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John's Day 10 Journal: Reflections on a Lifetime Experience

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-26T11:05:39-05:00

Route: The Final Leg
Total Miles: 31
Miles I Road: 31
To Date Total: 943
Weather: I doesn't matter

Highlights
Today is it, there is no tomorrow. That means there is no 3 am wakeup calls, no more packing the bikes and luggage before driving to our next drop-off point, no more riding for eight hours, no more repacking and having lunch and maybe a stop at a hospital before driving in a death trap for hours to our next destination and then having dinner a Cracker Barrel. It means no more dragging our weary bodies back to our rooms to do some laundry in the sinks, prepping for tomorrow and, if lucky, getting the daily journal entry off before getting to bed after 11 pm.

BUT I AM GOING TO MISS IT ALL!

I’m going to miss waking up in a new state, watching the sunrise before me as it introduces me to a country unknown to me before. I’m going to miss riding for hours at a time, oftentimes in a single file with a group of guy’s I can now call true friends, with the sun in our faces and the wind at our backs. I’m going to miss the strength in my legs to push forward as the fatigue of the muscles pleads with my mind for a compromise. Believe it or not, I’m going to miss the long van rides with all of us talking about the events of the day and banter with each other before we each of us quietly find a soft spot to lay our heads to get a few minutes of downtime.

I’m even going to miss the 3 am wake-up call and the screaming of my body to stay down but instead pulling myself up because I know what I’m about to experience will be too grand to miss.

But the experience I didn’t really foresee going into the ride is the greater will of others. I did not find it while riding; I found it in the hospitals we visited. The kids, their families, the nurses, and the caregivers showed me that their desire and hope to succeed and fight back at the terrible diseases that have taken over the children is much rawer and much more centered on the realities of humanity. I found the will in Hannah, in Columbus, OH, whose light in her eyes shows so much more life than I see in my own. Or Hayden, in Kansas City, whose family is excited to be going home for the first time in 60 days, even if only have to return in just a few day to continue on with their fight. The exhaustion from the battle is worn on their faces, but the will to have Hayden is so strong that they move forward with obvious determination.

So, as our three teams set off together today for one last ride to our goal of the Atlantic, I found it hard to see it all end. Too much has been invested to have it all end so soon. I am deeply gratified by my success and I will deeply miss the ride of a lifetime.

John's Day 9 Journal: The Final Assault through Pittsburgh

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-26T11:05:06-05:00

Route: Mechanicstown, OH, to Chambersburg, PA
Total Miles: 182
Miles I Road: 84
To-Date Total: 912
Weather: 60-80 degrees; high humidity; another beautiful day

Highlights
Today we awoke knowing this was our final real day of riding, but we were going to have to work for it. With the rest Team Will ahead in Washington D.C. for a CureSearch event, Team 1 was asked to handle a double shift of roughly 230 miles, double our daily miles. We were told, though, that a group of riders would come to provide relief later, if possible.

After some discussion we decided to split into two groups of three riders, Team A and B. With lots of climbing scheduled for the day, Team A was made up of Jonathon, Ray, and John, who had been pulled from Shift 2. The slower climbers, me and Don, and the injured Mark (knee problems) made up Team B.

In view of a rural setting with fog bleeding through the fields and as the sun rose above, Team A headed out in the first two-hour shift. As we started to enter the southern outskirts of Pittsburgh, Team B began to ride through a town that is NOT biker-friendly. After three shifts of getting lost, working with no shoulders, crazy drivers, and shuttling forward a short distance for safety issues, we finally broke through the Pittsburgh area and into the Alleghany Mountains. At some point during the day we received a call from other teams they where sending a couple of big guns back to attack the route from the other direction.

Finally, with my final real ride at hand after nine days and nearly 3,000 miles behind me, I hopped on my bike to begin the mostly uphill climb. While slow, I still had some legs. I found it amazing on this trip how your body can handle just about anything. In the end, the climbing paid off as we hit the top of the pass and saw a sign that read “Six miles, 8% downhill grade ahead.” A rider’s dream.

Flying down the hill I realized this was about it, the final descent on a long climb that started months ago with the blessing of my lovely wife—thank you, Piper! I LOVE YOU!—to step out of my ordinary life and begin the greatest adventure and challenge I have ever experienced. All my planning and training and all the sacrifices by my family had lead me to this blazing-fast downhill in the middle of the Alleghany Mountains. In light of a late afternoon sun, Mark and I reached the flatlands and rode together, enjoying a moment of reflection as we rode to our final stop. In the end, all the climbing was well worth the sacrifice.

