WE DID IT!!!

Well folks, we actually did it. Around 1 pm yesterday we barreled onto the beach in Santa Cruz and ran into the ocean. Our friends and family greeted us and we bounced around in the ocean (PERFECT water temp, too!) hugging and screaming and laughing and drinking champagne. It was so exciting to have all 31 of us cycling down the streets of Santa Cruz in one long line, our matching jerseys adorned with flags and leis. We gathered quite a bit of attention, and it was so fun to tell people that we had pedaled all the way from South Carolina to arrive at this beach. Afterward we had a party at a local park, where we got to know each other's family and eat a lot (I even ate dessert for the first time in several weeks).

I'm a little disoriented now; it's odd to not get up and put on my spandex at an ungodly hour. It hasn't quite settled in that the trip really is over, and it will be a long time before I see anyone on the trip, if I do end up seeing them ever. I sure hope to maintain these friendships, and either way I treasure very much the amazing times we had together.

I don't really have time to sit and be glum though: right now I'm roadtripping with my family up the west coast, visiting extended family and frequently patting my beautiful sister's 6-months pregnant belly, then it's off to the Chesapeake Bay with Oliver to go sailing with his dad (and seeing Mark and Mandi too!!), then to Sao Paulo Brazil to sing the soprano solo in Carmina Burana, then back to school (one week late) to teach taekwondo and finish my graduate diploma, prepare for a recital, and make my professional opera debut with Indianapolis Opera on October 2nd and 4th. Whew! I'm pretty excited for all the excitement ahead for me, and very blessed to have had all the excitement from the summer. I will treasure the memories for a very long time.

Back in the saddle

Hiya folks! Sorry as always for the delay in posting. It turns out that in the west there is a lot of space without much in it (and we like it that way!) so internet has been scarce.

Most importantly, I'm back in the saddle! After only two days in the van for my injury, I was able to hop back on a bike, and I've been riding ever since. I was very pleasantly surprised at how quickly I recovered, and now I feel as good as new. The last week or so has been really great. All the rides have been wonderful--while it's definitely quite hot, we haven't had anything over 80 miles...and that's a treat for us! With these sorts of shorter days, I usually roll into the town/village/hamlet/collection of two houses and a barn/etc by midafternoon, giving me plenty of time to do what I please. This usually involves reading (currently reading A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah which is heartbreaking and intense but recommended), practicing, studying my music, going to the library when one exists, and occasionally, as a treat, napping.

This summer has been very interesting for me musically. Which is ironic, since I'm not officially doing anything musical. But I've learned to stand on my own two feet when it comes to learning music, and that has been really fun. I'm preparing a recital for the fall, and as I work on my music I've been coming up with all sorts of questions regarding interpretation, musicality, etc. In my former life, I would have run straight to a coach. "What does Debussy mean by these markings here?" I might ask. But since that's not an option this summer, I have to say, "Well, Abby, you have a degree in music. What do YOU think he means?" I admit, I have emailed my teacher with a couple questions, but for the most part I've come to my own conclusions and it has been extremely rewarding. That said, I'm looking forward to getting back to school and starting to collaborate with a pianist, study formally, and rub elbows with like-minded folk.

That's not to say that my dear Bike and Builders aren't talented though! A few nights ago we had a talent show, and it was absolutely one my favorite events from the trip. I laughed so hard my abs were sore the next day. We had a juggler, impressionists, dancers, a poet, and a Bike and Build Rodeo compeition, where Jake and Bryant raced to see who could unroll and inflate a thermarest, change a tube on a tire, and deflate and reroll the thermarest fastest. It was hilarious (Jake came from behind for the win). I also sang an aria, which was--if I may say--by FAR the lamest offering of the evening.

Speaking of the rodeo, we also went to a real one, in Stone, Idaho. While I'm not sure I'm a full supporter of rodeos, due to the treatment of the animals involved, I decided I just had to go because, really, when am I going to have the chance again? It was really fun, I have to admit, even though I did feel sorry for the cows getting thrown around. The announcer was awesomely cheesy, the cowboys were genuine, and it was an all-around great evening. I think my favorite moment though was when I saw a cowboy--chaps, spurs, hat and all--ride by on his horse, texting.

