Well the last major preparatory ride of the year is finished. In 2 days I covered 142 miles and crossed the state of Maryland twice over. Before setting out on Thursday morning I had butterflies in my stomach. My sleep was poor quality and too short. I imagined getting a flat tire near Mt. Airy or Damascus or having some kind of run-in with a car or just having no energy left to keep pedaling. This was an ambitious goal for myself. My last significant ride was in August when I went to Baltimore; that was 2 months ago and almost 25 miles shorter than the ride I was attempting on Thursday. Nevertheless, I got up, put my cleats on and set off down the road. It's funny how starting to do something takes away a lot of the fear of doing it. Within 5 minutes of setting out I had a smile on my face and was pedaling away down Beck's Mill Road toward the Maryland state line. That's a lesson I'm learning both on a small scale and a big scale. I often find myself approaching hills on the road and thinking really intimidated kinds of thoughts like "This hill is way too big. No way I can make it to the top without a little bit of walking." But often by the time I've actually started the ascent I look upwards and the sight is so much less frightening than it was at the bottom. Sometimes I look up and it hardly looks like I'm ascending at all or I'm halfway finished with it a mere 15 seconds after starting. I think there will be many moments like this over the coming months.
Anyway, I arrived in Westminster, MD after what felt like about 45 minutes or an hour of riding and thought to myself that there's no way I was already close to getting on the main route I was taking down through Maryland (Rt. 27 to just north of Germantown). I've found that it's so easy to lose complete track of time while riding. I arrived in Mt. Airy where I was planning to eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich I packed for myself but decided to postpone that as I'm just so in the zone and hate to take a break that I really don't feel I need. So I wait until I'm just north of Damascus to pull off the road, get some more carbs to burn and take a bathroom break. At this point I was just feeling so "in the zone" it's hard to explain. I was in bicyclist heaven plowing uphill and downhill with a light wind blowing against my face.
Eventually, I reached White's Ferry to take me across the Potomac River into Virginia. At this point, I was about 30 minutes from my friends' home at this point and was jubilant that I made it to Leesburg! I didn't even mind that the last leg of the trip was on (the often congested) Rt. 15 going right into town. Fortunately for me rush hour hadn't started yet and there weren't *too* many cars headed my way. Thursday night was spent visiting with the good friends of my family and watching Sandra Bullock dodge one catastrophe after another in Gravity. Great movie if you get a chance to watch it.
Sleep was slightly less than I'm used to although the bed was very comfortable. Grabbed some cereal and milk, visited a little while longer, packed up my bags and hit the road. Friday was a *much* nicer day for riding with blue skies and warmer temperatures. Apart from this, the ride back was very similar to the ride down. There was one close call at an intersection just outside of Westminster where a lady did not see my bike as she was making a left turn. She saw me at the last second, slammed on her brakes and almost got hit by a car a few yards behind and to the left of me. Thankfully, nothing came of it and hopefully she'll be a little more vigilant in the future.
One last thing. And this is what is going to stick with me for a long time. Making the last few turns to reach home, a sensation came over me that I'd never experienced before. A sense of real accomplishment. As a matter of fact, I got a little misty-eyed. I'd made it. I had made it. I'd finished. All 142 miles. Done. And I hadn't walked at all. It was hard. It was a lofty goal. It wasn't a walk in the park. But I kept going. I'd planned it, prepared for it, started it and finished it. As I rode down Beck Mill in the opposite direction as I'd done the day before I had misty eyes but a big smile on my face. I just felt awesome. My arms were aching. My legs were burning. But I'd made it. And I just thought that if I felt like *this* after 142 miles what am I going to feel on reaching San Francisco Bay next June?
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
What I've been up to lately...
Well on Thursday I'm taking the (probably) last major preparatory trip before leaving next April. Here's what I've been up to since the last update:
1. Learning about bicycle maintenance. I'm not at all a mechanical guy so when I first got my Trek 2.1 (now named Fledge) I had no idea what an investment I was getting into. Especially considering I'd bought it for a measly $150. Modest estimates would bring the value of this bike up to around $2000. So for a long time I was treating it like a $150 bike. Read that "treating a Lamborghini like a Plymouth Sundance." It gradually came more and more to my attention that doing this was recklessly irresponsible and foolish. So I started taking much better care of the bike learning how and how not to treat it and what and what not to use for maintenance and cleaning.
2. A lot of short distance trips. On my ride to Baltimore, my host told me not to underestimate the preparatory value of short rides. Longer, of course, than to work and back but not so long as Baltimore. So I've been riding to Littlestown, Taneytown, Manchester, York, Abbottstown, and a few others within a 25 mile radius of my base of operations. Manchester has become one of my most common rides. I love it because of the hills on the PA side of the border but hate it because of the monotony. I have to keep reminding myself that such rides are indeed preparing me for longer and more interesting ones.
