tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76111209373037920302024-03-13T07:32:56.095-07:00a little THIS...a little THATleadership . faith . talented people...and a little bit of that.Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-42325291818251598882015-01-18T09:19:00.002-08:002015-01-20T12:33:56.473-08:00Top 10 Things I Learned in My 20'sToday is my 30th Birthday. I'm excited, not depressed. My 20's were awesome! My 30's are going to be even better. As I've looked through pictures and reflected back on the last decade of my life, I couldn't help but think about all that I've learned. <br />
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Here's the Top 10 things I've learned and would share with those exiting college or in the midsts of their 20's.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) You Don't Know Jack</span></b><br />
I don't know what it is about your late teens and early 20's that makes you feel like you know "everything," but you don't. Nothing like a launch from graduation into the working world and adulthood to make you realize your parent's actually know something and you don't know much at all.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) It's OK to Fail, and You Will</span></b><br />
Because you don't know everything, your pride will get in the way and you will fail. It's ok Millennial, this is a good thing. Not everyone get's a trophy and you're not invincible. You will fail. Your response when you fail and what you learn from it, will be a greater indicator of your growth more than your results.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3) It Took Your Parent's a Lifetime to Get Where They Are</b></span><br />
Job. House. Car. You name it, it took your parent's a lifetime to get where they are and acquire what they have. Breaking News: Most likely, your first house is not going to be the one you grew up in. Your first job is not going to have Director, President, Executive, or in my case Captain in the title. Ask your parent's, "Hey, when you were 25, where were you and what were you doing?" I think you'll be surprised to hear the work they were putting in and the struggles they had.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) People Are Different Than You</span></b><br />
No brainer right? This is something we all inherently know, but don't know how to flush it out. For me, the introduction to several personality profiles<i> (Myers Briggs, Kolbe, Strengthsfinder)</i> at the age of 23, greatly helped me to know my strengths and how God wired me. It also helped me to understand others and how to work with them. Probably saved my marriage as well. "Not wrong, just different" is my motto.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5) Most of Your Days are Filled With Work, Choose Wisely</span></b><br />
Money is important to life, but not at the expense of your emotional, physical, relational and spiritual well being. "Find a company you believe in, doing a job you love and the money will take care of itself." - David Salyers (VP of Marketing @ Chick-Fil-A) I was grateful to have found a great company in my 20's, but it took most of the decade to find a role that truly brought me to life. Training/Coaching.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6) Everything Isn't About You</b></span><br />
It's true. It's not all about you. I've found that those who live with a humble confidence while putting others before themselves, find true joy and favor. Leaders who put their people before themselves gain the respect of their team and coincidentally produce better results. I still suck at this one.<br />
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<i>"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility, consider others as better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7) Marriage Doesn't "Complete" You</b></span><br />
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I'm a big fan of marriage. My wife is incredible! It is also really hard. Coming up on 5 years of marriage, i've found that #1, #2, #3, #4 and #6 all apply. I'm convinced that nothing on this side of heaven will ever "complete" me and marriage definitely doesn't. It sanctifies me. It grows me. It makes me realize how selfish I am, how much I need grace and how much I need Jesus. I am a better man because of marriage and I highly recommend it for that reason, not to feel "complete."</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8) Those Who Live Intentional Lives, Avoid a Life of Mediocrity</span></b></div>
When it comes to allocation of time, we have 2 choices. Proactive or Reactive. I've found that those who are proactive with their time get more done, spend more time with their family and<br />
feel more in control. Those who wake up Monday morning with no plan for their day or week, tend to take a constant barrage or Muhammed Ali right hooks called life. Plan out your time. If you want something to happen, plan for it. Be intentional. I'm getting better at this, but suck at this often.<br />
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<i>Teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:12</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9) Learning Doesn't Stop After College</span></b><br />
See #1. Don't stop reading, learning, growing. My last blog post in September of 2011<i> (cough, cough)</i> was around this issue of pretending like you've arrived vs. acknowledging you don't know it all and have a ways to go. Wet vs. Dry Concrete. Keep your concrete wet in order to stay moldable and used for growth.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10) Save Your $</b></span><br />
It drives me crazy when I read articles about Millennials and the way in which they manage their scrilla. (slang for money) Zoom out and realize that there is more to the here and now. Do you really want to work til your 80? Your habits would indicate that. You have one of the greatest things on your side and it's called<i> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compound_interest" target="_blank">Compound Interest</a>. </i>Use it. Save your money and live within your means. See #8.<!-----slang--><!-----slang--><br />
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I've got a long ways to go in many of these areas and am preaching to myself. I'm thankful for those in my life who have made me aware of these principles and who constantly challenge me in these areas.<br />
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Here's to another decade of learning and growing! Bring it 30's!Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-79911422034900936762011-09-21T16:16:00.000-07:002011-09-28T09:09:26.584-07:00Wet vs. Dry Concrete<div>You know those people that are so set in their ways and routines that no matter what you say or do, you know what to expect and predict because they've always been that way. Verdict? Hard Concrete.</div><div><br /></div><div>You know those people that are always learning and growing. They seek to always gain knowledge and experience in order to grow their personal capacity? Verdict? Wet Concrete.</div><div><br /></div>I must confess. The older I get, the more set in my ways and lazy I get. My concrete is getting harder.<div><br /></div><div>Why?<br /><div><br /></div><div>Is it because I'm getting older and that's what you do? Is it because I'm content with how I'm growing right now and stretching myself? Why don't I pick up a book more often? Why do I always read the same websites? Why do I watch so much TV? Why don't I expand my capacity more?</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Am I going to be THAT person that is so predictable and stuck, that the rest of my life becomes boring and stuck too?</div><div><br /></div><div>Thankfully, I work for a company that pushes me in this area and cares about my personal development.</div><div><br /></div><div>What about you? How wet is your concrete? Are you still <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">moldable</span> or stuck?</div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-3451591602069429382011-06-13T07:36:00.002-07:002011-06-13T20:54:34.456-07:00TEAM over TALENT - The Underdog Effect<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><br /></b></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b>Team</b></span></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>______</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Talent</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ztbQT-Lszo/TfbTznnU89I/AAAAAAAABCs/Y04w5yiaBxE/s200/Mavs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617910468951995346" /></div><div>Team over Talent; a simple concept that continues to become more and more evident to me. In lieu of the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Mavericks</span> victory last night, I was inspired to get back on the blogesphere and share a life principal that's often missed in today's society.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unless you're a hermit, a sports hater or completely oblivious to the news, you're aware that the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Dallas Mavericks</span> defeated the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">Miami Heat</span> last night in the NBA finals. It was, once again, another example of how experience, chemistry and leadership trump raw talent. Nobody denies that that the Heat are incredibly talented. As a matter of fact, the Heat was favored in this series and even predicted to sweep by some.</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QXL1J9YZWRk/TfbUIu5fEqI/AAAAAAAABC0/Ajzbdhl84xM/s200/Big%2B3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617910831684457122" /><div>Nobody denies that talent is a fundamental asset for success. It's hard to find and hard to train. But, often it's idolized as the #1 indicator by many in the sport's, business, and educational arenas. Whether it's AAU basketball leagues, Harvard Business school or the NFL combine; talent is valued, idolized and heavily inspected.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>I'm seeing a shift in our culture. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Like anything, with enough failed attempts, we start to question our way of thinking. Whether it's Jamarcus Russell, the 2002 U.S.A. Men's Basketball team or Dennis Miller on Monday Night Football, talent doesn't equal results.</div><div><br /></div><div>I, like others, am seeing a common theme in those who are truly finding results, particularly in the Sports World. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>LEADERSHIP, inteGRITy, CHEMISTRY, CULTURE, EXPERIENCE, ETC...</b></div><div><br /></div><div>...mixed with talent, turns into results.</div><div><br /></div><div>Example: 1980 U.S Hockey Team, 03', 04' Patriots, 09' Saints, 04' Red Sox, 06' Boise State or The Mighty Ducks.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>We love the underdog</b> because deep down we want to see a team with "less" talent prevail. Deep down, we know there's always someone more talented than us. <b>We equate ourselves to an underdog, knowing that we may not have the "most" talent but can always work on our leadership, integrity, experience, and just then...maybe, just maybe...</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>...I can achieve what I'm after if I just be patient like Jason Kidd?</div><div>...I can achieve what I'm after if I can just put enough time, talent, treasure and innovation into it like Mark Cuban?</div><div>...even though I'm one way (7ft tall), maybe I can still be as smooth as Dirk.</div><div>...there's a Tyson Chandler out there that's a final piece to my puzzle?</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>If we see it and acknowledge it, maybe then can we have a shot at the title?</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Go Mavs!</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">* Please disregard all typos and grammatical errors. I made C's in my English classes.</span></span></b></div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-13909899956632632952009-03-24T14:40:00.000-07:002010-11-10T15:43:43.234-08:00The R-Word (retard)<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left"><div align="left"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/ScupWsEnAxI/AAAAAAAAAu4/pwMztf-yL2E/s1600-h/special_olympics_ad_courtesy_art.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317529992293712658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 192px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 219px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/ScupWsEnAxI/AAAAAAAAAu4/pwMztf-yL2E/s320/special_olympics_ad_courtesy_art.jpg" border="0" /></a> It is time to “Spread the Word to End the Word” and on 31 March 2009 Special Olympics is calling for a national day of awareness for America to stop and think about their use of the R-word. That R-word is not “recession,” but something more hurtful and painful – “retard.” </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">In High School and College I chose to spend my volunteer time working with people with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">disabilities</span>. My bike ride across America this summer benefited Push America, a non-profit organization who raises money and awareness for people with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">disabilities</span>. During my time spent with people with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">disabilities</span>, my eyes and heart have been open to their world. It's a world of sadness, hurt and frustration but often a world of courage, perseverance and happiness. When I spent time with these awesome people, my initial reaction was that I was doing them a favor. It was never til the end of my first interactions with people with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">disabilities</span>, that I realized how much more they gave me. I was the one benefiting from their presence.<br /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"></div><u><span style="color:#0000ff;"></span></u><div align="left"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/ScunhQiEd4I/AAAAAAAAAuw/Z07pnJNdC90/s1600-h/2635773700_a72e3d6053.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317527974856390530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/ScunhQiEd4I/AAAAAAAAAuw/Z07pnJNdC90/s200/2635773700_a72e3d6053.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317527469177223938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/ScunD0uwuwI/AAAAAAAAAuo/7x6JwXCxHpc/s200/2655414292_9f1ecc8d15.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>In college, my fraternity was the leader of all the chapters when it came to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">involvement</span> with Push America. We raised a lot of money and did a "Push Week" for all the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">sororities</span> to raise money and awareness. In order for our words to follow our actions, we made sure that we watched how we used the "R-Word." </div><br /><div>I came across this recent campaign by the Special Olympics and think it's awesome. Most people throw around the R-word like it's no bid deal without any regard to who could be offended. I used to say it all the time until my eyes were opened to the word and the people it represents. </div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong>Please stand with me on March, 31st and everyday to spread awareness on the R-word; an often overused, hurtful slur that has great potential of offend due to the people it represents and the context it's used in. If nothing else, think twice before you use the word! Thanks.