I rolled as close to the Mexican border as the gate would let me at 5:24 p.m. Monday, July 6, to finish the 2,700-ish miles of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in 24 days, 7 hours and 24 minutes. My parents drove down from Salt Lake City to meet me at the border, so even though the guard station was closed, I didn't have to finish alone. What an incredible experience. Feels strange to not have to pedal any more. Feels even stranger to be wearing clothes that I didn't just wash in the shower. I'm happy, healthy and still feeling strong. Despite a few mechanicals, minor injury and weather setbacks, I still kept my goal of finishing within 25 days, and still feel like I could go out again tomorrow if I needed to. Glad I don't have to, though. I took 731 pictures. More to come soon, I'm sure.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Made it
I rolled as close to the Mexican border as the gate would let me at 5:24 p.m. Monday, July 6, to finish the 2,700-ish miles of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in 24 days, 7 hours and 24 minutes. My parents drove down from Salt Lake City to meet me at the border, so even though the guard station was closed, I didn't have to finish alone. What an incredible experience. Feels strange to not have to pedal any more. Feels even stranger to be wearing clothes that I didn't just wash in the shower. I'm happy, healthy and still feeling strong. Despite a few mechanicals, minor injury and weather setbacks, I still kept my goal of finishing within 25 days, and still feel like I could go out again tomorrow if I needed to. Glad I don't have to, though. I took 731 pictures. More to come soon, I'm sure.
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128 comments:
Been waiting for this post Jill. Ben and I are thrilled for you - and so happy that you are feeling so strong!!!! Congratulations!
Fantastic-followed you on Spot & listened to your calls-felt like I was with you.
Congratulations !!!!!!!!
Congratulations! Great work out there. Ton of fun following you and the rest of the racers.
Congrats Jill! So glad you have finished it strong!Thanks for blogging!
-blake
Hope your write a book about your experience on the Great Divide. Sign me up for one of the first copies. You Rock!! Glad you got in safe.
AWESOME JOB! I became a fan of yours the first couple days & so glad to see you finish, can't wait to see more pics & read your trail tails.
Congratulations Jill, that's a fantastic effort.
Looking forward to the photoblog.
You deserve a little rest.
OK, that's enough, what's next?
Congratulations, Jill. You are truly a champion. You shattered the female record and are an inspiration to men and women alike. You did an amazing job!
In your modesty, you neglected to mention that you also set a new Female Course Record. Great ride...can't wait to see some of those pictures. It's been a lot of fun tracking you and the other racers, especially seeing how far into each night you still kept riding.
Great job Jill! I've been following along. It's amazing how you can ride 24 days straight and still feel strong. You are inspiring!
WOW, sign me up for the book too!
Congratulations hardly seems enough.
Martyuma
SWEET!! And the new female course record is icing on the cake . . .Mmmmm . . .cake . . .
Craig
Congratulations, Jill!
Amazing Jill! Great to log on today and check the call ins before I went to work...I can now face a day of annoying phone calls with a smile :)
Alex
Epic! Congratulations!
Congratulations, Jill!!! What an amazing accomplishment. Good job.
So excited to wake up each morning to see where you were. Loved being able to hear your voice on the phone calls and anxiously awaited your finale yesterday at work (I kept logging in each hour). Became a big fan of yours. Eat great food, sleep in a big ol comfy bed and know that you just lived the dream of many of us
Simply epic Jill.
Wow! Congratulations - truly amazing acheivement! I look forward to seeing the photos.
Congratulations!!!!
Jill,
Great Job! I have been following your Blog for about 6 months and it is great to see you conquer the Divide. I had to check your status first thing every morning and several times throughout the day. Congrats!!!
Jill...You are absolutely amazing! You look so fresh...kind of like you could hop on your bike and do it all over again.
Congratulations!!
WhooHoo! And you scored pie in Pietown. Awesome riding. It'll be great to see your pics and read more of your wonderful words.
Congratulations! What an amazing ride - It has to be a great feeling to be on this side of the ride and to be able to look back at everything you have accomplished.
I've been in awe of you making the race a personal challenge and I hope that it's clear to everyone, that you covered more distance than the Tour de France, in about the same number of days, without the team bus, the media attention and the doping. (I hope not the doping ;) )
Simply amazing, and congratulations again!
Awesome!
Good for you!!
Congrats! What an epic achievement. You are an inspiration.
Spin On
Yahoo!!!! Congratulations Jill!
What an amazing trip to be sure. I'd say the toughest part wasn't the bike riding but was watching your friend Pete hauled out by ambulance. Glad to hear he'll be okay. And so you will, after a long long long rest.
Looking forward to reading more details of your EPIC ride : )
Congrats Jill!!! Tour Divide...Check! Looking forward to pictures and stories from this adventure. Awesome accomplishment!
Congratulations Jill. Patti and I enjoyed meeting you as you rode through. I admire how you took this ride one day at a time and still had the drive to do it at record pace. Eat and sleep lots!