3. Winning a YouTube contest for a $423 Visa gift card! On October 8, I was on YouTube and a banner at the top had an ad from Liberty Mutual Insurance asking how I would spend $423. I typed in a brief blurb about next year's ALS awareness trip and thought nothing more of it. When I first received the email telling me I was selected as one of the winners of the contest I was incredulous. "What contest? I never entered a contest! Oh wait... I'm remembering something." So I'm now perusing tents, cooking gear, sleeping bags and the like. Still can hardly believe I won a contest!
So that's about it! I'll post a new blog entry next weekend after my 70 mile trip to Leesburg, VA where I grew up!
1. Learning about bicycle maintenance. I'm not at all a mechanical guy so when I first got my Trek 2.1 (now named Fledge) I had no idea what an investment I was getting into. Especially considering I'd bought it for a measly $150. Modest estimates would bring the value of this bike up to around $2000. So for a long time I was treating it like a $150 bike. Read that "treating a Lamborghini like a Plymouth Sundance." It gradually came more and more to my attention that doing this was recklessly irresponsible and foolish. So I started taking much better care of the bike learning how and how not to treat it and what and what not to use for maintenance and cleaning.
2. A lot of short distance trips. On my ride to Baltimore, my host told me not to underestimate the preparatory value of short rides. Longer, of course, than to work and back but not so long as Baltimore. So I've been riding to Littlestown, Taneytown, Manchester, York, Abbottstown, and a few others within a 25 mile radius of my base of operations. Manchester has become one of my most common rides. I love it because of the hills on the PA side of the border but hate it because of the monotony. I have to keep reminding myself that such rides are indeed preparing me for longer and more interesting ones.
3. Winning a YouTube contest for a $423 Visa gift card! On October 8, I was on YouTube and a banner at the top had an ad from Liberty Mutual Insurance asking how I would spend $423. I typed in a brief blurb about next year's ALS awareness trip and thought nothing more of it. When I first received the email telling me I was selected as one of the winners of the contest I was incredulous. "What contest? I never entered a contest! Oh wait... I'm remembering something." So I'm now perusing tents, cooking gear, sleeping bags and the like. Still can hardly believe I won a contest!
So that's about it! I'll post a new blog entry next weekend after my 70 mile trip to Leesburg, VA where I grew up!
Saturday, August 30, 2014
The Twelve Dollar Experiment
Everyone loves stories about underdogs. They're classics! Shire-raised Frodo destroying the ring, little orphan Harry Potter defeating Voldemort, non-militarily trained David cutting Goliath's head off, and on and on and on! We love hearing about how the little people doing little things accomplished something huge! Why do we love hearing these stories? Well because we are little people. At least the vast majority of us are. We don't have any real claims to fame. We're fathers, mothers, retail employees, office workers, graduate students, teachers and friends. None of us sets world records or competes in Olympic level athletic competitions. We're pretty ordinary. That's what this new fundraising initiative is meant to celebrate...
There are about 200 of us who have liked my Wes Across America Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WesAcrossAmerica). If every person on there were to donate $1.50 per month for the next 8 months to my cross-country fundraising trip next year, that would get me well on the way to affording this trip. Since it's hard to remember to send $1.50 every month and since $12 isn't really that much money, I'm challenging everyone in the group to give $12 sometime during September to my traveling fund. This way, I can focus all my fundraising efforts on the point of this trip: ALS research! If you want to give more than $12, that's fine! I'm planning to give all excess money to my good friends, the Trasks (whose husband/father Paul has been struggling with Lou Gehrig's for the past 6 years).
So that's it! Go to www.paypal.com and send $12 to me at wrosselet@yahoo.com or mail a check or money order for $12 to:
Wesley Rosselet
10 Lafayette St. Apt. H
Hanover, PA 17331
If you don't have $12 upfront, get a jar or container and simply put loose change in it at the end of each day. If you use cash enough, I can guarantee you'll have a good bit more than $12 at the end of the month. If you live in Hanover, you can even take that jar or container to the Woodforest National Bank inside the North Hanover Walmart and tell them you'd like to deposit it into Wesley Rosselet's fundraising savings account, the special account I opened just to raise funds for this trip.
If you are hesitating because you think of this as helping to send me on vacation, remember that I'm going to be living on the edge during this trip. If I get just $30 towards ALS research in each place I stay during this trip, everything will be more or less paid for! You're not sending me on vacation so much as helping me reach a wider audience. And don't be fooled! The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge may have raised a lot of money and awareness but I guarantee that there are a LOT of people who still don't know what Lou Gehrig's Disease is. Thanks everybody!
