Victoria Collins

Howdy from Memphis, TX and Happy 4th of July! The past month has been a whirl wind of incredible experiences on and off the road with my fellow SUS 2010 Bike & Builders. We've biked, we've built, we went swimming in the Gulf Coast, we crossed state lines, taken detours, met inspiring people, and maybe even inspired a few along the way...

Today was a bike day from Altus, OK to Memphis, TX - 72 miles. Not bad- in fact, it's one of the "shorter" days, so we were allowed to "sleep in" until 6 AM. Mileage aside, today was one of the toughest days we've had yet. From the onset of our journey, we were beset with rain and a 20 mph headwind/crosswind that nearly blew me off the road. Good fun. But even better, just as the rains let up we encountered a good 30 miles of hills, the steepest inclines we've had to ride to date. It was a good challenge making it to the host site on time.

I also had my first flat(s) while traversing the fun hills, spending a mere hour and a half between the crests of two large hills where I got not 1, not 2, but 3 flats from a staple in my back tire not even a half centimeter long. Thankfully, not long after my third flat, the van pulled up with Chris and Lizz riding beside it. Agata, Cory, Alex, and Allison were in the van and with the positive energy and pooled experience we found the staple (and a bonus one in my front tire). Chris really saved the day by helping me out. I was frustrated with myself, being so close to the host and not going anywhere for so long- I felt helpless out there. But everything came around in the end.

Bike & Build has been an incredible experience so far- and I think everyone has come to realize that there's more to the "Build" aspect than building affordable housing. We also build relationships with the people we meet along the way, we build friendships with some of the most talented and inspiring young adults, and through these interactions we find ourselves building a summer, a life, that is, in a word: awesome.

Thank you to everyone who has, and continues to support the efforts of Bike & Build and my own personal cross country cycling adventure. You all are "the wind beneath my wings".

Follow the journey online: http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/route.php?route=SUS&year=2010
You can read our group rider blog, track our progress, and see pictures from the ride!

You know who you are :) You've inspired me to push myself above and beyond what I thought was physically possible. When I was delirious on my way to Montauk thoughts of you gave me the strength to keep pedaling. Despite countless patches of grass that looked oh so wonderful to "accidentally" crash and fall and stop and just give up on everything - you kept me going. (I told you I got sappy didn't I?)

You voted for the hair cut I got this Saturday. You supported me through and through, and now I'm at the edge. This is it. It's jump time.

In a few days I'll begin the trek across the Southern United States to build affordable housing. Thanks to you, I'm able to put in just about a month's rent to cap off the $4000 goal :)

Cheers and thank you!!!

This past weekend was something of an odyssey; from California to New York on Saturday and New York City to Montauk on Sunday, I was truly all over the place. Saturday's journey was defined by overhead monotone announcements informing half-awake travelers of delayed flights. While Sunday's adventure was an amazing trek that challenged me both mentally and physically. It was definitely a weekend like no other.

Having arrived in New York about 4 hours after the scheduled time, I was slightly frazzled and out of sorts upon landing. Thankfully I hadn't checked any baggage so I went straight to the AirTrain, eventually deciding upon spending the extra $5 to take the Long Island Rail Road as opposed to the Subway back into NYC. Despite my mental decision, I took the AirTrain to Howard Beach rather than Jamaica so I ended up saving a few bucks and losing some more time by taking the Subway.

I didn't arrive home until about 11pm or so, and I didn't start packing for the ride to Montauk until midnight... I finally fell asleep around 2am which only allowed for about an hour of sleep before I had to wake for the Montauk Century- granted, had I arrived home "on time" I would have had about 5 hours of sleep. In any case, I was in complete denial of the day ahead.

At 3am, I woke to my alarm, floundered about my room in darkness and donned my bike gear that I had laid out just an hour ago. My brain was still sleeping even though the alarm jump started my body into motion. Had I not carefully laid out my clothes and backpack I definitely would have had trouble finding and sorting gear for the day.

I checked in to the event at Penn Station among a handful of avid cyclists, some in groups with matching jerseys, while other solo cyclists like myself lingered on the outskirts of the activity. I received my cue sheet; and after giving it a quick glance, I took off down 8th Avenue just after 5am.

