8 Days completed!

This picture was taken today, September 11, 2011! It's my eighth day of riding for a total of 421 miles! Stephen rode 39 of my last 45 miles with me...we had started out on a route he mapped out on Daily mile. We made it about 12 miles on that route and ended up on a mountain out in Beyden or something I've never heard of! It was beautiful out there...but after riding 55 miles yesterday, the hill kept going and going and going!! We got to something that was maybe close to the top and made a decision not to continue on that route, not knowing what was ahead of us! I was tired and Stephen hasn't ridden his bike in a long time!! We ended up on a familiar route that was pretty and still had a few small hills. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts and were able to watch some of the 9/11 ceremonies...it was nice to be there and be able to witness some of that and take those thoughts with us for the remainder of the ride.

These pictures are backing up to yesterday...we left Vermont at 7:15 a.m. and I got home around noon, and then we were busy all the rest of the day, so I didn't have time to blog at all! It was a little challenging the first 15 miles or so, but I expected that, and then it as just smooth sailing, so to speak! I decided I did not like riding through the towns/cities...Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke...towns that I have ridden through many times before, but after riding through the mountains and hills...it was very difficult to be with cars!

See....beautiful! This was up at the Vermont/Massachusettls line, Bernardston, MA.

So...I think I just might conclude this blog for today. I know there was more I had to say on the subject, but it has been a long day and a long week, and I want to get this posted. I don't know if I said it but I rode 421 miles total...short of my original goal of 500 miles, but I am not disappointed and do not have any regrets. We brought it a few more donations this week which we are very grateful for and I would love to do another ride like this next year! I enjoyed being out on the road and would love to share that and expand this fundraising effort for anyone who would be willing and able to particiapate! As I said before, I am grateful today to be an American and have the ability to give to others everywhere and anywhere who are in need. I know there are a lot of Americans who feel the same and that makes me proud as well!

God bless us all!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...FROM NH TO VT!!

So, the rain lasted a little longer than we thought it would...but that's ok - we worked it out!! Stephen and I got up at 4:15 a.m. this morning and got ready to continue (pretty much) where we left off. We started a little further along in New Hampshire than where we left off, but it was still two and a half hours from home! We took this picture on the way up...I hadn't yet started riding, but I don't think we got a picture on Tuesday when we entered New Hampshire the first time! On our way we drove through Northfield, MA and we saw two fawn(s) romping in someone's front yard! We thought they were dogs at first, but as we got closer realized they were just babies!! Very, very cute and playful!!

So, I started riding at 8:30 this morning! We started in Newport, NH and the first 2 and 1/2 miles I thought I was going to die! I was scheduled to ride 47 miles, and I hit a lot of steep hills right away and I was very nervous for the rest of the day. As the ride continued, the roads evened out some and it became a really beautiful ride. The difficult thing is, that when I'm riding, I see all kinds of scenery that I would love to photograph, but if I stop to do that I'll never reach my destination!! The GPS lost the road a little ways into the ride, so we had to stop a few times to check in with each other and coordinate the ride. The GPS really is great, when it works!! And actually, if I were by myself I would do things a little differently than this; Stephen and I have tried to stay together, so we have to make sure we are following the same route...

So, again, we entered Vermont without any notice or signage at all!! I was upset, because I love the photos! I do plan to get a picture tomorrow on the way OUT of Vermont...I'll cross the street and get the Welcome to Vermont picture that way...if there is a sign, that is!!

I have two more days of riding before completing this year's challenge to myself. I have been very grateful for the donations people have sent to support Educate Malawi and this event. I have learned a lot about myself and about this type of fundraiser. I would love to do another one next year and would love to have others join me (us) doing this!! It has been really beautiful and fun!! I am continuing to accept donations for this event: donations can be made on the website: http://www.educate-malawi.org/ or by sending a check made payable to Educate Malawi, Inc. at 86 Connecticut Avenue West Springfield, MA 01089.

I just want to say this last thought; it's one that has been with me since very early in this ride, and being September 9th, close to an important American 'memorial' day, I want to add a thought about America. I am doing this ride to raise money for another country, one that is significantly less well-off than we are here in America. I saw that first-hand on my first trip and was moved to start this organization. I have questioned myself and been questioned by others about giving money and raising money for another country. It is a difficult thing to explain and to even understand. An answer became clear to me this week and that is how I am proud to be an American, am grateful for all the opportunities we have here and our ability to help others. That is what I love about our country; I also believe that it is not who you help it's just that you do.

More tomorrow...I think the first 10 miles will be much like my last 10; hilly and difficult...but rewarding when I've done it! We'll see...

Break due to Rain!

