For a few days now I’ve felt like I’m banging my head against a brick wall, except that the “wall” is made up of winds and currents that buck the prevailing east-to-west trend of this part of the Indian Ocean. I just don’t seem to be able to get past this next line of longitude.

This morning I covered the same half-mile of ocean half a dozen times. More of the Big Purple Ergometer exercise as described yesterday. Row out, drift back. By the sixth time I swear the waves were starting to look familiar. Or maybe that was just my mind playing tricks on me.

I’ve been through challenging stages like this before. On my way out from San Francisco I developed quite an intimate relationship with 114 degrees West. I crossed it 5 times in all before finally breaking free. On Pacific Stage 2 it was a line of latitude, six degrees north of the Equator, that was my brick wall.

I’ve learned you just have to keep banging your head against different bits of the wall until eventually you stumble upon the window that lets you through. It’s all about perseverance. And having a hard head. And, really, not having very much choice.

Other Stuff:

Situation unlikely to change in the next few days. The forecast is for a full complement of winds coming at me from around the clock – S, SE, E, NE, N, NW, W, and SW. If the sun would just shine for 24 hours a day, I could stand still in the middle of my deck as my boat turns with the wind and get a perfect all-round suntan, like a chicken on a rotisserie. But alas the forecast is for plenty of rain and stormy weather mixed in with the wind (as I write this blog, rain is pounding on the roof), so I may well be spending a lot of time confined to the cabin.

Speaking of my mind playing tricks on me, there is something on my boat, somewhere, that from inside my cabin sounds exactly like a dog barking. Whenever the waves rise above a flat calm, I hear it. Most peculiar.

Last night I thought I heard a kerfuffle out on deck (as well as the barking dog). I only half woke up, reassured myself that I was unlikely to have intruders, and went back to sleep again. This morning I found the source of the noise – a huge fish, about 2 foot long, was lying neatly between my rowing seat runners. Well, okay, 2 feet isn’t huge compared with a whale shark, but it IS huge compared with the 2-inch flying fish I usually find in the mornings. Not sure how this chap found himself on board, but looking at the size of his teeth I’m glad he was stone dead and stiff as a board by the time I met him.

My, what big teeth you've got

Expert opinions as to his identity?

I would love to see some LIVE wildlife on this trip, rather than all the dead critters that keep washing up on my deck. When I do, you’ll be the first to know!

I hear that the Climate Ride is arriving in Washington DC today. Go Climate Riders!! I hope to ride with you again next year!

Sponsored Miles rowed – but not quite the right direction.

Joan Sherwood, Courtney Elwood, Rebecca Salgado, David Swig, Bradley Kehoe.

Much more to come, but right now it’s gone midnight and I’ve been up since 6am and it’s been a big day. In short summary, 5 incredible days, many new friends, many miles crossed, many hills climbed. Although I don’t have the energy left for a full post (had 2 meetings this evening as soon as the Climate Ride finished) then check out the official website for today’s news. Tons of photos, blogs, and all-round entertainment. I wish I could keep my eyes open long enough to check it out, but from my quick skim it looks like a fun and rich overview of our incredible final day.

A West Coast Climate Ride is happening next May. I will be on the ocean, but if you can make it, please do! I just wish I could be there. San Francisco to Sacramento – important cause, and your chance to make a difference. Just seeing the calibre and the reactions of the politicians and diplomats who embraced our cause today made me realize just what we had achieved. I can’t tell you what a buzz it was to be a part of this. Do it if you can!

And incidentally, it’s great for your body too – I have eaten for England these last 5 days and have still lost weight. And my thighs have totally changed shape – for the better. This Climate Ride just scores on all counts – good for your body, and good for the planet!

Friis Arne Petersen, Danish Ambassador to USA, Talks at Climate Ride 2009

Today the energy flagged. I thought it was just me, and my lack of biking fitness taking its toll, but almost everyone I’ve spoken to has felt the accumulated weariness of 4 days and 234 miles. Even the pretty Maryland countryside failed to revive flagging spirits, and the rolling hills – some of which rolled just a bit too steeply – taxed our tired legs.