"I Did It!"

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-25T17:10:15-05:00

Tony here...
"I did it. I did it!" Those words from Sam via Piper, who talked to Sam earlier today. He did it.

The Ride to Reach the Day blog has a great report with pictures posted. Check it out here.

"Reach the Day, Conquer Childhood Cancer" Event in D.C.

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-25T09:51:52-05:00

The Ride to Reach the Day 2008 blog has great coverage and photos from yesterday's Eighth Annual "Reach the Day, Conquer Childhood Cancer" event in Washington, D.C. Check it out here.

More Day 7 Photos

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-24T23:57:10-05:00

Tony here...
With Sam and the rest of Team Will putting in an inordinate amount of time on a bike today (I know ... as though the previous eight days didn't include an inordinate amount of time on a bike), there won't be a Day 9 journal just yet. So, I'm going to post some additional photos of Shift 1 from Day 7:

John's Day 8 Journal: Licking Wounds in Ohio

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-23T21:23:00-05:00

Route: Indiana State Line to Columbus, OH
Total Miles: 121
Miles I Road: 91
To Date Total: 821
Weather: 47 degrees in the morning 70 degrees at end of ride; chilly in the morning; partly cloudy; another good day

Highlights
As you can imagine in a ride like this, the ice packs are out in full force with the 800 milligrams of ibuprofen being dispensed like candy during Halloween. With only three days remaining and a 240-mile bike ride scheduled for tomorrow, today was hard for almost everyone since we where all mending our wounds in preparation for tomorrow’s ride. Knee pain seems to be the primary aliment with butt sores running a close second.

Starting the ride at Stateline, IN, at just after 4:00 am, the air was much chillier than expected. What was exciting is that I have never been to Ohio and had no idea what to expect as the light began to unfold before us. Being from California, where everything is brown right now, it was beautiful for me to see the lush green terrain everywhere. The ride itself was uneventful but by now everything is routine: get on the bike, keep your eyes on the tire in front of you, drink plenty of water, and watch out for obstacles in the road.

Please don’t get me wrong, this trip has turned out to be most rewarding adventure I have ever undertaken. It has been a once in a lifetime opportunity that will forever change the way I see so many things. The group of guys, mom and dad, and the long van rides together have made the trip exceptional, but visiting and interacting with the kids at the hospitals makes it mean so much more. Today we visited the children’s hospital in Columbus, OH. The spirit and life in all the kids we met drives home the point of the need to “Reach a Day” where we can cure all cancers.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the last real day of riding, but it will be by far the most difficult. Shift 1 will be running a double shift so the other riders can be shuttled to D.C. to attend CureSearch event. We will be riding through several 1,000-foot hills. At the end of the day will need to travel and additional 150 miles to get ready for the final ride on Wed. So you won’t be hearing from me tomorrow. Wish me luck and happy trails.

John's Day 7 Journal: Brother Tony Joins the Fun

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-23T12:29:26-05:00

Brother Tony here again. Sam, or "Sammy," as his fellow riders call him, asked me to write today's entry to provide another perspective. Whoa, here goes ...

Sam’s Route: New Hartford, IL, to Findlay, IL
Tony’s Route: Assumption, IL, to Findlay, IL
Total Miles-Sam: 121.5 planned
Miles Sam Road: 104
Miles Tony Road: 16
To-Date Total-Sam: 730
Sum Total-Tony: 16
Weather: Beautiful; perfect, really; overcast; great tailwinds

Highlights
Shift 1 of Team Will rode up to where I had been waiting on the corner of a big farmhouse in Assumption, IL. They stopped to get off their bikes and let Mom and Dad park the van. After giving me a big hug, Sam introduced me to the rest of the team. They took drinks of water, some went to the van to grab quick munchies, and Sam did a quick assessment of my attire and bike to make sure I had everything I would need for our ride. Don, having already gotten his century (100 miles) in for the day, said he’d ride in the van the rest of the way. Before getting back on the bike, Brian said he’d ride in the van, too, because his other knee now giving him real trouble. So for my ride to Findlay, Jonathon, Mark, Ray, and Sam would help me—Poseur Extraordinaire—ride the easy Illinois country road east to Findlay.

