Russ Pedals America

The Dream is not Dead Just Detoured!

2011-11-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

Things have not gone as I would have liked. Job's seem to be very hard to come by. One would think that it wouldn't be that hard to find even a minimum wage job but it is not as easy as it sounds. I have put out scores of online applications and resumes and have yet to get even an acknowledgement. It has been very discouraging. However, I have not given up hope!

I did run the St George Marathon in October but fell well short of my goal to qualify for Boston in 2013. I was only able to do 4:29:03 at St George partly because of the temperature which had reached 82 degrees by the time I finished. Still, I think the best I could have done would have been about a 4:05 finish. I will need a 3:55 to qualify for Boston in 2013, but probably more like a 3:45 to be assured of an actual entry based on the new system of faster runners getting early signup preference. I am planning on trying to qualify again in February while running either Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, CA on Feb 5th 2012, or the Sedona Marathon in Sedona, AZ on Feb 4th 2012. Surf City is a flatter and faster course and close to home but is rather boring. The Sedona Marathon has 1100 feet of vertical ascent with spectacular views and is an out and back course. It would probably be easier to qualify at Surf City but the scenic panorama view offered on the Sedona course is very tempting. Decision, decisions, decisions. I probably won't make a decision until after Christmas. Of course the cost of both marathons goes up by waiting that long to decide but I really want to know that I can have a reasonable chance of qualifying at Sedona as opposed to Surf City. You can check out both marathons using the links below.

Surf City Marathon: http://www.runsurfcity.com/Default.asp

Sedona Marathon: http://www.sedonamarathon.com/index.html

Ok, enough on running. I have not actually ridden my bike in over three months. It is time to get back in the saddle and hit the pavement, not literally of course! The cooler weather will make it easier to do mid morning rides, of which I should have plenty of time, until I find that elusive job. I plan on starting by riding 20 miles three days a week with a longer ride of 40 - 60 miles once a week, added after the first two weeks of riding. This really isn't that difficult for someone who is close to marathon shape already. The hardest part is actually getting used to sitting in the saddle for that long of a time. It takes time to adjust to being in the saddle for long periods. That will come with time.

I am really looking forward to this holiday season and the fall and winter weather. Being in sunny Southern California the winters are quite nice. Other than the occasional rain and some bothersome wind at times, it is generally quite nice this time of the year. Definitely better than the snow and freezing weather of the northern regions of the US.

If any of you know of any employment opportunities I would appreciate you steering me in the right direction. I have no problem with minimum wage although I would prefer to have most weekends off.

Till next time,

Cheers,

Russ

Riding On with Disappointment!

2011-04-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well it has been way too long since I last made a post. It is sometimes hard to write when things aren't going the way you would like them to go. Such has been the case these last few months. The ride will not be taking place. At least not this year. I am way to underfunded to make it happen. In addition I have had a few setbacks in training but still feel that if funded I could manage to get in shape in time for a June start.

So barring a miracle, like winning the lottery, I will have to settle for getting in shape and doing some shorter rides closer to home. I am back to riding almost every day now as the weather has begun to cooperate as of late. I am hoping to be up to riding around 70 - 80 miles a day by mid-June.

I have a few other things planned so far for this summer in addition to doing a lot of riding. The first is hiking to the summit of Mt Whitney, with height of 14,497 feet in elevation on September 24th. It will be a one day hike of about 22 miles in length. Then the following week I plan on running the St George Marathon in St George, UT. My goal is to break 3 hours 45 minutes and qualify again for the Boston Marathon.

Mean while I will keep on riding, running and hiking as well as looking for a job in order to finance my bike ride next year.

At the moment I am looking out my window and seeing the rain pour. For about 30 seconds there was a little hail. Glad I wasn't in the middle of a ride during this.

Thank you all for your encouragement. I will try to blog more often, starting from this point.

