Greetings from Columbia, South Carolina! We've now had three cycling days, with the last two days being about 55 miles each. I'm pleased to say that I feel pretty darn great! Yesterday I was riding sweep, which means me and my sweep partner Andy had to be the last rider in at the end of the day. Two riders are designated sweep every day, and they are not allowed to pass anybody all day. As you can imagine, this makes it a pretty slow day. We had a couple small stops in the morning, but two hour long waits in the afternoon, one when we had to wait for someone who got lost, and one with someone with a flat tire. It was actually really fun though, because we did a lot of sitting in the shade under trees and talking about physics and the Discovery Channel and alligators and other hugely important topics. Also, the enforced rest left me hardly tired at all at the end of the day, even though I'd biked 55 miles. We arrived at the campsite around 5, jumped in the lake (though I could only stay in for about 60 seconds for fear of gators) and had a very pleasant evening lounging around.
Today was a spectacular day. We had a 5:30 wake up, but being on the road at 7:30 was awesome. It wasn't hot at all, and the first 20 miles or so were on a really awesome road through the roads. Flat roads can be just as hard as hills, or harder, if there is a strong wind, and there often is. But this road, while flat, was in the woods so the trees blocked the wind. Bliss! I road with Sarah K today and we had a really awesome pace. There were a few long but not steep hills in the second half of the ride, but I didn't mind them at all. I actually feel like with a bit a rest I certainly would have been able to keep going today.
Anyway, another 55 miles tomorrow, 70ish the day after that, and then our first day off!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
"You make cycling look good."
That's what Adam said to me at lunch today, our first official cycling day. Mary then said "Yeah, when you were out ahead of all of us I was thinking 'who is that? She's really hot!'" :-) Not a bad start!
Today started with the first time through the typical morning routine. Each morning we have two hours to get up, eat breakfast, pack the trailer, get our gear ready, have a route meeting, and get on the road. It seems like that should be easy to accomplish in two hours, but with 32 people it's actually a pretty tight schedule. We managed to start pretty close to on time today though, and hopefully we'll just get faster at it.
We started out by going a couple of blocks to the ocean, to dip our wheels. It was a bit of an ordeal to get to the water, as there was 50 yards or so of marshy land between the side walk and the tide, but we decided to go for it anyway. All the shells in the sand were flat tires waiting to happen, but only Sarah K ended up with one. After she was all fixed up we took a bunch of pictures and then kind of stood around staring at each other.
"Um, you guys can go," said Jake, one of our trip leaders. Well alright then, let's get going! I was really anxious to get on the road, so I was in the first group out. There were 8 or 9 of us, and I was in the second spot behind Dr. Jon (who just got into med school at Penn). A couple miles in though he stopped to chalk a tricky turn for the groups behind us, so then I was in the very front, leading the way! It was pretty awesome, being the first person in the first group. I felt like quite the trailblazer. I led the way for probably 10-ish miles, then fell back a bit when post-long-stoplight sluggish legs took awhile to get going again. Then Adam, Mary, and I got cut off at a light so we biked the rest of the way to lunch just the three of us. The roads were mostly busy highways so that wasn't ideal but it was flat and not windy.
Today was a short day, only 32 miles, so after lunch (for which no one was really all that hungry but we ate anyway because, hey, free food!) we only had 10 to go. I set out with Mary and Will and led the way, and as we pulled into Moncks Corner, our stop for the evening, I looked behind me and Will had magically materialized into Adam. I felt kind of bad for not even realizing that Will had stopped--what if he had been injured and I just didn't notice and kept going?--so I'm going to try to keep better tabs on my group tomorrow.
Since it was such a short ride day we have the whole afternoon and evening free, which is great. I'm hoping to find a place to practice in the church. I practiced every day in Charleston and I hope to keep up the routine this summer, especially on shorter days. At first I was really embarrassed to sing within ear shot of all my fellow riders, since hardly any of them have ever heard a classical singer before, but they've all been really nice about it. Actually, they're really good at keeping me on my toes--several people ask me every day "Have you practiced today?" I'm not expecting to make profound technical strides in my singing this summer, but I have a big fall coming up so I'm hoping to at least stay in relative shape. I also have all the music I'd like to sing on a fall recital with me, so I'm hoping to learn all of that. We'll see!
