Day 33 LaJolla to Mexican Border 31 miles(1,669 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 33: 

We rode 31 miles to... The Mexican border baby! Woo hoo! (1,669 miles total). I am still in a state of shock that we did it! It seems so surreal that I actually biked from the Canadian border to the Mexican border! I can't even describe how I am feeling right now. I don't think I've ever felt so many different emotions at once- from thrilled, to shocked, to proud, to sad, to emotions I don't even know if there are words for. I have learned so much from this ride. I've learned that I'm a whole lot tougher than I thought I was, I've learned that I can do anything that I set my mind to, I've learned that my family and I have the most incredible support system, I've learned that there is nothing more important than family, and I've learned that I am so fortunate to live in such a wonderful community surrounded by incredible neighbors, friends, and family. Actually, I knew all of this, but this ride just brought all of it out and confirmed everything I already knew. On my very first day of the ride, I posted a quick update about how far we traveled and a summary of our day. I never had any intentions of posting every day, doing a summary, and listing all the good and bad things about our day. I don't know how that all happened, but it just kind of grew from that first day and the rest is history. A tradition was started and continued throughout the ride. Many of you told me how you looked forwarded to the daily updates and how tearful you wold oftentimes be because of the posts; but you see folks, it's a two-way street. I would frequently cry from the comments and words of encouragement that YOU gave ME! Also, thinking about what I would post each night helped pass the time on some of those long, miserable days full of crappy weather and hills. So thank you as well! It really has been an honor to have you following our journey and cheering us on. I'm usually such a private person, but it has been so enjoyable to share our experiences with so many people (even when our experiences were downright miserable). I can't tell you how much it has meant to us to read all your encouraging, heartfelt words and to be continually reminded of how much you care for our family. It truly has meant the world to us. This ride was so much harder than I thought it would be, with so many challenges (including weather, hills, and bike problems). But you know what? I wouldn't change a thing about it. It wouldn't be the same if it was all easy sailing the whole time. I think all the challenges we had was nothing compared to the challenges of ALS. When this ride is all over and done with, I can go back to my regular life. But a person with ALS never goes back to a regular life and will continually face challenges far worse than what I had to, or will ever have to face. I am so proud that I have made a difference in the world of ALS- from awareness, to raising money for research and ultimately, a cure. I will never regret doing this ride! Up until about 6 days ago, we didn't think Costa Rica would ever happen. With all of our setbacks, we got behind schedule and it was looking like we wouldn't arrive on time to go to Costa Rica. I had many tearful moments in which I envisioned trading in my Costa Rica plane tickets for tickets home. But there was never a question that I wouldn't finish the ride. This was a charity ride, people had donated, and people were following our journey. There was no way I was stopping early, even if it meant no Costa Rica. But as you can see, we made it work and I'm so excited to see my sister and her family and to get some much needed R and R! Again, it had been an honor beyond words to have you follow us on our journey and I will never be able to adequately tell you how much I appreciate it. The support has been overwhelming (in a very good way)! I, too, am sad that the updates will come to an end, but if you aren't too sick of me, I will do an epilogue update, as well as Costa Rica updates. Summary of our ride: ALS is bad; fundraising, support, encouragement, hope, and riding from Canada to Mexico on bikes is pretty darn good!

Day 32 Laguna Beach to LaJolla 65 miles(1,638 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 32: 