Pedal on,

Russ

Progress is Progress

2010-11-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

Progress, in this case, is a steady but sure improvement in both endurance and fitness. This week rode a total of 129 miles. That total distance approaches the total I would have ridden had I accomplished my goal of riding 20 miles each day. All in all I am happy with what I accomplished this week. I did a ride of 36.4 miles without a break. I did a 26 mile ride at a pretty good clip with only one break. I did a 30.3 mile ride hard out and easy back and the next day, Yesterday, I did 36.4 miles at a relatively hard clip, for me, of 17.3 mph average riding time. That is contrasted with Monday's ride of the same course and distance with no breaks and a moderately hard pace of 15.2 mph average. The difference being that our group took four breaks on the ride yesterday, giving the legs time to recuperate and thus making it easier to ride at a faster pace.

I feel that I have adequately pushed myself this past week so as to spur more conditioning but not so much that I risk over-training. My legs are mildly sore this morning which is to be expected after pushing myself on the ride yesterday. I feel that I need a day off today, so I will not do the 13 mile run that I had planned on doing. Since riding is my primary goal at the moment running will have to take a backseat to riding and rest. In order to improve one has to have the right balance between exercise and rest, gradually increasing the work load while the body adapts. As one adapts to a specific amount of work and rest in combination, then the workload is again increased giving the body another challenge to adapt to.

Next week I hope to get in 160 miles or more of riding. I may not ride every day but I would like to get in at least one more day of riding than I did this week. That would make a five day week of riding. When I do my trip I plan on riding an average of six days a week. I may occasionally take an extra day or two off to visit and explore in a few places but for the most part six days of riding a week will be the plan with one day off for rest and recuperation.

Happy to be riding again!

2010-11-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

I got sidetracked from my riding plans with a cold virus last week. That was a bit of a bummer. I only got in one ride. Today however, I got in almost two and a half hours of riding for a distance of 36.4 miles. Not fast, but at least I stayed on the bike the whole time without stopping for a break. I averaged 15.2mph with a little stronger wind in my face on the return trip than when I went out; The wind tends to pick up as the day goes on. All in all though it was a mild wind and a very good ride. I plan on using this ride as a base with which to judge my overall progress through my training.

So far, I have not done any really tough rides and don't really plan on that until late November or early December. At that time I hope to have built up a good base mileage and have gotten stronger at the same time. I will probably want to do some rides with a goodly amount of hill climbing by that time to build my strength even more.

I did notice that my left leg felt a little strained on the return trip and will probably have to take it easy and not push myself for the next few days. I believe it is the Vastus Medialis muscle, which is on the inner top of the lower thigh. Not sure, but I may have to adjust my clip on my shoes. It could also just be that I pushed it a little harder than I am really ready to ride.

Tomorrow morning I plan on riding an easy 20 miles or so and perhaps do a little running in the evening. Would really like to ride at least 20 miles a day this week and it looks like the weather will be perfect until next Monday when there is a 30% chance of rain. I may do a long ride on Saturday but will have to see how it goes.

Minor Training Woes

2010-10-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well the last week has been a bit of a disappointment as far as training goes. It has been overcast and humid, with inconsistent periods of rain and almost no sunshine! As it has been hard to time riding with the weather breaks I really didn't get in any training rides this last week. I am hoping to get in a short 20 mile ride later today. I did get in one 10 mile run, which is training, albeit cross-training!

This coming week is looking much better for riding, with the possible exception of Monday ( 30% chance of rain in AM ), so I am really looking forward to it! My goal is to ride at least an hour or more a day next week with at least one ride in the 2.5 - 3.0 hour range. Although it is not super important to get my mileage up really fast, I do need to develop the daily consistency and discipline of being in the saddle.

As I look forward to doing the actual cross county ride this summer I know I will have many days of weather I would rather not ride in. While I know that I will need to train in, and for, all kinds of weather, I really would rather work on just riding for the time being. There will be plenty of time to practice riding in the wind and rain and I really don't see the need to practice it this far out from the event, especially the rain. If you are not familiar with wet weather riding then you might be unaware of how much more dangerous it is! In addition to not being as visible to vehicle drivers there is almost twice the chance of getting a flat tire because road debris and thorns are more likely to stick to the tires. There is also the slicker roads, and road bikes don't have great traction when the roads are wet.

Wind on the other hand presents other challenges. I would usually rather ride into a headwind than a cross wind. Couple that with riding a bike loaded with panniers and it makes for a very cumbersome ride making the bike very hard to control and much more tiring overall.

So for right now I am going to concentrate on just trying to get in as much riding as possible on a consistent basis and let the weather take care of itself.

