Day 8, January 12, 2002
JEFF'S
UPDATE
Today was a great day for me, and we reached our goal of getting to Van Horn Texas consistent with our schedule! I finally got a decent night sleep and hence felt strong about riding. Kevin and I rode 147 miles/237 kms at a pace of over 20 miles per hour on the bike. I will say however my butt is seriously sore and all I can say is thank goodness for Advil!!
We left El Paso and rode through first some flat farmland and then climbed 4,700 feet to the Texas highlands under sunny but cold conditions.
Two highlights of the ride was seeing a magnificent hawk that seemed to fly with us for sometime, and coming across some wild horses in the middle of the Texas countryside. Sometimes it is the simple things in life that give you the most pleasure.
I was inspired during my ride thinking about Norm Beznoska who successfully battled cancer that spread to several parts of his body. I encourage you to read the great dedication his father wrote about his son. I worked with his father in my recent past and he is one of the nicest people you could ever meet.
Tomorrow we have another long mileage day with quite a bit of climbing [our last big climb of the trip!] We look to all of your good wishes to give us the energy to complete our ride!
Brooklyn, Skylar, and Diane I miss you very much and look forward to seeing you later this month at our finish in Florida. Jeff
KEVIN'S UPDATE
Mentally today was the toughest day of the trip for me. I was aware of every grueling minute on the bike. I wasn't tired physically but mentally I found the 237 kms tough. My saddle sores also made me feel that I was riding on glass the whole time but this is a small discomfort compared to the pain and discomfort that anyone with cancer has had to endure. I think El Paso was difficult because it was a huge urban sprawl that was difficult to get around on bikes, especially with a bike RV following you!
Looking forward to two big 230 km + days coming up. Have a good weekend and I hope we are inspiring you to do something active!!
Andrew & Jonathan: I love you, eat your dinner, and be nice to your mother!!
Kevin