We rode 65 miles to La Jolla (1,638 miles total). The bad news is that I'm sad that tomorrow will be our last day of riding. The good news is that tomorrow will be our last day of riding! As you can see, I have mixed emotions about our last day. One part of me is sad (and I never thought I'd say that) and another part of me is ecstatic. And then there are a thousand other emotions in-between. I don't know, I can't explain it. But I'll save my emotional update for tomorrow. For today's post, I'll do a hodgepodge of things. Summary of our ride thus far: throwing my bike down and bawling alongside the road because the headwinds are so severe I feel like I'm on a stationary bike, being told at 7:30 at night (after almost 12 hours of riding and crying) that there are no available hotels in the area because of a special event going on, begging a park ranger at 8:30 at night to please let us set up our tents on the "RV only" campground because there are no available campgrounds or hotels in the area (and being told no), riding our bikes at 8:45 pm (in the dark) and backtracking (in other words- losing precious miles we had ridden) to a campground, setting up our tents in the dark, and sharing a can of Pringles for dinner in our tent because we had nothing else to eat is VERY bad! (all those events took place on the day that had been erased from my memory, but those memories resurfaced for your entertainment). Gatorade, "Finding Friends" app (in which my dad has been able to track us the whole time), calorie burning, guard rails, bungee cords, Starbucks gift cards my students gave me that we've been using along the way, patch kits, hand sanitizer, credit cards, our GPS, Pat's awesome map-reading skills, donators, learning to drink water without stopping (it wasn't pretty, but I did it), my brother-in-law who has kept me up-to-date on the Olympics, my iPhone (aka my life line), my battery charger that charged everything, and Facebook are VERY good! (These are just random things that have been good on our ride, but I haven't mentioned and are definitely worth mentioning)!

Day 31 Ventura to Laguna beach 49 miles(1,573 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 31: 

We rode 49 miles to Malibu, then drove about 50 miles through LA, and then rode another 15 miles to Laguna Beach (1,573 miles total). Did you notice that I mentioned both riding and driving today? Well, grab a glass of wine or beer, sit back and relax, and let me tell you the story behind that. 20 years ago, Pat did this Canada to Mexico bike ride. When he did it, he doesn't remember all the treacherous hills, the weather was way better for him, he had tailwinds the whole way, and he had four flats total. He says that it has been a hundred times harder this time around. Gee, ya think? He seems to have forgotten all the bad stuff about the ride, but one thing he very clearly remembers is how horrible it was to bike through LA. It was crazy, there were no bike lanes, there were lots of sketchy characters, he had to ride through the hood, and the traffic was horrendous. Not a lot phases him, but biking through there definitely did! So when we were planning this bike trip, we pretty much planned all along to drive through the LA part. It was just too dangerous to take the risk. Please don't think less of us or that we are cheating, but we had to think of our safety. So here is how it all worked out: My sister Tammy flew in, rented a truck, picked us up in north LA and dropped us off in south LA. I can't even tell you how excited I was to see her and my niece Kylee! After she dropped us off, we biked 15 more miles and she drove to Palm Springs to stay at my parents for two days. She will pick us up at the Mexican border in two days and then we fly out on the 2nd to Costa Rica to meet my sister Torri and her family. So we have about 95 more miles and two more days of riding. I really can't believe that I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Please continue to think positive thoughts as we near the finish line! Summary of the day: biking through LA is horrible; driving through LA and seeing my sister and niece is wonderful! Thank you Tammy for doing all the legwork on the rental truck and everything else! Love you- you are the best!

Day 30 Refugio State Beach to Ventura 52 miles(1,469 total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 30: 

We rode 52 miles to Ventura (1,469 miles total). The bad news is that I am really missing some things from home. I miss my own bed, my morning cup of coffee, driving, my favorite TV shows (The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Say Yes to the Dress), and lots of other things. But most of all, I really miss my friends and family! The good news is that I know I will see them again soon and I can't wait for that! Summary of the day: flat tires (Pat and Riley) and missing my friends and family are bad; riding alongside the ocean, the smell of the ocean, the sun, beautiful scenery, and knowing that I will see my friends and family soon are good!

