First Ride Ever!!

As we all stood around making the final adjustments for our first ride together as a team, the excitement was palpable. I looked around at my friends: Parker, Renzo, Brendon, and Ellen (unfortunately, cyclists Gwen and Sarah were missing) and thought about the long day ahead. Our tires were pumped, our saddlebags were full of energy bars, and our legs were ready for a workout. We hopped on our bikes at 8:45 and began our nine-hour trek from Concord, NH to Sudbury, Massachusetts.
To me, these first twenty miles into Goffstown, NH were the hardest of the day. All I could think about were the 80 miles that lay ahead of me... How long it would take, how tired I would be, how hot it was, the big hills I would have to face. I quickly finished off two huge water bottles, and the day’s heat had barely even begun to set in. We arrived in Goffstown in a little under two hours. Brendon got there first, about fifteen minutes ahead of the rest of the group (if you haven’t met this kid… you should. His thighs are as big around as my torso, he pulls a mean 2k, and his determination is sometimes scary… I’m not surprised that he’s leaving us all in the dust!!). We pulled up to the Goffstown gas station to see Brendon sitting on the edge of the sidewalk munching on some trail mix. After about fifteen minutes there: working out some kinks on the bikes, filling up our water bottles, and figuring out the remainder of our route, we set off once again.
We spent the rest of the day cycling through some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen. Never before have I appreciated New Hampshire and Massachusetts so much. It was a gorgeous day: highs of 90 degrees, the sun on our skin, and a slight wind at our backs all day. It was a very hilly ride, with almost no flat stretches. One section stands out particularly in my mind as one of the most stunning views I have ever seen. After a few miles completely surrounded by woods, we emerged over the ridge of a long, rolling hill. On each side of us, there were huge expanses of open, untouched fields, with miles of green mountains in the distance. It was the first real taste of spring that I had gotten this year, and I was overcome with excitement. I can’t wait to experience the beauty of the rest of the United States: this huge country that I have seen so little of.
After nine hours total, including a long lunch break and multiple water, snack, and bathroom breaks, we arrived at our friend’s house in Eastern Massachusetts. Thank goodness for Mrs. Stoner’s delicious cooking and Mr. Stoner’s skill on the grill, because we were a ravenous and exhausted group. After relaxing for a little while, watching half of “Blues Brothers”, and eating our hearts out, Ellen and I crawled into a big, comfortable bed and crashed. Ten hours later, we woke up, almost completely refreshed… but not quite!