Today was supposed to be a simple 59 mile ride. We must have done closer to 75, and though it wasn't as hilly as our unintended century from yesterday, it wasn't flat either. Hence, my legs are sore, again.
But today was a great day nonetheless. The weather was beautiful; sunny and not too hot. The route was beautiful too. The rolling hills of PA were alive and green, dotted by farms, cows, and barns. The clouds had cast shadows over the mountains in a picturesque manner.
We rode through small towns on smooth black roads, climbed small hill and descended smoothly. The day seemed to roll along with our spokes. But confusion lead to wrong turns and realtime changes to the route added miles to an already sore group of riders. Towards the end we climbed steep hills and had to make a quick detour onto the highway before reaching our host: a local YMCA.
Tired and sore, hungry and frustrated, we made it. We always do. That's what I like best about days on the 4K: you always prove yourself wrong. The "I can'ts" and "impossibles" fade away, for everyone. We cheer each other on, we lush forward pedal by pedal--and we make it.
Murphy's Law still rules the ride (whatever can go wrong will go wrong) but I suspect that this will subside a little after we're all use to routine after these two weeks. Tomorrow is a much needed service day, which will give the whole team a much needed break from our bikes (and our saddle sores).
I'm excited to spend the next 24 hours in Ithaca and check out this city, which is a great break from rural PA (not that rural PA isn't great, I'm just a biased city boy by heart). We'll be scrounging for food donations for the next three meals. How generous will Ithaca be? Only time will tell.
'till tomorrow,
James
-------
Today is dedicated to the Toth family, who we learned about in Mansfield,PA. Their 18 year-old son and 12 year-old daughter are both battling cancer. Stay strong!
Thursday, May 31
Wednesday, May 30
A Ferocious Day Four
Getting up at 4am was a shock to my system. I didn't actually feel right until we got moving on the bikes early this morning (which was later than we had wanted). On top of that, the ride to Mansfield turned out to be full of long, rolling hills. There were a good 15 or so miles that were flat where the path followed along the river, but the rest of the ride was mountainous. The original 87 mile route gained a difficult, hilly extra 8 miles due to a bridge detour. If you add in my group's mistake of getting lost (which cost us about another 10 miles), I rode my first century. Also, one of my team members calculated our ascent and descent: 7,000 and 6,000 feet, respectively.
That explains why I can barely feel my legs right about now. Everything is sore, my whole body is tired, but I did it, I completed the day. This wouldn't have happened without the amazing support of the team. I am impressed with them more and more every day. We ALL struggled, but we all finished the day, met the host, and enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment that comes with cycling 100 miles.
The day was not without its usual incidences. Besides getting lost, I knocked the chain off my bike while shifting about 3 times, and had to walk up (along with most of the team) a few hills that were either too steep, too long, or just too grand for my weary self to handle. Abe and Callie helped me to quickly regain miles as we sought to make up for the gap that had been created by us getting lost. We drafted, with me riding between them, covering a lot of (hilly) ground quickly, eventually catching up to the others.
Looking back on the day, it was fun and worthwhile, but also a challenge that may have come too soon for a team still in their first week riding. I'm glad that I got to have a taste of some mountainous terrain (the Rockies will be MUCH worse) and completing my first century. and I learned a very important cycling rule: All hills that go up must go down, and descending on a hill is awesome. For instance, we descended today toward Mansfield on a 3 mile stretch. It was fantastic and gave me the strength I needed to plow through the last 10 or so miles to the host location.
Tomorrow's ride to Ithaca is nearly half of what we rode today (59ish) and less hilly. The general consensus is that tomorrow will be an easier, more enjoyable ride for our sore quads and calves. As a plus, we don't have to get up until 7:15 tomorrow so I have some much needed extra sleeping hours.
I will never forget today, the challenges it posed, and the fact that with support we saw it through safely and successfully. You have more strength than you know.
Stay Safe,
James
-------------------
Today, the most difficult one thus far, is dedicated to my grandmother, Kay Schwabacher.
P.S. I apologize in advance for any mistypes, I can barely keep my eyes focused at this point in time.
That explains why I can barely feel my legs right about now. Everything is sore, my whole body is tired, but I did it, I completed the day. This wouldn't have happened without the amazing support of the team. I am impressed with them more and more every day. We ALL struggled, but we all finished the day, met the host, and enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment that comes with cycling 100 miles.
The day was not without its usual incidences. Besides getting lost, I knocked the chain off my bike while shifting about 3 times, and had to walk up (along with most of the team) a few hills that were either too steep, too long, or just too grand for my weary self to handle. Abe and Callie helped me to quickly regain miles as we sought to make up for the gap that had been created by us getting lost. We drafted, with me riding between them, covering a lot of (hilly) ground quickly, eventually catching up to the others.