Today started with the first time through the typical morning routine. Each morning we have two hours to get up, eat breakfast, pack the trailer, get our gear ready, have a route meeting, and get on the road. It seems like that should be easy to accomplish in two hours, but with 32 people it's actually a pretty tight schedule. We managed to start pretty close to on time today though, and hopefully we'll just get faster at it.
We started out by going a couple of blocks to the ocean, to dip our wheels. It was a bit of an ordeal to get to the water, as there was 50 yards or so of marshy land between the side walk and the tide, but we decided to go for it anyway. All the shells in the sand were flat tires waiting to happen, but only Sarah K ended up with one. After she was all fixed up we took a bunch of pictures and then kind of stood around staring at each other.
"Um, you guys can go," said Jake, one of our trip leaders. Well alright then, let's get going! I was really anxious to get on the road, so I was in the first group out. There were 8 or 9 of us, and I was in the second spot behind Dr. Jon (who just got into med school at Penn). A couple miles in though he stopped to chalk a tricky turn for the groups behind us, so then I was in the very front, leading the way! It was pretty awesome, being the first person in the first group. I felt like quite the trailblazer. I led the way for probably 10-ish miles, then fell back a bit when post-long-stoplight sluggish legs took awhile to get going again. Then Adam, Mary, and I got cut off at a light so we biked the rest of the way to lunch just the three of us. The roads were mostly busy highways so that wasn't ideal but it was flat and not windy.
Today was a short day, only 32 miles, so after lunch (for which no one was really all that hungry but we ate anyway because, hey, free food!) we only had 10 to go. I set out with Mary and Will and led the way, and as we pulled into Moncks Corner, our stop for the evening, I looked behind me and Will had magically materialized into Adam. I felt kind of bad for not even realizing that Will had stopped--what if he had been injured and I just didn't notice and kept going?--so I'm going to try to keep better tabs on my group tomorrow.
Since it was such a short ride day we have the whole afternoon and evening free, which is great. I'm hoping to find a place to practice in the church. I practiced every day in Charleston and I hope to keep up the routine this summer, especially on shorter days. At first I was really embarrassed to sing within ear shot of all my fellow riders, since hardly any of them have ever heard a classical singer before, but they've all been really nice about it. Actually, they're really good at keeping me on my toes--several people ask me every day "Have you practiced today?" I'm not expecting to make profound technical strides in my singing this summer, but I have a big fall coming up so I'm hoping to at least stay in relative shape. I also have all the music I'd like to sing on a fall recital with me, so I'm hoping to learn all of that. We'll see!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Orientation
Well, we're all oriented, and tomorrow we officially head off to Santa Cruz! We won't arrive there tomorrow though. We have to go to Moncks Corner, South Carolina first, and then a few more stops in between before we get to California. I'm excited!
Over the past two days we've done a lot of policy type stuff, i.e., what will get you kicked out of the program (buying alcohol for minors, for example), what day to day life on the road will be like, bike safety and maintenance, etc. We also have met several Habitat for Humanity people to learn more about the organization and how it works (we don't exclusively build with Habitat, but we do a lot of builds with them). We've met several home owners which has been really fun. We had our first build day today, and we got to work with the owner of the house, Jenny. I worked on siding, mostly with Kelsey, Ann Margaret, and Amelia and it was so cool to see what the house looked like at the beginning of the day and what it looked like at the end. I managed to bang my thumb with a hammer only once, sweat away approximately half my body weight (don't worry, I've already made up for it in cookie consumption), and learn some more about the building side of Habitat for Humanity.
Yesterday we also had a shakedown ride. We did a 24 mile out-and-back to a fort on the bay to make sure that no one had severe bike issues and to get used to riding together. It was hard to ride as a big group, but since the route was in the city there wasn't really room for us to spread out that much. Plus since the ride was so short we all pretty much stayed together in a long line. I was happy to discover that I'm not way slower than everyone else, I floated around in the middle with no problems. I've heard lots of horror stories about our tires (lots of people have bought different, better tires) and some people have already gotten flat tires, but my trusty little tires are doing just fine. Everyone swears that the tires will fall apart long before we reach the Pacific, but I have faith. I'd love it if my tires make it the whole way not just because then I wouldn't have to buy new ones but also to prove everyone wrong!