</strong> </div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span><br /></div><div align="center"><strong>FYI:</strong></div><div align="left">Don't use retard, handicapped, or disable person. These are all politically incorrect. Handicap is an older word that refers to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">beggars</span> with their "cap in hand." And it's not a disable person...it's a person with disabilities. They are people first and this language is called "people first language."</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.r-word.org/">http://www.r-word.org/</a></div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>A great article written by CNN talking about the campaign and President <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Obama's</span> slip up on The Tonight Show.</div><div><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/03/20/obama.special.olympics/index.html"><span style="color:#00cccc;">http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/03/20/obama.special.olympics/index.html</span></a></div></div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-83576080761154106152009-02-23T14:02:00.000-08:002009-02-24T18:20:16.466-08:00GRO CD Release!!! (Capitol-Virgin Records)<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">The Green River Ordinance Debut Album "Out of My Hands" comes out TODAY FEB. 24th!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SaMkUrMxuUI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/LkZ0N13ioFg/s1600-h/Me+and+Jenks.jpg"></a><div align="left"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SaMl2CmfEYI/AAAAAAAAAtY/C9o8xO4Hbuw/s1600-h/GRO+CD+Release.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306126396314030466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SaMl2CmfEYI/AAAAAAAAAtY/C9o8xO4Hbuw/s200/GRO+CD+Release.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SaMpOSAWcxI/AAAAAAAAAto/BEwE8fnPRZI/s1600-h/GRO+CD+Release.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306130111300793106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SaMpOSAWcxI/AAAAAAAAAto/BEwE8fnPRZI/s200/GRO+CD+Release.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306128948040742994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SaMoKkhiuFI/AAAAAAAAAtg/DNZeEcN08iM/s200/Me+and+Jenks.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />As many of you know (or maybe you don't), I am really good friends with the lead singer and manager of Green River Ordinance; a band based out of Fort Worth, TX. Starting off as a high school garage band, GRO grew into a major independent band and later signed with the Capitol-Virgin record label. They are an awesome group of guys who are passionate about playing great music.<br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306123795739534866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SaMjeqtNZhI/AAAAAAAAAtI/3R-y7z3Gh1M/s320/GRO.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Check out the new album on I-Tunes!!!! See what you think. <a onmousedown="'UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this)," href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=303893838&s=143441" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=303893838&s=143441</a></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">or</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Listen to 4 full songs on <a href="http://www.myspace.com.gro/">http://www.myspace.com.gro/</a></span></p>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-7175482851377464472009-02-11T16:34:00.001-08:002009-02-11T16:44:09.751-08:00And I'm Back In The Game!After a 6 month absence from blogging...i'm back in the game. I don't feel like I have a lot of profound information or wisdom to share with the cyber world, but, I do have a lot of people or things that I come across and want to share. Who knows...maybe a sense of humor or divine inspiration will come over me and one soul will find it relatively tantilizing. <br /><br />The real goal of this blog is to connect the people in my life with myself and with each other. For some reason, I know a lot of cool people who do a lot of cool things and I think everyone should know about it. <br /><br />It truly is a little THIS...a little THAT.Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-87600823738611455172008-09-01T14:47:00.000-07:002008-09-03T18:28:04.273-07:00Day 67 August 16th WASHINGTON D.C. ARRIVAL DAY!!!Day 67 August 16 WASHINGTON D.C. ARRIVAL DAY!!!<br /><br />I can’t believe it’s finally here!!! There wasn’t a day on this trip that I didn’t think about August 16th and what it would be like to ride into our nation's capital. I can’t ever think of a day where I woke up and was so giddy. The sense of accomplishment reigned over the day. We set off on a 40-mile ride into the city. When we got there, we arrived at George Washington University and met up with the North and South Routes. After chilling for an hour or so…it was our time. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxkwA-iOlI/AAAAAAAAAoo/D3es63Hc2OM/s1600-h/2775245277_07e5d87297.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241174842411203154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxkwA-iOlI/AAAAAAAAAoo/D3es63Hc2OM/s320/2775245277_07e5d87297.jpg" border="0" /></a>We were scheduled to arrive at the Capitol at 11:00 so all 3 teams lined up at 10:45. My good friend, Ryan Dixon and I were voted on by our teammates to lead the team to the Capitol. It just so happened that our team also got to lead all teams, which meant that Ryan and I were the first two riders of all 84. It was such an honor and made the arrival that much better. As we left GWU in a double pace line with a police escort, the cheers and hollers started to ring out. As we got closer and closer to the Capitol, the excitement started to build. We turned the corner and headed down the street in front of the capitol lined with 400 proud friends, families, girlfriends and on lookers all cheering for us. I threw my arm up in the air in triumph and couldn’t bring myself to put it down. I felt like Andy Dufresne in the mo<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxmV6I5lLI/AAAAAAAAAo4/b9fII6RDeV0/s1600-h/IMG_1597.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241176592922285234" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 282px" height="257" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxmV6I5lLI/AAAAAAAAAo4/b9fII6RDeV0/s320/IMG_1597.jpg" width="240" border="0" /></a>vie Shawshank Redemption when he’s in the rain and holds his arms up in the air. After 67 days, 13 states, 4,000 miles, the joy I was experiencing was like no other I had experienced. To see the look on the people’s faces as we rode by them was incredible. You could see how happy they were to see us and how proud they were of us. When we got to the end of the street with the smiles and tears still on our faces, we got off of our bikes to gather on the west lawn of the capitol for a short presentation. The CEO of Push America, Chad Coltrane, spoke to the crowd as well as the project managers of each team. After some team pictures, it was off to hug our family and friends. I found my parents immediately and gave them huge hugs. Mom wouldn’t let go as the tears started to roll. My wonderful girlfriend Melissa was also there and I gav<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxmxSwevJI/AAAAAAAAApA/pqh8Twfwzi8/s1600-h/IMG_1628.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241177063387217042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxmxSwevJI/AAAAAAAAApA/pqh8Twfwzi8/s320/IMG_1628.jpg" border="0" /></a>e her a huge hug after not seeing her for the whole 2 months. Some friends and fraternity brothers of mine who live in the D.C. area also came out to see me. I couldn’t believe it was over and I was finally standing on the Capitol lawn. I made sure to get all the pictures possible, as I didn’t want this memory to ever go away. After hoisting my bike over my head to symbolize my triumphant victory crossing the United States, we snapped some more pictures and made our way to our hotel. I said goodbye to mom & dad who had to catch a flight back to Fort Worth for my cousin Sarah’s wedding that night. Melissa and I went back to the hotel where I took apart my bike an<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxnHnEG3NI/AAAAAAAAApI/6cfUJBMdJD4/s1600-h/IMG_1641.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241177446795369682" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxnHnEG3NI/AAAAAAAAApI/6cfUJBMdJD4/s320/IMG_1641.jpg" border="0" /></a>d packed it up. We checked into our rooms and headed to lunch with my friend Ryan and his family. We enjoyed a nice sit down meal on an outside patio during a beautiful sunny day in D.C. After the meal we headed back to the hotel for some relaxation before the banquet that night. Around 6:30 we headed to the banquet in our hotel where I found out that I would be giving the invocation for the evening. It came as quite a surprise but I was more than glad to do it. I also noticed that there was an insert in the evening’s program that featured a picture and biography of me for being the top fundraiser. It was a great evening and a perfect cap to a wonderful summer. I was recognized as the top fundraiser with an ending total of $16,210 and received a framed jersey. It was truly an honor and I was humbled by the whole night. The biggest highlight is when my good friend Ryan won the Bruce Rodgers award as the best team member on our team. He is such a good guy and it was well deserved. After the banquet, we had one last team meeting before going out and celebrating with family, friends, and the 2 other teams. What a day and what a summer!!!!<br />I end this blog with heartfelt thanks to the many supporters who made my trip possible and enjoyable. For those who supported my ride with donations and prayers, who visited along the route and who supplied support in Washington. Thankyou and God Bless!!!<br /><br />“Success is not a place at which one arrives, but rather the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey.” –Alex NobleCameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-66951940618019766962008-09-01T13:31:00.000-07:002008-09-01T13:41:46.621-07:00Day 63-66 Roanoke, VA - Manassas, VA<strong>Day 63 August 12 Roanoke, VA – Farmville, VA</strong><br /><br />We woke up at 5:30 and grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel we were staying at: Hotel Roanoke. We got on the bikes and set off on our last century day of the trip. It was a 110-mile day but it was the easiest one so far. I don’t know if we were just so used to riding the bike or the fact tha<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxRyBh5CHI/AAAAAAAAAoI/qelRjGFCZNw/s1600-h/2761908751_502be48e42.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241153986198308978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxRyBh5CHI/AAAAAAAAAoI/qelRjGFCZNw/s200/2761908751_502be48e42.jpg" border="0" /></a>t it<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxMrC_pWyI/AAAAAAAAAno/8ofwcC5JlQ0/s1600-h/2761908751_502be48e42.jpg"> </a>was a beautiful, mostly flat ride. Whatever it was, we had an awesome day on the bike and arrived at the Hampton Inn in Farmville, VA around 3:30. An organization in Farmville by the name of STEPS put us up in the hotel. After a quick shower and some time on the computer, we headed over to steps to see their operation. After seeing their facilities, we headed to dinner at Country Kitchen, which was also provided by STEPS. It was delicious buffet type meal with good interaction from the nice individuals from STEPS. After dinner it was back to the hotel for sleep.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Day 64 August 13 Farmville, VA – Richmond, VA</strong><br /><br />We woke up at the Hampton Inn and had the continental breakfast before hitting the road on a 70-mile day to Richmond, VA. It was a tough day because the legs were tired from the 110-mile day before but it was another beautiful day marked with rolling hills and lots of trees. Getting into Richmond was kind of stressful because there was lots of traffic and the roads were narrow. When we finally arrived at our destination; St. Benedictine HS, we took showers in the athletic locker rooms and went to the parking lot where a friend of a former Pi Alpha was cooking us ribs and barbeque. After a delicious lunch, I made a run to some bike stores to pick up some last minute parts. I also grabbed some blue and black handlebar wrap and made a really cool weave with both colors. For dinner, we went to a local restaurant where our meal was provided by a former JOH rider. After dinner, we got back and had a team gift exchange. We each drew another name out of a hat and had to buy a “gag” gift for that person. It was a really good tim<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241154339259481042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxSGkyO-9I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/wx4dMjcEjV0/s200/2763197462_ee9fbf226e.jpg" border="0" />e and really funny to see who got what and why they got it. After the exchange, I met up with an old friend from camp; Bryce Humphrey. I hadn’t seen or talked to Bryce in 3 years so it was good to catch up with him and talk about life. After spending time with Bryce, I met up with the rest of the team for some fellowship.<br /><br /><strong>Day 65 August 14 Richmond, VA – Fredericksburg, VA</strong><br /><br />We woke up this morning at 6:00 and grabbed a bagel breakfast provided by a former JOH rider. We hit the road for 50-mile day to Fredericksburg, VA. It was another beautiful ride through the country of Virginia. I could just feel the civil war history as we road through some of the plains and could see some of the historical markers along the roadside. We arrived at Fredericksburg Christian HS around 11:30 and showered up for heading to Ruby Tuesdays for lunch. One of my teammates parents bought as whatever we wanted at Ruby Tuesdays. It was a nice treat because, not only did I get a good meal, my long time neighbors, <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxNH6O-8LI/AAAAAAAAAn4/TEHzFa6w20o/s1600-h/2774198585_7b017c32f4.jpg"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxSUpk8eMI/AAAAAAAAAoY/IdciiNYL7tk/s1600-h/2774198585_7b017c32f4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241154581064087746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxSUpk8eMI/AAAAAAAAAoY/IdciiNYL7tk/s200/2774198585_7b017c32f4.jpg" border="0" /></a>Bob and Diana Ryan came out to see me. It was such a blessing to see them and have lunch with them. Diana, who is going through Cemo and Radiation, was such an inspiration to me. Her sweet spirit and never quit attitude were extremely humbling for me and caused me to put my daily struggles into perspective. After saying goodbye to them, we went back to the HS and I took a nap. After a great nap we headed our friendship visit at the ARC of Rappahannock. It was an incredible friendship visit with tons of participants. It felt like there were people everywhere! There was some music and entertainment as well as a huge potluck dinner. After our last friendship visit, we headed back to the school for some team events and off to bed.<br /><br /><strong>Day 66 August 15 Fredericksburg, VA – Manassas, VA</strong><br /><br />We were woken up this morning to a live performance from Jamie O’Brians parents who were playing a banjo and a standup bass. It was a bluegrass wakeup! We got to sleep in a little bit this morning and stroll outside the school for some breakfast provid<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241154917629166754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SLxSoPYUBKI/AAAAAAAAAog/zb8i5QxzgTc/s200/2774282465_0688bdbb6b.jpg" border="0" />ed by the O’Brians. After breakfast, the O’Brians performed a song they had written about the Journey of Hope. It really meant a lot considering Mr. O’Brian was not supportive of his son Jamie participating in the event in the beginning. After reading all the journals and looking at all the pictures, Mr. O’Brian had become so much of a supporter that he was writing songs about us. It was really cool! After the awesome performance, we hit the road energized. It was a 45-mile day and it seemed like it flew by. We pulled into Manassas around 2:00 and settled into our lodging at an Aquatic Center. We packed up some of our bags so they couldn’t be taken to our hotel in D.C. We left for a team dinner at Red Robin around 5:00. It was a good last event for us all to be together and enjoy each others company. After that we headed back to our lodging to pack up and have one last team event together before heading to bed. I can’t believe we arrive in D.C. tomorrow!!!Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-31501325378765290402008-08-19T20:54:00.000-07:002008-08-19T21:23:31.748-07:00Day 59 Charleston, WV - Roanoke, VA<div><div><div><div><strong>Day 59 August 8 Charleston, WV – Beckley, WV</strong><br />After a small breakfast, it was to the road for an 80-mile day. Once again the weather was great but the ride was<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKua5CD2LFI/AAAAAAAAAnI/fHKBCjl3700/s1600-h/2745879300_31684a34b8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236449296344558674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKua5CD2LFI/AAAAAAAAAnI/fHKBCjl3700/s200/2745879300_31684a34b8.jpg" border="0" /></a> pretty tough. We rode along an old mining road that was overgrown with shrubbery and reminded me of the movie Jumanji. We had some pretty tough climbs as we got into some serious hills. We had a roadside lunch around mile 60 and got back on the bike for the last 20 miles. We arrived at our lodging at Mountain State University around 2:30. I did some bike repairs and took a quick shower before leaving for dinner around 5:00. We went to the local Mountain State Center for Independent Living and had a nice lasagna dinner. The local Congressman and Chief of Police came out to welcome us which was kind of fun. I had dinner with the father of a young lady who has autism. It was a good visit and a great dinner. After that it was to the computer and off to bed.<br /><br /><strong>Day 60 August 9 Beckley, WV – Blacksburg, VA</strong><br />We woke up at 5:30a.m. and walked over to a nearby building at Mountain State for breakfast. After some eggs, sausage and biscuits, we hit the road for a 105-mile day to Blacksburg, Virginia. 105 miles with hills = Game Day = Eye Black from our chains. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236449561315872210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKubIdJ7jdI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/SuxgfeBELuc/s200/2756822752_abe78a5303.jpg" border="0" />For me, this was the 2nd hardest day of the trip behind our 115-mile day into Paradise, Montana. It was tough because it was our fifth day on the bike and we had some pretty serious climbs to deal with. It was another nice day of weather and was actually kind of cool. If it had been hot, half of us probably wouldn’t have made it through the day. Luckily, all of us made it and were extremely pooped from the day. We arrived at the campus of Virginia Tech around 4:00 and moved our stuff into our rooms. It was interesting being on the Virginia Tech campus and seeing the building I had seen on T.V. from the 2006 shootings. After showering up, we headed over to the dining hall and had an all you can eat buffet feast. It was great to replace all those calories I had burned for the day. (Average = 6,000 – 7,000 calories a day). After dinner I went to lay down for a bit before going out to celebrate a teammates 21st Birthday. Overall, it was a long day but those are typically the ones I remember the most.<br /><br /><strong>Day 61 August 10 Blacksburg, VA – Roanoke, VA</strong><br />Today was very unorthodox compared to the usual routine that we have become accustomed to. We had a short day riding and couldn’t check into our hotel in Roanoke until 4:00 so we didn’t have to be ready until 11:15a.m. I woke up around 9:30 and went to the dining hall at Virginia Tech. Once again it was all you can eat and it was pretty good food for a college. After breakfast, I went back to the dorm to pack up and get ready for the ride. We loaded the vans and went back to the dining hall to grab some lunch before hitting the road. It was a short day and mostly down hill so that helped the fatigued legs. Luckily it was a beautiful ride and it always helps knowing you’re riding into a day off. We arrived at Hotel Roanoke around 4:00 a<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKubWBIFqVI/AAAAAAAAAnY/S9WrOhYXldg/s1600-h/2757182553_846eb91738.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236449794310121810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKubWBIFqVI/AAAAAAAAAnY/S9WrOhYXldg/s200/2757182553_846eb91738.jpg" border="0" /></a>nd went to our rooms to settle in and shower up. This hotel was extremely nice and rich with history so it was a nice treat for our last day off. For the evening, we headed to Pump It Up to hang out with the Down Syndrome Association of Roanoke. It was really fun because Pump It Up is an establishment with multiple bounce house type contraptions inside. So, basically all the guys ran around like a bunch of 12 year olds and had a blast with the kids. After the visit we grabbed some pizza with the association and went next door to grab some ice cream. All the activity left me pooped and hitting my nice comfortable bed early.<br /><br /><strong>Day 62 August 11 Roanoke, VA –Day Off</strong><br />Today was a great day off…the last one of the trip! I woke up in my wonderful bed at Hotel Roanoke around 8:30a.m. and strolled to the lobby for a sponsored breakfast. We walked right over to the hotel restaurant where we had a phenomenal buffet breakfast sponsored by Larry & Betty Heaton, the parents of a former rider. It was a great meal and we stuffed ourselves with lots of biscuits and gravy, muffins, eggs and omelets. After breakfast, we headed to our lunch and friendship visit at Camp Virginia Jaycees. Many of the campers were there for a week and were engaging in certain activities when we arrived. We had the option to jump in at any of the activities and interact with the campers. I headed to arts and crafts where I met a young girl name Jennifer. Jennifer was going into the second grade and was confined to a wheelchair from what I’m guessing is Cerebral Palsy. She was so sweet and so fun to hang out with. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236450382998063810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKub4SKOysI/AAAAAAAAAng/_50ufyKOrS8/s200/2757993698_070a92c232.jpg" border="0" />After painting a close pin to look like an alligator, we headed to the dining hall for lunch. All of us spread out to eat with both the children campers and the adult campers. I had lunch with my new friend Jennifer and after that we had to part ways. It was sad but it’s ok, we’re friends now. We headed back to the hotel where everyone had a few hours to do there own thing. I elected to do some journaling, which inevitably led to a nap. Some of the other guys made runs to the bike shop and Wal-Mart. Around 4:00p.m. we left for our friendship visit at Camp Easter Seals Virginia. After a scenic one-hour drive, we arrived at camp and went on a tour of the facilities. The folks currently attending the camp were families with a child who has a disability. I thought that was neat considering we hadn’t seen anything like that on the trip. After the tour, we joined the campers for a hamburger/hot dog meal. After dinner, we loaded up the vans for our long ride back. Once we arrived back at the hotel, we met out on the pool deck for a team meeting. We discussed the last few days of the trip and engaged in some share time. After the meeting, it was a little free time before heading to bed. Overall, it was a great day off before hitting the home stretch into D.C. I can’t believe we’re so close!</div></div></div></div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-61220563274034293642008-08-12T14:16:00.000-07:002008-08-12T19:37:02.991-07:00Day 54-58 Cincinnati, OH - Charleston, WV<div><div><div><div><div><strong>Day 54 August 3 Cincinnati, OH – Lexington, KY</strong></div><div><br />Today was a long day filled with lots of city riding and lots of rolling hills at the beginning. Around mile 18, I noticed there was some wobble in my right cleat. I thought my clips might be loose and that I would tighten them at the next crew stop. When I got to the <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKJF-jOYkOI/AAAAAAAAAmg/2HV_hTCkMF8/s1600-h/2733401017_676471e7ee.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233822657867714786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKJF-jOYkOI/AAAAAAAAAmg/2HV_hTCkMF8/s200/2733401017_676471e7ee.jpg" border="0" /></a>van I looked at my bike and noticed that my whole crank was not right and that one of my arm pedals was extremely loose. I also lost a part in the process and had to rack my bike for the rest of the day and hope that I could fix it in Lexington. We all arrived at our lodging on the University of Kentucky campus around 4:30 and had to take quick showers before heading to our dinner and friendship visit at a local organization. It was a good visit but kind of overwhelming because there were so many people. Once again it was burgers, baked beans, potato salad and chips. That night, I went out with some of the guys to a Mexican restaurant to grab some chips and salsa and other Mexican dishes. It was a good fix.<br /><br /><strong>Day 55 August 4 Lexington, KY – Day Off</strong></div><div><br />This morning we didn’t have a sponsored breakfast so we were free until 11:45a.m. I slept in until 9:15 and rolled to IHOP with the guys who I ride with everyday in van 3. We’re the best van in case you didn’t know. It was great to sleep in and go enjoy a meal that wasn’t required. We came back to lodging and headed to our sponsored lunch at a local insurance company where a former Gear Up Florida rider, Ryan Huff, catered sub sandwiches and had some of his co-workers join us. After lunch, my van went over to a local organization called Latitude. There we were doing a mock arrival for the media and spending some time with the organization. It was really fun and one of the most unique organizations we’ve been too. It’s a place where people with disabilities can come several times a week to do their artwork. Several of the participants have traveled to New York to show off their work and even selling some of it for thousands of dollars. It was a really neat facility and a great concept. We headed back to lodging for a little bit before heading to our dinner at a local coffee shop. The man who owned Latitude cooked</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233822910942506690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKJGNSAHbsI/AAAAAAAAAmo/TxBObYZ9Kg4/s200/2739479339_40ffae9339.jpg" border="0" /> us burgers and hot dogs and hooked us up with some coffee from the shop. When we got back to lodging, I went to a local place to watch the finale of American Gladiator. One of my brother’s co-workers, Tim Oliphant, was one of the contestants in the final battle and ended up winning it. He walked away with $100,000 and a Toyota Sequoia. It was really cool knowing somebody who’s pretty much famous now. After that it was off to bed.<br /><br /><strong>Day 56 August 5 Lexington, KY – Morehead, KY</strong></div><div><br />Before we left for Morehead, the parent’s of a former rider showed up at our lodging to cook us a warm breakfast. We set sail for an 80-mile day to Morehead and ended up getting<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKJHNcb9yII/AAAAAAAAAmw/rp_U34XO6FM/s1600-h/2740441906_c911a7fa5c.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233824013255297154" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKJHNcb9yII/AAAAAAAAAmw/rp_U34XO6FM/s200/2740441906_c911a7fa5c.jpg" border="0" /></a> re-routed along the way due to mowing along the road we were on. We finally got close to Morehead and hit a huge rainstorm. It was actually fun riding in the rain until we saw lightning and thunder 10 miles out and had to take the vans the rest of the way. We arrived at Morehead State University and were greeted by some school officials and Morehead brothers of Pi Kappa Phi. We ate a low-key lunch and headed to our rooms in one of the dorms. After doing some laundry and taking a short nap, it was off to a park for a friendship visit and dinner with the Morehead chapter. For the night I just stayed in and made some phone calls and caught up on journals.<br /><br /><strong>Day 57 August 6 Morehead, KY – Huntington, WV</strong><strong></strong><br /><div><br />Today was an 80-mile day with lots of rolling hills but nice scenery. We took a lot of backcountry roads, which led us by lots of interesting homesteads, and lots of dogs that weren’t chained or fenced in. We coined this day The Kentucky Derby because we were constantly running from dogs. We decided to delay our roadside lunch so we could grab whatever we wanted in town. We arrived at our lodging at the Holiday Inn in downtown Huntington. It was the nicest Holiday Inn I’ve been to. I put my stuff in the room and headed straight to Five Guys; a burger and fry joint a block from our hotel. After a big juicy burger and a short nap afterwards, we loaded up the vans and headed to a local park for our friendship visit with the Mountain State <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233824961338790274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKJIEoUr0YI/AAAAAAAAAm4/dfMyjHxKdwY/s200/2740669975_9ebd59b088.jpg" border="0" />Center for Independent Living. They catered Famous Daves for us. It was so good! I got to interact with several of the supervisors of the organization and pick their brain about what they do. It’s always interesting to hear all of the awesome things these organizations are doing for people with disabilities. After the visit, my teammate Matt Sartin and I explored part of the downtown mall they had and grabbed some ice cream at Cold Stone. After that it was some rest and relaxation in the hotel room before crashing for the night.<br /><br /><strong>Day 58 August 7 Huntington, WV – Charleston, WV</strong></div><div><strong><br /></strong>Today was an enjoyable ride of 55 miles. It was a nice cool day with beautiful scenery. There were lots of big green trees and rolling hills/mountains. Towards the end of the ride, we had to be escorted by the vans over big bridge that goes over the Ohio River. We also had to make a huge climb up a steep hill that went for about a half mile. It was intense. We staged up and left shortly after for our arrival at a Children’s Therapy Clinic.<br />We took a tour of the facility and had a pizza lunch with some of the staff and families of the clinic. It was neat to see everything that they do with Children to help them with simple skills and other things to help them be independent. After the visit, we headed to our lodging at the Martin Luther King Rec Center. We took showers and most of us hit the sleeping bags for a couple hours of sleep. After waking from our slumber, we loaded up the vans and headed to the West Virgi<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKJIcmPEjCI/AAAAAAAAAnA/R6Ltv9GHRi0/s1600-h/2745007302_d034747347.