REJOINING THE TEAM

Great to be back with the folks on the Ride today. I met them this afternoon at the United Methodist Church mission in Cleveland where we are staying tonight and tomorrow. The group started coming in around 5.00pm after a very hard ride of around 101 miles which had included a confusing detour and some very rough roads.

Noticed a few changes since I was last with them four weeks and 2650 miles ago. Arek, Bryan and Zack have definitely lost weight, Zack has gained a beard, and most people look like they have leprosy on their hands from their fingerless gloves - a deep tan above the wrist and below the last finger joint, pure white in between.

Also notice a few signs of fatigue setting in. People are talking about their legs starting to feel really tired, and Dan is quite sick tonight - maybe dehydration, with evacuation at both ends at the moment, and perhaps a trip to the ER later if things don't improve.

Not a good time to be sick, as we are heading into two tough weeks - just over 1000 miles at an average of 93 a day, with five "centuries".

For future reference, these are the riders:

Arek Karagoezian from Lebanon
Bryan Blomker from Minnesota
Dan Chapin from Michigan
Fiona Young from England (married to Jonny)
John Duncan from Northern Ireland
Jonny Young from Northern Ireland
Mike Scott from Germany
Paul Bayfield from England
Paul Luedtke from Switzerland
Stuart Rowell from Northern Ireland
Tom Phillips from California
Zack Chapin from Michigan

A new couple has joined us to tow the gear trailer and do our advance-party work. Lloyd & Marie Bakke are from Minnesota and go to Bryan's church, and they have already been a great hit with the riders. Emma continues to drive the SAG wagon, and is rejoined by Becky Luedtke. That's the whole circus.