We climbed those mountains, yes we did.

Hello from Palermo, NY!

I've just arrived to the Palermo United Methodist Church after a 67 mile ride from Boonville, NY. We've been doing a ton of mileage over the last five days, with one long day of 87 miles to go before we have another Build Day in Rochester. Unfortunately, I've got the group illness, and have feeling pretty lousy as of late. I am super congested and pretty tired, and that makes the rides seem a lot longer.

On the bright side, we have finally made it through the Adirondacks! Boy, were those a tough obstacle, but I am so proud of all of us for making it. I've mentally come to terms with hills, right as I am exiting them, and am now dealing with our next obstacle: wind!

Two days ago was probably one of our most difficult days. It was a 57 mile day and we were facing headwinds for most of it. At around mile 47, one of the leaders and some other girls started an impromptu Bike & Build Dance Party on the side of the road. The Northern group is known for this and I love it! Given that we were "so close" to our destination, we gave that dance party our all. I still don't regret it, but the mileage to come after that dance party was intense. The hills never ended and the wind just kept on blowing. However, what I've learned thus far is that it's amazing what the body can endure; it's the mental aspect that can be the most challenging. As soon as I thought I had reached the top of a hill, I'd only discover another one just as I crested. This seemed to happen over and over again! What's worse, is when you add wind to this equation, even the descents require pedaling.

Literally within two minutes of arriving at the Indian Lake church we were staying at, I fell asleep.I managed to wake up for a meal, but I was pretty much out of commission. I couldn't even picture what it's be like to be getting on a bike the next morning. That's kind of the routine of this trip. We get up early, we pedal our hearts out, have a great time, arrive, shower, nap, eat, sleep. All in all, we've covered 440 miles over the last six days. Yep, you read that right. I had six months to get in 500 training miles (and I thought that was a challenge) and now I've done nearly that mileage in six days.

This accomplishment has been achieved with much ease because everyone on the trip is amazing and so unique! I couldn't have possibly anticipated this trip being so fun. I kind of thought this would be an experience where I'd look back and say, "wow, what an accomplishment." However, even in this moment, I realize this is the experience of a lifetime. Not one day goes by where I am not surprised by something wonderful. For example, we have been written about in three different newspapers in the last two days! We've had random dance parties on the side of the road where we sing and dance and laugh. We've experienced the power of generosity and community provided by the churches and other places that have housed us each night. And! We are such a compatible group - everyone gets along and we're all learning so much about each other. Every morning, our beloved teammate Jamey puts on his iPod and we start the morning off with a great tune and some dancing. The conversations during our rides are mind-opening and cross every topic imaginable. I've said it before, and I'll say it a million times more: I am so blessed to have this opportunity and it's only possible because of all the generosity of those who have donated to affordable housing in my name. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

On a completely different subject, we all measured the circumference of our thighs so that we can watch them grow into energy legs by the end of the trip. My chicken legs measured in at a mere 19 inches around. I'll update that circumference in the somewhat near future. Goal: 21 inches. As for the rest of my body, no observable changes. However, my arms and their lack of musculature have prevented me from successfully keeping my arm warmers up, which has been a real pain. The temperatures here over the last two days have only been in the 50s.

Okay, time to let someone else use the computer. I promise a picture blog will soon arrive. Soon.