We're in a New York state of mind...

Symptoms vary from person to person and can appear in different regions of the body. Head and neck symptoms indicates Bulbar onset and is notable for impaired speech, excess saliva and difficulty swallowing.

This inspirational quote was pasted on my Facebook page this morning by my friend Mary.

Today started exactly on the route where we finished riding yesterday. Oftentimes, the lodging location where we are staying is either too far off the route or unsafe for us to bike to so we sometimes need to get picked up and transported to where we will be spending the night. The LGs

(or Luggage Guys) - do way more than move luggage. Each morning they begin by loading up the bikes and transport the riders to the previous day's end point. They then return to the hotel and pack up the cars with probably 15-18 bags of luggage; fill the coolers with ice and load them and several boxes of food and drinks into the cars. They may have to find a grocery store to supplement whatever needs to be replaced and then head out to find an ideal spot along the route for us to stop for our first water break. An ideal rest stop must have shade, bathrooms, a place to hang our banner, and if possible picnic tables. They then set out all the food and drinks, plug in the phone charging station, set up chairs and sometimes yoga mats, get the tunes going on the speaker and then head out to flag us down so we don't ride right past them. It is truly magic in motion to see them in action. They have perfected it and now have it down to a science.

I had the opportunity to watch the Luggage Guys in action today. I have been struggling with what I believe is a hip flexor issue for the past few days, possibly from overuse. Generally, riding my bike isn't painful however anything weight bearing, such as walking, has been causing me great pain. This morning's route was particularly tough for me as there were lots of stops and starts as we twisted and turned our way through the suburbs south east of Buffalo. This forced me to put more weight on the hip that is hurting. As we approached the first rest stop of the day, I slipped while trying to reclip into my pedal and again put pressure on m;y hip. I realized that my pain would make it unsafe for me to be on the bike and I made the difficult decision to get into the support van. My friends and husband can attest that I am a bit stubborn so this was a very difficult decision for me to make. Knowing I was disheartened as I thought this might be the end of the road for me, the Luggage Guys did their best to lift my spirits. Scott put on my favorite music and Rick, our resident medic helped me think through the dosing of pain medication that would be appropriate. Surprisingly, after lunch, my hip felt better and knowing that the rest of the day would be riding on country roads, I was able to get back in the saddle. What I have now realized is that from here on out, I will need to assess my pain level and ability to ride each leg of the journey. I will do my best to finish the 1000 miles but I also know that it may not be safe to do so.

Frank earned his title of Hulk on the Hybrid once again as he realized close to the end of our 68 miles that his seat post had dropped and he was riding what felt like a tricycle! Hopefully tomorrow will be easier. Jim Jorling and Charlie both rode strong along with the regulars of Rod, Steve, Dave and Gio. The legs are certainly feeling the miles though as we have passed the half way point to Boxford!.

We are spending the night in a lovely town called Brockport, NY. We all went to dinner at the Custom House Bar and Grill which was scouted out earlier in the day by Kathy and Ellie. The restaurant had outdoor seating overlooking the Erie Canal and it was a lovely spot that allowed us to bring the dogs. There was however a pigeon hazard directly above Gio that required him to don his raingear! A special thank you to JJ for buying the crew dinner!

Tomorrow the plan is to let the Luggage Guys sleep in a bit as we will ride directly to the trail head.