Larry Turner Memorial Cross Country Challenge - 2007

Since the end of the trip, I have been trying to adequately put into words what the past 52 days has meant to me and to be honest, I have found it difficult. There have been so many experiences, so many emotions, and so much on which to reflect, that I have found myself in a daze simply glaring out into space on more than one occasion. Karen has said that I seem like I am somewhere else and to be truthful, that is true.

I am certainly happy to be home and not having to move hotel rooms every night - you can’t imagine how tiresome that can get. But I keep reflecting on this great experience and find myself at a loss for words. Now, I know that may seem hard to believe after all of the posts I have written over the course of this trip, but when it comes to summarizing the entire experience, I don’t know where to start. That is what I will address when I begin on the book, which will be very soon indeed.

I would be remiss if I did not mention again all of the fantastic people who made this trip possible in the first place. Each and every sponsor and patron played a significant role in making this dream a reality. THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! A special thank you goes to Robin Bunn of Robin’s Bikes & Fitness in Destin, FL. Not only did he make sure that I had whatever I needed for my bike and body, he was very concerned about how I was doing mentally and physically. Without his guidance and input, this ride would have been nothing more than a fantasy. I consider it an honor to call him a friend and to be a part of the “Dream Team” that calls Robin’s home.

Of course, the entire staff of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture has been incredible. From designing the website, to publicity, to fund-raising - they have all gone over and above what any person could expect. It is my sincere hope that this event has raised awareness of Larry’s dream and made that dream possible for others.

Just because the physical part of this challenge is completed, please do not forget that we will be raising money for Larry’s dream for quite some time. If you have not yet donated to the fund, please do so through this site!! Your contribution is vital to making this project a success and will be greatly appreciated. For all of you who have already donated - a huge THANK YOU!

Most of all, I want to thank Larry for being the type of person he was and for inspiring so many to be their best. He will be missed by everyone who knew and loved him, but hopefully we will be able to keep his dream alive for many years to come. For those of you who did not know him, I hope that you have caught a glimpse of the greatness he possessed - all with class and humility. The real challenge of this ride was not only to complete it, but to grow and be a better person because of it. That is my challenge to you - grow and be better. Get out of the “comfort zone” that it is so easy to get trapped in and be the best you can be. Don’t settle for mediocrity and never, never, never give up! You can make a difference!

Finally, to put the numbers into perspective, I’ll give you the totals of what transpired over the 52 days for me: Miles ridden - 3916; # of SAG stops - 76; Tires/tubes used - 2/4; # of hotel rooms - 48; Oreos eaten - 4,356,879(or something close to that); Gallons of Gatorade consumed - 215; Total number of feet climbed - 122,370; Cans of Bag Balm used - 3; # of pounds lost - 15; Wrong turns off cue sheets - 2; Friends made - too numerous to count; Blessings received - too numerous to count; Lessons reaffirmed - 2 (you are nothing without your family and your friends).

Finally, my deepest thank you goes to the person who paid the greatest price while I was gone. She worked the hardest, she missed me the most, and she held our household and two businesses together by herself for what seemed like an eternity…my sweet wife Karen. Without her support and encouragement, I couldn’t have done any of this - I am blessed to have her in my life.

Thank you again to all of you for following along, you have no idea how much it meant to me to have you there everyday. I promise you, the book will be something that will touch your heart.

God bless you all,

Wayne

How do I begin to tell you what today was like? Just 52 days ago I was standing on the Golden Gate Bridge awestruck by her majesty…and today I dip my front wheel in the Atlantic, humbled by the journey I have just completed. How do I tell you of the flood of emotion I felt standing on that beach looking out into the water? How do I convey the sense of accomplishment, the sheer wonder of it all, and the significance of achieving something so unbelievable? I don’t know that I can…but I will try.

This morning the atmosphere at breakfast was more jovial than it has been for the last couple of weeks and understandably so. Robert, our rider from France, leaned over to me and said, “It is time for it to be over.” And that it was… I have been more subdued the last couple of days than usual because I have been anticipating this day and what it would mean to me. Several people asked me if I was alright, and to be honest, I had to answer that I wasn’t. I could feel the emotions well up in me every time today would be a topic of conversation.