Look, I know this is pathetic. To put things in scale for you, joining a team who is riding bicycles across the country for a 16-mile stretch is roughly equivalent to joining someone running a marathon for about eight strides of the race. By the time they reach D.C., most Team Will riders will have been on their bicycles for 1,000 miles. For 80 hours. And here I am, just having two weeks ago excavated the bicycle I bought from my college roommate over 20 years ago from somewhere deep in my garage, thinking it’d be some big deal for me to ride for an hour with them. It is pathetic. But for me it was a big deal if for no other reason than to be able to catch a glimpse of their experience.

When Sam told me he was planning, in his 50th year on the planet, to ride his bicycle across the United States, I knew he’d do it. In the past, he’d planned to run a marathon, planned to ride in a 100-mile bicycle race, planned to get an accounting degree, planned to marry a beautiful woman, planned to ride in a 200-mile bicycle race, planned to have wonderful children, planned to start his own business, etc., and he’d done all those things. No, the surprise would have been if Sam hadn’t ridden his bike across the country in his 50th circle around the sun.

And that’s the thing about Sam. If it were me, I’d be talking about these things with a sort of macho, I’m-cooler-than-you-and-the-rest-of-humanity braggadocio that no one could stop without slapping me in the face, and the slap would only create a pause so I could brag some more. (Case in point: I’m about to brag about my runner’s equivalent of eight-strides-in-a-marathon.) Sam, instead, does these things just because he thinks they’d be cool to do while living this life. Because they’d be fun. Because they’d be a challenge. Because they would be accomplishments. Because he thought that watching the sun rise over a Kansas wheat field would be a genuinely bitchin’ thing to experience. The last time I heard Sam mention that he’d completed the San Francisco Marathon was, oh, about the time Sam completed the San Francisco Marathon. To put things in scale for you, just yesterday I was bragging because we rode Seguays around San Francisco two weeks ago. (Though to be fair, Sam does brag in every holiday letter about being married to that beautiful woman and having those wonderful kids.)

When we set out from Assumption, Mark took the lead, Jonathan was next, poseur boy third, Sam behind me, and Ray pulling the back while the van, with flashing lights, drove behind us. Sam was coaching me—“stay close to Jonathon,” “ride in a straight line”—while we took things slowly at first (slowly, as in 17-18 mph.) “Okay, speed things up,” Sam yelled to the rest of the team when he's confident I’m not going to bring the bike train to a halt with a spectacular crash. The rest of the group gives Sam hell for barking orders. “He’s been this way the whole ride,” Ray jokes. “He’s impossible to ride with.” Mark picks up the pace and pretty soon we’re all hitting 24-25 mph.

The interaction between riders is casual, light, fun. I hear Mark and Jonathon talking ahead of me, apparently continuing a conversation that had probably begun much earlier in the ride, maybe in Nevada. Ray’s jabbering with Sam, Sam’s giving me the occasional correction. The pace is brisk, no doubt, and I’m actually not slowing the group down. Jonathan asks how I’m doing and I tell him that as long as I’m able to answer his questions that I’m okay. “When I stop talking, I’ll be too busy breathing,” I tell him. Jonathon says, “It’s when I’m not breathing that I worry about. Like in the Rockies.”

Mark pulls the team for much of the first part of the ride. With the tailwinds helping us along—“This is the easiest century I’ve ever ridden,” Sam says later, crediting the tailwinds—Mark keeps a good pace without quickly tiring out. As Mark finally falls back and Jonathan moves to draft the group from the lead, I hesitantly (but with all the confidence I can muster) tell Jonathan that I’d be willing to lead when it’s my turn. “Just don’t give me a hill to climb,” I request. I should have known something was up when Jonathan didn’t respond.

Earlier in the day, I drove along this route in my car to try to get a feel for what I was getting myself into. Alone in the car I thought the stretch seemed a long one to ride on a bike, almost intimidatingly so for someone who’s spent all post-college years mastering the art of a non-physical, sedentary lifestyle. This stretch had more hills than I had anticipated by looking at MapQuest. In the car, I’d mark the miles in my head using the Imperial Valley Odometer I developed as a kid—“okay, this is El Centro to Imperial (three miles); the rest of the ride is Imperial to the other side of Brawley (12 miles)”—and I have to admit I was starting to doubt if I could really do the ride with a team of real riders who had ridden 700 miles to get here.

