We woke today before the sun was up in order to escape the heat. We began packing at 5:15 and were ready to leave in a little less than an hour. Before departure, we thanked my mom for joining us on the ride, and my dad for setting up a campsite for us.

Our ride started slow and it took 25 miles to reach a small country grocery store for breakfast. Cole and I ate a lot of random food. I had a full red velvet cake, a ham sub, a large Red Bull, and pomegranate juice. Cole has a smoothie, a summer sausage, and a full lemon cake. The other member of our leading group, Evan, ate some food from the pastry bar and enjoyed the leftover lettuce from my sub.

We had a chill ride to a Gatorade break about 30 miles from our lunch. Due to a miscommunication, I was turning around near train tracks and got my front tire lodged inside. I had a small stumble but was able to bail from my bike before hitting the pavement. Our break made us realize the heat was rising, so we pumped out another few miles.

Our group enjoyed a small breakfast at a bar where I got two hotdogs (they were out of wings). We were only there for a short time before leaving. We arrived at our host’s house for the night early. A kind lady nicknamed “Syd” showed us where we could set up our tents and take a dip in the river. She has been an amazing host and got us an interview with a reporter along with some donuts from a local bakery. Once the remaining groups caught up to us, we took a dip in the river, then returned to the house for a shower and meal. We were given a pasta dinner from our host and another meal from the local pub. At this point, we are winding down for bed on a porch that has WiFi and electricity.

Until tomorrow, Sean Hankins