Tomorrow I am planning on running 12 miles in the morning, with the Loma Linda Loper's Running Club, and perhaps a ride later in the afternoon. I am hoping for some actual sunshine on the ride! Wish me luck

A New Beginning!

2010-10-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today marks the beginning of my training for my attempt at a doublecross bicycle ride across America. Today I rode 26 miles at a 15.2 mph average. Back in late January of this year, I rode the same bike path and distance with a 16.8 mph average. I guess you could say I am out of shape. Since cycling in my 50's I have never really been a great cyclist and probably never will be, even for my age. I simply enjoy cycling and have always dreamed of doing this kind of trek across country since I was a teenager.

When I was in my mid teens I was acquainted with a young woman by the name of Becky. I presume that was short for Rebbecca but don't really remember, or know if I ever did know. Her last name also escapes me but I believe it was Wilson. I remember being impressed with her as a single woman doing a doublecross across the US by herself. Sometime, I may try and research this as I believe she may have been the first woman to have done this. She started and ended in Denver, Colorado. I believe it was sometime in the mid to late 60's. Her accomplishment left me with a feeling of awe and inspiration! The cycling equipment at that time was nowhere near what it is today making the feat even more amazing.

Since that day I have always wanted to do such a ride and now, once again, I am starting the training and making the plans to do just that. I plan on riding from Grand Terrace, CA to Sedona, AZ to Denver, CO and from there heading almost do east to Washington, DC. From Washington I plan on returning to the west coast, taking a more northerly route, until I get to Seattle, WA and from Seattle, WA back down the coast to home. I do not have the complete route mapped out, and even if I did I know that there will be some slight changes from time to time for various reasons. I estimate that the complete ride will be between 7,000 and 7,500 miles. It would be nice to average 75 miles a day or more, including non riding days but I know that will be tough to accomplish.

Am I in the least bit apprehensive? Yes I am, but I am much more excited than apprehensive. My two biggest tasks from here on out will be training and saving the money. I am planning on doing this alone, as I know that it will probably be hard to find someone that can get away that long to do it with me. However, if you are reading this and think you might be able to do it with me let me know.

Training Log:

10/11/10 26 miles 15.2 mph avg. Terrain: Easy bike path. Weather: mild 70-80 Deg.

Preparing for Next Year

2010-10-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

I have decided to work on getting ready to try again next year in the late spring or early summer. I will be working on ramping up my cycling mileage and saving as much money as possible. As I see it, the hard part will be saving the money. To do the full 7500 mile, double cross across the US, trip will probably cost around $10,000 to $12,000 as I plan on mostly staying in motels. That is a lot of money to save between now and June of 2011. I would also like to make a few smaller trips in the meantime say somewhere between 500 and 1000 miles. That would give me more experience for what I will be up against in trying to do 7500 miles in 3-4 months.

I will be posting from time to time letting you know how my plans and training are coming along, as well as how I am doing in the savings department. Feel free to offer suggestions and give input especially if it is positive.

I will have much more time this time to plan my route and get in shape. Last time, while I had a general route plan, I was not really in shape and was hoping to ride myself into shape and gradually build my daily mileage. This time I plan on both being in shape and having done several longer trips already to gain experience!

So far I am planning on doing the trip by myself, but I am open to the idea of one or two others joining me, either one way or the entire distance. This would also help in making the cost of the trip much less by sharing the cost of motels etc.

Hopefully next Year

2009-06-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

While it has been quite depressing not to have been able to complete my trip, do to injury, I am recovering well. After weeks of resting and not doing anything to aggravate my ruptured disk, I am now resuming riding and running. I still have some residual numbness but most of the strength has returned to my left arm and hand. However, if I do to much, like hitting a bucket of golf balls, I feel a little pain in my shoulder and tingling in my little finger. I have been going stir crazy just sitting and lying around, and now I am really enjoying being able to exercise again. I am, however, now a bit out of shape and having a little trouble accepting the fact. It is so hard to start up endurance training again.