Another highlight of the past week or so was our day off in Boise. I'd heard that Boise is a neat city, and it is. I spent most the day running errands and getting prepared for the craziness that is this fall, but it was actually nice to have a to-do list again. I also practiced for a long time and it went the best that it's gone all summer. I have a lot of very exciting singing to do after the trip, and so having some great practice time really got me pumped.

Anyway, now we're in Hines, Oregon. It was Jon's last day today. He has to leave early because he starts med school on the 14th, and so we got extra rowdy to send him off. It was a great ride, only 60 miles with two small mountain passes, and afterward Jon's family bought us all ice cream. Yes!

It's hard to believe we have less than two weeks to go. Bike and Build has become such a lifestyle for me. While I remember my past life, and think with great anticipation about what is to come, there's a part of me that believes I've always been on this trip, and always will be. I've found actually, that biking across the country is a great metaphor for life, especially achieving a goal. When we began in South Carolina, I couldn't really even conceptualize what it was I was doing. I knew the Pacific Ocean was out there somewhere, but it seemed so distant it wasn't really real. I didn't think about that much actually. I just got on the bike every day, and rode. It was a couple of days before I even started to get excited about the next state, and after the first one it seemed like the second wouldn't come for an eternity. But every day I got on the bike, and rode. Pretty soon the states started to tick by faster, and before I knew it, I was looking at a map, aghast that I had bicycled across five states. How did that happen??? All I did was get on my bicycle every day.

I may not be a sage, but I AM 25 after all, and I think this is exactly how it is in life. Anything you want to achieve, be it an operatic career, an advanced degree, a million dollars, a marathon, at first seems impossible to the point of absurdity. But the thing is, you don't have to bicycle across the country in one day. You just get on your bicycle every day, and you ride. You don't question it, you just do it. It becomes routine. Some days you dread it. Some days it's hot, and your arms ache and your butt is chafing. Some days, when the alarm goes off at 4:30 you kick yourself for ever thinking this was a good idea. But still, you get on your bicycle, and you ride. And on some days, when the air is cool and the road is smoothe and the Earth looks like heaven around you, you realize that that's why you get out on your bicycle every day. Not for the Pacific Ocean, but because it feels so damn GOOD to ride your bicycle. Your dream is still there of course, and it takes a lot of hard work to get there. But you don't do it in a day. You create a lifestyle that has the rewards built in, and splashing in the salt water is the icing on the cake.

Sarah Roberts said something else the other day, which really kind of encapsulated this experience for me. She said that while we might be vagabonds on the road, with no home of our own, at the end of the day, we get to come home to each other. And I've started to realize how much we have become a family--complete with drama and tensions--and how much this family means to me. I often ride alone these days, by my own choice and for various reasons, but I always smile at the thought of coming home. Home is a church that I haven't seen, in a town I'll surely never visit again, but inside are 31 amazing people who I've known for so little time but for so much life, and I am always so excited to see them.

Taking a fall

Well folks, I've had my first bicycle crash. Oliver assured me it was coming (he's a veteran of several...I mean, the man's been a bicycle messenger in Manhattan, where getting hit by a cab was really more of an annoyance than anything else) but I've been lucky so far. Actually, I still am lucky, as this could have been a lot worse.

The cause was benign enough: the highway was getting a fresh coat of blacktop, and the edge was uneven. I went over the edge at too narrow an angle, and toppled over. I wasn't going too fast, probably 15-17 mph, but it was fast enough that in that slow-motion moment of "Alrighty, I'm going down..." I did imagine that it would probably hurt. It happened fast, so all I really remember is that slo-mo start, and then my head bonking the pavement (thank you, helmet!!), and then finding myself sprawled on the pavement, with Ann Margaret sprawled next to me. Sarah K, who was behind us, told me that after I fell AM ran into me, and well, this is where it gets a little indelicate.

