Never Leave the Herd

Sunday July 29, 2012

As much as the 30 mph headwinds made life a huge struggle today, I honestly cannot think of a low. Therefore, I am going to share my top three moments of my 100 mile day into Amarillo, TX.

1. Seeing shooting stars from my bicycle. To avoid the heat on our century ride, wake up was at 4 am instead of the friendly 5 am. This meant that we were on the road right around 5:30. In case you were wondering, the sun doesn't rise until about 6:30 in Texas. The roads were pitch black except for the flashing lights of cyclists and occasional semi-trucks. As we were riding off into the great unknown, Cassi, Barry and I began to notice that every few minutes we could see incredibly bright shooting stars blazing across the sky. It was amazing, to say the least.

2. After lunch my group and I decided it would be to our benefit to join another group in order to break through the headwinds more easily. Little did we know, we would shortly be joining "the Herd." The Herd was a sturdy group of 18 riders. We were what the cycling world calls a peloton- a large group of cyclists riding in a close pack. By riding in such a large group, we were not only able to pull one another through the winds, but were also able keep our spirits soaring high with conversations, games and good times. I wish we rode in herds every day!

3. Upon our highly anticipated arrival to the Habitat for Humanity of Amarillo, the Herd quickly decided to become a wolf pack. As we pulled into the parking lot, all 18 riders began howling like a crazed pack of wolves. It was magical. We finished our ride with a group hug, picture, and inspirational speech inspired by the latest Dark Night movie.

Was the day hard? Absolutely. Was it unforgettable? You betcha. And now, with a build day tomorrow, we are off to the Big Texan in Amarillo, TX to watch Josh work hard to complete the 72 oz steak challenge. The challenge consists of eating 72 oz of steak, salad, shrimp cocktail and sides-- without throwing up. We will also be taking FREE limos to this event. Wish him luck!

The day is finally over. Hallelujah.

~Alyssa!