June 16, 2001--Winnemucca, NV.

Today was a 74-mile journey from Lovelock to Winnemucca. Fearing hot temperatures the whole group started early this morning. The desert morning was dry, yet cool. As soon as we got going at about 6:50am, the day began to warm.
The beginning of the journey was rather tumultuous. Road construction was taking place in the right lane for about 12 miles. The good part was that the barrels kept traffic away from us. The bad part was that the right lane turned into a loose gravel mess. To make matters worse, the gravel was wet with tar oil. Needless to say we took it easy through that section. A few cyclists on the ride figured it was a good idea to ride on the outside of the barrels in the only available lane of traffic. These individuals were asking for disaster. I was surprised to pass them and see that they were older riders. That's the kind of thing incredibly inexperienced, or just plain dumb, cyclists do. One of these idiots actually got the mirror knocked off his handlebars by a passing 18-wheeler. I hope he thanks god tonight for giving him another chance to live.
Later in the trip after the road construction Brian, Andy, and I rode in the pace line again. The first rider of the line is supposed to point obstacles and tire debris in the road out to the other riders behind so that the whole line can steer clear of possible tire punctures. While I was doing this I noticed the some of the little rocks in the road were moving. When I looked at them a little closer I realized that there were thousands of dark grasshopper type bugs on the ground around us. At one point in the road we even passed a snake slinking through the brush next to the roadway.
Most of the truckers out here are extremely polite. They go out of their way to cross into the far lane to avoid us entirely. However about once or twice a day we will have a truck go out if its way to drive near us and sound its horn. We are perfectly legal out here and I wonder if they actually think that they are the only individuals entitled to the road. When a truck does that it stuns all of us, but there is no other road we can use.
When we rode into town we stopped at a quaint diner and had omelets. I think we might be the only cyclists in town. We turned some heads when we walked in the casino with our gear on.

June 15, 2001--Lovelock, NV.

Today's ride from Sparks to Lovelock was a grind. We started off the day with a great tail wind and the three of us averaged about 21mph. I looked down at one point and we were doing 24 effortlessly. We rode on I-80 today for 90 miles. One rider made a comment that the scenery was boring. I didn't think so though. I was interested in all of the geologic formations that surrounded the road. Some mountains were white, some dark, and vegetation occurred only in certain spots. On some of the mountains I could see where an ancient shoreline once existed.
The road was flat and extremely monotonous. The tail wind in the beginning of the ride turned quickly into a head wind that beat us down for the better portion of the ride. We took turns leading the pace line but the wind just takes it out of you all the same. Luckily the wind was cool and we were spared severe desert weather. The road was so long and so straight that we all stayed in the same position on the bikes all day. That consistent irritation makes for some pain; I can still feel my bicycle seat.
While I'm riding I choose different songs to play over in my head to keep myself motivated and cranking at a steady rate. Today all I could think of was 'Marathon' by Rush. The words worked so well for what I am currently doing.

It's not how fast you can go
The force goes into the flow
If you pick up the beat
You can forget about the heat
It's more than just survival
More than just a start
More than a finish line or a luck shot in the dark
In the long run
You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don't burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you've got to last.

Today was an unending grind of continuous road. This picture pretty much sums up the entire day. I took this picture while riding my bike. This was the view from my spot in the pace line on I-80. That's my friend Andy in front of me.

June 14, 2001--Reno, NV.

