Thursday. Done and dusted. By my very rough guestimate, we’ve got about 410 miles down. And I will say that I am very impressed. My plea for spot donations last night did not go unheeded. I received a lot of donations. They amounted to about $165 which, in research dollars, is $3795. But equally as awesome to me is that people are truly engaging. The amount of random messages I’m getting on my daily rides boggles the mind. Seeing the donations and the stream of messages… It shows that you care. Both about this cause and me. And that caring was put to the test today. This was, and I say this without any embellishment, one of the hardest days I have ever had on two wheels.
What happened in today’s Adventures of Greg? (Thanks for the nickname Mike). This morning was similar to the last 4. Early to rise, pack up, eat breakfast, and off I go. With bagpipes. Very pleased that the forecast rain never materialized. Until about 15 minutes into the ride. A small sprinkle quickly turned into rain. Riding in the rain isn’t necessarily bad. My stuff is waterproof. I’m waterproof. But a dozen miles in the rain was…not a party. But then the rain stopped…and then the winds picked up. Normally, after we turn at Albany and go westward, we get a little headwind. Annoying, but, beyond making you slow down a bit, no big deal. Except today. We had 25+ mile per hour winds. For a good 20 miles. I now know what a salmon feels like when it’s swimming upstream. And the only thing to it was just bear it. But the winds eventually died down. And….then the rain came back. So, already exhausted from the wind (but mostly dry) I got soaked all over again for the rest of the trip.
So why am I telling you this? Am I looking to illicit pity? No (well not really). I am telling you this because I wanted to quit today. It would have been so very easy to make it to a rest stop and catch a shuttle to camp. But you all made me push through it. You donated to fund this cause; I can deal with a little discomfort. You send me messages throughout the day (the running series of jokes I’ve been getting have been particular favorites); you are thinking about me. I have people en route (or already arrived) to cheer me on at the finish line from as far as Virginia. I couldnt’ hold my head high and be proud if I knew I took a shortcut. So I pushed onward until I reached camp for the night.
Today was a hard day for so many people. Drained from yesterday, a great deal of people just grabbed a shuttle at the first rest stop. Reports came in of people literally being blown off of their bike today. It was that bad.
I pushed through rain and wind and made 25,344 revolutions of those pedals today.
I am thinking towards the future tonight. Tomorrow is my last sleep on this journey. Creature comforts await me, so very soon. But I am already thinking about next year. Will I undertake this a fourth time? I truly don’t know. Many familiar faces from years past did not return this year. Will I be one of those phantom names next year?
But enough of that. I’ve been getting a few questions from people that I will try to answer tomorrow. If you have anything you would like to know, drop it in the comments.
As I learned from Laila’s post earlier, we have broken $1.8mm of funds!
Wow! What a day you’ve had- what a day you all had… I hope for dry skies tomorrow and just the sweetest of breezes to keep you all comfortable.
I’ve been sitting on the edge of my seat awaiting your post for today. The thought crossed my mind eairler of “Man, this guy is crazy and amazing!” after I starting to grumble about the teeny little headache I had…. I stopped the grumbling as I immediately pictured you how I imagined it might be for you at that moment- just basing off childhood memories of rain riding: sopping wet, clothes gripping onto your skin like soggy sandpaper, feet soaking in puddle filled shoes, raindrops sneaking their way over the rims of your glasses into your eyes and you fighting the constant urge to wipe them away as you just keep pushing on….
I was also wondering if you were indeed grumbling to yourself the “is this even worth it?” thoughts I imagined might pop up on a day like today.
This adventure has been so humbling to witness and far beyond exciting to follow. Hearing about the day, the things you see, the people you encounter, the buildings and landmarks you pass- all from your unique perspective (and seeing the shared photos!!) it all really helps enliven the vicariousness of this embarkment for us indoor onlookers.
Thank you for all you’re doing, Greg. Thank you fur pushing through. And thank you for sharing your journey with us all!
Your perseverance is unmatched!! Wow that looks like a messy ride from the looks of your bike and shoes…But hey, you made it!