Assumption, IL, to Findlay, IL; A Whole 16 Miles

But here I was. We’re more than halfway between the equivalent of El-Centro-to-Brawley when Jonathan peels off from the lead and gives me drafting duties. “Whoa, here goes,” I think. In front of me, a nice long downhill, some flatland, and a very un-nice long uphill. That's the biggest hill on this stretch, I remember from my earlier scouting. I remind myself that after we get up the hill that we’ll have roughly an El-Centro-to-Imperial distance to Findlay, where we’ll meet up with Shift 2 for the handoff. As we easily descend the downhill, I’m trying to figure out how to peel off the lead before the uphill begins without looking like too much of a whimp. The real riders give me votes of confidence as I draft them through the downhill and flatland at fun speeds, though, so I decide to take a crack at the uphill. When the climb begins, our 24-25 mph pace becomes 19-20 mph, but I’m still doing okay. About halfway up the hill I realize there’s no more answering questions as my breathing is taking priority over talking. Still maintaining about 20 mph, my legs are feeling heavy and wobbly at the same time. Sam says, comfortingly, “Tony, don’t worry … we all struggle through these.” Knowing I can’t keep up the pace and fearing that I’ll slow the team down too much, I decide about three-quarters of the way up the hill to peel off the lead. As I fall back, the real riders give me “attaboy”s and “way-to-go”s as they pass me. These guys are like that.

By the time we’re over the hill Jonathan, Mark, and Ray are about 25 yards ahead with Sam falling back with me. Sam kindly drafts for me at a leisurely 20 mph pace so I can catch my breath before we pick it up again. By the time we hit Findlay and roll in for the handoff, we’re about a 30 seconds behind the other three, which is much less of a drag than the 20-30 minutes Sam had feared my participation would create. So while I wasn’t able to get the team up the entire hill, I didn’t bring the team to a complete halt, either. I have that going for me.

Mark and Tony, After the Day 7 Ride

I made it, a full hour's ride with a team of real riders. To a man, Shift 1 seemed very cool about having me along. Instead of making feel like the amateur rider I am, they welcomed me into their group for the equivalent of eight-marathon-strides and made the experience a good one. Once off our bikes at the middle school parking lot in Findlay, the team put the bikes on the van, enjoyed a beverage, posed for pictures, chatted up Shift 2—who had just arrived from a hospital visit—and handed them the flag. Shift 2 then took off from Findlay to carry the flag to the next destination and to Shift 3, who this morning passed the flag back to our Shift 1 at the Indiana-Ohio border. This pace will continue for two more days.

After our bike ride yesterday, Sam rode with me in the car from Findlay, freeing up a little space in the van for the other riders for a short while. We fueled up in Findlay, went to a bar-b-que thrown by ride organizers in Charlseton, IL, then drove to Indianapolis. Sam and I talked during the ride about his experiences so far—“It’s amazing what your body can do when ask it. I’ve ridden the equivalent of seven centuries in seven days.”—and he downloaded pictures to my computer. Sam explained that after a typical day’s ride he’ll take a quick nap in the van, write his day's journal entry for the blog, and make at least a couple phone calls before rolling into their hotel. At the hotel, assuming the Internet connection is good, he'll send me his journal entry and some pictures for the blog, quickly check his e-mail, and get as much sleep as he can.

After 16 miles on a bike and a slew of miles in the car, I was totally exhausted when I got home near Chicago at 11:00 last night. One day, 16 miles by bike, hundreds of miles by car, and I was wiped. Unlike Shift 1 of Team Will, though, I woke up in my own bed this morning and didn’t get back up on my bike. If yesterday was indeed an easy ride, I wish for nothing but tailwinds for Team Will for the remainder of the ride. All thanks to Shift 1 for letting me get a glimpse into their Herculean experience.

Day 7 Photos

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-23T00:09:16-05:00

My brother Tony joined us for the last hour of Sunday's leg through Illinois and he'll provide a third-party perspective of our efforts in a journal entry Monday morning. For now, here are some photos from Sunday's ride.

Shift 1 Arriving in Assumption, IL

Mark, Jonathan, and Ray Getting Tony Up to Speed

Sam and Tony, Arriving in Findlay, IL

Team Will, Shift 1 Plus 1, Day 7

Day 5 and 6 Photos

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-23T00:02:30-05:00

A couple photos from our ride through Kansas:

Day 5 Sunrise

Day 6 Sunrise

John's Day 6 Journal: Kansas City, Here We Come!

