Monday, July 9, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
How to master the casual fall...
The team and I have really bonded. Everyone is amazing and they all work really
hard. There are only a few times when we take awhile to pack up our bikes with
the food, mainly because it really does weigh your bike down so no one wants to
carry it. But now that we have a great routine working we are having a blast.
We have a few inside jokes. The one about me is that I fall every day off my
bike. Since day one ( we are on day 13) I have fallen.
Descriptions of falls and recoveries:
Day 1: I was biking through Astoria, Oregon and there is this giant bridge
connecting Oregon and Washington. I was observing the bridge and trying to
figure out how cars got onto the bridge. I turned my head back a little and
found the ramp, but at the same time I hit a wood post in the middle of the
path. I flipped over my handle bars and skidded along the side walk. My bike was
stuck on the wooden post and the front tire was spinning. I just sat there for a
second then burst into laughter. It was like a scene straight out of a movie. I
picked up my bike, straightened the handled bars, and proceeded on. My bruises
have just now begun to fade. It was by far my best fall.
Day 10: I rear ended a kid in front of me because I was drafting a little too
close. I ended up falling into a little ditch but hopped back on because I was
worried someone might see.
This morning: I was a little tired and kind of cranky so I flung myself into the
parking lot a little too aggressively. Out of karma, I'm sure, I went to take my
feet out of the clips and got stuck and fell over. I was still cranky so I just
let my bike lay there and went inside to grab my coffee.
What I call the "savior" fall:
We just named it today, but I have done it at least 4 times. When the group is
tired and trying to convince our leaders to take a break I do the "savior." what
happens is someone asks to stop, then when the leader says no I gently lean to
the right and fall over. Then the leaders know that we are really tired so we
stop.
My advice to everyone is not to fall, but if you are going to just let it
happen. Keep your hands on the handle bars to avoid broken arms. Unclip your top
foot and if you have time the bottom foot. Also remember to always wear a
helmet. Then just let it happen and bounce back up with a smile :)
Goodnight everyone! Hopefully tomorrow I have a day without falling.
P.S. one day I fell into a handicap sign at the Walmart- some people told me it
was a sign??
PICTURES!!!
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9wkbyq1n5pjc3tl/jKmhCyXkhJ
Click to donate!
http://pedalingforpencils.stayclassy.org/fundraise/pop?fcid=146315
hard. There are only a few times when we take awhile to pack up our bikes with
the food, mainly because it really does weigh your bike down so no one wants to
carry it. But now that we have a great routine working we are having a blast.
We have a few inside jokes. The one about me is that I fall every day off my
bike. Since day one ( we are on day 13) I have fallen.
Descriptions of falls and recoveries:
Day 1: I was biking through Astoria, Oregon and there is this giant bridge
connecting Oregon and Washington. I was observing the bridge and trying to
figure out how cars got onto the bridge. I turned my head back a little and
found the ramp, but at the same time I hit a wood post in the middle of the
path. I flipped over my handle bars and skidded along the side walk. My bike was
stuck on the wooden post and the front tire was spinning. I just sat there for a
second then burst into laughter. It was like a scene straight out of a movie. I
picked up my bike, straightened the handled bars, and proceeded on. My bruises
have just now begun to fade. It was by far my best fall.
Day 10: I rear ended a kid in front of me because I was drafting a little too
close. I ended up falling into a little ditch but hopped back on because I was
worried someone might see.
This morning: I was a little tired and kind of cranky so I flung myself into the
parking lot a little too aggressively. Out of karma, I'm sure, I went to take my
feet out of the clips and got stuck and fell over. I was still cranky so I just
let my bike lay there and went inside to grab my coffee.
What I call the "savior" fall:
We just named it today, but I have done it at least 4 times. When the group is
tired and trying to convince our leaders to take a break I do the "savior." what
happens is someone asks to stop, then when the leader says no I gently lean to
the right and fall over. Then the leaders know that we are really tired so we
stop.
