pictures from my camera - not yet posted.

Hi there everyone! I am glad to be back in Seattle and trying to relax. Boston was awesome, but there was just too much to do. So, this may be my last post to direct you all to my photo album online. http://picasaweb.google.com/mcgregorsnow
You can also see some really cool orca whale videos from the week before I left on the trip.

21 days, 3,400 miles = 162 average/day! Never seemed so long, and never ended so abruptly! One moment I was so tired of being lonley on the bike for 3 weeks and after dinner I was being wisked away every which way at great speeds via car.

By far the hardest part of the trip was being by myself for that long. I enjoyed meeting people yet, towards the end I just wanted to collapse into someone's arms and know they would take care of me. Make decisions for me, and make sure I ate. The freedom of the road was nice, but I appreciate some semblance of a daily routine. - I loved eating Subway almost everyday, but man am I glad to be able to open a refridgerator and cook myself something again.

Physically I kept together pretty well, and I am super excited about my upcoming Ironman in 3 weeks. As long as I don't drown during the swim I should do pretty well on the bike. I am not looking forward to any running as I've done zero training!

Thanks again to everyone for following along!

I want to also thank Brian Barnes for helping get Kristi a ticket to Boston.

He has a great bed and breakfast in Burien called the Eagle's Nest. Kristi's dad stayed there and it's a perfect view- we recommend it to any visitors you may have.

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These are the only pants I brought and I ripped a hole in them riding causlly through Niagara Falls. As someone told me I biked my ass off!

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I met up with my cousin Molly as she was traveling west to ohio! Good to see her

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This is the other picture from last night. Early on my goal was to do Seattle to Portland via Yellowstone and other attractions. My other goal was to complete the ride in about 3 weeks; I really didn't want to be away from my wife that long. When Kristi caught up to me on the side of the road yesterday I realized again how lucky I am. Kristi was my route advisor and motivation to get through the tough parts. So I finished just 15 miles inside Maine, close enough to Boston and Keene and still in Maine.

21 days of biking:
2 days off in Chicago
3,395 total miles
Most miles 225 Austin MN to Madison WI
Least miles 105 multiple days

Thank you so much to my hosts:
Gary & Wyona in N Dakota
Beverly & Mick in Austin
Niki & Jamie in Chicago
Charles & Patty in Cleveland
My uncle Jack & aunt Shirley in Kenne NH

I'll post pics from my camera shortly. Back in Seattle Mon by noon!

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Well here's my pic! Sorry my brother turned it sideways.

Sleeping now and will post more tomorrow

Thank you everyone for your support

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Just minutes away!

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Folks- i'm sorry for not being a good blogger. The past couple of days has been really challenging- super exhausted. Pull in late, try to find food, and pass out. Spirits have been low, but I stayed at my uncle's house last night and now i'm off to kittery Maine! 100 miles. I'm skipping the adriondaks to see sometime with Kristi- just want to be done!

So thanks for watching- I'll post a finish shot this evening and later list out daily miles/stats.

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Folks- i'm sorry for not being a good blogger. The past couple of days has been really challenging- super exhausted. Pull in late, try to find food, and pass out. Spirits have been low, but I stayed at my uncle's house last night and now i'm off to kittery Maine! 100 miles. I'm skipping the adriondaks to see sometime with Kristi- just want to be done!

So thanks for watching- I'll post a finish shot this evening and later list out daily miles/stats.

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Great fruit stand in Harpersfield!

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Here's a more interestinh pic

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Well folks u'm about into Penn and I had a great family out me up last night in vleveland. Not the city to really get lost in. But for those that we,re worried about Gary Indiana, cleveland was similar in places.

Off and up out- pic is of the many churches not found back west. May have to stop in at chic-fil-a, dunkin donuts, and popeye's today

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Oh yeah I was at a pride festival in "boytown" - was fun. These guys were on bounce shoes going all trough the crowd.

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Okay sorry things have stalled on the blog- fact is I had 2 whole days of just hanging out in Chicago. Was a little begrudging to get on bike this morning- I feel rested and ready to get r done.

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Cruisin Chicago taking one day off to rest my ankle and regain some motivation. Yesterday was my 1st rain and I was pooped out! I love the rooftop stadium seating on the buildings across the street from Wrigley Field.

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Watch out Kristi, I found bed buddy

Well today was full of rain! My legs are so caked with road dirt I look like a sand sculpture. I got started at 11 and got 125 miles before it started getting dark. Last night I biked for 16 hrs and I'm totally feeling slow today. Tonight I'm staying with Monica who used to work for the Seattle Y and I must say I'm super excited to crash out.
Todays highlight was pulling over for homemade blueberry icecream in Lake Geneva WI

Time to mend my sore muscles and clean my bike- I'd also like to see a few of the attractions in Chicago.

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Hi from McGregor Iowa!

I'm having the best burger, malt, and beer right here on the Mississippi River. 120 miles down 100 to go.

By the way it's not that I don't like camping that's compelling me to look for people to put me up for the night- it's more that I get bored of myself especially when I start taking pics of my shadow as I bike!

What can I say, I like to talk.

Thanks to everyone for the comments- they do keep me going especially since I'm attempting over 200 miles again. I'm trying to arrange a stay with YMCA staff in Madison-but but sure how it'll turn out. Please let me know I'd you have friends there-i do clean up real well.

Also, thanks for the offers in Chicago- when I sit down later today (not on a bike) I'll try contacting you.

Lela- last I knew david had a ticket for Seattle Tues next week from mason city Iowa.

Cheers, Mac

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Trying to make a dent in Wisconsin today

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1st starbuck,s I've seen in 14 days- I didn't really miss it!