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-21T23:35:38-05:00

Route: Manhatan, KS, to Kansas City, KS
Total Miles: 125
Miles I Road: 101.5
To Date Total: 626
Weather: 60 degrees in the morning 85 degrees at end of ride; the amount of great weather is starting to become the story of the trip with perfect riding conditions every day

Highlights
The ride went quickly today. As usual, we started late. After getting lost we finally got started at just before 5 am. Jonathon, Mark, and I began the ride this morning to give the other riders an extra hour sleep. We did the first hour at over 21 miles an hour and the team didn’t let up all day. We ended the ride 45 minutes early and averaged just under 20 miles an hour for the entire day.

To speed things up, we have made two adjustments to to our riding. First, we now do “rolling stops,” where riders who want to stop just leave the pack and are picked up by the van. They rest, eat, and refill the water bottles while the ride continues. When they want back in the pack, the van shuttles them ahead and they wait for the other riders to arrive. In the past, we would generally make short stops a couple of times during the day.

Second, when we ride, the person in front only leads for two minutes and then moves to the back. Everyone behind the rider is usually drafting. In cycling, drafting is used to keep riders rested as they ride. This keeps the speed going in the front without tiring the lead rider out. During the day we mostly have four to six members of the team riding at a time. The more riders we have, the longer a rider can rest between leads.

The story of the day was the visit to a children’s hospital in Kansas City. It was very uplifting to meet these kids. They are, without a doubt, the heroes in this story. After ten days we will go home, but for many of these kids they will be fighting for their lives for some time. Some will be lucky, others will miss out on the lives we all have gotten to enjoy. I walked away from this visit more determined than ever to finish this ride on behalf of them.

As I write this, we have been traveling for over four hours in the van to get to Hannibal, MO. It is now 9 pm. After getting in, taking a shower, organizing for tomorrow’s ride, and hopefully sending out this journal entry, it will be 11:00 before we sleep. Then we’ll be back to it again at 3 am.

Whoops! Let’s make the estimate to get to bed a little later … the bridge we were going to cross is closed so we have to find another away across the GREAT Mississippi.

“The road goes on forever / But the party never ends.” ~Robert Earl Keen

Note: The Ride To Reach The Day blog has some incredible pictures of our Day 6 ride. Check 'em out here.

John's Day 5 Journal: Kansas, Me and You

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-21T22:46:57-05:00

Route: Eastern Colorado through Western Kansas
Total Miles: 120
Miles I Road: 100.5
To Date Total: 525
Weather: 50 degrees in the morning and 80 degrees at end of ride; the weather continues to be perfect

Highlights
The mornings are the best. You watch the start of the new day awaken before you, each time in a new state, and each state has its own way of waking you up. The cornfields of western Kansas have probably provided the best morning wake-up so far. Fresh from an overnight rain, the sun awoke the vast open space with a translucent orange glow.

We didn’t get to our room until after 10:00 pm the night before. We would have to drive to our flag hand-off some 40 miles away, so that meant another 3 am wake-up call. The one thing I will not miss is the lack of sleep.

The ride itself was open and fast and, after the day in the Rockies, was welcomed. My body is holding though I have a real pain in my ass, the legs scream every time I start moving again, and my feet are continue to burn after about 70 miles of riding each day.

We had a major curve ball thrown at us at dinner tonight. The ride organizers have asked us to split our team of six to four and two, with two going to Washington D.C. a day early for a major CureSearch event. The remaining four members will stay behind with two members of other teams joining our ride. The new team would continue to ride not only our 120 miles but also start riding the remaining 240 miles. At some point, members from the other teams would be shuttled back to meet and complete the ride. In reality, we would likely be looking at riding an additional 100 miles on our ninth day. This now puts a different light on the remaining portion of the ride. It has been incredibly hard to sustain the number of daily miles. To date, I have ridden over five centuries in five days. This means, if I am one of the four members to remain with Team 1, that I will need to scale back my miles over the next few days.

We rode our bikes off the freeways most of the day. Riding through the cornfields gives one a lot of free time to think. What kept coming up in my mind is how fortunate I am. I began to think about the many people who have given me support to be able to be part of this ride and started to think of each story behind them and then how damn lucky my life has been to have each cross my path.

Thanks everyone! You are part of this ride too!

