Today was our last practice ride before we head out, and it was an amazing time. We drove down to Key Biscayne for a 25-mile loop and our sponsored lunch. Key Biscayne is a gorgeous place full of beaches, boats, cyclists, and a paved bike lane that just about made us the happiest college students around. It was a beautiful day to ride, with the temperature being in the 80s and a slight ocean breeze to cool us off. Our ride ended on the beach, where we were able to kick back and enjoy our food after sweating a good portion of our weight out. It was actually my first time ever seeing the ocean which made that moment all the more special to me. Our lunch was sponsored by a long and loyal supporter of the Ability Experience and being able to meet someone like that really put into perspective the scale of what we are doing this month.
Tomorrow is the kickoff for Gear Up Florida, and I’m equal parts excited and nervous to start. While I’ve never come close to biking 95 miles I can hardly wait to get started and spread more of the joy I saw at our friendship visit yesterday. It is quite the daunting task, but all the training and hard work has led up to this and I am incredibly pumped to get going tomorrow. I want to thank everyone for supporting us on this journey and am excited to share this experience with you as the days continue!