But this evening the energy stepped up again, with presentations by the Danish Ambassador, and Mike Tidwell of Chesapeake Climate Action Network, both of whom had some very interesting and stimulating thoughts on what needs to be done about climate change and what might happen in Copenhagen. Both the speakers participated in the ride today – very impressive.

Some of us are already planning a Climate Ride reunion in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, I’m trying to figure out how I can be of most use in the run-up to the conference. My presentation last night seems to have been extremely well received. I’ve been very touched and flattered by the number of people who have come up to me with all kinds of comments and compliments – on the video, the presentation, my speaking style, the substance of my speech, and my perception of what we need to do collectively to take action on climate change.

But seriously – who could have wished for a warmer or more supportive audience?! The true challenge will be how to elicit a similar response from a more conservative audience. With all due humility, I want to do my utmost to help ensure a positive outcome in Copenhagen, and at the moment am thinking of little else.

Tonight we are staying in the beautiful Pearlstone Conference Center. When I walked into my shared room and saw the two huge double beds and the private bathroom, it felt like I’d arrived in heaven. At last I can dry out some of the stuff that has been wet since Day 1 of the ride. I am writing this blog sitting in front of the gas fire in the lobby, enjoying its toasty warmth despite feeling slightly guilty about the fossil fuel it is burning. My green guilt gauge is obviously on high alert after 5 days of hanging around with such keen greens!

Writing this in haste. Early start tomorrow. Bike rally in DC starts at 3.30pm – and we have to cover 68 miles before then!

Other Stuff:

My minor injuries from yesterday were no trouble today. The nurse embarrassed me by applying an enormous dressing over my knee to protect it – way out of all proportion to the actual injury!

Today’s drama was a flat tire. Thanks to Michael Proulx for helping out a fellow Climate Rider in distress! I’ve been seriously impressed by just how NICE all these people are! Are greens the new good Samaritans?!

Watch out for us tomorrow – hopefully there will be coverage of our DC bike rally in the media. I’ve never taken part in a political(ish) rally before – I’m excited!

When worlds collide! Fantastic photo by Kip Pierson. More on the climateride.org Flickr page

Today dawned bright and beautiful over our campsite in a field next to the YMCA in Phoenixville, PA. After yet another hearty breakfast we set out through gorgeous countryside into Amish country. Even though the images are familiar from “Witness” I still got a kick out of seeing men in broad-brimmed hats sitting in tidy little horse-pulled carriages or working in fields behind horse-pulled ploughs. Favorite sighting was a little boy in a scaled-down broad-brimmed hat whizzing along on his human-propelled scooter, his left leg working energetically.

The undulating countryside was beautiful. A gentle breeze sent down showers of autumn leaves from the trees that in places lined our route, and it felt joyful to be alive. I was riding with a new friend called Courtney, who works in the ornithology department at Cornell University. We had a slightly ragged start to the day – she had a slight fall at a junction, and there were a few extra stops before we got into our stride.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last. By early afternoon ominous dark clouds were gathering, and as we were sitting outside a New Strasbourg creamery for a well-earned break, the heavens opened. We retreated inside from the torrents, and indulged in all manner of fudge, ice cream, caramel popcorn and other sweet indulgences. Ah, the benefits of burning off 2000 calories a day on a bicycle!

Feeling rather queasy and sugar-high, we set off once again down the puddle-strewn road. Shortly afterwards I had a mishap. I was riding along with Courtney and another woman. They were in front as we sped down a long downhill to try and gain enough momentum to get up the other side of the valley. At the bottom of the hill was a bridge where the road suddenly turned from pavement into an open metal mesh like a cheese-grater. A car overtook me, and slowed behind my two companions on the bridge. At top speed I suddenly had to brake to avoid running into the back of the car. My bike started to weave…. and splat! My bike and me found ourselves sprawled across the road.

