Riding Across America 2014

The commitment to ride cross country again occurred before I finished my first crossing in 2012. The finer details were more of when and if I’d choose a different route or even possibly tackle an unsupported ride. In the end, I could only stay away a year. I had followed last year’s ride (2013) via their blogs mainly to follow John F who had the horrible accident in 2012 just a few days from the finish. If his body would heal, I knew that John would be back because he had that quality about him. Most of my 2012 group followed John’s quest when he came back in 2013 to finish what ended in multiple fractures, an extended hospital stay and a long rehabilitation process. When he rode into Boston in late June of 2013, the XC-12 felt that our 2012 journey was finally complete.

In early July 2013, I plunked down my deposit for the 2014 ride. The decision to go with CrossRoads Adventure Cycling was an easy one. Tracy and her crew had become good friends; they took great care of and for the riders. Someone might ask, “Why ride the same routes again?” To put into context, most of my training is done in beautiful Forest Park in St. Louis. Every day, I see something different, something I missed on scores of other rides. There are different challenges because of weather, traffic and road hazards. On the other side, I am used to the terrain, know what to expect and can easily measure my progress on a weekly basis because Forest Park it is a known commodity.
So in 2014, I fully expect to see many things for the first time and to more deeply feel the sense of awe and wonderment that is now just a memory. Some of the memories are still vivid. You also feel an attachment to the places you visit. In 2012, the small communities of Yarnell and Prescott Arizona stood out in many ways. We left the heat of the Mojave Desert behind and began some agonizing mountain climbs albeit with some breath taking vistas. In 2013, 19 brave firefighters died battling a forest fire near Yarnell. When events such as this, happens after you ride through these communities, you feel a kinship with these people. You grieve along with them. Riding through here in 2014 will take on a whole new meaning.
The simple fact is that the 2012 ride was a great adventure. I don’t expect it to reach the same heights as last time, but the richness of experience to deepen. My hope is that certain aspects are a tad easier simply because, I know the grind of the daily routine and am coming better prepared mentally and physically. I could have chosen a different adventure, but I have less of a “bucket list” mentality and more inclination to repeat what I enjoyed and attempt to perfect it.

Is the Ride a Life Changing Event?
Someone recently asked me if the ride is a life-changing event. After a bit of thought, I said “No, not really, a highlight perhaps but not life-changing.”
I tend to look at the ride as \the culmination of many small changes over an extended CCperiod of time. Events may serve as a catalyst for some grand changes, the actual process of change begins at the molecular leve;. You have to integrate it as part of your DNA. The changes occur in small increments but via the miracle of compounding, they take on large dimensions over time.
I think of the ride as the latest stage or culmination of changes. Change begins with an idea, an inspiration, a revelation or an disappointment. Our resolve begins to formulate a game plan and we institute small changes and “set them in concrete” via habit. I never started out with the idea of riding across the country, a state, or even town. It was a desire to get in shape.
When we make good choices and implement small changes, it creates more and more opportunities. As the Chines proverb goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The ride is certainly expensive and time-consuming, but the physical aspects are probably well within the capabilities of most folks. You have to belive in yourself and come up with a plan that has little wins. There will be disappointment along the way but sometimes set-backs are a learning experience. The ride probably won’t change your life, but the process of getting to that point will. It is an experience that you will remember and a reward for all the energy expended.
Whatever, your motivation or goal, I wish you well in your endeavors. This quote by Marianne Williamson: sums it all up very well:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Training Plan for the Ride
Sometimes, I still think that I am in my twenties when it comes to working out. It seems that age makes it take longer to get in shape and it goes away quicker than when I was younger. However, we still maintain a great capacity for taking on physical challenges that I never would have contemplated at a younger age.
Last summer when I signed up to ride with CrossRoads again, I managed to get as fast (on the bike) as I had been for the last 8 years. My resolve was to maintain and build on that over the ensuing winter and spring. Unfortunately, the road to the proverbial hot place is paved with “good intentions”.
I gained a lot of weight and lost a great deal of conditioning over the winter. However on March 1st, I began training in earnest with the goal of improving strength, endurance, flexibility and weight loss.
Overall, I am please with the results although I am about 1 month behind what I had hoped for. Overall, I lost about 15 pounds, rode almost 3000 miles (including indoor spinning,. I typically dod yoga and lifted weights a couple of times a week. I feel that my strength and flexibility are higher than they have been in about a decade.
Overall, I would have liked to have more speed work on the bike and a few swimming sessions a week. Considering the weather, it went well. Overall, I feel better physically, mentally and emotionally about the upcoming ride than I did 2 years ago. and emotionally about the upcoming ride than I did 2 years ago.