As I sit down to write this I find myself in a roller rink full of twentysomethings doing their best to recreate the fifth birthday party they wish they had. Today’s 70-mile ride took us from Brownwood to Abilene, Texas, where we are staying at what has to be the coolest church facility in the […]

Temple Summit Recreation Center rock wall – my view for the night.   It couldn’t have played out better. Even with the couple bumps in the road we pulled through and had an amazing day. It was the first time in weeks that we say straight sunshine three days in a row. Riding as riding… […]

This morning featured another 4:30 AM wakeup call, followed by more emotional goodbyes and a 101-mile ride, so, in the interest of finally catching up on some sleep, you can expect a much shorter post. After a five-hour sleep that felt more like a 20-minute catnap, we enjoyed a quick breakfast provided by the 2014 […]

Day 2: The Generosity of Strangers The unexpected rainstorms in Texas have flooded the Brazos River. At our resting place for the night on the river bend – church retreat grounds – we can see the rushing waters overflow the banks. But today the generosity of strangers also overflowed and filled our hearts – as […]

“I used to think that charity runs were stupid. What kind of an imbecile thinks that putting on some shoes and going for a run actually does any good? But then Aaron got sick, and running got taken away from him and now, I am that kind of imbecile. And I know that it does make a […]

  “Are you ready to start?” “I’ve already started!!” -My bellowed response to my friend. My friends and I rode the first 25 miles today at the official beginning of our summer ride: ATLAS. Mark, who had never done more than bike to campus before, and Lindsay, who has already done a cross-country ride from […]

Day 0 “Where are y’all cycling to?” -A random fellow cyclist on the road. “Alaska!” -Our response, in unison. It felt cathartic to finally be able to say that: after two years, our ride has commenced. Welcome to my journal. This summer, as I cycle 4,500 miles, I will share a new story everyday. I […]

After 18 months of volunteering, training, fundraising, and preparing, it’s finally time to enjoy the Cherry on Top. I’ve grown so much in the first 18 months of this journey I can’t wait to finally do what we’ve been talking about for so long.  My back hurts, my eyes are heavy, and my calories are […]

The gym lights came on no later than 4:30 AM this morning, and I’d be lying if I said I was thrilled about it. My Therm-a-Rest and mummy bag aren’t bad, but four hours of sleep on a gym floor wasn’t exactly what the doctor ordered after an eventful Day Zero. Nothing a bacon, egg […]

I set three alarms this morning, just to make triply sure I didn’t sleep through a day that has been 18 months in the making. It hasn’t really set in yet, because we’re sill within the friendly confines of Austin, but our team officially took off for Alaska today, riding a casual twenty miles from the […]