7/23 - Update in Terrell, TX

Muleshoe to Lubbock
Texas is going to be exhausting. In addition to the deteriorating road conditions, the winds have begun to pick up in intensity. There is nothing more frustrating than a head wind that forces hard pedaling going downhill. The hours begin to lengthen and legs instantly become pained. On this 70 mile ride, one of the crew members, Zach, rode along with us on Matt Gant’s bike. He did a fantastic job as this was his first significant ride and even for the general team, not an easy one. After arrival, we had a friendship visit with the Adaptive Sports in Lubbock. Following a fantastic beef brisket, we headed to their softball field to challenge the team. In the first inning of the game, one of the friends cranked a 3 run home run to deep right center. We played until sunset and then left for lodging at Lubbock Christian University where we finally had internet access once again. Tomorrow begins the “Texas Triple Crown” on which we bike 300 miles in 3 days. With winds like today, these next three days should be pretty intense.

Lubbock to Snyder
This day came out of nowhere. I believe that it may have been the perfect storm of factors: a poor road, strong winds, and mistakes in hydration and eating. At about mile 80 (the rack point), I felt like I was going to pass out, despite downing a whole water bottle soon before. The humidity and temperature combination made it absolutely awful to ride. Somehow, we made it to arrival and after drinking a few Gatorades and eating some food, I felt a little better. We went to lodging at the church and got ready for dinner with the chamber of commerce. We met the mayor of Snyder who was very accommodating for us and even insisted that we stay in contact after the trip with her.

Snyder to Abilene
Snyder to Abilene was a day that I decided to let my knee rest. This was a very difficult decision as I really wanted to ride but the previous day had been very taxing on it and I decided to avert future problems. We had our first double arrival (2 locations where we would bike to and meet friends). Both were fantastic and rewarding. At the second, we had a dance party with the friends and then performed a KOB for the children at a local camp nearby. Upon their arrival, I was mobbed in a sea of them, all with questions, but it was great. After a long day, we left for dinner at the local steakhouse, a nice break from the typical spaghetti meals we get from sponsors. The steak also provided much needed sustenance for the coming 110 mile ride, the finale of the Triple Crown. We then returned to Abilene Christian University to sleep in dorms again for the night.

Abilene to Stevenville
The ride from Abilene to Stevenville began with a ride along from the local bike club (although since I was riding with the back group, we didn’t see much of them). At mile 60 of the 110 mile day, we had a great on the road lunch with some Pi Alphas (have ridden JOH before) and some Pi Kapps from the UT-Arlington chapter. At this point my knee was feeling a little sore, but Advil quickly remedied that problem. The last 20 miles were made easier with a tail wind (nothing better than climbing hills at 25 mph!) and we cruised into town around 3:00. We had some time to rest at lodging and then had a friendship dinner there. Following dinner, we went as a team to see the new batman “The Dark Knight” which was simply one of the best movies I have ever seen. As said by other members of the team, it was the first two and a half hours where we felt that we weren’t on the Journey of Hope. It was a true mental and physical release from pain. After the movie, we were all excited for the upcoming days which would be much easier than the last few in which we had ridden a large amount of mileage.

Stevenville to Fort Worth
Today was a relatively easy ride, too bad my spoke decided to break at mile 30 (roughly the half-way point of the day). We had an arrival at Chipotle where we got whatever we wanted from the menu and met with Pi Alphas and our sponsors. The food was fantastic and at the end our team was presented with a Chipotle Racing Jersey (they have a team in the Tour de France this year!). Lodging was at the Fort Worth YMCA, located in the heart of the city. Unfortunately, we had to wait for everyone to clear the gym before we could move in our bedding and bags. In other news, we heard the unfortunate news that the Project Manager of the north route had been sent home due to an incident involving alcohol at lodging. This event occurred at his alma mater, Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. Having ridden in his van for the first 10 days of the trip, I find his departure especially powerful. He was genuine to the Push America cause and planned to work for nationals in the next year. But now, all of that is probably gone. The Iowa kids on the south route took this news the hardest and I don’t blame them. Anyone who knew Dave respected him and only wished the best in the future upon him. He will definitely be in our memories as we complete the ride and I truly hope that he can find a job that meets with his passion of service. We end this day on a low note, but the team will recover and be stronger than ever.