My advice to everyone is not to fall, but if you are going to just let it
happen. Keep your hands on the handle bars to avoid broken arms. Unclip your top
foot and if you have time the bottom foot. Also remember to always wear a
helmet. Then just let it happen and bounce back up with a smile :)
Goodnight everyone! Hopefully tomorrow I have a day without falling.
P.S. one day I fell into a handicap sign at the Walmart- some people told me it
was a sign??
PICTURES!!!
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9wkbyq1n5pjc3tl/jKmhCyXkhJ
Click to donate!
http://pedalingforpencils.stayclassy.org/fundraise/pop?fcid=146315
Monday, July 2, 2012
Hello everyone!
Blog update sent from Kennedy on Saturday night. They are currently riding through the rockies and are planning to arrive in Missoula, MT sometime Tuesday!
This is the first night I have actually had the energy to write a blog. Let me
give you a quick run down of the past week. First two days we moved slower than
turtles. We were sore, a little out of shape, and still adjusting to getting up
early and going to bed late. However we are finally on a schedule that works.
Yesterday we were able to wake up at 5:30 am after sleeping in the backyard of
the Walla Walla Fire Department. We had a nice bowl of oatmeal (which we eat
every morning) then hit the road. Our goal was to ride 40 miles before lunch,
which we accomplished! We had a quick lunch on the road (our delicious peanut
butter and jellies) then continued biking. We had to climb a mountain and
getting to the top of the summit was probably the best feeling ever. We had a 5
mile descent that was a blast then road another 20 miles downhill. We made it to
Lewiston, Idaho with a total of 106 miles!! Needless to say we all hopped in the
shower (something we rarely do) then went straight to bed. It was the best
nights sleep I have ever had. The next morning we road 60 miles to give
ourselves a little break. Tomorrow we are getting ready to start our ride up the
Rockies. It will be extremely challenging but the team dynamic we have developed
has really helped us all get past our tough days. I am a little sore but
enjoying every minute crossing America. Please continue to donate. I love to see
all the support while I am riding, it gives me an extra boost, which I will need
for when we climb the Rockies.
You can donate at pedalingforpencils.stayclassy.org
So far my journey has been amazing. Every day one of my fellow riders surprises
me with what they are capable of doing and I even surprise myself. I can't wait
to make it past the Rockies!!
Talk to you all soon :)
This is the first night I have actually had the energy to write a blog. Let me
give you a quick run down of the past week. First two days we moved slower than
turtles. We were sore, a little out of shape, and still adjusting to getting up
early and going to bed late. However we are finally on a schedule that works.
Yesterday we were able to wake up at 5:30 am after sleeping in the backyard of
the Walla Walla Fire Department. We had a nice bowl of oatmeal (which we eat
every morning) then hit the road. Our goal was to ride 40 miles before lunch,
which we accomplished! We had a quick lunch on the road (our delicious peanut
butter and jellies) then continued biking. We had to climb a mountain and
getting to the top of the summit was probably the best feeling ever. We had a 5
mile descent that was a blast then road another 20 miles downhill. We made it to
Lewiston, Idaho with a total of 106 miles!! Needless to say we all hopped in the
shower (something we rarely do) then went straight to bed. It was the best
nights sleep I have ever had. The next morning we road 60 miles to give
ourselves a little break. Tomorrow we are getting ready to start our ride up the
Rockies. It will be extremely challenging but the team dynamic we have developed
has really helped us all get past our tough days. I am a little sore but
enjoying every minute crossing America. Please continue to donate. I love to see
all the support while I am riding, it gives me an extra boost, which I will need
for when we climb the Rockies.
You can donate at pedalingforpencils.stayclassy.org
So far my journey has been amazing. Every day one of my fellow riders surprises
me with what they are capable of doing and I even surprise myself. I can't wait
to make it past the Rockies!!
Talk to you all soon :)
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Across America Rides With the Wind!