As we left Manchester this morning, the entire group seemed to want to take their time and drink in every sight, sound, smell, and moment of the day. I was riding with a group for about ten miles when we came to one of our few hills. Out of nowhere, I got this burst of power and was out of sight in just a couple of minutes. It was like I had a huge energy burst and felt no strain at all. Lance Armstrong calls this phenomenon “riding with no chain”, and that is what it felt like.

As I have stated on previous occasions, being the fastest has not been my style or desire, but today it gave me a chance to ride alone with Larry by my side. This was my way of paying tribute to a great man - my own sort of “missing man” formation if you will. For miles I floated along the picturesque roads, passing through these great little towns. By the time I reached the only SAG stop (and last one of the trip I might add) I was miles ahead of the entire group. I was even asked to slow down, but somehow the pace I was keeping was comfortable, so I kept going. When I reached Exeter, I did stop at a chocolate shop and grab some tasty morsels for the road however.

The rest of the ride into Rye, NH was extremely peaceful, but it was also where I was overcome with emotion. Tears would well up in my eyes to the point that I could barely see - all I could think of was what a loss we all have by not having Larry Turner in our lives everyday. I was sad and joyful at the same time because I could hear Larry’s laugh as I pedaled my way into Rye.

We were to all gather at the Rye Junior High School for photos and a police escort to the beach. I arrived 15 to 20 minutes ahead of the next rider to thunderous applause from a group of relatives and townspeople. As each rider came in the scene was repeated over and over, giving you the feeling that the end was in sight and that others were excited over your success. Finally, everyone rode in and the emotions began to show - obviously more in some than others - but emotion that we had not seen since the beginning of the trip.

After our group photo session, we lined up behind our police escort and were off to the beach at Wallis Sands State Beach. You could smell the salt air, hear the seagulls, and you knew that in a few moments your eyes would feast themselves on that body of water that we had pedaling towards for 52 days. As we turned into the park, my knees went weak. There she was, as majestic as her counterpart on the west coast, the Atlantic! The beach was covered with families playing in the surf and our group had a huge contingent of family members and friends waiting for them. Some families busted out the champagne, others just hugged and cried - but everyone shared in the sense of accomplishment.

Off came the shoes and across the beach we went and into the water! Not nearly as cold as the Pacific, I might add. With cameras snapping and flashing away recording this momentous occasion, I felt a huge flood of relief come over me. We had done it! All the struggles, all the laughs, all the tears, all the pain, and all the fears were now reduced to that wonderful feeling of satisfaction that your mission was accomplished.

Now comes the painful realization that this group will never be together again in this situation. We will stay in touch, especially as I work on the book, and we may see a few selective people over the years, but as a group this is the final chapter of this episode in our lives. Friendships and memories made, we all now move on to different challenges and chapters of our own respective lives. One thing is for sure, none of us will ever forget the journey of these last 52 days.

I will make a few more entries on this website in the next couple of days, so please don’t stop visiting this site just yet. There are so many to thank and so many more stories to tell that I can’t begin to draw this to a conclusion just yet. Just know that for now, all of your prayers, thoughts, and best wishes for a safe and successful conclusion to this endeavor have been greatly appreciated and have truly made a difference in my life.

Daily Stats: 67.8 miles, 16.2 average, 2660′ of climbing

God bless all of you,

Wayne

Well we certainly didn’t spend much time in Vermont - after two miles this morning we were already into New Hampshire! The forecast for today called for overcast skies, 63 degree highs, and rain in the afternoon - all of which was totally accurate!

Our first town in the “Granite State” of NH was Keene. I only wish the sun was out, because this place was as picturesque as any little town or village we have been through. The main street was spotlessly clean and coffee shops and cafe’s were everywhere to enjoy. As if the streets weren’t already immaculate, they were busy constructing new roundabouts to further add to the charm. You could just feel the history in this place and the people have so much pride in their community you can see it in every detail.

After Keene we were to face some of the steepest climbs of the entire trip. Grades approaching 13% or higher were staring us in the face. In the beginning of this trip, the very thought of this would have been too daunting, but now it just wasn’t any big deal. We conquered three of these paper tigers today and all in the rain! After lunch, the rain came upon us in a steady spring-like fashion that certainly wasn’t welcomed, but was still manageable.