John's Day 4 Journal: Our Day In the Rockies* (With An Asterisk)

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-20T21:20:19-05:00

Total Miles: 122.7 planned; 115 actual
Miles I Road: 94
To Date Total: 424
Weather: 60 degrees in the morning 80 degrees at end of ride; light cross wind; GREAT riding weather

Highlights
Well, all good things must come to an end. They say that when you do an endurance event such as this, the fourth and fifth days are the true test. My friend Clay had told me that you are pumped up on adrenaline the first three days but by day four the physical toll will come to bare. Boy, was he right. Our team fought the demons and about every other obstacle we could come across, but in the end we all climbed the last 2,000 feet of the Continental Divide—only the highest peak you can ride in America—and the world became grand once again.

The morning started typical enough with a 2:45 wake-up call and then a drive to a transfer point for shifts. This cost us time and calls between teams to meet up. Once on the road we immediately made a wrong turn in the dark that cost us an additional eight miles. Various other obstacles—including wrong turns and washed-out bike paths—ended up costing us almost three hours in delays and with the desire to climb at least a portion of the Continental Divide; we ended up cutting short a portion of the ride toward the end to ferry forward to the Divide.

But that was only a portion of what I dealt with today. The real problems occurred within me. The toll of 3-to-4-1/2 hours of sleep over the course of the last four nights, 330 miles of bike riding the prior three days, along with the additional travel finally hit me like a 2x4 across the head. I had several “come to Jesus” conversations with myself and the mental fatigue would rush through me so hard I thought I would fall off the bike and pass out. Then, during one of those conversations with myself, I remembered that this is all part of the process. The challenge is partly physical, to be sure, but the real challenge lives within yourself. With that, things changed for me. It was still painful but much more exciting and in the end the prize was standing at the top of a mountain knowing I could overcome anything.

I haven’t yet introduced the rest of my team but now is a good time. There are six of us. In all, we have been around this earth for a combined 288 years. Everything starts with Jonathon, for he is the common tie that got all of us together. He comes from biking pedigree, with both parents hard core riders even in their 70’s. He just rides and when you ask him how he is doing, it is always “okay”. For him, this is only another mark on his riding achievements, without him we all would be lost.

Mark is another riding machine, is of good temperament, and puts up with me the most as we are van riding partners on this trip.

Brain, at 38, is the kid. He’s quiet and a solid rider but has been dealing with a knee problem that swells like an apple after he rides. But when you ask about the knee, he only says it getting better.

Ray is the oldest at 55 years of age, has been riding for three years but is strong. He has a great sense if humor and provides a good balance between us all.

Don is 46. He’s also been riding for just a few years. He keeps things light and still is learning the ropes but his tenancy is unequal.

Along with Mom & Dad, who I mentioned before, this is the crew I now live with day and night. We eat, sleep, and ride together day and night. We are all in this together. By this time we could be at others throats but instead we have only grown closer. We all are determined but joke openly with each other. In all, a great bunch of guys.

Jonathon and Mark

Don Climbing the Divide

Glenwood Bike Trail, the Rockies

Team 1 at the Top

Me. I Feel Great!

Day 4 Coverage

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-20T09:23:27-05:00

Tony here...

While John/Sam wasn't able to send us his journal entry for Day 4, the "Ride To Reach the Day - 2008" blog is worth visiting as it gives some coverage, with great photos, of yesterday's ride. Check it out.

John's Day 3 Journal: Salt Flats to Salt Lake City, And Beyond!

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-18T22:52:13-05:00

Route: Bonneville Flats, UT, to Provo, UT
Total Miles: 125 planned; 145 actual
Miles I Road: 107
To Date Total: 330
Weather: 60 degrees in the morning; 85 degrees at end of ride

Highlights
Three days from San Francisco to Salt Lake City. The day started around 2:30 am so we could drive to the 31-mile marker laid out alongside Highway 80 in the middle of Bonneville Flats. With a full moon as a guide, we headed out on our third day of riding. What a great day of riding. Personally, I’m feeling stronger each day. This is surprising to me and I expect to hit the wall anytime. In the meantime, the extra energy came in handy since the organizers under-calculated our distance by ten miles and then got a call asking our group to take on an additional ten miles at the end of our ride.

So far, there have been no issues within the group and the bonding has been great. Fran and Mike (Mom and Dad) take care of our every need. Rooms, food, and every other request the group might have is taken care. Mike is making sure I have a cold beer waiting for me at the end of the ride.

We traveled to Grand Junction, CO, by van tonight and will have 120 miles of gradual climb as our group takes on the first section of the Rocky Mountains.

