The 10 Hour Bike-A-Thon

This August I'm embarking on an adventure with Bike & Build's Drift West trip to bike 900 miles from Portland, OR to Bellingham, WA. My goal is to fundraise $2,250 before the trip to help benefit the affordable housing cause in the U.S. Thanks to the incredible generosity of friends and family, I've raised $1,561.75 so far.

On Saturday, June 13th I'm going to ride my bike for 10 consecutive hours for a Bike & Build fundraiser I'm calling the 10 HOUR BIKE-A-THON. I want you to be a part of it. Here's how the game works:

1. You pledge an amount PER MILE that you're willing to donate to the Bike-A-Thon.
2. I bike for 10 consecutive hours and see how many miles I can ride.
3.  a x b = $, where "a" represents the amount you pledge per mile, "b" represents the number of miles I bike in 10 hours, and "$" represents your donation to Bike & Build.
4. Everyone celebrates for supporting affordable housing!

Get it? It's kind of like gambling...with a purpose. Here's a handy little chart so you can calculate what your pledge could end up amounting to:

How to Make a Pledge:

• Send me an email at katy.branston@gmail.com with your pledge amount by June 12th
• Call or text me at 901-246-9197 with your pledge amount
• Send me a Facebook message, leave a comment, write a letter, etc. It's simple, really. 
• Note: I will email or call you with the final mileage and instructions on how to make your donation to Bike & Build (there are also several channels for donation via this blog). Please plan to make good on your pledge within a week of the Bike-a-Thon or I shall bike to your house, knock on your front door, and demand the pledge in person!! Only kidding, but really...

FAQs:

• How many miles are you going to ride? I don't know! That's the fun. There are a lot of variables - the weather, the road conditions, my riding ability, unexpected bike repairs, my temptation to stop at every diner/cafe/bakery - who knows what could happen! The most I've ever ridden in a day is 110 miles, and my goal is to ride 150 miles in 10 hours, if that helps your guesswork. 
• How is your mileage being verified? I'll have a bike computer that will display the number of miles I've ridden and the duration of the ride. I can send you a picture of the screen to prove it. Also I'll have friends riding along with me at various points who can verify the mileage. Also, WHY WOULD I LIE?!!? I am not a liar. Even when it comes to raising money, no, ESPECIALLY when it comes to raising money. 
• Will the ride be supported? Sort of. I'm planning to carry everything I might need for 10 hours on a bike in my camelbak. I'm also recruiting friends to ride sections with me to help be my support squad, cheerleaders, pacers, windbreakers, food providers and more. Do you live in the Flathead Valley and want to join in the fun? Let me know!
• Do you plan on stopping? Yes, but there will be no dillying and definitely no dallying. I'm gonna be on the clock, yo! Let's just say I have a bit of a competitive edge and will have the motivation of raising money for a cause I care about deeply, so I will only stop when needed. 
• Where are you going to ride? While I haven't mapped out the specific route yet, I'll be mapping out a carefully designed route throughout the Flathead Valley that will take terrain, elevation change, road conditions, bike infrastructure, scenery, traffic, convenience, and more into consideration. It's going to be one giant tour of this beautiful part of Northwest Montana that I call home.
• When are you doing this? Why 10 hours? The Bike-A-Thon is taking place on Saturday, June 13th from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. I thought about doing 12 hours, but 10 sounds more manageable and 5:00 sounds like a nice time for a beer. 
• Why would you want to ride a bike for 10 consecutive hours? I love riding my bike. I love riding long distances to challenge myself. I love Bike & Build and care about affordable housing. This fundraiser is a no brainer, really. It's also a personal challenge that seems like a fun way to push my limits and engage my friends and family in a FUNraiser, rather than simply asking for money. 

That said, this is me asking you for money. In the form of a pledge. For the 10 HOUR BIKE-A-THON! 

How much are you willing to pledge? How many miles will I ride? Let's find out!!

Penguin Sighting in Columbia Falls, MT

8:32 a.m. First penguin sighting

On clear Saturday mornings at Habitat for Humanity Flathead Valley's neighborhood in Columbia Falls, MT, a rogue penguin can often be seen wandering the street. I spotted the penguin yesterday while painting siding from the porch roof of our current build site and observed his behavior from above. The penguin does not appear to be a threat to the neighborhood, as he waddles the streets looking for a friend to play with and examining what's going on at the build site. He's a little shy when approached and seems happiest when he is left alone to roam. Unless, that is, he finds a friend with a bike.

9:07 a.m. The penguin finds a friend

The penguin's name is Trevor*. He lives in a Habitat house and loves penguins. Ask him about the movie "Happy Feet" and he'll do a penguin dance for you. His room is covered in penguins, and he often wears a full-body penguin costume.