So, we woke up in NH yesterday to the sound of pouring rain! Actually, I had listened to it all night long and watched the clock to see if it was stopping close to morning. It wasn't. We looked at the weather forecast and radar and it did not look good at all for the next 2 days in NH, VT and home! So, we decided to postpone the remaining 3 days of riding and continue when the weather cleared up.

We drove the route that I would have ridden that day and it was very beautiful but very hilly!! Also, it barely rained the whole time we were driving. I was not happy with that at all! Trying to make a safe decision by watching the weather is not an easy task...we did the best we could. I have some rain gear, but in addition to by getting wet I had to consider the conditions on the road (my tires are rather skinny ). Some of the downhills were very steep and I was thinking that my brakes might be challenged to slow down sufficiently. All in all I think we made the best decision we could!

I plan to continue on Thursday, riding 50 miles, then head back up to NH to ride into VT and then home. I do not think I will reach the 500 mile mark, but will ride for 8 days and will ride through 5 New England states as planned!!!

Thank you to those who have sent donations; it is greatly appeciated and will help us continue with completion of this project!

Karen

Day 5 - NEW HAMPSHIRE!

So, we entered New Hampshire with very little fanfare, or notice!! There was no sign…our sign was that we saw more cars with New Hampshire license plates…that’s how we knew! So we stopped and took a picture anyway! I had ridden 35.8 miles and it was 10:28 a.m.!

I have really liked starting riding early…I tend to be a morning person anyway, and that way I am done early! I think that it has been good these last couple days to have a long afternoon to recover and get ready for the next day. Also, I used icy hot last night on my legs and shoulders and swore I could feel the difference in the morning and how I felt. We had a good breakfast this morning at the hotel; waffles, hard boiled egg, coffee, cereal…good fuel for the ride!

We left there, the car was all packed up and Stephen and I coordinated our route for the day. I rode down the parking lot leaving the hotel, got a little confused about which way to turn, stopped to look around and fell over!! Got a nice good cut on my knee to start the day!! Sheesh!

It ended up being a beautiful ride and we were going through the woods and a lot of back roads and not a lot of cars to deal with…just the way I like it! We entered Concord, MA and saw Walden Pond State Park….I am assuming it was The Walden Pond, because I saw Thoreau’s name on a few things in the town…it was very quaint.

So I have decided I want to make a little video about this trip and about the experience and why I am doing it. There has been an overwhelming theme in my mind as I’ve been riding through these towns and thinking about America and Malawi and why I’m doing this and what this all means to me, so check that out if you get a chance!!

We found this very cute place to stay for the night…it’s a Guest House, kind of like a bed and breakfast and a nice change from the standard hotel stay…plus we will get breakfast in the morning, also probably not the standard hotel fare…yummy! Carol and Tom are the owners of this guest house…I couldn’t tell you the names of any of the people who helped us at any other place!! More later!

So, it's a little bit later...haven't made 'the video' yet...lost motivation and got really tired! Maybe tomorrow. We looked up directions for where we want to go tomorrow, and got an idea for the next 3 days. Also, we looked at the weather; it is not looking good Iam very sad to say! We will play it by ear and just do the best we can. I can't ride if it's not safe, that's all there is to say! We will see...I am a bit anxious and hoping for the best! We have worked really hard this week and are very close to the end I would hate to have to stop now...but we will see!!!

Day 4....halfway there!

So, we woke up about 6:00, got our stuff together, had a little coffee and bagel, and got out early. I started riding just about 7:30! About 3 miles into the ride, Stephen turned around and came back to tell me that the bridge was out up ahead, but there were detour signs to get us to the street we were trying to get to. We got there...it felt like a great big circle (or square) of 5 miles that we had to ride to get back on track! During this detour, Stephen saw a deer (which I didn't get to see), but I got to see these awesome tractors! I stopped to take their picture...we were in a lot of remote areas and farm land and fields and it was very peaceful and pretty! So I took these pictures!

The GPS I got for the bike brought me around some really nice back roads. I rode 57 miles today, and because there were a lot of turns, I think that it made the time and the miles go by quickly! I was paying attention to the next 2 miles, or 1.2 miles and before I knew it I had gone 20 miles! I felt pretty good by then, and then I was at 30 miles...decided to stop for a good snack:
I felt pretty good here, and kept riding. We had originally scheduled to ride 50 miles, and we reached that point at 12:06!! It was very exciting and impressive, if I do say so myself!
oh! A very exciting thing I saw, crazy as it might seem, was a hawk swoop down and get a mouse! At first, I wasnt' sure what I had seen...I thought a brach had fallen off a tree. But then as I rode up to where the hawk was he hopped up onto a fence post with a mouse squirming in its beak!! It was kinda cool, then I felt a little bad for the mouse! It really was kind of small, and I wondered how many of those the hawk might need to eat in a day!
So, at 50 miles, we plugged in hotels in the area, and Stephen went and got us a room reservation, so when I hit 57 miles he picked me up and we went and got lunch!!
Going to try to get some rest tonight because I am anticipating the next couple of days being a little difficult heading into New Hampshire!! Stay tuned!

