Weekend training victory!

I don't have a ton of time to write this evening - we have to walk the dogs and start making dinner. But I did want to log in briefly to report that Zoe, Jenn and I met our training goal for yesterday with energy to spare! Okay, not a lot of energy to spare, but we've come a long way since April. First we walked 21 miles and then biked 20 miles. As you can see below from our tentative walk itinerary, that is approximately the same distance we have to cross on our first, fourth and fifth days. 

Sunday - Arlinton, VA to Barrett, MD - 41.5 Miles
Monday - Barrett, MD to York Springs, PA - 45.6 Miles
Tuesday - York Springs, PA to Liverpool, PA - 49.5 Miles
Wednesday - Liverpool, PA to Watsontown, PA - 42.2 Miles
Thursday - Watsontown, PA to Ralston, PA - 38.4 Miles
Friday - Ralston, PA to Caton, NY - 45.4 Miles
Saturday - Caton, NY to FARM SANCTUARY - 29.1 Miles

Actually, when we finished our walk, I think we all felt a little beat. But as soon as we got on our bikes, it was like we were almost fresh again. One, I think it felt good to be sitting, even on a bike seat. Two, we were using different muscles, and three, the speed at which the miles flew by was very refreshing! Granted, most of the road we covered on the bikes was relatively flat, a topographical gift that we won't enjoy climbing up through Pennsylvania. It's hard to train for this in Ithaca because all the terrain is either really flat or outrageously steep. But we do plan to optimize a bit during our trip from DC by choosing bike segments according to the terrain we expect. Part of our preparation for the trip, I hope, is that we're going to drive down along the actual route. That way, we'll be able to take notes about which sections of the road look good for riding vs. walking, among other things. ("Note: Don't stop for directions at country store with one-legged man playing banjo and drinking moonshine on front porch.")

This morning, Jenn's knees were bothering her a little bit, but we took our bikes out for another ride - which included walking them most of the way up to College Town - the mini-Ithaca that serves Cornell. Though a bit sore, we were both surprised that we were nonetheless able to go up those hills without too much trouble. And that, I think, is what really makes me feel optimistic about our actual trip. Going 40 to 50 miles in one day is one thing. But getting up the next day and hitting the road again... I think if we could do it today, we'll really be alright at the end of July. We ended up riding (just Jenn and I - Zoe had to work) another 12 miles today, and I think we could have easily done more if time and a pending rainstorm hadn't been obstacles.

Other notes from yesterday:

Bryce and Mike came out and taped a good portion of our walking. This was Mike's first time seeing us in action and I think they got some good footage. There should be a video posted soon.

We found another animal in distress. This time it was a lost dog, wandering around the other side of Beebe Lake. The traffic isn't too busy up there, but there are a lot of blind curves, and he could have easily been run over. Unfortunately, he wouldn't let us get close enough to grab his collar. So while I called Kate Walker to bring her SPCA expertise to the scene, we followed the dog as he wandered over roads and through yards. Eventually, we pursued him into a really big yard, where we made a three point circle around him, hoping to keep him in one place until help arrived. 

Of course, being an agile dog, it wasn't long before he slipped through us. That's when I discovered he would chase me if I ran.  So I started running around the yard, hoping that he would either tire out or eventually get close enough that I could snag him. But after about five minutes of this behavior, me running and him chasing and barking, the owner of the house came out to see what all the ruckus was about. He didn't even ask what we were doing, just kind of glowered at us. So we tried to explain that we were trying to catch the dog because he was lost. The man replied, still giving us an evil eye, "He's not lost. He lives here." Aha! Apparently we'd chased him home! 

"Well," I said, "He was all the way down by Beebe Lake." I was expecting the man's mood to change at any moment. Something like, "Wow, really? Gosh! How'd that happen? Thanks for bringing him back!" But no. Mr Stick-up-his-ass just stood there, glowering at us like we were some trio of motley vagrants, on the brink on home invasion. I'm not sure exactly what any of us said next, but it must have been somewhere along the lines of, "Okay then. Well. Okay. Guess he's okay now." As we walked back down the driveway. And away we went, utterly disgusted and hoping that this man was married to somebody who cares a lot more about the family dog than he obviously does. If you're ever visiting Ithaca and you'd like to meet the most rude person in Forest Home - the historic and secluded wealthy enclave that borders Cornell Plantations - I'll be happy to give you his address.

On a more pleasant note, Zoe took Jenn and I too brunch on her earned food credit tab at ABC Cafe, where she's been volunteering. Thanks, Zoe!

Finally, have you seen the GiveForward page today? We're up to 30%! Several new people have made contributions, including some of our Canadian friends. And I want to give a special thanks for a major gift from Diane Miller. Thank you, Diane! Thank you, everyone!