I am already hoping and planning to do the trip next year. I will probably be much better funded by that time and in better riding shape. Many of you have suggested that I try and find someone to do the trip with, and I may try to do that. Although it isn't to hard to find those who would like to do it with me, it is hard to find someone who can get away for that long, etc. For now I am happy to resume my riding and training and getting ready for next year. I may do some shorter treks in the meantime and if so there will posts and updates here.

If you are not a follower please do become one and get the rss feed so you will know when I update. Thanks to all of you for all of your support and encouragement!

Russ

Ride comes to an early end

2009-05-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with the realization that my legs were too tired to do the climbing that was needed to get to Prescott, AZ. I also found that my left arm, hand and wrist were weaker again. There are several tasks that are very difficult to do one of the most important being shifting gears. I do not have the strength in my left hand to shift the front derailleur. In order to shift I need to reach over with my right hand to pull the shift lever and this is not a safe maneuver, not to mention being very irritating and cumbersome. I have also come to the conclusion that I will not be able to camp out as much as I had planned on doing and it will just cost too much to stay in motels etc.

I am very disappointed that I will not be able to continue the trip but even more disappointed that I may have let others down. I should have probably done some shorter excursions to see how things would go. I do not know for sure if the fall caused the neck problem or if it was from improper helmet adjustment causing me to lift my head to much. Either way, it is my understanding that permanent nerve damage is possible if I don't get it under control soon.

I guess I will have to find another way to accomplish my dream of at least crossing the US from coast to coast via bicycle. One friend says that he might be able to have his wife drive an RV from place to place, hauling our gear etc., while we ride together. It would cost a lot more money but at least I would have more time to save and plan for it!

For those who donated to the ride I will try and return your money as soon as I can. Thank you all for your support and encouragement and your donations to CAF.

Days four and five!

2009-05-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

Day Four: Today was a total rest day and I really needed it. I spent the night in a hotel and will spend tonight there also. I met two nice gentlemen who flew down from Washington and started riding their bicycles from San Diego, CA the same day I did. They also took a much needed break. It was a bit of a boring day with nothing really to do except check out my bike and rest. The TV had only 7 channels and none of them were major networks. At least the air conditioning worked.

Day Five: Rode 53.5 miles to a town called Congress, AZ. Pretty small place but at least I have library Internet access. Speed 9.7mph Avg.

Total Miles: ridden so far 254.5

I rode the first 29 miles with my two new acquaintances, and then we stopped and had breakfast together. Their names are Bill and John. Their destination is Florida. John is a retired Chemistry teacher and Bill works for a water works plant. Bill told them he was going on this trip for 3 months or so and asked if they wanted him back. They said yes so he didn't have to retire. Breakfast was great especially being able to enjoy it with company. We split ways a half mile past the restaurant. The remaining miles seemed longer than the first 29, but it was actually less. It is going to take some getting used to the heat.

The lady at the general store said I could camp out behind the store for the night, and hang around inside until closing if I wanted too. People all seem to be very friendly around here. I was seriously thinking of taking her offer but after sticking around for a few hours I decided that it was just to darn hot and got a motel. It has free WiFi and great TV reception. Wahoo!

Tomorrow, I am headed about 45 miles to Prescott, AZ and the following day plan on making it to Sedona, AZ, where I plan on spending a few days with my brother Pat! You can check out some of his Youtube videos by going to Youtube and searching "javadavida." I actually star in a few of them.

Days 2 and 3 Updated by Russ' wife, Mary

2009-05-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Total miles travelled on bike: 201

Day 2: 93.6 miles 7 hrs 35 min riding time

average speed 12.3 mph

Incidents: At 60 miles, 2 women on motorcycles gave me a quart of water. A big truck forced me off onto the soft sand shoulder while passing another vehicle coming toward me. I fell, but did not get injured. At 89 miles, I was out of fluids and going very slowly. I waived down a vehicle and 2 young guys gave me a couple of monster drinks. I made it into Vidal Junction about 4:30 and cooled off in a gas station cafe. I hung out at the cafe until about 6:30 and then headed across the street and pitched my tent on really rocky ground. It was not easy. At 8:30 I started trying to get sleep, but it was difficult with all the noise from the trucks at the junction. According to my wife, the high for the day was 96 degrees, and at 8:30 it was still 88 degrees.

