Well, the past few days have given us quite a few more challenges than expected but so far nothing has stopped us from moving forward.
Day 3 consisted of 150+ miles into a 20 mph headwind. While the route looked nice and flat on the map, I would have rather been climbing than cycling into the wind the whole way. About 70 miles into the ride we rode through a storm for about an hour. We got wet and dirty and when things looked most miserable, I got a flat tire. "At least it wasn't the back tire" Brian said. Little did he know that both of my tires were flat. We continued after changing both tires and finally made it into the city, satisfied beyond measure.
Day 4: Today we left the house around nine for the falls. Along the way we stopped at a bike shop because we needed new tubes and some air. The bike shop did not let us use a pump because "there's no bike service on wednesdays". A little frustrated we continued to the falls. They were incredible. After seeing the falls we started our journey back. Unfortunatly we had a slight accident that involved Brian on the ground and me running him over. Both pf us bleeding, people rushed out of their cars to help, but none had first aid kits or water. We only had sports drinks and we did not want to wash off our cuts with gatoraide. They offered to take us to the ER, but we knew that the ER was behind us and that it would only make our journey longer. So we used electrical tape and napkins to cover our wounds and continued. We tried to stop at another bike shop about 5 miles out of the way because my bike was badly damaged in the wreck, BUT there was no bike shop there any longer. We decided that our best shot was a 70 mile effort to the house we were staying at. We averaged over 20mph on the way back which is a nice pace for 70 miles. Upon arrival we immediatly took our bikes to a REAL bike shop for some quality work. We are safe and content and ready for another exciting day tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Day 2
Today Brian and I rode 110 miles from the Muller's lake house to Syracuse. The course was a lot hillier than expected. We alternated 3-5 mile pulls and moved pretty quickly. The majority of our trip was through farmland with a few scattered small towns. The end of the ride had a surprise hill for us and as we reached the top, completely spent, Logan our host past us in a car and told us that a car was a much more efficient way of travel. As we got off the bike we did a quick two mile cool down jog followed by a hop in the pool(even if it wasn't open quite yet). We're feeling great and ready to conquer our hardest day tomorrow.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
The Spiritual Experience
Day four of our epic journey will lead us to Palmyra, NY. Palmyra was the city where Joseph Smith (founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) was raised. Brian and I will be visiting three key spots while there.
1) The Joseph Smith House: The first place we will stop was the home Joseph grew up in. The surrounding land, known as the sacred grove, was where Joseph recieved the "first vision" in 1820. Joseph Smith saw God the father, and Jesus Christ and was told here that he would restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the latter-days.
2) The Hill Cumorah: The Hill Cumorah, located a few miles from the Joseph Smith house,was where Joseph Smith,through inspiration, found the ancient plates that he would translate into the Book of Mormon.
3) The Book of Mormon Printing Site: In 1830 the first publication of the Book of Mormon was made. The site was restored in 1998.
In my experiences, I find that I grow spiritually under trying circumstances. Day four will be where our bodies are just starting to realize just what we got ourselves into. This will be an oppurtune time to recover physically and mentally. We will be able to contemplate what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what we have learned about both the limits of our body and mind.
1) The Joseph Smith House: The first place we will stop was the home Joseph grew up in. The surrounding land, known as the sacred grove, was where Joseph recieved the "first vision" in 1820. Joseph Smith saw God the father, and Jesus Christ and was told here that he would restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the latter-days.
2) The Hill Cumorah: The Hill Cumorah, located a few miles from the Joseph Smith house,was where Joseph Smith,through inspiration, found the ancient plates that he would translate into the Book of Mormon.
3) The Book of Mormon Printing Site: In 1830 the first publication of the Book of Mormon was made. The site was restored in 1998.
In my experiences, I find that I grow spiritually under trying circumstances. Day four will be where our bodies are just starting to realize just what we got ourselves into. This will be an oppurtune time to recover physically and mentally. We will be able to contemplate what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what we have learned about both the limits of our body and mind.
Friday, May 25, 2012
For those who like Google Maps..
https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Clifton+Park,+NY&daddr=Canada+Lake+Store,+Old+State+Road,+Caroga+Lake,+NY+to:Onandaga+Avenue,+Syracuse,+NY+to:Buffalo,+NY+(Canisius+College)+to:4245+East+Avenue,+Rochester,+NY+14618+(Nazareth+College+Community+Music)+to:Canada+Lake+Store,+Old+State+Road,+Caroga+Lake,+NY&hl=en&ll=42.797416,-73.605652&spn=1.134612,2.469177&sll=43.028745,-76.311035&sspn=4.52108,9.876709&geocode=FZQTjgIdg1aa-ym1LD-zchTeiTHXO3P--tBK7w%3BFdXIkgIdWQKP-yFjDM9u9crg_il5C2SjuejeiTFwy7ypsGJksA%3BFW06kQId1Ah1-ymRHUYAqfHZiTG-CmMq0ZxcoA%3BFYb7jgIdi9FM-yGtNogGqV8mHw%3BFROpkQIdbjZh-yEBR5I1gTQU5ik3PE4W1jTRiTE0cFGbsQKS9g%3BFdXIkgIdWQKP-yFjDM9u9crg_il5C2SjuejeiTFwy7ypsGJksA&oq=Canad&dirflg=b&mra=ltm&t=m&z=9&lci=bike
Here is a link to the general route that we will be riding along during the trip. This map does not include our Day 4 detour up to Niagra Falls upon leaving Buffalo, but it is a decent outline of the trip. Click on the tabs at the top of the page for specific info on each leg of our journey!