It was surreal crossing the East River into Brooklyn. The sun rose as I made my way across the Williamsburg Bridge, pacing myself behind someone far more awesome than I could ever imagine: a young woman who was completing the 145 miles in flip flops. Her amazing-ness coupled with the beautiful sunrise and my adrenaline set the day off on a wonderful note.

The first rest stop was in Queens, though I didn't tarry long nor did I stock up on foodstuffs (I regretted this trend later on). The second stop was in Babylon where I stopped long enough to snap a photo. Unfortunately, I lost the cue sheet while riding from the finish line, so I can't quite recall the remaining rest stops other than the very last one, at Water Mill, where I actually stopped to eat 2 bananas and an apple as I'm quite certain I had depleted all glucose stores in my muscles. Had I actually utilized the rest stops to rest and replenish sugar levels and whatnot, maybe the ride wouldn't have been as... interesting.

I discovered my physical threshold around 90 miles into the ride. That's when all sorts of interesting things happened. My leg muscles began to feel like they were constantly contracted, as if at any moment they'd implode. My lungs had that same sensation as I would have had after the last 100 meters of running a mile- except instead of being sharp and lasting a minute or so, the feeling was somewhat subdued and lasted for the remaining hours of the ride. To keep myself going, I remembered the people who believed in me and donated to the Bike & Build Fund as well as thinking of all the pain that people go through who can't afford housing. It was an excruciating mental and physical exercise.

Thankfully, I found a friend to pace to, or rather, he found me- thanks to my Bike & Build jersey. Matt noticed my super snazzy gear as he was passing by and cycled alongside me for a good amount of the second half of the trek. I did my best to keep pace with him, which ironically increased my average speed for the last bit of the journey. Matt also gave me invaluable tips on shifting gears and tackling hills, which completely altered my hill strategy- okay fine! I didn't have any strategy for hills before Sunday. Needless to say, Matt was a lifesaver.

I rolled through the finish line around 4pm - 11 hours after starting and completely spent. It was incredible. After parking my bike on the lawn, I took a shower and sat in the shade of a truck to munch on some turkey jerky and reflect on the journey. Everything was great. The shower, the jerky, the lawn... I was riding a wave of endorphins. It was a beautiful experience on so many levels; it was an incredible journey in so many ways. A perfect primer for the awesomeness that is Bike & Build.

With less than 2 weeks before the start of Bike & Build, I admit I'm more than just slightly concerned over the fact that I've got over $1000 left to fundraise- no, let me rephrase that, it's not how much I need to raise that keeps me up all night, it's how many people have yet to respond-positive or negative- to my call for help and support. I don't quite understand it- I feel low down. If I dwell on it, I feel my heart sink.

So before I lose any more time being sad, let's get happy with all the reasons why you should support my endeavor to bike across the country and build affordable housing:

IF YOU LOVE ME:
I LOVE YOU, TOO! Donate a dollar to boost my spirit and morale- You are my a reason to keep on keeping on. Believe me, when I'm riding out there for +100 miles, your good energy and support is my life line. For serious.

IF YOU HATE ME:
Donate a dollar to ensure a long, hot, and grueling summer. Force me to devote my summer months to physical labor, building houses, and cycling all day in hot and humid Southern US weather.

IF YOU COULDN'T CARE LESS:
Then you wouldn't care donating a dollar. I mean honestly, $1. I know it's rough out there, a lot of people are pinching pennies - but that's why I'm doing this! Housing is a huge and necessary cost burden. Your dollar will be funding an effort to help alleviate this issue by supporting my cross-country ride and the houses I build along the way- oh... you don't care? My bad... I get all riled up about this. Any who, donate a dollar, consider it your good deed of the day/week/what-have-you. Peace.

IF YOU ALREADY DONATED:
You are amazing. Truly, honestly, amazing. When my muscles start to give out, thoughts of you renew my energy and sustain me to the end. It's sappy, but believe me, after +100 miles everything is.

I made an earnest attempt at cleaning my bicycle over the weekend. Oh sure, anyone might look at the end result of my efforts and scoff or put on that parental mask of admiration over such crude work- but hey, it's all in good fun. My bike's slightly cleaner now, so that's a step in the right direction.

In preparation for the Montauk Century, I went for a weekend ride to Medford, Long Island this past Saturday/Sunday. The idea was to familiarize myself with the lay of the land, as I've not invested enough time exploring "the island" for an all out trek across it. So with that mindset, a deviously roundabout route was created to get from NYC to Medford: cutting through Brooklyn, and following the South Shore eastward. With this routing, what should have been about 60 miles transformed into a nice little 85 mile day trip (plus the miles added on from "creative" "improvisations" to the route).