Day 29 Pismo Beach to Refugio State Park 76 miles(1,417 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 29: 

We rode 76 miles to Refugio State Park (about 20 miles north of Santa Barbara),(1,417 miles total). The bad news is that we were on the bikes for 10 hours. The good news I that I don't even bat an eye at that anymore. 8 to 10 hours on a bike every day is how we roll! Is this normal? I don't know what normal is anymore. :) Summary of the day: the fact that California is such a long state, warm drinking water in the hot sun, no wonder cup (my family knows what I'm talking about), broken spokes, and no wine are bad; bike shops, no flat tires, the sun, biking past cilantro fields, being a big hit everywhere I go because of my Ben and Jerry's ice cream shirt, camping on the beach in southern California, and mini-stores at campgrounds (with beer, but no wine. Wine coolers though, which I did get. This is how desperate I've become), are good! Tailwinds are very good (as you can see by the mileage we were able to put in today)! On a side note- I'd like to wish all the bike riders who are doing the Double Day bike ride in Skagit Valley this weekend a sunshine, tailwind-filled weekend! This is a ride for ALS that we have done in the past. My co-worker and friend, Patty Kindsvater, and her husband are doing it this year. Happy pedaling!

Day 28 Morrow Bay to Pismo Beach 30 miles(1,341 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 28: We rode 30 miles to Pismo Beach (1,341 miles total). The bad news is that because of the geography of where we were and the availability of campsites or hotels, our only choices were to either go 30 miles or 90 miles. We've been on the bikes enough to know that we could never do 90 miles, so 30 miles it was. The good news is that we were able to finish riding at a decent time today (2:00) and not feel dead tired. A little guilty, but not dead tired. We were able to go to the beach and have a nice crab dinner, which was delicious! We'll be all rested up for a long, hard ride tomorrow! Summary of the day: missing a lot of the Olympic coverage is bad; warm sand between our toes, Alaskan King Crab, wine, and feeling a bit like an Olympian myself (with all the people cheering us on) is good!

Day 27 120 miles(1,131 miles total)

Canada to Mexico,  Day 27: 

Yesterday, we didn't have service at our campsite and I was unable to post, so I am combining yesterday and today's ride on this update. Yesterday we rode 54 miles to Lucia. Today, we rode 66 miles to Morrow Bay (1,131 miles total). The last couple of days have been really pleasant and enjoyable! It's been sunny and the views have been incredible! We even survived the infamous Big Sur hills! The bad news is that I wasn't able to be with my dad on his birthday yesterday :(. The good news is that doing this bike ride for ALS and documenting our journey is the best gift I believe I can give him. Summary of the days: missing my dad's birthday is bad; fundraising for ALS research and a cure is priceless! If you, too, want to give a gift to our family and our quest to find a cure for ALS, then click on our ride site and donate from there. As always, thanks so much for your support!

Riley age 5

 Riley at the same beach age 15

Day 26 Santa Cruz to Carmel 46 miles(1,191 total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 26: 

We rode 46 miles to Carmel (1,191 miles total). The bad news is that I haven't brushed my teeth or washed my face for two days. I am always so diligent about doing these things at least twice a day. I also haven't worn my retainer for two days. My family knows that I NEVER go a night without my retainer. I just haven't had the energy to dig those things out of my bag and walk to the campsite restroom to take care of it. I smell, my clothes are filthy, my face is unwashed, my teeth arent brushed, I haven't worn my retainer, I now have a unibrow, and I eat lunch alongside the road- who have I become? I don't recognize myself! :) The good news is that my parents treated us to a hotel tonight (with a laundry mat right next door)! What a wonderful and much appreciated treat! Thank you so much Mom and Dad! Now I can wash my face, brush my teeth, wash my clothes, and wear my retainer tonight! I will be back to myself by morning (well, almost back to myself. I'm not sure I'll ever be back to myself)! Oh, and the hotel was just right off Highway 1. How awesome is that? Summary of the day: yesterday (oh yeah- yesterday has been erased from my memory) is very bad; the sun, a pretty flat terrain, strawberry fields and the smell of strawberries (and I'm not even a big strawberry fan, but they just smelled really good today), a clean face, brushed teeth, a soon-to-be worn retainer, laundry mats, a palm tree sighting, Starbucks' caramel frappucinos, riding bikes on a bike path along a sandy beach, and wine and pizza (after I'm done doing laundry) are good. Generous and wonderful parents are very good! Thanks Mom and Dad! Love you!

