Day 30: Arkadelphia to Hot Springs

Wet. The only adjective needed to describe today.  Sometimes we were wet by choice, but for the most part not.  We started out today’s ride in sprinkles and ended it in a down pour 37 miles later in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  It wasn’t a lot of fun and was also pretty scary at times even with the short distance we had to cover.  Somewhere around 30 miles per hour on a bike rain stops feeling like rain when it hits you and starts to hurt, especially around the face.  We also had to deal with the attack of flat tires again, including 6 tires changes going on within 30 feet of each other on the road thanks to some well placed glass. 

There’s also the issue of handling on wet pavement, it takes a lot of experience to feel truly comfortable riding in the rain especially along a pretty busy highway when you are relying on 23 cm of rubber to keep you up right and safe.  Luckily we made it through the day with no major incidents.  We all arrived completely drenched before noon at the First Baptist Church of Hot Springs where we had lunch and dried off, at least for a little bit.

This afternoon we packed into the vans and hit the older downtown area where Hot Springs National Park is located, our 4th national park of the trip. The springs are formed by rainwater that is collected through pores and fractures in rock that conduct it deep into the earth, as the water travels down increasingly warmer rock heats it.  We all relaxed for a couple of hours in the thermal baths at the Quapaw House, one of the many bath houses located within the national park which have been in business since the early 1900’s. The naturally occurring pools within the house ranged in temperature from 94 – 104 degrees and were a lot of fun to hang out it in. 

We just finished another amazing dinner provided by the church, our first barbeque in barbeque country definitely lived up to its billing as the best in town as we all once again ate way too much. The storms are supposed to regain their power overnight, so we will all sleep with one eye on the radar as we’re supposed to travel to Little Rock tomorrow morning.

~Justin

Day 29: Magnolia to Arkadelphia

Today began like most days: 6:30 am wake up call, scramble to get dressed, pack your bag, and deliver it to the cargo van by 7:00 am.  Voss even packed her bag last night to avoid the wrath of team Tango and their rigid deadline (don’t let the orange tie-dye deceive you – they mean business)!  We had a wonderful breakfast provided by the congregation of First Presbyterian Church of Magnolia: yogurt, fruit, bagels, and “spudnuts” – donuts made from potato flour that are apparently only available in three stores across the country!  Great thanks go out to this generous congregation and their hospitality in Magnolia, AR.

We began our 75 mile journey from Magnolia, AR to Arkadelphia, AR promptly at 7:30 am.  Immediately, we knew we were in for a fun day - thanks to beautiful scenery, lovely weather, and a fantastic tailwind!  The tailwind was quite a treat following 2 weeks of Texas headwinds, and allowed us to fly over the rolling Arkansas hills… so quickly that we almost beat the lunch van to the 50 mile stop.  It also helped that all of the riders managed to have their wheels secured on the bike… myself included!  These conditions all contributed to arriving in Arkadelphia in the early afternoon, in time to catch some snoozes, patch tubes, and relax in the hot Arkansas sun.

So while today operated like most days, it was indeed much more special than the others.  And we were reminded of it very, very often.  For today is the birthday of our beloved rider, Bryce Peterson!  In honor of this joyous occasion, Team Tango planned R4WH Olympics which consisted of five events and plenty of friendly competition.  The events opened with a grueling match of wheelbarrow/straw drinking race, which was followed by an artistic rendition of a bicycle using play-doh. 

Next came the water balloon toss and the dizzy bat race.  Overall, most contenders managed to stay on their feet following 8 spins around the bat and give humorous performances.  Credit must be given to Jody Litrenta, however, for the most entertaining dizzy run as she tackled five spectators.  Nothing compared to the final event, pie eating contest, in which each team was allowed to work together to conquer an over-stuffed whip cream pie.  Keep in mind that the 18 Olympic contenders did not know each other just 30 days before… but this didn’t stop us from shoving four faces into a pie at one time.  It was certainly the culminating moment of the games when each participant walked away with a face full of whip cream.  When the results were in, it turned out that my team had barely edged out the second place team to steal the Olympic gold!!

In the end, all were winners – a quote that Pete wrote chalked on the route today.  Some just were bigger winners than others.  And Bryce was the biggest winner of all.

- Katie

Day 28: Texarkana to Magnolia

Today was a great day for a bike ride.  The sun was out but not too hot, there was a breeze but not too strong, there were some hills but they weren’t too steep, and the road was not too bumpy.  Brian and I discussed how there really wasn’t anything we’d rather be doing today then riding our bikes.  It was that kind of day.  And it was a great welcome to Arkansas; it’s my first time in the state and I have to say I was pleasantly impressed.  I’ve given up trying to guess what each new state will be like, since my ideas of Texas were way off (apparently nothing like the Westerns I’ve been picturing in my head) but the scenery was beautiful and the people were some of the nicest I’ve ever met. 

