Okokokokokokokok......so here is the first journal! Sorry for the long delay. As of right now we are in Watonga, OK, but this journal will only cover until Fort Worth, TX because of time constraints. It is 5:50am and I listen as my teammates bustle around getting ready for breakfast, wondering just how this trip is already over a week done, and 550 miles down. Here is a brief overview of the first 5 days.

June 1st: Austin, TX to Cedar Park, TX

Deemed "Day Zero" because it wasn't officially the

first day of riding. Being only 20 miles, we departed

late from the UT tower steps after a lenghtly greeting

and goodbye session. We rode to the Cedar Park School

and did pre-ATLAS ride preparations. Some team

members slept inside the school, while a number of us

slept on the school's front lawn.

June 2nd Cedar Park, TX to Lampasas, TX (ATLAS ride)

The ATLAS ride is the first official ride day of the

Texas 4000. ATLAS is a chance for the community to

come show their support for us while being able to

ride along side us. Family, friends, strangers and

past Texas 4000 Alumni lined up, and by 8:30am nearly

200 bicyclists took to the streets. We rode 70 miles

to the Roadhouse BBQ in Lampasas. The day was

perfect, the wind at our backs and the hills rolling,

and the sun high but not too hot. Once we arrived at

the Roadhouse we ate delicious BBQ and talked with the

days cyclists about the Texas 4000. We camped that

night on the BBQ premises and enjoyed our last night

with the Sierra team

June 3rd Lampasas, TX to Stephenville, TX

It was an emotional morning as we did our pre-ride

preparations. We hugged the Sierra team for the last

time for 9 weeks, gave advice and parted ways. Day 2

proved to be a challenging ride, an 87-mile ride in

the hot and high Texas sun. My shoes gave me trouble

all day, due to new insoles that were too thick,

causing my feet to be pushed into the top and sides of

my shoes. We arrived late, around 5:15, and were

informed our dinner hosts were expecting us for a 5:30

dinner. With a quick change of clothes we made our

way to the Hard Eight BBQ, where we were treated to

stellar food. We talked with our hosts then went to

our home for the night, Tarleton State University.

There we showered, had a meeting and promptly went to

sleep.

June 4th Stephenville, TX to Fort Worth, TX

This morning we were treated to breakfast at the

Peacock Restaurant. The morning looked like rain, but

fortunately it held off. The early part of the day

saw cloud cover and cool breezes. The terrain was

flatter abd the air was cooler than yesterdays ride.

The entire team had a strong day. We were rewarded by

our day only being 70 miles as opposed to the 83 we

originally thought. Around 3:30 the sun came out from

behind the clouds to remind us of its presence.

Luckily we arrived shortly thereafter to the welcoming

arms and air conditioning of the First United

Methodist Church. We quickly unpacked, washed up and

headed to Rockies team rider Collin Ratcliff's parents

home. We have been treated to tastey mexican food and

an array of fruit, pies and beverages, as well as

swimming and a hot tub. Spoiled, I know, but we'll

surely miss this once we get up north and start

camping.

The trip has been great to this point. I am going to be honest and say the scenery out of Texas and into Oklahoma has been a bit lacking, but the long days on the bike are welcome no matter what the scene. It feels great to be back out traveling on a bike, and to be doing it with a group of people makes it even more inspiring. My teammates are are all truly unique, and I feel as though we all blend well to create the true definition of a team. Our strong riders are willing to help those who struggle during the day, without complaint. Each day we ride together knowing what we are is more than just a cycling team. We are friends, both to each other and to the people we ride for.

I've still got a lot of updating to do. Sorry again to everyone for the long blank spots of time. The internet is scarce and sacred to many people on the trip, so I have trouble getting my time in. I'll try and catch eveyone up soon! I miss you all!

Shawn