Day 3: 61.3 miles, 5 hours 37 minutes of riding time, average speed 10.9 mph

Incidents: Had 2 flat tires on my trailer wheel. I went through a goat head patch. I patched the first flat and thought all was well, but it was flat again 4 or 5 miles later. I decided to limp to the next town about 20 miles away by pumping the tire with my miniature dual head pump. That proved to be a lot of work, especially since the temperature was approaching the mid nineties. I made it to town and decided to eat lunch at a restaurant. After lunch a gentleman offered to take me, my tire, and wheel to half a mile down the street to a tire shop. It took the guy longer to patch it than it took me. I guess he was not use to such a small wheel. Anyway, he had a water tank and found 2 other tiny holes. Forty minutes later I was back on the road, but going very slow. I had a tail wind that made my going seem even hotter, as there was no breeze to cool me off. Finally, I had enough and flagged down a guy in a truck who offered to take me the 13 miles remaining to Salome, Arizona. I got a hotel room and am now thinking of taking a day off to recuperate. I have a raw spot on my bottom in the crease, and my left arm is numb from my elbow to my little finger. It is also very weak. I will just have to see what the morning brings.

Ride - Day One

2009-05-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

The morning started out great. Ben Vassantechart showed up and rode with me for 25 miles. Robert McAtee showed up in his car and went back and forth along the route making sure everything was OK, taking pictures and video. I got to see quite a few Lopers out on the course as we rode by and took a few by surprise I think. I'm not sure Sandy Wible knew who I was, judging by her reaction when I called out, "Hi Sandy." I'll forgive her! I'm not usually wearing a helmet when she sees me.

After about 3 hours we stopped at a Starbucks and Robert bought me a Frappaccino Mocha! Very refreshing! Then Ben's wife showed up to take him back home and I took off again. Robert and Ben both followed a ways and I only got a few blocks away when I noticed I had a flat rear tire. They both graciously stopped and helped me repair the tire and soon I was on my way again.

Five miles later, one of the streets I was supposed to take was blocked off by a gate and Robert helped me find a way around. Two miles later, I found I could not take another road, I had planned on taking, and lost some more time trying to figure out a new route. After some frustration, Robert and I decided to stop and eat lunch at what I think was a Pioneer Chicken place. We met two gentlemen, one in his late 50's and the other 61 who were doing the Pacific Crest Trail. They had run into each other on the trail and joined up as a team.

Robert took off scouting some more for me, while I continued to eat and talk with the hikers, and found that I could get to an old abandoned service road from the on ramp to the freeway. From there he left me on my own. About 9 miles later I again had problems with my routing and found that my next street was a dirt road. I backtracked a half mile and walked a good part of it as the wind was becoming outrageous. 50 mph gusts. I could not control the bike when I got into a side wind at all. I went on another 2 miles or so down the freeway, with a tail wind, and found my way to what I thought was my next road and it too was a dirt road. by now I could really not control the bike at all and decided to call my wife. She came an hour later and we drove about 40 miles or so to Twentynine Palms and got a hotel for the night which is where I am presently writing from.

I am hoping that the wind dies down, as the weather forecast predicts, for tomorrow morning. My wife informed me that she is still open to rescuing me tomorrow, if I continue on, but after tomorrow the offer is off the table. I am really quite drained from fighting the wind those last 9 miles. Even with a tailwind the trailer was hard to control because of the gusting which made it unstable. tomorrow the forecast is for 10 to 15mph wind which I can, if that truly pans out.

Not the best way to start out my trip but memorable non the less.

Thanks so much to Robert and Ben for all their help and encouragement! It would have been an even tougher day withou you guys.

Thanks to my wonderful wife who is such an angel and somehow puts up with me!

Last Day of Preparation for The Big Ride

2009-05-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Wow! So much to do and so little time. I have decided to start the ride even though I am a little underfunded at the moment. I guess you could say this is a "leap of faith" in more ways than one. I just want to thank all of you who have encouraged me, given me tips and tricks, warned me about the dangers, and contributed financially.

An adventure is, almost by definition, striking out on an odyssey with a lot of unknowns. This will definitely be an adventure. Each day will be different. A different section of highway, new scenery, different people to meet, different weather conditions, possible road hazards such as flat tires. I am actually looking forward to all of it, even the problems for the problems contribute to the story.

