A New Blog

Hey Everyone!

Due to a malfunction, the previous blog will be replaced by this one.

Since I've last posted, we've gone from Manhatten and across New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. We are now resting in Huntington, Indiana.

The routes the first week were typically hilly with perfect weather nearly every day. Wind was minor, and it seemed like everyone adjusted quickly to the daily effort.

More recently, the roads have become level, and the western wind has left us gasping. Yesterday was our longest yet--125 miles (including several unanticipated detours)--and several storms punctuated an already challenging day.

My only cycling related problem has been inadequate nutrition, and I've resorted to indiscrimate eating. I eat all day, and I measure food not by taste but by caloric content. High sodium, high fat, high everything foods have become the norm, and I'm not sure if I'm preventing a loss of weight.

The team is composed of 18 generally friendly riders, but only a few have much cycling experience. It's been exciting to watch everyone cultivate a passion for the sport so quickly and refreshing to be in a fairly non-competitive environment. The social drama has been minimal and confined mostly to petty concerns that arise when so many people live together for so many hours every day. In all honesty, fun and fatigue are the two most common shared experiences.

The people we have met and who have hosted us are more generous than I could have ever expected. Whether it be a church, house, or campsite, we have been given a home at every stop. The hospitality is just shy of overwhelming.

The portraits project has been sobering. It is a compilation of stories of cancer victims nationwide, and these victims may be survivors, family, or friends. Members of the team interview, rather, listen to them for anywhere from five minutes to an hour or more. Sometimes understated and sometimes tearful, these people and their stories reflect a profound understanding of human suffering and the peculiar need for hope in a world just hobbling along.

We'll be in Chicago by the end of the week, and I hope to post again there if not sooner.

Cheers,
Mark