Here are a few of today’s highlights:

• Katie Kidwell: After 25ish miles of a grueling struggle against the elements, she rolls into the first water stop, exhausted and wondering why.  What we then discovered was not only were her brakes rubbing against her back tire but her back wheel was not even actually on.  No wonder she felt like she had biked a century.  Well done Kidder.
• Friendly sheriff: While fixing an unfortunate flat we were visited by the local sheriff who just wanted to make sure we had all the tools we needed.  After chatting it up a little bit and telling him about R4WH he then proceeded to get on his cell phone and call 1) a woman who works for the newspaper in Stamps, AR, who we met a couple miles up the road and took our picture for the local newspaper and 2) someone at a radio station in Magnolia, AR, (where we were staying) to set up an interview for tomorrow morning.  Then he took some pictures with us and headed on his way.
• Camels in Arkansas?: Obviously.  And bisons, llamas, zebras, and zebra/donkey crosses.  In someone’s yard along the road.  See picture for any further questions.
• SAU: Southern Arkansas University.  Home of the Muleriders and some great showers. 
• Welcome to Magnolia!: The First Presbyterian Church welcomed us in style with a delicious spread, friendly faces who welcomed us into their church and community and who really took an interest in what we were doing.

Overall a really good day.  I took a little time to ride by myself and just take in the surroundings and reflect on the trip thus far.  It was great to be out enjoying nature in its finest and thinking about how lucky and proud I was to be on this trip with an awesome group of people working for such an amazing cause.  We’re about halfway through and I’m excited to see what the next half of the trip brings…

~Megan

Day 27: Paris to Texarkana

An Ode to Recovery

Today was completely opposite of yesterday, and was fantastic.  Since arriving to Texas, every morning we check the wind forecast (more important to us than temperature, rain, snow, tornadoes) and it was great news at breakfast – a tailwind!  Chatter was light, the mood was lifted, my legs twitched with joy.  I stuffed one less powerbar into my back, and filled my water bottles a little less. 

Once we hit the road, it was awesome.  The morning air was chilly and with some wind assistance we were flying.  The scenery was fantastic with green rolling hills and horse farms.  My compadre, Justin, stopped to spend some quality time admiring the baby horses.  We were flying so fast that we hit our lunch stop (~50 miles) by 9:45a.  Our lunch stop was the typical boring gas station – and we even had time to talk about Schwinn’s with a local trucker. 

With all of our repetitive riding, our legs really take a hit.  We’re trying all sorts of different ways to recover:

1)      Chocolate milk – this is the best recovery drink you can buy, and its price is right.  It was studied by Indiana University, and it is legit and outcompetes the super expensive recovery drinks.  To best replenish wiped out muscles, it is best to drink within 30 minutes – which can make for quite the adventure right after a bike ride.  One half quart will give you a solid 880 calories, with 120g carbohydrates and protein. 

2)      Leg elevation: Pro – really easy way to drain the lactic acid from your legs.  Doesn’t hurt.  You can just lay there.  Con – can give yourself a heart attack if you have a ton of lactic acid flooding your heart.

3)      Streching: Pro – you look cool doing it.  Con: it takes awhile, and it hurts

4)      Beer: Pro – tastes fantastic after a long day in the saddle.  Con: doesn’t really work.

5)      Naps: Pro – really easy to do, and is favored by many people including Brian Dishong and Timmy Mitchell.  Cons – you are really sore when you wake up.  You may have nightmares.

6)      Games of kickball: Pro – really fun, and running helps flush out lactic acid.  Con – you can cramp up, and walk with a limp (may, or may not have happened to me)

7)      Updating your blog: Pro – can be a thereapeutic mental recovery if you had a rough day in the saddle. Con – doesn’t really help your legs, and you may develop carpal tunnel and poor vision.

      Quitting: Pro – works indefinitely. Con – is there one?

After utilizing #1, 2, 3, 5, 7, (8?) for recovery, we had a lot of fun in Texarkana.  We stayed in a Methodist Youth building, and it was brand new and decked out with electronics.  People set up an internet café (important for #7), played basketball, and Wii.  The support team for the day did a great job with breakfast for dinner, and during our post-gluttonous state we had a journal club.

