Who knew that south-central Massachusetts and northern Connecticut could be so hilly? Or that pedaling in the rain could be so cold? Well, I guess the second realization shouldn't have been such a surprise...but these are some of the many lessons Fedelma and I have learned during our first two days pedaling for peace. After getting a predictably late start Wednesday morning because of last-minute packing, we biked into the ever-earlier darkness. After 48 miles, an angel (and fellow Swarthmore graduate) by the name of Peggy Collins picked us up in her van and drove us the last couple miles to her cozy house in the pitch black, where we ate heartily and were in bed by 9.
After learning our lesson, Fedelma and I got started, albeit in 40-degree pouring rain, at 7:30 am. But alas, it was not downhill from there, so to speak. The hills which had slowed our pace to a sometimes-crawl the afternoon before continued, but we succeeded in riding 25 miles before lunch. From there, Fedelma got a hard-earned break at her parents' house nearby, and Janice biked on to Ellington, CT to stay with FOR board member Martha DiGiovanni.
We are thrilled to be doing this bike ride for a good cause, and on the seemingly never-ending uphills, it is truly the support of our friends, family and FOR that keeps us going.
Thanks to the many of you who have contributed already, we have raised close to $6,000. However, we will have to pick up the pace to reach our goal of $15,000 (when Fedelma joined, the goal went up!). If you haven't supported the ride already, please do so now by going to my website, www.pedalingforpeace.org
Thanks so much to everyone who has offered to house us along the way - the solidarity of strangers is making this ride possible. We are now guaranteed housing for every night of our journey! We invite you to join us in helping to organize an event in Philadelphia, PA on November 8th, or to attend our speaking event and fundraiser in Washington, DC on the evening of Nov 14th. Please to go to our website, www.pedalingforpeace.org, for more info.
Thank you, and keep those positive thoughts coming our way!
Janice
