Big Ride Across America

Day 3: And Larissa Powers' Knee is in Pain

Taking evasive action in order not to ruin the whole trip.

Somewhere on the road in Washington...Update from the road: Larissa's knee is taped up and she is feeling better and ready to get back on the road. Read on.... Our intrepid bike rider Larissa Powers has hit a snag in her plans. Her knee is swollen and her patella ligaments are inflamed and swollen. She is taking extreme caution. For most of the way, she is riding in the Sag Wagon as the bikers head for Odessa, WA, some 83 miles up the road from Vantage, WA. The trip continues for the 17 riders on the Big Ride Across America for the American Lung Association. "It would be better for me to rest now a little than ride in pain and ruin the whole ride," she said in agony. Messages from all around are pouring in to her Facebook Page, hoping for …

• Photos (13)

Riders Shove Off on 48-Day Bike Ride Across America

The Big Ride Across America to benefit the American Lung Association is under way.

Gray, dank skies and light rain hardly deterred the spirits of the 17 bike riders who are heading east out of Seattle on the adventure of the summer time. These riders all gathered pledges then headed out yesterday morninging early in Seattle on a 48-day journey that will take them upwards in elevation of some 4,000 feet in the majestic Cascade Mountains in Washington. From there, its on to the long roads of Montana and Wyoming; the Badlands of North Dakota, then South Dakota and into the heartland of America, the middle west. The riders got their last-minute instructions, then departed Monday morning behind Emerson Hall on the campus of Seattle Pacific University. Many of the riders are blogging their experiences for a variety of news and…

• Photos (3)
• Videos (1)

Big Ride Across America

Big Ride Across America Began Early This Morning in Seattle

Seventeen spirited riders are crossing America as a benefit for the American Lung Association.

Picture this one: You stumble out of bed; grab a cup of coffee, throw on some biking clothes and get ready to head out for a little ride around the neighborhood. Only thing is, your neighborhood happens to be the United States of America. At 7:30 a.m. this morning (Pacific coast time), you and 16 fellow bike riders will head out for the adventure of the summer. These intrepid riders are off on a 3,300-mile journey that will take 48 days and wind up on the Mall in Washington, D.C. August 4. Along the way, the riders will cross over the breathe-taking Cascade Mountains of Washington; the mountains of Idaho, bike all the way across Montana; down into Wyoming then the Badlands of North Dakota; then South Dakota and a swing through the upper …

• Photos (1)