#raa2014

Who knew that Iowa was full of rolling hills...? I certainly did NOT, but I found out as soon as we crossed the state line from Nebraska into Iowa. Although we faced some of our hottest days so far combined with some crazy climbs, we had some really memorable experiences in Iowa. When we were in Des Moines we stopped at Principal Park to throw out the first pitch at an Iowa Cubs game and have a morning to relax. We explored the University of Iowa in Iowa City and we also got to ride along the Mississippi River as we crossed into Illinois. Sending huge thank you's to our hosts in Iowa for great conversation, great food, and for such a warm welcome into your state!

Pictures from the Iowa Cubs game!

Pictures biking down the Mississippi! Thank you Leila for these awesome pictures!

An excellent reminder of what Freedom means on our country's independence day and a reminder of why I'm on this journey.

Happy 4th of July! We're enjoying spectacular views and amazing weather in Dinosaur, Utah! The first piece of exciting news --- WE CROSSED 1000 MILES!!!!!! Next challenge: clear the Rocky Mountains!

Utah has been a really exciting state to bike through so far. On our way to our first stop in the state, we came across an awesome country store with homemade ice cream, so of course we made a quick stop there. It felt so much like New Hampshire's farms in the summer - a little feeling of home while I travelled through the desert.

Dad, this made me think of you and our obsession with apples! I tried to buy it, but they weren't selling it unfortunately....

We had a great time in Provo, except I also got a liiiitle lost while going on a "short" run that turned into a REALLY long run at which point I quickly realized it is much more difficult to run at high elevation than it is in New York. But Provo was super cool and surrounded by mountains, and we also ate amazing pizza (YAY) and got a ton of help with our bikes. Such a great rest day!

On our way into Provo

Then we began our ride into the Rocky Mountains, which is where we are now. AHHHH. It's a little intimidating seeing the mountains, but I have full confidence in our girl-power team.

And lastly, the first pictures from our first ride into the beginning of the Rocky Mountains! There were TONS AND TONS of cows (!!!!!!), sheep, and flowers, which means that this is basically my favorite place on earth.

Strawberry, Utah

Missing my friends and family back east so much today, and wishing you an awesome Fourth of July!

THE most appropriate quote ever considering all the rolling hills we encountered yesterday and the rockies that we will soon be attacking. I read this to my team mates as we were stopped on the side of the road taking a breather (in an absolutely miserable mood as a result of the 25 mph headwinds that made even descending the hills hard work). I hope it helped them push through - I know it made me determined to do so.

Being the quotaholic that I am, one of my favorite rituals that we've established so far on the ride is the quote of the day! Every morning before we head out, I (or another team member) read out a quote to remind us of why we're riding, to supercharge us, and mostly, to remember that as much as RAA is about overcoming physical obstacles, it's much more about tackling challenges on the mental level.