~ Chris

Day 26: Greenville a Paris

With a belly-full of breakfast thanks to the Wesley United Methodist Church of Greenville, Texas, the team set off in a north-easterly direction.  In past days, this direction would mean a hefty tail wind, but today 15-20 mph gusts plagued us from the north and east.  Although the day was relatively short at 56 miles, wind seemed to come at us from every direction!

After 3-4 hours of hard pedaling, riders were rewarded with lunch under the Eiffel Tower of Paris, Texas.  The tower is a 70 foot replica of the Tour d’Eiffel topped with a red cowboy hat and acted as the backdrop for our staged ride-by captured on tape by the local TV station.  Katie and Jody were interviewed by the Parisian anchorman from Paris Local TV 99.

The First United Methodist Church of Paris fed us dinner and we have set up for the night at the Student Life Center.  Although the small town had little in the way of a classic café, the center piazza boasted a beautiful fountain perfect for afternoon reading, and riders found internet and good beer at the Jaxx Burger joint.

That’s the long and short of our day to Paris.  On a more important note, I wanted to say something about bagels…

There are many ways to Bagel

- the Ride for World Health Repertoire

Bagels and Cream Cheese: the classic.

Bagel P&J: inevitably your lunchtime choice when there is no bread.

A Bagel, plain, nothing else:  more interesting than it sounds if you consider the many kind of bagels Einstein's gives us... cinnamon, blueberry, green chili, six cheese, spinach florentine, chocolate chip...

Bagelwich: cheese, turkey, mustard, and lettuce and tomatoes if you can find any

Toasted Bagel:  a rare delicacy on this trip and one we partook in this morning thanks to the generosity and attention of the Greenville Methodist community.

Bagel Pizzas:  a feat Team Strawberry undertook for a delicious dinner item.

Bagel Chips: the only way to enjoy a stale bagel, dipped in hummus, preferably.

And still to be attempted in the R4WH kitchens: Bagel Bread Pudding, Bagel Croutons, Bagel Dumplings, Bagel French toast

~ Heidi

Day 25: Fort Worth to Greenville

This was a Sunday ride. We started off after a great day off at the cabin site in Fort Worth. We had two cabins with 12 bunk beds in each. Two nights of sleeping on mattresses…amazing

We had to rack the bikes for the first 10 miles out of town as Fort Worth isn’t a very bike friendly city. After that we had a solid 30 miles into a strong headwind. However, once this jaunt was complete, we turned right onto Route 380 East carried by a 20 mph tailwind. Many of us cruised at very fast speeds for the remaining 50 miles. We picked up Heidi at the local Starbucks in Denton, TX as she was staying with a friend. She jumped right in with the lead group and peddled toward lunch. Team Clover organized a tasty lunch at the 58 mile mark supplemented by some girl scout cookies sent along by Megan’s mom.

Unfortunately, due to construction, we had to rack again at 80 miles and drive into our destination of Greenville. At the Methodist Church we were delighted to be served a delicious Mexican dinner with numerous dessert options. As you can see, sweets are in no short supply on this trip. Some people trekked over to the local bowling alley/sports bar and grille to catch the Utah Jazz easily handle the Denver Nuggets. Jen, Maggie, Jody, and Timmy played a game of shuffleboard before turning in for the night. Lights out at 10pm. We hear there’s a headwind in store for us tomorrow as we head up to Paris, TX.

~Pete

Day 23: Ranger to Fort Worth

36 Hours in Fort Worth

“Everyone thinks I died in Deadwood.  They shot me, and buried me.  But I was still alive, so I got out, and now I’m here talking to you fine folks.”  This from a man with white hair flowing down his shoulders, and a white mustache to match.  He was dressed as a gentlemen gunfighter from the 19^th century American west, and claimed to be none other than Wild Bill Hickok.  As he stepped into the driver’s seat of his blue pickup he stated he had to bring the money he earned tonight home to Calamity Jane, so she’d let him drink beer.

In other words, welcome to Fort Worth, Texas.

My time in Fort Worth was filled with about as much wonder as could be had in any city in a day and a half.  On our approach to the YMCA camp in Fort Worth that would be our home for two nights after another long but enjoyable century ride, Libby exclaimed, “Whoa! Did anyone see that?”  I looked up just in time to see a fireball off on the horizon, and then a large black cloud of smoke.  The firestorm came from the local Air Force Base, and next thing I heard was the sound of three fighter jets roaring off in a perfect triangular formation.

