The Blitz

The team has settled into our host site in Colorado Springs, CO for a whole week. We're used to packing our stuff and leaving a host site each morning, so this is a treat. We are here for seven days, six of which are build days, and one is our day off.

Today was our second build day at the Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity chapter.  My team fundraised a combined total of $151,110. These funds are distributed to affordable housing causes in a few different ways, and one way is through a partnership that the SC2SC route has with the Pikes Peak Habitat chapter. This year we sponsored the construction of an entire Habitat home in Pikes Peak - a donation of $55,000, or 1/3 of our total fundraised funds. Another route, NC2SD, was here just before us to lay down the foundation and initial stages of construction. It's SC2SC's task to finish building the home in six days - a blitz build. Challenge accepted.

Morning of Day 1

The past two days have included sheeting, sheathing, insulation, and roofing. The Pikes Peak Habitat is extremely well organized, and focuses strongly on safety. I've also never seen a more organized trailer and tool shed. The local volunteers and construction managers keep all 28 of us Bike & Builders very busy on site, and they each have a great attitude and sense of humor. It's really wonderful seeing the home's progress move along so quickly, and a privilege to stick with a project from beginning to end, rather than stopping by for one day.

Morning of Day 2

But there's even more meaning to this blitz build in Pikes Peak. The SC2SC team of 2011 faced a fatality on their team, a trip leader named Christina Clarke Genco. In her memory and spirit, Christina's parents remain very connected to Bike & Build, founded their own non-profit organization to spread Christina's passions of athleticism and service, and annually travel from Boston to Pikes Peak every summer to participate in the blitz build with the SC2SC team. It's an honor to work with Christina's family on a build site.

After we build, we shuttle over to a gym for showers. Today I snuck into the cardio room and erged for the first time all summer! Then I treated myself to a hair cut, iced green tea, and a walk at sunset.

Tomorrow, the 4th of July, is our fourth and final day off of the summer. After tomorrow, every day will be spent either biking or building. I'll be hiking my first "fourteener," Pikes Peak, - which is 14,000 feet in elevation. I hear they sell oxygen at the base of the mountain, so here goes nothing.