Congrats, Jill! Say, didn't you forget something in Canada? You'd better ride back and get it.
Way to go Jill. Can't wait to see some of those photos. Very impressive ride.
congradulations Jill. I can't wait to hear more stories and read more pics of the tour divide.
Hope you get some epic sleep now.
- Joe
Congratulations Jill! Awesome job!
Way to go Jill! Been following your spot and listening to your call ins the whole way. That was one tough ride. Give yourself a huge pat on the back because you deserve it. Congrats.
Yeah Jill - been checking in at least twice a day to see how you were doing - we are so excited for you - of course, why did we doubt that you would accomplish this - you are so strong and determined that you can conquer almost anything you want to. You are truly an inspiration to a lot of people. Get some much deserved rest. Tell your parents that we said hi and let them know that we are so very proud of you. Keep in touch with us and let us be one of the first to read your new book.
Way to go Jill!!!
kc
WTG Jill! Can't wait to read your writeups.
Of course now there is the downside of not being able to look forward to your next post/call-in.
Fantastic, and the fact that you finished relatively fresh is a great sign - it means you were able to get in what Kent Peterson calls "road mode". Just finishing on the first try is an incredible achievement!
With all the great route info now in your head you should be able to shave a few days off next year! ;-)
Congratulation Jill!!! I have been following you for one year only but you are an ispiration!!! Congratulation for your record ride!!
Ciao fom Italy
Stefy
It was Epic, Jill. And for those of us compulsively following you, the Spot tracking system set up for the TD was so much better than trying to follow you during the Iditarod Trail Invitational.
Superb job!
Way to go Ms. Homer. You rock.
Congratulations !
Mike In WI say's
I am almost in frigging tears...where do I sign to be a sponsor of Jill Homer
Mike In WI
Impressive as always! Can't wait to see your photos. :)
Congrats, Jill! Impressive and inspiring...
You rock, Jill. I knew you could do it.
Congrats Jill! That was a really inspiring effort. Thanks for the blogging and phone calls to keep us up to date.
Congratulations, Jill! Very cool that you made it and set a new women's record! What an impressive accomplishment. :-)
Yeah! I knew you would. It was fun following your ride.
Fantastic! Huge congrats. We've been following with great interest, and are so impressed. Can't wait to read more about it, and to see your pictures. Safe journey home.
Lloyd and Paula in Sandy, UT
Congratulations, Jill! You're a remarkable person...not so much because you finished, but because you started. That's what really separates you from the masses. Thanks for sharing your story and your life with us.
Wow, what an amazing experience. I've been following your journies for some time now and I was so happy to see that you finished this epic adventure. Congratulations!
Truly inspiring!
I've been nailed to the computer since the race started, congrats!
Now write it, print it and most importantly Sell It!
El_Animal
Congratulations! Awesome accomplishment. I can't wait to see more pics!
Wow, that's awesome! Congrats, so happy for you! Looking forward to reading more in the days to come...
Congrats,
Can't wait for a book to come out and read it;)
jill, congrats, so many of us have been living vicariously through you on this journey, what a rush to know you finished. you are such an inspiration!!!
Way to go Jill!! Had a lot of fun following you and the other riders & listening to the updates. Looking forward to reading your posts about the event.
Congratulations!
Outstanding. Thanks for giving me something to look forward to every morning at the office: your Spot page and your phone-ins. My little girls will enjoy this just like they enjoyed your Iditarod. You truly inspire, Jill.
Dan
Yay jill! been fun following your progress. looking forward to reading and seeing more of the race. way to go!!!
Congrats on the new women's record, and finishing it up strong.
Congratulations! You are amazing! I am so proud of you. You really can accomplish anything you desire!
Congratulations!!
Congratulations! I loved following your journey. I hope you take time to rest, relax, review and....drink a big giant Diet Pepsi!
Great job Jill! Wonderful accomplishment, thoroughly enjoyed following you on your blog and am looking forward to seeing some of your photos!
Laura
Piling on with a big congratulations to you! Though you already know it, you're one tough cookie.
VA Biker
That's awesome. You rock!
Congrats Jill! It was great getting to meet you and drive you to the start of your awesome adventure. Great job!! (I assume your bag of clothes and stuff made it to your house a few weeks ago, but let me know if it didn't)
I can't think of anything to say that hasn't already been said above so I'll just say "WOW." Way cool Jill and see you back in Juneau.
Congratulations! You did an amazing job. I really enjoyed trackign your progress on SPOT and your wordpress messages. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. You are truly strong in mentally and physically.
Kristina
Super riding Jill, way to persevere through those tough parts. Inspiring ride and now you are in the record books :)
Wow! Congrats! I'm excited to see some pics and hear some more stories of the journey.
That's a great achievement! Congrats!
Outstanding! 200,000' of climbing?...you rock.
Can't wait for the book (Goop Trails?)
