Riding across America to train Joe for the Furnace Creek 508 Day 3

Wednesday September, 17 2008 - Day 3
Ithaca, NY – First and only real interest I have ever had in Ithaca, NY was Moosewood restaurant. Years ago when I was scouring for good vegetarian food alternatives Moosewood had one of the few cookbooks readily available with tasty alternatives. I always wanted to eat at the restaurant but will have to come back another day for the opportunity. In the meantime, I still believe they have one of the best philosophy statements going, see for yourself - http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/collective.html
We wake early to hunger. The restaurant in the hotel does not open for a half hour so we head into town to see what Cornell students eat for breakfast. Joe spent part of his youth in Ithaca and has an amazing story of how he was able to get Cornell University to accept him. He gives me some of the details as we head down for Bagels and smoothies. We cross several bridges and the gorges and waterfalls are something to see if you don’t come in after dark and leave with the sunrise.
Joe and I leave the hotel and it is cold. My fingers feel it first and then my body goes into shivers as we glide down ½ mile of steep grade. We go past the house Joe grew up in and I am sure between the University and the house he isn’t thinking about the 100+ miles we need to pedal today. He talks to me about his youth as we weave through traffic. We get onto route 13 South and start cranking. It isn’t long before my legs remind me that drafting is my specialty. I get behind Joe and try to become an aerodynamics engineer. The sun is up but the temperature refuses to rise except in my thighs which begin to rage heat up the first hill.
Hill after hill we traverse south to get out of the Ithaca region. Just as I begin to adjust the road opens up and we start down a long valley. The road has some dips and small hills. We crank on the pedals and are moving along at over 25 mph.
Towns pass by and I look across deep green farms and mountains. Fantastico!! In one town Joe slows quickly and says “haircut”. Short hair is less wind resistance although the length of fur on my mug is only growing. Joe goes into a barber shop that has a single chair, single barber and single bathroom. I won’t say if the cut was good or not but Chet was next in the chair and I started riding south again before the scissors pointed in my direction.
I draft Joe and the smell of the haircut to my large intake nose is too much. I pull ahead of Joe and take the lead. Better to have burning legs than broken breathing apparatus.
Chet and Bo have driven far ahead and are pedaling back towards us. Bo doesn’t get far and returns to the truck. We meet up with Chet and he is amped up to do some speeding. He leads and we crank hard. No complaints, he is taking the headwind and I am doing everything I can to keep up to Joe and him again.
In the last 5 miles of the day I pop another rear tube. We stop to change it and Chet gives me a well needed lesson or two about changing tires. I have much to learn. We spend the remainder of the daylight looking for a bike shop and find it shortly after closing time. Today is a memorable day for many reasons and I am grateful I was given the day and now I am even more grateful to hop in bed and end it.
Here is a link to the kids and cause we are riding for - http://www.lisas810.com/cause_AOR.html
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An update directly from Joe - Finally we hit flat ground!!!!

Now I see how Andy Weinberg was getting so many miles in during his ride last year from Illinois to Vermont.

The wind doesn't hurt either when its at your back!!! Chet decided to drive ahead and peddle to Chris and I. He looked like a high speed sailboat approaching us...

We stopped to get haircuts today, we then stopped again to get milkshakes, we then stopped again for burgers and again to hear about Goldman Sachs 35 percent plunge!!!

We did a lot of stopping but we still made it close enough to see the ohio clouds in the background!!!

Important to note: don't talk politics with Chet or chines restaurants with Bo.....