Day 25 Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz

Canada to Mexico, Day 25: The Day From Hell!! We rode 57 miles to Santa Cruz. I have erased yesterday from my memory, so let's move on....

Day 24 Salsalito to Half Moon bay 38 miles(1,088 miles)

Canada to Mexico, Day 24: 

We ride 38 miles to Half Moon Bay (1,088 miles total). The bad news is that it was a really slow day. We are back on the coast, so it was really cloudy, foggy, cold, and windy (and not the good tailwind, but the evil headwind). Plus, we had some killer hills, including "Devil's Slide." Again, this name speaks for itself too. It's a steep, winding mountain, but the worst part is that the name "slide" comes from the road sliding from the mountain, because of constant rock slides. Thus,there is absolutely no shoulder. We had to constantly pull over whenever we had a chance and let cars go by, so it was a constant stop and go the whole way. Between that and the headwinds going up the mountain, it felt like we were in slow motion. Pat and I kept saying that we felt like Tim Conway from The Carol Burnett show (Riley had no idea what we were talking about)! The good news is that we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, which was really cool. By "cool," I mean both "neat" and "freezing." More good news is that I am getting so much use out of my new Columbia jacket Pat bought me for this trip. When he bought it for me, I just about died on the price! I am the frugal one and he's the one who likes to spend money on me. I wasn't too happy when I saw how much he spent, but now I am so glad he did it. It's one of the best presents he has gotten me! It is totally wind and rainproof (and we all know how much we have had of both). Plus, there are zippers under the arms I can unzip for ventilation when I'm sweating going up the hills and then zip when I get chilled going down the hills. Also, there are a ton of pockets. Pat calls me "Inspector Gadget," because of all the gadgets I pull out of my pockets. Here's what I had in my coat pockets today: hand sanitizer, Riley's and and my sunglasses (didn't need those today), a pen, sunscreen, Chapstick, Handiwipes, toilet seat covers, my leg wrap, candy bar wrappers, and batteries! Not lying to ya! Not only it is practical, but it's a totally stylish jacket! Thanks Pat, I've never used one thing so much in my life (and no, I'm not a rep for Columbia, but I do love it)! Summary of the day: headwinds, fog, cold, "Devil's Slide," no sun, and no wine are bad; crossing Golden Gate Bridge, my Columbia jacket, and no flats are good!

Day 23 Tomales to Salsalito 46 miles(1,050 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 23: 

We rode 46 miles to Salsalito (1,050 miles total). We are done with our pity party! The bad news is that our day didn't start off too well. Remember the spare tube that the bikers from the hotel had? Well, when we went to put it on this morning, it blew up and shredded to pieces (I don't even want to tell you that story)! So we had to stand by the road and wait for bikers to go through, so we could flag them down and beg for a spare tube (Pat and I both have plenty of spare tubes, but they don't fit Riley's bike, of course). After about an hour, we finally flagged down some bikers. The good news is that they had a spare! Now, we just needed to go 17 miles to the next bike shop. More good news is that we made it! We finally escaped the black hole/Twilight Zone/ Stephen King book/Bermuda Triangle

of flat tires and no bike shops! When fixing Riley's tire, we discovered that a couple punctures were from road debris and a couple of punctures were from some spokes poking through. Just a streak of bad luck, I guess. The rest of the day went well- no major hills and the sun was out (95 degrees- remember that I love that). Also- no flats! Woo hoo! Summary of the day: tires blowing up are bad; the sun, tailwinds, bike shops, bike paths (about 15 miles worth), no flats, a hotel right off the bike path (last room, with complimentary screwdrivers), the smell of jasmine in the air, civilization (finally), lemon drops, and wine are good!

