One Day Down, 69 More to To!

Today was exhilarating, but I found myself oscillating between loving the ride and absolutely hating it. It is clear that I still have much adjusting to do.

This morning was an easy, but nerve wracking start. The anticipation of setting off was much worse than getting on the road. The wait to be released and start the journey after the ceremonial Back-Tire Dip into Baltimore Harbor Waters made me more fidgety and much more anxious. The Team, myself included, just wanted to ride away already.

After the eternity of lovely, inspiring speeches and mass of pictures passed, we were off north. The Alumni that rode with us today were amazing and immensely helpful. I was quickly educated on gear shifts in relation to elevation changes (a cyclist MUST know).

The first 10 miles out of Baltimore and into Northern Maryland were easy, and rolled us down some sweet descents. Descents, for me anyway, make all the uphill battles worthwhile. The next ten were easier. Starting around mile 20 we rode the Northern Central Railroad Trail onwards, all the way up to York, PA (a total of 61 miles). Miles 25-35 were tiring, but it was miles 35-40 that were a pain. Mile 40 was the lunch stop, and I wanted nothing more than to make it there, but the “false flat” of the trail (the Maryland-PA part of the trail has a low-grade incline that deceives the eye) really tested my limits. Nonetheless, I made it, we all made it. After that stretch, lying on grass felt like heaven.

The 21 miles after lunch were also on the trail, but this time the “false flat” was reserved, having a slight decline. This made the ride to York all the more pleasant and easy.

Tonight we were gratefully welcomed at the local YMCA and members of the York community who hosted dinner for us. A big shout out and thank you to them, particularly Craig Wolf, who has proven to be a true host!

Winding down is easy after 61 miles on a bike. Tomorrow we will be biking 59 miles through central PA, stopping in Lykens for the night.

My 4K journey is off to a good start. It was a safe, trail-blazed day, filled with nice weather and good company. What more could you ask for?

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Today’s ride was dedicated to my father, a cancer survivor, and my great-grandfather, Ciro Apicella.

Sweet Dreams and Safe Journeys,

James

By the Way, WE REACHED $5,000!

I'm tired and I need to be up at 5:00 AM tomorrow for send off so I'm going to keep this short and simple:

• Thanks to Beth S. (my official PEDAL PAL--more on that in later posts), Patrick C., and Eddie & Debbie T. the $5,000 goal has been reached.
• Yes, you read the bullet above correctly--WE DID IT. GO TEAM!
• I attended 4K training all day today. It was great to see and connect with all the mentors and alumni, like Ali Samadpour who has been an AMAZING 4K insider. Meeting everyone from this year's team, including the hassle of learning all their names (Thanks, icebreakers!), was inspiring. I can already tell we're going to have a great summer together.
• I'm more excited than I was earlier today, a little less nervous, but definitely more cautious. I just want to get on the road and get going. The key is to get into routine early on.

That's the basic debriefing. Tomorrow morning I will learn how to load up the vans from the Alumni themselves, head over to the harbor to dip my rear tire in the Baltimore water, and set off on the journey of a lifetime.

Here it goes.

-James

First Stop, Baltimore!

This morning I awoke to the pang of my cell's alarm clock, groggily stirring at the early hour of 8:30 am. Well, it's the earliest that I've gotten up since I've been home, but pales in comparison to the crack-of-dawn rising that the 4K requires. 

Luckily I was finished packing, having sorted through the last bit of items the night before, desperately attempting to walk the line between Oh-Darn-I-Took-Too-Much-It's-Breaking-My-Back and I'm-Riding-4,156 miles-Practically-Naked. 

The trek to Baltimore was smooth, once we got off the island. My mom and I got a later start than I wanted, making a pit-stop to grab some last needed items from the store and a breakfast to appease my hunger. By 10:30 am we were over the Outerbridge and on our way.

I have to say that I love driving outside of the congested NYC area. The open road and a great playlist on shuffle created the perfect go-getter atmosphere. This, in turn, pumped me up even more for this 4K weekend. Before I had realized, the city of Baltimore grew along the horizon and Key Highway beckoned us.

After a quick swing into Race Pace, which had exceptional service yet again, and a few wrong turns trying to park, we were checking into Springhill Suites by the Marriott. The hotel has a nice charm to it: old U.S. Mail chutes line the halls, seeping a timeless essence throughout the building's infrastructure.

The view from the harbor.