It's not my fault. The button on the website said "click here" so I did. Now I'm registered for the Montauk Century Ride- and not the 60 or 100 mile ride either, mind you... I've gone and done myself in with the 145 mile ride.

This past weekend was the 12th annual blessing of the bikes at at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York city. Considering my recent close encounter of the automobile kind, I figured a little divine help was a good idea. So, I woke up early Saturday morning and hopped into my super fabulous bike shorts and bike & build jersey, put on my gloves and shoes, and strapped on my helmet for the quick morning ride.Blessed and refreshed, I made my way to the Tartan Day Parade. Early, again, I meandered up and down 6th Avenue, collecting swag, talking to kilted folk, and taking pictures. By 2 PM, I was fully tartanized (minus the kilt). I donned a white Scotland cap and tucked a small Scottish flag into my "utility" belt. Flowing heroically in the light spring breeze, my cape, a Scottish flag, was kept MacGyvered into place by the handle of a small American flag, allowing both hands free to take pictures!

Well, I did it, NYC to New Haven, CT and back in one piece and two days! It was an epic trip, the stuff of straight-to-DVD comedies, full of events that could/should never happen in real life, but somehow do... I rode logged over 200 miles in 2 days, fell a few times, crashed & burned, saw new places, met interesting people, and had an all around awesome adventure. Sure, it was a foolish, last minute decision- but I don't regret the experience garnered from this ride.

FRIDAY: I checked my favorite online maps resource for directions and wrote them down rather than relying on my memory as I did for my last but-not-quite-epic ride to West Orange, NJ when I nearly doubled the distance I should have ridden to get to my destination. Not wanting to pull out an actual map or piece of paper while riding, I opted for a more natural and readily accessible solution: my arm. With directions on arm, I packed my backpack with a change of clothes and vitals for the road: 2 liter camelpack water supply, 2 packs of jerky per day, 2 cliff bars (apple cranberry and apricot- yum!), and 2 amazing meal blends for each water bottle per day. Gear-wise I brought 2 tire levers, 2 spare tubes, a multitool, and a tire pump. Once everything was sorted and stowed away, I started riding around 8am, east and north through the Bronx.

I took Pelham Parkway, riding through Pelham Bay Park, and turned onto the Boston Post Road in New Rochelle. I ended up disregarding my original directions and opted to follow the old postal route, roughly the current US-1, to New Haven. I was thrilled to be riding the path that postal riders used to deliver mail to colonists hundreds of years ago- it helped to distract my mind from physical distractions like the inevitable pain and fatigue. Along the route there are milestones dating back to the 18th century, however I didn't see any during my ride.

I stopped to take a few pictures in Greenwich and Stamford, Connecticut. They were quiet and hilly towns, though Stamford was definitely larger. Some colonial style buildings still stood and the harbors were beautiful, but I didn't tarry too long as I hoped to be in New Haven sooner than later.

Somewhere between Norwalk and Bridgeport, I got lost US-1 and had a near life experience- let me preface this moment by saying that a Honda CRV side door has more give than my current saddle, the Selle Royal Seta W... Yes, I abandoned my directions for more creative routing and, yes, I was hit by a car- a lovely silver CRV. I added quite a few miles to the trip and the collision scratched up my right side a bit though my backpack and helmet took the brunt of the impact when I was thrown off of the bike.

Three girls jumped out of the CRV and asked if I was okay. I honestly didn't feel anything, other than surprise, and told them it was all right- no (severe) harm, no foul. There wasn't any major damage to the bike, some paint had been chipped off, some metal scrapped, and the front brake handle had been knocked out of alignment - nothing detrimental, but out of precaution I ceased using the front brake for the day. I reassured the girls that all was well, and walked my bike to a little grassy area on the side of the road to settle and get my bearings back.

Following my gut instincts, I rode eastward passing through Fairfield and into Bridgeport where I reconnected with US-1 by pure luck. Bridgeport was the largest city outside of New Haven that I rode through; even so, it still had a very contained and small-town feel. One of its most famous residents was the circus-promoter, PT Barnum- incidently, the road that led me to US-1 was Barnum Ave.

