FLASH-POINT BLOGGER: SUSANNA LOEWY

Made it out of Jacksonville! Today I rode a bit faster - averaging around 17-8mph, most of it in a pace-line. We played Categories for a good hour before lunch, with the leader calling out the category and everyone in the line calling out an answer until someone messed up - then the leader dropped back and the next person pulled and picked a Category. Our categories were Bike Parts, Brands of Bikes, Elements from the Periodic Table, Gas Stations, Types of SUVS, Methods of Contraception, Sexual Positions, Capitol Cities, etc...it was fun.

We rode 55m today, so we're now 115 into the trip. It doesn't seem like much, but the miles will start to add up pretty quickly and we'll move through the South faster than I'd like.

We stay in the gyms of churches (churches with gyms? who knew??), and the churches tend to supply food. I'm starving all the time though; no amount of peanut butter or ice cream can possibly be enough.

We stopped at the site of the largest Civil War battle in Florida (picture below); apparently the South Won, which made the man setting everything up very happy.

I guess that's about it. It was a short day; I was in the next city by 12:15. Now it's 3:30 and I need a nap. People are going to stop being on their best behavior and start getting cranky soon, I think. It's going to be interesting as true personalities start to appear.

The only other thing that happened today was that my cleat broke on the way to ice cream this afternoon. I still haven't gotten my shoe off of the pedal. I didn't fall, but I had to walk back to the church barefoot, and now the bottom of my foot is burned from the hot sidewalk. And I didn't even get the chocolate shake I really wanted...

I'm feeling a little out of it right now. The weather has been cooperating and it hasn't been nearly as hot as it could be...but I'm still drained by the end of the day. It's a nice kind of exhaustion, but it's still makes me pretty damn tired.

We have a presentation to on Affordable Housing tonight at the church, but other than that, we're all free. Most of the time that's the case...all we have to do is get from city to city, sometimes give presentations, and otherwise just hang out and explore the town. I've been trying to practice a bit everyday. So far it's been pretty manageable; I think I'll be able to stay in decent shape. It's making me actually look forward to practicing. It's relaxing to warm up slowly and play a little Bach; it gives me a little space to do my own thing.

I've gotta say - I never quite thought I'd be doing something like this...but here I am...

Today, we started biking - we're now officially on our way to San Francisco. Lots of orientation games and meetings preceded during the last few days; I was happy to get going on the bike.

The funny thing? We biked 64 miles (or, we biked 61m to the next church and I managed to get lost and add on 3 miles), but we're still in Jacksonville, FL. A different suburb of course, but the thought that we biked all day and didn't manage to get out of the city we started in was a bit humorously disheartening, especially considering that the goal is to bike across the country (and why does our country have to be so big, anyway?!?).

The ride went well; I felt fine the whole time. I'm just kind of chilling in the mid-back section of our 32 member team, moving along at about 15-6 miles per hour. We have a long summer ahead; there is plenty of time to hammer, and I really don't want to blow out my legs on Day 1.

As you can see by the pictures in the previous few posts, we started the day at the Atlantic Ocean, submerging our rear wheel into the water and then taking off...the next time we or our bikes see the Ocean, it'll be on the other side of the country.

Today the highlight of the route was a pedestrian trail that we travelled on for almost 15 miles. It was gorgeous, tree covered with picture-perfect shade. I didn't stop and get a picture of it, but other people did as we were riding away. By the way, if you track me online, you should be able to also see the pictures that have been uploaded by everyone in the group, both on Facebook and the Bike and Build website. Pretty cool. I'm working on getting those links on the sidebar. I was informed of how to do it, but without consistent or speed-worthy internet service, it's harder to get it done.

I'm already eating a ridiculous amount; I came back from the ride and stuffed potato chips and chocolate chip cookies down my throat. I love being able to eat whatever I want, but I do want to maintain some degree of healthy eating habits along this trip; I need to be better about eating on the bike before I get hungry...

The cool news? The trip has been rerouted and we're now going to ride right through Lafayette and stop there for a night. My dad is going to cook everyone dinner, I believe, and I'm going to attempt to get us access to the pool at the health club. It'll be fun to maybe be able to sleep in my own bed for a night, but even more so, it'll be great to be able to show everyone here around town.

The people here are nice; despite that I'm a socially awkward loner, I'm starting to get used to everyone and everything. The first night I couldn't sleep at all (we're on sleeping bags on the floor and three different people had their heads within 2 feet of mine - it was just weird), but I have a feeling sleeping isn't going to be much of a problem now that we're on the road.

I felt more comfortable immediately upon take-off this morning; being stationary at a church with a bunch of people I didn't know felt odd, and getting on my bike made me feel more assured and at-home.

Not everything is perfect; I'm upset sometimes and I'm mad other times, and I don't understand much of anything, but all in all...I'm ready for a great summer.

I had a blast last weekend. I didn't take any pictures because the first day I forgot my camera and the second day I just wasn't in the habit of using the damn thing.

But, you can check out Greyhound's blog for some nice pictures of the scenery and me with the Greyhound crew. He's talented with his little camera; they turned out really well.

I need a new traveling camera - any suggestions? I HATE the delay most small digital cameras have, so I want one like my digital SLR, but tiny so that I can bike with it this summer...is that possible?)

The ride was pretty and very well organized, but really freaking hilly. I swear the entire ride from Houston to Austin is uphill. Really.

And the wind? Yeah, it doesn't even require any description or curse words because I used so many of them this weekend. 30mph winds IN YOUR FACE for 160 miles...and if they weren't in your face for like half a second? They were crosswinds and you had to hold onto the bike for dear life so that you didn't get swept into the 20,000 other riders around you. We rode 114 miles in this self-inflicted hell, which was my longest ride ever by a whole 2 miles. By the time we got off the bikes, the wind had worn me down to the point of deliriousness - but somehow, it was still fun. I ate a lot (see Greyhound's pics for proof) and then fell asleep in like .3 seconds on Saturday night (in the nicest hotel I've ever been in, by the way).

Sunday we rode the last 50 or so miles (and the winds were a little better, but still not calm, by any means) - it was the first time I've ever crossed a finish line on a bike; I kind of liked it. And after we finished, we ate and drank even more with Little Miss Runner Pants, Miss Greyhound and SuperPounce, and my Lafayette friends who now live in Austin were nice enough to stop by. (Note to the wise: you get drunk very quickly after riding 160 miles over 2 days; 2 beers was more than enough to make me stumble.) Then, we headed back to Houston so I could catch my plane...

And now I'm back in NJ, sunburned lips and tanlines intact. I'm going to have to figure out a new dress for my recital because the farmer's tan on my arms just isn't going to cut it with the previously planned sleeveless variety.