Trevor's life has not always been so carefree. He lives with his aunt who says that before they moved into a home, Trevor could not sleep through the night. Now that they have their own home and Trevor has his own bedroom (covered in penguins), he can sleep through the night peacefully.

This is just one small example of how permanent, safe, affordable housing can improve a child's life and why I care about working for Habitat for Humanity, raising money for Bike & Build, and advocating for affordable housing. It gives families stability, security, and a future.

And the penguins can sleep soundly at night.

*this is a name I made up

Interview with a soon-to-be Habitat Homeowner

Hard at work completing sweat equity hours

Why does affordable housing matter? On a larger scale, it is a huge crisis in our country affecting millions of people in every state. On a smaller scale, it matters because hard-working people like Michelle, a soon-to-be Habitat homeowner, deserve an affordable place to live to provide security and stability for themselves and their children.

I work for Habitat for Humanity Flathead Valley, and last weekend I caught up with one of our family partners on the build site to hear her side of the story. Michelle is a 27-year old single mother who works as an administrative assistant for Red Lion Hotel. Her 4-year old son, Johnny, likes the movie Cars and the color blue. Here’s what she had to say:

How did you hear about Habitat?

My best friend is a Habitat homeowner and encouraged me to apply for the program.

Had you been hoping to buy a home before you partnered with Habitat?

Oh yeah. It’s pretty much been a goal my whole life. I couldn’t find a home that I could afford, even with splitting the mortgage payments with my grandparents. The houses that were in my range were total crap and I couldn’t afford to fix them up. So I gave up on that.

Why do you think home ownership is important?

I want to own a home because it gives my son a future and stability. And it’s mine. I can do whatever I want with it.

What was your living situation like before Habitat and how will that change?

I lived in a subsidized housing apartment complex with really strict rules. Nobody gets together and I don’t know any of the neighbors. Here I’ll have neighbors to get together with. Johnny will have friends to play with.

What will this change mean for you financially?

The financial difference is huge. I’ll be paying $488 for mortgage instead of $605 renting and I won’t have to pay gas or renter’s insurance, and I’ll have better heating at $17-$23 a month. I’ll actually be able to start saving. Now my tax returns go to Johnny's clothes and fun things, but I’ll have more savings for the things he likes to do like monster trucks and going to Fun Zone.

Michelle's new neighborhood in Columbia Falls.

What is Johnny most excited about for your new home?

He keeps talking about how it’s his. Every time he sees a picture he’s like “Mommy that’s my room.” He already picked out wall decals from the movie Cars. He’s ecstatic about it.

What are you most excited about?

To own it and for it to be mine. To be here in Columbia Falls instead of Kalispell. There’s more community, not feeling like an outsider.

What’s the first thing you’re going to do once you move in?

Put up shelving in the bathroom. I literally have them waiting to be cut and hung up.

What’s been the most difficult thing about being a Habitat family partner?

For me, the pressure because of the deadline. My sweat equity hours and payments had to be done in less time, so I’m taking off time from work on Wednesdays to get my hours in and I’m out here every Saturday.

What’s been the most rewarding thing?

Getting to meet the different volunteers – the NCCC crew, the regulars that come out.

It’s taken 100s of volunteer 1000s of hours to build your house. What do you think of that?

I think it’s awesome but also nerve-wracking if they don’t know what they’re doing. I’m such a control person. I see them painting the walls and think if they don’t have a steady hand they’re going to get paint on my cabinets. It’s stressful but worth it in the end.

Do you feel like you’ve learned anything from putting in sweat equity hours on the build site?

I feel like I’ve learned a lot outside – siding, foaming, insulation. Inside I’ve done flooring and painting. I’m going to keep this house so clean.

10 Things I Love About Bike Travel

Spring has sprung, and to me that means one thing - cycling. After the long Montana winter, I am ready to dig my bike out of the basement, tune it up and hit the road. With upcoming spring rides in Yellowstone, Oregon, and the Kootenai River Valley, I need to get my bike legs back! Needless to say, I've got biking on the brain, which inspired me to write about the things I love most about bike travel.

T-storms from a winding road in Arizona

1. The SCENERY: Travelling by bike allows you to be deeply entrenched and aware of your surroundings. Whereas in a car or plane you might sit idly as the scenery passes you by, on a bike you are in it. You feel every gust of wind, every ray of sunshine, every slight variation in the grade of the road, and every single bump. And, trust me, there are lots of them. Your senses are heightened as you take notice of the little things that might have otherwise slipped past your consciousness, like a songbird whistling from the sagebrush in Oklahoma, the vivid redness of the rocks in Arizona, and even the stench of a thousand cattle in Texas. You feel it all because you are part of it.