I will miss you all, so do try and keep in touch. I will probably be done riding by 3pm most days and more available to talk via cell phone. Texting and email, will help me conserve battery power.

Many have asked about how I will stay in communication. I will have a Solar/Battery battery charger. It is a battery and solar charger in one unit. One hour of daylight can provide 10 minutes of talk time. I also plan on taking my notebook computer and blogging every day I can get a chance.

Well, I have to get back to preparations now and get ready for the big day tomorrow!

Three Days until I Start Riding Across America

2009-04-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

I finished the Alpine Challenge and had a great time even though I had a flat tire! 60 miles in 5hrs 14min, 11.3mph average speed while riding. Those aren't great numbers but they are respectable. I got a good idea of what it will be like to hit a lot of hills in a short period of time. I did not push myself as I really didn't know what to expect and didn't want to blow up!

Monday morning me and three of my friends left for the Grand Canyon. Tuesday we hiked 7.5 miles to the bottom from the south rim along the South Kaibab trail, to the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch. From there we hiked 9.5 miles back up Bright Angel trail back to the south rim. You can see pictures of the trip from my Facebook Page . It was a very long hike and there are many warnings not to try and do the whole hike in one day. I have to say I am very sore but thanks to my running and cycling I was able to make it in one day. We had great weather as the high temperature at the bottom was probably only in the mid 70's. I am so sore that I will not be riding 40 - 50 miles as planned today. I need at least one more day of recovery.

It is getting down to the wire with only three days left for departure and I do not have all the money I would like to have for the ride at this time. I am hoping to not have to cut the ride short but If I don't have at least $1500 by Saturday I may not be able to do the whole ride as planned. Right now I am about $700 short of that amount. I have to make a decision on whether to do a shorter ride or wait a few more weeks and hope that more money comes in.

I was hoping to post how my ride, pulling the trailer weighted down with 70lbs, went. I guess that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Cheers,

Russ

News Update on Trip Preperations

2009-04-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Latest Training

Last Sunday I rode to the beach and back from Yorba Linda Regional Park with my friend Andy. It was very hot but we had a good time. It was about a 45 mile ride. Tuesday I Left late in the morning to try and do a 60 mile ride out and back from my home to Oak Glen and back. It was over 80 degrees already when I left at 8:40 in the morning. I didn't make it to the summit on Oak Glen road, but I did get pretty far. It was a total 50 miles riding and 4200 feet of elevation climbing for the round trip. The thermometer read 103 degrees on my front poarch when I got back. It was a pretty tough ride but as you can see I made it just fine.

Saturday I am doing a the 60 mile Alpine Challenge Ride, down close to San Diego. It will have almost 6000 feet of elevation climb. You can read up on it here: http://www.alpinechallenge.com/. We should have great weather for the ride.

Monday through Wednesday me and my friends Allen, Art and Robert will be doing a trip to the Grand Canyon. Tuesday we will be hiking to the bottom and back to the top. It should be a really fun trip and great for me to spend time with some of my closest friends before I start my long journey from coast to coast.

Cell Phone and Ink Cartridge Donations:

You may drop off donations at:

My home, 22997 Hampton Ct. Grand Terrace, CA 92313.
Call first to make sure someone will be there. 909-825-7566. Leave a message as we screen calls.

RSA Satellite at 236 W. Orange Show Rd., suite 107, San Bernardino, CA 92408. Between the hours of 10am and 6pm. There is no sign on the door but someone should be there.

I will continue to try and have more drop off points in the near future.

Latest News

If you live in the Grand Terrace, Loma Linda or Colton areas, you will find an article about my trip in the local weekly newspaper. In Grand Terrace it is called the Grand Terrace City News. I presume the other two cities follow the same naming format such as Colton City News and Loma Linda City News.

Donations

Donations have tapered off a bit but I suspect that as the trip unfolds that will pick up. Remember that you may donate to either Challenged Athletes Foundation in Russ's name, or to Russ Barber at 22997 Hampton Ct., Grand Terrace, CA 92313, to defray the cost expense of the trip. Also, if you have PayPal, you may donate by using my email address: marathoner26.2@sbcglobal.net.