It could have been worse. If I hadn’t been wearing a bike helmet, for example. I felt the impact as my head hit the road and my helmet cracked. My left knee looked quite spectacularly gory. I also had abrasions on my knuckles and left elbow. But nothing hurt, and I was able to ride the remaining 10 miles of the day with no problems. A hot shower washed away most evidence of my inelegant fall. And I was hugely relieved to find that my iPhone, strapped to my arm for convenience, had survived intact.

And it provided good material for my presentation tonight – a joke about how people often ask me if ocean rowing is dangerous, but I’ve suffered more damage today than in nearly a year accumulated time on the ocean. I like to tell people that we don’t have to suffer for a greener future – it is perfectly possible to live a more sustainable lifestyle without any detriment – but today I felt I did more than my fair share of sacrifice for the cause!

As I write this, No Impact Man (who was also riding with us today) is showing his film. I’d love to see it, but I’m very sleepy and it was a straight choice between blogging or watching the film before my eyelids close resolutely for the night. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to see it some other time.

Today’s stats: 64 miles, 1789 calories, 1 minor splat!

Other Stuff:

Please do check out the FANTASTIC photos from the Climate Ride official photographer, Kip Pierson at climateridelive.org. VERY highly recommended!

Please note: the Climate Ride organizers have plenty of spare cycle helmets, so I will have a new one to use tomorrow. Safety first!

Apologies for not including more hyperlinks to the various website – but the internet connection here is horrendously slow (positively Pacific-like) and my pillow is calling me… now past 11pm and breakfast is at 6.30 tomorrow morning! And I’ve got some healing to do…

We take shelter from the afternoon's short sharp storm (photo by Kip Pierson)

I’ve had better starts to a day – although I suppose I’ve had worse ones too. At least today I didn’t find that I was unexpectedly 15 miles further away from my destination, as sometimes happened on the ocean.

The rain had been unrelenting last night, and I woke up this morning to find that my sleeping bag was sopping wet. I thought I had been so clever to put today’s clothes down my sleeping bag so they wouldn’t be chilly this morning, but instead of being nicely warm they were nicely soaked. Wet biking shorts – mmm, hmmm! There’s a sensation to warm the cockles of your heart – not! But I was at least relieved to find out that my muscles weren’t too sore after yesterday’s exertions.

After my spirits had been somewhat restored by an excellent breakfast, we hit the road again. Today’s target was 66 miles. The rain continued throughout the morning as we pedaled through New Hope (gorgeous, artsy town with a steam train, countless galleries, and allegedly the third largest gay community on the East Coast) and Doylestown, where we stopped for our lunchbreak. I’m really enjoying getting to see parts of the East Coast I’ve never seen before, even though I’ve traveled these states extensively by plane, train and automobile. Bike-touring takes you through places at the perfect pace for taking it all in – as well as having less emissions and less environmental impact.

I was taken to lunch by Brandon, a fan of the podcast who I had never met before, but had come to Doylestown specially to meet me. Thanks, Brandon, for lunch – and also for the best compliment that anybody can ever pay me, which is that as a result of my blog/podcast/presentation they have now consciously chosen to live a greener life. This really makes me feel that I must be doing something right!

In the afternoon the rain gradually relented – although it couldn’t resist a final hurrah with a sudden and dramatic downpour late afternoon, just as we’d all taken off our waterproofs – and by the time I rather wearily reached the campsite at the YMCA in Valley Forge the evening sun had broken through. I pitched my tent and hung out my sleeping bag to dry.

Tonight we’re listening to a series of speakers – David Kroodsma who rode from San Francisco to the southern tip of South America, Markus talking about a green Germany, and now Alison – an extreme skier who has campaigned on climate change for the last 20 years. Outdoorsy people might have seen her in Warren Miller’s extreme skiing movies. Her presentation is excellent – full of practical tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint based on her own experiences. She very much walks the talk – she lives in an energy-efficient straw bale house she built herself, has quit heli-skiing because of its high CO2 impact, and uses her bicycle to tour between far-flung speaking engagements.

