Days 8-12

I’m just going to start with the notable days on the trip. Wifi hasn’t been the best and when it has I’ve had late nights fixing bikes and too tired to actually blog to everyone at home.

Blacksburg to Chillhowie, VA Day 8

-          This day was our group’s first century ride (100 miles or more). The route took us 109 miles through the mountains and over 3 huge climbs. I was looking forward to it but was on van duty that day so I was on the food support for the day. We had a couple major incidents go down. Rachel fell over early in the day while not moving and was taken to the hospital for what seemed was a dislocated shoulder. She turned out fine after the hospital. The other one was Landis who took a spill while riding too close to the person in front and ended up bruising her knees bad but luckily only a sprain and she’ll be out for a week. The last rider got in at the host around 8:45 at night and left that morning at 7:15. Yeah…. Do the math on that one. It was probably the hardest 100+ mile ride I have ever seen and I’m very proud of my teammates for pushing through it. A lot of people had pain/soreness/injury after that one.

So far we are living quite well on this trip. A shower almost every day with the other days using a sink to wash yourself and/or clothes. Dr. Bronner’s is working out wonderfully.

 

Chillhowie to Kingsport, TN Day 9

This was only about a 60 mile ride. Some hills to climb but I was on some fresh legs so I felt great all day. My teammates were struggling after the century but we all pulled through.

Kingsport, TN to Asheville, NC Day 10

THE HARDEST CYCLING DAY I HAVE EVER DONE.

Climbs on climbs on climbs. 85 miles of hell. Literally the worst and most painful but beautiful roads I have ever been on. We had stretches of steep 3 mile climbs and one 6 mile climb to the border of North Carolina. Holden, Katie, and I were in a group for the day and we all did well. We all seemed to climb at about the same pace. Holden was keeping me alive shouting up the mountains. The feral dogs were loose like some of the previous days and we had to fight them off with water bottle sprays (yes this is a real thing). Max speed on the day hit a whopping 49.6 mph. We all thought we were going to die on those mountains. It really taught me that teamwork is everything on this trip and without these other amazing people side by side with me I would have never made it off those hills. I thought of a lot of people on this day. My buddy Mike Empey shouting “can’t stop won’t stop” up those hills in that marathon we did. I also just thought about all the people who donated to my ride across the country and helped me on this journey across the country. When even the locals we talked to said we weren’t going to make it. “Awww son you kids ain’t making it to Asheville today” (Heavy southern accent hahaha) I found that extra strength to keep going on the mountains and kicked some Tennessee ass.

 

Asheville, NC to Newport, TN Day 11

The legs were sore today but we made it. Only about 67 miles. Yea “ONLY”. We had a few hills but nothing huge and crazy like going to Asheville. A lot of nice down hills descending out of the Smoky Mountains and I hit a top speed of 51.9mph. Almost a new record for me but I had to brake for the Impala in front of me. We rolled into the Hot Springs in NC and had some snacks and bought a ton of stickers for the bikes at the Appalachian trail store nearby. We had a fun time after lunch with a nice 20 mile downhill/flat ride for the first time since the trip started.

FOOD: We are eating like kings on this trip. No one had home be worried. Peanut Butter is becoming like currency around here. It’s used on everything and cherished more than most items. People have been so generous. A woman in Blacksburg in VT area saw 5 of us chilling at a bar drinking and offered to pick up our tab of $85. It is amazing to me how many people we talk to are affected by cancer and really love what we are doing. The generosity so far from random strangers for food and donations has been amazing.

 

Mechanic Duties: So far so good. I am getting really good at adjusting derailleurs and fixing spokes. A couple people have actually bought new wheels because they have bent the frame of their wheels. I’m trying to be proactive on the bikes but with 31 of us I can’t do it all. People are starting to get better at cleaning their bikes which definitely helps me out because I have to fix things less. A clean bike is a happy bike.

 

Hosts: The hosts have all been churches so far and all been really amazing. We are sleeping wherever there is floor space and they have fed us huge amounts for dinner and breakfast every night. A lot of the hosts have hosted teams in the past and know a about us and love sharing their own stories with cancer. It’s been great getting to know all of them.

The Team: They are like family. That is all :)

We ride into Knoxville, TN tomorrow and stay for an extra service day. I am really excited and I can’t wait for some Southern BBQ.

 

MAIL DROP:

The next mail drop we have is July 1st. If you would like to send me anything or just a note of love please feel free. It really is nice hearing from people from home. 

1841 North Rock Rd/CT Suite 100.

Wichita, KS 67206

Here is my 4k For Cancer page: 4kforcancer.org/profiles/adam-wedekind