We've also been eating a lot. Subway has donated a bunch of meals to us so I've eaten a zillion foot-long turkey sandwiches, and last night a bicycle lawyer in town bought us all dinner at a bbq place. For breakfast we've been eating Panera; one of the leaders goes there every evening to get the food they're about to throw away and it's left us with boxes and boxes and boxes of bagels, bread, pastries, cookies, and cakes. Way more than we could ever eat, and we eat a lot! Perhaps I should say now that actually a lot of people gain weight on these trips. What happens is in the beginning everyone eats a ton, and they have to, because they burn it all off with the cycling. But as you go your body becomes more efficient, and doesn't need as many calories to do the same thing. But most people continue eating a lot, and so they end up gaining weight. I'm going to try my darndest to make sure that doesn't happen, but no gurantees!
That's all for now...my chore group (shout out to Mary, Molly, J Gibbs, Adam, and Dane) is making spaghetti for the whole group for dinner tonight. Better get cooking!
Over the past two days we've done a lot of policy type stuff, i.e., what will get you kicked out of the program (buying alcohol for minors, for example), what day to day life on the road will be like, bike safety and maintenance, etc. We also have met several Habitat for Humanity people to learn more about the organization and how it works (we don't exclusively build with Habitat, but we do a lot of builds with them). We've met several home owners which has been really fun. We had our first build day today, and we got to work with the owner of the house, Jenny. I worked on siding, mostly with Kelsey, Ann Margaret, and Amelia and it was so cool to see what the house looked like at the beginning of the day and what it looked like at the end. I managed to bang my thumb with a hammer only once, sweat away approximately half my body weight (don't worry, I've already made up for it in cookie consumption), and learn some more about the building side of Habitat for Humanity.
Yesterday we also had a shakedown ride. We did a 24 mile out-and-back to a fort on the bay to make sure that no one had severe bike issues and to get used to riding together. It was hard to ride as a big group, but since the route was in the city there wasn't really room for us to spread out that much. Plus since the ride was so short we all pretty much stayed together in a long line. I was happy to discover that I'm not way slower than everyone else, I floated around in the middle with no problems. I've heard lots of horror stories about our tires (lots of people have bought different, better tires) and some people have already gotten flat tires, but my trusty little tires are doing just fine. Everyone swears that the tires will fall apart long before we reach the Pacific, but I have faith. I'd love it if my tires make it the whole way not just because then I wouldn't have to buy new ones but also to prove everyone wrong!
We've also been eating a lot. Subway has donated a bunch of meals to us so I've eaten a zillion foot-long turkey sandwiches, and last night a bicycle lawyer in town bought us all dinner at a bbq place. For breakfast we've been eating Panera; one of the leaders goes there every evening to get the food they're about to throw away and it's left us with boxes and boxes and boxes of bagels, bread, pastries, cookies, and cakes. Way more than we could ever eat, and we eat a lot! Perhaps I should say now that actually a lot of people gain weight on these trips. What happens is in the beginning everyone eats a ton, and they have to, because they burn it all off with the cycling. But as you go your body becomes more efficient, and doesn't need as many calories to do the same thing. But most people continue eating a lot, and so they end up gaining weight. I'm going to try my darndest to make sure that doesn't happen, but no gurantees!
That's all for now...my chore group (shout out to Mary, Molly, J Gibbs, Adam, and Dane) is making spaghetti for the whole group for dinner tonight. Better get cooking!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Mail Drops!
If you want to send me cookies, cards, cookies, letters, notes, cookies, or anything else via snail mail (cookies, for example) this summer, here's the deal:
We're only in each town for a day (sometimes two if we have a day off) so Bike and Build organizes mail drops in advance for receiving mail. Mail is sent "general delivery", meaning it is held at the post office until we pick it up. For each mail drop, address the package as such:
Bike and Build
Attn: ABIGAIL MITCHELL
General Delivery
City, State, Zip
Be sure to write somewhere on the envelope "Please hold for pick up on DATE". If they don't have a date on it they may hold it indefinitely; if there is a date they can forward it to the next mail drop if we happen to miss it.
