AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME.

Really, this is awesome.

First, yesterday. It was a tough one because it was long one, but a good one I think. 77 miles, the longest I had ridden since I hurt myself and I wasn't the last one to make it in to the Rescue Squad station in Dunlap!!! I was excited, though it didn't feel good... (side note, the people at the Rescue Squad we're amazing. They were so wonderfully accomodating, made us fresh popcorn movie theater style in a huge cart thing, provided us with lots of Cokes, and hooked us up with a donated Sonic dinner, an establishment quickly becoming the favorite among many B&Bers in route and afterwaterwards thanks to the lobbying efforts of Ivey). More on the the ride now, it was long. Steady rolling hills and ups and downs through to lunch and then we hit 111. Now, 111 is a decent road, though an actual highway (with a nice, wide, clean shoulder parents, and we had state trooper permission to ride it) and it went up to start, then stayed up. Not so up as when we were in North Carolina and early Tennessee, but up enough. and after 55 miles already, we were not excited for that climb. After that more long rolling highway hills (you know, you never really realize exactly how long the highway exit ramps and on ramps are until you bypass them on a bike. Everything seems so much bigger on the highway.) and then finally, at the end, an awesome, 4 mile, 7% grade downhill. Yes. That's more like it. The Tall Engine that Could, Emily Burress, was my riding buddy and she totally helped get me through this day. I was not happy on that hill post lunch and in pain and she helped me make it through. Love that girl.

We made it into Dunlap and shortly thereafter my whole fam-damily arrived. Yes, the mom, dad, sister dear, aunt, uncle, and uncle's daughter, all of them. But they brought fressh fruit :) No, it was great to see my family and they took me out on a little escape for some country cookin'. Upon our return to the Rescue Station we took off for the best beer-only beer in Dunlap (in fact it may be the only one, but nonetheless, Wings and Things is a WONDERFUL establishment. especially when the owner picks up 12 of you en route in his pickup truck and gives you a ride there and back home. It was great.) it was a fantastic evening on the whole.

Now for today! A smashing success!! We had about 50-55ish miles to go to get from DUnlap to here in Sewanee. We started with a pretty serious climb to get out of the valley, but once we were up, we stayed up (and of course, went up and down on that up but good ups and downs.) It was a ROCKIN day. So much fun to ride those hills. had great speed going both up and down, it was amazing. i totally hit a stride and just went with it. Lindsay and I were the first two into our campsite in Sewannee for the night!!! HOO-RAY!! (nevermind that we rolled it with about 10 people altogether, but physically, we were the first and it felt so good.

Now let's just hope those 85 miles tomorrow feel the same way...

signing off,
CVH

but maybe a photo before I go. I don't have them all loaded, but let's find a good one:


so that's from our rainy day into Winston-Salem a couple weeks ago! Marylynn and Paceline Bikes were so good to us there!!!