Someone who does extreme sports for the environment – sound familiar?!

Other Stuff:

Thanks for all the great comments in response to my question about reality vs perception of spreading environmental awareness. I’ve only had time to skim read them (sorry, been busy cycling!) but will take a closer look when I have more time to spend online. I really appreciate all the feedback – all helpful input for my trip to Copenhagen. Thank you!!

Today’s stats: 66 miles, 1965 calories, tons of inspiration!

Roz at the start of the Climate Ride - outside CBS in New York (photo by Dave Koodsma)

Seems to me that the Climate Ride is going to have a lot in common with ocean rowing. It makes me yearn for a massage, and leaves my butt sore. The big difference is that the scenery is a lot more varied, and the company is a lot more stimulating than during my solitary mid-ocean existence.

This morning the 100-plus riders set out early from the zoo in Central Park – but only a couple of hundred yards to CBS Plaza. After waving and cheering and being suitably “peppy” as instructed at the cameras for the Early Show we pedaled down Fifth Avenue at a leisurely pace, made even more leisurely by frequent stops at traffic lights, and then across town to take the Seastreak ferry to New Jersey. Then it was time to get down to some legwork for some serious pedaling en route to Princeton. A few early hills had me worried, but the pace was relaxed, and chatting with people along the way took my mind off the tiredness in my legs.

For a while we passed through endless suburbs, past some huge McMansions on enormous plots, before the landscape became more rural. I was humbled when I found out that my two immediate companions had both (separately) cycled the length of the Americas, clocking up 14,000 and 16,000 miles respectively. Today’s target of 55 miles suddenly paled into insignificance. But the weather was perfect and my borrowed bicycle,  donated by Backroads, cruised along easily.

But even the most comfortable bicycle doesn’t always have the most comfortable saddle, and my saddle soreness was exacerbated by the fact that on the ocean my gluteus maximus had become gluteus minimus after 104 days of not walking. So for the last hour or so of the day I was getting quite keen to get out of the saddle and it was a relief when the road started to meander through the picturesque and historic Princeton campus and I knew the end of the road, for today at least, was drawing nigh.

It was about 4pm when I got to the Princeton YMCA where we are camping tonight. After settling into my tent and having a hot shower the aches and pains of the day were already fading. I am writing this as I sit in my tent, between dinner and the evening’s presentations.

Pedal power - Roz en route from NYC to Princeton (photo by Thom Wallace)

It has been a good day. I’ve been really impressed by the level of organization. The organizers have excelled themselves in setting me up with everything I needed for the ride. Without their help I couldn’t have done it, but they provided me with a bicycle, cycling shorts, jerseys, tent, sleeping bag and camping mat. Each day we are given our DAAG (Day At A Glance) that gives the schedule for departures, mealtimes, presentations etc. Our routes are marked by signs at every junction. If we still manage to get lost, comprehensive handouts giving maps, mileages and directions help us get back on track. Meals and snacks are delicious and plentiful. And everything is utterly green – no disposable cups, plates or silverware. Tonight we were given some cool handouts – thermal mugs with fold-down carabiner handles. A lot of swag is not particularly useful, but this is definitely a keeper. Our Climate Ride cycling jerseys are really cool too.

But the best thing about the day has been the people that I’ve met. Many are involved in environmental work of some sort – environmental advisors and impact assessors, campaigners and advocates, volunteers and nonprofit workers. Amidst many topics of conversation, much has been about climate change and Copenhagen. The overall mood seems to be optimistic – but of course this is a self-selecting sample of people who already care about the environment and in the course of their work will generally come across kindred spirits.

I’d love to know what the bigger picture looks like. ARE people becoming more aware? In the UK? In the US? Elsewhere? What do you think? What is your perception? Do you come across examples of the extremes of attitudes, and/or indifference and apathy? I’d love to know! Post your comments and give me your thoughts.