We wound around tree-lined roads all afternoon. If you didn’t know it, you would swear that you were riding through a state park. The entire state of New Hampshire is like that - you can hardly see the homes because they are set back on these idyllic lots that are surrounded by pine trees. The roads are lined with rock fences that have been there for two hundred plus years and ferns grow wildly in every direction. As you are riding you can hear the sounds of silence - it is really wonderful to just hear the wind blowing by your ears and nothing else. I can certainly see why people love this area so much - I would love it in the summer and fall, but when winter hit, I’d be gone. They get way too much snow for me - but they love it up here.

Since we were drenched upon arriving at the hotel today, the first order of business was to clean the bikes and then get ready for our banquet tonight that celebrates the conclusion of this trip. We only have 62 miles tomorrow before we dip the front wheel into the Atlantic! The staff of the trip presented a few “awards” to each of the riders and then we heard from everyone on the trip. We really have quite a good group of people who gelled early and made the trip quite pleasant.

It will be very interesting for me to get everyone’s input as to their impressions of this trip, since I have only looked at it through my eyes. Meshing all of that information should be quite fascinating and quite challenging at the same time. I can already see that the next challenge awaits!

Daily Stats: 88.6 miles, 11.8 average, 6100′ of climbing

Until the last day tomorrow,

Wayne

Well, it’s day 50! Only two more to go before we see the Atlantic, and I must be honest, I am so ready for this to be over. It has been an awesome journey, but the last week has seemed like an eternity. So, Tuesday when we hit the ocean will be more than welcome in my eyes.

We had cool and beautiful weather today, but two blocks out of the hotel we hit this big climb to start the morning. What a great way to wake up the legs before 7:30 a.m. We knew today would be tough because we would be climbing almost 5400′ before we had a final descent into Brattleboro. These climbs were more reminiscent of the climbs we first faced in California and Colorado. They were long - one ten and one 4 miles - in length and fairly steep in grade.

After 27 short miles we crossed into Vermont, the “Green Mountain” state, saying goodbye to New York. Tomorrow we will be into New Hampshire!! Now that is really hard to believe - we have been talking about New Hampshire for months and now it is finally here. But before we think about the finish, we did have to finish today. Our first town in Vermont, which is really gorgeous by the way, was Bennington.

Bennington is known for a couple of things: one is the Grandma Moses museum, and the second is the Bennington Battle Monument. You can see this magnificent structure from miles away as you are approaching the town. It reminds you of the Washington Monument and it honors the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington. Brigadier General John Stark and his American forces defeated approximately 700 British, Indian, Loyalist, and German mercenaries headed for the arsenal depot at the Monument site.

The fighting began on August 16th at 3:00 P.M. and folklore has General Stark uttering the immortal words, “There are the Red Coats; they will be ours or tonight Molly Stark sleeps a widow.” By 5:00 p.m. the British troops were retreating in disorder. General Stark later described this engagement as “one continuous clap of thunder.” Due in large part to a lack of these much needed supplies, the British surrendered over 8000 troops at Stillwater, NY on October 7, 1777 following the Battle of Saratoga. This was a major turning point in the American Revolution.

The next town we came to was Wilmington and it was full of quaint little shops and boutiques. I would say that “country crafts” was a major theme of most of these shops. The streets were small and crammed with weekend shoppers and everyone had their wares on display on outside stands. The aroma of food was everywhere, but we had another destination in mind to fill our growling stomachs later in the day.

Coming into Wilmington, we had the ten mile climb. To say that it was exhausting might be a stretch, but it certainly was tiresome. I had forgotten those long, seemingly endless climbs out west, but my legs were quick to remind me that we still had to transcend the Green Mountains before we reached the coast. Out of Wilmington, we faced our second long climb of the day - a four mile uphill battle with Hogback Mountain!

When I reached the summit of Hogback Mountain, I could literally see a hundred miles - all the way into New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Quite- breath-taking - or maybe that was the climb that took my breath! From the summit, it was a wild descent all the way into Brattleboro. Since we hadn’t had lunch we stopped at the Vermont Country Deli, which proceeded to concoct the most amazing deli sandwiches you have ever seen. Mine was so big, that I could only eat half of it and I was was famished! This place is quite a find, so if you are ever in this area, don’t miss it.

