Fast America South, a 2900 mile, cross country bicycle trip organized by America By Bicycle, to be completed in 27 days.
I left Minneapolis early in the morning, and arrived at John Wayne Airport about 2:00 Pacific time. After a courtesy van ride to the motel and checking in, I went to the Del Taco restaurant for an authentic Mexican lunch. The team room would not be open until 2:00 so I waited.
When it opened, I had my bike reassembled by Mike Monk, the ride leader/mechanic. My rear derailleur was bent despite the AirCaddy.com box it which it was shipped by Fed Ex, but Mike was able to straighten it out.
I met several of the early arrivals and later we went to dinner to get acquainted. These guys have tons of experience, and I began to wonder if I could measure up. But, for now, we just enjoyed each others' company and their stories. We are looking forward to meeting the rest of the team.
As background about me:
I began spinning at RydeOn Saline in the fall of 2012. The next summer, some of their other clients formed a team to ride the Make a Wish Foundation 50 mile charity ride and invited me to ride with them. Also that summer, I was riding with the Greater Lansing Area Bicycle Club and met Ann Readett, who invited me to ride with a group of friends on DALMAC, the Lansing to Mackinac City 5 day ride just before Labor Day, 2013.
Well, that was such a blast that I decided to get into biking more seriously. I purchased a new Trek bike (so I did not have to borrow my son's), lifted weights 3 days a week and went spinning 4-5 times a week that winter. I was in great shape, rapidly increasing the average watts generated each time I went spinning. So, I rode 2 centuries back to back in Ohio that spring, then the Horsey Hundred in northern Kentucky Memorial Day weekend. I registered a full schedule of rides that summer and into the fall, including Mountain Mayhem, a 100 mile ride with 10,000' of climb. I was a few days away from that ride in June when, the following happened.
News Release sent to several news outlets:
"Where am I? What Happened?"
I asked as I opened my eyes to find myself in a bed with my wife and son looking at me. i was in the University of Michigan Hospital Emergency Room after I had been hit from behind by a car traveling about 55 mph while riding my bicycle on June 9, 2014 about 6:20 p.m. on a country 2 lane road.
Less than two years later, I am on a cross the USA bicycle ride from Costa Mesa, California (just north of San Diego or just south of Los Angeles) to Savannah, Georgia called Fast America South, a 2900 mile ride we will complete in 27 days averaging 115 miles per day organized by America By Bicycle.
I had suffered a hangman's fracture of my neck, a compression fracture of my L2 lumbar, four broken ribs, a bruised lung (I coughed up blood for 2 weeks), and cuts bruises, gouges and scratched all over my body. I was fitted with a neck brace and a body brace and had my C1 - 3 fused in my neck a couple of weeks later.
Before surgery.
A few days after the accident
I was determined not to play "the victim" and began walking five miles a day 21 days after the accident, got on my exercise bike as soon as I could and was back in the RydeOn cycling (spinning) studio within two months. 
My accident reinforced my belied that we need to look upon people "with disabilities" differently. We all have limitations - some minor, some severe. But we all have enormous abilities - often well beyond what we believe we have. The question should be, "What can we do with out abilities?" rather than "What can't we do?"
We all can achieve more than we think we can and often much more than the "professionals" believe we can. The professionals often get jaded and have their beliefs affected by the mass of their clients who allow themselves to wallow in their "victimhood". (And, perhaps they put restrictions on what their patients can do during recovery to protect themselves from liability suits.) We need not allow that to happen to us. And, by our believing everyone can achieve more, we don't need to allow that to happen to others.
OK, back to the story. ...... :)
I had earlier registered to ride a 100 mile charity ride and told my friends on Facebook and elsewhere that I still intended to ride it. I did, 3 months and 4 days after the accident. I would not have finished if I had not known my friends were expected me to do so.
Now I face a tough challenge of riding a challenging ride across the country with some VERY strong riders from many states and several countries. I have ridden many miles to train for this, supported by many friends who are following me on http://fastamericasouth.blogspot.com/ I invite you to become part of my team by checking in on my progress by logging into the blog while I take the challenge on day by day. At the end, you too may join my friends and say, "He could not do it without me."
Take away message: Just because I am 66 and previously injured will not stop me from achieving a challenging goal. You too can achieve much! Get off the couch. :)"
I committed to ride this ride about May, 2015. I rode 13 centuries in 2015, including the One Day Ride Across Michigan, which was 147 miles. I trained throughout the winter and spring, as outlined in earlier posts in the blog. My theory was that if I rode a lot of centuries in 2015, I would be mentally prepared for the long days on the trip, and four centuries in a row riding DALMAC was intended to serve the same purpose concerning multiple long days in a row.
Here is the planned itinerary. It looks like a fun challenge.
Next page
No comments:
Post a Comment