Mail drops:
June 04 Hartwell, GA 30643
June 11 Hamilton, AL 35570
June 18 Russellville, AR 72801
June 25 Spearman, TX 79081 (MY BIRTHDAY! I'm just saying...)
July 02 Colorado Springs, CO 80903
July 09 Colorado Springs, CO 80903
July 16 Silt, CO 81652
July 23 Brigham City, UT 84302
July 30 Ontario, OR 97914
August 06 Old Station, CA 96071
August 13 San Jose, CA 95113
Also, I plan on being a postcard writing machine this summer, so if you want postcards and I don't have your address, email it to me!
We're only in each town for a day (sometimes two if we have a day off) so Bike and Build organizes mail drops in advance for receiving mail. Mail is sent "general delivery", meaning it is held at the post office until we pick it up. For each mail drop, address the package as such:
Bike and Build
Attn: ABIGAIL MITCHELL
General Delivery
City, State, Zip
Be sure to write somewhere on the envelope "Please hold for pick up on DATE". If they don't have a date on it they may hold it indefinitely; if there is a date they can forward it to the next mail drop if we happen to miss it.
Mail drops:
June 04 Hartwell, GA 30643
June 11 Hamilton, AL 35570
June 18 Russellville, AR 72801
June 25 Spearman, TX 79081 (MY BIRTHDAY! I'm just saying...)
July 02 Colorado Springs, CO 80903
July 09 Colorado Springs, CO 80903
July 16 Silt, CO 81652
July 23 Brigham City, UT 84302
July 30 Ontario, OR 97914
August 06 Old Station, CA 96071
August 13 San Jose, CA 95113
Also, I plan on being a postcard writing machine this summer, so if you want postcards and I don't have your address, email it to me!
Charleston!
I've arrived in Charleston and it's beautiful! Oliver and I got in late Sunday night, and he left early Monday morning to head home to visit family. I spent most of Monday with friends from IU who came down to Charleston for the Spoleto Festival. We walked around, ate lots of ice cream (well, I did), swung (swang? swinged?) on a swinging bench on the pier (bliss), and went and saw the opera in the evening (Louise by Charpentier). The opera was kind of strange, if you ask me, with a very simplistic plot and a rather mish-mashy dramatic structure that kind of jumped around to scenes which had nothing to do with one another and in which little or nothing happened. There was some fine singing though, particularly from Stefania Dovhan who sang the title role. Slept my first of 82 nights on a thermarest in a church rec room and it was surprisingly wonderful. I've spent several less than restful nights on a thermarest in a tent while backpacking and the like (still love it though) and I think a pillow and a carpeted floor makes all the difference in the world. About 12 riders have arrived so far and last night there was only one snorer...we shall see what happens when all 33 of us are sleeping in the same room.
Official orientation starts today at 1, and we have training and various activities today and tomorrow, including a shake down ride tomorrow "to make sure that everyone can ride a bike!" I'm nervous about being the worst and/or slowest cyclist of the group, but I'm trying not to overthink it. I have already made some dumb comments involving misnaming bicycle parts (pedals vs cranks for example...why they are separate parts is beyond me) so I'm feeling a little sheepish. We shall see!
Official orientation starts today at 1, and we have training and various activities today and tomorrow, including a shake down ride tomorrow "to make sure that everyone can ride a bike!" I'm nervous about being the worst and/or slowest cyclist of the group, but I'm trying not to overthink it. I have already made some dumb comments involving misnaming bicycle parts (pedals vs cranks for example...why they are separate parts is beyond me) so I'm feeling a little sheepish. We shall see!
Monday, May 18, 2009
One week to go!
A week from tomorrow I'll be arriving in Charleston, South Carolina to start my trip. We'll have two days of orientation, followed by a build day with Charleston Habitat for Humanity. Then next Friday we'll commence our coast-to-coast journey, starting with a wheel-dip in the Atlantic Ocean and plenty of pictures, of course. I'm hoping that while I'm in Charleston I'll be able to catch a show or two at the Spoleto USA festival. This multi-disciplinary performing arts festival has interested me for some time, so its rather serendipitous that I'll be in Charleston during it.
