Back in the Saddle

July 5th, Dayton Ohio


 Three days down, and I've ridden nearly two hundred miles. I can't begin to express what a rush this has been. On Saturday I started twenty-five miles out of Kenyon College and sailed through the rolling hills of rural Ohio. I felt at home as we passed farm after farm, the smell of cow in the air. Oh..upstate NY. While I nearly collapsed walking my bike up the first hill we encountered- 13% grade? Not possible when you're broken and out of shape (my leader walked too so its totally cool here)- I felt very strong and steady. The highlight of my ride had to be being passed by a horse and buggy. While this was entirely terrifying, there's nothing like riding a narrow shoulder with a horse on your immediate left and cars right next to him. Phew. Needless to say we actually blew them off and it was smooth sailing from there. We were even joined by a deer as she ran across a corn field, she was with us for what seemed like forever. So, this is going to sound terribly Muffinish, but I felt like I was coming alive and was completely connected with the world around me and beings both human and wild. 
  I digress. We- I should qualify this, I rode with Collyn S. and my leader Collin P., a pretty kick ass team, and I couldn't have done it without their encouragement, especially after that first killer hill- rode into campus and immediately devoured the best blackberry pie I have ever had. With our hands.


   After blissful night spent in real dorm beds I rode sweep to Columbus. With my bum clad in superman undies (Tim, my sweep partner was Batman) we flew across the flatlands and 64 miles felt pretty awesome. Peanut butter and jelly with M&Ms made for a fantastic lunch.


  A few friends and I made the trek to Germantown and were able to DM* free beer simply because we're with Bike and Build and have some pretty sick tan lines. Excellent night.


  The ride from Columbus to Dayton was certainly not easy, and felt like work. While Ohio is flat it packs a pretty heavy punch with headwinds. Thankfully most of the day was spent on bike trails (Ohio actually has trails running entirely across the state) and I was able to work with my teammates to beat the wind. Again, I have to thank the wonderful and strong women I rode with for providing some much needed encouragement and support. Towards the end I got a bit loopy and started singing a made up German drinking song that sounded something like "Shnizten und witzen und groessen und grotzen.." while standing on my pedals to alleviate the extreme amount of booty pain I was experiencing. Clearly I got by with a little help from my friends.  Another notable occurance centers around the ridiculoulsy overweight man who tried to draft off of us, particularly me. Dude, if you need a twenty one year old with a fractured elbow to pull your weight you've got some pretty hefty *pun intended* problems. We put him in his place..Towannda the Wonder woman! Fried Green Tomatoes anyone? Oh, and on a lighter note all of Bike and Build crashed a bicentennial fourth of July parade in London, Ohio. Good times had by all. Also, there may have been a naked mile. Thanks boys..





 Well, I should probably stop rambling and clean my bike. As always thanks for reading. Wish me luck as I attempt 90+ miles tomorrow and head into Indiana!


 We've been on two wonderful builds in the past week, which I will reflect on in greater detail in my coming entires. Honestly I'm feeling rather absorbed in riding as I've been stuck in Hermen for so long. Bike and Build has been an incredible journey thus far, and I'm so thankful to be working for affordable housing. This is incredibly challenging, and equally as rewarding.


Be Well,
 Capt. Muff Muff


I'll get better about posting pictures..I promise.




 *DM= Donation Magic. Getting sandwiches, beer, ice cream, smoothies, pizza, showers, bike stuff, etc for free after explaining why you're crazy enough to ride a bike across the US of A.