I made a BINGO card because who doesn't like BINGO?! 

The first few sections I've ridden through, I climbed 75,380 feet during my 2016 ride. By comparison, I'll climb 37,370 from Missouri through Pueblo, CO. From Pueblo, CO through Rawlins, WY I'll climb 23,310 feet (climbing the Rockies). From Rawlins, WY to West Yellowstone, MT I'll climb 19,000 feet. West Yellowstone, MT to Missoula, MT is 12,355 feet of climbing. Missoula, MT to Baker City, OR is 23,900 feet of climbing. Baker City, OR to Coburg, OR is 16,780 feet of climbing. And Coburg to the coast is fairly "downhill", from what my maps tell me (I'm only riding part of section 1). 
It's wild to believe that from the IL/MO state line to West Yellowstone, MT, I'll climb around 79,680 feet compared to Yorktown, VA to Murphysboro, IL which totaled 75,380 feet. 
When I talk to folks about cycling, many are curious how it'll be to ride through the Rocky Mountains. Me, too! However, knowing that I climbed over 75K feet already (albeit 10 years ago), I feel confident that I can slowly roll my way through the rest of the route. 
​Peace! ~~Amy

​Somewhere in Virginia (or was it Kentucky?)

Here's to wrapping up loose ends in the coming days and taking that deep breath before I pedal westward. 

forecasted weather for my first few days 

boxes with food + drink items, will add to it for specific legs of ride

My loaded bike from 2016 

Here's a glimpse of the pre-portioned meals. Some are single serving and some have 2 or more servings. 

The rain is falling heavy today. House gutters are overspilling and debris covered storm drains are creating little waterscapes. It's days like today that I think, gee I'm glad I'm not out in that! Which brings me to the next reality, which is, it will rain. In 2016, I woke up one morning to rain pattering my tent and was grateful to find a restaurant where I could look at my maps, eat a hot breakfast, drink coffee and wait out the storm.  I rode a good half-day's ride into Charlottesville, VA in the rain. Another time I found shelter overnight in a YMCA on a night with forecasted storms (tornado sirens went off! I was glad to be indoors and not camping, as had been the plan). The other times the rain either passed quickly or I found shelter. 
In the last ten years, I've grown more anxious around severe weather forecasts. Radar maps showing impending thunderstorms or possible tornados really stress me out. I worry about trees falling on our house (though that has all but disappeared since our neighbor's worrisome tree was cut down), our basement flooding or the power going out for days. And as in life, sometimes my anticipated worry turns out to be for nothing; the storm isn't as bad as predicted or it passes to the north or south of us, avoiding us completely. 
Which brings me to contemplate, when is worry too much worry? Certainly some awareness and concern could help me plan ahead, perhaps starting my day off earlier, shortening my planned miles or delaying my start for the day. That's all reasonable. But how do I balance that out with the nagging urge to refresh the weather radar on my phone or let my dread creep into what's otherwise perfectly fine weather at the moment? 
There's also the simple fact, which is, I'm not in control. Sure, I can adjust my day as I mentioned already, but weather will be what it is. And it's not just the rain! There will be headwind and crosswind, humid days, hot temps and otherwise weather that bums me out or makes for harder conditions. Looking ahead to over 40 days of cycling in summer, I am definitely going to have days where I wish it were less humid, cooler, less windy and dry. The practice will be, can I accept the weather for what it is? Can I let myself be in the moment, present to what is and not carry dread and disappointment because the weather is not what I'd like it to be? 
Bicycle preparations tend to lean into the mental and emotional responses I might experience; that may seem funny or unnecessary; why think about how I might feel? Well, I like thinking about this because it gives me time to practice different mindsets and rehearse what might nudge me out of that overwhelm or stress. I like considering, what do I do when I'm at a breaking point and consider stopping my ride (as I did in 2016). I wonder, what do I do when I'm sure to experience stress and overwhelm and I'm out on the roads by myself? How do I mentally get over that hurdle? 
The cycling piece of my ride is something that I'll work out, literally, on the bike. My legs will move me forward, my core will keep me upright, my hands and arms will support my upper body as it leans against the handlebars, my sit bones will anchor into the seat. And I'll adjust my positioning and stretch and figure out what my physical body needs. While that part is sure to be challenging, it's the mental space that is a little more stationary. When I start to have anticipated stress over a weather forecast for three days from now or look ahead at my maps and see my day is full of endless hills, how do I move from, this is going to be the worst day to wow, let's use this information to adjust what I can and lean into what I know to be true. For example, hey the radar shows storms coming after noon so I should wake up early and get a jump on the day's ride, or it's gotten really windy so I'll have to add on a couple extra hours to my anticipated arrival to my sleep spot. 
It's all a practice, responding to what worries us and the challenges we face. I'm really curious about the experiences I'll have on my bike, but for now, I'll enjoy the pitter patter of the rain as I sit on my porch.