There are about 200 of us who have liked my Wes Across America Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WesAcrossAmerica). If every person on there were to donate $1.50 per month for the next 8 months to my cross-country fundraising trip next year, that would get me well on the way to affording this trip. Since it's hard to remember to send $1.50 every month and since $12 isn't really that much money, I'm challenging everyone in the group to give $12 sometime during September to my traveling fund. This way, I can focus all my fundraising efforts on the point of this trip: ALS research! If you want to give more than $12, that's fine! I'm planning to give all excess money to my good friends, the Trasks (whose husband/father Paul has been struggling with Lou Gehrig's for the past 6 years).
So that's it! Go to www.paypal.com and send $12 to me at wrosselet@yahoo.com or mail a check or money order for $12 to:
Wesley Rosselet
10 Lafayette St. Apt. H
Hanover, PA 17331
If you don't have $12 upfront, get a jar or container and simply put loose change in it at the end of each day. If you use cash enough, I can guarantee you'll have a good bit more than $12 at the end of the month. If you live in Hanover, you can even take that jar or container to the Woodforest National Bank inside the North Hanover Walmart and tell them you'd like to deposit it into Wesley Rosselet's fundraising savings account, the special account I opened just to raise funds for this trip.
If you are hesitating because you think of this as helping to send me on vacation, remember that I'm going to be living on the edge during this trip. If I get just $30 towards ALS research in each place I stay during this trip, everything will be more or less paid for! You're not sending me on vacation so much as helping me reach a wider audience. And don't be fooled! The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge may have raised a lot of money and awareness but I guarantee that there are a LOT of people who still don't know what Lou Gehrig's Disease is. Thanks everybody!
Monday, August 25, 2014
Baltimore
Well, I don't have that much to say about the ride to Baltimore last week. I left my place around 11 am Wednesday morning and had no trouble finding my way. The scenery was breathtaking from time to time, though:
Next, I took off for Barnes & Noble right on the water. I hung around there for a while waiting for my host to finish his work for the day. Eventually, though, hunger got the best of me and I walked over to Moe's Southwest Grill for an awesome Homewrecker burrito! After the long ride I'd had, that burrito was probably the best one I'd ever tasted from Moe's!
My host met me right around 7 pm and we rode the 2-ish miles to his place. I took a quick shower and then we walked over a bridge to the very artsy district of Baltimore. Turns out, there are several Korean restaurants within a small radius of where I was staying. I lamented having gotten that burrito. We stopped in at a bar with live jazz playing, had drinks and got to know each other. Upon returning home, we hung out watching a little TV with my host's roommate and then I headed up to the room where I was sleeping about 11 to check emails and then go to sleep.
After an okay night of sleep, I hung around the house until about 10:45 and then hit the road. The first 20 minutes or so were bumpy navigationally speaking. It seems that Google maps has problems with big city infrastructure. It was beautiful riding weather literally right up until I finally arrived in Hanover. About 2 minutes from my place, the rain started coming down and I was a little wet by the time I hauled my bike indoors. So that's it! Next big trip is to Greencastle, PA in late September!
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| Farmlands and rolling hills |
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| The texture on this road was really bump. Makes a guy who's had as many flats as I've had pretty paranoid. |
I arrived at the inner harbor a little after 3 pm. I swung by my dad's place of employment to say hello and relax for a few minutes. Somebody had baked cookies that I soon found out were meant as a prank for someone in the office. The sugar had been replaced with salt. Argh!Next, I took off for Barnes & Noble right on the water. I hung around there for a while waiting for my host to finish his work for the day. Eventually, though, hunger got the best of me and I walked over to Moe's Southwest Grill for an awesome Homewrecker burrito! After the long ride I'd had, that burrito was probably the best one I'd ever tasted from Moe's!
My host met me right around 7 pm and we rode the 2-ish miles to his place. I took a quick shower and then we walked over a bridge to the very artsy district of Baltimore. Turns out, there are several Korean restaurants within a small radius of where I was staying. I lamented having gotten that burrito. We stopped in at a bar with live jazz playing, had drinks and got to know each other. Upon returning home, we hung out watching a little TV with my host's roommate and then I headed up to the room where I was sleeping about 11 to check emails and then go to sleep.