She hit me with her bicycle....right between my legs. With enough force that it broke her wheel. Yeah. I have no recollection of that happening (again, it happened fast), but I'm definitely feeling it now! First of all, yes, it is very lucky it happened to me and not to a guy. If it had, he probably would have had to go to the hospital. Also, it is a good thing I was wearing a helmet! If I wasn't wearing one, I definitely would have left in an ambulance. So let me just ascend the soapbox now: IF YOU RIDE A BICYCLE, WEAR A HELMET!!! I was doing nothing especially outlandish or daring, I could have easily been on my commute to school and have the same thing happen. Just as you need to wear your seat belt even if you're just driving a couple of miles, you need to wear a helmet when you're riding a bicycle, ALWAYS. Ok, lecture over.

So, after laughing so hard our bellies hurt over the complete ridiculousness of the situation, and me crying from a combination of the pain and the laughter, Sarah called the van to come rescue me. Luckily they were only a few blocks away, so we just walked our bikes there. Ann Margaret's wheel was ruined, so I gave her mine, since it was clear I wasn't going to get back on a bike. I spent the rest of the day in the van, and unfortunately it looks like I'll have to sit out a few more days.

Like I said, it could have been a LOT worse, so I'm thankful for that. A few days' rest in the van isn't the worst of fates, though I do hope it doesn't drag on for too long. In the mean time, I'm hobbling around like a 90 year old, icing myself in REALLY awkward places, updating everyone in the group constantly about the status of those awkward places (hey, they ask!), and answering to my new nickname: Crotch of Steel. Yeah.

She'll be comin' round the mountain...

Mountains! Yay! I must say, after weeks in the Deep South wondering, "what country am I in?" and a few more in the plains wondering the same thing, we've finally reached the wonderful, wild, west. Shortly after leaving Colorado Springs we started really getting into the mountains, both the up and down. For the first day or two the climbs were mostly long and gradual, with descents to match. I've actually come to really love the long, shallow descents. While you don't get going as fast as something steeper, you also don't have to focus as much as you do when you're going 45 miles an hour. You can just cruise along, not pedaling but not breaking, daydreaming, singing (in my case any way), admiring the views, and generally having a splendid time.

The biggest climb for this trip was Independence Pass, at 12,050 feet. People have been talking about this climb since the beginning of the trip with trepidation, and it was a little surreal when it actually arrived. We had camped the night before, and I didn't sleep well at all because it got surprisingly cold, so I was worried about having the energy for the climb. The day's ride was short, only 45 miles, but we knew it was going to take us several hours to reach the top of the pass.

The first 15 miles of the ride were extremely gradual, so much so that it didn't really feel like you were climbing a mountain. I was very cautious about my physical condition, trying to take care of thirst and hunger before they really even appeared. Around the 15th mile, we came upon the mountain proper, complete with necessary switch backs. At this point the adrenaline sort of kicked in--"I'm about to bicycle up a mountain"--and after a granola bar break I was ready to go.

As it turns out, it wasn't that hard. I feel a little sheepish about it, actually. Hiking Pike's Peak was about 300% more difficult, and the best of my half-marathons (IU, 2007) was about 200% more difficult. The thing is this: switchbacks are popular for a reason: they make the road flatter! I mean, it wasn't the EASIEST thing I've ever done (for example, eating a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is easier than bicycling Independence Pass), but a taekwondo black belt test, an operatic performance, or a century of rolling hills is substantially more difficult, for me anyway. I guess what I'm saying is you should definitely go out and bicycle up a mountain as soon as possible.

Especially since at the top you get an awesome view! And then you get to go DOWN! We all sat at the top for awhile, waiting for everyone to arrive. After congratulating ourselves and gawking at the mountains, we had a dance party while blasting music from the van. Our song of choice was, of course, Beyonce's Single Ladies, which for some reason has become our theme song for the summer, though nobody knows why. It was really great to shake it on the top of a mountain in our riding spandex, much to the befuddlement of passersby. And then, of course, we got to go down. The entire rest of the ride, into Aspen, was downhill, and it was a blast.