Mississippi River

Well, Minneapolis is great - I had a great dinner at pancho villa's w/ 2 for one drinks. All I can tell you is that I walked in thirsty-woke up completely rested. Took shower in a real bathroom with clothes on and I'm now enjoying a place called the Bad Waitress - with the largest pancakes a person could want.
Today is a casual ride southeast I,m actually going to get out of town in attempt to stear clear of the city with it's multiple places I could eat/ hang out at all day long.

Minneapolis

Hey all-

Today was 180 miles into side wind. It was good to cover some ground and get away from those mosquitoes from last night. Only except I'm further into mosquito country now. I was so focused on mileage that I didn't have accommodations lined up until 9:30pm here when I found the hostel. I was in touch with some YMCA staff, but missed their messages b/c charging my cell phone has been a real challenge. Minneapolis seems to be a good place to take a rest day. Maybe!

Anyway. thanks for the comments online. I'll try to load more pics later.
mac

Ever wake up and everything just doesn't go as planned or wanted- well today I just couldn't get going and ended up just inside Minnesota. The cool part was I found the start of a 5 day tour across MN with 1300 people. So I'm hanging out and taking rest - trying for Minneapolis tomorrow

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Have use my water on tires so they don't blowout- shoulder is a sandbox

Harvey, ND

Here's a pic of where I slept. I realized that sleeping on top of the table saves me a whole lot of packing in the morning.

Yesterday was my biggest day with late start 180 miles so I'm off to do a little more today- maybe. Certain things happen around 160 miles.

Harvey, ND

Well I dot a late start but I was able to keep 22 mph as my average and in some places I could hold 30 - I'll let you guess which way the wind was blowing. Saw a man moving to Seattle on his bike- he was hating the wind and going very slow so I gave him my snack bar. I also found proof that I'm not crazy- met a married couple that both quit their jobs to bike the Outlaw Trail in Mexico the continue to Brazil and Argentina. Lot's of people do that but they were going bicycle back- taking4 years!

I wasn't planning on staying in Harvey ND but I found a pool to soak in and an buffet dinner where I ate myself silly. Time for bed- hopefully I'm adjusted to my 2nd time zone and won't get a late start in the morning.

PS - someone asked if we're staying in hotels - where's all the gear? It's in the yellow bag (sleeping bag&pad, cookset, and raintarp, a luxurious inflatable pillow, and mosquito net). I have 2 replacement tubes and 1 replacement tire, co2 for quick flat repair and a pump-patches too. (had a blowout yesterday b/c tires overheated at 30mph on black pavement) Rain jacket & booties, thermals for sleeping, lightweight warm jacket jacket clothes and shoes for town. 1st aid kit, bathroom kit, sunscreen 2nd biking outfit of shorts and longsleeve white top that worked really well

Epping, ND

Ended up in Epping last night and had great conversations with a nice couple - very small as you can see in the pic. Down the street is the bar/post office! Moving on hopefully less windy today.

I did want to let prepple know David needed to get home sooner so he and I split up yesterday morning - we'll catch back up at his house in mason city Iowa.

Hey it's so windy I'm biking sideways ! To clear things up I'm snot 45 miles from williston ND. At 1:45- 100 miles so far today

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You can't see all the sweat and salt on me but tonight was great-$20 got us pool, got tub, laundry, ohh and a shower. Maybe tomorrow we make it out of Montana! But then again I've said that to myself a couple of times.

I can tell tomorrow will be great!

Thus far biketomaine

Hey all-
So far we have had a great time and the hardest part is over! The hills have gotten the best of us. I regret to say I didn't bike up Glacier NP but I went up on the shuttle and biked back down! The park does not seem real- very picturesque! I also learned the road is really not safe for bicyclists at all. We're super excited to be done with hills (we're having to cancel plans to go through Wyoming) - and no we're not lost!

We have loved getting the comments and appreciate the bulletin at the YMCA

Thus far we've had zero flats in 735 miles! David saw a moose and I saw mtn goats.

The crash David had today was really bad - I watched as him helmet smacked the ground. He really is lucky with only a few rasberries! He bumped into my rear wheel and lost balance. He's going to recover and bike is okay -he got a free large kids helmet from the sheiffs office until later next city. Left over from bike promotion??

Thanks again for your comments!

Day 4, eating breakfast.

Mac cooking eggs with ground beef...yum!

Lots of open road.

Fields in E WA.

Thanks for all the well-wishes and encouragement! Keep them coming...

Night two, we're in almira just setting up camp. Sleeping in a picnic area tonight... Thank goodness it has plugins! :) haha, oh how reliant we have become on our electronic devices!

Post by David

Just went for a swim in the columbia river... It was cold! But nice!!!

HWY 2 Cascades

Break time

Somewhere in the Cascades.

Rock Slide in Cascades

Day two just got done eating again, it's 10:30 and here we go again :)

Mac saying goodbye to Kristi.

Mac and David Ready

At Statue of Liberty at Alki Beach in West Seattle.

The All-Important "Wheel Touching"


Mac touching wheel to Puget Sound.

Can't Sleep

This is my first blog/post to send out into the ethos, ethernet, wherever to whoever. I couldn't sleep so it only made sense to investigate a communicative tool for sharing my thoughts, maybe someday even pictures. One thing at a time.

Why can't I sleep? I'm anxious and excited and constantly planning for an adventure that's still over a month away. I'm planning to bike across the U.S. to Portland ME from Seattle. Sounds like fun huh! Well, whatever gene that causes people to see how far they can swim underwater before passing out, or climbing to the top of a Mtn. just because it's there - I must have been born with that gene. I guess that's why I do Ironman races too. With this blog, those that care can follow along as I make this journey with a friend from work, David. For him it wasn't "do you want to go?" rather it was "when do we leave?" Anyway, we invite you to sit back and enjoy our blog, all we ask is that you enjoy that comfy chair your sitting in.