Determined not to lose US-1 again, I rolled into New Haven around 5pm, exhausted but elated to have made it in one piece. I meandered around the city since the sun was still up, and fought off the urge to go straight to bed for as long as possible... I was fast asleep before well before 9pm...

SATURDAY: With Friday's lessons and events freshly set in my mind, I started the day around 8am, cruising onto US-1 West with the sun at my back. The ride back seemed shorter, perhaps because the landscape was familiar and I stopped less. However I did have one major setback.

Speeding down the hill entering Bridgeport, I hit a series of cracks in the road and sustained a flat tire from the wear. While trying to fill the tire, I could hear air hissing from the tube... as luck would have it, a police officer pulled into a parking spot nearby and, seeing my dilemma, directed me towards a bike shop, Chris's Spoke & Wheel, just a half mile away. Figuring I could get my brake handle realigned and an overall frame check, I made my way to the bike shop. Bubba, the shop puppy, kept me company while my bike was tuned up and checked for damages that may have been overlooked.

With a little professional TLC, my bike was as good as new (no damage found) and I headed into Bridgeport's downtown. In the city, I met a most interesting and kind man named Thomas. He is an avid cyclist and has taken his children on cross-country cycling trips. We spoke for quite some time, though I wish I had had all day. He shared highlights from his cycling trips, gave me some tips and gear advice for the summer, and set the plans in motion for another cycling adventure: Mohawk Mountain.

The rest of the journey was for the most part, uneventful (in comparison with Friday's madness). Perhaps this was life's way of balancing itself. Admittedly, I'm grateful- both for the insanity and the calm.

It's April Fools, and I've stolen the fool's crown. Perhaps it was Sony's prank for the day, but for the life of me, I could not log into the server, rendering me nearly useless and unreachable. While biding my time "researching future project ideas", I discovered that Sony takes off Good Friday, so suddenly I have a three day weekend! Having taken the fool's crown as my own, doing something foolish with my new found time was mandatory.

After a few foolish moments of half-hearted research, I decided upon a destination: New Haven, CT. I've never been there before and it's only about 90 miles away - a day's ride. Foolishly perfect. See you on the road.

My inactivity here in no way represents how crazy and active I've been over the past few weeks... but I'm making a conscious effort to keep this up to date now that the 2 month point has come and gone.

I'm so close to reaching my fund raising goal of $4000!!! And I've got a special donation from a wonderful friend and cake master baker in Northern California. Sarah from Sarah Lindsay Cakes of San Francisco is donating a 6" cake to anyone in the Bay Area.

Sara writes, I can donate a 6" cake - if you can find a buyer in Northern CA I'd love to make it for you and have that person donate the cash money to you :)

So if you're in the Bay Area and you need a cake for an event or special person... please consider having a super awesome cake made just for you! Sarah makes extraordinary cakes that look and taste amazing. Sarah Lindsay Cakes can be reached at (415) 409-1242.

As always, thanks for your support for making positive change in this world.

UPDATE:
Here are the details for your cake :)
You have a choice of vanilla or chocolate 6" cake with dark chocolate truffle filling and vanilla italian meringue buttercream finish. Simple polka dot design.

If this is popular, Sarah Lindsay Cakes will donate an 8" cake!!!

So if you live in the Bay Area and like/need cake (who doesn't?)please consider Sarah Lindsay Cakes and this unique and tasty way to donate to a great cause.

Not gonna lie, this semester is proving the most challenging so far with work commitments, the demands of a full graduate course load, training for Bike & Build, and pursuing random adventures. But in the midst of all the commotion, I surpassed the halfway mark for fundraising! It's hard for me to fathom, and it really warms my heart to know people are willing to support a cause that is so immediate and close to home and yet somehow very much under the radar.

Thankfully, this long weekend means I'll be able to sit down and design/write out my "thank you" cards to all the individuals who have helped get me this far. Remember every cent counts, if you've a penny to spare please consider making a tax deductible donation to help fund the Bike & Build effort here on my profile page by clicking the donate button.

http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/3608

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5 years ago, the Protestant Campus Ministry of Syracuse University led a student group to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help with the relief efforts. We spent a week over the winter break gutting houses, forming lasting relationships with the families and the communities where we worked. It truly warms my spirit to know that in a few months I'll be back to help build affordable housing there. Full circle.