Preparations are going well, though I still have a lot to do. This week I'll be completing my sweat equity at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Bloomington, getting a physical to make sure I'm not going to completely fall apart on the ride, finishing up my affordable housing presentation, and riding at least 35 miles every day. I'm hoping to get in a 80 mile ride, but the days are few so we'll see!
The training has been great so far. I had some pretty profound knee pain on my spring break cycling trip which really worried me, but Oliver adjusted my pedals and that seemed to fix it. I am definitely aware of my legs lately, but I haven't had any monumental soreness yet.
My biggest concern right now is my hands. Technically when riding a bike you're not supposed to put too much weight (or really any) on your hands. But as you can imagine when you're riding for several hours that is really difficult to do! Unfortunately though, putting weight on your hands in the riding position for extended periods can pinch nerves. That's what has happened to me, especially in my right hand. Ever since spring break I've had numbness in my pinkie on my right hand (the broken one!) and reduced strength in both hands, especially the right. Since I haven't been to the rock climbing gym in awhile, you'd think I wouldn't really care about hand strength, but it actually has been very noticeable in my day to day life. My right hand is my dominant hand, and with its reduced strength it is very easily fatigued. Writing by hand is more difficult (and if you can believe it, my hand writing is even worse than usual), as is opening jars and even turning the keys in my apartment.
Apparently the official term for this problem is "cyclists' palsy" and is quite common. I do want to be careful though, because it is possible to permanently damage the nerves and then I'd end up with a strength/feeling deficit for the rest of my life. I'm in the market for some better gloves, continually adjusting my handlebars to find the right position, and working on my riding technique in hopes of solving this problem.
I also still have a long way to go on my fundraising, especially considering the trip starts in a week. I know times are tough for everyone, but if you have a few bucks to throw Bike and Build's way I would be very grateful! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far--your generosity and support mean so much to me.
www.bikeandbuild.org/donate Every little bit helps!
Preparations are going well, though I still have a lot to do. This week I'll be completing my sweat equity at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Bloomington, getting a physical to make sure I'm not going to completely fall apart on the ride, finishing up my affordable housing presentation, and riding at least 35 miles every day. I'm hoping to get in a 80 mile ride, but the days are few so we'll see!
The training has been great so far. I had some pretty profound knee pain on my spring break cycling trip which really worried me, but Oliver adjusted my pedals and that seemed to fix it. I am definitely aware of my legs lately, but I haven't had any monumental soreness yet.
My biggest concern right now is my hands. Technically when riding a bike you're not supposed to put too much weight (or really any) on your hands. But as you can imagine when you're riding for several hours that is really difficult to do! Unfortunately though, putting weight on your hands in the riding position for extended periods can pinch nerves. That's what has happened to me, especially in my right hand. Ever since spring break I've had numbness in my pinkie on my right hand (the broken one!) and reduced strength in both hands, especially the right. Since I haven't been to the rock climbing gym in awhile, you'd think I wouldn't really care about hand strength, but it actually has been very noticeable in my day to day life. My right hand is my dominant hand, and with its reduced strength it is very easily fatigued. Writing by hand is more difficult (and if you can believe it, my hand writing is even worse than usual), as is opening jars and even turning the keys in my apartment.
Apparently the official term for this problem is "cyclists' palsy" and is quite common. I do want to be careful though, because it is possible to permanently damage the nerves and then I'd end up with a strength/feeling deficit for the rest of my life. I'm in the market for some better gloves, continually adjusting my handlebars to find the right position, and working on my riding technique in hopes of solving this problem.
I also still have a long way to go on my fundraising, especially considering the trip starts in a week. I know times are tough for everyone, but if you have a few bucks to throw Bike and Build's way I would be very grateful! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far--your generosity and support mean so much to me.
www.bikeandbuild.org/donate Every little bit helps!
Bike and Build 2009
As many of you already know, this summer I'll be bicycling across the country with the amazing organization Bike and Build. Bike and Build is a non-profit which raises money for and awareness of affordable housing efforts through cross-country bike trips with young adults each summer. Each cyclist commits to raising $4,000, 500 miles of training, 8 hours of volunteer "sweat equity", and creating an affordable housing education presentation before the trip begins. Once the trip starts, long cycling days averaging 75 miles are interspersed with days of construction with affordable housing organizations across the country. We'll also give presentations to the communities we visit and run bicycle safety clinics for children, hopefully inspiring people to pick up a hammer, get on a bicycle, or both (though not at the same time).
