Pre-trip final thoughts

Pre-trip final thoughts

Wednesday 8^rd May, 2019

 

 

 

This flight afforded time to relax and reflect on our upcoming adventure.  At the outset of planning for this trip, we did not realize how time-consuming the preparation and training would become, especially during the past 3 months. 

 

My initial thought, as I was watching the flight tracker map on the plane, was how daunting and seemingly impossible it would be to transverse the entire US by bike in 48 days.  The hundreds of millions of pedal revolutions required to petal more than 3400 miles with more than 90,000 ft cumulative elevation climbed.  The desert heat, mountain passes, heat and humidity in the Great Plains, days of head winds, rain ….

- Had we sufficiently trained?

- Should we have pushed harder?

- Was there a more fulfilling way to spend our time?

- More than 1 year of planning and training with a 6 month interruption due to be illness.

- 45 years ago (age 23) I spent the summer of 1974 biking Western Europe and had no physical issues.  That was 45 years ago and now Judi and I are 68.  Are we physically and mentally able to endure the daily demands of a 48 day 3400+ mile bike trip?

 

Like studying for a final exam, preparing for a presentation or completing a major project, you always think you need more preparation time.  You never feel adequately prepared and believe you could and should have worked harder.  However, afterwards you realize that you indeed were prepared and able to perform at you best.  I trust that this experience will be true for this adventure.

 

And as I reflect how my illness in some ways is a blessing as we are now much better prepared than a year ago, had we biked this trip in 2018.  This bike trip actually provided a point of focus as I regained my strength and drove the training.  I am now in better physical shape than anytime in the past 30 years.  We are now mentally prepared to endure the daily challenges and demands of cycling 3400 miles over 48 days.

 

Judi and I biked over 1000 miles during 6 weeks in Florida.  And over 400 miles in Spin class since December.  This biking hopefully provides a sufficient foundation for the upcoming physical and mental demands and challenges.

 

I have always approached life as a series of rewarding experiences that required effort and commitment.  The greater the challenge, the greater the reward.  We are committed and this endeavor is indeed achievable.  And we will accomplish our goal. 

 

As Judi and I have completed numerous adventures together, I am especially grateful to pursue this one with my life partner and soulmate.  We will have another set of lasting memories to share together.

 

Our mantra is:

  - We can do this.

   -We will do this.

  - We did do this.

 

As our trip theme states, “If life was easy, Where would all the adventure be?” (author unknown).