A Day in Downtown Louisville

I spent my day off exploring the grand city of Louisville. A group of us young cats took the bus downtown to walk around.

I really enjoyed walking around the city. I got some great ice cream and some Indian food today. It was pretty delicious, and it was nice to have a break from peanut butter sandwiches. The view of the river was incredible.

After walking around Hannah, Mark, Layne, Vant, and I went to the science museum. It was pretty cool. Vant and I made an arc. We learned some science.

Today was a great day to have a break from riding. I really like Kentucky, but were off to Indiana tomorrow!

-Sarah

Riding Fast to Louisville

After our big 116 mile day yesterday, I woke up at 6 AM, but it was a struggle. Riding another 86 miles the day after a century ride seemed daunting. Our host didn't provide us coffee this morning either. After stopping at a gas station Doug, Eric, and I hauled our way trough the first 40 miles. At one point we were averaging 16.9 MPH!  You can see the excitement on my face.

I really liked riding with Eric and Doug because we worked as a good group together. Once we got to lunch I was feeling pretty fatigued. I had just ascended a large hill to reach the food. A dog decided to hang out in our trailer at lunch. Good Old Petals.

In the afternoon I rode with Rachel, Roje, Matt, and Jason. We rode on some really pretty roads, and I sang to myself a lot. Once we got to mile 60 I was ready for a break though.

The last 20 miles had some traffic, but we worked as a group to communicate when cars were coming. We also dominate the lane if there are two lanes. I like riding with people that I can trust and I am comfortable with. 

The church we are in is amazing as usual. I'm currently sitting on a sofa and watching Friends. It's lovely to relax! I'm excited to explore Louisville tomorrow.

-Sarah

116 Miles in Kentucky

I rode over 100 miles today. 116 to be exact! After 9 miles of riding, Rachel and I entered Kentucky.

Kentucky definitely does have an unbridled spirit. I rode super fast today because the guys kept asking me to join pace lines. While leading the group I would keep the pace and then drop back and draft once I got tired. I pace lined with Nic and Vant and then with Matt, Doug, Eric, and Mark. This made the first 80 miles go by pretty fast. I thumbs upped the camera when I got to the second lunch.

The last 36 miles were pretty tough because I was fatigued, but the beauty of. The surrounding area was astounding and kept me going.

The rolling hills were fun to descend, and I took my time for those last miles. We arrived to the YMCA and ate some Little Ceasers' pizza, played some basketball, and got to swim in the pool! It was an awesome end to the day. We still have a couple of other 100 mile days this summer, but now I feel ready for them!

-Sarah

Shingling All Day Long

In Huntington today we worked on shingling a whole house! I volunteered to work on the roof because I wanted to be outside. I was a little bit scared when I climbed the ladder, but I made it to the top!

I spent the day lining up shingles and nailing them into the roof. It was amazing to see the transformation. A house starts to actually look house like once there is a roof on it.

It actually wasn't too hot out which was nice. There were about 15 of us in the roof working together to complete the task at hand. The woman who will own the house stopped by to say hi to us too. I was really proud of the work that we completed today. I came back and ate some frozen yogurt because I was famished! It was excellent.

The group went over pace lines to tonight. We learned how to draft off each other safely. I don't know how often I will be a part of a pace line, but they're really helpful when trying to conserve energy. Brian also wore an awesome summertime hat to demonstrate the pace line. Tomorrow is our longest day. We will be riding 116 miles! I'm getting up at  5 AM, but I'm pretty stoked because I've never ridden over 100 miles at one time. This time tomorrow I will be in Kentucky!

-Sarah

P.S. The entry before this about Cumberland is from a few days ago. I thought it had been published, and it wasn't.

And I Thought I Was Done With Mountains

Riding to Cumberland was a hillier 42 miles than I has anticipated. Rachel and I fought up the first eight miles of hills, and it was amazing at the top.

Soon after we hit more hills, but at that point my legs began to wake up. Maryland has very scenic areas. We saw a point along a highway that had an American Flag on the top of a cliff. Of course we climbed it, and several other members of our group did too.

