A Day of Respite

The day off from biking went by much too quickly. Laundry did get washed,email was updated, the post office got a visit, some pictures got developed, and a few pages were started in the scrapbook.For folks that know me well, I do appreciate an email once in a while. When we do get some down time, I often check it and I'd love to hear from family and friends about what is going on in their neck of the woods.

A good portion of our morning was taken up with a change a flat workshop. (I could have used this BEFORE rear flat tire number one on the first day of the trip and front flat tire on the second day of the trip but better late than never!) It was also the first time that I was shown how to clean the grit out of the important moving parts of my bicycle. I'm still trying to come up with a name for my bike, Do you have any suggestions?

In the evening, a large group got together for a dinner at a Country Club that served Italian food. I loaded up on my carbs with my veggie pasta for tomorrow's ride. We ride for 8 straight days before our next day off so this should be a challenging week for us.

We do leave the state of California tomorrow so I am looking forward to crossing the Colorado River into Arizona early in the morning with my "Pedaling Partners" . In the evening after a state line crossing we earn our first Margarita Party. I am looking forward to that celebration and trying not to think about our less than stellar accommodations that we have coming up tomorrow night.It is supposed to be the worst of the trip but there is nothing else available.(Please...no bedbugs...please)
We have also been forewarned of a nearly naked man that likes to traverse the streets of that same town. There is always something exciting happening on our trip!
Hugs,
Robin

Confident, stronger, and proud is how I feel today after completing a 90 mile ride today. We all got up early before dark to prepare for this long day and luckily tailwinds were with us most of the way with blue skies and comfortable riding temperatures in the 60's and 70's after the sun came up. It is just an awesome feeling to be out on the road and watch the quiet rise of the sun and gently wake up as the mud swallows sing and dart about the canals and croplands. The traffic was light and the air was clear and filled with of spring and the whir of thin tires on the shoulder of the pavement.


One of the features of today's landscape that I recall the most were massive rolling dunes around 28 miles out. I guess this is a big area for dune buggy racing especially on the weekends outside of Brawley. One side of the road is protected and has some vegetation, shrubs and a few cropped trees while the other side is devoid of most vegetation due to the traffic of the dune buggies.I noticed after a "Nature Call" at the side of the road that the area was fenced off due to a bombing area and possible unexploded ordinances just outside the area that the dune buggies can go on.

Wheeling along at a bike pace you really notice patterns in the sand swirled out by the wind and you could hear the tss, tss, tss, of the grains of sand as they reached the others side of the asphalt and landed on the accumulated piles of sand. As we traveled along the road dips and hills tiny streams of sand would scoot across our path at odd acute angles like sandy ghostly whisps of smoke .

This was a day that we all had grains of sand embedded in our faces, like a free dermal abrasion therapy, from huge trucks that zipped along the same roadways. You do have to hold on tightly so you don't get swept to the side and you also have to carefully watch for any small piles of sand that may have built up which makes for very unsteady bike control.

We also passed through the Chocolate Mountains and they did look as if they were sprinkled with Hershey cocoa powder. The color was so different from the beige, flat, open expanses of the sand dunes a few mile before. Looming ahead in the distance the deep brown was an interesting contrast. Another contrast are areas of the desert that had access to the canal system fed by the Colorado River. Alfalfa, and sugar beets were common crops interspersed with desolation and scrubby terrain on the other side of the road.

The Border Patrol is very active in this area of the county. I cannot begin to total all of the trucks and personnel we have seen traveling across California. Imagine all the money spent on manpower, equipment and this enormous fence erected. I find it odd that we as Americans were so offended by the Berlin Wall, yet we have spent millions building one ourselves. A rider yesterday did see a Border Patrol pointing a gun to someone down in a gully and we were waved through a security checkpoint today as well. (I guess they didn't think old ladies on two wheels were a threat to our security...) By that time of the day we really didn't want to be inspected either, full of grit in our teeth, hair, eyes and body.

