Waking up early in Troutville VA from a wonderful night of sleep prompted by a horrible day of riding we were off to finish the first leg of our journey as we rode into Blacksburg Virginia, my home away from home. Twenty miles into the ride we stopped in Catawba, home of the Homeplace for all you hokies out there, where we met up with 20 or so more riders who were going to accompany us for our ride into Blacksburg. Another 20 down and we came upon Harding avenue. For those who don’t know, Blacksburg is on the top of a mountain, therefore in order to enter Blacksburg, you must first climb a mountain. Harding Avenue is one of the most notorious of these routes into Blacksburg known for its relentless 4 mile ascent. But with the motivation of knowing that a rest day awaits at the top, and not to mention an Espresso flavored energy gel, I did surprisingly well. At the top we re-grouped and rode as a group together into downtown Blacksburg where a party of cheering friends awaited us. We ate and hung out at Champs Bar for a while before we went our separate ways to find housing for the night and our rest day.
My group was sent to Mason and Leanna’s house where we were treated like royalty. Mason and Leanna, a couple who have been a part of Bike the US for MS since it’s birth have both completed the trip at least once and continue to be a huge part in the program. They have a wonderful, comfortable, home and they are two of the most kind and generous people I have met in the recent past. I look forward to getting to know both of them much better if they are so kind to have me back into their home during the school year. They both show me a little bit what I hope to be like in my future. Thanks again to Mason and Leanna.
We went as a big group to my favorite restaurant in town, Cabo Fish Taco for some fish tacos and “Epic Tuna Burritos” and back home for about 20 minutes of a movie before passing out asleep.
Our rest day was exactly that, a rest day with very little to worry about. Waking up to a breakfast at Gillie’s is in my opinion the best way to start a day in Blacksburg, then to the Bike Barn where Yusef and Scott hooked up the whole team with free service to their bikes and for that I am extremely grateful! Back to Mason’s after that for a siesta then a team cookout where I ate the following: 2 cheeseburgers, a hot dog, roasted potatoes, pork loin, salad, and avocado. The rest day went by fast with the glooming notion that in only a matter of hours we would be back on the bike on to uncharted territory, at least for me.
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