You down with O.P.P.?

So, I'm finally about over this sickness. I've been feeling pretty rough this past week. Haven't done much of anything at all, although it's been nice... i am ready to workout and train for cycling and rugby. This post isn't going to be too long but i wanted to kind of tell you about how my last week got 10,000,000x's better on thursday:

After being so sick and being in bed for so long i rejoined society on Thursday morning during my 8AM class, which i didn't really want to go but went anyways. I felt like i had to. Thursday afternoon I ended up driving home to Knoxville and that was a rad choice. I had an amazing weekend there and really dug my whole weekend. had some down time and i loved that. I am sure you are starting to wonder what this has to do with my trip... well Thursday night once i got to Knoxville i got a Facebook Message from the owner of FC Pedaler, the shop i am getting my Bike from, that said my bike had shipped from Marin in California. So get excited for me because i was and am beyond excitement. I can't wait.

My bike should be in Knoxville by Wednesday and It's getting some work done to it all next week and i am hoping to be in the saddle by last week of the month. I can't wait. The long awaited arrival of this bike has been driving me crazy and i know for sure it will have been worth the wait! I will post some pictures asap!

Lastly, i will be getting  a professional website made here in the next couple of weeks... This blog will move over there. I will make sure to give you the heads up on that. Thanks for reading up about my trip. It's getting closer and closer. It's going to be so nuts.

 While writing this blog i listened to an OWEN pandora radio station. It has been delicious!

Livin' the dream. Dreamin' of sports.

I am sitting here in bed... I'm feeling miserable. I say that cause i am coming down with some sort of sickness that is making my days fairly awful. On top of that rugby season has started back up and i am so sore from 2 games yesterday. I feel like i have been hit by a fright train within the past 24hrs. Oh well and oh joy.

Yesterday i had 2 rugby games but my wrist had been bothering me since the week before. Swollen, bruised, and range of motion not so great... It's been a tough week. So ya, yesterday at my games i saw a trainer. Super nice lady, but she put her hand on my wrist and just said, "oh..." I responded with basically, "what does "oh" mean?" (knowing good and well what she was about to say wasn't very positive) She preceded to tell me three things it could be, none of which was it could be fine Keeping my fingers crossed like no one's business though:

1.It was an old fracture i never tended to and the bones are rubbing together, because i re broke them.
2. I just broke it and the bones are rubbing together.
3. (this was the one she thought was the most feasible) I tore a ligament or tendon and the squeaking/pulling noise could be that lil bit of tendon hanging on for dear life working really really hard to keep my hand moving.

So this week i am going to be doing a whole lot of thought about rugby. I don't have a game for another 3 weeks which is great. I can have time to heal up if it's nothing major. I have decided that i will not risk my bike trip though. My heart is in this trip more than it's been in anything as far back as i can remember. The support i have received from friends and family has been incredible. I just feel like this trip will be life changing and i am all for that. So, if rugby isn't in my future this season so be it. Just one of those things that i have to take in stride. I want to play so much though. We will see Tuesday or sometime this weekend. At least i will still be coaching Oakland High School's rugby team. Go Patriots!

I am going Tuesday to get Xrays and such at the doctor so if you don't care send some good vibes, wish me luck, pray for me, just do whatever it is you do. Cause i am a bit nervous. my wrist has been swollen for over a week now and bruised... which can't be that good.

As i blogged this i been jammin' out to Trey Songz. So soulful and chill. i am diggin' it for sure.

MAY you get here sooner?

Being back at school has been a tough thing for me this time around. I really don't know what the deal is but i think since it's my last semester and i only have 6 PE classes it's pretty hard to find my motivation. I want May to be here now. I really am tired of waiting. I know it will be totally worth the wait.

I have gone home a few times the past couple of weekends which has been super rad too. Just a weekend away from school. I know i know, i have been here two weeks and i have left 3 times. Don't judge me. ha. This weekend i am staying in Murfreesboro as far as i know, but we'll see though. I never know what i am doing till the day before and to me... well, that's ok. This trip is actually the farthest in advance i have ever probably planned which is pretty crazy for me.I am super excited for May 10th to get here...

This blog actually doesn't have much of a theme except the fact i want my bike asap, Marin is busy making it perfect before releasing it to the public which it will be worth the wait also. Marin does great work and i don't see why anyone would complain about that. Here is my bike though. i haven't posted it yet so enjoy. If you have any name ideas for my bike let me know. i feel like naming it is going to be a MUST DO.

Listened to today while blogging:... No music... listening to my teacher lecture. Rabbi Rami Shapiro is currently teaching on Judaism.

Slackin?

So, i moved back to school this week... It's been good and bad. I started training again which has been great. I'm a bit sore but i am feeling great. Fell right back into the routine of exercise and training everyday. "Fitness" this is exactly what my rugby coach told us when he said our new game plan... aka we run our faces off on a normal basis! Although rugby is off topic training isn't really so that's why i'm kinda talkin about it.

