Day 0: Saturday: On the cab ride from Buffalo airport, the driver pointed out the Love Canal site--nothing like seeing the local sights (um, can you drive a little faster past that old toxic site?). At the hotel, all the riders registered, made a group outing to the famous "Maid of the Mist" boat ride around the Falls, and a few team members and I had dinner at the local Hard Rock Café (a Hard Rock café in Niagara Falls??).

Day 1: Sunday: 106 miles--Niagara Falls to Charlotte (near Rochester). I received a 6:30 am phone call from a teammate asking me if I knew it was raining. I didn't, blithely having neglected to look out the window upon rising. It poured for the first 80 miles. If this hadn't been a fundraiser, I would surely have been off the bike. It took a lot of positive self-talk to understand that if riding my bike in the rain was my biggest problem, I was doing darn well. Fortunately all of our designated stops had overhangs or were moved indoors and the riders were given Mylar sheets to wrap ourselves in to stay warm at the stops. For the last 26 miles it cleared up and I somehow managed to forget the first 80—except for me and the bike being completely soaked and filthy.

Day 2: Monday: 90 miles--Charlotte to Sampson State Park. A dry day, hurray. I learned how to take my tent down and pack it up. I saw a horse and buggy driven by an Amish man and his son. We passed through some *rural* areas.

Day 3: Tuesday: 85 miles--Sampson State Park to Chanango Valley State Park Our lunch stop was at the Slatterville Springs Volunteer Fire Department, sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary. They were fabulous, providing us with towels to freshen-up mid-day. They also had great pictures of the ride from last year. This was mentally the hardest day for me. I had a rough afternoon, riding alone after the last rest-stop, utterly convinced that I would never reach that night's campsite. Fortunately, I kept pedaling

Day 4: Wednesday: 62 miles--Chanango Valley State Park to Shinhopple: This was our "hilliest" day. I was mentally prepared for it, so it wasn't as tough as I expected (i.e., I made it). I saw a camel, yes, a camel, in a pasture right next to a horse. No, I was not hallucinating.

Day 5: Thursday: 70 miles--Shinhopple to Barryville: Saw two deer soon after setting out. What a treat. One of our stops was at the Fort Delaware Colonial Museum. The docents kindly fired the cannon at our request. This was a hard day for me physically--my quads were so terribly sore I couldn't imagine completing days 5,6,7.

Day 6: Friday: 85 miles--Barryville to Bear Mountain Before setting out, our fabulous EMT gave me knee sleeves treated with some sort of magical substance. Definitely soothed my 47 year old knees and quads. The Mayor of Port Jervis met us at a rest stop as he does each year. A rainy afternoon—fortunately we had a hastily arranged hot cocoa stop – the other customers in the café were rather puzzled as to the presence of numerous cyclists wrapped in Mylar sheets. Our last night in camp, it cleared for dinner and some sparklers but once that last sparkler went out, it poured and we all dashed to our tents. An early night.

Day 7: Saturday: 60 miles--Bear Mountain to Wagner Park in downtown Manhattan. Everyone told me not to worry, I would have an incredible adrenaline rush to get me through Saturday. HA! I had *no* energy or power left. Every pedal stroke was an effort—until we reached the stop at the Alpine, NJ police station. I remembered I had recently done a training ride from home to the Alpine police station and back before work, so surely I could finish. The rest of the ride was sheer bliss. It was wonderful to see the riders from upstate amazed at riding over the GW bridge. The closing ceremony was short and sweet, with a poignant moment for me as the name of my dear friend Ron Myers was read—I rode in his memory. After bidding farewell to my companions, riders and volunteers alike, Diana kindly took my gear bag home in a cab and I rode my bike home.

AND I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR…………………