Terrainosaurus Rex

Our longest ride yet: 87 miles in one day. Breakfast was catered by an amazing cafe in downtown Norcross. The town is adorable and there are knitting bombs everywhere!

We left this small suburban town and headed for Atlanta, Georgia. Many roads reminded me of home. The 2-lane highway was much like Route 9, which we took right into downtown Atlanta. The large city felt like Boston, and I was totally in my own element. I actually missed feeling like an ant weaving under all these huge skyscrapers, winding through city streets filled with obstacles, and escaping my own death at every busy intersection. But suddenly we left the city proper and I found myself cruising through the back roads of Brookline Hills. One descent ended with a bridge, and immediately began a new hill and a turn to the left... Did I just pass the Orchard Street bridge in Millis? The middle of the day was a 40 mile trek on a lovely paved bike path, a rarity on Bike & Build that was similar to the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The final 20 miles was the country hillside, and in cruising down twisted descents at 30-something miles per hour, I was pretty sure I was in a car commercial.

At dinner the team joked, "Remember that time we biked through Atlanta?" because this was our longest day yet. I had run out of Gatorade and water, and the temperature had reached 99. I was able to finish, though I was starting to feel loopy and missed the 4pm deadline for reaching the host site. We're all being challenged here: the sprinters are working on endurance, the urban cyclists are improving on hills and speed (me!), and the rural riders are learning city street smarts. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and a sense of humor too. There are more hills to come, and just when I thought I was lost, a sign reminded me where I was:

Struggleville, USA

This long day has ended at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. The dorms are luxurious - we have our own beds, in our own rooms, and I'm not rolling out my sleeping bag tonight! We're really getting spoiled here.

Some more good news is that I'm getting over my fear of dogs! Yesterday someone gave the team a head's up about a "three legged dog on picklesimon road." I was riding alone when it saw me, and just mumbled, "Come and get me," and then sprayed my Gatorade bottle at the dog.