Thanks to all who supported my Climate Ride! It was an amazing experience to ride 60-70+ miles per day, five days in a row, with an amazing group of people (all ages and abilities), focused on health (personal and planet) and enjoying the space between New York City and Washington DC. It was my first long distance ride in about (cough) thirty years and it felt good to do it.
We live in an amazingly beautiful part of the country... once you get off I-95.
Seeing everything at 0-32 mph really put a lot of things into perspective. Most parts there was no cell service so we all got to unplug totally.
What did I see & hear? Lots of country with healthy farmland, birds singing, breaks squeaking. Stretches of land untouched by city or suburbia and then suburban neighborhoods, complexes, major highways (we rode past the entrances only), huge downhills and major uphills, river walks and river beds, rail-trails magnificently restored and so much more.
Evenings were full of speakers on environmental initiatives and studies, and an amazing performance by Ben Sollee (http://bensollee.com/)
I now know a lot of things like -
Training is really important. (worth getting up at 6am even!)
* Cycling is just like "riding a bicycle" only you're clipped in and moving as fast as the wind.
* Padded cycling pants are as important as gel blocks by Cliff Bar
* Just like Eskimos have many words for "snow" I now have many words for "hill." :)
* Food is energy when you're burning +500 calories an hour (clocked on a friend's thingamajigger on her bike).
* Community Matters and it's inspiring when you spend 24 hours a day with really smart people working on important stuff!
We live in an amazingly beautiful part of the country... once you get off I-95.
Seeing everything at 0-32 mph really put a lot of things into perspective. Most parts there was no cell service so we all got to unplug totally.
What did I see & hear? Lots of country with healthy farmland, birds singing, breaks squeaking. Stretches of land untouched by city or suburbia and then suburban neighborhoods, complexes, major highways (we rode past the entrances only), huge downhills and major uphills, river walks and river beds, rail-trails magnificently restored and so much more.
Evenings were full of speakers on environmental initiatives and studies, and an amazing performance by Ben Sollee (http://bensollee.com/)
I now know a lot of things like -
Training is really important. (worth getting up at 6am even!)
* Cycling is just like "riding a bicycle" only you're clipped in and moving as fast as the wind.
* Padded cycling pants are as important as gel blocks by Cliff Bar
* Just like Eskimos have many words for "snow" I now have many words for "hill." :)
* Food is energy when you're burning +500 calories an hour (clocked on a friend's thingamajigger on her bike).
* Community Matters and it's inspiring when you spend 24 hours a day with really smart people working on important stuff!
* You can have a voice on the Hill. We went and advocated for Carbon reduction and transportation alternative funding on the Hill with Staff from Nita Lowey's office as well as from Gillibrand and Schumer's office.
It's now been 5 days that I haven't gotten on a bike (it's being shipped from DC to home) and I miss it.
I'm remembering something I saw in Montana last year that I want to share...
I'm remembering something I saw in Montana last year that I want to share...
"forget the box, think outside"
If you're interested in learning more about the organizations your donations went to - check them out here
* www.greenamerica.org
* www.onepercentfortheplanet.org
* www.350.org
If you're interested in learning more about the organizations your donations went to - check them out here
* www.greenamerica.org
* www.onepercentfortheplanet.org
* www.350.org
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