Congratulations. It was an amazing journy. I have a hard enough time walking down to the store. LOL.
huge congrats! we've had an awesome time sharing your journey and look forward to more stories and pictures. you might need to have a special book dedicated just to this!
Congratulations and thanks for taking us along with you. Your awesome :)
Awesome! Congratulations! Truly EPIC in every sense of the word.
Congratulations, Jill! Both on finishing and getting the record. That's so awesome. Way to go.
Wow, congratulations on an epic ride! How does it feel to be a legend now? Add me to your long list of fans.
I am curious if you might write about your gear, or if you already documented that somewhere.
Thanks.
Dave in WA
Congrats Jill! It was so much fun to watch your progress. Sorry we didn't catch you in the Gila to provide some encouragement and calories on that lonely stretch. Can't wait to read about all your adventures on your blog.
Fantastic Jill! I followed you on spot the whole way.
I went running for a 1/2 hour last night without stopping. I'm really proud of myself.
Oh, yeah, and I guess your accomplishment is pretty cool too.
Congratulations, Jill.
Woohoo! Big time, nice job!
Next time we hook you up with tougher components....
What a phenomenal accomplishment! I will raise a glass in your honor and look forward to your detailed account of the race.
Once again you make me so very jealous. Rare to see one who has so many life experiences to draw from at such a young age. You are blessed.
www.loveandtwowheels.blogspot.com
Congratulations!
What a cool photo in today's post. Looking forward to some of the 731 others. Again, great job!
Congratulations!
wow, you da woman. you've raised the bar again.
Botched
well done. Congrats Jill. Have enjoyed following the ride.
You are absolutely amazing.
You are extraordinary.
(...and thanks for making my dissertation seem easy.)
I'm getting out on my bike ASAP.
You are an inspiration. thanks for blogging your adventure. Now all I need to do is sell the house and quit my job.
Congratulations, Jill!
Sorry I missed you coming through my neck of the woods.
Happy recuperating this week, eh?
Great job, Jill. Congratulations! I was so happy to see your post. Can you relax for a while now? lol
Huzzah!! What an extraordinary achievement by an extraordinary person. Thanks for taking us along with you on this fantastic journey.
WTG jill:) Just too cool! Everyone else has said everything, so I'll just say DITTO;)
Totally awesome! Congrats Jill!
That's great Jill, well done.
Freaking awesome Jill. Well done!
YAY, Thats what I'm talkin bout
Congrats Jill
Congrats Jill, record too!!
Wife & I followed/discussed your dot/ride each night
Great armchair fun
Marshal
Congratulations!!!! And you set the record!!! It was so exciting to watch the leader board every day!
Amazing!!!!!
You should be so proud of this accomplishment.
very ,very cool.
Dallas Sigurdur
Oh and get on that book:)
I heard Diet Pepsi is going to on the list of banned substances next year.
Congratulations!
Jill - The way this is epic defies words. Just.. awesome. I've done some crazy rides, I could never imagine what you'd been through.
Kudos don't even summarize - ROCK IT!
Ben
Ewwwwwww. Isn't that the same outfit I saw you pull out of Banff in??
Congrats Jill!
Great job - SuperWoman! That is awesome, impressive, and inspiring. Cannot wait for full write up :)
Yikes. From frostbitten to record setting. If Jill needs more of a challenge, maybe next year take the Pugsley. Only checked the last 2 mp3 updates as Jill was finishing. I love the matter of fact, another day in the park sound to them. Probably the best personality type for this sort of thing. But I really have no clue.
Btw - and just a thought - our Up In Alaska superchick pedals from Canada to Mexico, and Sarah Palin decides to drop out of whatever it is she was into. Coincidence?
Keep enjoying life, Jill.
jk
Tallahassee Trails
Wow! That is an outstanding accomplishment. I hope you get to enjoy some rest now.
Congratulations! 26 miles in a day is still my outside limit, so it is inspiring to see someone doing so much in so little time. Hope you can bask in the glow of accomplishment as you consider your next challenge.
I bought Ghost trails - Now I axiously await the sequel. You Rock.
Best wishes,
Brooklynite
Congrats Jill! Can't wait to read about it in your next book. Ever considered RAAM?
WOW!!!! Congfrats on the great accomplishment! Icing on the cake with the female record to boot. Will watch for the report and the next adventure so take care and you are amazing.
Congratulations, YOU ROCK!
-Gordon
Woohoo!!!
Whoo Hoo! Congratulations!!
Congratulations!
Awesome! Congratulations Jill! Enjoyed watching your spot and reading/hearing your reports. Can't wait to see some pic's and get some in depth commentary (that you did not have to peck on your Peek).
Congratulations Jill. So amazing your report. It really seems an epic race.
From: edu, girona (catalonia)
Great achievement! Selfishly, I am happy that your photos are back.
I liked blog,thanks Jill. So amazing your report. It really seems an epic race.
Wow beautiful and great race, I more like!
Congratulations! Great work out there. Ton of fun following you and the rest of the racers.
___________________
Smarry
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