Epilogue

It has been almost two weeks since the ride finished, and I am finally back in Bermuda as of yesterday afternoon.  Bermuda is never an easy place to get to, and this trip back from the States was the prime example.  The flight from Miami on Tuesday evening made it all the way here and couldn't land due winds and fog.  We made two attempts, and I never saw the island or water.  So it was off to Boston, where all hotel rooms were booked (apparently due to the numerous graduation ceremonies), and a night in the airport.

My last posting (from the last day of the ride) ended rather abruptly.  There was a lot to do right after the ride finished.  Get the bicycle packed, go to the banquet, say "good-byes" and so on.  In my case, my mother came to Savannah and we went to my new place in Amelia Island, Florida, the day after the ride finished.  I bought a car that very day and set about tackling some of the numerous details associated with a move (e.g., phone, internet, insurance, etc.).  I also managed to bike a little bit almost every morning - emphasis on the word "little".  My legs were still killing me those first few days, but gradually the pain went away and most (but not quite all) of the feeling returned to my hands and feet.  It is so strange to not be biking with a purpose - either training or getting to the next destination.  And it is very strange to be biking alone.  On the trip, there were many occasions where I was biking by myself - but I never felt alone.  I knew that there were always other riders on the road with me and a couple of vans that were probably just out of sight (and a phone call away).  And, as a friend reminded me, I also had the four of you that are reading this blog.

There are a few thoughts that I wanted to put down now that the ride has finished.  Some are comments that I thought about during the ride, while others are a reflection on the trip.

Training

As I said at the top of my blog, I had hoped that I would have trained enough to enjoy the trip, as opposed to just survive the trip.  If you've read my posts, you'll know that there was a lot of "surviving" on many of the days.  I did train a lot, but it is very difficult to completely prepare for a journey like this.  Jay and I had this discussion somewhere in Arkansas and came to the conclusion that a person would be in good physical and mental condition to tackle this ride five days after they completed this ride.

Prior to the ride, ABB sends out a pamphlet with several articles on endurance cycling training, which include "Tips and Training for a Successful Century" and "The 9-Day Countdown o Your Best 100-Mile Ride".  The articles are good, but... they focus on riding a single century - not multiple 100+ mile days back to back.   The exception is the single-page preface written by someone at ABB specifically for the Fast America Ride.  It says things like "get a 175-200 mile day in before we depart" and "go out on three consecutive days and ride 130 miles each day".  I rode a lot in training, but not that much.  A 200 mile day?  There aren't enough hours of daylight for me to ride 200 miles in a single day in Bermuda.

But if you want to be in shape to truly enjoy the ride, that's the type of training you need to do.  Before his first cross-country ride, Jay rode a 200 mile event in the Mojave desert that had over 8,000 feet of climbing.  He finished well after the sun went down and the batteries in his headlight had died.  He made it by sticking to the wheel of a guy with working headlights.  And knowing Jay, he had a smile on his face the whole way.  Jay enjoys every minute of a cross-country ride.

There was one area where my training paid off big and that is with saddle sores.  While I probably didn't push myself to ride fast enough in training, I definitely put in the time on the bike.  Consequently, my butt was well broken in.  At least half the riders on the trip were suffering from some degree of saddle sores.  When they get serious, saddle sores simply mean you don't get on the bike.

The Group

At the banquet, the ABB staff remarked that this was the most prepared and team-oriented group of riders they have ever had.  I rode with a great group last year and this year's was incredible as well.  I can't imagine a better group of cyclists to ride across the country.  They were in great physical condition.  They had an incredible upbeat outlook each day.  And while they were super-competitive, they worked like a team from the first day.   Each and every single one of them helped me out so much.

As I look back at the ride, there are so many various images of the days that come flooding back.  But the one consistent and memorable image is that of the riders and how they truly made this adventure special.  I'm going to miss each and every one of them.

The Staff

Safety is the number one concern of the ABB staff and it shows.  They are constantly looking out for everyone on the road and giving us advice on how to stay out of trouble.  A cross-country bicycle trip is inherently dangerous, but we made it without mishap (not counting the three trips to the hospital) thanks to them.  They feel like family to me, and I wouldn't consider using another bike travel company.