Thank you everyone for your donations and personal and emotional support! Please spread the word so that we can help Challenged Athletes live a fuller more rewarding life.

Itinerary for Trip to the East Coast

2009-04-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

The planning of the trip is coming along nicely and here is my itinerary from home to the east coast.

Date		Dist/mi	Destination	Total/mi
5/3/2009	Sun	61.2	Little Morongo Heights	61.20
5/4/2009	Mon	100	Rice, CA	161.20
5/5/2009	Tue	80.8	Vicksburg, AZ	242.00
5/6/2009	Wed	64.3	Congress, AZ	306.30
5/7/2009	Thu	45.8	Prescott, AZ	352.10
5/8/2009	Fri	54	Sedona, Az	406.10
5/9/2009	Sat	0	Sedona, Az	406.10
5/10/2009	Sun	105	Tuba City, AZ	511.10
5/11/2009	Mon	73.2	Kayenta,AZ	584.30
5/12/2009	Tue	72.7	Teec Nos Pos, Az	657.00
5/13/2009	Wed	85.7	Durango, CO	742.70
5/14/2009	Thu	49	Silverton, CO	791.70
5/15/2009	Fri	31.9	Ridgeway, CO	823.60
5/16/2009	Sat	0	Ridgeway, CO	823.60
5/17/2009	Sun	91.7	Gunnison, CO	915.30
5/18/2009	Mon	64.6	Salida, CO	979.90
5/19/2009	Tue	58.3	Canon City, CO	1038.20
5/20/2009	Wed	95.8	Parker, CO	1134.00
5/21/2009	Thu	16.7	Denver, CO	1150.70
5/22/2009	Fri	0	Denver, CO	1150.70
5/23/2009	Sat	0	Denver, CO	1150.70
5/24/2009	Sun	90.6	Fort Morgan, CO	1241.30
5/25/2009	Mon	60.7	Yuma, CO	1302.00
5/26/2009	Tue	67.2	Saint Francis, KS	1369.20
5/27/2009	Wed	103	Norton, KS	1472.20
5/28/2009	Thu	0	Norton, KS	1472.20
5/29/2009	Fri	90.8	Mankato, KS	1563.00
5/30/2009	Sat	85.1	Marysville, KS	1648.10
5/31/2009	Sun	95.5	Atchison, KS	1743.60
6/1/2009	Mon	71.2	Lee's Summit, MO	1814.80
6/2/2009	Tue	67	Sedalia, MO	1881.80
6/3/2009	Wed	60.6	Jefferson City, MO	1942.40
6/4/2009	Thu	0	Jefferson City, MO	1942.40
6/5/2009	Fri	78.4	Union, MO	2020.80
6/6/2009	Sat	65.5	Belleville, IL	2086.30
6/7/2009	Sun	60.3	Salem, IL	2146.60
6/8/2009	Mon	81.6	Vincennes, IN	2228.20
6/9/2009	Tue	111	Louisville, KY	2339.20
6/10/2009	Wed	0	Louisville, KY	2339.20
6/11/2009	Thu	69.2	Georgetown, KY	2408.40
6/12/2009	Fri	91	West Liberty, KY	2499.40
6/13/2009	Sat	67.5	Pikeville, KY	2566.90
6/14/2009	Sun	69.4	Richlands, VA	2636.30
6/15/2009	Mon	50.8	Princeton, WV	2687.10
6/16/2009	Tue	93.4	Salem, VA	2780.50
6/17/2009	Wed	0	Salem, VA	2780.50
6/18/2009	Thu	57.2	Lynchburg, VA	2837.70
6/19/2009	Fri	69.4	Charlottesville, VA	2907.10
6/20/2009	Sat	67	Warrenton, VA	2974.10
6/21/2009	Sun	45.7	Washington, DC	3019.80
6/22/2009	Mon	0	Washington, DC	3019.80
6/23/2009	Tue	0	Washington, DC	3019.80

New Start Date of Russ Pedals America

2009-04-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

OK! After consulting family and friends, I have decided that I will set a specific date for the start of my ride across America and back. The new start date is Sunday, May 3, 2009. This will enable me to give extra time to training, planning and fund raising as well as have better chances of warmer weather in the Colorado Rockies.

