Another Day Another Mile.

You may have noticed I used the Mile reference instead of the Kilometer. But I just think Mile sounds better. I'm not buckling to the American measurement system, however I am getting used to it. So, this last week has been amazing and full of strange and beautiful things. I am just shy of 2000km's and have arrived in Pittsburg, Kansas. Yesterday, I rode into this place from Golden City, Missouri. I must say that I had the best pie I have ever had in my life. Strawberry Rhubarb with a big scoop of homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. This was from a small place called Cooky's so if you ever stop in Golden City.... make sure you get some pie. They had like 500 different types. And after a long day of riding into a headwind of about 30 mph and biiiiiiiiig hills the pie was delectable.

Everyone I know thought Missouri was flat, that couldn't be more wrong. That was one thing I definitely underestimated when planning this trip. Was the size of the hills (Ozark Mountains) The mountains bring a whole new dimension to the ride. It's slow going but patience building when climbing the hills and great training for the upcoming mountains. But coming down them is a huge adrenaline rush with the high speeds you can hit. It's funny with the winds and the speed my whole face was completely desensitized after awhile the other day. Also, I wore my break pads right down close to the metal because of how many times I have had to slow myself down on the descents.

With Spring thriving now, it makes these trips through the mountains and farmlands amazing. The colours and smells are all so fresh and it makes for stunning scenic rides. It's hard to take it all in sometimes, trying to understand the proximity and relation to where I am and to where I am going. The thought of the adventure thus far is truely overstimulating. On the rides over the past two days I have dubbed myself the "Matthew the Turtle Rescuer." I know the name may not seem that impressive but what I have done over the last couple days is helped turtles see at least one other day. It's been pretty tragic over the past few days, when seeing some of the roadkill. Unfortunately, turtles are one of the animals that can't make fleet of foot to escape the wrath of these massive dangerous trucks. They hide in their shells and hope for the best as these massive machine whiz over their heads.

So, whenever I see a turtle making his way across the road I will grab him and move him to the side of the road he's trying to get too. The strange thing is that 2 days ago, they were all moving left to right. Then yesterday they were moving right to left. I don't know if it's coincidence or if it's some kind of weird turtle game. Anyway, I think I have helped a grand total of 6 turtles reach their destination. They can be really big too, the biggest one was the size of a dinner plate.

Along the route of my turtle adventures, I encountered my first flood. I was coming down one street to hook up with another state highway to get to Pittsburg. When I saw these road closures signs. I was curious to see why the road was closed and continued pedaling. As I reached some crossroads. Just beyond the intersection there was a massive flood making my route impassable. I went up to it to judge how bad it was.... It was about 100 yards of washed up road. I was estimating about 2 to 3 feet deep at the deepest part. If I went around it, it would add about an extra 12 miles (20 Km's) on my day. I was pretty tired and decided I might as well try. I couldn't pedal through it so I would have to walk through it, I took off my socks and shoes and loaded up the panniers on my bike so they could not be touched. Just as I started to walk towards the water... I stopped and decided not to give everyone another reason to worry and went around it. This ended up adding another hour and a half of riding. So if your a worrier don't worry I'm making great decisions :)

Well I'll sign off here I'm a little tired today and have been eating 15 peoples worth of food. Everyone is always concerned with my weight but with the portions down here you don't have to worry. I had a steak sandwich the other day and the steak was the size of the plate. The bun was normal sized. I wish I got a picture of it. Wouldn't be funny if I rolled into town well over weight... I don't know if it's possible but with my appetite I wouldn't be surprised lol.

Godspeed!!!
Matthew.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST!!!
****Thanks for all the people for following these blogs and leaving comments, it's really motivating and uplifting from all the kind words!*****

Springfield where?