So why am I doing this? Several reasons, not the least of which is because I think I can't. I am not a naturally athletic person. No one believes me when I say this, but truly, I'm not. Blessed with an, ahem, Rubenesque figure, and naturally inclined to hibernation in all seasons, I am not physically or mentally well outfitted for athletics of any kind. That being said, I decided some years ago to continually challenge myself, seek out new experiences, and always pursue health and fitness.
Four or five years ago, at the dawn of this Challenge As A Lifestyle decision, I could barely get through 20 minutes of running on a treadmill without feeling like I was dying. Now I'm a half-marathon runner and honestly, I've actually really been missing running since I ramped up my cycling training. My point is that while I am not a naturally athletic person, I am proud to say that I am an athletic person. But it's all come from hard work, and none of it compares to the hard work ahead of me in bicycling across the country.
Thinking about bicycling 4,000 miles from coast to coast fills me with excitement, fear, curiosity, inspiration, and dread. Who am I to think that I can do this? Sometimes I am so overwhelmed with self-doubt that I just want to curl up in bed and never so much as look at a bicycle again. But I know from experience that there is no greater feeling than that of achieving something you thought you could not do. It is my sincere hope that by doing something so challenging I will inspire others (i.e., you) to push themselves beyond their perceived limits. Trust me, if I can bicycle across the country, you can do absolutely anything you put your mind to.
My other main reason for signing up for Bike and Build is my desire to do something for my country, and incorporate service as a mainstay in my lifestyle. I have been unbelievably blessed in my life, and have long been acutely aware of how many are less fortunate. Immersed in the often self-absorbed world of music, I always justified not volunteering or serving others by telling myself "I have to practice" or "I'll do that later." Well, "later" is today, and yesterday, and the day before, and I am sick of making excuses and putting things off. Whether music is a selfish career choice is another topic for another blog, but what I know for sure is that I want to dedicate my life to service just as much as I dedicate it to art. Bike and Build counts as one of its main aims the fostering of the spirit of service in young people, and many of my fellow riders have already accumulated impressive records of helping others. I am thrilled to have the chance to work with and be inspired and humbled by them, and learn from them what it means to make volunteering a priority in one's life.
It is a rather odd sensation for me to look ahead to this summer knowing I will be a different person after it. But while I love Abby for who she is now, I am excited to meet the Abby I will become as a result of participating in this extraordinary summer experience. I am anticipating hours of painful effort on the bike, panic attacks from my first summer away from singing since I chose it as a profession a decade ago, moments of regret (what am I DOING??) and loneliness, and saddle sores so profound they may become permanent (gross but true). But I know these things will pale in comparison to the exhilaration that comes from meeting new people, seeing new places, trying new things, and helping people in a tangible way.
Thank you to all of you for the incredible support you've shown me over the past few months as I prepare for this journey. Thanks specifically to:
--all of my sponsors. Your generosity is mind boggling.
--my riding buddies Mark, Mandi, Krista, and especially Oliver,
--Daniela, for providing the slick piano to my lame jazz vocals for my fundraising CD,
--Noodles & Company for hosting my fundraising dinner, and Justin, Kaia, Mark, Mandi, Alize, Benny, Annie, Bethany, Steven, Lisa, Arwen, Beth, Nick, Thomas, Johanna, Ken, Daniela, Amanda, and Jenny for coming and bringing friends,
--the IU Taekwondo club, for always pushing me to be my best, surrounding me with so many hardworking and inspiring people, and coming to my fundraising dinner and threatening to throw down when a cashier wouldn't accept the flyers,
--my extraordinary, fabulous, frighteningly talented mother, whose gorgeous quilts dazzled everyone and raised a ton of funds,
--my amazing family, who supports me in every crazy scheme I come up with,
--and most of all Oliver, who inspired me to go on this trip in the first place, taught me everything I know about the bicycle, joined me on hundreds of miles of training rides, recorded my fundraising CD, and has helped with every conceivable thing that has needed doing in preparation for this trip.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you to everyone I've ever met in my entire life--knowing you has brought me to this point, and I am extremely excited, amazingly scared, and uncommonly blessed.
