We made it!
In style.
So long as “style” includes a lot of suffering, a few existential moments of doubt, a bit of hitch hiking, and a number of ego crushing moments.
As anticipated (see previous post) this adventure proved to be the most difficult I have undertaken in many years. And that’s a big part of why it was extremely satisfying. I can say that now that my butt has recovered.
Here’s a picture of our journey in words:
12 days riding over 1000+ miles, 3 rest days, >51,000’ of climbing over 8 mountain passes, 11 hotels, 6 days of 95+ degree temps, one flat tire, two days riding through forest fire smoke, countless ointments for lips and bums, one lightning/hail storm, one broken wheel, 6 hitchhikes to find a replacement wheel, about a billion calories consumed (who knew cold tater-tots could taste so good!?), one drunk biker chick, 2 *very* sore bums, one pizza box fire, one very sunburned lip, one bladder infection, ~10,000 selfies, and a ton of fun.
To get the feel for our journey I suggest you take a few minutes to watch a slideshow or view the Photo Gallery (the longer slideshow has more short videos snippets which provide more “color” to the story):
5 min slideshow
9 min slideshow
Some rumination’s and takeaway’s from our adventure:
***Pain is temporary; the memories of fun and adventure last a lifetime.
***Friendship happens. Sometimes I work at it too hard, trying to force a connection. I had the most fun and the best camaraderie with Johnny K when I just let it happen.
***I listened to many podcasts during my ride. The Radio Lab podcast on the Limits of the Body was one of my favorites. Check it out.
***The American West is SO BEAUTIFUL. Some of the best places we passed through were the most desolate. If you can’t ride a bike then take a road trip. Roll down your windows and smell the landscape. Stop in the middle of nowhere — get out and be surprised.
***In any shared undertaking it is important to ride together at times, to draft off each other, to work together and share the journey. It is equally important to know when to ride at your own pace and have your personal space. Together, apart. Repeat.
***Doing challenging things makes me stronger (mentally and physically), but more importantly it makes me feel powerful, capable and committed in the world. I suspect this is the positive addiction that keeps me coming back for more adventure.
***Johnny K had a great acronym for those moments when he felt joy washing over him => “Spontaneous Emotional Moments Of Joy” or SEMOJ. These almost always came at unexpected moments, not at the top of a summit or overlooking the most beautiful scenery. Slow down and enjoy them. Discovering/Noticing/Savoring SEMOJ’s just might be the point of life, or at least a key to enjoying the journey.
***If you have to stop, then just stop. Up until that moment that you absolutely must stop, keep pedaling. After stopping, when you can, start again. Keep moving forward. Keep showing up. Every day. That is all we can do. Everything else follows.
A Favorite/Humbling story:
At one point we caught up with two riders who were moving slowly on heavily loaded bikes. We went sailing past these two riders, calling out a word of encouragement as we zipped past on our much lighter bikes. Shortly afterward we stopped at a gas station for a refreshment break. The 2 riders caught up to us and we learned they were a Danish couple. They asked where we were going. We proudly declared we were riding over a 1,000 miles from my house to Johnny K’s house. We asked them where they were going. Their reply floored us. “We started in Buenos Aires eleven months ago. We have ridden 23,000 kilometers so far.” Wow. My takeaway from that? Be Inspired. Go Big. Succeed or fail, have you ever regretted really going for something you are passionate about? I haven’t.
Happy Adventuring!