The first 15 miles or so were the actual mountain, and some of that was actually about as steep as I'd ever want to go. What made the steepness nerve-wracking was the turns, some of which were pretty sharp, and the narrowness of the road. It amazed me how some of other riders went down without seeming to break at all, as they navigated the turns it almost looked like they were skiing the slalom.

The descent was made even sweeter to me because waiting for me in Aspen was one of my IU besties, Stephanie. Hilarious, bodacious, totally boss, and with a mezzo voice that can liquify granite, Steph is tops on my list of People I Am Jazzed to Know. She's studying at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and I'd been jumping out of my skin with excitement about seeing her.

After a great dinner (and dessert!) and plenty of catching up, I went and saw her sing in the chorus of La Boheme. The opera is one of my favorites, and it was fun to see it in a small theater where I felt really connected to the performers. The next day I followed her around to her various classes and rehearsals, and it was so fun to be around music again. This trip has been a learning and growing experience on about a bazillion levels, but one of the most profound has been being isolated from other musicians for the longest stretch of time since childhood. While my musical independence has certainly grown as a result of this, it was so wonderful to be with "my people" again.

After her day was finished, we went to Happy Hour with some BB peeps, then saw Harry Potter. All in all it was one of the best days off ever, and got me extremely stoked to reenter musical life this fall.

After Aspen we had several phenomenal rides, with a wide variety of terrain. Crossing into Utah we had desert, then mountainous desert, and then before we knew it, we were back into green and snow-capped mountains again. It is stunningly beautiful--I only wish I had my skis! (Um, and that it was winter...)

Colorado Springs, finally!

Hello friends and family (and Romans and Countrymen too)! I'm so very sorry for the gross delay--would you believe we don't have handy access to internet in Colorado Springs? Our church doesn't have wifi, and the closest library is a bit of a trek, especially after a day of building. But enough excuses--we built the house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We finished yesterday, actually, so today is a bonus day off (whee!).

Building the house was an incredible experience. I used five different power tools and still have all my fingers and learned that nothing makes me feel sexier than wearing a tie-dye tshirt and safety glasses and using a power saw to cut out a window. Arriving on the first day to a slab of cement and leaving yesterday with a house (the outside of it anyway) was just plain awesome. I will post pictures someday. Really. It's kind of interesting to me that despite all the technology at our disposal these days, building a house still comes down to nailing some wood. There's something great about that though--I mean, how many millions of hammers have swung in the name of shelter in human history?

I'm liking building more and more, I think because I'm getting more confident at it. I'm starting to think that I'll do more work with Habitat for Humanity in the future. It bugs me that they are a Christian organization (they give every family a Bible upon move in) but other than that they really are a great idea realized. I certainly think they won't solve the affordable housing crisis on their own, but they are definitely making a huge impact. We got to meet several Habitat homeowners throughout our stay here, and they were all very grateful for our work. After all, one of the main reasons Habitat can sell houses for far less than market price is because the labor is free. On our first day of the blitz build, one of the supervisors said "I'm looking at about $100,000 worth of labor right now." That's a pretty big chunk off the price of a house!! I'm especially interested in volunteering internationally next time--I'm considering even organizing a Bike and Build reunion....

Most of our time has been spent building, obviously, but we did have one official day off here. So what did I do? Hike Pike's Peak, of course! The 26 mile round-trip hike took me to 14,100 feet, and damn if it wasn't one of the harder things I've ever done. Fourteen of us did it, with eight making it to the summit. We hit the trail around 6:15 am, which we were told by locals was really the latest we could start if we hoped to do the whole hike.