Farmer talk in Texas

2. The LOCALS: Pull up to a gas station in a small town on a bike and I guarantee you’ll spark conversation with a local in no time. It’s like having a puppy or a baby – people feel compelled to talk to you, and any societal norms or stranger danger is thrown out the window. Once you get past the basic questions – Where’d ya’ come from? Where ya’ headed?  – you might even discover a thing or two about the person and the place you’re in. Like Debbie, a flea market owner in OH who told me about the colorful history of Port Washington. Or the farmers I saddled up next to in a gas station in TX to talk weather and crops. Suddenly all those soybean fields we passed got a little more interesting.

3. The FOOD: Although this list is in no particular order, food really should be #1, but I thought that would be too superficial of me. It’s pathetic how much of my motivation to bike comes from the guilt-free food frenzy that it facilitates. The reality is that when you spend 6-8 hours on a bike, your thoughts are mostly occupied by food, or at least mine are. Cravings are boiled down to the basics – carbs, fat, protein, salt, sugar - GIVE ME ALL THE CALORIES! The act of eating becomes primal and the pleasure taken from it immeasurable. My favorite bike travel treats include Snickers bars, ice cream, chocolate milk, chicken (in any form), and the occasional gas station breakfast sandwich. Hold the judgment.

4. The CAMRADERIE: Bike travel brings people together. The shared experience, joy, suffering, and adventure of it all can put you on the fast track from complete strangers to instant friends. My Bike & Build team last summer was like a family, and I get slaphappy when I get an email or see them on FaceTime. For the past few years, I’ve done rides in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks with friends in Montana, a tradition I look forward year after year. Sometimes these rides might be the only time I see a friend all year, but every year there is a new adventure to be had and a new story to tell. Bike with me and you’re a friend for life.

5. The NOVELTY: Do you get tired of seeing the same things, having the same old routine day after day? Me too. With bike travel everything is new and exciting. I’m convinced that there is no better way to explore a new place than on two wheels. Now that I’m hooked on bike travel, I’m constantly trying to find ways to fit in rides anywhere I go. Even my own hometown of Memphis was cast in a new light when I took to the streets by bike. Read about it in my last blog entry back in November. 

6. The HOSPITALITY:  If you want to have your faith restored in the goodness of humanity and the kindness of strangers, go on a bike trip. In my bike travels, I’ve found that hospitality is very much alive and well, and not just in the South. While lost in central Italy, a man and his family led us in their minivan for miles into a town as my friends and I pedaled furiously to keep up. On Maine to Santa Barbara’s 110-mile marathon through the desert to Twenty Palms, CA last summer, a guy in an RV magically appeared with cold bottles of water handed out his window. I have countless stories like these. I’m not saying that every person I’ve encountered while riding a bike had been friendly, but kindness and generosity have far outweighed the assholes and rude drivers. 

A memorable climb from Sedona to Flagstaff, AZ

7. The CLIMB: I love hill climbs about as much as I love doing laundry. It’s a chore, but it has to be done, oftentimes more frequently than you would like. Climbing does not come naturally to me and is usually as much of a mental battle as it is a physical one. I have little tricks to distract myself on long ascents, like counting pedal strokes, repeating mantras, and singing songs and nursery rhymes over…and over…and over…until I get to the top…of this STUPID HILL. But the feeling of satisfaction and relief that comes from summiting a challenging hill is far greater than the joy of freshly laundered clothes. It is a battle that you fought and won. And victory is sweet.

Soaking in the view after a long descent in New Mexico

8. The DOWNHILL: Coasting down a hill on a bicycle is the greatest feeling on the planet. Fact. Any memory of the struggle it took to get up it is immediately washed away and replaced with pure, childlike glee. Riding down hills takes me back to my 6 year-old self, flying down my driveway in a plastic red fire engine into the street as my dad nervously watched for traffic. And I distinctly remember the first heart-pounding descent I ever rode while on a bike overnight in Italy. Once I got over the initial fear and settled into the speed, I sang opera at the top of my lungs the whole way down. The tune was lost in the wind along with every other care in the world.

9. The UNEXPECTED: Just when you think everything is going smoothly on a bike trip, shit can (and probably will) hit the fan. You get five flats in a row. Your nice tailwind turns into a 30 mph soul-sucking headwind. The road is closed due to flash floods forcing a lengthy reroute in the middle of the desert. And what do you do? You keep on riding. Easily the most memorable days of my cross-country trip last summer were the ones where we got lost, the weather turned on us, and nothing went according to plan but we managed to enjoy ourselves anyways. No rain, no rainbows.

10. The SIMPLICITY: Bike travel really is simple. All you need is your bike, some clothes and gear, maybe a friend or two, a map/route and the determination to embrace whatever surprises may come your way. Then you just sit back and enjoy the ride. At the end of the day, you’re just riding your bike from one place to the next.

When's you're next ride?