I know that when I heard 433.7 miles I thought, "wow", that's a long ride, but then you see them - mile for mile, pedaling through thunder storms as fast as they can only to be sprayed with water by the passing cars and semi-trucks. Pedaling with achy knees, tight muscles and sore throats. Pedaling up East Tennessee hills that seem as if they'll never end. Pedaling with nothing, but the next pit stop in mind. Just to get through each mile. All for the sake of bringing awareness to adoption for foster kids still waiting for homes. And, they've done it. I have been amazed at the buzz that has been created by these pedaling fools.
It has been such a fun week for me. I have never worked so much - waking at 6 to take shots of them as they prepare to leave in the morning, tracking with them along the roads, documenting their hard work, and then spending my evenings sorting through and editing so that the BLOG can be updated for friends and families wondering back at home how it's all going. Tonight I was put on a tight deadline, but it made me work that much harder and I'm happy to say that It's not even 11:00 and I'm getting ready to go to bed. Tomorrow is our last day. I can't wait to get into Knoxville with 50+ riders and multiple vans and cars full of the support crew, all the while bypassing red lights thanks to the Tennessee Highway Patrol's escort. I can't believe just how long they've all come. When we got started in Memphis Monday morning, Knoxville seemed so far away.
Wednesday:
Dickson > Lebanon
Pulling into Centennial Park, Nashville, TN
Traveling down West End Avenue, Nashville, TN
Thursday
Lebanon > Crossville
7:15 a.m., outside the hotel
The first of many monstrous East Tennessee mountains to climb...
The ever occurring flat tire...
Michael decided to take a break from biking to yell at everyone with a bull horn and then give them a little push as they rode past. 
They made it... (the tour's support team)
....to the top of the Cumberland Plateau!
I'm definitely going to be choked up when I lay in bed tomorrow night, thinking through the week...all I've learned and experienced. I'll be sad it's come and gone. Until then I'm going to bed tonight in this roomy Comfort Inn suite with a smile on my face and a small burn on my foot because I accidently hit the muffler of the Tennessee Highway Patrol officer's motorcycle when he took me for a ride tonight. :)
1 comment:
Wow! Jess, this is awesome!
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