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233825373095234594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SKJIcmPEjCI/AAAAAAAAAnA/R6Ltv9GHRi0/s200/2745007302_d034747347.jpg" border="0" /></a>nia Power game. The West Virginia Power is the 1-A minor league team for the Milwaukee Brewers. We had some hamburgers and hotdogs at the park and enjoyed the game that was sponsored by a 1994 JOH rider. Towards the end of the game, a teammate and I participated in an on field promotion. We had to box each other with gigantic boxing gloves. When he spun around for a roundhouse, I popped him in the back of the head and knocked him down to the ground. That helped me seal the deal on the victory. I won a West Virginia Power shirt and a Neal McCoy CD. It was a good time. Then it was back to the Rec for bed. </div></div></div></div></div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-42469223978243966962008-08-06T17:22:00.000-07:002008-08-06T19:01:47.907-07:00Day 49-53 Terra Haute, IN - Cincinatti, OH<div><div><div><div><strong>Day 49 July 29 Terra Haute, IN – Bloomington, IN</strong></div><div><strong></strong><br />We woke up and had a wonderful breakfast prepared by the Pontius’ who’s gigantic house we slept in t<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJpGpmY7aNI/AAAAAAAAAlY/6mxME4Hz-sg/s1600-h/2728805694_9156d5238a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231571597637937362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJpGpmY7aNI/AAAAAAAAAlY/6mxME4Hz-sg/s200/2728805694_9156d5238a.jpg" border="0" /></a>hat night. We hit the road for a 60-mile ride to Bloomington Indiana, home of the Hoosiers. It was a good day of riding with lots of rolling hills and greenery. Midway through the ride, I initiated a farkel. A farkel is where everyone participating throws a specified number and then I tally them up and count around the circle that many times. The farkel today was for the loser to wear a pair of sunglasses that we found on the side of the road and were missing the lenses for the rest of the day. We arrived in Bloomington around 1:00 and staged up for an arrival at an organization called Stone Belt. We weren’t expecting much but we arrived to a crowd of 80 or so individuals, most of whom are living with disabilities. We said our hellos and sat down to a brisket sandwich meal with the folks. After lunch, we joined in for some activities and games that they had prepared. I walked around with a woman named Denise who was excited to walk around and do some of the activities. After saying our goodbyes, we headed to our lodging at the Pi Kapp chapter house of Indiana. We got settled in and crashed for a few hours before heading downstairs to grab some dinner prepared by the house cooks. After dinner we gathered around the T.V. to watch America’s Got Talent. One of my teammates, Andrew Lewis is in a percussion group called “The Cadence” and they performed on the show and made it to the next round. It was really fun and exciting! We like to give him a hard time about his celebrity status. After all the excitement it was off to bed.<br /><br /><strong>Day 50 July 30 Bloomington, IN – Indianapolis, IN</strong></div><div><br />We grabbed a great breakfast cooked by the fraternity cooks and hit the road for a 55-mile day. What was thought to be an easy day into Indianapolis turned out to be a day of flats. I got 3 flats within the first 7 miles and decided by back tire was done for. I had to rack my bike and rely on buying a new tire in Indy. As the ride went on, the team had over 20 flats and we weren’t making any progress. We had a lunch to get to so the whole team racked the last 20 miles into the city. We took quick showers and headed to our sponsor lunch at local pizza joint. Our meal was put on by the step mom of a Pi Kapp who used to work for Push America. After lunch, most of the guys headed back to our lodging at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Most of the guys took a nap, but I made a run to the bike store with some other guys to get my new tire. For dinner, we headed to the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indianapolis to grab some spaghetti and play wheelchair basketball with the Indianapolis Wheelchair Basketball Team. It was really fun but we got domina</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231574067938604914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJpI5Y-gN3I/AAAAAAAAAlg/LKztvYwdWGo/s200/2728153257_a1a0cb216c.jpg" border="0" />ted. We got beat much worse than when we played wheelchair rugby in Denver. I spent some time with an older gentleman named Tony who was shot by another gang member when he was 15 and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. He now speaks to kids all over about the dangers of gang violence and other motivating topics. That night, a big group of us headed to downtown Indy to enjoy some entertainment at a Dueling Piano Bar. It was fun to get out of the daily routine and hang out with the guys.<br /><br /><strong>Day 51 July 31 Indianapolis, IN – Day Off</strong></div><div><strong></strong><br />We woke up around 9:45 (which was glorious) and went to the bottom floor of the dorm we were staying in to grab some bagels and fruit provided by the same lady who provided our lunch the day before. After breakfast, we went to our friendship visit at Noble of Indiana. It w<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJpJKuNnRiI/AAAAAAAAAlo/h8cCK9SvnfM/s1600-h/2728657023_f37b6aa18f.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231574365696902690" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJpJKuNnRiI/AAAAAAAAAlo/h8cCK9SvnfM/s200/2728657023_f37b6aa18f.jpg" border="0" /></a>as a very nice welcome and well-prepared visit. There were Push America posters everywhere, brochures on the tables, etc. We enjoyed another brisket sandwich lunch and split off into groups to do specific activities with some of the clients of Noble. I got assigned to the Karaoke/Dancing room, which is always a good time. The Karaoke machine they had was purchased by the grant we gave them last year. After the visit, we went back to lodging to grab a few hours of sleep before heading to our dinner. We drove 20 miles out of the city to a woman’s house for a Mexican dinner. She is the mother of the young man who used to work for Push America. It was a great dinner and very relaxing to just sit and relax in a home. We’re not around too many homes on our trip. After dinner I spent several hours cleaning up my bike and putting on my new tire…then off to bed.<br /><br /><strong>Day 52 August 1 Indianapolis, IN – Oxford, OH</strong> <div><br />We woke up at 6:00 and grabbed a bagel breakfast provided by some ladies who work at the university. We headed out of the city and got back into more country riding as we continued to come across more corn and soy crops. After the 85 miles, we got into Oxford and went straight to lodging at a log cabin type building on the<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231574840467135762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJpJmW3qHRI/AAAAAAAAAlw/4VZkc2th2JM/s200/2728718945_e1c3d55008.jpg" border="0" /> campus of Miami of Ohio. We grabbed our shower stuff and clothes and headed to the Pi Kapp house to grab some showers and an early dinner. It was fun seeing another house and hanging out with the 20 or so guys who came out to see us. After dinner, I went back to the un-air-conditioned log cabin to do some blogging before heading out to hang out with some of the Miami guys. When I got back, I took my sleeping bag and thermarest outside because it was much cooler than sleeping inside.<br /><br /><strong>Day 53 August 2 Oxford, OH – Cincinnati, OH</strong></div><div><br />We woke up at 6:00 and packed up our things to ride a mile or so to the Pi Kapp house to have breakfast cooked by the guys. We hit the road just after 7:00 and encountered mostly city riding on our 40-mile day. It was one of our shortest days of the trip and it was nice. We arrived at a park and had lunch provided by a former rider who lived in Cincinnati. After the subway sandwiches, we got back on the bikes and headed to lodging at a local rec center just north of Cincinnati. We set up our beds in the gym and a few of us went outside to utilize the pool and cool off. After a quick soak and a shower, it was to the sleeping back for some rest. Around 5:00p.m., we headed upstairs for a pizza dinner provided by the rec staff followed by a karaoke friendship visit. About 20 clients came out for the bi-weekly karaoke night. It was really fun to see the guys get on t<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJpWy4kINII/AAAAAAAAAmY/S0l7Fp6ZQzg/s1600-h/2729588512_1d576b9ddb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231589349321618562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJpWy4kINII/AAAAAAAAAmY/S0l7Fp6ZQzg/s200/2729588512_1d576b9ddb.jpg" border="0" /></a>he mike as well as the clients who were enjoying themselves. I sat in the back with two men named Tim and Bob. Tim was a really nice guy who was great to talk to but was just a little bit slow. I think he had some complications at birth but he was a super nice guy and really fun to sit with. Bob was a 33-year-old man with Down Syndrome. He was super nice and really liked karaoke. He loves country music and sang several songs while capturing the hearts of everyone in the room. The highlight of the night was probably the singing of the national anthem sung by some of the guys and the rest of the room while standing before the flag. Overall, it was a fun night and topped off with some reading and an early entry to bed. </div></div></div></div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-35742664743579145492008-08-01T16:47:00.000-07:002008-08-06T17:22:20.465-07:00Day 44-48 Jefferson City, MO - Terre Haute, IN<strong>Day 44 July 24 Jefferson City, MO – Union, MO</strong><br />Today was a pretty long day filled with some adventure. Midway through the ride we experienced a<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJOizkoFWKI/AAAAAAAAAkw/IAaanPyU02w/s1600-h/2714194432_01b34946b1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229702599196104866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJOizkoFWKI/AAAAAAAAAkw/IAaanPyU02w/s200/2714194432_01b34946b1.jpg" border="0" /></a> good ol’ Midwest rain shower. We saw the huge black cloud moving our way and kept going. Before we knew it, we taking mediocre cover on the side of the road and getting soaked. After letting the storm pass, we hopped back on the bikes and finished the day. We pulled up to Union HS around 2:00 and gorged ourselves on some cold pizza provided by a sponsor. After lunch, it was to the sleeping bag for the always-glorious afternoon nap. For dinner we headed to a local restaurant and had a nice meal provided by a few men of the local Rotary Club. We enjoyed a buffet of steak, chicken and other good dishes to fill us up for the evening. We went back to the high school and crashed for the night.<br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Day 45 July 25 Union, MO – St. Louis, MO</strong><br />Throughout my night of sleep, I could feel my stomach wrestling with a few things. When I woke up, I decided I was going to get some breakfast and see how I was feeling after that. As we were getting ready to depart, I made the game time decision to stay off the bike for the day. I hopped in the van and helped the crew guys out along the road. When we arrived to the outer limits of St. Louis, we staged up with a police escort for an arrival at our lunch destination. I actually got to drive the lead van in the caravan and lead the guys to our destination behind the cops. It wasn’t the same as being on the bike but I felt like I was contributing to the team. We arrived at Vito’s Pizza & Pasta and met some families.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229703286115543442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJOjbjmcKZI/AAAAAAAAAk4/mIDZK-Ntrfs/s200/2714824440_051b88379a.jpg" border="0" />supporters for a nice lunch. My stomach still wasn’t feeling all that great so I ate a few things and relaxed with the guys. After lunch, we staged back up for an arrival at Keaner Plaza in Downtown St. Louis. We then walked across the street to the ballpark Hilton where we were being put up by our Project Manager’s parents. After we got settled in, we headed to a former Pi Kapps home for dinner with his family. My stomach was feeling much better so I stuffed my face with lots of turkey, green bean casserole and cheesy potatoes. That wasn’t enough so I partook in several pieces of “oohee gooy butter cake.” When we got back to the hotel it was out for a night on the town with the guys. We found a place that had dancing and let’s just say, the 10 of us took over the dance floor.<br /><br /><strong>Day 46 July 25 St. Louis, MO – Day Off</strong><br />I slept in to 10 and went down to the lobby of the Hilton to grab some breakfast before heading to our friendship visit. We went to a local park and met up with the St. Louis Arc and the St. Louis Society. It was a fun friendship visit that consisted of lunch and some games afterwards. I enjoyed playing human basketball with a big ball and hula-hoops. I played wi<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJOjp6mMVGI/AAAAAAAAAlA/gTB5zo0B2yw/s1600-h/2714177073_0586a5a7c9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229703532806689890" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJOjp6mMVGI/AAAAAAAAAlA/gTB5zo0B2yw/s200/2714177073_0586a5a7c9.jpg" border="0" /></a>th a young man named Craig. Craig had many physical problems but was eager about playing basketball. Towards the end of the visit, my sister in laws parents showed up. Mr. and Mrs. Rauch came out to see me and it was really fun to see them and catch up. After the visit we headed back to the hotel for a few hours before we headed to the Holley’s for dinner. We went to the house of Jay Holley, our project manager who is from St. Louis. His parent’s are also the one’s that put us up in the Ballpark Hilton. They are great! We enjoyed some down time and good food as well as some good fellowship with some of the Holley’s family friends. After dinner, it was back to the hotel to do some computer things.<br /><br /><strong>Day 47 July 26 St. Louis, MO – Effingham, IL<br /></strong>Today was tied for the second longest day of the trip at 116 miles. It was a long day but it was flat the whole way so it was tolerable. The last 30 miles were tough because we were starting to fatigue and it was pretty hot. We arrived in <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229703790584626434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJOj465PfQI/AAAAAAAAAlI/FWfiGUGhLeg/s200/2714302643_c172e53a77.jpg" border="0" />Effingham around 4:30 and walked across the street to the Middle School for some quick showers. We were staying at the local ARC community center where people with disabilities come to do daily tasks and receive different services. They brought in some pizza from a local pizza joint and we partook while mingling with some of the folks involved in this center. After dinner, four of us went to the local ice cream joint to grab a nice cold treat. I got two scoops of their homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream and a small watermelon slush…it was delicious. After that I made some phone calls and called it a night, I was pretty exhausted.<br /><br /><strong>Day 48 July 27 Effingam, IL – Terra Haute, IN<br /></strong>We woke up at 6:00a.m., grabbed a quick breakfast and hit the road for an 80 mile day into Indiana. The ride was consistently flat surrounded by corn and soybean fields. We got into Terra Haute around 1:00 and staged up for a small arrival at Indiana State University. We were met by some school administrators as well as some Pi Kapp brothers from ISU. We had a nice lunch in the school cafeteria and then headed to our lodging at Dr. Pontius’s house. He bought the old La<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJOkHl7IOoI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/Mush5zmhG6M/s1600-h/2714484261_dc4b4c3b24.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229704042653432450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SJOkHl7IOoI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/Mush5zmhG6M/s200/2714484261_dc4b4c3b24.jpg" border="0" /></a>mbda Chi house near campus and fixed it up. It was really big and had lots of rooms. We relaxed for the afternoon and then headed to our dinner and friendship visit at Happiness Bag. This was one of the biggest visits we’ve had thus far. We were outnumbered 4-1. It was multiple organizations from the city at this one event. After some pork sandwiches, it was karaoke time with lots of dancing. I chose to stay out of the dancing and converse with a nice couple that sit on the board at Happiness Bag. They told me that Happiness Bag is an old Korean folklore when you give someone a small bag with a little gift in it that is special to them. Anyways, it was a great visit that ended with us getting an awesome neon green Happiness Bag shirt. That night a big group of us went to see the new Will Ferrell Movie, Step Brothers. It was a good time.Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-84698857127135443682008-07-26T20:29:00.000-07:002008-07-29T16:54:43.495-07:00Day 39-43 Emporia, KS - Jefferson City, MO<strong>Day 39 July 19 Emporia, KS – Topeka, KS</strong><br /><br />We had an early wake up at 5:00 and hit the road at 6:00. It was a tiring day because we were pretty exhausted from the century day before. You never really understand lactic acid until you ride your bike at 6 in the morning after riding 105 miles the day before. After enjoying the flatness of western Kansas, we finally hit the rolling flint hills of eastern Kansas. We arrived at our stage <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SI-rBUlcYeI/AAAAAAAAAkA/LIRiNo0IV_E/s1600-h/2687040456_4a8dc84ae8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228585731594412514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SI-rBUlcYeI/AAAAAAAAAkA/LIRiNo0IV_E/s200/2687040456_4a8dc84ae8.jpg" border="0" /></a>up around noon but not before I hit a pot hole and got a flat .5 miles out. I fixed it just in time to make our arrival into the parking lot of TARC. TARC is an organization in Topeka that works with people with disabilities and that’s where we would be eating lunch and dinner as well as spending the night. We enjoyed a low-key afternoon before heading to the Kansas Koyotes arena football game where we got to do the opening coin flip. It was fun to get away and watch a little football, even if it was a weak athletic performance. After the game I went back to lodging and caught up on some journaling and reading.<br /><br /><strong>Day 40 July 20 Topeka, KS – Olathe, KS</strong><br /><br />Today’s ride was fairly short but somewhat challenging for Kansas. We went through more of the flint hills and hit several pretty steep climbs. We arrived in Olathe and had our stage up to get ready for our arrival. We mingled with some fine gentlemen from the Olathe Police Department and then hit the road for the 1-mile arrival to<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228586539197448978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SI-rwVJAwxI/AAAAAAAAAkI/wVBzLVc6xko/s200/2687447779_5d255ee415.jpg" border="0" />the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop. We were greeted by lots of friends and family, probably 40 people total. I had 2 supporters come out. My good friend, fraternity brother and roommate Chip George and his wife Kristen showed up for the arrival. It was good to see both of them and catch up. At the arrival, there was a nice presentation and welcome for the team. Members of the city came out and gave us a proclamation that declared July 20 2008 Push America day in Olathe Kansas. We enjoyed a nice Jason’s Deli lunch and headed to lodging at the Kansas School for the Deaf. After some down time (a.k.a. nap time) at lodging, we headed to dinner at the Wulff residence. There son Matt is a teammate of mine and they made us an exception Steak meal. After dinner, Chip and Kristen were gracious enough to take a group of us downtown to enjoy the new Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City. Overall, it was a great day and a very welcoming day. Olathe Kansas loves the Journey of Hope!<br /><br /><strong>Day 41 July 21 Olathe, KS – Day Off</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Even though it was a day off, we were booked the whole day. We woke up around 8:00a.m. and walked outside lodging where some nice ladies from the city were cooking us Omelets. They were really good. From there, we went to our first friendship visit at Bethesda Lutheran Faith Home. It was a tough visit because we were surround by a lot of people with severe disabilities. It was really hard to communicate or interact with most of them. After lunch there, we headed to Adaptive Technology for another friendship visit where we played some Bingo with people with disabilities. It was a good time but most of us started to dose off during the thrilling game. After the friendship visit, we headed to Mark Cameron’s house. Mark is a quadriplegic who broke his neck diving into 3 feet of water at a lake. He is an amazing guy who refuses to let his situation hold him down. At his house we were able to see a lot of the adaptive equipment that allows him to function. We saw everything from using the computer to opening t<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SI-sDR0SscI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/tWCTkGKBxp0/s1600-h/2693938524_81a2cac8ae.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228586864722751938" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SI-sDR0SscI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/tWCTkGKBxp0/s200/2693938524_81a2cac8ae.jpg" border="0" /></a>he door with his voice. It was really fun and really humbling. After our stop at Mark’s, we headed to Texas Roadhouse for another awesome meal. There I met my grand little from the fraternity, Mike Vosters. Mike is from Olathe and just happened to be in town for 3 days. It was fun to catch up with him and get a Fort Worth/TCU/Pi Kapp update. From there it was back to lodging and off to Costco to go grocery shopping with Chip and Kristen. They collected money from there families and bought the team food for the next three days. They are amazing! After that it was off to bed.<br /><br /><strong>Day 42 July 22 Olathe, KS – Sedalia, MO</strong><br /><div><strong></strong><strong><br /></strong>We had a 5:30a.m. wake up to hit the road by 6:30a.m. We had a police escort out of Olathe and then it was to the road for a 106-mile day. We stopped in Centerview, Missouri to have lunch provided by my teammate Ryan Shippy’s parents. It was a great lunch and a much </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228588098957792738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SI-tLHs21eI/AAAAAAAAAkg/-M_k0ENruuQ/s200/2698877489_666df0b0e0.jpg" border="0" />needed stop for this long day. We finally ended the day at 5:00 and got to lodging at a community building. Shortly after I arrived, my brother Collin showed up. He decided to make the 3-hour drive from Branson to come see me. It was a nice treat to catch up with him and spend some time with my bro. We had dinner together with the team and then went to grab some ice cream with the team as well. After that he had to get back to his kiddos but I sure enjoyed getting to spend that time with him. It was then off to bed because I was pooped!<br /><br /><strong>Day 43 July 23 Sedalia, MO – Jefferson City, MO</strong><br /><br /><div><br />Today as a tough day because we were supposed to only have 55 miles to go but the road we were going to take had construction so we had to go 30 miles out of the way. It was a very windy and hilly day as well so we were not traveling at a fast pace. We had to make an 11:30 arrival at the Capit<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SI-tZk9ZVRI/AAAAAAAAAko/bKctuNqwH2g/s1600-h/2700363862_cea16ca4ee.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228588347329959186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SI-tZk9ZVRI/AAAAAAAAAko/bKctuNqwH2g/s200/2700363862_cea16ca4ee.jpg" border="0" /></a>ol Building so we got “racked” at the 50-mile mark so we could make our arrival. We grabbed our bike off the van and rode 2 miles with a police escort to the Capitol. We were greeted by some friends and family as well as some state officials and some members of the local Special Olympics. After a nice welcome and some pictures, we grabbed our lunch at a nearby church and headed to lodging at Lincoln College. After a shower, I quickly got my sleeping back out and crashed for a few hours. I woke up and we headed to dinner at a nearby park where a former Pi Kapp from the Mizzou chapter cooked us some burgers and hot dogs. After dinner, I rallied some guys to go to Sonic to grab some ice cream and drinks. It was delicious as usual. After an Oreo Blast and a Cherry Limeade, it was to the computer for some blogging and off to bed.</div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-2214161988274094632008-07-23T18:51:00.000-07:002008-07-23T19:25:36.621-07:00Day 34-38 Garden City, KS - Emporia, KS<div><div><div><div><div><strong>Day 34 July 14 Garden City, KS – Dodge City, KS</strong><br /><br />We woke up and had the continental breakfast at the Comfort Inn. We hit the road around 7:00 to make our lunch in Dodge City at noon. We encountered a lot of side wind that created some frustration, but nothing we couldn’t handle. The wind slowed us down a bit, so we pushed our lunch back to 1:00. I was in the last group so when we arrived we didn’t have time for a shower and had to go straight to lunch at the Dodge City Community College cafeteria. After lunch <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226397337892183010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SIfksCwcW-I/AAAAAAAAAjY/Qr66YXWf_cw/s200/2672485176_bbc829b8df.jpg" border="0" />we went to a friendship visit at a local organization called Arrowhead. Arrowhead had tons of clients, which allowed us to interact with many of them. We played lots of carnival type games with them. It was a really fun friendship visit. That night we had dinner with one of my teammates grandmas. She lives in Dodge City and had us out to her place for dinner. All of her neighbors came out and we had a good old-fashioned barbeque. That night I went back to lodging at the community college and watched the homerun derby on my computer. It was really fun to see Josh Hamilton do what he did but I was really disappointed when he didn’t win.<br /><br /><strong>Day 35 July 15 Dodge City, KS – Pratt, KS</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Another day…another crew chief breakfast. After breakfast we hit the road for an 80-mile ride to Pratt, KS. It was another day of flat terrain, cornfields, and interesting smells. I have developed an appreciation for all the farming and ranching that Kansas does. They definitely seem like they pull their weight as a member of this great country. We arrived in Pratt around lunchtime and<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SIflW9TNjvI/AAAAAAAAAjg/MK10ZqOZ844/s1600-h/2675513179_4fcb30719b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226398075161775858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SIflW9TNjvI/AAAAAAAAAjg/MK10ZqOZ844/s200/2675513179_4fcb30719b.jpg" border="0" /></a> had an arrival at the local Arrowhead, the same organization we visited in Dodge. We had a great lunch and some good down time with some of the folks there. We then headed a few blocks to lodging to stay in the City Municipal Building on their gym floor. After a much needed nap, we headed to dinner at the Ninescah Valley Archers. They cooked us lots of steaks and backwoods type food. It was glorious! After dinner they got out there bows and arrows and let us shoot at some targets. It was a really random sponsor but the guys had a blast shooting bows and arrows. It took me back to Kanakuk where I got to dress up like an Indian and shoot arrows on tribal night. It was a great ending to the day.<br /><br /><strong>Day 36 July 16 Pratt, KS – Wichita, KS</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Today was a great day. It was a long day on the bike but a memorable day off the bike. It was a long 94-mile day but a day off was waiting at the other end of the long ride. We arrived at the Northrock Suites around 2:00p.m. and settled into our rooms. Our sponsor bought a lot of rooms, so we each had our own bed. We went to our dinner and friendship visit at CP Ranch around 5:00. We walked into a room and sat down with the kids who were enjoying their week at camp. I sat next to a young lady named Kiera. Everyone called her Key-Key. Key-Key was 17 and had Cerebral Palsy. Like most CP patients, she was confined to a wheelcha<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SIfmiDWoPJI/AAAAAAAAAjo/fBZVwbKZ808/s1600-h/2679390166_739f58af55.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226399365276908690" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SIfmiDWoPJI/AAAAAAAAAjo/fBZVwbKZ808/s200/2679390166_739f58af55.jpg" border="0" /></a>ir. We sat and had good conversation along with a good meal. She was so sweet and so thankful for what we were doing. After dinner, many of the kid’s got to go swimming with a lot of the guys. It was really fun seeing Key-Key get in the pool (with assistance of course) and see her face light up. Maybe it was the fact that she was surrounded by lots of cute boys or the fact that she got to do her favorite thing at camp…or maybe both. Key-Key made a huge impact on me and I will never forget her face. That night I got to connect with my friend Liz Adams who lives in Wichita and went to Focus on the Family with me. We went out to a local place and we got to catch up as she hung out with most of the guys.<br /><br /><strong>Day 37 July 17 Wichita, KS – Day Off</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />We’ve spent the past eight days on the bike and have finally been able to enjoy our first day off since Denver. Our day off here in Wichita has been much needed and much appreciated. Even though we completed our longest stretch of the trip, the team is still in good spirits and everyone is doing well.<br />We <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SIfnUvg5uLI/AAAAAAAAAjw/DbFRVhEAioA/s1600-h/2685767583_9fae3421b8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226400236124616882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SIfnUvg5uLI/AAAAAAAAAjw/DbFRVhEAioA/s200/2685767583_9fae3421b8.jpg" border="0" /></a>woke up this morning around 8:00a.m. and loaded the vans around 8:40 to go to a sponsored breakfast. Getting to sleep in my own bed at a hotel until 8:00a.m. was a glorious start to the day. It sure beats waking up at 5:30a.m. in a high school gym on a thin thermarest. We headed to the Argetsinger’s residence for the best breakfast of the trip. The Argetsinger’s are parents of a Pi Alpha from KU. They whipped up an elaborate display of eggs benedict, pancakes, sausage links, cinnamon roles, fresh fruit and orange juice. It was a beautiful thing!<br />After departing from the Argetsinger’s, we headed straight to our friendship visit at Rainbows United, Inc. Rainbows had summer camp going on and they put on a choir performance right when we got there. It was really fun! We hung out with the kid’s in their classrooms for a while until lunch was ready. We headed to the gym and enjoyed some pizza with the kid’s. It wasn’t until desert that things got a little crazy. We had strawberry shortcake with whip cream. The whip cream was the kind that comes in the cans and before you knew it, people’s names were getting chanted and pressured into gulping down the whip cream. It got pretty crazy but it was a good memory maker. We finished the visit by giving Rainbows a grant and saying our goodbyes. It was then off to the bike store to load up on necessary equipment before it was back to the hotel for a few hours of rest.<br />For dinner we went to the facilities of Wichita Independent Living Resource Center. They work with people with disabilities and help them to live as independently as possible. We had a low-key hamburger dinner with some of the staff there. When we got back to the hotel, we gathered for a team meeting and then it was off to bed to get some rest for the next day. Overall, it was a great day off and definitely filled with some good memories.