My riding buddies and I stopped often, ate lots of snacks, drank lots of water to get through the day and felt a true sense of accomplishment at this particular challenge. For many of us is was our farthest mileage in one day on a bike. My mini group left at 7 am and we pulled in to the hotel parking lot around 4 pm. It was a long but fruitful day. I am looking forward to our layover day. There is a tire changing workshop and an opportunity to clean our bikes, our clothes, our minds, and rest our bodies and our bottoms for at least a little while...Perhaps I'll even send some items home that I have not used yet as my bags are heavy and sometimes have to be lugged upstairs along with our bikes that we keep in our rooms.
Love to all,
Robin

March 8th I think...
Already time is different. I haven't had time or the desire to turn on the tv or get the news. Our days are starting to get into a rhythm and routine of getting up early at sunrise, lugging out bags out to the van, eating some hot oatmeal and yogurt for breakfast, bringing the bicycle out, pumping up the tires, making a trail mix snack bag and a peanut butter sandwich for lunch on the road, filling up two water bottles, resetting the odometer, attaching the cue sheet, heading out, reaching our final destination safely, eating dinner together out by the trailor, packing up for the next day, and getting to bed early.

The ride from San Diego to Alpine to Jacumba, CA yesterday was a challenge. We had a 45 mile trip through many hill?mountain? climbs. I had a new favorite five letter word of the day. It was CREST! That meant we could see the top and new we had a break from climbing. Up and down all day, but mostly up!!! I had flat tire number two about 2 miles from the final destination. This time it was my front tire. I called for back-up from the SAG driver because I could not undo the lever it was on so tight. Luckily, Ann again happened to come along to rescue me. This time I had her talk me through it while I changed the actual flat. The SAG wagon came and we could use the big pump which makes it a whole lot easier. I made it the last two mile, a little late of course, but threw on my swimsuit after a very quick shower to go into the natural hot springs for a well deserved soak. Dinner was early that night because of the time change. Linda made turkey burritos with guacamole that someone brought from their avocado grove. We also had salad, succotash, and left over birthday cake.

During the night it turned very cold, and there was frost on the windshields. We left at dawn at 32 degrees heading up some more toward Brawley, CA for a journey of 65 milles or so. As we climbed upward, the sun rising, the cold air blowing and tearing my eyes, I knew it was going to be a good day. There are two women that headed out with me. We seem to go about the same speed, need to take breaks at the same time, and laugh a lot along the way. After our climb, we turned on the interstate and started this fantastic 10 mile descent down the mountains. The vistas were fantastic. Rounded boulders dotted the landscape and as we picked up incredible speed flew down into a huge valley into the desert that went on for miles and miles. We saw some mini white lilies as well as some small purple and yellow flowers. That's the benefit of being on a bike. you really notice some of the subtle changes in flora, fauna, shades of rock outcroppings, and soil on the way.

With many stops for fluids, and snacks, we bicycled through about 67 miles of terrain, mostly flat. By the end of the ride it was 75 degrees. We all felt a great sense of accomplishment. Life is still great in paradise. The winds were with us and not against us today.
It's getting late after 9 pm and we are up at dawn so will sign off for now. Think of me on my 90 mile journey tomorrow!
Hugs,
Robin

In San Diego and Day One

I'll try and update quickly but I have been having trouble with the computer especially with word processing and importing pictures and graphics. On Wednesday morning, I was one of 12 women who received their bikes from the mechanic. Six of us decided to go on a short warm-up ride to make sure everything was working correctly. We journeyed out of the hotel parking lot, toward the ocean, down bike paths and across reams of traffic. We did see several birds in the water such as blue herons, pelicans, and sand pipers. Our short little warm up ride turned out to be 21 miles, but the area was flat, and the sun was out. Another day in paradise. Later in the afternoon, Carol from NH, and I took a city bus to Old Town San Diego to see some shops and historical sections. That night we celebrated Carol's 60th birthday.

The next day Ann from NJ and I went for a walk down by the water and found a wonderful little jogging path that was away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. At 1 o'clock we had our first orientation group, meeting everyone, finding out a little about ourselves, and discovering how the trip was organized. This is Woman Tours 12th tour across the Southern Tier. 275 other woman have completed this trip in that time. 21 more women are planning to complete this tour that I am on.

That night, a friend, Angela, drove down from Laguna Hills to meet me and go to the send off banquet with me. That night I think everyone was very excited about our next day.
Breakfast was at 7:00 in the parking lot. I chose some hot steel cut oatmeal with yogurt and almonds. I didn't want to eat too much on the morning of our BIG DAY! By 8:00 we were off on a 3 mile trip to the Pacific Ocean to dip our tires into the water and begin our trip eastward to the waters of the Atlantic. The feeling while in the first few moments of that ride was overwhelming. I started welling up, of course, or had this huge bug catching ear to ear grin on. It was just wonderfully strange.