Happy Days,



Just arrived in Chicago after a good 170km trek. I may not look that
happy in the picture. But I am extraordinarily happy :)

It's funny I never know where to start when I sit down to tell people about what I have done and where I have been so far. This last week again has been full with new experiences. On Tuesday I attempted to reach the city of Peoria. Which ended about 3/4 of the way so I stopped in a town called Henry. As I casually strolled into the city scanning around for a Motel or Campground sign. I could feel eyes on me from all directions. I started to notice that children were coming out of their houses and people were stopping working on their trucks or tractors. They were probably curious to see who was this strange man in tights on a bicycle.... Some children started to yell at me from their yards but I was tired and just collapsed on the nearest lawn just to relax for a bit. (below is an example of what I see for
hours on end. Beautiful farmland)

I got up about 10 minutes later and there were people still looking at me. Maybe concerned that I was injured. I kept riding through town until I saw some Fair Grounds. I saw a man doing some cleaning of his horses and I rode up to him. The man told me there was no Motels for about 15 miles. But he said I could camp on the Fair Grounds. All of a sudden all my childhood Hollywood horror movie scenes from Fair Grounds flashed through my mind. I was a little tired but I didn't want to ride into the wind for an extra 15 miles it was already 5:00. So I said I would set up camp and he had no problem with it. I set up my tent cooked dinner and got ready for the night. I was nestled behind a barn so the wind from the south wouldn't bother me too much through the night. But the noises when the sun went down were all a little spooky. I fell asleep pretty quickly (luckily) and woke up to the sound of horses. The man that said I could camp there, gave me money for lunch and dinner and said goodluck. He was really interested in hearing about the ride. His name was Bill Putnam and a really interesting guy. Later in the day another generous individual Steve Holmes caught up to me with his friend and asked about where I was staying. We talked for abit and exchanged stories. The next morning, he found the shelter I was staying and gave me money for dinner. Amazing generosity...


THE BEAN in Chicago, IL. A really cool monument in a lake side park.

So I was in constant communication with Springfield, MO. They had set up a room for me and were expecting me around 4:30pm yesterday. I was on pace to get there and I was taking my time looking forward to getting cleaned up. Then I called an officer at their location to confirm and she had no idea where I was or couldn't recognize any of the towns I was near or had passed through. Then we both realized that she was in Springfield, MO and I was going to Springfield, IL. I know there is a lot of Springfield's but this was kinda funny. We had a laugh about it and then she helped me find some contacts in the right city.



I was pretty tired when I got to Springfield, IL. The sleep was going great, until about 4:34am. My whole bed started shaking around and I almost fell off my cot. I got up really quickly and looked around and out the window to see what was going on. Cars were driving around, so I wasn't sure if it was me being crazy and tired or if it was and earthquake. I got up in the morning to get my stuff organized, I turned on the TV in my room and it ended up being an earthquake right near here. It was 5.2 on the Richtor scale. AND as I write this blog we just got an aftershock!!! Which isn't that strong but still shook me about.... which were my first real earthquakes. I guess there has been alot of firsts on this trip.

Godspeed and Hope you all have a great weekend
Matthew.

A windmill in Illinois farmland.

Southside Chicago Greeting!

Hello hello!

I just arrived in Ottawa......... Illinois that is. Not as nice as our nation capital I must say, but still a good lil' town. Surrounded by vast amounts of farmland, which has some beautiful views. It was also such a positive ride because alot of downhill!!!! I just rode in from Chicago where I had took two days off of pedaling, and it was much needed rest after coming in from South Bend (home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish). The total distance from South Bend to Downtown Chicago was about 168km, so it was a big day especially because it seemed as if it was uphill the whole time. The winds were gusting at about 60 to 70mph, sometimes it was a struggle to keep the bike on the ground. At points I felt as if I would be reenacting the scene from the movie "E.T" flying through the sky on my bike. Luckily that didn't happen but when riding I would look at the speedometer and see my speed was only about 8 or 9 km/h. It was definitely depressing at times.

I got to ride in some very different parts of the U.S again. Riding through Gary, IL (home of Michael Jackson). This was another city that the amount of broken glass was so astonishing that I had no choice but to just ride over it. The parts of the city were mostly burned out buildings or sidewalks and roads in total disrepair. Unfortunately I got a flat in a pretty rough part of town. But it was nice to get a break from the wind. After I was fixed up and made it to Chicago, I was tired from 9 days of straight riding but also so excited for a little break. It took me 12 hours to reach the city.... thats a long time to be on the saddle.