-Brian
Here is a link to the general route that we will be riding along during the trip. This map does not include our Day 4 detour up to Niagra Falls upon leaving Buffalo, but it is a decent outline of the trip. Click on the tabs at the top of the page for specific info on each leg of our journey!
-Brian
10 reasons to go on this trip..
Many people want to know why Rylan & I would give up a week of freedom to hop on our bikes and pedal for hours on end across the state of NY. Among a million reasons I personally am motivated to do this ride, I will try to list out 10 reasons that may make sense (I'll gladly explain any if you ask!):
1. Celebrate.
2. Reflect.
3. Bond.
4. Test Limits.
5. Get Fit.
6. Forge Lasting Memories.
7. Visit New Places.
8. Learn, Learn, Learn.
9. Do it for the Story.
10. Because We Can.
It's easy to say that we know "It's not about the journey, it's all about the experience" but we so often forget this as we just try to get through, to get by, to get to the next checkpoint. At West Point I often feel like I am settling for mediocrity because i simply cannot accomplish everything put on my plate with the passion and devotion i would like to. Instead, I to my very best to follow the WIN strategy of prioritization, using the saying "What's Important Now" to get me through each hoop and over each barrier.
Well, for the next week, the only hurdle will be the horizon before us & the setting of the sun each evening. At the beginning of my time at West Point I often shied away from challeneges that seemed ridiculous at first. One of my best friends once said, "Well, I just did it for the story. I had no reason to drive across the country, staying with friends and seeing a new MLB game each night other than to have a great story when i got back, and it was totally worth it." This explanation stuck with me and helped me face the pessimistic, fall-in-line & don't look around attitude that seems to surround this place at times. Refuse to settle for the ordinary; go out and seek the extraordinary. This trip will totally be worth the story if we stumble upon even a glimpse of this extraordinary that we pursue.
-Brian
1. Celebrate.
2. Reflect.
3. Bond.
4. Test Limits.
5. Get Fit.
6. Forge Lasting Memories.
7. Visit New Places.
8. Learn, Learn, Learn.
9. Do it for the Story.
10. Because We Can.
It's easy to say that we know "It's not about the journey, it's all about the experience" but we so often forget this as we just try to get through, to get by, to get to the next checkpoint. At West Point I often feel like I am settling for mediocrity because i simply cannot accomplish everything put on my plate with the passion and devotion i would like to. Instead, I to my very best to follow the WIN strategy of prioritization, using the saying "What's Important Now" to get me through each hoop and over each barrier.
Well, for the next week, the only hurdle will be the horizon before us & the setting of the sun each evening. At the beginning of my time at West Point I often shied away from challeneges that seemed ridiculous at first. One of my best friends once said, "Well, I just did it for the story. I had no reason to drive across the country, staying with friends and seeing a new MLB game each night other than to have a great story when i got back, and it was totally worth it." This explanation stuck with me and helped me face the pessimistic, fall-in-line & don't look around attitude that seems to surround this place at times. Refuse to settle for the ordinary; go out and seek the extraordinary. This trip will totally be worth the story if we stumble upon even a glimpse of this extraordinary that we pursue.
-Brian
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The Trip: An Introduction
Family, Friends & interested readers,
thank you for joining Rylan & I on our Cycling journey from Albany to Niagra Falls and back! I will put up maps, timelines and additional info about where we are going, how we're getting there, who we are staying with and all the rest, but first I want to explain a little bit of how this trip took shape.
Rylan and I began our journey together before he even entered West Point. I sent Rylan some info about our Triathlon team before he officially decided to come here, but we didn't speak again until he showed up at tryouts that fall. Rylan almost slept through the 0530 swim, but he made it with a frantic determination to show us what he could do. I offered him a few words of encouragement before he took off slashing through the water, enroute to a gutsy 1000y effort. Rylan made the team, and the rest is history. Rylan will be a fixture on our West Point tri team this coming year & beyond.
I look foward to sharing more about our trip in the coming days and adding details to this site, both before we begin the journey this weekend & each day as we document our travels. Finally, we are open to any/ all advice, encouragement & inspiration for the long miles ahead!
-Brian (my first Blog post ever!)
thank you for joining Rylan & I on our Cycling journey from Albany to Niagra Falls and back! I will put up maps, timelines and additional info about where we are going, how we're getting there, who we are staying with and all the rest, but first I want to explain a little bit of how this trip took shape.
 |
| Our Destination! |
I look foward to sharing more about our trip in the coming days and adding details to this site, both before we begin the journey this weekend & each day as we document our travels. Finally, we are open to any/ all advice, encouragement & inspiration for the long miles ahead!
 |
| a shot from my ride home from Dartmouth last weekend |
-Brian (my first Blog post ever!)
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