<br /><br /><strong>Day 38 July 18 Wichita, KS – Emporia, KS</strong><br /><br />We started the day with a sponsored breakfast provided by one of our crewmembers family who are from Wichita. After some sausage and egg casserole, we hit the road for a 105-mile ride to Emporia. It was definitely a long day of riding but it went really well. Today was the first day we’ve had to ride through actual rain. It was actually kind of fun. I felt like a little kid playing in the sprinklers. For lunch we stopped in the booming metropolis of Cottonwood Falls, KS and had a sponsored lunch at nice restaurant in town. We finished out the last 30 miles and arrived at a recreation building around 3:30. We hurried to the local High School to grab some showers and came back to lodging to be welcomed by the local Kiwanis who were serving us dinner. It was a great turnout by the Kiwanis and they brought lots of food for the potluck event. They were also some of the nicest people we’ve met so far. The mid west is full of good people. At most of our sponsored events one of us will give an advoca<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226400847499415154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SIfn4VEAznI/AAAAAAAAAj4/7GwSOFJ7Sng/s200/2686911184_8d14c7dfbd.jpg" border="0" />cy program to explain everything we’re doing. I was able to be the representative for the night. After the filling dinner, we headed to the local movie theater for a team event at the opening day showing of Batman. It was a really good movie and good bonding time with the guys. Overall, it was a great day!</div></div></div></div></div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-68747121419185218572008-07-16T19:03:00.000-07:002008-07-16T19:29:08.646-07:00Day 29-33 Denver, CO - Garden City, KS<div><div><div><div><div><strong>Day 29 July 9th Denver, CO – Colorado Springs, CO</strong></div><div><br />Today was a tough day on the bike but a great day off the bike. We had several members of KRG Capital (our sponsor) as well as some former JOH riders ride along with us. We left Denver around 6:00 and took a bike trail out of the city. We had to take some back roads and hit some pretty fierce headwind. We were going at such a slow pace that we were going to miss our 1:00 arrival at the Olympic Training Center. We ended up arriving at 2:15 which left our visitors and media a little frustrated. Most of those visitors were my family, Mom, Dad, Pop&Nana, Aunt Holley, Shelly, Mark & Jenny, little John and Olivia and Quinn. The Vasquez family was also patiently waiting for our arrival. Eric Vasquez is the young man I met in Colorado Springs through his mom LeAnne, an administrative assistant at Focus on the Family Institute. Eric has Cerebral Palsy and has been in the same wheelchair for 20 years. At the arrival, I was able<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223798967014568706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SH6pe870swI/AAAAAAAAAiw/26Vt-iHcYas/s200/2655404124_62a9ee893b.jpg" border="0" /> to speak on behalf of Push America and the team and give them a grant to go towards a new wheelchair. We also gave him a Broncos T-Shirt signed by the JOH Team. After the presentation, we ate lunch at the Olympic Cafeteria and went on a tour of the facilities. Eric and his caretaker Matt joined us. It was really fun getting to hang out with both of them. After saying our goodbyes, the team and I headed to Colorado College to shower up and get settled in to our rooms at one of the dorms on campus. We then headed to the Dean’s house just down the street for dinner. I left a little early to go have dinner with all of the family. That was really a treat to get away and spend some down time with all of the special people in my life. Overall, it was a day I will never forget.<br /><br /><strong>Day 30 July 10th Colorado Springs, CO – Pueblo, CO</strong></div><strong><div><br /></strong>We woke up at 5:3<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SH6q63eXyZI/AAAAAAAAAi4/haZe7Kjs8Y0/s1600-h/2656986151_f9f5e923ec.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223800546096826770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SH6q63eXyZI/AAAAAAAAAi4/haZe7Kjs8Y0/s200/2656986151_f9f5e923ec.jpg" border="0" /></a>0 and had a breakfast provided by the big papu himself, John Sparks. Dad bought some breakfast burritos, cinnamon roles, fresh fruit, and orange juice at a local supermarket and brought it to the team. He’s great isn’t he! It was hard to say goodbye but I couldn’t be more overjoyed with the time I had with my parent’s in Denver and Colorado Springs. It was so fun to have them see the in’s and out’s of my journey. We left the springs and headed for Pueblo, CO. It was a gradual down hill the whole day, which means it was a great day on the bike. We arrived in Pueblo and had a sponsored lunch by the local chamber of commerce at a local restaurant. It was really good. The chamber than put us up in a local motel in Pueblo. It wasn’t the Hilton but it was a bed so I was very appreciative. We had dinner that night at a local Mexican restaurant and I relaxed at the motel the rest of the night.<br /><br /><strong>Day 31 July 11th Pueblo, CO – La Junta, CO</strong></div><div><br />Today was another good day of riding. We went 70 miles pretty quickly but start<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SH6r7G7gVwI/AAAAAAAAAjA/Q3dh29Su7wM/s1600-h/2660645235_fb562935d3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223801649757181698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SH6r7G7gVwI/AAAAAAAAAjA/Q3dh29Su7wM/s200/2660645235_fb562935d3.jpg" border="0" /></a>ed to feel the heat around 11:00. We arrived at La Junta HS, had lunch and crashed until dinnertime. Unfortunately, they turned of the Air Conditioning for the summer so we were in a hot gym. We went to a local park and had an amazing pot luck dinner provided by the local Lions Club. It was fun because we all got to go around and tell our favorite moment of the trip so far. It was great to recount all of the memorable moments thus far. That night I played some volleyball with some other guys and we headed to bed. I ended up sleeping outside on the grass because the wind was actually blowing outside and it was better than being in the gym.<br /><br /><strong>Day 32 July 12th La Hunta, CO – Lamar, CO</strong></div><div><br />We woke up in the morning to some local La Hunatans cooking us biscuits and gravy in the morning. It was kind of strange, but the biscuits were great. A cool front had move in so it was pretty cool during our ride. We battled some head wind but as a whole, it was a pretty relaxed cool day on the bike. We arrived in Lamar <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223802790964974066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SH6s9iQpUfI/AAAAAAAAAjI/tDSYYbAPK0c/s200/n722500001_3335137_5224.jpg" border="0" />and set our stuff up in the wresting room of a gymnasium. It was a random building but apparently they used it a lot. All of us opted out of crew chief lunch and headed to local establishments such as Pizza Hut, Subway, and Sonic. I chose Sonic…America’s Drive In. It was a very tasty treat and reminded me a lot of being at Kamp. I miss Kamp. After lunch we all passed out for a few hours and got up to go to dinner. A nice couple and their friends were gracious enough to have us to their house. They are local tri athletes and wanted to help us out with a good Mexican meal. Some of the guys went to the local swimming pool but I opted to stay back and work on some things. i.e. my blog.<br /><br /><strong>Day 33 July 13th Lamar, CO – Garden City, KS</strong></div><br /><div>Today was a 105 mile day that would take us into our 6th state: Kansas. At mile 32 we hit the state line and started to take in the beautiful sights (a.k.a corn fields and feed lots.) We had to <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SH6ttmFj3QI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/1vkDEHT0wCM/s1600-h/P1010200.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223803616625941762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SH6ttmFj3QI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/1vkDEHT0wCM/s200/P1010200.JPG" border="0" /></a>make it into Dodge City for a 2:00 arrival, which didn’t end up being an arrival anyways. We basically busted it all day for something that really wasn’t. Anyways, we pushed through the long day and arrived at the city pool in Garden City. This pool was massive and was once referred to as the largest free-admission pool in the country. We called the World’s Largest Pool in Kansas. Regardless, it was good to relax and cool off after the long day on the bike. After the pool, we got back on our bikes and headed to our lodging at the Comfort Inn. They supplied the rooms for us. If you haven’t notice, I really appreciate hotels or any bed and hot shower in general. We showered up and got settled in and loaded up the vans for Golden Corral. A Pi Kapp from Kansas State lived in Garden City and picked up the buffet dinner for us. There’s just something about all you can eat after burning 8,000 calories. I may or may not have had 3 plates and desert. After that it was some hang time with the guys and off to bed.</div></div></div></div></div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-82102718340845869662008-07-12T19:16:00.000-07:002008-07-14T18:18:38.336-07:00Day 24-29 Cheyenne, WY - Denver, CO<div><div><strong>Day 24 July 4th! Cheyenne, WY- Fort Collins, CO</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />After spending my last few 4th’s with Collin and Rachel on Table Rock Lake in Branson, I was curious to see how the 4th would play out in Fort Collins, Colorado. I knew I wanted to make the most of the <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHv6qfyjuzI/AAAAAAAAAio/O7pLxE6Ko3k/s1600-h/n722500001_3335138_5523.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223043800861227826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHv6qfyjuzI/AAAAAAAAAio/O7pLxE6Ko3k/s200/n722500001_3335138_5523.jpg" border="0" /></a>day so I went out and did what everyone does to make the 4th of July special; I bought <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHqpe7vyyVI/AAAAAAAAAiA/VKlzuFQaD8w/s1600-h/2638471947_9b229438ae.jpg"></a>fireworks…smoke sticks and black cats to be exact. As the team was taking pictures at the Wyoming-Colorado State line, my pace line and I stopped 200 yards out and lit up our smoke sticks and rode into the team. It was the perfect way to cross the state line on our nation’s birthday. Towards the end of the ride, I blew out my first tire and had to jump in the van for the last 8 miles into Fort Collins. We arrived at the CSU chapter house and partook in some showers and food. Around sun down, we headed to the local park to watch the fireworks. It was really fun because the whole town was there…it was packed! Later on that night, we went out to some local establishments and celebrated. Overall, it was an eventful 4th of July!<br /><br /><strong>Day 25 July 5th Fort Collins, CO – Boulder, CO</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />We woke up and had breakfast provided by a team member’s family and headed for Boulder. It was a pretty easy 30-mile ride. As we got closer to Boulder, we were on a road that had hundred’s of cyclist on it. Typically, we are the only one’s on the road with the exception of a few, but this was a sight to see. We road through the University of Colorado campus and arrived at the Pi Kappa Phi house. 4 of my teammates are Pi Kapps at Boulder. We showered up, grabbed some lunch and headed for lodging at a church annex. After taking some naps, we headed to a local rec center to spend some time with the Denver Harlequins: a wheelchair rugby team. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222675632239637026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHqr0Qy7ciI/AAAAAAAAAiI/7VR8ybhPXYk/s200/2646017585_69966ec9ff.jpg" border="0" />This is one of the better friendship visits we’ve had. It was pretty crazy because almost all of the athletes had suffered injuries that caused them to be disabled. (i.e. diving in a pool, falling off mechanical bull, car accident, etc) These guys were all competitive athletes before their accidents and this was there new outlet. We got to get into the chairs and play a little bit. At the end we put our best 4 against them and they smoked us. Two of the guys were headed to Bejing at the end of the summer to be on the paralympic wheelchair rugby team. After the friendship visit, 11 of us went to dinner at an amazing pizza place called Beau Jo’s. Then it was off to bed.<br /><br /><strong>Day 26 July 6th Boulder, CO – Day Off</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />We slept in to 9:00 and headed to a sponsored breakfast at the original pancake house. This was the first normal breakfast I’ve had in a long time. It’s typically half a bagel, one pop tart, and one bowl of cereal. I ordered a blueberry Belgium waffle with two eggs and toast. It was glorious! After breakfast, we went back to lodging and put on our swimsuits to go tube Boulder Creek. We purchased our tubes and started to walk up stream to find our entry point. As we were walking alongside the creek, we noticed it was flowing really fast and wasn’t exactly<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHqsOcYVrGI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/C8xjwCc75Hw/s1600-h/2655005800_dc3f7cc82e.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222676082025933922" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHqsOcYVrGI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/C8xjwCc75Hw/s200/2655005800_dc3f7cc82e.jpg" border="0" /></a> calm. When we got to our entry point, we hopped in the freezing cold water with a few looks of reluctance. Oh well here it goes. After a few drop offs and several de-tubing’s, most of the guys weren’t too keen on floating the rest of the way down. I got back in later on down the river but decided it wasn’t worth it. I considered it a success because I walked out of there without any scrapes and all of my possessions. At the end of the float, some of the Boulder guys bought us burritos at a local burrito joint. That evening we had a friendship visit with a local organization. I helped with the cooking at the grill. That night a few of us went back to the Pi Kapp house and hung out with some of the guys living there over the summer. It was an eventful day off.<br /><br /><strong>Day 27 July 7th Boulder, CO – Denver, CO</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />We woke up and started our 30-mile ride to Denver. It wasn’t a tough day physically but it took its toll mentally. City riding can get pretty strenuous when cars are whizzing by you and missing you by a few feet. (Sorry mom) As we got into downtown Denver, we started to get rained on. We arrived at Invesco Field at Mile High where we were meeting up with the North Route and staging up to ride into the capital. With an awesome police escort, we arrived at the capital where my parent’s and my Aunt Nat met me. It was so good to see family! We took pictures and hung out for a while and then headed a few blocks to the downtown Marriott where we were staying. After showering, I met up with the family and we chatted at a local deli. I met back up with the <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHqt0UL8B-I/AAAAAAAAAig/sOWDDvflpE0/s1600-h/2652375299_6bda018806.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222677832173094882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHqt0UL8B-I/AAAAAAAAAig/sOWDDvflpE0/s200/2652375299_6bda018806.jpg" border="0" /></a>team and we headed to a local park for our friendship visit put on by the local Special Olympics and our main sponsor, KRG Capital. My parent’s and Aunt Nat got to come as well. It was a fundraiser for the local athletes called pedal for pennies. About 10 of the athletes rode their bikes around the lake at the park. I got to be one of the cyclists who got to ride with the athletes. I rode with a 30 year old man with Down syndrome named Ben. He was awesome! I loved being the center of attention and always loved crossing the starting line where everyone cheered him on. After the race, my family and I sat down and had dinner with Ben. There was a brief presentation and then a dance afterwards. Ben loved the dance and loved the attention. It was also fun to see all the cyclists dance and make fools of themselves. Everyone was having a good time and it was an awesome event.