After an okay night of sleep, I hung around the house until about 10:45 and then hit the road. The first 20 minutes or so were bumpy navigationally speaking. It seems that Google maps has problems with big city infrastructure. It was beautiful riding weather literally right up until I finally arrived in Hanover. About 2 minutes from my place, the rain started coming down and I was a little wet by the time I hauled my bike indoors. So that's it! Next big trip is to Greencastle, PA in late September!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Gratitude
I just want to say a big thank you to the people who have given of their financial resources to get my fundraiser to where it is and who have lent me a hand in getting ready for this long ride ahead of me. I'm not going to name names as some wish to remain anonymous and some don't even think they've made a significant contribution yet. There are a couple people who have taken time out of their lives to give me a hand training for this bicycle ride. One guy has driven upwards of an hour to give me a lift when my tires have popped. Another great friend took me out for a tutorial ride back when my new bike was foreign and a little frightening. Numerous people have given me advice and recommendations on how to prepare. The research fund hit the $650 mark this past week. That's roughly 22% of the goal. Another $100 and we'll be 1/4 of the way there! After about 4 months, we're almost 25% there! I know the economy is bad and right now many people don't have expendable income that they can give even though they want to. That makes that $650 so much more significant. Others of you have given funding for the trip itself. Maybe you don't see yourself as having contributed much but I truly believe that what you have given will be compounded so much as I travel! $50 will easily turn into a couple of hundred as people across this great nation get connected with what the ALS Association is doing. Thank you for your contributions to end ALS forever.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
There and Back Again!!!
As hard as my last couple attempts for 50+ mile rides have been, they were made up for by today's ride. I'm almost positive that the flats I had last week were the result of the tube not being adequately inflated, the added weight of the cargo rack/bags and improper riding techniques. Today, the weather was perfect. I was almost a tad chilly during the first 20 minutes to just outside of Hanover. The sun was perfect and the scenery (while I wouldn't use the word beautiful) was nice. The route wasn't overly complicated and I didn't make any wrong turns. When I told my waiter at IHOP that I'd ridden my bicycle down from Hanover, PA he was thunderstruck and brought me about 6 glasses of water. The burger and fries tasted so good after riding that distance! Just after leaving IHOP, I happened upon a very interesting sight which I think my former English professor, Dr. Prior, would be excited to see:
On the way home, I took a more straightforward route (a straight shot on route 30 right into Hanover). I had a couple scares, though. One driver wasn't watching me come up the road and started making a turn right into my path. I was able to brake in time, though, and I was in such a good mood that I let him off with an "Idiot!" instead of something a bit more descriptive. About an hour from home, *I* was the one not watching closely enough and hit a 2x4 wooden board on the shoulder of the road. The tire didn't go flat, though, and I chalk that one up to grace. So that's my story! This was the farthest I've gone on bike in a single day (with the possible exception of when I got lost coming home from Carlisle). 58.7 miles! The 50 to Baltimore next week won't even be such a big deal. But I'll get to see how doing 50-ish miles two days in a row feels!
Monday, August 4, 2014
There and [not] Back Again: A Cyclist's Tale
Rough day today. It's the day before my birthday so I thought I'd treat myself to lunch at an awesome burrito place (Roburrito's) and browsing at Books-A-Million in York, PA. The day started out really well. I got on the road at about 10:15 this morning and made it up to my dining destination a few minutes before noon. Great lunch. Had fun browsing at an actual legit bookstore and drinking a caramel frappe. Then came the ride home. It started out well enough but once I hit one of the main roads running through York, I got a sudden flat tire. It was okay though. It happens. Getting upset doesn't reinflate the tire. So I asked Siri where a bike shop was and she points me to one about 3 miles away. I start walking and arrive there after about an hour or so of walking. The staff in the shop are very friendly and knowledgeable and they equip me with an inner-tube and some tire levers. I start dismantling my rear tire and trying to get the thing on there. It's not going so well. After about 15 minutes of trying to get the task finished, I'm hot and sweaty with grease on my hands and still not making good progress. I ask the guy for some help and he does it in a matter of about 30-45 seconds. Internally, I wave goodbye to the last little bit of confidence I have about my ability to handle anything mechanical. I pull out my credit card but the guy says "Don't worry about it. This one's on me." I reply "Are you serious??" "I sure am." "Thank you so, so much! I really, really appreciate it!" I hand him one of my cycling business cards and say "I'm definitely going to have to get better at changing tires but let me give you this. I'm riding across the US next year to raise funds for Lou Gehrig's Disease."
So I'm back pedaling and thanking God for such an amazing thing to happen as a free inner-tube, set of tire levers and installation job. I'm shaking my head that it took so little to make me angry and upset and huffing and puffing. Then came the icing on the cake...
POP
Believe me when I say a couple of f-bombs were dropped upon discovering my SECOND flat. I had checked the tire and frame for debris. For good measure, I had checked them again. And then I thought "What the hell! Let me check it one more time." Nothing. A single pebble had fallen inside the shop when I was working on the tire and I'd thought that was likely what did it. But no. Apparently there was something I'd missed. I'd missed it three times apparently! I was about ready to fly off the handle and just start screaming and cursing like a madman. But instead I called a couple of my friends and described the situation to their voicemails. My mentor was the guy who answered my phone call and volunteered to drive the 40-ish minutes to York to pick me and my cycle up.