I've been doing some winter cleaning and came across my reflection of a particular experience 5 years ago:

I made my way to the back of Lani and Deborah's house. Past vacant rooms, with mold covered walls. In one day we had cleared out most of the house, and the bleak and dreary atmosphere we had encountered the day before, when we first opened the front door, was replaced with a vacant and haunting emptiness.

Lani and Deborah's room still needed to be cleared of their belongings- their room was in complete disarray. Clothes littered the carpet caked in mud, books and papers were water damaged and strewn across the floor, a dresser was on its side, the drawers half open and its contents spread throughout the room as though someone in a rage had run in and torn the place apart with complete disregard.

The windows were cracked open so that fresh air could flow into the room. We had pulled the mold curtains out so that light permeated through the water stained windows, revealing shadows on the walls where paintings had been hung- a reminder of what this room, this house used to be.

The closet had caved in on itself- the weight of the waterlogged clothes had pulled down on the shelves above. so in no particular fashion, I began to sort through the damp clothes and boxes that cluttered the floor, putting aside anything that seemed salvageable.

A box was stuck to one of the broken shelves. I peeled it off the wood carefully. It was heavy, waterlogged. The box fell apart in my hands as I tried to open it. Inside were card and letters saved over the years. I brought it out to the living room and put it in front of the fireplace so that Deborah could look through it.

She looked at the box and let out a sigh. Tears began to form in her eyes as she said, full of gratitude, "You've found my life." She peeled away each card, one by one, and opened them. Most of the writing had been washed away, but she stared at the blankness as if the words were still there. Tears were flowing freely from her eyes now, I gave her a hug and went back to work, giving her some time to herself with her memories.



A few minutes later I took the closet's rotten shelves outside. Looking over Deborah's shoulder as I passed I could see that the card she had in her hands was still legible. It was signed "Love, Lani."

I'm not sure what flashed through my mind, but in an instant thought became action. I pulled off my mask, turned to Deborah and put my hand on her shoulder. "You know in Hawaiian 'lani' means heavenly." She looked up at me and something beautiful happened. Through the tears, she smiled, a smile more radiant than the sun, and she laughed a deep true laughter that pierced through the gloom and filled the emptiness. In an instant sorrow had become joy and darkness, light.

In New Orleans, there was a lot of pain and suffering. But despite the physical destruction, within the hearts of people like Deborah and Lani, there is strength and there is hope- there is life. This trip was truly a reawakening, a rediscovery of what it means to be human.

So far so good, the year's off to a great start. Despite initial efforts to avoid facebook, now that I've set up a group, it's proving to be an awesome method for keeping friends up to date with bike and build news. I couldn't have asked for a better way to start the new year. Not only am I reconnecting with friends, but I'm spreading the word about this incredible organization and our efforts to provide affordable housing for America. I'll be channeling all that good energy into affecting positive change this summer. Just thinking about it gets me all giddy inside- picture a kid in a candy store.

So let's talk about training. I mean, this is a pretty epic adventure. It wouldn't be smart to just hop on a bike and go without some prior long distance rides. I've been pedaling on a machine since my $80 pink-craigslist-road-killer is locked up safe and sound, and out of reach in Stuyvesant Town, NYC. Granted, the machines get the job done, but I am looking forward to having a legitimate road bike to train on.

Once the weather gets a bit more inviting, I'm hoping to obtain a permit to set my bike up in a high foot-traffic area where I will pedal all day, non-stop. Of course, it's just an idea now, but we'll see! Its a new year with endless possibility.

Okay. It's starting to sink in... I'm going to be biking across the United States this summer. On Friday, I officially raised over $1,000.... $3,000 in counting and 150 days to do it.

Training has been pretty light lately, stymied by a little knee injury - no reason to be alarmed. I know exactly what caused my knee to FAIL and what I need to do in the future to avoid repeating this little misadventure. See the thing is, I do silly things, like waking up and deciding to run to work carrying my laptop and a slew of other very useful items that do not lend themselves to running long distances. I also don't pay much attention to distances... I'm sure the 5.9 miles would've at least gotten me to reconsider what I decided to take to work.... maybe stretch a little. But the past is past and here I am reveling in the pain that shoots through my knee every time it bends.

Ah, well. It's healing.

Once my knee decides to get back in gear, I'll be increasing my training and getting into a more regimented routine. All things considered, I'm in better shape than I had expected!