Once settled in, we took a walk down to the harbor. I must admit-- the harbor surprised me. It was up-beat and reminded me of the NYC Seaport, a sufficient answer to my typical "What in the world does Baltimore have to offer?" complaint. What surprised me the most was the Baltimore World Trade Center Memorial. I didn't expect such an extensive memorial outside of D.C. and NYC. The memorial is built so that on every September 11th, the shadow of the structures align to highlight events of that fateful day in chronological order:

Steel from the 9-11 wreckage.

Stones from the Pentagon wreckage.

Pillars for the strength and bravery of Flight 93

 After surveying the harbor, we walked back to the hotel and prepared for the 4K Kick-off Dinner. Leaving early enough to account for getting lost--which we did do successfully--we arrived precisely on time to the University of Maryland Baltimore County University Center Ballroom. At first I was surprised at the sheer number of people present. I forcefully faced the fact that I was now apart of something much larger than myself. But I still did not comprehend what I was about to embark on.

The speakers of the night, like Brian Satola, COO of the Ulman Cancer Fund, reminded us to put the challenges that we are going to face "in perspective," warned us of the sorrows and joys of the road ahead, and focused on the passion and energy that sustains The 4K for Cancer program and its riders.

With each passing minute I grew increasingly more nervous, and simultaneously more excited. I questioned, "What have I gotten myself into?" Doubts (an inevitable weakness) flooded my mind. I was left pondering the journey ahead and the impact it will have on my life.

I failed to realize that such impacts, benevolent and graceful, were already at work. Much to my surprise, Dana Rampulla, fellow Staten Island Technical High School Alumnus and the accidental facilitator of my 4K for Cancer experience, was in attendance and introduced herself to me without a moment's hesitation. Distilling all fears and doubts (and helping to calm my mother's nerves, which were at a peak by this point), we recognized another great coincidence: there is another Staten Island Tech Alumnus participating in the 4K. Marilyn Stasinopoulos (check out her 4K Blog here), who I had heard of but never officially met, is riding with Team San Francisco this summer. After conversing over the new "Team Tech," I left the dinner more assured of my future within the 4K for Cancer community.

Despite the fact that the clock runs late here while tomorrow's 6:30 am alarm hangs ominously over my head, I can't help but fidget. I don't know what to do with myself. I'm a ball of energy, anxiety, joy, and apprehension. I'm a tired insomniac, occupied by thoughts of the future, aimless to-dos, and potentials for growth. I just want to go already. That now-or-never feeling is beginning to tickle my spine and ignite my imagination. I just have to get through tomorrow's training.

What a summer this is going to be!

Waiting Anxiously,

James

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog so all the updates can land in your inbox!

5 Days and Counting...

In 5 days I will be setting off to begin this summer's journey. I can hardly believe it's already May 22nd, and I haven't yet wrapped my head around the fact that I will be literally cycling across the country. It feels surreal.

I don't even know what to say.

Am I excited? Definitely, but not as excited as I should be. I can tell you now, I will laying down in bed in Baltimore on Saturday night and right then, at that moment, the scope of this adventure will come crashing into my consciousness--and I won't snag a wink of sleep.


Am I nervous? No, but I probably should be a little bit of that too. I'm sure nervousness will join excited in revelry on Saturday night.

What's left? I would like to get one long ride in before departure, and give my legs a well deserved rest before Sunday. All that's left to do is pack and run some errands, picking up a few last minute things for the trip.

Fun Fundraising News

To-date we have raised $4,756! I'd like to take a moment to thank Bill & Kim, Ralph & Laura F., Nicole F., and Charles O. for their generosity. It is very much appreciated!

And a special thanks to Lena S. for her tip about Maria Tollock's essay on the 4K mission! I encourage you to check out her adorable write-up.


Keep in touch this weekend--it's sure to be update-filled. I will launch the Latitude Map on Friday so you can see my whereabouts along the route. Starting Friday I will also be posting blogs daily, so SUBSCRIBE TO EMAIL UPDATES! (you can do that in the top right hand side of this page).
The days are counting down quickly...

'Til Next Time,

James
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photo credit: Team Traveller via photo pin cc

WE DID IT: Breaking the $4,500 Barrier!

This post has been coming for a long time...
...and I apologize for the delay.

One wonderful thing keeping me going this final's week (which has been a long one, believe me) is watching the progress bar tick up towards the $4,500 minimum. Packing and studying were tired and draining. However, last night I arrived home and happily reported that

The $4,500 minimum has been reached!

WE DID IT!

I remember thinking last November "how am I ever going to raise $5,000? What if I never make it to the $4,500? What if I fail and I can't get a spot on the ride and all my effort and funds go to waste?" I was scared. I didn't know what I was doing--I had never fundraised before and I didn't know where to begin.