Rhode Island back to MA...east side

It was a beautiful morning to ride...cool, flat roads, light traffic. About 10 miles into the ride, I came to the Mt. Hope bridge. Stephen had seen it first and offered to drive me if I didn't feel comfortable going over it, it was rather big!!! I got the the entrance and saw a sign the said 'Share the Road' with a picture of a car and a bicycle. I took that as my sign and continued on...all the way up the bridge I kept thinking about that sign and hoping the cars saw it too! The bridge was tall, and the railings low and I could see the ocean in my peripheral vision and very much wanted to look and take a picture, but didn't feel like I could stop. I got to the top and it felt wonderful! I thought I might be able to take a picture from the bottom of the bridge, but realized there was no where to stop...so I stopped on the bride and took a quick picture. I was scared...this is what it looked like:So another thing that I have not yet written about that I want to mention, is just what a great support team Stephen has been. On our first day we really struggled to figure out our GPS units; they didn't match up. It was kind of uncomfortable and scary for both of us not knowing how to keep in touch...once we figured that all out, on day 2, it got much better! Now I know he is around...he passes me, waits 5-10 miles up the road depending on where we are, and then I stop and have a snack or wave and go by! It is comforting for both of us and he has been a great support! It has made the days much more enjoyable and I know all I have to worry about is riding! We rented this cute little car for peace of mind, since his car his acting up right now...we are loving this little Nissan!
Today was kind of a light, easy day. I rode 45 miles; we had reservations at a KOA in Middleboro, MA. - we made the reservation on Thursday night knowing that it was a holiday weekend and we didn't want to be left without a place to stay! It is very nice...we have a cute little cabin very similar to one we stayed in in Malawi on our first trip there in 2009. We have had a real nice, smooth day and we are hopeful for more of the same tomorrow. We will head up towards Boston way and plan to stay somewhere around Wayland, MA tomorrow.

Probably the worst part of today was just toward the end of the ride, there was a section of road that was very commercialized and the cars were driving so fast and there were a lot of lights and turns...it was a bit nerve wracking. We ended up getting me another blinky light for my back for added visibility...we both feel better about that! More tomorrow...gonna go try to rest for now!

Day 2 - In Rhode Island!

So, these are some pictures of Malawi; in the photo on the left I am at a committee meeting with the school officials and the building committee. You can see some of the school children who attended the meeting and some of them partcipated in the pen pal exchange we held with 2 different groups of students. The photo on the right is the inside of the classroom block and shows the progress that has been made. They have begun to cement the floors and need to plaster the wall and add some doors! I was thinking about these kids today when I was riding and thinking that this is why I am doing what I'm doing. So, I thought I would share this as a reminder to those who maybe don't know, or have forgotten! :)

So, Stephen and I have had some adventures today, again! Yesterday we thought we had the whole navigation thing down, and thought today would just be a ride...didn't expect any glitches...don't know why, because things just don't go that way in life, right?

We started out at about 8:00 and made pretty good time to Mystic, and didn't have to go over the big bridge at all...it was a pretty ride, and pretty uneventful! That was about 22 miles. We were planning to get to Middletown, RI which would have been another 60 miles from there. When we planned this ride and drove it using our car GPS, the route took us up Route 1 into RI which was a beautiful ride; it was flat and scenic! Today, however, we opted to use the bike GPS and the route was different. We decided to stick with that and work it out the way we have been. Stephen jotted down the route that I use on my GPS and some of the mile markers for about 22 miles wort from Mystic...this is what has been working for us so far. About a mile down the road, I took a wrong turn, the GPS started recalculating, I went back to the route I was supposed to be on. The map wasn't loading, so I decided to input the route again and waited for it to load, and waited and waited AND WAITED! I called Stephen and when he caught up, we discussed what the issue might be. I continued to ride and figured it would probably load soon...it didn't. Long story short, it never did! So, we decided to use the directions he had jotted down and that got us as far as Voluntown, CT., where we found a small local library that advertised internet access, and consulted them on how far Middletown, RI was.

Here I am riding toward Stephen in Voluntown!! The ride was about 20 miles from here, and we decided that that would be the goal for the day...60 miles, then we would put the car up and drive to the hotel! And that's what we did. It was only a short distance down the road from here that we entered Rhode Island...that was encouraging and exciting. And again, Stephen was waiting there with his camera to take 'the picture'! He knew...here it is!