All that to say, I know this is all part of the process and there will be grace for each step of the way. Maybe I'm getting all these flats because that's what I need to get this practice in *before* I find myself in Nowheresville, Kansas with an empty tire. This is all a part of the journey to do something significant. It's often incredibly sucky but Lou Gehrig's Disease victims are worth the struggle.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
The Knee and Other Developments
It's been a slow couple of weeks as far as activity to prepare and raise funds. After coming back from Carlisle, I had to take a break from cycling due to my knee injury. The Monday following my fall on Whiskey Springs Road, the swelling still hadn't gone down enough and I was concerned that the injury was more serious than I'd previously thought. So on Monday June 30th, I went to a walk-in orthopedic clinic in town. The doctor took a look at my knee and said he didn't think any real damage had been done to the ligaments or tendons and suggested that I simply double the dose of ibuprofen and ice/heat the knee every couple of hours as I had opportunity. So that's exactly what I did. The injury isn't quite back to normal but there is barely any discomfort the last couple of days and the swelling has gone far down almost to the point where the knee looks normal.
Something that I'm constantly having to remember is that I have plenty of time to prepare and that I don't need to be busting my hump to get as far as possible as quickly as possible. I've got slightly less than 9 months until I leave, giving me a wide margin to get my distance up and build up endurance from this injury. I was planning to ride down to Baltimore at the end of this month but if I can't make it down there until even the end of August, that's perfectly fine!
Another cool development was the publication of my news story! You can check it out at http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_26085822/change-pace-penn-township-man-training-bike-cross! Since I hit the press, I've had a few people approach me expressing real interest in what I'm doing and asking questions about my plans. It's a thrilling experience but so surreal to see my picture in the newspaper.
New Year's in July is going well also! I've had a number of people tell me what they're giving up to help find a cure for Lou Gehrig's Disease and it's always exciting to hear how they're getting invested in this project. What I'm going to try to do is develop a new idea each month to keep the fundraising efforts fresh and interesting. We'll see what happens for next month!
Something that I'm constantly having to remember is that I have plenty of time to prepare and that I don't need to be busting my hump to get as far as possible as quickly as possible. I've got slightly less than 9 months until I leave, giving me a wide margin to get my distance up and build up endurance from this injury. I was planning to ride down to Baltimore at the end of this month but if I can't make it down there until even the end of August, that's perfectly fine!
Another cool development was the publication of my news story! You can check it out at http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_26085822/change-pace-penn-township-man-training-bike-cross! Since I hit the press, I've had a few people approach me expressing real interest in what I'm doing and asking questions about my plans. It's a thrilling experience but so surreal to see my picture in the newspaper.
New Year's in July is going well also! I've had a number of people tell me what they're giving up to help find a cure for Lou Gehrig's Disease and it's always exciting to hear how they're getting invested in this project. What I'm going to try to do is develop a new idea each month to keep the fundraising efforts fresh and interesting. We'll see what happens for next month!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
The First Real Adventure
Here's what happened on the trip to Carlisle this week:
I left my apartment here in Hanover, PA around 10 am on Monday and pedaled to McSherrystown where the directions started. The first half of the trip went about as well as could be expected and I arrived in York Springs (roughly halfway there) around noon. I contacted my host (Bill; his wife Gerri was unable to join us on the ride there) who was planning to meet me there and left a message detailing where I was on the list of directions. We met up on Whiskey Springs Rd. which is a bit farther than halfway there and continued on together. Shortly after meeting up, though, the first serious hills began. Towards the high point of the ride, I was heading up a hill when my legs simply would not continue on. I didn't have time to unclip my shoes and fell over into a grassy patch on the side of the road. The pain wasn't so bad but the swelling alarmed me. My knee had struck the bike as I went down and when I next looked at it, it was roughly the size of a nectarine. I hadn't ever seen something swell so large or so quickly and seriously thought my bone must have popped out of joint. But we took a break and then continued on. Upon arriving at my hosts' house, we put an ice pack on it and relaxed with some cold tea and water. I went out to run an errand with Bill and he gave me a brief tour of Carlisle. I got to see Dickinson College (where I'd wanted to go when I was a wee high school student) and Dickinson Law School. Upon returning home, Bill and Gerri showed me a slideshow of their cycling tour of Europe and shared a couple of their stories from the road. Then we sat down to a delicious dinner of ribs from the crockpot and a couple of sides. Afterwards, I took a soak in their hot tub to further help my knee recover for the trip back tomorrow. Lastly, I went to bed after watching a couple of episodes of Law and Order: SVU with Bill.