I've learned on this trip that bicycling rarely satisfies my need for nature. I used to lump a multitude of activities in the "outdoors" category and assume they satisfied the same things, but I've discovered this is not the case. I love bicycling, but the nature of it requires that one stays at least in relatively civilized areas (unless you want to do serious off-road mountain bicycling). It's fantastic to see different towns and be outside, but it's not the same as being in the woods with nothing around. That's what I was hoping to do with the hike, and that was certainly what I got!

At the very beginning we were all in one big crowd, but that didn't last long. For awhile I tried to keep up with the first group, but it became clear early on that there was no way I'd be able to sustain that kind of a pace for 6 hours. But I was already well ahead of the second group, so I ended up doing the vast majority of the ascent by myself. I really enjoyed it. I saw a few other people on the trail (including a surprising number of those nonsensical masochists known as "trail runners") but for the most part was in complete solitude. There is an amazing camp half way up (Barr Camp) that I think just might be the most pleasant place on Earth. There is a little cabin where the caretakers live, and I asked the woman running it if she had the best job on the planet. She laughed and said she did, but that it was a lot of work--they get 28,000 visitors every year! The camp also has campsites with lean-tos, a pretty brook (with adjacent swinging bench--guess where I ate my lunch??), picnic tables, and tent camp sites. It was a gorgeous morning (around 9 when I was there) and I kind of regretted not bringing a book. If I ever come back to Colorado Springs, I'll definitely plan on hiking to the camp with lunch and a book, staying a few hours, and hiking back down.

But for this trip, the summit was beckoning. After a bagel and a few minutes on the swinging bench, it was up and at 'em again for me. Another three miles later I reached the timber line. Above the trees was quintessential alpine meadow, complete with three marmot sightings. There were lots of large boulders lying around just begging to be scrambled upon, but again, I didn't really have the time. By this point I was really feeling the altitude, and was going pretty darn slow. I also lost the trail (with a gravel-like ground it's hard to tell what is trail and what isn't) and ended up going straight up the mountain for quite awhile. I started to wonder whether I could make it to the summit, but I was running low on water. I knew I could fill up at the summit, whereas if I turned around I would have to go all the way back down without any. It was a good motivator!

The trail got more and more brutal, with the first patch of snow appearing a little less than two miles from the summit. The trail basically turned to rocks, complete with water running down them so you were basically walking up a stream. By this point I had found the trail, and other hikers (no Bike and Builders though). Everyone was moving slower, so the groups got closer together than they were down in the trees. It was nice to be around humanity again, especially since I wasn't entirely confident I wasn't going to collapse at any moment.

It took me literally an hour to go the last mile. Yes, that does mean I was going officially 1 mph. Kind of sad, but the altitude was really getting me, and the trail involved lots of big steps over rocks that were more like climbing than walking. I had a pretty bad headache by this time, and I couldn't believe how hard my heart was pounding considering how slow I was going. I felt like I couldn't go more than 10 or 12 steps without pausing for a moment to catch my breath! The views were stunning though, and by this point I was bound and determined to reach that summit.

And I did it!! I was practically delirious I was so exhausted, but I did it. You can actually drive to the top of Pike's Peak (there's a gift shop and restaurant) so there were actually a lot of people there. Normally this would turn me off, but I was starving and very much looking forward to eating something and using a real restroom and filling up my water. And who should I see getting ready to head back down as I arrived--7 Bike and Builders, of course! I must have looked a fright, because they were all looking at me as though I might keel over in front of them. They had all come up as a group though, so they were impressed that I had done the whole thing alone. I didn't want to hold them up, but I definitely needed to sit for a moment or two, so they all headed down except Bryant, who waited for me.

We didn't tarry long, because of course now we had to go alll the way back down. We got hit by a smattering of hail at the summit, and a little rain later on, but other than that the weather was great all the way up and down. About 2 miles into the descent though I started feeling really nauseated, and it didn't let up for the rest of hike. I felt really bad for Bryant, because he was nice enough to wait for me, and now I was going so slow because I felt like I was going to throw up at any second. At Barr Camp we met up with some others though, including some that had turned around before the summit, and I stuck with them to let Bryant go ahead. Everyone was hurting pretty bad for the last miles; my nausea let up a little bit as we got down, but not enough to really eat anything.