So why am I doing this? Several reasons, not the least of which is because I think I can't. I am not a naturally athletic person. No one believes me when I say this, but truly, I'm not. Blessed with an, ahem, Rubenesque figure, and naturally inclined to hibernation in all seasons, I am not physically or mentally well outfitted for athletics of any kind. That being said, I decided some years ago to continually challenge myself, seek out new experiences, and always pursue health and fitness.
Four or five years ago, at the dawn of this Challenge As A Lifestyle decision, I could barely get through 20 minutes of running on a treadmill without feeling like I was dying. Now I'm a half-marathon runner and honestly, I've actually really been missing running since I ramped up my cycling training. My point is that while I am not a naturally athletic person, I am proud to say that I am an athletic person. But it's all come from hard work, and none of it compares to the hard work ahead of me in bicycling across the country.
Thinking about bicycling 4,000 miles from coast to coast fills me with excitement, fear, curiosity, inspiration, and dread. Who am I to think that I can do this? Sometimes I am so overwhelmed with self-doubt that I just want to curl up in bed and never so much as look at a bicycle again. But I know from experience that there is no greater feeling than that of achieving something you thought you could not do. It is my sincere hope that by doing something so challenging I will inspire others (i.e., you) to push themselves beyond their perceived limits. Trust me, if I can bicycle across the country, you can do absolutely anything you put your mind to.
My other main reason for signing up for Bike and Build is my desire to do something for my country, and incorporate service as a mainstay in my lifestyle. I have been unbelievably blessed in my life, and have long been acutely aware of how many are less fortunate. Immersed in the often self-absorbed world of music, I always justified not volunteering or serving others by telling myself "I have to practice" or "I'll do that later." Well, "later" is today, and yesterday, and the day before, and I am sick of making excuses and putting things off. Whether music is a selfish career choice is another topic for another blog, but what I know for sure is that I want to dedicate my life to service just as much as I dedicate it to art. Bike and Build counts as one of its main aims the fostering of the spirit of service in young people, and many of my fellow riders have already accumulated impressive records of helping others. I am thrilled to have the chance to work with and be inspired and humbled by them, and learn from them what it means to make volunteering a priority in one's life.
It is a rather odd sensation for me to look ahead to this summer knowing I will be a different person after it. But while I love Abby for who she is now, I am excited to meet the Abby I will become as a result of participating in this extraordinary summer experience. I am anticipating hours of painful effort on the bike, panic attacks from my first summer away from singing since I chose it as a profession a decade ago, moments of regret (what am I DOING??) and loneliness, and saddle sores so profound they may become permanent (gross but true). But I know these things will pale in comparison to the exhilaration that comes from meeting new people, seeing new places, trying new things, and helping people in a tangible way.
Thank you to all of you for the incredible support you've shown me over the past few months as I prepare for this journey. Thanks specifically to:
--all of my sponsors. Your generosity is mind boggling.
--my riding buddies Mark, Mandi, Krista, and especially Oliver,
--Daniela, for providing the slick piano to my lame jazz vocals for my fundraising CD,
--Noodles & Company for hosting my fundraising dinner, and Justin, Kaia, Mark, Mandi, Alize, Benny, Annie, Bethany, Steven, Lisa, Arwen, Beth, Nick, Thomas, Johanna, Ken, Daniela, Amanda, and Jenny for coming and bringing friends,
--the IU Taekwondo club, for always pushing me to be my best, surrounding me with so many hardworking and inspiring people, and coming to my fundraising dinner and threatening to throw down when a cashier wouldn't accept the flyers,
--my extraordinary, fabulous, frighteningly talented mother, whose gorgeous quilts dazzled everyone and raised a ton of funds,
--my amazing family, who supports me in every crazy scheme I come up with,
--and most of all Oliver, who inspired me to go on this trip in the first place, taught me everything I know about the bicycle, joined me on hundreds of miles of training rides, recorded my fundraising CD, and has helped with every conceivable thing that has needed doing in preparation for this trip.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you to everyone I've ever met in my entire life--knowing you has brought me to this point, and I am extremely excited, amazingly scared, and uncommonly blessed.
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