And meanwhile, check out the ClimateRideLive.org website and take a look at the other blogs, photos and Tweets from the day. See you here next year?! Sign up now.

Today’s stats: 55 miles, 4 hours, 896 calories, countless friends!

Margo and me at last year's Ocean Champions reception. Photo courtesy of Doug DeMark.

I can’t believe that it’s still less than 3 weeks since I arrived in Tarawa. Already the 104 days I spent on the ocean seem like a fast-fading dream as I get back up to speed and start looking forward in earnest to Copenhagen.

I was delighted with the way that things worked out in Tarawa. Thanks to Nicole, Ian, Conrad and Hunter, I was able to leave the Brocade clean, shipshape and fully functioning, and safely ensconced in the Marine Training Centre.

Getting to meet the President of Kiribati was a very special occasion. We had a long chat about his hopes and concerns for his country. Kiribati really is on the edge of existence, literally and figuratively. Few countries are more remote, and with no point of land higher than 6 ft above sea level, few countries are more vulnerable. It boggled my mind to think how I would feel if my own country was expected to disappear in the next 40 years – the places where I had been born, gone to school, made friends and created a life, all gone. Yet the President is facing this challenge with courage and pragmatic realism. If only all heads of state were as clear-sighted about the impacts of climate change.

The President and I now find ourselves in the same place yet again, half a world away from our last meeting. He is in New York for the UN General Assembly. We’ve been trying to coordinate another meeting, but his schedule has been packed so far – as, indeed, has mine.

Roz Savage with Rep. Lois Capps. 23rd District, Calif, at Ocean Champions reception

It was a last-minute decision to come to New York for Climate Week, but well worth the mad dash to get here. At the Age of Stupid premiere I was able to do a couple of media interviews and also met Ed Miliband, the UK’s Minister for the Environment. Last night I was in DC for the Ocean Champions reception – a fun chance to catch up with friends and fellow ocean campaigners including Margo Pellegrino of Miami2Maine paddling fame. Thanks to David Wilmot and all the Champs for a great evening, and to Shaw Thacher, tireless activist and kind provider of a couch for the night. Great also to see Doug DeMark there, the photographer who earlier this year took some great pictures of a rather tubbier me by Chesapeake Bay.

I am writing this blog on the train on the way back to New York to meet with my editor at Simon & Schuster as we prepare for my book tour. You might have noticed we have a new section on the website for upcoming events. You’ll see details there of the book tour, as well as my forthcoming presentations – one for the Ocean River Institute at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and for National Geographic in Washington, DC. Both are open to the public, so I hope to see you there!

Tonight I’m having dinner with Naomi, one of Roz’s Regulars. This will be the first time we have met in person. We’ll be eating at Pure Food and Wine, a rawfood restaurant in Irving Place, NYC. Looking forward to it. See you tonight, Naomi!

Tomorrow I’ll be packing for the Climate Ride, a 300-mile bike ride from New York to Washington DC which starts on Saturday. I’m a bit worried about it – I’ve been pounding the exercise bike in the gym this week, trying to rediscover my cycling muscles, but I think I lost them somewhere mid-Pacific! I’ll be blogging and Tweeting from the road, so you can find out how I get on.

With Dave Wilmot of Ocean Champions and Rob Moir of Ocean River Institute

Assuming I survive the ride, the event culminates in a bike rally in front of the Capitol next Wednesday. All are welcome to come and join me and the other 150 riders. Attendees include Bracken Hendricks, senior Fellow at Center for American Progress; an architect of clean-energy portions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; founding executive director of the Apollo Alliance, Betsy Taylor, founder and President of the Center for a New American Dream, co-founder and now President of the Board of Directors of the 1Sky Education Fund, and various Members of Congress (TBA).

So life is hectic – but very good. No time to rest on my laurels when we have a planet to save!