Tuesday morning followed a less than perfect night's sleep but I knew I had to hit the road home. My knee was still aching a bit but feels able to handle a little bit of riding. We ate a light breakfast of cereal, muffins and orange juice. Then the first bad omen... I discovered that one of my tires had gone flat and needed a new inner tube. Note to self: always bring a tube and pump with you on the road! Had I gotten a ways before finding this out my only plan was to call someone for help. Not a very good plan! Bill had a tube handy and showed me how to replace it. I'll have to practice it some more before I get it down but I have a rough idea of what to do now. Then I set out. Which leads me to mistake #2: Instead of humbly confessing to Bill that my sense of direction is unspeakably bad, I cleverly decided to try mentally reversing the directions he'd given me (turning rights to lefts and lefts to rights). It's not always that straightforward, though! Anyway, my first wrong turn happened about 10 minutes into the trip home and I rode for a while without realizing I'd missed where I was supposed to turn. Fast forward an hour and a half and I rode roughly 6 miles IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!! By this point, I was pretty frustrated with myself and losing my calm, cool collectedness. After traversing the high hills (walking for a little while), I was getting worn down and the clock had been ticking. Add another hour and a half and I was just too exhausted to continue mentally reversing the directions and I simply told Google maps to take me to Hanover, PA. It sent me careening through this unnamed, unpaved road that literally runs between cornfields on someone's farm. I was running low on water at this point and my cell phone was down to the last 20% or thereabouts. I just kept on keeping on though and decided that steady perseverance would win the day. Then Google maps threw a wrench in the works. Some of the road names were confused and it was sending me in two different directions. I rode for a little while and it sent me back the way I came. I got there and it told me to return to where I just checked a few minutes ago. At this point I was down to 1% battery and I decided to just ride straight on this one road until I get to some area that Google says I will reach. I didn't reach it despite Google's affirmations that I'd be there in a matter of minutes. I was completely out of water. 1% of battery was still hanging on and I decide to call my close friend and mentor, Bruce Schwarz. I prayed that he would answer his phone (he often isn't able to). He answered. I shared my predicament, all the time praying that my cell wouldn't die. He said he'd look up where I was on his GPS, call me back and give me some directions. I told him that if I didn't answer his call it's because my cell died. A few minutes passed and his call came in telling me that I was literally just about 3 miles from McSherrystown (a small village immediately next to Hanover). I headed south to McSherrystown and reached the Subway near Food Lion and just vegetated with about 5 cups of ice water and a foot long Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sub. But I couldn't move any further. I just had no gumption to continue. I called Bruce again and explained that I had nothing left in me and I could barely move. I'd been pedaling the majority of the past 6 hours using my left leg so as not to strain my right one with the injury. I was picked up about 6:30 and made it home after over 7 hours on the road and at least 50 miles under my belt.
Lessons learned:
1) Know your limits. I should have unclipped before my leg gave out on the way there and I took that blow to the knee.
2) Know how to change a flat tire on your next major cycling trip. This one was just stupid. I should have thought about the possibility of getting a flat.
3) Admit your weaknesses. I should not have set off to mentally reverse the directions Bill gave me but should have asked for him to print off reverse directions for me to follow.
4) Keep on keeping on. I did this one well. After a while of riding on Tuesday, I gave myself a pep talk saying "Wes, don't lose your cool and become upset when you make mistakes. Focus your energies on keeping going." And that's just what I did.
5) It's okay to ask strangers for help. Had Bruce not answered his phone, I would have gone to someone's house and explained my situation to them and asked if they could give me some water and either directions or some phone charging time.
So that's it. With every major accomplishment there will always be stories of hardship, frustration and inconvenience. This is just one of those. And the lessons I learned will be invaluable to me on future rides. I'm not at all discouraged now. Just a little bit more aware of what to expect.
I left my apartment here in Hanover, PA around 10 am on Monday and pedaled to McSherrystown where the directions started. The first half of the trip went about as well as could be expected and I arrived in York Springs (roughly halfway there) around noon. I contacted my host (Bill; his wife Gerri was unable to join us on the ride there) who was planning to meet me there and left a message detailing where I was on the list of directions. We met up on Whiskey Springs Rd. which is a bit farther than halfway there and continued on together. Shortly after meeting up, though, the first serious hills began. Towards the high point of the ride, I was heading up a hill when my legs simply would not continue on. I didn't have time to unclip my shoes and fell over into a grassy patch on the side of the road. The pain wasn't so bad but the swelling alarmed me. My knee had struck the bike as I went down and when I next looked at it, it was roughly the size of a nectarine. I hadn't ever seen something swell so large or so quickly and seriously thought my bone must have popped out of joint. But we took a break and then continued on. Upon arriving at my hosts' house, we put an ice pack on it and relaxed with some cold tea and water. I went out to run an errand with Bill and he gave me a brief tour of Carlisle. I got to see Dickinson College (where I'd wanted to go when I was a wee high school student) and Dickinson Law School. Upon returning home, Bill and Gerri showed me a slideshow of their cycling tour of Europe and shared a couple of their stories from the road. Then we sat down to a delicious dinner of ribs from the crockpot and a couple of sides. Afterwards, I took a soak in their hot tub to further help my knee recover for the trip back tomorrow. Lastly, I went to bed after watching a couple of episodes of Law and Order: SVU with Bill.