Looking back on the day, it was fun and worthwhile, but also a challenge that may have come too soon for a team still in their first week riding. I'm glad that I got to have a taste of some mountainous terrain (the Rockies will be MUCH worse) and completing my first century. and I learned a very important cycling rule: All hills that go up must go down, and descending on a hill is awesome. For instance, we descended today toward Mansfield on a 3 mile stretch. It was fantastic and gave me the strength I needed to plow through the last 10 or so miles to the host location.
Tomorrow's ride to Ithaca is nearly half of what we rode today (59ish) and less hilly. The general consensus is that tomorrow will be an easier, more enjoyable ride for our sore quads and calves. As a plus, we don't have to get up until 7:15 tomorrow so I have some much needed extra sleeping hours.
I will never forget today, the challenges it posed, and the fact that with support we saw it through safely and successfully. You have more strength than you know.
Stay Safe,
James
-------------------
Today, the most difficult one thus far, is dedicated to my grandmother, Kay Schwabacher.
P.S. I apologize in advance for any mistypes, I can barely keep my eyes focused at this point in time.
Tuesday, May 29
The Law of Three (Day Three)
After getting 4 hours of sleep last night I was exhausted. I woke up hard, feeling stiff like I had been hit by a truck. Luckily, it was my designated day to run the van, and integral part of the team. Vans provide water and technical support, secure food donations, and mark paths. The van drivers must keep track of each group, their whereabouts, and the whereabouts of the other van,
Today I was passenger in the food van with Dave. After checking to make sure that we left our previous--and wonderful--host location clean and tidy, we drove off. We first stopped at Walmart, where we were turned down and redirected to an online grant application. Our goal was to secure food donations for lunch and some necessary items, like chalk for marking paths and an additional water cooler.
Defeated at Walmart, we continued out of Lykens, eventually pulling into a Subway not far off the rider's route. The woman was kind and offered us four free 6" subs, which we thank fully accepted. However, this wasn't enough food to feed 30 hungry cyclists.
So on we continued, until we reached a Dollar General store. The young woman working the front register said that the corporation restricted her from offering donations. I implored if she knew of any places int he area where we might be successful. She gladly suggested a Giant located just up the road. We thanked her and headed on that way.
Giant turned out to be successful, offering us $20 worth of items, which we spent on chalk, trial mix, and nutella (at the team's frequent request). Next to the Giant was a Rite-Aid, which we entered not expecting much. Yet we were proved wrong when the store manager willing offered up two cases of water and 10 large bottle of Powerade. We were on a roll!
Attempting another Subway located next to the Rite-Aid, I left my number and name to await for the manager to arrive. It was still before 10! Across the lot we entered McDonalds, where a very friendly manager told us to return at 10:30 AM. Stolked, we drove ahead to drop off some of our goods to the water van and thirsty riders.
Before the end of the day, we had acquired 30 subs from an awesome Sheetz stop and $20 worth of dollar menu items from the McDonalds that told us to return later. It was a very successful, happy day, and the riders did fantastic, making great speed. We arrived to the host early and safe.
But the host is the best part. Here at Susquehanna University, we have beds, showers, a pool, and LAUNDRY. It's the little things that matter. And to top it all off, we had an amazing community dinner and food for breakfast.
So I'm tired, and that's why I'm cutting this blog post short, and that's why there's probably a million typos. I apologize. Tomorrow I will be riding the toughest day yet--87 miles with a total of 8 climbs.
Up, Up to Mansfield, PA
James
------------------------------------------------
Today was dedicated to my grandfather, Charles O. a cancer survivor.
Today I was passenger in the food van with Dave. After checking to make sure that we left our previous--and wonderful--host location clean and tidy, we drove off. We first stopped at Walmart, where we were turned down and redirected to an online grant application. Our goal was to secure food donations for lunch and some necessary items, like chalk for marking paths and an additional water cooler.
Defeated at Walmart, we continued out of Lykens, eventually pulling into a Subway not far off the rider's route. The woman was kind and offered us four free 6" subs, which we thank fully accepted. However, this wasn't enough food to feed 30 hungry cyclists.
So on we continued, until we reached a Dollar General store. The young woman working the front register said that the corporation restricted her from offering donations. I implored if she knew of any places int he area where we might be successful. She gladly suggested a Giant located just up the road. We thanked her and headed on that way.
Giant turned out to be successful, offering us $20 worth of items, which we spent on chalk, trial mix, and nutella (at the team's frequent request). Next to the Giant was a Rite-Aid, which we entered not expecting much. Yet we were proved wrong when the store manager willing offered up two cases of water and 10 large bottle of Powerade. We were on a roll!
