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From Denver to Denver: Part II
By EPHRATA REVIEW
Ephrata Review
Published: Jun 19, 2008 11:42 AM EST
DENVER - Denver2Denver, Inc., an organization dedicated to supporting the fight
to cure cancer, has sent founder and Cocalico High School graduate Chet
Andes on a 2,000 mile bike ride from Denver, Colo. to Denver, Pa. Recently
Chet Andes' family has been greatly impacted by this disease. Andes has
been training with Optimize Endurance Services for over a year in
preparation to embark on this journey. Through fundraising efforts and this
bike ride, raise $100,000 in donations for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
This following is a condensed version of the blog that is updated daily by
Andes that can be viewed in full detail on www.Denver2Denver.org with
photos.
.500
.500Wednesday, June 11
.500A big
congratulations to my Mother. She has just completed her checkup and is one
full year cancer free. She will be joining the support crew tomorrow. Today
pitted the dreaded winds of the Nebraska farmlands against a 15-pound bike
and 160-pound rider. The battle raged for nearly six hours and covered 100
miles. The wind attacked first, out of Hastings, Neb. with a fierce steady
onslaught of 25-35 mph. The attack came from the south, I was heading east.
At times the gusts were greater than 35 mph, maybe getting into the low
40s. It never stopped, but I continued to pedal, sideways mind you, at a
steady clip of 15-17 mph. The road was flat and straight, and I could have
gone faster, but the wind...
.500Thursday, June 12
.500We
made a slight change in our schedule today, for a couple of reasons, we had
a rough night last night with the tornado, not resting well and losing some
sleep over the whole ordeal while we stayed in a motel. Our route took us
pretty far south of Omaha and my mother was flying in around lunch time.
After a quick breakfast, I hopped on the bike and rode 50 miles to
Plattesmouth, Neb. The road turned to highway, so I joined the support crew
in the RV for a ride to the airport to pick up our additional personnel. We
made a group decision, with time a big factor, to drive just northeast of
Griswold (our stopping town) and stay at a state park (Lake Anita) for the
night. I am used to a nice dry climate in Colorado ...
.500Friday,
June 13, 2008
.500Rolled into Indianola this afternoon. We had a
warm reception from the media and the Chamber of Commerce. They helped us
get setup with a place to stay and showed my support crew the local fine
dining options. Friday the 13th turned out to be pretty lucky as the town
is hosting a Relay for Life event tonight. We graciously volunteered to
help with the event in any capacity that they needed. What a great way to
combine the forces of two of the strongest organizations dedicated to
fighting cancer.
I had a pretty hilly day today, nothing like the
passes of Colorado, but never ending just the same. It was one big roller
coaster of climbs, descents and flats. We completed just under 80 miles
(79.62) since our little detour to Anita Lake. It was worth it, the lake
was fantastic.
.500Saturday, June 14
.500We were all set to
travel from Indianola to Oskaloosa today on Route 92. At the Relay for Life
last evening we were informed that the road would be closed both on the
east and west side of town due to the flooding. We only rode about 22 miles
today until we were detoured north around Knoxville. The detour took us on
the Interstate so my riding was done for the day. We tried to stay at one
of the state parks but it was full, so here we are at another Wal-Mart. We
had to be a bit more flexible due to the bad weather, and unrideable roads.
I never factored in the fact that we would be encountering a 500-year flood
and the roads would be underwater. I guess I could have brought a
Kayak!
Last night was filled with hope and inspiration. We
volunteered for the Relay for Life. My mom was able to walk in the
survivors walk. We filled luminaries and placed them around the track in
honor of, or in memory of those with cancer. There were enough to line the
entire track with only about 2 feet between them. That is a lot of people
to think about, and it goes to show that this cancer business needs to come
to end. I also had an opportunity to say hello to the crowd and tell them
about the project. It's nice to see that the two organizations can really
"unite" to find a cure. I met some really nice people from both the county
and the American Cancer Society. I hope to continue the conversation from
that night into the future and perhaps collaborating on future projects. I
may have also found a teammate for Race Across America, or at least some
friends for Ragbri. A big thank you to the Indianola Chamber of Commerce
for the warm welcome, media coverage and the chance to help out at the
Relay! .500Sunday, June 15
.500We rolled through Oskaloosa to
just outside of Washington. We are staying at Lake Darling State Park. I
enjoyed mostly flat roads today, with a little bit of climbing, but
definitely a ride that I will look back on as enjoyable. Farms and woods,
little traffic and just riding my bike. I did have one section that was
flat, and we stepped it up a bit. I have felt really good working the bike
and heart at around 130 beats per minute and 85-90 rpm's. That usually, on
semi-flat roads, to around 24 mph. We do have one mechanical failure on the
RV. The step that is supposed to extend out when you open the door is
stuck. I think we may need a car wash to clean out some of the
junk.
Tomorrow is a rest day, so hopefully I can take in some good
food and hydration. Lots of naps too. It is Mom's birthday, so pop-pop and
I got a cake and a big 50 for the top. She won't be able to read this, so
we didn't ruin any surprise. We might even sneak in a game of haus tonight.
It's a card game that is pretty popular back home. Well all for now, check
back for more exciting updates.
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