This morning started out in Truckee and it was incredibly cold. I dressed for the occasion but I never expected that kind of weather. Wearing half gloves, my fingers went numb. The wind coming across the Truckee valley froze my ears and made my body shiver. We started with a hill climb into Tahoe. We came to the Brokaway summit and had a great view of Lake Tahoe.
In the town of Incline we came to the Nevada border. We stopped and took pictures of us standing next to the sign. Then we got back on our bikes. This was a big moment for me. It was time for me to yell my late friend Art Valarde's name for the first time on my trip. I rode away from the sign, stopped, and turned around. I thought of Art's smile, and the caring and funny nature of his personality. After a moment I hopped on my bike and hammered past the state line as I yelled "ART VALARDE" at the top of my lungs. Since the state line was in the middle of town there were many people out and about. People stopped and looked my way but I really didn't care. I imagined Art standing on the side of the road smiling and nodding his head.
After a short down hill we started the next hill that climbed to Mt. Rose Summit. The road was lined with vacation houses, ski resorts, and private roads. Climbing farther the landscape turned to preserved National Park land with rich vegetation. I stopped a few times just to take it all in. The climb ended at Mt. Rose Summit where I took this picture next to the summit sign. The second picture is of the view down into Nevada from Mt. Rose.
The descent from Mt. Rose was a screaming 16.7-mile down hill that was a due reward for the previous day's work. I didn't have lots of leg power left but I hammered down the hill enjoying every minute of it.
The change in scenery was abrupt. There were the obvious geologic changes, but what interested me was the change in "lifestyle." By climbing a hill and descending there was a shift from vacation homes, Ski resorts, and new BMW's, to trailer parks, pawnshops, and old Pontiac's.
We ended our trek in Sparks Nevada where there seems to be a whole lot of road construction going on. We didn't have a whole lot of miles today but it was a fun trip after yesterday's trial.

June 13, 2001--Truckee, CA.

Today was the most difficult day yet. Actually, difficult isn't the right word. Today we climbed from Auburn to Truckee. Within this ride was 8,500 feet of climbing altogether. I ate breakfast and headed out at 6:45 to get a jump on the day. Brian and Andy caught up to me about 5 miles down the road and we spent the rest of the day working together. The first twenty-five miles were a decent climb but the worst of it came after the first SAG stop. After the first SAG stop we climbed forever. We did 16.5 miles on the I-80 freeway. (Very wide shoulder) The climbing became more and more difficult. I was pushing my body to the limit when I got that old fashioned Drum Corps feeling of "Why do I do stuff like this to myself?" "Why must I subject myself to this kind of pain?" I lost my energy and I needed sugar fast. For those who don't cycle, there is a term we cyclists call "Bonk." This happens when your body begins to shut down and you loose all your energy. The interesting thing about this is that it's not just your body that shuts down. You loose your drive, your endurance, your will, and you can become demoralized. This was happening to me and I was sinking fast. I questioned myself and what this was all worth. Bonking can even take you into a different kind of consciousness where you experience tunnel vision and your judgment is hazed. I wasn't quite to that point yet when I met the others at the second SAG stop on Donner Pass. I wolfed down cookies, health bars, bananas, and fruit. Just like a battery being recharged, I was ready to go again, and had the right state of mind. It's amazing what some Carbohydrates can do. I realized that days like these are what builds character, and what fuels that sense of accomplishment at the end.
After today's ride was done, my legs were toast. But the views of the Sierra Mountains made it worth it. When we pulled around the bend at the top of the hill we were mesmerized by the view of Donner Lake and the surrounding green mountains.
This ride is going to be more of an accomplishment than I had ever imagined it would be. We pulled into town with our legs feeling like beef Jerky and pigged out at a Mongolian BBQ. Fortune cookies are usually pretty lame, but my fortune cookie today read: "Soon all your hard work will pay off." It's going to be a hard road.
Here is a picture of me with Andy at Donner Lake.

June 12, 2001--Auburn, CA.

Today started with a leisurely pace through a walking trail that went from Sacramento to Folsom Lake. I biked with my friends Brian (from Las Vegas) and Andy (from southern California) through the first 12 miles of the trail. The trail was beautiful. We kept about an 18mph pace line through the first part. After a wrong turn we met up with the two speed demons of the group. The three of us latched on to them and kept a wicked pace line averaging about 22mph. This pace lasted for about 20 miles winding through several parks and natural preserves. It was exhilarating to be a part of. We moved like a freight train through the trail. Toward the 33-mile marker I started to tire. Luckily we hit the first SAG stop at that point to reload. I ate ravenously and regained what I had lost in the first part of the journey.
The second part of the journey was a hill climb into Auburn. I decided that rather than beat myself up the day before my trek to Truckee I would climb at my own pace and enjoy the scenery. Brian and Andy concurred and joined me at a slower pace. The view of Folsom Lake was spectacular. We got into Auburn before noon and had lunch in old town. The first picture is a large statue of a 49er at the beginning of old town Auburn. Auburn was the center of the gold rush in 1849.
My grandparents live in Auburn just .1 miles off our route. My grandfather is 100 years old and my grandmother is 94. That's my grandparent's, Bill and Sadie Clark, in the picture.