Tuesday morning followed a less than perfect night's sleep but I knew I had to hit the road home. My knee was still aching a bit but feels able to handle a little bit of riding. We ate a light breakfast of cereal, muffins and orange juice. Then the first bad omen... I discovered that one of my tires had gone flat and needed a new inner tube. Note to self: always bring a tube and pump with you on the road! Had I gotten a ways before finding this out my only plan was to call someone for help. Not a very good plan! Bill had a tube handy and showed me how to replace it. I'll have to practice it some more before I get it down but I have a rough idea of what to do now. Then I set out. Which leads me to mistake #2: Instead of humbly confessing to Bill that my sense of direction is unspeakably bad, I cleverly decided to try mentally reversing the directions he'd given me (turning rights to lefts and lefts to rights). It's not always that straightforward, though! Anyway, my first wrong turn happened about 10 minutes into the trip home and I rode for a while without realizing I'd missed where I was supposed to turn. Fast forward an hour and a half and I rode roughly 6 miles IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!! By this point, I was pretty frustrated with myself and losing my calm, cool collectedness. After traversing the high hills (walking for a little while), I was getting worn down and the clock had been ticking. Add another hour and a half and I was just too exhausted to continue mentally reversing the directions and I simply told Google maps to take me to Hanover, PA. It sent me careening through this unnamed, unpaved road that literally runs between cornfields on someone's farm. I was running low on water at this point and my cell phone was down to the last 20% or thereabouts. I just kept on keeping on though and decided that steady perseverance would win the day. Then Google maps threw a wrench in the works. Some of the road names were confused and it was sending me in two different directions. I rode for a little while and it sent me back the way I came. I got there and it told me to return to where I just checked a few minutes ago. At this point I was down to 1% battery and I decided to just ride straight on this one road until I get to some area that Google says I will reach. I didn't reach it despite Google's affirmations that I'd be there in a matter of minutes. I was completely out of water. 1% of battery was still hanging on and I decide to call my close friend and mentor, Bruce Schwarz. I prayed that he would answer his phone (he often isn't able to). He answered. I shared my predicament, all the time praying that my cell wouldn't die. He said he'd look up where I was on his GPS, call me back and give me some directions. I told him that if I didn't answer his call it's because my cell died. A few minutes passed and his call came in telling me that I was literally just about 3 miles from McSherrystown (a small village immediately next to Hanover). I headed south to McSherrystown and reached the Subway near Food Lion and just vegetated with about 5 cups of ice water and a foot long Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sub. But I couldn't move any further. I just had no gumption to continue. I called Bruce again and explained that I had nothing left in me and I could barely move. I'd been pedaling the majority of the past 6 hours using my left leg so as not to strain my right one with the injury. I was picked up about 6:30 and made it home after over 7 hours on the road and at least 50 miles under my belt.
Lessons learned:
1) Know your limits. I should have unclipped before my leg gave out on the way there and I took that blow to the knee.
2) Know how to change a flat tire on your next major cycling trip. This one was just stupid. I should have thought about the possibility of getting a flat.
3) Admit your weaknesses. I should not have set off to mentally reverse the directions Bill gave me but should have asked for him to print off reverse directions for me to follow.
4) Keep on keeping on. I did this one well. After a while of riding on Tuesday, I gave myself a pep talk saying "Wes, don't lose your cool and become upset when you make mistakes. Focus your energies on keeping going." And that's just what I did.
5) It's okay to ask strangers for help. Had Bruce not answered his phone, I would have gone to someone's house and explained my situation to them and asked if they could give me some water and either directions or some phone charging time.
So that's it. With every major accomplishment there will always be stories of hardship, frustration and inconvenience. This is just one of those. And the lessons I learned will be invaluable to me on future rides. I'm not at all discouraged now. Just a little bit more aware of what to expect.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
A Defense of Traveling Cross-Country
Recently, an old friend of mine posited that if I were to not make the cross-country trip, I could probably raise a great deal more funding for actual research. His allegation did carry weight as traveling across the US costs money. And not just a little bit of money either. Firstly, there's the equipment I need for the road. I need a good bike, repair equipment, supplies with which to maintain my bike. Secondly, I need places to sleep and eat. I'll be doing mainly camping and staying with folks on the Warm Showers network (www.warmshowers.org) and that's a whole lot cheaper than staying in hotels and motels every night but it still costs money. Additionally, I need food. Buying from a supermarket and cooking it myself will save a lot of money compared to eating out nightly but it still costs a bit. So I'll need a hammock or a tent, campground dues, food and equipment to cook with. And then you've got all the other stuff that is just part of life. I've got to make payments on my credit card, have money to get back into the swing of things once the trip is over and keep my cell phone in minutes. All that to say my friend had a point that I might be able to get more for research if I don't make the trip across the country.