Day 21 and 22 Port Arena to Tomales 75 miles(1,004 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 21 and 22:

We rode 75 miles to Tomales (1,004 miles total). The bad news is that we just can't seem to catch a break! One thing after another goes wrong. Between bike, health, and/or weather issues, it's been hard to make much process. We've only had one day in which we something didn't go wrong (the day we rode 70 miles in Oregon). But other than that, something keeps popping up to slow our progress and it's been pretty frustrating. So, let's see if I can sum up the last two days quickly (although I doubt it). So, yesterday, after we loaded up all the bikes and the bike trailer (which is quite the long process), we are just about ready to take off and we see that Pat has a flat tire. So we had to take everything off, fix that, and then reload everything. That made for a late start. Then, it was foggy, drizzly, and cloudy all day (plus severe headwinds). So we were all pretty sluggish all day. Riley got another flat tire, of course (more on that later). We just didn't make much progress and only rode 30 something miles. We get to our campsite and there is no phone and Internet service. Where's a pay phone when you need one? I had to go to a dinky store and pay the guy to call home really fast. We have been in and out of service for two days. It is very isolated in Northern California and these towns give the term "small town" a whole new name! Then our campsite has no flushing toilets. Of course. The next day (today), we actually got off to an early start (8:00- our best yet). We were making good progress- the sun was out and we had a tailwind. We wanted to go to Badega Bay and hit the bike shop. Pat said that he wanted to tire/rim guard for the bikes. When we got the bikes, the salesman said that we didn't them and they just "bunch up." Pat said that that is the last time he listens to anyone, because we were obviously having problems with the bikes. So we needed to hit the bike shop and get those, plus more tubes and patches. These flat tires are a huge problem. Pat is a bike and be has never encountered so many problems with flat tires. Anyway, we are 3 miles form the bike shop (which is a rare find because of scattered and dinky the towns are). Guess what? Riley gets a flat. We are out of spare tubes and patches, so Pat had to ride to the bike shop while Riley and I waited. More great luck for us- the bike shop shut down! Thankfully, Pat met some bikers who had a spare tube. So he fixes Riley's tire and we have lost all momentum at that point. But there is a tailwind and not major hills, so we are going to try to hit the campsite 40 miles away and try to make up for yesterday's lost time. About 8 miles down the road, Riley gets another flat. So much for making that campsite. Pat manages to take patches off the old tube and put it on the new tube, but we are out of supplies now (trust me, we were well stocked with spare supplies and stocked up whenever we were at a bike shop. Plus, Riley isnt riding over every piece of debris in the road. I don't know what the deal is. I feel like I'm in a Stephen King book or something). By this time, we have lost all momentum and decide to just be done for the day. We go to the next thing we see (a hotel) and there is no vacancy. So we need to ride to the next town that has a hotel, 7 miles away. About 5 miles down the road, Riley has another flat. Something is obviously wrong with his bike, but we need to get to the nearest bike shop, which isn't until San Francisco. We are out of supplies, so we need to walk the bikes about 2 miles to the next town. We didn't care if the hotel was a dive at this point. If they didn't have vacancy, we were just going to pitch our tents in a field. The good news is that the hotel has vacancy and it is really nice! It reminds me of the quaint hotels in Italy! The only bad thing is that they don't have guest laundry and it has been quite some time since we've washed our clothes and we all smell really bad! I mean, really embarrassingly bad! Managed to hand wash some clothes in the tub, which is better than nothing, but not quite the same! Summary of day 21: headwinds, flat tires, fog, drizzle, feeling sluggish, no sun, no wine, Honey Buckets, and no phone service are bad; can't think of anything good that day. Sorry! Summary of day 22: flat tires, trying to find a place for a girl to go to the bathroom while bike riding, walking to hotels, hotels with no vacancy are bad; bikers with spare tubes, hotels with vacancy, the sun, granny gear, and hope for a better tomorrow are good!