We all took off our bike shoes and socks, and carried our bikes down to the ocean's edge of Dog Beach, carefully watching foot placement in the sand along the way, if you get my drift at DOG beach. Then we headed off eastward by 9 o'clock to begin our ride out to Alpine, California for a total ride of 37.3 miles in all. I have the honor of having the FIRST FLAT TIRE of the trip! At about mile 21, something didn't feel right, so I pulled over and discovered my flat. I really don't know how to take the back tire off the chain, so we called for BACK-UP, and Ann, the SAG(Support and Gear) happened to be driving along just as we were placing the call. LUCKY FOR ME! She changed my flat for me and things were fine. I was off again, by myself now, and then my gears started to slip when I shifted. LUCKY FOR ME, Michelle, the guide/mechanic pulled up behind me and was able to adjust it. Now I was pretty far behind everyone else now, but began a steady climb up 2,000 feet to our destination. It was a gradual steady climb and I made it!!! One more incident I forgot to mention is that as I was trying to reset the time that was off by 20 minutes on my bike computer, I messed up the odometer so that was useless for me for the whole ride. No Worries though as I arrived safely at our destination. I am very tired and though it is only 8:15, we have a long day tomorrow with a lot more climbing to 4,000 feet to reach Jacumba in 45 miles.
Love to All,
Robin

Destination San Diego

It has begun. All of the dreaming, planning, packing, and purchasing....My day started after a 4:10 am wake up time today in order to get to the airport by 6 am. The flight was booked solid and it took a long time to get everyone boarded as every nook and cranny in the overhead bins as well as a body in every seat made it a crowded flight. Due to the winter snowstorm that came through the day before, many people had re booked. While we were cuing up for our spot for the runway it really did hit me. I'm soon to take off and am heading off to get to the start of a bike journey in San Diego. OK, it took a while as we were in line waiting for our turn for quite some time but eventually we made it to Atlanta with just enough time to walk across a couple of terminals (miles) and board the connecting flight.

When I went to confirm my flight online the night before, they wanted an extra $50 for checking two bags. I made a last minute decision to bring one of those one heavy bags on board plus my carry on item. Of course I was stopped by security for a bottle of conditioner and hmm...how can I say this politely...a tube of cream for the gluteus maximus (buttocks) that I forgot to take out. I did remember to remove the sharp scissors, small Swiss army knife, and small tubes of various lotions but forgot about those two items crammed in bike shoes After that I went on my way without further breeches to the security of our country. You should feel very safe!

I had a window seatand paid a few dollars more for an extra inch or two of legroom. For once I could actually see out the window for most of the trip as it was clear and we were flying in daylight instead of the dead of the night. About midway through the flight, I checked on the onscreen map of the route we were taking and noticed several familiar names. To my delight, we were flying a parallel route to the bike trip that will begin on Friday in the opposite direction. I remember flying over the town/city of Kerville, Bastrop, Del Rio, Sanderson, Marathon, Van Horn, and El Paso in Texas. I should reach Texas by bicycle in about three weeks and will take about three more weeks to get through that particular state. From the air I could see the mountains, escarpments, and plateaus.

Strange while waiting on the runway in Logan, I had a lot of time to look at the wind blown snow that drifted into different patterns like curved sculptures with rounded drumlins. Shallow furrows held shadows while other patches were like wave crests of the ocean frozen in motion with sharp edges. It reminded me of the shape in miniature, though differing in magnitude and hue, of the ruddy-colored sand dunes in the Middle East with ever changing and transient topography. Even the mountains of the Appalachians held a raw dark beauty with its granite gray mountain tops sprinkled with new snow. OK, enough you say! I could go on about the bare stalks of grass stripped of color...I just wanted to take a moment to stop and appreciate different aspects of beauty in our country.


Those of you who know me well know can rest assured that I was episodically overcome with tears at different times of this day. Hopefully my clinging hug said it all to Sean/John at the airport as we bid farewell. I knew as I uttered I'll miss you that I was on the verge of becoming a blubbering idiot so I just walked away after another clutching hug.

Anyways, I'm here in San Diego, safe, waiting for my roommate to fly in soon, and head out to dinner.
Hugs,
Robin/Mom/Grandma/Mrs. Sewell

Pre Trip Jitters

February 27, 2009

As the trip gets closer, my emotions have been all over the place. I really am doing this trip! I really am leaving my family for two months. I really am done with the training. The waiting has been the hardest part. My school friends at work took me out on Monday night for a farewell beverage and to wish me luck. Saying goodbye to various friends and family during the past few weeks has been hard .