<br /><br /><strong>Day 28 July 8th Denver, CO – Day Off</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>We didn’t have anything scheduled today so I slept in to 11:30. It was much needed and felt extremely incredible. I showered up and met up with my parent’s. We grabbed some of my teammates and headed to ESPN Zone to grab some lunch. My gracious father treated all of us to good fellowship and good food. After spending <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222677200899950226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHqtPkgsRpI/AAAAAAAAAiY/yo2YyQJ2G_0/s200/2652594143_944affab11.jpg" border="0" />some more quality time with my parent’s in the afternoon, the team headed to a local Chipotle to grab some dinner sponsored by a former rider from CU-Boulder. After dinner, a group of us went to see Hitchcock. It was really good and entertaining. I then took advantage of the Mariott Pool, Hot Tub, Sauna, and Steam Room. I wish I always had access to those things throughout the trip. They sure make the body feel so much better. It was then off to bed for our ride into Colorado Springs.</div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-60696007361389946372008-06-05T22:24:00.005-07:002008-07-06T20:42:38.798-07:00Day 18-23 Jackson, WY - Cheyenne, WY<strong>Day 18 June 28th Jackson, WY – Dubois, WY</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />I woke up <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGLXxNxhWI/AAAAAAAAAhI/45zneczQc4M/s1600-h/2622597151_bd85cea45f.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220106683563476322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGLXxNxhWI/AAAAAAAAAhI/45zneczQc4M/s200/2622597151_bd85cea45f.jpg" border="0" /></a>this morning and my knee felt like it had regressed. I really though it was getting bett<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGK5rp4EnI/AAAAAAAAAhA/kXV12bVEaCk/s1600-h/2622597151_bd85cea45f_s.jpg"></a>er until I woke up. I rode 30 miles and had to quit for the rest of the day. It has been a really frustrating injury. I know it’s not anything serious. I’m pretty sure it’s an overuse/tendonitis type of injury. At this point, I made up my mind that I was going to rest it for a few days so I didn’t have to fight through pain the whole summer. I finished the day in the van and we arrived at Dubois High School. We were fed once again by the local Cattlewoman, which means they brought lots of meat and good casseroles. It’s always a treat to be fed by the Cattlewoman.<br /><br /><strong>Day 19 June 29th Dubois, WY – Shoshoni, WY</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />It was tough waking up this morning and not suiting up with the rest of the guys. I tried to contribute what I could to the team by loading bags into the van and things like that. I hopped into the van and got to spend some good time with one of the crew guys, Alex. Alex is a fun guy who attends the University of Kansas. We had a good time in the van but it’s not the same. It was hard not being out on the bike with the r<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220107746045708098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGMVnRRx0I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/rAdwdMjmtH0/s200/2624020232_bb7b15233e.jpg" border="0" />est of the team. It was a 100-mile day and we all arrived to Shoshoni around 4:00. We stayed at the Shoshoni Senior Center and were treated very well by some of the lovely senior ladies. It was a pretty chill night to get some rest for another long day tomorrow.<br /><br /><strong>Day 20 June 30th Shoshoni, WY – Casper, WY</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Today was another long day for the cyclists. Once again it was not easy being “that guy” that isn’t riding with the team for the long day. The good news is that the ice and IB Profen I’ve been taking is making my knee feel much better. My buddy Alex and I also started developing some skit characters. By the 80-mile crew stop, Coach Jiggins and Coach Bob Coggins were in full effect. I played Bog Coggins who is a long time resident of Canyon, Texas and got kicked <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220108200204050578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGMwDJEIJI/AAAAAAAAAhY/psixScy2zis/s200/2630527606_a31708da7e.jpg" border="0" />in the side of the head by a horse which caused his eyes to go crossed. I figured it was the least I could do to help my team take their minds off of the long day. It went over pretty well. We arrived in Casper and were fed by the local Kiwanis. We had a day off the next day so most of us went to see a late night showing of <em>Wall-e</em>. It was a good time and a great movie. (I recommend it)<br /><br /><strong>Day 21 July 1st Casper, WY Day Off</strong> <div><br />We had a day off in Casper, Wyoming. We slept in to 10 o’clock and headed to the Casper Boys and Girls Club. We were able to do our puppet show in front of 100 kids or so. W<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGNZlj050I/AAAAAAAAAhg/pHgst6LFw4Y/s1600-h/2629679681_cc017c9794.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220108913817741122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGNZlj050I/AAAAAAAAAhg/pHgst6LFw4Y/s200/2629679681_cc017c9794.jpg" border="0" /></a>e got to hang out with them and eat lunch. It was way fun and exciting to get a taste of what it’s going to be like at my job this fall working with elementary school kids. After the visit, we went back to the high school where we're staying and took some naps. That night we had a friendship visit at a local park with the ARC of Natrona County. We enjoyed some burgers and got to spend some time with people with disabilities. It was also our first sight of rain the whole trip. We went to bed pretty early because tomorrow was going to be the longest day of the trip and I was going to get back on the bike.<br /><br /><strong>Day 22 July 2nd Casper, WY – Wheatland, WY</strong></div><div><br />Today was the longest day of the summer: 115 miles. We left early in the morning and arrived in Wheatland around 4:30. My knee felt great and didn’t hurt the whole day. I made some adjustments on my bike and shoes and I think it made a huge difference. It was definitely a long day though. Although the eastern part of <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220109723924936722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGOIvcbuBI/AAAAAAAAAho/UgmBTHg5sz4/s200/2633823456_7c3e0be761.jpg" border="0" />Wyoming is not much too see, it is pretty flat. When we arrived to Wheatland, we had to shower up quickly to head to a local ranch for dinner. Once again, it was the local Cattlewoman’s Association that was feeding us and it was another success. Lot’s of meat and lot’s of food were the perfect ingredients after a long day of burning calories. After that we watched the movie Charlie Marshall and went to bed for a 4:15a.m.wakeup.<br /><br /><strong>Day 23 July 3rd Wheatland, WY – Cheyenne, WY</strong></div><div><br />Today<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGPcteAhHI/AAAAAAAAAh4/s52ztg6AvGw/s1600-h/2634292615_46621217a5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220111166503683186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHGPcteAhHI/AAAAAAAAAh4/s52ztg6AvGw/s200/2634292615_46621217a5.jpg" border="0" /></a> was one of the hardest days of the trip. After the 115-mile day and an early wake up, we didn’t have a lot left in the tank. We also had a 20 mph head wind, which is always deflating to a cyclist. We had a lunch in Cheyenne provided by the Cattlewoman once again. This was the best Cattlewoman meal we’ve had so far. I stuffed my face and all the days’ frustrations happened to go away. That night we had a picnic with the ARC of Laramie County. There was a huge crowd and we were outnumbered 3-1. I sat and talked with a 34 man named Brian. Brian had Down Syndrome and was an extremely gentle, loving guy. I had great conversation with him and his family.</div>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-87867418632895956372008-06-05T22:24:00.004-07:002008-07-06T19:16:02.261-07:00Day 11-16 Philipsburg, MT - Jackson Hole, WY<strong>Day 11 June 21st Missoula, MT – Philipsburg, MT</strong><br /><br />After a few day of rest on the knee, I hopped on the bike for an 80-mile ride to Philipsburg. My knee bothered me a little but not enough to get me off the bike. It was another beautiful ride with lots of incredible Montana scenery around us. Once again, we enjoyed more mountains, flowing rivers and lots of blue sky. We arrived in Philipsburg and showered up at the local High School where we would be spending the night.<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216301759343467634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SGQG0B7pnHI/AAAAAAAAASc/AhazyA5Zd6g/s200/2600718487_a239a0feaf.jpg" border="0" />We had a few hours so most of the guys passed out. Around 5, we left to have a lasagna dinner provided by the local Rotary Club. It was a great meal and my first time to have Huckleberry Lemonade. Very tasty! We then went to a building that was under construction. It turns out that the Rotary Club was in the process of raising money and building an ice rink complex. It was really cool especially for such a small town. The Rotary Club than bought us ice cream at the local ice cream and soda shop. It was a fun small town Montana experience.<br /><br /><strong>Day 12 June 22nd Philipsburg, MT – Butte, MT</strong><br /><br />It was another long day on the bike with the odometer reading 77 miles when we pulled into Butte, MT. My knee felt better much better today than it has in a while. I’ve really tried to stretch and ice it as much as possible. We stayed in one of the nicest YMCA’s I’ve ever seen. It <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SGQHXLQFOvI/AAAAAAAAASk/aCJ21yVatkc/s1600-h/2604556956_0e88ed82fe.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216302363140504306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SGQHXLQFOvI/AAAAAAAAASk/aCJ21yVatkc/s200/2604556956_0e88ed82fe.jpg" border="0" /></a>had a really nice indoor pool and hot tub that we definitely took advantage of. Some of the guys found themselves in line with the little kids waiting for the pool slide. That night we went to a local park and had a friendship visit with a local organization. Many of the participants were members of the Special Olympics as well. We enjoyed a nice fried chicken dinner, which always tastes good after a long day of riding. I got to hang out with a 70-year-old gentleman named John. John couldn’t communicate very well and he couldn’t see more than 2 feet in front of his face but we had a good time. We talked about Country Music and Bingo: two of his favorite things. It was another rewarding friendship visit and successful day.<br /><br /><strong>Day 13 June 23rd Butte, MT – Bozeman, MT</strong><br /><br />Today was what we call a “Century Day.” (Over 100 Miles) It was another beautiful ride through Montana. I got 40 miles in and felt my knee start to tweak a little. I had to throw my bike on the van and be an encourager at crew stops for the rest of the day. I probably could have kept going and pushed through it but I have a lot of riding ahead of me and it wasn’t worth it. I was so proud of our team though. Only a few other guys “racked” and most of the <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SGQHyYoeD6I/AAAAAAAAASs/tHb7z8sIkRA/s1600-h/2606298859_4ede220203.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216302830588923810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SGQHyYoeD6I/AAAAAAAAASs/tHb7z8sIkRA/s200/2606298859_4ede220203.jpg" border="0" /></a>team finished the 105 miles. We showered up at Bozeman High School and headed to a neat organization for dinner. It wasn’t a friendship visit but we still went to the facilities of Eagle Mount for dinner. (Real hamburgers, fresh fruit and fresh salad. It was glorious!) Eagle Mount is an organization that is known for their therapeutic activities. Some of the programs they do are; adaptable skiing, horseback riding, horticulture, cycling, golf, etc. They had 20 horses, indoor horse arena, green house, and world-class pool. All facilities were 100% accessible for people with disabilities. It was really cool to see such a thriving organization providing wonderful opportunities for people with disabilities.<br /><br /><strong>Day 14 June 24th Bozeman, MT – West Yellowstone, MT</strong><br /><br />Do to some bad roads, our 90 mile day turned into a 50 mile day. It was glorious news. We drove in the vans to first 40 miles and got dropped off in Big Sky, Montana. From there it was a gorgeous ride along a river and through the<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220085059267548914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHF3tEb3VvI/AAAAAAAAAgY/nUBv3Mzm1WI/s200/P1010091.JPG" border="0" /> canyons of the mountains. My knee felt good today and allowed me to go the whole way. Upon arrival, we didn’t have anything scheduled for the rest of the day so a lot of guys caught a nap and enjoyed the little town of West Yellowstone. I threw some more ice on the knee, wrote some letters and called it a night.<br /><br /><strong>Day 15 June 25th West Yellowstone, MT – West Thumb, WY</strong><br /><br />Today we rode though Yellowstone National Park! It was also the start of our 4th state. It was truly amazing and really fun to experience. The park was highly traveled by cars but seeing the park on <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHF4Yv33rHI/AAAAAAAAAgg/DEyVbTdA_E4/s1600-h/2615092462_5369fc0e48.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220085809662110834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px" height="142" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHF4Yv33rHI/AAAAAAAAAgg/DEyVbTdA_E4/s200/2615092462_5369fc0e48.jpg" width="200" border="0" /></a>a bike was much better. We took almost the whole day to ride 50 miles and take in the scenery. I saw two bald eagles, elk, a wolf, and lots of buffalo. It was really beautiful but also crazy to still see the effects of the 1988 fire. After checking into a lodge and eating a buffet dinner, we loaded up the vans and headed back into the park to see Old Faithful go off. That was really crazy to see in person. After seeing smoke come out of a hole for 20 minutes the 60 foot gushing geyser shot out of the grown for one minute. It was pretty cool. Overall, it was a memorable day and another great day on the bike.<br /><br /><strong>Day 16 June 26th West Thumb, WY – Jackson Hole, WY</strong><br /><br />Today was probably my favorite day of the trip so far. We had a 50-mile ride th<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHF6cEKcQdI/AAAAAAAAAgw/8W9bgJNx4hY/s1600-h/P1010141.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220088065671578066" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHF6cEKcQdI/AAAAAAAAAgw/8W9bgJNx4hY/s200/P1010141.JPG" border="0" /></a>rough Grand Teton National Park. We rode right at the base of the mammoth mountains and found ourselves cruising around 23mph. It was one of the most sceni<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHF5qZIIW9I/AAAAAAAAAgo/6AwUjAnZsJw/s1600-h/P1010141.JPG"></a>c days so far as well as one of the best on the bike. We arrived in Jackson Hole and had an arrival in the town square where we were met by some loyal supporters and the town mayor. We then got to spend several hours relaxing and swimming at a local resort in Jackson. After that we headed to a ranch outside of Jackson Hole to spend the night and enjoy having the next day off. Tomorrow’s activities on the ranch include fishing, skeet shooting and lots of barbeque. What a great week but I am definitely ready for a day off!