We woke up at 5AM today and got ready for the road as soon as possible. Today was a big day for. We were to arrive in Denver at the state capital building, our second biggest arrival apart from DC. We were also meeting the Trans-America team, another Journey of Hope team that started in Seattle. They were headed from Boulder, 20 miles away. We were headed from Empire, 50 miles a race. No, Journey of Hope is not a race…but we want to get there first. 
The ride was a little tough. Some huge climbs, and crazy switch-backed downhills. Regardless, we went as quick as we could, trying to beat the other team to Denver. During one climb, we went all the way on top of a mountain and could see the entire city of Denver right before our eyes. On our way down, we had 180 degree turns, I was literally squeezing my breaks for my life. Once we past the Coors factory, I knew we weren’t too far from the Mile High city. As we approached the city, we started seeing some of the support vehicles for the Trans-America team. Needless to say, we picked up the pace, went a little faster. We were meeting the Trans team at Invesco Field, where the Bronco’s play. As we started speeding it up, all our pacelines started to bunch together. We basically turned into a 26 man paceline. Near Invesco Field, one of the Trans crew members started to lead us the wrong way…oh the treachery.
Nevertheless, we were successful in our quest to be first. We decided to be good sports, and we cheered on the Trans team once they arrived and even made a human tunnel for them. Together, we walked to Invesco Field, where we got a little tour of the stadium and got to stand on the grass of the field.
After the tour, we headed back to the parking lot of Invesco field, where lunch was set up, sponsored by Bruce Rogers, once again. The Trans-America route goes to Indianapolis, so there was a few Hoosiers that I met on their team, most going to Purdue. I must admit, they were a pretty down-to-earth kind of team. It was a little weird being around them. It was like they were another frat. It really shows how close our team has gotten over the past month. 
After the lunch, we headed to the state capital building, where the Denver arrival was suppose to take place. Once we arrived, we were greeted by a nice crowd of people. I was thrilled as Neil and Rachel were in the area, and they were able to come for the arrival.
At the arrival, we lined up, and the CEO of PUSH America, Chad Coltrane, gave a quick speech on our behalf, followed by a few words by the governor of Colorado, Governor Ritter. After he spoke, he shoke our hands and we introduced ourselves.
After the arrival, we rode our bikes to lodging, this time, being in the Marriott hotel in downtown Denver. The rooms were nice, and it was especially nice for the sponsors to donate these rooms to us. I took a quick shower and met up with my Brother and Sister-In-Law, Neil and Rachel. We went to a local restaurant where we caught up for a bit and joked around a little. After a nice (second) lunch, they dropped me off, where I got ready for tonight’s activities, Pedal for Pennies.
At around 6, the two teams departed for Pedal for Pennies. Petal for Pennies is basically a fundraiser put on by PUSH America, where a person with disabilities rides with a Journey of Hope team member around a 1 mile track. There was only roughly 10 (out of 60) of us allowed to do this, and luckily, one of those were me. I was paired with Jeremy, who has been cycling for about a year now. During the event, we cycled for an hour completing 8 laps. The track was quite beautiful, circling a lake. I got to get to know Jeremy pretty well during the event, and we definitely had a lot of fun, especially as we chased goose on our bikes. What was really cool was the support and cheering that went on as we passed the “main gate” during each lap.
After the ride, we had a barbeque dinner provided by KRG Capital. Me and Jeremy talked to the winner, Kato, who is a very competitive cyclist and completed 18 laps in the hour time limit. Dinner was followed by dancing. It was pretty cool to see the Trans team get into it just like we do. We only knew their guys for roughly 4 hours, but during the night, we felt like we known ‘em for just as long as we had known each other. It was definitely a great moment for the entire squad.
After Pedal for Pennies, we headed back to the hotel where we relaxed a little. A few of us went to Rock Bottom, a local micro-brewery/ restaurant where we had some fourth meal. We met a few Trans-America guys along the way. I’m pretty interested in their route as they start in Seattle and finish in DC but hit cities like Jackson, Wyoming, and St. Louis, along the way. I can definitely see myself doing the Trans-America route one day. First things first, I still need to complete this route.
By midnight, I was exhausted and decided to call it a night. After being poured on by Denver’s never ending rain, I went back to the hotel and got some much needed sleep.
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