They did it!

Mom and Joanna at Revere Beach, Boston!

I Did It!!!

Today we rode the last 18 miles to the beach. It was a sight to see! The last 4 miles we rode 2 by 2 behind the van. Our last ride together as a group! It was fun but sad. We went down to the beach and dipped our wheels in the Atlantic Ocean. I have a lot of pictures to share with you. It was an emotional experience. Today has been busy packing and taking the bikes apart to pack. Tonight we will have our banquet and say our goodbyes. It is hard to even type this without tears running down my face. I just can't say goodbye to my new family. I can only say I will see you again. I know that some of my friends read my blog daily. To any of them reading this now- I had the time of my life with all of you. We bonded together as a family and I will never forget that. Thanks for all the support along the way.

To my family and friends at home- I will see you all soon. Thanks to all of Team Lisa for all the help and support. I couldn't have done this without the backup. I never worried about any of my responsibilities while I was on the road. See you all soon.

Oh my gosh! One more day!

Today was our last big day of riding. That is hard to believe. This has felt like my new job for several weeks. We get up, get dressed to ride, eat, load the luggage and go out and ride for hours. When we get in we clean up, do laundry, eat, sleep and hang out together. I will not know how to act in the "real world" for a while. Sure hope everyone will be patient with me while I get used to being home.

Today we had the threat of rain but it never came. Many of you know I don't like thunderstorms so I was on a mission to get in before it came. I rode as efficient, safe and quick as I could. We had climbs early in the ride. One was a real tough, long, and steep hill. I had to use everything I had to get up that one. I used all the gears, went zig zag and then had to stand for quite a while. Tom said it registered 14% and it was LONG! Then the roads flatten out some as the ride progressed. We crossed into New Hampshire and then into Massachusetts all in the same ride! I remembered to sprinkle my sand each time. Tommorrow we will mix our Pacific sand with some Atlantic sand. How neat is that!?

Tommorrow's ride is only 18 miles. We will wear our team jerseys and ride 2 by 2 between the Crossroads vans. What a sight that will be. I know I will be crying when I say goodbye to my new family. At dinner tonight everyone had the opportunity to stand up and say a few words. It was so nice to hear that we all are feeling the same way.

So tommorrow is it- I dip my wheel in the Atlantic! WOW!
Stats for today:
88.3 miles
5:36 time
34.9 max
15.7 average
3415.4 miles to date

Greetings from the Green Mountains of Vermont

Today was supposed to be a tough day of climbing with over 5000 feet of elevation gain. I don't want to sound like I am bragging but my legs are so strong now that I had absolutely no problems today. The 7 mile climb and the steeper 2.5 mile climb were not bad at all. Being lighter than some of the others is to my advantage going up but not on the descents. We had some terrific descents today that made me grin from ear to ear. They were the kind that I could see where we were going. Not the switchback kinds like out west. I held off the brakes on most of the descents but wanted to be careful not to wreck this close to the end of the tour. It was a fun, fun ride. I really enjoyed it. Part of the route was through wooded areas with a small river flowing over large stones. It was so peaceful and cool through there. A large deer came out of the woods, looked at me and then ran across the road right in front of me. I could only say "WOW."

We crossed into Vermont today and I sprinkled my sand!

Once again, thank you to everyone for all their support and good wishes. I felt them the whole way!
Stats:
82 miles
5:43 time
34.8 max
14.3 average

We are almost there!!

I used today as a "recovery" day in preparation for our big climbing day on Wednesday. I did not want to go out hard, chase anyone down or go too hard on the inclines. Today was just an easy day to enjoy being outside. There was nothing exciting to see today except the rolling hills of green and the river. I rode with Rick ( our mechanic ) again. He is so nice to ride with and just a super person all around. While we were on the road today he very kindly did 2 mechanical repairs for 2 of our riders. He carries a large bag on his bike with all kinds of tools and parts. How nice is that!

I am looking at Wednesday's ride as our "final test." It sounds very challenging. At one point it says we have a 7 mile climb and then a 2.4 mile STEEP climb. After crossing into Vermont it says we should use caution on the descent because of tight curves. We had days like this out west so I know I can do it. I will let you know how it goes!
Stats for today:
69.4 miles
4:16 time
33.3 max
16.2 average

Today's ride to Little Falls, NY was a nice, easy one - the easiest in several days, actually. The scenery was still much the same with rolling hills, green fields and quaint little towns. Lots of strawberry patches and fragrant honeysuckle lined the way too. Unfortunately there was NO bakery to be found, though! Mom did happen upon a gift shop (!) selling locally made jewelry, where she bought a bracelet. She later bought a cake plate at an antiques store. Her stats for the day: 78 miles, 4 hrs 40 min, 30.8 max, 16.7 avg.