Well, I want to say that it is not all wonderful...Shannon said it sounded like I was on vacation...because when I talked to her yesterday from the hotel and was so happy to be hanging out on the bed watching t.v. after having taken a shower and getting ready to to eat dinner!! So, it's not a vacation...we both work hard and both days, so far, at around the 25-30 mile mark I could not believe how 'little progress' I felt we had made and couldn't believe there was another hill so soon!!! Anyway...the point is, we are working in different ways, and finding some appreciation for the small things of the day that make up for all the rest!!
Hopefully tonight I will sleep a little better...tossed and turned last night until about 2:30 and then woke up at 6...
More tomorrow!! Maybe - we will be staying at a KOA campground and won't have internet so unless we stop at someplace with wi-fi, we won't have access. That's the other thing we have decided, that we need to update our technology some more! whew!

1 down 7 to go!!

So here we are in Norwich, CT...I will start at the beginning:

I left the house around 7:45 this a.m. - it was a little hard to leave; I felt like I was leaving my 'comfort zone' into a big unknown, which it was! The first 20 miles or so was nice. I knew where I was, had riden on those roads before and was able to tell Stephen where he was (his GPS sent him a different route than my bike one did!). oh, I stopped to take this picture, because I was going into a different State than I left from.

I took these pictures myself since Stephen wasn't there...I pretended (in my head) that I was from another State (other than MA) and that's why I was taking a picture in front of the CT sign...it's only 9.2 miles from my house!!

So, it was pretty uneventful untel about...Windsor - I called Stephen to see where he was, and his GPS sent him into Springfield and the to East Longmeadow...I was in Windsor at that point, so got him to catch up with me. I was on Route 5 South...then I turned onto Sullivan Avenue, so called to tell him to catch up with me. He didn't show up, didn't show up, so I stopped again to call him and his phone went right to voice mail. I called back and it did the same thing. He had only been about 4-5 miles behind me, so I thought for sure with all this that he had been in a car accident and I would have to ride back to find him! I got through on the 3rd try, thankfully, and he was somewhere else I don't know where. By this time I was down by Evergreen Shops, and gave him that address...I rode down into the shopping area and took a picture there:

This is me with a picture of CHICOS in the background...if I thought I had time, I would have gone shopping!!!

This was the last picture I took for the day...not even one at the end of the day! I will get better I think taking pictures of the route...when there is a little more scenery. This was 28 miles from home at 10:13 a.m.

So, Stephen met me and we talked about what we would do. We decided that our directions were different, but the ending would be the same so we decided to go our own way. I continued riding, and it was getting hotter. I started hitting some hills, and hadn't seen Stephen for a little bit, and then I was going up this one hill, and my chain fell off! I came to a standstill, and couldn't get my feet out of the clips and almost fell off my bike onto a squashed racoon on the side of the road! I walked up the hill a little ways and tried to get the chain back on and couldn't. I called Stephen and when we tried to determine where we each were, I couldn't remember the route I was on, and hadn't figured out that the coordinates are on my GPS...it was not a pretty sight!!! Long story short, I got the chain on, figured out where I was so I could tell Stephen, and started on my way. There were an increasing number of hills, it was getting hotter and my legs were really tired, and it was about noon and I had gone about 40 miles! This was the turning point of the day...the point when my expectations were challenged and realized that I did not calculate properly and that it might be more difficult than I thought. When Stephen caught up with me, I stopped and ate some food and had some gatorade. From that point on for the rest of the day it was 'downhill' - I got a handle on my thoughts and began just taking the roads as they came, so to speak! I decided that my brain might be my biggest challenge and needed to pay attention to my thoughts and my body and keep my thoughts on a positive note and accepting of what IS and ride in a way that doesn't tax my body too much; I need to slow down and take hills easy so I don't burn out.

ok..enough of that. I rode for another 21 miles and it went by rather quickly and uneventfully and I felt like I 'hit my stride' and almost could have kept going! But we didn't...we met up, put my bike on the rack and went to find a place to stay for the night! We were just past Colchester at that point and stopped at a real nice campground, and were told that most of the campgrounds in the area had no electricity and some had no water due to the storm. So, we ended up in a Holiday Inn and it's rather nice! I had a nice shower, had a good dinner and then we were able to chill out for several hours! We booked the next 2 night's stays along the route, and actually had to change some of where we originally wanted to go. It is Labor Day weekend, and we are having a hard time finding availability, even at campgrounds!! Glad we thought of it tonight...didn't think it would be this big of a problem...bad thinking on our parts!!

But, it will all work out I don't have any doubt. I have a long day tomorrow...maybe 80, though it should be fewer hills, so might not be as gruelling! (sp?)

Stay tuned for more adventures!

Karen