In the next few days I will be posting a proposed itinerary of townships and mileages, along the way, to give you an idea of the route I will be taking. As with any trip of this nature, sticking to a firm itinerary is next to impossible it is mainly for planning of the route. Dates and daily mileages will probably change occasionally but the overall route will stay pretty close. So far my proposed route to Washington, DC is about 3,100 miles. I haven't fully plotted the Northern return route completely as yet, and have a few tweaks to make to my south central route.

Thanks again for your cooperation and generosity so far and in the future.

Challenged Athletes Foundation

Donations to "ride expense" can be made through PayPal: marathoner26.2@sbcglobal.net or send check to 22997 Hampton Ct, Grand Terrace, CA 92313

Russ

Donation Drive Officially Underway

2009-04-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

The donation drives are officially underway! There are two drives.

The first and main fundraiser is for "Challenged Athletes Foundation." As stated before, I am hoping to raise $70,000.00. That's not a misprint!!! Together we can do it if we all work to pass on the information about my ride for charity and make others aware! We can make this a national experience! Donations to this charity are tax deductible!!

The second fundraiser is to help me with the cost of the trip. I expect it to cost me around $3,000.00 to do the ride. I now have $200.00 toward that amount and growing. I don't have a lot of time to raise it and plan on leaving on April 19th, 2009 if I have at least 50% of that raised by then. Sorry, but donations to help with the expense of the ride are not tax deductible. You can send donations to Russell Barber, 22997 Hampton Ct., Grand Terrace, CA 92313 or If you have a Paypal account you can donate by using my email address, marathoner26.2@sbcglobal.net.

There is a certain amount of psychology to fund raising! Many people have a hard time being the first to donate, but as they see donations being made they find it easier to donate themselves. I guess it all boils down to wanting to be a winner, or on the winning side. Don't put off your donations it is easy to forget when you put it off. Remember, that if you can only donate to one fundraiser please pick "Challenged Athletes Foundation."

If you know of a good location to put a collection box for old cell phone and ink cartridge donations please let me know. Good places are your place of employment, churches, schools, stores.

Please become a follower of this blog and let others know about it!

Thanks for your help!

The Beginning

2009-04-02T00:40:00.000-07:00

Well this is my first post and I am a little apprehensive. I am stepping out of the box and beginning a new adventure in more ways than one. First, I am planning on riding a bicycle across the good old USA and back again in about 120 days. Somewhere between 6,500 and 7,000 total miles. Second, I hope to finance part of the trip by getting my friends and family to help me with a fundraiser. The fundraiser will raise funds by getting folks to donate their old "cell phones" and "ink cartridges." I have found a company that will pay money for working cell phones of almost any age, as long as they still turn on and are not damaged badly, and ink cartridges that have not already been refilled. I am also asking for personal cash donations which can be mailed to: Russell Barber 22997 Hampton Ct., Grand Terrace, CA 92313 or sent via PayPal to marathoner26.2@sbcglobal.net. Third, after raising the money for the trip itself, which I figure will cost about $2,500.00 - $3,000.00, I will set out to accomplish my goal. During the trip I hope to raise $10.00 for every mile that I pedal for a possible total of $70,000.00 or more. The charity that I will be raising money for is the "Challenged Athletes Foundation" which helps people with disabilities get the prosthetics they need in order to have more productive lives, and also be able to compete athletically. This enables those with disabilities to live fuller, richer lives and helps them with the confidence they need to succeed in life.

This is all going to be a new experience for me and a work in progress. I will be setting up a website from which donations can be made to both the financing of the trip itself and of course the "Challenged Athletes Foundation."

Why am I doing this! Well I have two main objectives. The first objective is to accomplish a life long dream of riding a bicycle across the USA by myself from coast to coast to coast. The second is to somehow "Pass it forward" by raising money for a worthy cause. I have been privileged to have a very good life with a wonderful wife and two children who have now grown into adulthood. I have been blessed by God and many wonderful friends and feel compelled to do something more. To just accomplish the ride would be wonderful for me but to be able to do good for others in the process would be wonderful for others.

I hope you will follow me in this endeavor and give generously to the "Challenged Athletes Foundation." Thank you, in advance for your generous help with this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Russ Barber