We made it though (at 8 pm--14 hours after we started!) and I was so excited, though too exhausted to show it. We went to dinner, but I was still feeling sick, so I just had a Sprite. In fact, I didn't have anything to eat for the rest of the day because by the time we got back to the church around 9:30 all I wanted to do was sleep. I slept like a rock though, and was feeling surprisingly perky at the build day the next day. I was really sore though, and was walking like a 90 year old for three days, much to the amusement of others. I also was ravenous all day the next day, not surprising since I hadn't eaten anything since noon on the hike and had burned probably 2,000 calories. I just could not get enough food in my body that day! I'd eat normal sized meals but be starving 45 minutes later. It was bizarre. The hike was Monday, and now I'm finally back to normal in terms of appetite and the ability to walk!

The ability to bike however, remains to be seen. We'll find out tomorrow! We're doing a 70 miler tomorrow, which should reacquaint us all with our two-wheeled friends. On Monday we climb Independence Pass (one of Lance Armstrong's training rides), and on Wednesday we have a day off in Aspen, where I'll get to see Stephanie, one of my IU besties. All these days off are spoiling us rotten! I think after Aspen we don't have another one until Boise, so we're enjoying them while we can.

The Western half of this trip (because yes, in terms of mileage and riding days we're only half way there) seems to be pretty remote, with more camping days than the first half, so I might not be able to update as much. But I will post when I can! Thanks for keeping up with me, and I'm sure I'll have more adventures to fill you in on soon!

Texas, New Mexico, and into Colorado!

No offense to my dear brother-in-law Kevin, but Texas made us all want to die. We zipped through the panhandle in just over two days, but it wasn't fast enough! The land was incredibly desolate, the heat oppressive, and the sights few and very far between. For the most part it was just barren land, with oil drills spaced out every few hundred yards. The oil drills are incredibly creepy. They look kind of like aliens--they are big metal objects which bob up and down into the earth all by themselves. There are no (NO) people around, no one watching or running them. They just sit there, bobbing up and down and making eerie creaking noises and giving me the heebie jeebies.

The other creepy sight came into view several miles out (that's what happens when the land is really flat...yesterday we could see the lunch stop three miles before getting there). Most of the land is a sandy brown, but on the horizon we saw a huge swath of dark brown. As we neared it developed a kind of bumpy texture, unlike the flat-as-a-pancake land around it. Finally we realized what it was: cows. Thousands and thousands and thousands of cows. Cows packed together in pens in the sun with small troughs of water and/or food (we couldn't get close enough to see for sure). When standing at the barbed-wire fence bordering them, the pens stretch as far as you can see. Off in the distance behind them was a large white building. We debated amongst ourselves whether this was the slaughterhouse or whether the cows would be moved to a different location. It was a really creepy sight. I already don't eat beef, but if I did I think seeing this would make me reconsider. (Not that eating chicken is any better. In Arkansas we passed a Tyson factory and it was emitting the worst smell I've ever experienced in my life).

Finally we escaped from Texas and into phenomenally gorgeous New Mexico. We were only there for about 18 hours, but it was beautiful. Yesterday morning's ride was probably one of the best I've ever had in my life. It was cool--a little chilly, actually--and the scenery was gorgeous, with pre-Rockies hills dotting the landscape. I also saw longhorns for the first time, and we got an AWESOME tailwind for the first time. I was pedaling lazily and still cruising along at 27 miles an hour! I felt like I was flying and it was one of the best things on this trip so far.

