Editor's Note: NewsChannel 2 anchorwoman Wendy Chioji is grateful to all of the viewers who have expressed their best wishes as she participates for the Tour of Hope.

Chioji has chosen to use WESH.com as her way of keeping the public updated on her journey. New diary entries will be posted daily throughout the tour.

WATCH FOR COVERAGE Watch WESH NewsChannel 2 for coverage of Wendy's Tour of Hope. WENDY'S DIARY An Emotional Finish Singin' In The Rain Rally In Indianapolis Chilling In Arkansas Monster Crosswinds Tailwind To Texas An Uphill Climb The Race Begins First Day In L.A. Preparing For Tour Goodbye Yellow Bike ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Tour Pictures Wendy's Team Clickable Map Ride Benefits Cancer Research Sign Cancer Promise Tour Of Hope Web Site

Well, our weather luck finally turned bad.

We got on the bikes Thursday night around 11, into the cold rain of Ohio. It drizzled and sometimes rained on us in 40-degree weather for 3.5 hours. The problem is, it's so slick out that you can't go as fast as you would, so you're out there even longer.

Coach Ivana rode with the whole team, though, and we had a blast. We sang songs the whole time, and realized that not one of us knows all the words to any song ever written. It was pathetic.

We piled on the rock-star bus and rode in to Bentleyville, Penn., which is in the western part of the state. After sleeping a whopping five hours, interrupted by moving from the bus into yet another Best Western, we are back in the bus and moving toward the transition point. It's raining again, and in the 40s, and it's going to be hilly, so it will be challenging.

I can't believe this adventure is already over, though. We are within 100 miles of rolling into Washington. Our last stage as Team Yego is about to start. The last stage, into D.C., is with the whole Tour of Hope team, including Lance and Peter Dolan.

My family is meeting me there, as is my Ride for the Roses pal, Giti, so that will be fun, fun, fun.

Wendy
Oct. 17, 2003

P.S. It's not too late to sign the Cancer Promise. You can follow my journals and track the journey here, or on the Tour of Hope Web site or FloridaRacing.net.

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