But I made a decision.

I decided to just go for it. I reached out to friends, family, bloggers, fellow riders, those who had been there and those who are going with me. I asked for advice and ideas. I kept moving, innovating, looking for the next step. And sometimes I was overwhelmed. I saw the thousands of dollars left to raise and I thought that it wouldn't be possible to close gap. I felt that I was headed right towards where I was afraid to go: failure.

I didn't enjoy this mindset, it went directly against my push to be positive and seize opportunities. I tried to think ahead, telling myself "I'm not sure how I will get there, but I will."

And now, seemingly in the blink of an eye, I'm here. The burden's been lifted, we're over the $4,500 mark, and whether we make it to $5,000 or not I will be setting out from Baltimore on May 27th. I can accept that.

But, I'm only here because of you and I will never forget that. Thank you everyone, especially those who have recently joined the mission: Bonni R., Amelia T., Jennifer Y., Arthur O., Meagan K., Marissa B., Alicia S., the Defalco family, Daris F., Amal M., Julio M., Steve E., Tim B., AU Methodists, Robert C., Noelle M., Anita M., Kevin B., Tiffany C., Barbara L., and Damianos T. I would not have reached this milestone without you.

Now that finals are over and the academic year has come to a close (I'm still trying to find out where the time went) I can focus on training, packing, and fundraising more than ever before. I'm very excited to continue full steam ahead.

Take a moment to appreciate how far we come and anticipate where we're headed. It's thrilling, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

We'll Be In Touch,

James

P.S. Check out what's been going on at the 4k headquarters: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150773269646687

Meet The Chariot...

She's home! I drove to Baltimore to pick up the Beautiful Felt Z-100 from Race Pace today! This is the bike that will carry me over 4,000 miles across the country.




Today was a fun day as I had to opportunity to do something I don't always have a chance to do--drive through the DC-Baltimore area. I left this morning from Tenley Campus in a candy-blue Ford Focus Zipcar (not the most flattering color but hey, the car was functional). A little apprehensive about my first time driving in the Baltimore-DC area, especially in a rented car, I feared the drivers would be agressive and rude. As it turns out, that's only back in my good ol' hometown, Staten Island. Apparently learning to drive in NYC will enable you to drive in most environments.

Google maps lead the way out of the district and onto the highway. After missing a left off of I-95 and surviving the agonizing speed limit laws that exist in DC, I finally made it to Race Pace. This awesome bike shop, which cannot be missed off of Key Highway, was welcoming, friendly, and extremely helpful. The guys there got me set up in no time. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience and I highly recommend them for any cycling need. In the end, Zipcar got me where I needed to go; reservation was easy, and the car was clean, functional, and equipped with all the plugs needed for an A/V input (the iPod was blasting the whole trip). You can even Join Zipcar and get $25 in free driving (which I highly recommend if you're a college student or city dweller).

The next task, besides reaching the $4,500 minimum and eventually the $5,000 goal, is learning how to use the clip-in shoe-cleat-pedal system. Race Pace was kind enough to show me how to use it there and allow me to practice some, but the real test will be making it functional on the road. I'm humbly preparing for the rite-of-passage zero-mph fall (*gulp).

It was an adventurous day, and it has only increased my excitement for this summer. Having the bike makes the journey all the more real. There is truly nothing greater than seeing hard work and dreams come to fruition.

I wholly acknowledge that I would not be where I am without YOU and your support (and the patience of a few very special people). So once again I extend my thanks and gratitude.

Also, a big THANK YOU to Fortune M. for her generous donation. We are faithfully climbing towards the $3,000 mark.

Lastly, do you have any recommendations for a name for the bike?

More updates will be posted later this week!

Keep In-Touch,
James

HALF-WAY THERE!

Guess what...

We've Reached the Half-Way Mark!
that's right, we have raised a total of $2,545!


So, naturally, I would like to take a moment to thank the awesome people who have helped us get this far:


The CWA: Local 1101
Tom & Donna O.
Allison L.
Sandy & Manuel M.
Lynette & Anthony F.
Anonymous

Now, we still have more fund-raising work ahead of us. We need to raise a minimum of $1,955.
But I assure you, this is attainable. As always, I will need YOUR help to get there. Tell your friends, tell your family, and spread the word.

Take a moment to send this link to a friend hasn't heard of the 4k for Cancer...go!

I have some exciting updates in the works, I'm excited to announce them and hope that I will be able to soon.
Check back for another post this Saturday.

'Til then, Keep On Riding,
James