<br /><br /><strong>Day 17 June 27th Jackson, WY – Day Off</strong><br />Today was a great day. We had a phenomenal day off at the Cushman ranch in Driggs, Idaho. The Cushman family owns one of the biggest commercial real estates firms in the world; Cushman-Wakefield. Let’s just say their ranch was really nice. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220089373303316690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SHF7oLeJINI/AAAAAAAAAg4/asso5KphbZc/s200/P1010152.JPG" border="0" />6 alumni from the University of Colorado chapter hosted us at the ranch and treated us to Fly Fishing, Horseback Riding, Canoeing and Golf. I took the morning to get some things done and get some extra sleep. In the afternoon, I played 9 holes of golf at a local golf course. It was a great change of pace and a perfect way to spend the day off.</p>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-36636801642263034722008-06-05T22:24:00.003-07:002008-06-20T16:04:50.181-07:00Day 6-10 Couer d' Alene ID - Missoula MT<strong>Day 6 June 16th Spokane, WA - Couer d' Alene, ID</strong><br /><br />Today was the easiest ride so far. We had a 35 mile ride on a bike path to cross the Washington-Idaho border. We racked our bikes on the support vans and headed to Camp Swevolakan located on lake Couer d'Alene. We had to take a pontoon<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214099052725965666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFwzdoVuk2I/AAAAAAAAAR0/i8IX2oNcmGc/s200/P1010070.JPG" border="0" /> boat to get to the camp so it was interesting loading all of our stuff on the boat. I think that was a first for the Journey of Hope. Camp Swevolaken just started their staff training week. The staff was extremely nice but somewhat interesting. Let's just say it was a lot different than Kanukuk. We took a tour of the camp and got to enjoy some down time. We all slept in cabin type huts that weren't enclosed. Overall, it was an interesting experience and great memory maker.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Day 7 June 17th Couer d' Alene, ID - Kellogg, ID (pop. 2,395)</strong><br /><br />Today it took a while to get our stuff back on the boat and across the lake and onto the vans. Once we got st<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFw0eIMTOeI/AAAAAAAAAR8/tQJAYGEgDUE/s1600-h/P1010073.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214100160787986914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFw0eIMTOeI/AAAAAAAAAR8/tQJAYGEgDUE/s200/P1010073.JPG" border="0" /></a>arted, we took some beautiful back roads through the rolling hills of Idaho. We eventually got to an old rail road that was made into a bike path and would take us the rest of the way to Kellogg. The weather continued to be beautiful and provided a nice cool breeze for out ride. We arrived in Kellogg and set up camp at the local highschool. After we showered, we headed to a sponsored dinner at the Broken Wheel Resteraunt. It was an oldschool steak and seafood place that was 20 years late on decoration. But, we all got steaks and it was a really fun dinner with the guys. That night we went to the local pub to watch the Celtics win the NBA Championship. Another great day but my knee started to really hurt. I think the overuse is starting to make it ache.<br /><br /><strong>Day 8 June 18th Kellogg, ID - Paradise, MT (pop. 184)</strong><br /><br />State number 3? Check! Today will probably be the hardest day we will have all summer. What originally was supposed to be an 85 mile day turned into a 107 mile day. We ha<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFw146tL1pI/AAAAAAAAASE/a38gVreKjSU/s1600-h/P1010078.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214101720535914130" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFw146tL1pI/AAAAAAAAASE/a38gVreKjSU/s200/P1010078.JPG" border="0" /></a>d to take a different route due to bad roads and not wanting to ride the interstate. We climbed 2 passes which totalled 4,000 feet for the day. From 7 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, we had finally made it to Paradise. Only two of my teamates had to rack their bikes due to injuries. Our project manager predicted only a handful of us would finish the day. I was so proud of our team and the hard work we all put in. The good news is that we got to stay at a random Hot Springs resort and enjoy a nice bison burger to go along with a nice soak in the Hot Springs. Not to mention a nice big bed. The bad part is that I pushed through my aching knee and we had to get up at 5:30a.m. to ride 75 miles to Missoula.<br /><br /><strong>Day 9 June 19th Paradis, MT - Missoula MT (pop, 64,081)</strong><br /><br />When I woke up this morning, my knee was not feeling to hot. I thought I might be able to warm it up and get it going but after the first two miles, I was in a lot of pain and couldn't finish the day. I racked my bike and joined the crew guys to help with crew stops. Several other guys ended up falling out during the day. The 107 miles yesterday really took it out of everyone. We arrived in Missoula, MT (where they filmed A River Runs Through It) and enjoyed a nice barbeque provided by Adventure Cycling. Adventure Cycling is a company that provides resources for cyclist who want to go on tours or adventures. They make routes and maps for all kinds of adventures. The head of adventure cycling and his wife road there bikes from Anchorage, Alaska to Argentina! A 2 year trip! It was a really cool place and neat to see some history of other people <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFw2pDpTCfI/AAAAAAAAASM/2daU9oSj84Q/s1600-h/P1010085.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214102547569248754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFw2pDpTCfI/AAAAAAAAASM/2daU9oSj84Q/s200/P1010085.JPG" border="0" /></a>who have done crazy bicycle tours like us. Tonight, we had a freindship visit with a local home. Most of the attendees have pretty severe disabilites. Alot of them suffered traumatic brain injuries. I helped cook burgers but also got to hang out with a man named Ron. Ron was a part of the Hell's Angels and was severely injured in a Motorcycle accident. It really put things into perspective knowing that most of these people's lives changed dramitcally in one moment. They have some of the hugest hearts.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Day 10 June 20th Missoula, MT (Day Off)</strong><br /><br />We didn't have anything planned today so I got some much needed rest. After waking up, I headed to a local laundry mat to do laundry, use the interent, and make some phone calls. It's great to take a deep breath and get some down time. My knee is feeling much better today and feels good enough for the 80 mile ride tomorrow.<br /><br /><br />THANKS TO ALL OF YOU THAT ARE READING MY BLOG AND KEEPING UP WITH MY PICTURES. PLEASE USE THE LINKS ON THE RIGHT FOR MORE PICTURES AND OTHER DAILYJOURNAL ENTRIES WRITTEN BY MY TEAMATES. ALSO FEEL FREE TO POST COMMENTS OR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE AT THE BOTTOM OF MY ENTRY. KEEP MY TEAM AND I IN YOUR PRAYERS AS WE CONTINUE TO SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIESCameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-29620848249803060332008-06-05T22:24:00.002-07:002008-06-20T14:31:17.487-07:00Day 1-5 Seattle - SpokaneThe first four days got off to an amazing start! We had to jump right into riding with days of 70, 80, 70 and 100 miles.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Day 1 June 11th Seattle WA - Skykomish WA (pop. 214)</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFnYSDa8z7I/AAAAAAAAAPo/GctXnRAZJ10/s1600-h/P1010018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213435848325648306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFnYSDa8z7I/AAAAAAAAAPo/GctXnRAZJ10/s200/P1010018.JPG" border="0" /></a>We arrived at Olympic Sculpture park at 6:30a.m. and enjoyed a nice farwell breakfast with friends, family<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFnWy-gyYLI/AAAAAAAAAPY/tYZOWMUm3pU/s1600-h/P1010029.JPG"></a>, and old Journey of Hope riders. Two news stations also arrived to get a story of what we're doing. We left around 7:30 and headed down a bike path that was taking us out of the city. Once we cleared the city limits we hit some back country roads that took us through some beautiful rolling farm land. After 70 milesof riding, we ended up in the booming metropolis of Skykomish Washington and ended up at the local school to sleep on the gym floor. Overall, a great first day and great effort by my teamates.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Day 2 June 12th Skykomish WA - Wenatchee WA (pop. 29,968)</strong><br /><br />After a 5:30 wakeup, we were on the road by 6:30a.m. embarking on an 80 mile day to Wenatchee WA, the apple capital of the world. It was a cold mysty morning and we had a 16 mile, 3,200 feet climp over Stephen's pass. After taking several hours of constant uphill riding, I had finally reached the top of the pass, Elev. 4061. At the top of the pass, it was a chilling 38 degrees and I had my first revelation of the trip, <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213434937546319250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFnXdCgPJZI/AAAAAAAAAPg/MOSPzBhdAOs/s200/P1010033.JPG" border="0" />what goes up must come down. From there we had a 10 mile downhill ride where we met our next crew van. When we arrived, it was sunny, 68 degrees and my teamates were shedding their thermals. From there it was a pretty flat ride to Wenatchee. We arrived at the Wenatchee community center and headed over to the community pool to take showers. That night we had a friendship visit with the Wenatchee Special Olympics. I met several guys who were participants on the Special Olympics Cycling team. One of them even got to travel to China to represet the Special Olympics USA Cycling team. It was a great friendship visit and a great turnout. Overall, it was a great day but my legs and bottom are pretty sore.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Day 3 June 13th Wenatchee WA - Coulee City WA (pop. 642)</strong><br /><br />On the road again. At the break of day, we were headed to Coulee City, a 70 mile r<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFnaHeTlsJI/AAAAAAAAAP4/Bo2SunRhiIA/s1600-h/P1010041.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213437865587224722" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFnaHeTlsJI/AAAAAAAAAP4/Bo2SunRhiIA/s200/P1010041.JPG" border="0" /></a>ide that included another pass. This climb wasn't as bad as Stephen's pass but we were really sore so it made the climb difficult. It was a good 1,500ft climb that took us to the top of a mountain range where we had a beautiful photo opportunity. We had a tail wind the rest of the day which made the second half of the ride quicker and much more enjoyable. We arrived at another booming metropolis, Coulee City. We settled into the local middle school and set up camp for the night. The local Cattlewoman's Association (aka Meat promoters) cooked us a wonderful brisket dinner. It was a great finish to a long day.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Day 4 June 14th Coulee City WA - Spokane WA</strong><br />Today was our first 100 mile day. You can imagine my leg and bottom soreness b<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFna-tbRQ-I/AAAAAAAAAQA/FXSChs6deXo/s1600-h/P1010050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213438814538777570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q0ynHE-BFgg/SFna-tbRQ-I/AAAAAAAAAQA/FXSChs6deXo/s200/P1010050.JPG" border="0" /></a>y this point. Today I was a "sweep." One of two guys who hang in the back and wait with any riders who get behind or have flats. As we traveled across eastern Washigton, I realized the flat terrain is much more preferable when riding a bike. The first part of the day was pretty slow moving. When we got to the 40 mile mark, we noticed we had to get 20 miles quickly because we had a sponored lunch. From there we gutted out the rest of the 40 miles and arrived at Gonzaga University around 4:00p.m. The next day was a day off so we got some food and went out to celebrate a very tough but successful first few days.<br /><p><strong>Day 5 June 15th Spokane WA</strong></p><p>Today was our first day off...and a much needed one at that. Everyone was extremely sore and needing some R&R. We stayed at<strong> </strong>one of the dorms at Gonzaga University. It was refreshing to sleep in a bed and not on a gym floor. In the afternoon we had a friendship visit with a Muscular Dystrophy Family organization. It was organized with carnival games, prizes and all kinds of fun stuff for the kids. We also got to perform our first Kid's on the Block presentation. Kid's on the Block is a puppet show that helps kid's understand and empathize with people with disabilities. I play Ellen Jane Peterson, a highschool girl with Down Syndrome who works at a Vet. For dinner we had a nice evening of food and swimming at a really cool house outside of Spokane. A former JOH rider and his family set it up. It was great ending to a much needed day off.</p>Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-46001115954361983672008-06-05T22:24:00.001-07:002008-06-10T21:49:59.053-07:00Orientation in SeattleI flew out to Seattle on Saturday morning after being taken to the airport by my good friend Keith Kahil. Since I've been here, the past few days have been filled with making new friends and talking through many rules, policies and procedures. There's a lot that goes into 28 college students treking across the country. We've learned about everything from the rules of the road to learning about certain disabilities and those who we'll be visiting along the way. It has been a blast getting to know the other guys on my team. They come from all over the country. A majority of them are still in school but a handful have graduated college like me. It's really fun that eventhough we are so different, we have our fraternity and passion for people with disabilities in common.<br /><br />Today (Tuesday) we had a 22 mile practice training ride. This gave us an opportunity to ride together and get used to traveling together. It was really fun and somewhat envigorating to get in pace lines and draft off one another. When you're traveling at speeds around 15-25 mph, it really makes a difference making sure you're behind the cyclist in front of you and switching who's in front. The bad part is that it was 50 degrees and raining...thank you Seattle.<br /><br />Tomorrow we leave from Seattle's Olympic Scultpture Park after a sendoff from friends, family, and former Journey of Hope riders. We will also enjoy a nice breakfast provided by the Porterfield's, the family of a young man who was killed riding in the Journey of Hope in 2000. It will truly be a special morning and a good start to an unbelieavable summer. Destination? 70 Miles to Skykomish WA. It's finally here and here I go! D.C. here I come!Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611120937303792030.post-41312658607699807792008-06-05T22:24:00.000-07:002008-06-10T20:57:40.295-07:00PreparationI can't believe it's finally here! Some tight packing and the dismantling of my bike affirms the moment i've waited for. I'm flying out to Seattle on Saturday morning (6-7) to meet the rest of my team and get oriented with the ride. Next Wednesday (6-11), we leave downtown Seattle after a sendoff from friends and family to begin our 67 day Journey of Hope; a cross county bike ride dedicated to raising money and awareness for people with disabilities. I hope that you will keep up with my blog as I hope to post pictures and journal entries on a weekly basis. Please keep me and my team in your prayers. Thanks and God Bless.Cameron Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471636659976869692noreply@blogger.com1