I had a quick lunch in the town of Flintstone, and I also frolicked in a field. Soon after, me. Rachel, Roje, Dexter, and Nick climbed he highest hill ever. It went on for ages,and the amount of sweat on my body was repulsive. Again we had an amazing view at the top.

The descent from the hill was scary though. I had to grip my brakes a bit at parts. Once we got to Cumberland we were met with amazing hospitality. The town manager gave us coupons for free ice cream! I'm getting pumped for my 80 mile day tomorrow. I hope my legs are ready!

-Sarah

Back to West Virginia

We had to ride 75 miles from Wellston, OH into Huntington, WV today. Our group has ridden more than 500 miles in the last 8 days. Needless to say, it's great that we have a build day tomorrow to rest our legs from riding. Building is still tiring but in a different way. It really depends on the task that the work supervisor gives us. I felt like being silly (but still safe of course) while riding today so Vant and I both wore our "fun shades.l

As you can tell, we both look really good. Today was a good ride because ok was cool during the morning, and the terrain was mostly flat. Rachel and I took our time riding in the morning, and then Vant and I sped through the ride during the afternoon. Once I was done riding 75 miles it was time for push ups.

I have been doing push-ups for every miles that we ride. I was actually really terrible at push-ups when I started, but now in feeling strong! The church we are staying at is super nice and has a ping ping table. I'm a little rusty, but I love playing. There are also indoor streetlight a in the church.

There were also showers at the church! It's nice to not have to shuttle to the YMCA.  I'm looking forward to spending 2 nights in Huntington!

-Sarah

A Long Day of Sweeping

Today we had our longest ride so far! It was 87 miles, and I was assigned sweep for the day. There are two sweeps assigned for everyday. Sweep has to stay in the back of the pack to make sure all of the other riders get in. They also carry the extra tire. It was a long day spent casually riding along in the ninety degree heat. I took a break from riding to put my head in a giant mailbox.

Brian and I swept together. Unfortunately we were on the same 42 mile long road until lunch time. I refilled my camelback because it was super hot out. I was determined to ride all 87 miles regardless of how long it took. One of the riders left us some "sweep love" with chalk.

The van came at around mile 65 because it was already 545, and we were only at mile 65. Fortunately our leaders are awesome and let us continue riding after our slowest rider was picked up. Brian and I kept a great pace for the last 20 miles so we made it just in time for dinner. We were exhausted!

As sweep we got in line first for dinner, and it was excellent. There were also affordable housing presentations done by the riders tonight. They were enjoyable! 

One more day of riding tomorrow, and then it's our build day!

-Sarah

Hola Ohio

The group had to wake up at 5:30 this morning to get on the road early for our 80 mile day. Dexter, Rachel, and I cruised through the first 41 miles. We also kept an eye out for each other because there were a lot of trucks on the road today! Right before the Ohio border we met up with a fellow rider's parents who were riding a tandem! They beat all of the other riders into Marietta today. I've decided that some day I will ride a tandem.

Rachel and I posed with the giant Ohio welcome sign. I really felt as if I was entering some grand new land. I need a break from West Virginia. Plus Ohio is flat, and I took a break from riding so I could embrace the beauty of the Ohio River.

After riding in the sweltering heat, it was great to have a nice shower at the YMCA. I had a fantastic dinner and managed to fit in some ice cream afterward. 

Hannah and I posed as angry choir girls after dinner. I was feeling goofy after a long day of riding! Another 80 mile day tomorrow. I'm ready to conquer it!

-Sarah

West Virginia and Waterslides

This morning I was extremely tired, but I hopped on my bike and headed to Weston, VA. There were a couple miles of gravel trail, but fortunately it turned to paved road eventually. There were also a lot of hills. That seems to be the trend in West Virginia. There was also a huge pack of dogs in one yard that I rode past. I pedaled furiously up a hill because I was terrified of them. Before lunch Lydia, Rachel, Johnny, and a few others took a short break at a gas station. I bought some Twizzlers because I was feeling the need for sugar.

