Last night the route was cemented in, by Erik and I purchasing the maps we will use for our cross-country bicycle ride. This is my first entry, so maybe I better rewind a little and then tell you all the places we will see.
At the end of February, my friend Erik started this whole thing by in essence challenging us to ride across the country on a bicycle. Yes two basically out of shape 40 something’s taking off for a 4000+ mile trek! Well at first I was hesitant to say anything. I knew that something inside of me was busting out to make it happen, but wow so many reasons game along for those first few minutes. 1. Out of shape 2. How freaking long is it? 3. Do I want to do something so hair brained? 4. Etc.... The list kept going and going and going. So I did what I am really good at... I stalled.
I saw my friend Mary Lou a few days later and she was one of the first people that I dared utter the words to... a trip cross country on a bike... Yes I had talked with Merc and all, but Mary Lou is a physical therapist (as well as a world class expert of all that is) so she said why not meet her at the Y and let her evaluate me. Erik kept saying, and a few web pages that I had checked out, that no one is truly in shape enough and that you ride your way into shape... Well Mary Lou was not convinced... She had me stretch first.... well my heart rate went through the roof.
I say it was the outfit Mary Lou was wearing, but....
So I demonstrated how inflexible I was and then we went to the bike... When I say I was a little rusty... rust started falling from the rust that was protecting the rust whose job it was to hold the rust on. I could see it in her face... We did a few more exercises and then she said, "why not ride a few days in a row and see what happens."
So that is what I have done... pretty much every day for close to a month I have gotten on the bike at the Y and rode. I can now ride up to two hours without dying. I figured that two on the bike is like one on the road. So if I can do a series of one hour rides every day... I might make it.
So since then I have declared my intentions. I have ordered the bike and purchased several pieces of equipment and here we are... The start of the blog that hopefully will carry you the reader and I across this amazing land!
1 comment:
Dude:
My sanitary consultants were going over your packing list. Three pairs of shorts and one pair of socks?? You might want to be sure to stay downwind from Erik, unless his list is similarly Spartan, in which case you might want to leave a few hundred yards between yourselves.
Seriously man, add some Ivory soap to that list...probably some TP too.
In truth, all of your fellow aging Rusties can only be jealous. We will be so jealous of how ship shape you are when you return to us here in Slothtown. Our dreams ride with you.
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