Attempting another Subway located next to the Rite-Aid, I left my number and name to await for the manager to arrive. It was still before 10! Across the lot we entered McDonalds, where a very friendly manager told us to return at 10:30 AM. Stolked, we drove ahead to drop off some of our goods to the water van and thirsty riders.
Before the end of the day, we had acquired 30 subs from an awesome Sheetz stop and $20 worth of dollar menu items from the McDonalds that told us to return later. It was a very successful, happy day, and the riders did fantastic, making great speed. We arrived to the host early and safe.
But the host is the best part. Here at Susquehanna University, we have beds, showers, a pool, and LAUNDRY. It's the little things that matter. And to top it all off, we had an amazing community dinner and food for breakfast.
So I'm tired, and that's why I'm cutting this blog post short, and that's why there's probably a million typos. I apologize. Tomorrow I will be riding the toughest day yet--87 miles with a total of 8 climbs.
Up, Up to Mansfield, PA
James
------------------------------------------------
Today was dedicated to my grandfather, Charles O. a cancer survivor.
Monday, May 28
A Tumultuous Day Two
My legs are throbbing right now. But Tiger Balm is a life saver.
Today turned out to be much tougher than I had expected. First off, the actual route turned out to be much longer than originally noted, a total of 71 miles. Now factor in the rolling hills of PA, and it feels much longer. Throw in a few wrong turns, a flat tire, and a high of 91 degrees, and you have a very tough ride ahead of you. In the end, my group went the distance--too far. We went over 13 miles in the wrong direction, leading to us getting picked up by the support van at about 6:30- so we wouldn't meed dinner and showers. We were, unfortunately, too far out and too tired to retrace our tracks.
It was a really rough day for everyone, but looking back it's clear to see that it was also a great day. With every sweaty-thigh busting up hill pedal came a beautifully refreshing downhill descent. It saw some beautiful country side, refreshed in a brook, and learned that I can push myself farther than I ever thought I could.
I'm proud of my team and how they supported one another today. The more time I spend with Team Seattle the more I realize how great and impressive they are--as individuals and as a whole.
I'm also learning a lot about the generosity and goodness of others. I've seen people give away showers, cook us great food, offer us their showers and their space. Cycling through PA today we came across a parade. While it was frustrating that the parade blocked our path, some wonderful firemen offered us ice-cold water, just what we needed to lift our spirits. We've been cheered on the streets and told to carry on. People stop us, congratulate us, encourage us, and share their own stories. I am not only seeing the country, I'm meeting its people.
I'm truly humbled by the path before me and the people riding beside me.
------------------------------------------------
Today was dedicated to my Pedal Pal, Beth, a cancer survivor.
On Wards & Westward,
James
Today turned out to be much tougher than I had expected. First off, the actual route turned out to be much longer than originally noted, a total of 71 miles. Now factor in the rolling hills of PA, and it feels much longer. Throw in a few wrong turns, a flat tire, and a high of 91 degrees, and you have a very tough ride ahead of you. In the end, my group went the distance--too far. We went over 13 miles in the wrong direction, leading to us getting picked up by the support van at about 6:30- so we wouldn't meed dinner and showers. We were, unfortunately, too far out and too tired to retrace our tracks.
It was a really rough day for everyone, but looking back it's clear to see that it was also a great day. With every sweaty-thigh busting up hill pedal came a beautifully refreshing downhill descent. It saw some beautiful country side, refreshed in a brook, and learned that I can push myself farther than I ever thought I could.
I'm proud of my team and how they supported one another today. The more time I spend with Team Seattle the more I realize how great and impressive they are--as individuals and as a whole.
I'm also learning a lot about the generosity and goodness of others. I've seen people give away showers, cook us great food, offer us their showers and their space. Cycling through PA today we came across a parade. While it was frustrating that the parade blocked our path, some wonderful firemen offered us ice-cold water, just what we needed to lift our spirits. We've been cheered on the streets and told to carry on. People stop us, congratulate us, encourage us, and share their own stories. I am not only seeing the country, I'm meeting its people.
I'm truly humbled by the path before me and the people riding beside me.
------------------------------------------------
Today was dedicated to my Pedal Pal, Beth, a cancer survivor.
On Wards & Westward,
James
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?
------
Today’s ride was dedicated to my father, a cancer survivor,
and my great-grandfather, Ciro Apicella.
Sweet Dreams and Safe Journeys,
James
Saturday, May 26
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:
Here it goes.
-James
- 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.
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.
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 |
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
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