With a little more than I week to go, I feel excited and anxious about the upcoming ride. After thinking about riding my bike across the country for several years, I'm sure the three-and-a-half weeks will go by quickly. I'm anticipating many hard days but am also expecting a big adventure. Hopefully I'll have the energy to post updates as I go, although photos will have to wait until I return.

Santa Cruz to San Diego, California -- 500 miles

John E. showing up in the nick of time.

Mike S. overhauling his bike in the parking lot.

Mike H. I think he showed up to Gunn for a different ride but after I took his picture he was obligated to join us.

Ken H. sporting a stylish PBP jersey.

Tom L. 'Nuf said.

I didn't have any photos of my brother David handy to scan in, so I stole this from Tom L.'s site.

Some gratuitous pre-PAC Tour photos, including a Bikeaholic ride to La Honda. This one shows lunch at the duck pond. I had been aiming for blueberry pancakes at the Merry Prankster Cafe but it was closed, so sandwiches from the deli worked out just as well instead.

Bags of suspicious white powder (Sustained Energy and Endurox) that helped fuel me across the country. I think I counted several hundred dollars and tens of thousands of calories that I either packed or had shipped to me along the way.

My sister Marie and the incredibly adorable Little Man Cass last time they were in California.

The drive to San Diego today went well, other than the fact that I didn't give myself quite enough time and felt rushed toward the end trying to make it to the pre-ride meeting in the afternoon. I had expected the 500-mile drive down Interstate 5 to be tedious, but at some point I realized that driving to the start of a cross-country cycling trip was something that I never intended to do again in my life so I might as well enjoy the experience. In the rental car, I listened to new birthday CDs, ate left-over birthday pizza, anticipated eating left-over birthday carrot cake after dinner, and watched the miles and the WAL*MART trucks tick by.

Once I arrived in San Diego, ride organizers Lon and Susan seemed very nice and made us feel at home. There are about 45 riders on the trip, two-thirds of whom have ridden previous PAC Tours and probably have a better idea than I of what to expect from the experience. Also, the cyclists are from all over the country and have more knowledge than I do of the areas we'll be riding through. I guess I have a whole month to see how the trip goes for me.

I look forward to meeting Bisti, the PAC Tour mascot, tomorrow (Bisti is a dog Lon and Susan found and adopted on a previous trip). Tomorrow, on Day 1, we eat breakfast at 6:00 and start riding at 6:30. On paper the day doesn't look so hard, with 129 miles with 7500' of climbing, but Lon says the heat of the desert can make it one of the most difficult days of the tour, so we'll have our work cut out for us. As long as I can keep my spirits up I guess I'll be ready for just about anything.