 4000 foot climbs.

And I’ll have lots of water with me.

For more coverage of our journey -

Amy's blog is http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com

My blog is http://www.connorsarmy.blogspot.com

You can make a donation and help us help the kids of Sunrise at https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056

Or you can check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/