When I got to the South Side I rode past a house with about 5 pit bulls hanging out on the lawn with no leashes. I got on my toes getting ready to to sprint away. Sure enough one of the dogs saw me and chased me down the street. I don't know what it is about dogs, but they sure do not like my environmentally friendly mode of transport. Maybe it's because they love cars so much... sorry I digress. Luckily the dog backed away shortly after leaving his lawn, but our eyes met as he was turning and he sure gave me some cut eye. After a few minutes and still in a rougher area of town. There was three larger set ladies hanging out on their porch. I was riding slowly down this street to find some signs, being kinda lost in the big city. The three ladies stood up and started saying in a deep booming echoing voices, "Ride that bike white boy!!" As they danced around their porch. I gave them a big smile and kept going through the town. With all that in mind, it was a nice greeting to the South Side of Chicago :)

Esthetically Chicago is a really nice city, it is also bicycle friendly. The people I met were great and were really helpful. It was also amazing that I got to hang out with some really nice people that I had previously met on my travels. They showed me the real Chicago and I was so pleased with my weekend being able to learn a bit about where I was coming through. Especially being able to have some real Chicago Style Pizza!! But most importantly I got to talk to lots of locals about what I'm doing. Lots of people were intrigued with the distance and the bicycle ride. But there was a few people really interested in the cause which is really awesome when people are interested in talking about individuals with Developmental Disabilities.

Well I've been riding for awhile and days are blending together as the km's add up. Totaling roughly 940km's. I'm so lucky to represent people with Developmental Disabilities on this trek. I've been to some really amazing places and I don't want to forget them but its hard to remember when I whip through so many towns everyday. I'll have to get pictures up very quickly so people can get a better idea of what it's like on the road. But again that will have to wait another week due to some technically difficulties. So, I have to apologize.

Well I'll be back on Friday! Thanks so much for all the supportive comments. It's really great that people are following this because it will make this cause get more attention!

Thanks for reading!
Godspeed
M. Bursey.

Tornado Training!

I hope this title didn't scare you too much. But the weather is crazy!!!! I don't know where to start off, so much has happened in this week. So, I will start with... Tornado Training. When coming through Detroit, I was warned that there will be terrible weather upon me for a week straight. A great women from Ann Arbor lectured me for an hour on how to avoid a tornado. It sounds kinda funny but was actually pretty informative.

Sooooooooooooooo, to put all these last few days into a nice little blog. I will start with my first experience in a homeless shelter in Windsor. It was really eye opening and I'm so glad I got to do it. I am learning so much about people and how unfortunate some people are with the cards they are dealt. It's funny to think that I charged off on my bike to teach anyone and everyone with what I have had to say. But alot of what I have been doing is listening to what everyone has to say and listen to what they think about the treks cause.

I've stayed in 3 homeless shelters so far and they are full of such generous people that have nothing at all. The economic situation in the United States (especially Michigan is alot more desperate than I would have ever imagined) When riding through Detroit I was literally riding on broken glass for about an hour until I got out of the city core. But everyone I approached were really helpful and funny. They all laughed at my accent, and the distance I'm going to travel.

When riding through Detroit I was looking at my side mirror and to my surprise there was a cop pulling me over. He gave me the "whot whot" and I pulled as far over as I could... which was the sidewalk. I couldn't believe that I was being pulled over on a bike. I'm sure there was far more serious issues this cop could deal with but no... he was pulling over a cyclist. What did I do wrong, I don't remember committing any offenses. His first question was, "Do you have a death wish??" It first struck me as odd.... the rhetoric of the whole question made me think... Should I be smart or should I be compliant. Of course I went the compliant route knowing that being a visitor in a foreign county thats usually the best route. Anyway, he went on to tell me that he had never seen someone ride through that part of Detroit before on a bicycle. By the end he was very kind and wished me luck, but was shocked to say the least. There was no infraction.