We’d passed by several military proving grounds on our trip, but usually they’re in the middle of scrubland, not on a military base in the middle of a major city.  My next instantaneous thought was that we were under attack from Mexico.  I wondered if I could summon the courage of Patrick Swayze when he lead a group of High School students in a guerilla war against a combined strike from Mexico, Cuba and the Soviet Union in the movie Red Dawn.  I still don’t know what caused that explosion, but it was quite a way to enter Fort Worth.

That night, Jess’ family graciously provided dinner for us, and after we voraciously devoured the meal, we were off to Old Fort Worth for some revelry.  Old Fort Worth combines the nightlife and bar scene that every town aspires for with a western feel that is unique to Fort Worth.  It is focused around the Fort Worth Stockyards and the Cowtown Coliseum, which is the oldest indoor Rodeo venue in the United States.  After a brief walk through the streets, where open container laws are apparently not enforced, I ended up saddled up to the bar at Risckey’s Steakhouse with Pete, Chris, Adam and Tim, where we watched some basketball and drank to Tim’s being awarded a large scholarship.

After closing down the bar, we headed over to Lola’s where the rest of the team was enjoying a local bluegrass band.  A couple of Patriots later we were all ready for some good music and dancing.  As the night started to get hazier we made our way back toward the van, stopping by a local Taco shop for some of the best late night fare ever (and some Pineapple Fanta for a very excited Bryce).

But the best part of the night was sleeping on real beds back at camp, and rolling over at 6:30 in the morning, knowing you could sleep as long as you pleased.  I woke up late the next morning in a mild state of veisalgia.  The word veisalgia comes from the Norwegian word kveis, which translates to “uneasiness after debauchery.”  Uneasiness after debauchery?  Check.

But I couldn’t circle the toilet all day, so I grabbed a doughnut graciously provided by Justin’s aunt and uncle and we were off to a “barbecue” hosted by the medical students our group had talked with the day before.  They were hosting this event as a medical screening for immigrant children in the area.  We ate some good Indian food, chatted with our colleagues about global health issues, and were off to do the other menial tasks that keep our ride progressing: namely visiting a bike store and going to the CVS.

Chores done, we got back to camp in time for a pleasant afternoon cleaning and tuning KITT, while Miles Davis played on the computer.  With a happy bicycle and a quick shower, we were off to sample the staple of Texan cuisine: steak!  We found a place called Sawgrass Steakhouse that had good reviews, but didn’t break the bank.  I ordered a 7 oz. Filet Minion cooked to the chef’s preference, and received a perfectly seared medium rare steak with baked sweet potato overflowing with butter.  After sharing an ice cream sundae I was in gustatory meltdown!  How Brian and Travis were able to put down 22 oz. Porterhouses I will never know.  As I was trying to keep from exploding in the back of Gray Goose (our Gray 12 passenger van), Roshan drove us back to the Stockyards, where the Rodeo was about to start.

There are certain experiences that life calls on each of us.  If you are in Fort Worth, you must see the Rodeo.  Two hours of bull riding and bronc busting, and even a chance for Lauren to get out in the arena and shake her bootie.  For $14, it is much more fun than any movie.  As we headed back toward the YMCA, our stomachs replete with steak and our minds replete with cowgirls, I had a revelation: I love Fort Worth!  I’m not sure I’ve ever said a good word about the Lone Star State, but Fort Worth is a genuinely cool town, and in this time of economic downturn, it remains vibrant and prosperous.

If you ever find yourself bicycling across the country, you need to spend at least 36 hours in Fort Worth, Texas.

~ Andy

Day 22: Abilene to Ranger

That’s The Team Lemon Style
We were awakened by lights first, at 5:40am.  Then at 6:00am there was an announcement and music, to try and get those of us sleeping in the gym or the roller-skating rink up.  I am part of team Lemon, and we were on support for the day.  We had planned on getting everyone up at 6:45am and on the road by 7:45am, but the First Baptist Church had other plans and eager people outside waiting to get in and use the facilities.  So we got an earlier start, but the church did have complimentary coffee to complement our early start.  In the end though, we did just barely make out goal of getting everyone on the road by 7:45.  That’s the Team Lemon style.

I was in the water stop/lunch van for the day, which I hadn’t done before, which gave me the opportunity for a number of photos of the group during the day.  After heading out of Abilene, we caught up with Jess at a stoplight, where Bryce and I surprised her by pulling up next to her and blasting Amy Grant’s “O Come All Ye Faithful”.

We continued on to set up our water stop and had some last minute route changes that Lauren orchestrated for us.  This involved her personally visiting the D.O.T., which none of us were the least surprised by her thoroughness and skill in last minute route planning.  We raced on to set up the lunch for the team, which I like doing because you get to see the whole team during the day.

