Hello from Vermont, where I am in the final countdown phase of preparation for what I hope will be a great adventure as I ride my bicycle from San Diego, CA to St Augustine, FL.   I'll be doing this craziness with a group of 21 other women from all across the US including 2 women who live within 20 miles of me - amazing!  We spent many a hot summer day in July and August riding together (ok, training.....) but given the snow and ice buildup on most of our favorite routes, we now just get together to talk about riding.  The real stuff will begin on March 6 when we dip our rear tires into the Pacific and head out towards the hills east of San Diego.  57 days later we should be doing same with the front tire in St Augustine, changed women in who knows what ways, but with larger quads to be sure.

Thus, I'm throwing all my computer phobe behavior out the window by creating this blog to be able to record and let any of you who want to read about it, a chronicle of my adventures out there on the Southern Tier pavement.  Any of you who have corresponded with me via cyber modes will understand what a stretch this is for me.  (Any and all requests for snail mail will be honored!!)  So as soon as I learn how, I plan to jazz up the site with some photos and of course, the obligatory log of each and every revolution of the crankshaft.  

So, why a trip like this?  Probably the biggest reason is that I've discovered that it's a blast to do challenging things, especially after you have done them!  Also, I come to bicycling genetically in a sense.  My parents, Es and Jim Kehew, were avid cyclists at a time when most adults wouldn't have been caught dead on a bicycle.  When my father rode his bike to work, we would pretend we didn't know him when kids would point out, 'Hey, there goes a Daddy  on a bicycle'.   In 1974, they rode across country, scouting a trans-America bike trail for a group called Bikecentennial.  That group has morphed into Adventure Cyling and provides cyclists with maps of bike routes all over the US.  (Our tour will use their maps.)  So, this trip is to honor Es and Jim who have both passed in the last 5 years and were really wonderful, inspirational parents and athletes.  I haven't done much serious riding since David and Eliza were born, some 23 years ago, so have had to refashion myself as a bicyclist since I signed on to this trip a year ago.  I've been working out in the gym regularly since my last on the road ride in November and feel up to the challenge.  So, here goes!! 

I head out to stay with friends in CA next week, oh and also to ride on an actual road, up an actual hill.  My bike is hopefully already there.  I'll let you know how it is all going, and REALLY welcome any responses from all of you out there. 

All the best,

Peggy