What a great final day of SFT programming at CLK Elementary school! Here is Mrs. Kinnunen, a Kindergarden teacher and healthy living advocate, explaining the school’s efforts to encourage students to explore the world through Living, Learning and Loving their hometown.
And some photos from the day:
What do I eat? Where do I sleep? How far do I ride each day? Usually I try to avoid this mundane travelogue style of blogging, but I’ve had more and more requests for a glimpse into an average day of the SFT. Perhaps this summary will inspire you to hop on a bike the next time you’re looking for adventure. Bicycle touring is truly a fantastic way to travel!
Life on the road has its own cycles. Your schedule quickly shifts into alignment with the rhythms of the day and your focus narrows to concentrate on basic needs such as food and shelter. My day usually begins around 6:30 a.m. as the morning dawns overhead. Snuggled in my tent, I take out my iPhone to check the weather and plan a tentative route. Once the sky lights up it’s time for tea and breakfast on my trusty Jetboil stove. Oatmeal is my most common choice – 2 packets of plain organic instant oats, a handful of instant quinoa flakes and a spoonful of peanut butter – tasty and full of energy for the day ahead. By the time the camping gear is packed, the tire pressure is checked and the sunscreen is applied it’s usually pushing 8:30. Time to hit the road!
The first half hour of the day is always a bit tough. This is when your legs are still warming up and your body is settling back into its familiar position on the bike. Depending on the terrain, wind direction and road surface I can travel anywhere between 8 to 14 mph. My fanatstic Garmin Edge 800 GPS unit tracks my velocity, elevation gain and metabolic data. I keep an eye on the screen and regardless of my speed I try to keep my heart rate low and steady – hammering up a hill at 160 bpm is unsustainable if I have another 5 hours of riding ahead of me.
Along with monitoring my GPS data and route, I also have to keep track of my food intake. It’s important to stay fueled if you’re riding for an entire day. I try to stop once an hour for some sort of sustenance – sometimes it’s a quick energy gel and other times I’ll have some trail mix or a tub of yogurt. I aim for a mix of carbohydrate and protein in every snack.
Usually I’ll take one long break from riding every day. I might stop at a grocery store to restock my food supplies or visit a library for some much-needed internet access. Traveling by bike isn’t about the speed, it’s about the ride, and I try to take time to appreciate the freedom of life on the road. This means occasional sightseeing, taking the scenic route and having conversations with curious strangers.
Late afternoon my destination generally draws near and I become antsy to finish up riding for the day and rest my legs. When I arrive at the campground (or if I’m lucky a hotel), showering is my #1 priority followed closely by an early dinner. Again, a mix of carbohydrates and protein are in short order – this could be anything from a peanut butter sandwich and a salad to a dried soup augmented with veggies and instant quinoa.
After dinner I’ll do my best to catch up on as many outstanding emails and blogs as possible before my eyelids start to get heavy and my bed begins to call to me. Early bedtimes are the norm on the SFT and I have been known to call it a night as early as 8 p.m. I always fall asleep with a snack by my side as often I’ll wake up quite ravenous in the middle of the night!
Pedaling across the country certainly isn’t glamorous but it is most definitely fabulous. Although I can’t wait to return home after the SFT is over next month, I’ll miss the peaceful existence of life on the road. I hope each and every one of you have the opportunity to experience the joy of a bicycle tour. Get out there and explore!
I think the new baby blue bar tape suits her.
Portland provided a great backdrop for this photo by Justin Myers from Myers Photography. 
Thanks Justin (and crew) for the entertaining chilly morning, hot coffee and great shot!
This is a big month for me. The SFT resumes its travels AND I have an impending (significant) birthday. I’d like to take a moment to appreciate where I am at in life and where I’m headed.
A lot of folks ask me how I ended up riding my bike across the country. My answer always comes out as a series of rambling anecdotes rather than the alternative reply lingering in the back of my head: “Synchronicity“. This latter retort, of course, begs for an explanation.
It would take pages of writing to take you through the series of chance meetings and unexpected inspirations that I encountered to bring you to where I am today. Let me sum it up by saying that I jumped at each opportunity to connect with someone new and found a teaching moment in every interaction.