"For the last two days we have been riding through the Columbia River George. We have been hopping between the Oregon and Washington sides whenever we hear of a nice back road or town. This morning we cycled through the historic Columbia River highway. Most people don't use it anymore since the faster highway 84 was build. It makes a wonderful cycling route. There are great views of the gorge and lookout points with historic information signs all along it. We enjoyed cycling down the loops of the old highway after a long climb. As we went further east we ran in the vast wind farming operation. There are thousands and thousands of them. The gorge is windy and thankfully it blows west to east. It's eerily silent as we cycle full speed because we ride with the wind. Yesterday we ran into Multnomah waterfall almost by accident. The falls are high and graceful. The water is mostly mist by the time it gets to the ground. We are in Rufus, OR now. Tomorrow we have a long stretch to Hermiston, OR. Everything seems to work more smoothly the more time goes on. We go more miles. The highpoint today I believe was the ice cream. We found a truck stop with more flavors than I have ever seen." -- Jabcob, Trip LeaderMonday, June 25, 2012
Good bye to the Pacific
Blogging is new to me but I am giving it my best shot to keep you updated on Kennedy's progress across America. We received a txt from her late Saturday night saying she was "alive and she loved us". Wasn't a lot of information but sure was relief to just hear something from her. The Teen Trek leader blogs every couple of days which gives us a little more information as to where the group is and where they are heading. She did use her debit card sometime yesterday in Kelso, WA. Kennedy is on her 3rd full day of riding and has almost raised $3,000 so far. Please help her to reach her goal of $10,000 by the end of her 55 day journey.To donate click here Pedaling for Pencils
FOLLOW THE TRIP
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Today we put our bicycles together and practiced riding. Everyone has really
nice bicycles and gear. I can tell they are taking this Trek seriously. In the
morning we cycled around Seaside, OR and talked about bike safety. Around 4pm
we decided to go on our first real ride. Another town called Cannon Beach was
10 miles south. That town was our goal. Even though it was a short ride it
was a good test of
our mettle because of the
hills. Once in Cannon Beach we explored the town, got some fudge, and saw
Haystack Mountain. (It's a big boulder in the water) Then it started to rain
so we headed back. We are looking forward to dinner; chicken strips, salad, and
spaghetti. Also tonight our group will be complete
when David and Julia join us at 8 pm. Tomorrow we start for real. We will dip
our bikes into the Pacific Ocean and head east through the Columbia River Gorge.
Only some 3,500 miles to go. Everyone is in high spirits. -- submitted
by Jacob Brown - Trip Leader
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Welcome to Seaside
While my nose was buried in a book the man next to me said, "Welcome to Portland!" I was shocked to see that outside of the airplane window were these BIG mountains, that still had snow on them. The man wished me luck on my adventure and off we went. While at breakfast my parents and I were talking about my route. The man next to us joined in the conversation curious to know more. It was incredible how many people wanted to know about my journey and how quickly my adventure was spreading to the public. Pencils of Promise blew up Facebook and Twitter with encouraging posts. My friends and family continued to wish me luck.
I assembled my bike and re-packed my panniers to make sure I had everything. My parents and I explored Seaside and Astoria for a bit. Then I had two great conversations. The first was an interview with Kaelyn from 303magazine.com. We had a nice chat about my trip and she is excited to write an article about it. Then I talked to Gene Gurkoff, the founder of Charity Miles. We talked about my trip and Charity Miles is going to sponsor 10 cents per every mile that I ride. (I encourage everyone to download Charity Miles, and work out for Pencils of Promise. They will sponsor 25 cents per mile if you are running or walking as well as 10 cents per mile that you bike. It is simple and it is for a great cause!)
Now I am waiting for the rest of the Trekkers to join me in Seaside. From there we will go to Seaside International Hostel and then grab some dinner. We will assemble our bikes in the morning and go for a 30 mile practice ride.
Saturday morning we will dip our tires in the Pacific and begin our trek to the east. This entire ride will be a mental struggle as we face different terrains, but luckily every time I feel like giving up I will have an image of a big smile. That smile will belong to a child somewhere who is seeing their classroom for the first time. That smile and my goal of building a classroom will be my motivation to get through the tough days.
Please continue to donate at www.pedalingforpencils.stayclassy.org and continue to follow my blog which will be updated regularly by my wonderful mother and the letters I write to her detailing my experience.
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