Day 20 Fort Bragg to Port Arena 45 miles(921 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 20: 

We rode 45 miles to Port Arena (921 miles total). I would like to thank everyone for your words of encouragement, support, prayers, thoughts, and well wishes! They mean a lot to us and we really appreciate it! I've said it before and I'll say it again that I do feel bad that I haven't been able to respond to everyone's comments. I usually try to make comments to people's post and to respond to comments, but I am in a different world on this trip! It's about all I can do to make an update each night. On a really good day in which I'm not dead tired (which is not very often ), I might have enough energy to push a "like" button. So I do feel bad that I feel out of the loop in Facebook world and I do apologize if I haven't been able to respond to a message or if I missed your birthday, but I promise that once this trip is over, I will be more interactive and use proper Facebook etiquette with responding to comments. But for now, please forgive me and understand. Also, please know how much I appreciate your support and comments. This trip would be so much harder if we didn't have your love and support! So, the bad news for today is that when we were getting breakfast this morning, I met a fellow biker who told us how bad today's ride would be ((lots of up and down hills, coves, switchbacks, etc.). Also, our Bible (aka our book "Biking the West Coast) said that today would be very scenic, but very strenuous and that it would be about the same as yesterday's ride, as far as difficulty goes. To be honest with you, I'm done with the "character building" days! I think I've built enough character! Well, the good news is that the ride really wasn't that bad (either that, or I've built a really high pain tolerance)! Yes, there were lots of hills, switchbacks, and coves, but it makes such a difference when the sun is out! It's amazing what a difference a little vitamin D can do, I'm not getting poured on, and I can actually enjoy the beauty of the California Coast! Summary of the day: flat tires (Riley- our day is just not complete without a flat tire), switchbacks, coves, hills (I will always hate those hills), and slithering snakes in my path are bad; no breakdowns, no "F" bombs, the sun, wine and beer, deodorant, my new rear view mirror on my helmet, a high pain tolerance, and your love and support are good!

Day 19 Leggett to Fort Bragg 46 miles(886 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 19: 

 We rode 46 miles to Fort Bragg ( 886 miles total). Wow, where to start? It might be a long post today, so bear with me. First of all, thanks for your words of encouragement and positive thoughts to get us up that big mountain! The bad news is that it was probably the most miserable day yet. It really wasn't that big climb that was the worst of it all, but all the other elements involved that made for such a crappy day. First of all, as we were packing up to take off for the day, a thunderstorm rolled in. So we had to race to our tents and wait for the thunder and lightning to stop. Once that subsided, just as we packed everything up and were ready to take off, it started to pour. We are talking "Washington downpour." All the Californians told us how "it never rains like this." Well, I see downpours like that all the time, and mentally, I thought I was done with that for a bit. I really thought we left those days behind us, so that kind of mentally set me back. So we start off and it is just pouring on us! We are talking 51 degrees and a downpour! The big climb itself was about 5 and a half miles up and took us about an hour. Mentally, I was prepared for that, but it was everything that followed that threw me for a loop. We had to go down and that was not enjoyable at all! It was freezing and I was chilled to the bone. I've never felt that close to hypothermic! Plus, the roads were really windy and there was no shoulder. There wasn't a lot of traffic, but there were a few cars that were going too fast. There was one 5th wheel and Pat said, "They are going way too fast." Sure enough, about a mile later, he had jackknifed in the middle of the road. So anyway, about a half-way through the day, we finally made it down the mountain and I was exhausted. I just wasn't prepared for the other hill that followed and by that time, my legs were dead. That second mountain mentally set me back. After we got through that, I thought I was in the clear, but it was in and out, up and down, through the coves. I thought it was going to be pretty flat, but it was just one hill after the other. Plus, the weather was just cold, rainy, and crappy. That's when I had a breakdown. The good news is that I had some Gu energy to get me through it, an encouraging son and husband, and a little bit of a rest to get me through the last part of the day. Summary of the day: thunder, lightning, rain, winding roads, no shoulders, never-ending hills, breakdowns, flat tires (Riley- going down the mountain) and F bombs by husband (weather this time) are bad; rain booties (waterproof shoe coverings that keep our feet dry and warm), conquering the "The big climb," friendly drivers who cheer us on, Taco Tuesdays, wine and beer, and the fact that this day is behind us are good!