Hey everyone, so I'll spend some time to actually write a legitimate blog post (have I ever done that actually?) I'll try my best. My writing should actually be better since I've spent the last 3 weeks of work intensely working on a conference paper that I had to figure out how to condense from 11,000 words to 5,000... (for some reason that reference of Gov Arnie and the knife and scalpel to the state budget comes to mind).. Now I can understand why it's not quite as easy as that... Well. back to the topic. Today is July 25th, let me think if anything that revolves around this date. I will be getting married in 9 months from yesterday, yesterday was my last day of work, work will begin again in 6 weeks from today. Just for some other fun date facts... after this ride concludes, my timeline coming back to San Francisco will look like this: Sept 12 - Amy's wedding, Sept 13 - fly back to San Francisco (without a place to live as of now), Sept 14 - start a full time job. Yikes, that to me sounds more scary than the bike ride itself. Also, some other tidbits. I decided to weigh myself today and will take a photo tomorrow. I'm really curious about what this ride will do to my body. Hopefully it won't just wither away. More to come on that tomorrow.
So! About the bike ride itself! I'm very excited. From what I can tell, at least a few people will be able to make it on Sunday morning and will ride with me for a little bit. I wasn't too keen on having a big super-sendoff... I don't think it's my style, kinda like how some people don't like to have birthday parties, well that's me too. But, I think it will be nice to have a low-key gathering for those who actually are interested in riding, otherwise... there just isn't a reason to be up at 7am on a sunday.
I have my bag pretty much set, but I'll be going to the store today for some odds and ends... postcard stamps, luggage locks, food in general. Should be an interesting day. But I'm also ditching the rest of my belongings at some point, the car, the laptop, single-speed.... tomorrow i become a nomad.
Some fun things have happened in the last few days. So yesterday, I recieved an email from Jean Noellsch, a mother of a high-school friend who would be doing a write-up for the News-Gazette (champaign,il newspaper). So it sounds like they're going to publish an article about the ride and the fundraising... super! It was fun to be interviewed. But really, it was more of a conversation and catching up on their family among other things. But fun none the less.
Non-bike, but transportation related, I ate it on my skateboard coming back from work on Monday. However, major injuries were avoided... but the whole fall happened because I was trying to take things from my office at work, and as a result, totally overloaded my bag, which threw off my balance... you see where this is going
And finally, my GPS tracking device works! Feel free to track my progess and see where I'm at during the ride. If for some reason the device stops moving for a long time you should do either:
A) text me to tell me to quit being lazy and to start pedaling
B) call the authories
It's here: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=00tqrjYQYFhYCWe0hZubTHJe9fdl0T5CQ
Ok, I think I'm spent for the night. It's been a long week and my writing becomes less clear as I push further towards 2am. Thanks for reading, and be on the lookout for a pre-ride post later this evening before the big Sunday ride.
Paul
Track My Progress - See My Trip Map
Why am I doing this?
credits to Justin Bond of Star Talent Events for the audio.
Thanks for stopping in! This summer, I'll be biking 2500 miles from San Francisco to Gibson City, IL to raise $4000 for the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the Ford County Youth Soccer Club. My route map.
Why?
There are so many reasons. As a youngster growing up in central Illinois, playing soccer, as rare as it was for the area, was an activity that really shaped me into the person I am today. Not only combining the importance of fitness and teamwork, but also leadership and discipline. I have always wanted to have the opportunity to give back to this organization (FCYSC), and I feel that this is my chance.
Living just outside of Gibson City causes every child to be an avid cyclist to survive that stretch of Route 9 to make it into town. As I've progressed into my current career as an urban planner, I realize how much of an impact cycling can make in certain parts of the United States, in reducing our dependence on vehicles, increasing our health, among other benefits. Atlanta is the place that re-energized my spirit for transportation planning and I hope to be able to return some gratitude to the ABC, a cause that I still feel has an uphill battle in that town.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at supawanich@gmail.com
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