Tour du Friendship

Sorry for the delay. This past week has been very hectic and I haven't been able to find time to properly set up my blog and start writing. I'll be publishing pictures on this blog as often as I can and trying to fill everyone in on the fun, the tough and the exhausting parts of this unbelievable trip. Week 1: We kicked off the ride in Pacific Palisades, CA. Our send-off was really nice and well attended. There are 8 riders going cross country, 2 riders who joined us for this past week and 3 support staff. The first real day of riding, Monday, with high temperatures and 85 miles of riding, really caught a lot of the riders off guard- myself included. Though it was difficult and everyone was completely wiped at the end of the ride, we all managed to quickly learn from our mistakes (mostly hydrating more than we had been) and pull off another 85 mile ride on Tuesday to Blythe, CA. In total, we rode 417 miles this past week, climbed 12,000 ft and I personally rode my first century ever, 112 miles on Friday from Salome, AZ to Phoenix, AZ! A big thanks to the great hospitality we were all shown in Phoenix. The ride comes with a lot of baggage- literally and figuratively- and we were welcomed with smiles and open arms. Hope to hear feedback from everyone! Stay tuned!