One other thing: I succumbed and rode in the van on the last day in Texas. I debated for days whether or not I would do it, but the fact was I was exhausted and getting increasingly miserable. I was cycling slower and slower, with the lack of sleep (less than 6 hours every night for nights on end) and the plentiful exercise starting to take its toll. I was starting to get in a pretty bad mood--dreading cycling each day, withdrawing from the group, and feeling pretty down in the dumps. Finally I got fed up and realized that being miserable for the rest of the summer just wasn't worth it, so I skipped a 95 mile day and rode in the van instead. I'm really glad I did. I was able to relax, read my book, do crossword puzzles (thanks Auntie Vic!), call my family, and just take it easy for a day. The next day (yesterday's awesome ride) I was feeling much better and much more like myself. Many people commented on how great it was to see me smiling big smiles again. I didn't realize that everyone had noticed that I hadn't been myself lately. It just goes to show how much we really are becoming a family.

Also, I turned 25! I'm a quarter of a century, and I feel so happy and lucky. I never thought I'd be spending my 25th birthday in Spearman, Texas, that's for sure. I also thought I'd be tres sophisticated and beautiful and perfect and well, that didn't happen either. Turns out you DON'T wake up on your 25th birthday with all the answers, but I think I'm ok with that. I feel so incredibly blessed to have spent 25 glorious years on this phenomenal planet. If I die tomorrow, I know I will have enjoyed more love, laughter, passion, adventure, wonder, and joy than most people do in lifetimes three times as long. In any event, 25 is treating me well so far. I'm growing more content with myself each day, and I'm jumping out of my skin with excitement about the future. I may not have all the answers, but I DO have a few thousand more miles to pedal, and I'm sure I'll come up with some of them along the way.

And thank you SO much to my family and friends and Oliver for the birthday treats and well wishes! I feel so blessed to be in your thoughts, even from far away.

By the way, I'm writing this from Trinidad, Colorado. Hard to believe we've been through 8 states and are less than half-way there!

Arkansas Part Two and Oklahoma Part One

So after far too little time Oliver headed back to Bloomington, and I sallied forth on my cross country journey. The rest of Arkansas was beautiful. The days were LONG (75 miles, then three centuries in a row) but really fun. We had what were probably the biggest ascents and descents I've ever done so far, so it got a lot of us thinking about the Rockies. I also got to swim in two lakes, which was pretty much the most amazing thing ever. Our one complaint was that on both days the lakes arrived early in the days ride; while they were still great it would be REALLY awesome to encounter one around 2 pm. The second lake was especially awesome because there was a big rock we could climb up and jump off of. We actually stayed around there for an hour and a half. It was in the Ozark National Forest and it was gorgeous. We all wanted to stay there all day, but alas, it couldn't be.

The three centuries in a row was certainly a challenge. I didn't get in before 6 pm on any of the days (my latest arrival was 8 pm), and considering we leave at 6:30 am that's a pretty long day. I'm not sure what takes so long. I'm not THAT slow...I'm certainly not the fastest in the group or even in the top third, but I'm not dead last either (unless I'm riding sweep, in which case it's my job to be last). On all three days we did stop fairly frequently--it's pretty much a necessity in the heat--and well, 100 miles is a long way!

Today we had a build day in Oklahoma City. We did framing for a house, which was really interesting. It's pretty cool to arrive in the morning to a slab of concrete and a pile of lumber and leave in the afternoon with a recognizable house there! I pretty much swung a hammer all day, and aside from the 102 degree weather, it was a great day.

As usual, the food is amazing. Our hosts continue to outdo each other, and Amelia's family is providing a perpetual stream of gargantuan quantities of baked goods. We're actually all a little worried about getting fat! No expanding waistlines yet (though at least for yours truly, no whittling ones either) but we'll have to see how it goes.

Oh, and Oklahoma is not flat. At least not yet. Our hosts are promising that we'll reach the Dust Bowl in due course, but so far we've seen almost nothing but hills. It's been extremely beautiful though, particularly our first day in the state. There is a LOT of green; way more than I would have thought. Picture rolling hills thick with green trees, patchwork farmland mixed in, and shiny streams and babbling brooks flowing throughout, and you have eastern Oklahoma.

And yes, I've been singing show tunes nonstop. :-)