Onto the trip... My bike can't get here soon enough. I can't wait to get some saddle time. I think it's around t-minus 2-3 weeks! I also am currently enrolled in a "beginning" bicycling class. Pretty excited about that. We actually ride 11 miles a day at least for class. not far at all but saddle time is saddle time, right? I told my teacher i wouldn't have a bike for at least 3 weeks of the class. She was like why not? i told her about my trip and she is all for me missing 3 weeks of class. which is soooo rad.

Overall it's been a good week though. Found panniers to use that are completely waterproof with roll top! From a company called Avenir. The panniers are called the Rain City. Luke over at Fountain City Pedaler is being more than helpful for sure. Great guy. check out there stuff, like them on facebook, or just give a visit here in Knoxville, TN.

Listened to: Jason Aldean and Lonely Island.

Pain it Temporary.... Right?!

Sorry or the gap between posts. I have been in the act of moving back to school and it's been a long process for me this time around. Honestly i want this semester to be over. I didn't wanna come back at all, but hey, here i am in Murfreesboro, Tennessee typing away in my townhouse. I missed my first class today, epic fail. I mean i didn't come to school on Thursday and i missed my classes that day. So today all i had to do was go to 2 classes... FAIL!

Tonight starts the process of training though. Tonight is the start of a long process of getting in tip top shape for a rugby season and a cross-country bike ride. I have been on hiatus from training and my nutrition plan over this past Christmas break which i am ok with, just not gonna be fun tonight when i get to practice. I will kick myself back into shape within 2 weeks though. Just gonna take a bit of drive on my part.

Not really any new developments about the trip really. The only thing is that my bike should be here 2nd week of February. Which i am more than excited about. Imma be training really hard in the saddle once it gets here. Marin BIkes is making a legit bike and i am excited to get the opportunity to ride their bike across the country. I will keep you posted on the bikes arrival. I will be posting pictures soon.

Today while blogging i listened to: Drake, Metro Station, Lil Wayne, Aloe Blacc, Secret and a Whisper, and lastly i listened to Caspa & Rusko.

Coffee & Bike Shops

I stumbled on a great bike shop in Knoxville, TN called, Fountain City Pedaler. It's run by a guy named Luke who knows his stuff. Go check em out. People had mentioned the shop to me but i could never find it... One day i did though and went in with nothing particular in mind. I heard they carried Jamis bikes (which they no longer carry) and that was something i hadn't seen. So i was gonna go look. I get there and just ask about Jamis and Luke was like ya we don't carry them anymore. He and i talked about my trip for a bit. I just kinda told him about what i was wanting to do, how long it would take, and who i was doing it with. He was super helpful.

Luke mentioned a bike that wasn't out yet from a totally different company, MARIN Bikes, and i fell in love with it. It has absolutely everything i would want in a touring bike, no compromise, plus to top it all off Marin is an amazingly ran company. The original owner still owns and runs the company. Read about them and support them. You can check out their story here. I think companies like this deserve our support. I am more than excited about the arrival of my new bike, keep your fingers crossed it comes out in time for me to train on it. It's incredible though for sure. They seem to pay so much attention to what a rider would ever want and then add a lil' bit more. I'm stoked.

Overall the past few days i have been laying quite low key though. I move back to Murfreesboro, TN on Sunday to head back to school. Technically i had class yesterday but my teachers didn't care if i missed... so i stayed home. 

116 days till i am in Oregon. 117 days till i am on the road! 

While blogging i have listened to Kayne West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Secret and City and Colour's Live at the Orange.  

Antici...PATION!

Guess where i am... Yup, the coffee shop. Been here everyday for a while now, minus the few days i was snowed in with a couple awesome friends. All we did was watch movies and Paris Hilton's "The Simple Life"... Don't judge me. It was quite relaxing.

To the point though, daily i have been thinking about leaving for this trip. It can't come soon enough. I am ready, not physically, maybe not even mentally... i am just ready to go. I wanna see the country by bike. I want time to just go. The anticipation is killing me. Daniel, my riding partner, and i talk thru email every other day... if not daily. We have split the trip up into halves and are both working on exact routes and places to tentatively stay along the way. I have from Alexander, Kansas all the way to Folly Beach, South Carolina. Not too bad. pretty even split honestly. I have about half of my half of the route mapped out. This being said if anyone knows places to stay in Kansas, Missouri, or West Tennessee, camp grounds, houses, people they know, any help would be appreciated.

This is something i am going to start doing... i am going to post what i listened to while blogging since i love music so much. Hopefully this is something people can enjoy.
Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars, Wiz Khalifa, TI, Lil Wayne, Drake, and Currently Lupe Fiasco.
Not sure why but today was a very Hip Hop, r&b day. I like it.