I happened to be responsible for the blog today for the team (http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/route.php?route=CUS&year=2011), so I posted it below. Pictures soon! c:

The First Day of Riding!

(Also, Learning to Recognize Fellow Riders by Their Respective Backsides)

We woke up this knowing would be beginning our journey across the United States, which was absolutely fantastic. That and a little bit of Beatles made waking up actually possible at 5:45. We fueled up to an amazing spread provided by our gracious hosts that was pretty much southern-style ambrosia.

At around 9AM we all headed down to the beautiful Virginia Beach for the highly-anticipated Wheel Dip Ceremony. Surrounded by our family and friends, our fearless leaders all reminded us what a wonderful experience this is sure to be and that this will doubtlessly be “the summer of our lives”. After prying the well-meaning but emotionally-charged loved ones off all the riders, we peeled out and totally ripped 54.6 miles to Suffolk, Virginia (and by “totally ripped” I mean “traveled at a decent, yet sustainable, pace”), passing by a Giant Gorilla and the (probably) terrifying Dismal Swamp. We had a well-deserved lunch and a few rounds of four-square around mile 25, supplemented by a bit of chocolate milk lovingly donated by Fresh Farms after a few riders worked a little donation magic.

After cleaning up at the local YMCA (in what is probably the nicest public bathroom I have ever entered), we are now winding down at Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church who kindly provided us with an absolutely delicious meal and charge of a beautiful facility (that is rather well-stocked with soft things on which we can sleep, which is pretty important stuff). A big shout-out to the congregation of Westminster for being so gracious in giving us subsistence and shelter so we can rest up for another 40 glorious miles of cycling the Virginia countryside on the morrow.

Lacy Schmidt