I've been 99% packed for two weeks now to make sure I was under the Woman Tour Weight limit. I have one carry-on size suitcase and one medium-sized gym bag. I will be checking both bags at the airport to stow away in the baggage compartment. (I took more luggage for our 18 day bike vacation in November and for this trip I'll be gone for an additional 40 days!) I also have one small carry on bag for the plane ride along with my bicycle helmet that will not fit anywhere else. The bike gear takes up a lot of space so once that is all on the bike I should have some more room in my bags.


We only bring a few cycling jerseys so don't be surprised if you see me in the same outfit frequently! Non-bike clothing is also very casual and limited so they'll be little fashion variability there either.


One More Joins Group!
We just found out that there will be one more addition to our group. A gal from New York City will be joining to make our group of riders grow from 20 to 21 (plus the the chef and two guides). Many other women have been experiencing the same pre-trip jitters. It's just part of the anticipation and excitement of an adventure. You may hear me chanting my mantra...it will all be fine...it will all be fine...it will all be fine.... and it will!

I ride in honor of my father, Don Meyers, who had Type II Diabetes. If you are interested in making a donation on line, please click on this link:
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TDC005008030?px=4582692&pg=personal&fr_id=5560

If you want to make a donation by check
please make the check payable to
American Diabetes Association and mail to
c/o Robin Sewell
60 Foster Street
Littleton, MA 01460

or call American Diabetes Association @ 1-800-342-2383


Cross-Country Bicycle Trip Details

Yes, I intend to bicycle 3, 098 miles across country on my bicycle with a group of 20 woman. I've met the New England women from VT, NH, and MA and through emails I have started to get to know the other woman from USA that have also have signed up for this trip. They hail from all over the country including California, Montana, Indiana, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey, South Dakota, New York, Colorado, and Washington. Some have biked big trips before while some are novices. The average age is 58. Some have retired, while many others are working part or full time. I've appreciated all the tips, hints, and advice from the experienced riders on biking gear,web sites, and equipment.

This journey takes 58 days and starts in San Diego, California on March 6th. The trip ends in St. Augustine, Florida on April 30, 2009. We stay in hotels each evening."Woman Tours" provides maps, lodging, home-cooked dinners, breakfasts, and snacks along the way on riding days. There is a SAG (Support and Gear Vehicle) that accompanies us on our trip, carrying extra gear and sometimes injured or tired riders too! We climb mountains in high elevations,bike over rolling hills and traverse deserts and flat lands along the southern tier of the United States in the spring of the year. We average 57 miles per day with 8 rest days ride through all types of weather conditions. Our highest mileage day is 111 in Texas with a few other 90 miles + days in Texas and Florida.






Getting Ready to Ride
Since this has been one of the snowiest, coldest, and iciest winters inNew England, I've only had two opportunities to ride my bike outdoors since December after an ice storm when my bike picked up all kinds of road gunk as well as salt spray. Recently, I rode outdoors in February on a fairly warm 40 degree day before my "dream machine" was shipped out to California for reassembly and a thorough tune-up. Most of my training has been indoors, early in the morning with spinning at indoor cycle classes, using the elliptical and treadmill machines, and taking muscle conditioning classes and free weight workouts when schedules permit.


These past few months I've had the opportunity to be grandma and watch my grandson from two months of age to four months. In between watching him 40 hours a week, I've attempted to work on endurance and strength at the gym before "work." Perhaps I am not in peak shape but as one of the women stated "after all, we are doing a ride, not a race, right?" I intend to be one who stops along the way to soak up the views of the sunrise, listen to the songs of the spring birds, and enjoy the total experience. I'll be at the end of the pack and one of the last riders to get in at the end of the day, but that's OK with me.

Why Ride?
We all need dreams and challenges at different times in our lives. Changes can be opportunities to try something different. I once thought I would hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. My knees did not like this dream and in most recent years voiced their disdain after surgery, on hikes, after competitive volleyball and other impact activities but especially at night when I really wanted to sleep. I discovered biking didn't hurt so much so why not try a different challenge of cycling across country? "If you change the way you look at things the things you look at change." (Wayne Dyer) Instead of complaining about what I can't do anymore, I opted to look for some other activity I could do.

Thanks
This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me. I thank my husband for his understanding and patience as I take a year of absence without pay in order to go on this ride and try some different activities. I thank my family, friends, the second grade team,and chums at school for all their support and encouragement. Through these near and dear to me, I know I will find the strength to meet this unique challenge.

For those that are interested, I hope to update this page periodically on my trip with pictures and information. Feel free to follow along!

With love,
Robin/Mom/Grandma/Mrs. Sewell