Thursday September, 18 2008 - Day 4

Thursday September, 18 2008 - Day 4
Anyone who has crossed Pennsylvania’s latitudes is familiar with the word never-ending. On a bicycle there is no word for it, just a deep unsettled feeling. My thought today was that the Amish settled in PA out of desperation. History is not my field of expertise but I speculate they were headed for Indiana, became tired and settled in PA. If they would have made it to at least Ohio they could have had electricity – my theory anyway. Then again the Amish didn’t have Joe leading the wagon or they would have made it to CA. We are becoming desperate but Joe likes his Blackberry and it needs electricity to live. We will get through PA.
Chet and I are joined by Bo for the best continental breakfast I have ever eaten at the Hampton Inn, Williamsport, PA. Joe miraculously is not the first one up banging on hotel doors. He arrives late but is quick to catch up with three bagels and some orange juice mixed with warm water - ??. Part of his self improvement mission on the trip will be to chew his food more. Well, this breakfast falls a bit short because between the three bagels I believe only one had some teeth marks in it before it disappeared.
Chet, Joe and I begin to pedal towards Penn State. The ride starts well. The pace is moderate and I am enjoying the countryside. Joe has had some nostalgia on the trip thus far with Cornell, seeing the house he grew up in and a catholic school he attended somewhere 30 miles south of Ithaca for a year. He has been inquiring if we are going through Scranton because he remembers enjoying BMX camp for a week in that area. Joe inquires several times if we will be in the Scranton area and looks sheepishly disappointed when I tell him “No” and it is East of us so we are not detouring through it either. On Rt. 45 West in the middle of nowhere (Woodward) today we come across the camp.
Joe excitedly pedals down to the main office and has several conversations with the staff who somewhat remember him. They are preparing for the BMX Nationals this weekend and a helicopter is filming two of the top BMX riders in the country. We are not allowed to view the filming and get back on the road. Joe remembers his time at the camp and how he broke his arm but stayed the remainder of the week and continued to ride – big surprise(he hasn’t changed a bit).
Now start the hills, then some wind, then some sprint races between Joe and Chet. I am huffing and trying to catch my breath and reel in these two so I can get back to drafting. The roads are lined with PA farms and mountains. I struggle with my legs. Yesterday’s mileage is felt and I keep looking down to see if the others have played a joke on me and tightened my brakes. They haven’t, my legs are just that tired. Too bad Chris – I try hard but the people won’t come out of their houses and throw me a pity party in PA so I pedal.
We get to Penn State and eat a full lunch. We don’t spend time looking at the campus and start hunting for an ice bath. Joe’s wife Courtney was a renowned soccer star some years earlier and with a phone call gets us into the Penn State training facility. Next thing we know we are alternating between a 52 degree tub and a 110 degree tub. Total body shock.
We leave Penn State and my body is all confused. It doesn’t know whether to sweat of shiver. I get a little of both going and then I get nothing. Complete rebellion and all I can do is pedal as if everything is ok. After dinner we decide to do some night training. Joe and I dress up like aliens and head off into the night down a PA state road. I ask Chet and Bo to make sure Joe get’s full credit for the Darwin award on this idea. Pedaling at night is a strange combination of faith and fear. Anyone who has done it knows what I mean and if you haven’t you should because the peacefulness and darkness make for a uniquely enjoyable experience.
We arrive at our destination, Chet and Bo have been battling a discussion regarding the state of the world to death. It started at dinner a couple nights ago and whenever we all eat it resurfaces, gathers steam and could be the main reason Joe would rather be on a bike seat than eating or in a car seat.
Tomorrow, we aim to do what the Amish could not – leave PA and head into Ohio. I will miss PA as it has very bike friendly drivers although no one seems to be able to give directions or elevations with any accuracy – just like the news lately.
Here is a link to the kids and cause we are riding for - http://www.lisas810.com/cause_AOR.html
Directly from Joe - So today started out interesting;

We have been out of touch, but in touch enough to know the world was ending. Well the world I have lived in for a few years anyway, Wall Street.

Chris (my teamate on this trip) would say it doesn't look any different in the parts of the country we are riding through? It doesn't look like the world is ending here?

Countless emails have streamed in:

1) "It must be nice"
2) "Turn around the world is falling apart"
3) "Rome is burning"
4) "where are you"

We have my blackberry on 24/7 and unless I'm going downhill at 45 mph you'll get us. So far we think it has been a major bonus not being around, I think we got very lucky on timing!

The day started out a little late today after 3 buttered bagels each. We hit the road in PA and found Big Earl's bike shop 20 miles into the ride. Chet tried to talk me into buying a recumbant, Big Earl tried to talk us into turning around, said we were going straight into the wind, bo tried to talk us into getting him a bike.

We worked our way to State College PA none of us knowing if that's where Penn State was. On the way we passed a camp I went to one summer 27 years ago!! It was so random it was uncanny.

We made it to Penn State, yes it was there, and Courtney (my wife) final four captain soccer made 1 call and has us brought into the Penn State athlete "repair" room where we got hot and cold plunges and repaired!

We were back on the road and worked our way south west.

Tomorrow is Ohio. Important things to note:

1) We have seen TONS of outdoor wood burning furnaces for sale everywhere.

2) Fresh egg prices go down the further west we travel.

3) Genetically modified seeds become more prominent the further west we travel and saw NONE in Vt.

Overall this is an AWESOME way to travel. Legs hurt.