About ten more miles down the road we stopped for lunch, and after munching on some good food I finally felt like I was waking up. Jason, Lydia, Rachel, and I stopped at a watering hole for a swim shortly after lunch because we wanted to relax a bit.

During the afternoon the rise was spectacular. There were a lot of rolling hills, and I think I've finally started to appreciate West Virginia.

Upon reaching the host, we found out that we would be takin showers at a swimming pool. There was an awesome waterside, and I felt like a kid again as I slid down it.

For dinner we were coked some fantastic Mexican food, and now I'm feeling powered up for my 85 mile day tomorrow into Ohio!

-Sarah

Hiking and Biking

So our journey to Parsons, WV was very interesting. The first forty miles of our ride were wonderful. Rachel, Brian, Mark, and I had a great time. We had a great view of the mountains too.

Mark got a flat at one point, and I found a hibiscus flower so I modeled with it.

After a hearty lunch I found a kitten as I was biking down the road. So obviously I had to save him from oncoming traffic. He was tiny little thing, and we gave him a lot of water

Today was extremely tough. I biked up a mountain that seemed like it was never going to end, and it was hot. I realize how important hydration is now. Speaking of hydration though, we actually found a sweet watering hole after 60 miles of riding!

Needless to say it was thrilling. Then came the hard part of our bike ride. We had to bike along some gravel trail traversed through some rough terrain. But I stuck through it though, and I'm glad I did. Dinner was fantastic and people provided us with showers in their homes today! This is definitely a memorable ride. 

I love P2C so much. I have the greatest group ever!

-Sarah

Mountains and Pool Basketball

I had a fantastic day riding to Hancock, MD. Michelle, Hannah, and I had a good morning riding together. We even took a break to do some modeling on the side of the road.

Unfortunately I got a flat tire, but I repaired it and was ready to go in no time! Riding along the Pennsylvania hills was peaceful, but then we had to ascend this mountain to reach lunch. Such torture! I pedaled furiously to reach the top as fat as possible. I have a hate love relationship with riding up hills. It's both punishing and rewarding. Once I reached the top I jut laid down for a little while.

After lunch I rode with Nick and Eric. They are super fast, and I worked hard to keep up with them. I definitely can tell that my legs are stronger though. There were more hills on the road to Maryland. The boys and I met up with more people ahead of us, and we headed into Maryland together. Once we reached the host we got ice cream at a gas station because the only ice cream place in town had burned down. After dinner our host reserved a pool for us to swim in.

It was basically the best treat a host has ever given us in my opinion. I played some intense pool basketball. I love swimming, and I love basketball. An alumni of B&B also stopped by to talk to us and have us super awesome homemade granola. She thinks our route is the best! I can't wait to keep trekkin' across the USA!

-Sarah

Chambersburg and Carnivals

I've been accustomed to riding on so many hills that I forgot how lovely riding a bike on flat land is. We rode 27 miles by 11 AM!  We had lunch in Amish country, and I saw people on a horse and buggy. The children in the carriage waved to us.

After lunch, Hannah, Michelle, and I took off as a team to conquer the last half of our journey. Unfortunately she got two flats so we hung out for while and waited for the van to being us another tire. We also formed a human chain during lunch. It was relaxing.

After Hannah's bike was repaired, the rest of the ride flew by. We admired the Pennsylvania country roads as we biked along Route 11. We are staying at a food pantry type place tonight. It's really nice, and they made us great stew. After dinner we went to a carnival. I rode on The Zipper. It was terrifying because it was old and tipped all upside down and such. 

I ate some cotton candy and some fried dough too. It was a solid carnival in then Pennsylvania country! I'm feeling great and am ready for more riding of my bike tomorrow!

-Sarah

An Ode to Harrisburg

This morning we awoke at approximately six am for breakfast at a diner. I had some delicious pancakes, eggs, and bacon. It sparked my energy for the build day. At the build site I began with cleaning some counters at this massive restore. At a restore people donate their appliances and furniture. Habitat refurbishes them and uses the equipment in homes.

I also put some outlet covers back on many outlets. Other people were painting, and my friends Michelle and Hannah may have had a bit of a paint war!

