8,000 Miles and Counting!
The combined biking mileage of the Bucknell and Penn alumni biking teams now exceeds 8,000 miles. Each of the four senior riders (Walt McConnell, Bruce Lederman, Mike Shockro and me) have all biked more than 1,000 miles each the last 18 days! We are all very proud of our accomplishment.
We also managed to bike almost 18 full days without rain. Today, coming across the Susquehanna River, the sky just flooded. It was 91 degrees today with over 95% humidity. The TV weatherman tonight said it tied a record today for the hottest day on record for a September 26th! The water and electrolyte mix we have gone through in 18 days has been amazing.
It seems at dinner we can never eat enough to replenish our calorie loss. We attempted very hard tonight to not let this happen today. We ate at Miller’s where we all chose the option of “all you can eat.”
We celebrated strongly this morning when we biked into Pennsylvania! We all feel a sense of accomplishment already. We also feel a strong allegiance to the state of Pennsylvania.
Biking through the battlefields of Gettysburg was a special occasion today. It reminded me that Bucknell University was shut down the second semester of 1863 (before the Battle of Gettysburg) so Bucknell students, administrators and faculty could assist in the defense of Pennsylvania in the spring of 1863 to stop the advance of General Lee into Pennsylvania. The control of the train bridge over the Susquehanna River at Marysville was a key accomplishment of the Bucknell brigade. Bucknell students and faculty helped turn the tide of the Civil War.
The Amish region of Lancaster County is also a unique experience for all of us, especially the California riders.
I can’t believe tomorrow is our last biking day! Atlantic City and the Atlantic Ocean here we come!!
