Day 34 - Miami, AZ - Phoenix, AZ!!!

3:50am is too early for an alarm clock when I am on vacation from work. However that was the time our alarm rang this morning. It was not fun waking and getting ready so early, but we had a full schedule and knew it had to be done. A good friend of our and fellow cyclist woke up even earlier then we did to drive up to Miami from Phoenix to ride back with us. Justin Haines met us in the parking lot and was ready to roll with us! Everyone was very punctual and at breakfast on time and ready to roll out of the parking lot at 5am sharp.

We headed out of town on and the sun was just starting to illuminate the dark sky, after our first mile it was already bright enough that we didn't need our headlights. We left them on for safety reasons only.

If you live and Arizona and has traveled from Miami/Globe to Phoenix you know that there is a good size hill between the them the only way to get back is to go over it. That is what we tackled first thing in the morning. We headed up that hill. The conditions couldn't have been better, it was cool out and the wind was sleeping in! When riding is a big group and climbing hills you have 2 different types of climbers. You have your fast get it over with climbers, and you have your slow and steady climbers. I fall into the slow and steady climber column. We discussed this the night before that we would all climb at a pace that was comfortable to us and then regroup at the top, and that is exactly what we did.
The RV was 13 miles up the hill and waiting for us. Also waiting for us was Jordan Knight, Jake and Casey's brother. We were once again excited to see a new face and welcomed him to the ride. We all refueled and because of our time table we made it quick and got back on our bikes and kept riding. When we started our decent we broke up and headed down at our own individual pace. I teamed up with Justin Haines and we headed down the mountain at a pretty good pace. Since my computer stopped working in Comfort, TX I do not know what I topped out at, but I know that Justin's computer registered 49.8 mph. It was fast and refreshing.
Once we reached the bottom of the hill we regrouped and headed into Apache Junction. Check out this short video to get a peak at what we do out there!

We were moving along at a fast pace and made great time into the valley, the only thing that was holding us up was the all the flat tires we were getting. We have 6 flat tires in a 10 mile stretch. It was a little frustrating. But we got them all changed out and got back on track quickly. We rolled into lunch at 78 miles around 11am at Tempe Marketplace. We were an hour ahead of the schedule we set the night before. Mona had all of our sandwiches prepped and ready for us the minute we stepped in the bus. We all ate and had something to drink and got back on the bikes. Even though we were an hour ahead of schedule we wanted to make sure we stayed that way and didn't get complacent and miss our arrival time at the Bicycle Vibe.
Once every ones water bottle were full and sunscreen reapplied we headed out of the parking lot and from Tempe to Scottsdale. A few miles after leaving lunch a car pulled up to us and it was a cyclist that wanted to ride with us. He had heard about the ride and checked out the route online and found a place the he could met us and ride into the finish with us. His name was Ken and he rides with the Southwest Bicycle Cycling Club, his name was Ken and he rode from Tempe all the way to the Bicycle Vibe with us. Thanks for coming out and supporting us Ken.
Not long after we picked up Ken, We saw 3 more riders on the side of the road. Teresa Filleman, Peggy and Buck. They 2 are from the SWBCC. A special thanks to Teresa over the last 5 weeks. She has been very encouraging on our trip! Thanks Teresa!!!

They were a huge help as they knew the bike path along the 51 much better then we did. They rode with us for 7 miles. This was the largest group of riders that we have had on this ride. We had to get a picture of this right!

At this point when we parted we were about a mile from our next stopping point to pick up POPs on the Tandem. When pulling out of this park, 2 guys got flat tires. So we all pitched and got them changed ASAP so we could keep moving. As it turns out this was a blessing, because my wife was navigating across town to meet us at our next stopping point to surprise me. We finally reached Union Hills and headed west towards Cave Creek where we were schedule to stop. As I pulled into the parking lot I had to do a double take because I swear I saw my oldest son getting out of our car and running towards me. I quickly rolled up to the car and at this point my son was already there and jumping in my arms! We both had tears rolling down our cheeks. It was a moment that I will not soon forget.

My youngest was sleeping in the back of the car. My wife got him out and when he woke up and looked at me he instantly reached his arms out for me and I grabbed him up and kissed them both! With both boys in my arms I gave my wife a hug and kiss and was the happiest man on the corner at Cave Creek and Union Hills. My mother was with the family too. She has been one of my biggest fans over the last 5 weeks. Sending my text and posting encouraging messages on Facebook. We hugged and shared a moment!

At this point I was ready to ride another 100 miles if that is what it took. I was running on pure happiness! From this corner we had approximately 18 miles until the finish. We were still way ahead of schedule. We pulled out and started towards Carefree HWY. We made quick work of Cave Creek and turned the corner at Carefree and headed west. Along the route my family kept leapfrogging us and holding out signs we rode past! I had the biggest smile on my face every time we past them!

We knew we were still ahead of schedule so we had the RV stop at 7th street and we pulled in there and stopped for 30 minutes so that we hit our time we had already told so many people. Everything was going better then we could have planned for. 118 miles and we were ahead of schedule! A big thanks goes out to Jake, Casey and Jordan Knight. They pulled us through the valley and are a major part of getting us to the Vibe on time. Thank you guys!!!!

We rolled out of our staging area and headed over one last hill for the day! We came over the familiar hill and the end of the day was insight. As we approached the left turn into the parking lot we could see people out at the corner. The closer we got, the more people we saw. When we finally entered the parking lot it was obvious there were a lot of people there! It was incredible, so many family and friends had come out to support us and cheer us on! We all started shaking hands and hugging necks and laughing and smiling. It was great time! Thank you to Kerri Stutzman and everyone else that was a part of planning and making this party happen. and a special thank you to everyone that came out to support us. It was great to know what we have been out here doing for the last 33 days is just as important to some of you as it is to us. THANK YOU!

The best part of the day for me was being able to be with my family. Even though technology has allowed us to see and talk to each other. It had been 5 weeks since we were all face to face. There is no greater feeling then being with the ones you love. That is what is all about!