There are seven days remaining on the ride but right now—even with the lack of sleep and a pair of shoes that send flames throughout my feet after about 70 miles— the trip has been better than I could have ever dreamed.

Enough for today… I need some sleep!

More Day 1 & 2 Photos

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-18T22:51:18-05:00

Here are some additional photos from our trek:

Day 2 - Don

Day 2 - The Shift 1 Riders

Day 1 - Typical Riding

Ride to Reach the Day Blog

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-18T19:05:15-05:00

Tony again...

I just found a link to Team Will's official "Ride To Reach the Day - 2008" blog, which I thought you would find interesting. You can access it by clicking that link or by clicking the "Reach the Day" link in the menu above. Sam will continue to post his thoughts here in between his rides as he's able to find an Internet connection.

John's Day 2 Journal: All the Way on 80

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-17T22:44:46-05:00

Route: Lovelock, NV, to Valmy, NV
Total Day's Miles: 116.60
Mile I Rode: 100.40
Total Miles To Date: 223.41
Weather: 50 degrees in the morning 85 degrees at end of ride

Highlights
The entire trip was completed on Highway 80 riding on the shoulder. Great ride, no problems. At one point, as the sun was cresting over a distance mountain and wth the vast openness in front of me, I was overwhelmed by the fact I was living out a long-time dream.

Today is the day I first understood the full force of what we had embarked upon. Physically exhausted from the night before and working on less than five hours sleep, we left an hour before dawn. The wide expansion of Nevada awakening before us, we worked together to push and pull each other as we tried to maintain a rhythm. By 8:00 am we had covered over 60 miles. As the sun begins to be felt, our bodies began to feel the wear of the day; the need for nourishment ran deep. By 11:00, with time and miles adding up and the end in site, our team of riders is lending support to each other because every mile feels like five. Finally, when you are done, an incredible sense of satisfaction runs through your body as you provide a cheer of support to the next group of riders about to complete the next 120 mile leg. Then you realize you have eight days to go and wonder how on God’s earth you will be able to sustain the effort. It’s the greatest feeling I have ever felt, knowing I will be challenging my entire mind, body, and soul to complete my dream.

John's Day 1 Journal: One In the Books

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-17T22:24:52-05:00

Route: San Francisco, CA, to Sacramento, CA
Total Day's Miles: 123.01
Miles I Rode: 123.01
Weather: Overcast in the Bay Area 52-60 degrees; around 85 degrees at end of ride.

Shift 1 Riders

Highlights
Up at 3:00 after a restless night’s sleep in anticipation of what about to come. Dipped our tires in the Pacific Ocean with the Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop. We were all excited about getting things started. Riding over the Golden Gate Bridge is pretty dramatic way to start a trip such as this. Do you know they lock the gates on the Golden Gate every night ‘til 5:00 in the morning? We know now!! As we stared hopelessly across the bridge, now trying to plan how we would make up our lost time, a bike rider appeared out of the fog from the other side, stopped, and pushed a big red button that said “TO OPEN GATE PUSH RED BUTTON.” So went the first hour in the dark as we navigated the many turns on the route. When the road opened up it was all fun as tailwinds provided us the needed push to get to Sacramento on time for a “Kick-Off” rally event at the state capital. We had a police escort—cool stuff. The rally was a powerful way to realize the importance of our trip. It’s about recognizing and bringing awareness to childhood cancer, the number one killer of children from disease in America.

There are 14 riders working three shifts. There is also a support crew of about ten who drive the sag wagons (vans) and set-up events we will be attending. There is also a film and photo crew.

Because of the event at the capital, we didn’t leave until after 4:00 pm, finally ate, and traveled our way to our next stage in Lovelock, NV, 240 miles away.

I’m feeling surprising well but the test begins tomorrow as our bodies attempt to adjust to the multiple long days.

CureSearch NCCF Blog Entry

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-17T21:06:14-05:00

Tony again...

Here's a nice blog entry about yesterday's events from CureSearch.

Team Will Videos

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-17T20:05:47-05:00

Tony again...

I haven't heard from Sam yet, so I thought I'd give those who are checking in on his progress a little background about Team Will. Here are two YouTube videos from the inaugural 2006 ride and a promo video for this year's ride.

2006 TV Interview

2006 TV Segment on Team Will Kick-Off Rally

2008 Promotional Video

Sacramento Rally Photos

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-17T10:58:56-05:00

Brother Tony yet again...