As my previous career as an elite nordic ski coach morphed into life as a graduate student, I found that my interests in youth wellness and health promotion intersected perfectly in the school food realm. I stumbled upon a fantastic internship with the Orfalea Foundation’s s’Cool Food Initiative in Santa Barbara CA that solidified this newfound passion. Then when graduation occurred concurrently with the peak of the recession and job prospects were dim at best, I turned inward and started to innovate. One fall morning during a trail run with my siberian husky Grizwald, I finally had my “aha moment”. Bikes, food, healthy kids, educate, inspire, learn, share, and adventure. The School Food Tour concept contained all of these components and so many more.
After countless phone calls, endless inquiries and hours upon hours of research, the SFT began to coalesce into what is has become today. I cannot overstate the essential contributions made by a few key players during the program development process. On August 19, 2011, the SFT officially hit the road. Now almost 3,000 miles into my journey I can safely say that this “resumé-builder” has become my life.
Once I arrive in Michigan this May I do not know where my career will take me. There are proposals in the works, but nothing concrete. All that I can hope for during this fantastic February is the chance to continue learning and opening doors until I find the one that sends me into the next wonderous phase of life. I will do my best to live up to the moniker given to me by a mentor: “The Queen of Synchronicity”.
Cheers and happy travels to you all. Enjoy your February!
-Sara
Last week I was lucky to have two wonderful friends along for 5 days of SFT riding through the Arizona desert. Felice and Brenna have supported the idea of the SFT from its inception and they were both able to squeeze a quick road trip into their busy lives.
Biker chicks.
The goal was to meet in Joshua Tree and then head east across the desert to Phoenix where Brenna could catch a flight back to Oregon. We hadn’t done a ton of planning – the only details I gave them were a solid date to arrive and vague directions to a campsite. However, knowing that they were both extremely intelligent girls, I was confident that they would track me down and be ready to ride on the designated morning. Sure enough, I opened my tent the next day to a beautiful sunrise and the sight of Brenna, curled up next to my bike and trailer.
A nighttime arrival makes the sunrise even more spectacular!
Brenna snuggled up next to my bike... "I knew you would return here eventually!" she said.
After a multiple cups of tea, lots of catching up and a delicious breakfast of whole wheat pancakes with homemade canned peaches courtesy of my dear friend Ben, Brenna and I hit the road on our bikes while Felice took the first turn at driving support.
Greeting the day!
Delicious pancakes by our favorite Chef Ben = happy girls!
Brenna and I roll out of camp.
50 miles later we arrived at our first camp of the trip. A small outcropping of rocks provided perfect shelter from the sun and a privacy from the nearby highway. We ate a yummy but healthy dinner, goofed around with our cameras, listened to an episode of Radiolab and it was time for bed.
Happily standing at the stove for dinner duty!
We soon settled into a routine. Up early, steel cut oats for brekkie, pack lunches, fill water bottles, load the car and roll out for the day. Either Felice or Brenna would drive ahead to scout camping and resupply food and water while myself and the other would start pedaling. Once the person running support had everything settled at our day’s destination she would hop on her bike and ride out to meet us; each day ended with three happy but tired girls giggling around a Coleman stove amidst cacti and dust clouds. After nights in Parker, Hope & Wickenburg, we safely rolled into Phoenix 4.5 days later, much in need of a shower and some time away from the sun.
I can’t tell you how special it was to share this experience with two dear friends. Their companionship and support was and continues to be priceless. Stay tuned for the girls’ perspectives on School Food Tour life – they will both be writing guest blog posts very soon!
The School Food Tour began as a 5,000+ mile self-supported bicycle tour to inspire and energize students and communities to create healthier school environments. Along her route, Sara gathered best practices in school food, educational gardens and food policy. The SFT will soon expand to include additional riders covering more regions of the country. Stay tuned!
Current location: Houghton, MI (Made it!)
Mileage count: 5,200 miles
here to help with Tour expenses.
Sara is pedaling as a 
athlete. Visit her athlete page to join her in the fight against cancer.
Thank you for your support!