After lunch several of us girls went to a summer program for kids to paint rain barrels. I really enjoy working with kids. It was good working with city kids. I noticed how much the older kids looked out for the younger ones. We played some knockout with basketballs too!

 The man running the program really appreciated our help. He talked about how he was a teacher for 28 years and that we should like what we choose to do with our lives. Working with Harrisburg Habitat for Humanity was fantastic. I have 8 ride days ahead of me. I've gotta rest up tonight!

-Sarah

Hershey Park

Today we rode to Hershey Park for lunch! Unfortunately we didn't et to go inside the park. But before lunch Nick, Dexter, Nic, and I pounded up some hills and we went swimming!

The water was pretty gross, but I went for it anyways. Then Rachel, Mark, and I started riding together. We had to stop at   the Hershey Park sign!

It was great getting to lunch and already completing 40 miles. The rest of the ride was smooth sailing. I ended up swimming again once I got to Harrisburg! Eric and I also shared some ice cream since it was so warm out.

Our build day is tomorrow, and I'm ready to do some more work!

-Sarah

The Road to Schuylkill Haven

Today was a pretty relaxing ride. We rose along mostly country roads, and it was wonderful to ride with little traffic around. Parents of a rider from last year met up with our group for lunch and cheered us on. I'm constantly amazed at how kind people are to us this trip. The parents took a picture of the people I rode with today.

There was one large hill, but we were able to conquer it. It also helped that we went for a spontaneous swim in a lake for a break from constant riding. After lunch, Rachel and I pedaled against the wind. We kept a good pace, and I felt great.

After the ride, we had dinner but then found out there were no showers. Out came the hose and the slip 'n' slide. We put some soap on it, and it was super fun. Then we did some showering in rotation with a hose. It was pretty hilarious. I love that I've become close to my fellow riders so quickly. Off to Harrisburg tomorrow!

-Sarah

P.S. Our host also donated to Bike & Build today!

Demolishing Things

IToday we had a build day in Stroudsburg Pennsylvania. We demolished much of the interior of a former restaurant so that it can be slowly transformed into a Foo Pantry. I wore a hard hat and glasses to protect myself!

I carried a lot of drywall and siding to a dumpster. The dumpster actually started out empty but was filled by the end of the day! I think I may have ingested a cup of dirt though. Man was it dusty. Overall our group did some good work on the Food pantry. I definitely noticed the power of people working together. 

After building we had dinner at a park with the Monroe Habitat for Humanity Group we worked with today. We played some ladder all and ate meatball subs. 

Today we also had out family meeting to discuss the highs and lows of our trip so far. I honestly just love being with a new group friends day in and day out. I can't wait to continue riding and building with them for the rest of the summer!

-Sarah

Finding the Bridge to Pennsylvania

Today started with a four miles climb up this giant hill. Then we descended it, and it was wonderful. By the time we were at the bottom we were pretty hungry, and there was excitement because we had crossed into New Jersey.  A couple of us stopped at McDonald's for a nice snack. I got an ice cream sundae. I was in the fence about it, but I'm sure glad I did after the day we ended up having.

After refueling, a group of us riders began climbing up another hill, and this one was even longer than before. At the top of this hill we has a little celebration at High Point State Park!

You can't really tell from this picture, but it was extremely rewarding to be at the top on such a beautiful day. We rode down the hill thinking we were in the right direction, but as soon as we got to the bottom it was clear we did something wrong. Google maps helped us find or way, but Hannah, Rachel, Jason, Kathryn, and I stopped at Gyps Tavern for some food because we were starving. I gobbled up my turkey sandwich pretty fast. The lake the restaurant was on was such a great place to take a break and relax.

We met up with Johnny and Nick and were able to safely cross Dingman's Bridge into Pennsylvania. All the cars had to pay tolls, and we didn't. The last 25 miles of the ride flew by. We were done with our reroute and could again follow our "cue sheet" that we are given each morning. Riding into the quaint town of Stroudsburg after rising fourteen extra bonus miles was cathartic.

Each day is more exciting than the one before! I'm ready for another build day tomorrow.

-Sarah