Piper has shared photos from yesterday's rally in Sacramento. Click here to view a quick slideshow of yesterday's event.

Sam Arriving at Team Will's Sacramento Rally

Team Will's Website

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-17T10:34:45-05:00

Brother Tony here again...

We've located a more up-to-date website of the Team Will website. You can check it out here or by clicking on the Team Will link above.

Third-Hand Report: Dippin' and Sippin'

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-17T09:24:36-05:00

Brother Tony here, reporting third-hand ...

John/Sam's wife Piper called last night to report that Team Will set off from San Francisco successfully Monday morning. After dippin' (in the Pacific) and sippin' (champagne), the Shift 1 Riders took off over the Golden Gate Bridge and rode all the way to Sacramento. There, at the state capital, the Shift 1 riders met-up with Team Will's Shifts 2 and 3 riders for a send-off rally. With a police escort, all three shifts rode from the capital to officially embark on the 2008 ride.

John/Sam told Piper he never had a stronger ride than his ride from SF to Sacto and that he's feeling great. For her part, Piper, along with daughter Erin and son Brandt, were thrilled to be involved in Monday's festivities as they met up with Sam and Team Will in Sacramento.

Piper reports that John/Sam has pictures of his ride over the Golden Gate. We'll post them here as soon as he's able to find an Internet connection to send them to us.

REQUEST: If anyone comes across any news coverage of yesterday's event in Sacramento, please e-mail it to me at tony@nivernais.com so I can post it for everyone following Sam's progress. Thanks!

The First Shift Riders

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-15T12:27:54-05:00

Here are the Shift 1 riders:

Left to right: Brian, Ray, Jonathon, Mark, me, Don

The Route

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-15T12:21:23-05:00

Here's a picture of the map of our route. (Click on the map to see a full-sized version. 6.1 MB.)

The Schedule

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-15T11:58:14-05:00

Click the picture below to see a summary of each shift's schedule over the next ten days.

Click here to download a detailed Excel spreadsheet of our schedule.

The Preparation

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-15T11:19:24-05:00

Preparing for this ride was a two-pronged effort. The first prong involved putting some miles on our wheels to get in shape and prepare to ride such long distances daily. Here's a picture of three of us after we he completed the Davis Double, a 200-mile ride in Davis, CA:

The second prong of preparation had to do with fundraising. Here, Don offers up his body in a "40-Year-Old-Virgin"-type fundraiser where contributors could buy a wax strip to remove his body hair.

CORRECTION: Don wasn't waxed in this photo. Instead, someone donated money to create a razor strip down his chest and belly.

I'm Off To See America--The Hard Way

jlivernois_padgett@yahoo.com — 2008-06-15T10:10:21-05:00

Hello Everyone,

In just a few hours I will be off to begin my journey across America. I will be leaving Chico Sunday morning to meet the rest of the team in Sacramento. There we will pack up and be on our way to San Francisco where we will be spending the night. At 3:30 am on Monday, after dipping our tires into the Pacific Ocean and having a glass of champagne, we set off over the Golden Gate Bridge and onward to over 3,000 miles across America in ten days.

I'm packed and hopefully both mentally and physically ready for the ride of a life-time. I get really excited about what's ahead but I seriously question my sanity.

A quick run down of how this ride works: This is a relay with 3 teams of riders. Each SHIFT is responsible for traveling 120 miles on a bike in an 8 hour period. This works out to an average speed of 15 miles an hour. I am part of shift one. We will start each day at 4:00 am and will ride until 12:00 pm. Once completing the ride we will then pick-up lunch and drive ahead around 240 miles to our next starting point. We will be moving the entire time.

Because the purpose of trip is to raise awareness for childhood cancer we will also be stopping at hospitals to visit cancer patients and staging public events like the one we will have at the California State Capital in Sacramento on Monday.

In all I expect it to be a wonderfully challenging experience and I am incredibly grateful to all of you for your support in helping me get to this point and you will be my greatest motivation to complete ride.

Over the course of the next ten days I hope to send e-mail updates of how the trip plays itself out. Here's our schedule along with an Excel spreadsheet of our route. For fun visit the website: www.mapmyride.com so you can plot the journey. The Midwest right now looks very interesting.

Thank you all once again for your incredible support. I was able raise around $6,000 for this trip and I am forever indebted to all of you for your generosity and friendship.

For now I bid you farewell. Happy trails my friends!!!!!!

Best Wishes,
John (Sam) Livernois