Maggie, Jen, Roshan & Katie speeding along

Adam, Jeff & Tim cruising by

Pete, stripping off his arm warmers

Justin, drafting the van at 40 mph for a freakishly long time

I think the group enjoyed the end of their ride to Ranger.  I know Katie had her group stop a court where a famous toad was trapped in the basement for 28 years without food and water.  I’m still not sure quite how this fact was uncovered.  How do you know a toad is 28 years old?
Once in Ranger, Heidi took care of dinner for us, and managed to cook up two Indian dishes in about 20 minutes.   She also baked some naan, which she actually started preparing while driving sweep in the van.  After dinner, our group took advantage of the many diversions the First Baptist Church had to offer – a pool table, a ping pong table, and karaoke.  I’m sorry to say that I missed karaoke, but I did hear that the ad libbed lyrics were better than the originals.  After today it’s time for a good night’s sleep before a century ride to Ft. Worth.

-Jody

Day 21: Sweetwater to Abilene

We are still in Texas.  The wind is still blowing (but the windmills did not taunt us today) and there is finally sun and gorgeous wild flowers along the highway.  Given the fact that there is not too much new to report and in a sort of tribute to the name of Sweetwater, let me take this time to reflect on water and give this fabulous substance its time in the spotlight.  Take a moment to think through your day—how much fresh water do you use?  You take a shower, flush the toilet, make coffee, rinse and wash breakfast dishes, and brush your teeth—and this is just in the first 30 minutes after you wake up in the morning.  You have 16 more waking hours every day. 

Why am I asking you to think of this?  Because what you and I take for granted every day is only a dream to billions of people around the world.  Children all over the world spend up to 12 hours every day collecting water for their families and are thus unable to attend school.  This water is collected from dirty rivers or lakes that are simultaneously used for laundry, bathing, and defecating, as a garbage dump, and are a breeding ground for countless bacteria and parasites.  Every day, two thousand children die from diarrheal diseases directly attributable to dirty water.  Clean, fresh water is a luxury that most of us completely forget to notice.

We are equally guilty of this.  We finish our rides and cannot wait to jump in the shower (or hose as the case may be), we fill our water bottles every 20 miles and carry around 3 coolers filled with water every day—without thinking of the children and families around the world who may have never actually washed in pure water, much less had the opportunity to drink it.  

In all honesty, the reason I choose to devote today’s blog to water is because our water stop was stolen today.  Poor Jody perseverated on the lack of a water stop for miles!  I am going to assume that the one who took the water cooler, animal crackers, and power bars was in need of fresh water and nutrition.  Yes, we like our water and snack stops but we don’t really need them—we had a great ride sans water stop.  Since one of the goals of our ride is to support people around the world in need of sanitation, nutrition, and medical care, let’s hope our water cooler and food went to someone more in need of these things than we were. 

~Lauren

Day 20: Lamesa to Sweetwater

We’re in Texas now. I don’t think anyone had guessed that this would be the coldest and wettest we’d be so far on this trip. Great luck for our second century ride this year.

*disclaimer: I was driving a support van today and will try to do justice to the story for those who rode.

This morning began with the realization that we had moved into a new time zone but only travelled 70 miles the day before which left it dark when we wanted to start riding. With a short delay, some riders decided it would be great to start the morning with a coffee and left into the dimly lit dense fog. The coffee was delicious but was probably soon forgotten as everyone was enveloped by thick fog that soaked through clothes and chilled the riders whether they were moving or not. There was a cold wind to accompanied the wetness and soaked up any excess heat that the riders had to keep warm.

We placed lunch at mile 58 and cleared the 12-person van so that riders could sit inside to eat while the heater thawed everyone before they got back on the road. The riders truly appreciated this and really did not want to leave the lunch stop to get back on the road. Several people joked that they wanted to stay with us for the drive into Sweetwater. The fog was finally lifting by 11AM but a cool wind was still slowing the riders on the road. As we approached Sweetwater, we saw mile after mile of wind-farms with enormous windmills. It was almost as though the windmills were taunting the team as they harvested the same headwind that was blowing into each rider’s face. Luckily, Sweetwater welcomed us with less wind and a bit of sunshine to sit in as the riders trickled in from the 103 mile trip. 

We finished our day with a journal club discussion on child soldiers in the DRC. It is truly appalling to hear stories of what these children endure. We split into small groups to discuss what the children go through, what the ultimate consequences are, and to discuss ways that we can help. It was a rather heavy discussion and perhaps the most educational journal club for many of us.

~Jeff