Sunrise to Sunset: Biking Across the State of Florida

The only time I have been unqualified for a trip and not gotten away with it was when I ambitiously decided to bike across the state of Florida. I had just gotten a new road bike from my grandparents and I was eager to test it out. I should have learned more about cycling beforehand, because my seat was uncomfortably low for the first five miles and I had a lot of trouble figuring out how to change gears, which was different from my mountain bike. The most I had ridden at one time before this was probably 10 miles. This ride is more than 14 times that, about 142 miles total. I made it about half way, which, considering my lack of experience, I am proud of that. We drove our bikes down to St. Augustine the night before, camping on Anastasia Island. Waking up the next morning to the sunrise on the beach was glorious. Our group was more intense than I had anticipated: Emily had been training and though this was her first century (100 mile bike ride), she had ridden upwards of 80 miles before, Kyle was preparing for a half Iron Man competition, Tristan's height of about 6'5" was combined with a love of cycling, and Jorge (the trip leader) was also cycling enthusiast and had done this the previous year. Here I was, that stupid freshman who decided that it seemed fun and just signed up without putting in any thought or effort. 

I kept up initially, with some difficulty going over the bridges. Eventually though, I slowed to the back of the pack and the others took turns staying back with me. When I was with Jorge, headed through Palatka, he popped both his tires and only had tubes for one. They ended up being the wrong size anyway, so we hitchhiked into town and found a bike shop. This was my first hitchhiking experience and I had some reservations, but Jorge reassured me and I decided to trust him. We ended up at the bike shop for an hour and Jorge replaced both of his tires with brand new ones. It was interesting to talk to the local owners of the shop and their customers, who all knew each other and most everyone in this small town. 

Soon, we were on our way again, still far behind the rest of the group. Once we hit a hillier section of Florida, my knee felt like it was exploding. I had always had some knee issues, culminating in surgery my junior year of high school. Though it's mostly healed, I still feel some pain occasionally, particularly when I'm riding my bike. I persevered until I just couldn't go any further. We stopped at a random building on the side of the road, just a few miles east of Gainesville, and called Nina, our support team. She picked us up and dropped Jorge with the rest of the group. Though I didn't complete the ride, I still felt accomplished and pleased with my progress, though I regret holding Jorge back. 

Events occurred: October 14-15, 2011