The Results

We rode nearly 3,000 miles with an average daily mileage of close to 120 miles.   My longest day in the saddle was over 10 hours.  10 hours!  I have a hard time imagining that.  What did I think about for 10 hours on the bike?  I don't remember specifically... but I know it was a lot.   My shortest day was Dalhart and it was 3 hours and 40 minutes.  That was also my most incredible day thanks to some awesome tailwinds.  I can definitely remember what I was thinking on that day.  I was pretending that I was that unknown French domestique riding in the TdF during the second week, and I had managed a breakaway as we neared my hometown.   Ride as fast as possible and don't look back.

From the time I started my most serious training in mid-March until now, I have lost about 15 pounds and my body fat percentage has dropped by about 7 points.  I believe that translates to a loss of 18 pounds of fat and a gain of 3 pounds of muscle.  Given that both during training and on the trip that I ate just about anything I could get my hands on, that's not too bad.  I remember falling asleep before 9pm in Prattville AL, waking up an hour later and groggily walking next door to the McDonald's for an ice cream sundae just because it was there.

As was the case last year, I learned a lot more about bike mechanics and maintenance.  I've gotten better at changing a flat tire.  I continue to be more comfortable on the bike, and somewhere along the way I managed a couple of track stands.  That is where you a) come to a complete stop, b) with your feet clipped into the pedals and c) keep the bike upright.   I've always managed to do two out of the three... but never before have I done all three at the same time.

Perhaps the biggest change is with regards to my speed.  I'm riding faster than I ever had in my life.  I did a 40 mile ride in Florida where I stayed between 20mph and 22mph for miles and miles.  And no one was pacing me.  Not sure how long that is going to last, but it is a good feeling for now.  And it gives me something to target or improve upon.

America

The great thing about living abroad is that when you come back to the States, you can see it with a fresh set of eyes.  America is big, diverse, beautiful and clean.  The people are great; especially the ones in convenience stores.  Maybe my view is slanted because our route took us through predominately rural areas.   Whatever the reason... to me, the country looks great.  I just wish there was a bike lane all the way across.

What's Next?

As I feared, I am already feeling all nostalgic about the ride.  I don't believe I pulled any punches in my blog; I think I did a decent job of describing how hard the trip was.  I had a few friends reading the blog who had previously ridden across the States, and I hoped to remind them (and me) how difficult a challenge it really is.  Because you tend to forget the pain and remember all that great stuff.   But I remember that first night on the road in Palm Springs.  It was just the first day and I was already in pain and exhausted.  At 1am, I was still awake and almost got up to send myself an e-mail that simply said "Don't do this again."

After about the second week, a common question among our group was: "Would you do this again?"  The answer was inevitably "No" (not counting Jay).  Not because anyone had any regrets, but because this is just a very difficult challenge.  It takes a lot of time training and a month of riding.  And the trip isn't cheap.  However, several riders expressed a real interest in ABB's Ride the West.  That is a trip down the west coast and takes about 23 days.  The mileage isn't quite as demanding, but there are a lot of climbs along with some spectacular scenery.   In fact, a couple of riders said they'd like to take their wife or girlfriend (but not both) on that ride.   Karen spent two years developing the route, and I think it would be a very good ride.  Especially if some of the riders from the past two rides came along.

Summary

My friend Jason, from Ireland, has an expression that he got from his father - "Let's go make a memory".  It means exactly what it sounds like.  Let's go do something that we'll remember for the rest of our lives.  It has become one of my favorite expressions.  So often, we just stumble through life with each day indistinguishable from the next.  We need to occasionally do something unique to highlight our existence.  I thought about that expression a lot all during the journey.  In fact, it was exactly what I was thinking about on Day 4 when I was climbing up that mountain in the snow and rode smack into the back of that parked semi tractor-trailer.  "Let's go make a memory.  Let's go make a memory.  Let's [THUD].... Ouch.  Memory made".

I made dozens of great memories on this trip.   Even weeks after it has ended, I can't believe what we did.  And I'm looking forward to reliving them via the pictures I took, the ones the staff took and this blog.   English Mike (from last year's ride) said that the most random memories of the trip come to him out of the blue.  It was a month of sensory overload... so I can imagine how that happens.  And I can't wait to remember all that stuff that we saw and did.

I may have dodged the question of "What's next?", but how can you top bicycling across the US?  Perhaps... doing it twice?