6/24- State College to Johnston, PA

"Chuck Norris can win a game of Connect Four in three moves"

Total distance- 76.5 miles
Total time- 5 hrs 7 minutes
Average pace- 4:01/ mi
Average speed- 14.9 mph
Max speed- 45.6 mph
Average heart rate- 131 bpm
Max heart rate- 184 bpm
Total climbing- 5845 feet!!

Today was quite easily one of the most difficult, yet enjoyable days of the trip. Today was an exhausting day for me after the punishing pace I set with Jose yesterday. The route featured 5,500 feet of climbing over 80 miles and featured a large 2,000 foot climb that averaged 8% grade for the majority of it. This climb is one of the two large climbs used in the Tour de Toona held every year. I started the day by riding with Clay and Chris, the former and current presidents of Penn State Cycling who hosted us last night our hosts from Penn State, for the first ten miles, and then chased the lead group of riders before lunch. I took a substancial lunch break giving people at least a half hour to ride at their own pace before chasing again.

At the top of the first large climb, I rode through a field of wind turbines that were spread throughout the mountain chain and harvesting the energy of the wind to produce energy. Having never been so close to one before, I was amazed at the scale of these massive rotating fins that cut through the air with a large whooshing noise.

The final descent was a nerve wracking 14% downhill grade that featured lots of hairpin turns. I took my descending skills to new levels by only lightly feathering the brakes twice during the entire descent (until the bottom), which was terrifying to say the least. I was actually quite surprised I didn't break the 50 mph barrier, although the strong head wind may have had a part to do with it.

Johnstown, PA is situated in the river valley between the mountains of western PA. It is perhaps best known for the "Great Flood" of May 31st, 1889 that occurred after the South Fork Dam collapsed 14 milesupstream that flooded the city and led to the deaths of 2,209 people as a result of the flood and subsequent fires that raged through the debris. The city definately appeared depressed, and a quick Google search showed that in the 2003 US Census Data showed that Johnstown was the least likely city in the US to attract newcomers.

We stayed at the YWCA where we enjoyed another great meal of pasta and meatballs. Later that night, one of the group leaders Kyle also showed me how to use De Lorme Topo today, which they use to determine our route every day. I'm very interested in the capabilities of this program in creating new routes for riding in Philadelphia.

I am very much looking forward to the needed break in Pittsburgh, and after two days of hard riding, plan to take tomorrow as easily as one could for riding in Western PA.