Brattleboro is probably most known for the fact that Rudyard Kipling wrote some of his most renowned books while living here. It is certainly a beautiful spot and one that I would love to explore, but tomorrow is another climbing day with over 6100′ of climbs before us. I think I’ll just go to bed now…

Day 50 SHOUT OUT goes to the entire staff of the University of Kentucky Agriculture Dept. What you have done to make this ride a success is incredible. I am looking forward to seeing all of you when I get back so we can discuss the smell in those “feed lots”.

Daily Stats: 77.1 miles, 14.1 average, 5390′ of climbing

Until tomorrow,

Wayne

Everyday is a great day for a bike ride, but some really stand out more than others and today was one of those days. Beautiful from start to finish, the weather and scenery were just perfect as we followed the Mohawk River until it met the Hudson. The highway we took was on a rise that overlooked the river for miles and when we departed from it, we traversed a bike trail that was absolutely wonderful.

So the MISERY INDEX that was so horrible yesterday, turned into a PLEASURE INDEX today that was off the charts. Throughout this entire adventure there have been a few really strong riders that finish fast and get to the hotel first almost everyday. I have asked myself on numerous occasions, if I could kick it up a notch and finish first one day myself. This isn’t a race, or for that matter a competition, but in my own mind I wondered if I could do it.

My ride to this point has generally been at an easy pace, enjoying all the sights, and stopping every 15 minutes to eat and just smell the roses. Well, today was the day that I would test myself against the field so to speak. I got over nine hours of sleep last night and really felt good this morning, so I thought I would see what I could do.

As I started out this morning, I knew that the course would be flat, the wind would be at my back for the most part, and that no one who traditionally finishes first would be expecting me to “take my shot”. With my game plan firm entrenched in my mind, off I went. Within the first five miles I had caught the lead pack, but chose to stay back several hundred yards. I didn’t want to ride with them because I wanted to determine my pace and not have someone else do it for me.

Our first SAG was at 34.2 miles and they arrived there just a minute or so before I did. Usually, this group doesn’t stay long at SAG’s, so I filled my water bottles, grabbed three brownies and was off. Now remember this is not a race and they weren’t aware of my game plan or goal today, so it wouldn’t be fair to characterize this as something to which they would immediately respond. As I rode on, the miles seemed to fly by - when you are going 22 mph they do go by faster than at 12 to 15 mph.

Finally, the rider who finishes first almost everyday caught up to me while we were 25 miles from the hotel. We continued to ride together, but I would stop for photo ops and he would keep on spinning. (One of the drawbacks to riding this hard is that you miss great photo ops, great lunches, and a number of other things because you are so focused).

We finally got so far out in front of the group that we beat the SAG van to the second SAG stop - now that is a first for me! Missing food has NEVER been high on my priority list, but rather than wait - it was game on! Even though the riding was intense, it didn’t seem too bad because the bike path we followed was shady and very serene. We passed families, roller bladers, strollers, joggers, and you name it, as we sped our way to the Hudson River Valley.

Finally, we rolled into Troy and made a mad dash for the hotel. I had a 30 yard lead when we got caught by a light at the hotel entrance, but still managed to get in first. I had proved something to myself, it wasn’t about beating any one person, but seeing if I could hang with the Big Dogs if I chose to - and I realized that I could. I covered 84.8 miles at an average of 19 mph!

Now the drawback to this success is that you are the first to the hotel - without your bags! Fortunately, my room was ready so I could shower and take a nap. Two hours later, the bags showed up so I could get dressed and head to the water front to grab some lunch. Quite a ride, but to be honest, I am going back to my meandering style. It is infinitely more enjoyable.

Troy, NY - in case you didn’t know, is home to one of the greatest American iconic symbols we have - Uncle Sam. During the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson was a government supplies inspector. All provisions passing his inspection were stenciled “U.S.” giving rise to the nickname “Uncle Sam”. Cartoons depicting “Uncle Sam” first appeared in 1852. Whiskers and stars were later added. Congress declared “Uncle Sam” Wilson progenitor of America’s national symbol in 1961. He died in 1854 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery here in Troy.

Day 47 SHOUT OUT goes to the group of riders that push hard everyday to finish strong and early. I admire your strength, speed, and desire to set such a pace. My hat is off to you, I don’t know how many days I could do what I did today to maintain your pace.

Daily Stats: 84.8 miles, 19 mph average, 1900′ of climbing.

Until tomorrow,

Wayne