June 11, 2001--Sacramento, CA.

Today we awoke at 6:00am and had breakfast. By 7:00am, I decided to shove off with the two top riders. From Fairfield we kept a wicked pace. Both of them are Iron man tri athletes that are using this ride for training purposes. After about 10 miles of hammering to keep up with them I decided to keep my own pace. I cycled alone for about 20 miles till the first sag stop passing through farmlands, lush cornfields, and golden wheat fields. I passed an old man on a bike going very slowly and wearing a straw hat. I slowed down as I passed him and asked, "Is this the way to Boston?" He looked surprised, confused, and bewildered; I had a chuckle and just kept riding.
The tri athletes beat the sag wagon and I turned out to be the first one to it. The support crew wasn't even set up yet. The old man on the support staff setting all the food up said "You're a jack rabbit!" as I pulled in by myself. I waited there and shoved off with some other riders that were my age and were not too far behind me. I was comfortable with these riders because they kept a good pace but also stopped for good photo opportunities. We passed through UC Davis and hit a bike trail that led us to old Sacramento.
Today's ride was easy compared to yesterday's. It was all flat with a wind that wasn't too bad. Tomorrow is supposed to be a difficult day up into Auburn.
Here is a picture of me next to the train museum in Old Sacramento Ca. This picture was taken after the ride and after a shower so forgive the loose clothing.

June 10, 2001--San Francisco, CA.

Yesterday we met as a group in San Francisco. Last night the group I am riding with stayed at the Clarion hotel in Millbrae. I could hardly sleep. I kept waking up every hour in anticipation of the next morning's events. At 5:00 I got out of bed and began getting ready for the journey. After breakfast, we posed for a picture and got on our bikes in front of the hotel lobby. There was electricity in the air that captivated us all. The eagerness of all the riders energized me and hyped me up. The sign was given by the ride leader that we could leave when we wanted to. At that point I began my journey and set forth on one of the greatest adventures of my life to date.
The morning was cold especially by the coast. The wind pushed me around in the bike lane. The very first piece of road we hit was a climb. I trained on hills at home and was comfortable with climbing. I made good time over the first mountain and met the group at the shoreline to dip our wheels in the Pacific Ocean. As I made my was across the beach I took in every moment and was in a sense of awe as to how lucky I was to be partaking in such an event as riding my bike across the country.
We crossed the golden gate bridge and made our way into San Raphael. I met up with a 22-year-old rider named John from Pennsylvania. We were keeping a fast pace and decided to ride together for the rest of the day. The weather started to warm up and we got on to Route 37 where the warm winds once again pushed us around. It was at the 70-mile marker that I realized what a difficult thing this was actually going to be. I am in shape but would I be able to keep this up all summer? The last stretch of road had a 2.4-mile hill climb and I couldn't keep up the John. I decided rather than breaking my legs off, I would take it easy for the last ten miles. I knew I was making good time, but I was not prepared to find out that I was the 6th rider to the hotel out of 47. I think I will be all right after all.

June 4, 2001--Sunnyvale, CA.

This is the bike I will be taking. It is a 2001 Cannondale R1000 road bike. Aluminum frame with a Carbon fiber fork. For all you technical Roadies out there, I have a Triple chain ring on the front (32,42,53) and a 9 speed cassette in the back (12,23). The bag strapped to the handle bars will be my carrying case for daily needs such as sun screen, cameras, Power bars, money, extra clothes, etc.