The last place I stayed at was an addiction centre, in a small quaint village called Adrian. This centre was a truely amazing place... There is no words that will do it justice to explain what my experience was there. These young men from all over the United States were all aged within the 20 to 30 years. They all had serious problems with addictions or violence. But how they all took to the story about what I'm doing their reactions were all so positive. They all sat and listened most praised the cause, and wanted to learn. They fed me and talked to me most of the night. Talking about their problems and then I would talk about every day problems that a typical person with Developmental Disabilities might encounter daily. It was a great exchange and I was so happy to have somewhat connected with these guys on my short stay.

A funny little side note about when I was leaving in the morning I got onto the city trail to link up with the highway. On the trail were highschool kids riding to school. I caught up to them, they were on BMX style bikes so I cruised by them with ease. I grinned because the competitive side is always there and I like racing, even if the other party doesn't know. Next thing I knew they were all on standing on there pedals making ground to catch me. They all had huge smiles on their faces. I kept my pace but it wasn't quick enough, they eventually caught up to me. None of us said a word you could just hear the roar of traffic in the distance and the slight panting of breath. I dropped a couple gears and started pushing the pace. They were trying to keep up with all there effort on their bikes now. I looked at the speedometer and we were all travelling at 35km/h. Then I was started to get tired and started to really push the pace to try and get away from them. But there wasn't alot of ground to cover. I had to race these kids to the next stop light..................... they gained a little ground but I pulled up to the light first YAAYYYYY lol. At the light I talked to them for few minutes, they knew instantly I wasn't from the town and asked where I was going. I told them and they were left speechless. I said my goodbyes and took off in the opposite direction feeling quite triumphant. :)


To wrap this extremely fast week up.... I never ever expected to have learned so much in such a short period of time. The generosity given to me by people has left me every night lying on my pillow smiling about how amazing this world can be. I will end it there and say quickly that I am now in a town called Coldwater. The total distance of the trip is about 580km. I should be in Chicago by Friday night weather permitting.

Godspeed and goodnight
Matthew!

*I had to get a ride across the ambassador bridge in the U.S by a Van.... No bikes were allowed. I was given wrong information. So, technically I cheated.
*Also I will be updating this blog every 6 to 7 days hopefully and will be adding new pictures on the weekend hopefully.

DAY 2!!!

Well the last two days were crazy days.. Day 1 was a breath of fresh air and emotion. The whole send off was something that I knew would be a exciting time but I never imagined an emotional time. But I got choked up like all those cheesy celebrities on interviews or award shows. It was all the nice things people said about me before I got to say anything... I think it was a setup :) And there I was standing on a parking cement block (my stage) Getting all emotional, really one of my most cherished memories to date, beings so lucky to have some great people surrounding me. The whole morning was more than this fundraising crew could have ever asked for.

The ride on the other hand was a roller coaster of emotion. First I wobbled away from the setup not properly adjusted to the road yet. Feeling like I could fall at anytime and the trip could be over. I only could imagine what onlookers were thinking. Because If I saw a guy wobbling away with a huge smile I would probably laugh. Alot of the ride to Woodstock was an uphill climb but was very symbolic of what the everyone at Lawson Ministries is trying to accomplish with this fundraiser and what people Developmental Dissabilities have to deal with everyday.

I got knocked off my bike early in the day from a disgruntled trucker and smashed my front pannier. But nothing could bring me down. I ducked taped it back to my bike and was on my way. When I arrived in Woodstock the Salvation Army looked after me very well. They put me up in a room and fed me.... Thank you very much Mr. and Mrs. Strickland.

Day two was another story... however my great mood carried into this day. The weather did everything in it's power to bring me down. It froze me with strong winds, then it soaked me with torrential downpours. But flying through little towns and getting warmed up in Timmies rejuvenated me. And before I knew I was in London. After 130 km... I know it's babysteps to the finish, but so far im so impressed with the scenary and the hospitality of strangers... so keep posted and I will do my best to keep you updated on the progress.

Tell next time!