Dartmouth head football coach Buddy Teevens is no stranger to travel, having had coaching positions at five universities in the past 20 years.

With coaching stops at Tulane, Illinois, Florida and two stints as the head man at Dartmouth, Teevens has mentored football players in every major region of the country.

But the latest journey Teevens finds himself on doesn't involve arranging playbooks or breaking down game film. It doesn't even involve a football -- or an automobile.

Beginning May 7, the Pembroke, Mass., native embarked on a 3,600-mile cycling trek that began in San Diego and will conclude in New Hampshire. Teevens' son, Buddy Jr., will graduate June 1 from Connecticut's Salisbury School, and the proud father intends on being there, even if his limbs barely make the trip.

Teevens' cross-country ride is intended to help raise awareness for cancer research. The mother and grandmother of his wife, Kirsten, have been diagnosed with breast cancer. In addition, Teevens' grandfather succumbed to lung cancer in the late 1960s. He also had another relative deal with cancer and its subsequent remission.

As of noon yesterday, $7,865 had been donated to the Prouty, an organization aiming to raise money for cancer research at Dartmouth Norris Cotton Cancer Center, on Teevens' behalf.

"My intent was really just an awareness, but it seems like people are compelled to contribute," Teevens said. "I'm appreciative, and [the money] is going to a tremendously worthwhile cause."

Teevens originally had planned to ride through Pittsburgh but, after learning of the numerous hills and uphill climbs he would encounter in the area, he decided to veer north, passing through Sandy Lake yesterday on his way to Jamestown, N.Y.

Teevens, who returned as Dartmouth's head coach in 2005, said he has encountered several of the school's alumni and cancer research supporters the past few weeks and has yet to meet one who has not been personally affected, in one way or another, by the disease.

"There's been a lot of support from a lot of different people, kind of like a spider web effect," he said. "It's amazing where it's gone."

As amazing as it may seem, Teevens said his cycling adventure has had little affect on offseason recruiting.

"There's a tremendous curiosity when a head football coach is riding his bike cross-country," he said. "It's an eye-catcher, and there's been a lot of conversation along those lines. My staff has done a great job on the road recruiting. Overall, it's been a blessing."

The cross-country trip is not Teevens' first long-distance bike ride. Two summers ago, he rode from Hanover, N.H., to a family vacation home in Ludington, Mich., while his wife and children opted for the aerial route.

In preparation for his most recent ride, Teevens ran in the St. Louis marathon in April with his 20-year-old daughter, Lindsay, and finished in four hours.

When first told of Teevens' latest escapade, Kirsten, who has been married to the coach since 1981, said she could not help but be concerned about his well-being.

"I really wanted someone to go with him," she said. "I was worried about traffic. It was a safety issue."

As stressful and time consuming as a cross-country bike ride can sound, Teevens has found somehow solace in such a unique expedition.

"You sit all by yourself all day long, [and] it gives you a lot of time to think and ponder," he said. "It kind of refreshes you as well. Sometimes you get tired physically but mentally it's just such a refreshing change from day-to-day office stuff."