D173 - Killed the Cow

Well I didn't kill the cow, but I did find a lot of bones on a farm in Walsh Colorado. After doing a little research online this bone is part of the neck bones on a not so big cow. For some reason we were swarmed with flies once I found the bones and stacked them on the RV.

Enjoy

Ja mata, Brian

D172 - Priorities

So the blog went silent for a few days, between looking for a WI-FI signal everywhere we went to have a few issues with the laptop it was getting harder to edit the images and post them. But ultimately, the focus was on helping the team complete the race so the blog had to take a back seat. Now that I'm home with a day to recover I can post the images, since it's not as if I didn't take pictures everyday. Back to June 20th, we were in Kansas, that was a tough portion of the course. In addition to being over 110 degrees outside there were some vicious cross winds coming in over 30 miles per hour. With the flat lands the riders had a hard time keeping the bikes from being pushed out onto the road from the shoulder. They made it through in good time, but no one wants to do that portion again. A few crew members and myself were sent to make a laundry run in the morning. We came across a small laundry mat that was retro fitted into an old service station in Eureka, Kansas. The owner was very nice and had a small dog that begged for attention, so of course she received a photo. More to come in the following days.

Enjoy Eureka!

Ja mata, Brian

D171 - Non City Sights

Another very cool part of this journey is that we get to see things we might not see in our own backyard. From technical advances, like wind farms, to the absence of light at night. The last two images are the good side to be unplugged with a camera. Just a reminder to always take a moment to slowdown and not take what you see for granted.

Enjoy.

Ja mata, Brian

D170 - RAAM - Unplugged

There is no shortage of photo opportunities on this journey. I am actually finding I could use a few extra memory cards, additional camera bodies, and my own Wi-Fi network.  Yesterday we fell onto a cellular dead zone that was so big you could call it a graveyard. The service interruption was severe enough to have us imitating the old Verizon 'Can you hear me now' commercials. As funny as that might sound, it was a logistic headache that had us counting miles and estimating rider speed. We did this to give the resting rider group as much downtime as possible before they start their shift on two wheels. Now we are out of the mountains and into the flat lands so I finally have enough signal strength to upload my photo of the day. The photo is from Utah, just outside of the Valley of Monuments, hours before sunrise. Driving through was an experience of a lifetime.
Enjoy, Brian

D169 [RAAM] The Race is On

After a year of training, dieting, and planing to the 10th degree the race has started. Time passed incredibly slow in the hours and minutes leading up to the official start for team Ohio Cycle Works Charities, but now we can all feel the seconds ticking away. 

Today, I was in the runner vehicle which means we run ahead of the riders and support vehicles to get supplies, food, errands, and laundry for everyone. The positive side of this is we get to see the course the riders will eventually ride and can provide feedback. Also, as the riders need specific items, we can pick them up and do a hand-off with the support vehicles if needed. With no request from the riders or support teams we headed out to our destination, Prescott Arizona. Shortly after we were underway we hit the desert, and that is about the time we realized we forgot to stock up on water and snacks for our vehicle. Well it really sunk in once we noticed the temperature outside the car had hit 100 degrees, but we stopped briefly to rectify the situation and continued on our way. Some sights from our travels today:

Ja mata, Brian

D167 - [RAAM] The Gathering

Most of the team has made it to California with a good amount travel hiccups. From cancelled flights, delayed flights that cause missed flights, change of airports, and realizing that San Diego Airport has two terminals when pickup up team members it was an adventure. Today was a long day, but short, I'm sure, in comparison to the days to follow. For those reading, you can follow our progress, though my eyes as a crew member at least, on this blog. Also, at the RAAM website to see the status of our team Ohio CycleWorks Charities, and info. In the coming days I will also post links to more blogs to follow our progress. Tonight's images are photos of one of the support vehicles with it's fancy decals attached. Speaking of support, it is not too late to donate to the cause, just $5 to help us achieve our goal of 100K. If you already have donated 'Thank you!' but want to help spread the word you can re-post this link on Facebook or Twitter. If social media can make Rage Against Machine's song 'Killing in the Name' the #1 Christmas song of 2009 in the UK, then it can surely help raise 100K for Akron Children's Hospital. Helping is only 2 click away!

Enjoy.

The last image is one of the airport cell phone lot, as we spent a bit of time there waiting on those flight delays, including mine.

Ja mata, Brian

D158 - Cyclist & Ohio Cycle Works Charities

Getting ready to head home and I see cyclist racing by, perfect for a photo of the day. Especially since RAAM is coming up in a week and a few days. Our team and crew, Ohio Cycle Works Charities, will start in Oceanside California making our way to Annapolis Maryland. Keep your eyes on the blog for posts from the road. Also be sure to check our site Ohio Cycle Works Charities for more information about the cyclist, our mission to raise awareness and funds [$100K] for children in need via the Akron Children's Hospital, and to donate to the cause. With the power of social media [Facebook & twitter] and everyone's networks spreading the word we could more than hit the goal. Think of it like this, if we could get 1 person for each of the miles of the race (3,000 from CA to MD) to donate $11, we would blow the remainder of our goal out of the water!  Now that be a feat that would surely put smiles on the faces of the kids at the Hospital. Or 6k people at $6 each, which is not impossible, just takes a little bit of work to get there and you’re only missing out on one Coffee. The minimum to donate is $5 via the site: Ohio Cycle Works Charities, spread the word!

Enjoy,

Ja mata,   Brian

D138 - Run!

Coming to a street near you, some guy running for no apparent reason, with no actual destination planned out. No, this isn't Forrest Gump, he had Red Nikes and I'm rocking Asics. Also I am not running across the country...yet, still have a month to go before that happens. This is just steps in another journey.

Laced up and ready to move towards my runners high.

Enjoy.

Ja mata, Brian **The origin of the motivation is not as important as what you do with it. **

D45 - Pushing On

Some days it's harder than others. Sara knows this all too well when she first started trying to ride her bike. Some days she would hop on and only make it a few feet before declaring the bike didn't work, frowning and sitting on the curb determined not to look at it. Other days, she would go for 15 minutes, then ask to ride on my back all the way home.

On a larger scale, the Ohio CycleWorks Charities team will be going through tough days as well. Even with the snow, they have to stick to their Regiment to be ready for Race Across America [RAAM] this coming June. But once you get past the pain you have the success, and nothing makes the pain less than support and encouragement. So 'like' the facebook page, follow them on twitter, and donate on the webpage, it's a great cause! The while team is motivated and accepting of the challenge, there is nothing like a push of support to help nullify the pain of training.

Plan your work, Work your plan.

Enjoy.

Ja mata,
Brian

D4 - In Flight + Race Across America!

I love to travel, anywhere and everywhere. And speaking of going places, I am now a staff member for a Race Across America [RAAM] team, Ohio CycleWorks Charity. Here is a link to the team webpage: Ohio CycleWorks Charities , their goal is to raise funds for Akron Children's Hospital. RAAM is a bike race (Not a tour!) from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland within a max of nine days where most finish within seven (I can barley believe it!). In addition to being a part of the staff, I will also document the progress of the team during the race via my blog with images and video.  I am very excited to be a part of this incredible opportunity of endurance and determination that will, in the end be used to donate to Akron Children's Hospital.

Check out the site Ohio CycleWorks Charities to learn more about the race and to donate to the cause, and check out the images on the site as well!

So why the plane? Well, I will need to hop on a plane to get to the start of the race.

Ja mata,
Brian