I can hear you! "How's he going to dig himself out of that one?" you say. Here's why I'm making the trip across the country. I'll be staying at about 60 different locations over the course of the trip. If, in each location, I describe what I'm doing and what ALS is to a dozen different people and gather a collective donation for ALS research of $25, me going on this trip will basically be paid for. If I'm able to gather a collective donation of more than $25, more money will be going to help ALS victims than if I'd stayed at home. So when you give money to me for candy or just funding of my trip itself, don't think of it as "I'm helping Wes go on a vacation." Think of it as "I'm helping Wes reach a larger audience."
And I'm planning to contact every small/moderately sized city's newspaper a few days in advance to organize a story letting small-town America know about Lou Gehrig's Disease and the efforts of The ALS Association in alleviating the suffering of its victims. So sleep easy and know that your donations to my trip are not being used to pamper Wes Rosselet as he leisurely makes his way across the US on an epic vacation.
I can hear you! "How's he going to dig himself out of that one?" you say. Here's why I'm making the trip across the country. I'll be staying at about 60 different locations over the course of the trip. If, in each location, I describe what I'm doing and what ALS is to a dozen different people and gather a collective donation for ALS research of $25, me going on this trip will basically be paid for. If I'm able to gather a collective donation of more than $25, more money will be going to help ALS victims than if I'd stayed at home. So when you give money to me for candy or just funding of my trip itself, don't think of it as "I'm helping Wes go on a vacation." Think of it as "I'm helping Wes reach a larger audience."
And I'm planning to contact every small/moderately sized city's newspaper a few days in advance to organize a story letting small-town America know about Lou Gehrig's Disease and the efforts of The ALS Association in alleviating the suffering of its victims. So sleep easy and know that your donations to my trip are not being used to pamper Wes Rosselet as he leisurely makes his way across the US on an epic vacation.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
New Years in July
Something I realized after February rolled around and the couple of New Year's resolutions I'd made had started to fade was that January 1 is a lousy time of year for making resolutions. The weather for the next 2-1/2 months pretty much stinks and a lot of keeping up resolutions comes down to our emotional state at the time. I thought to myself, "If only the first week of April was the time when our civilization decided what they were going to change, I bet we'd see a lot more people keeping their resolutions." Certainly not 100% of us would keep them but I bet a few more would. So here's your chance!
I'm challenging each and every one of you to change something in your life. Specifically, I'm asking you to look at your spending habits and find something that you're spending money on that is neither good for you nor really truly makes you happy. For me, it's energy drinks/ candy at work. I like it but it's really not good for me nor does it really make my day. Maybe for you it's a daily lunch at McDonald's or Taco Bell. Or maybe your 5 cups of coffee every morning. Or something more extravagant, perhaps. Maybe you feel compelled to go see movies every weekend. Or your video game addiction. Maybe you keep buying apps for your iPhone or Android. Whatever it is, here's what I want you to do: figure out how much money your addiction/habit costs you each month, resolve to set that money aside, and at the end of July (or several times during the month if that's helpful) give that money towards finding a cure for ALS.
This money does NOT go to help me out on the road; it's going to help people who are dying of a terminal disease; people in many cases who do not have good insurance and this disease is costing them money they don't have. By giving up your entrenched habit you are becoming healthier AND helping a person that literally can't help themselves. And this doesn't have to end on July 31st! I would really encourage you to continue this on an ongoing basis. But at least for 1 month. It won't kill you and it's literally helping to save lives. How about it, guys? And if you need accountability, email me at wrosselet@yahoo.com for ongoing morale support! Together, real change is possible.
PS: Donations can be made directly on the right side of my blog at the link "Donate to Wes' Cause". This page goes directly to my 3rd party event page on The ALS Association's website. All that money goes directly to find a cure and care for ALS patients.
I'm challenging each and every one of you to change something in your life. Specifically, I'm asking you to look at your spending habits and find something that you're spending money on that is neither good for you nor really truly makes you happy. For me, it's energy drinks/ candy at work. I like it but it's really not good for me nor does it really make my day. Maybe for you it's a daily lunch at McDonald's or Taco Bell. Or maybe your 5 cups of coffee every morning. Or something more extravagant, perhaps. Maybe you feel compelled to go see movies every weekend. Or your video game addiction. Maybe you keep buying apps for your iPhone or Android. Whatever it is, here's what I want you to do: figure out how much money your addiction/habit costs you each month, resolve to set that money aside, and at the end of July (or several times during the month if that's helpful) give that money towards finding a cure for ALS.
This money does NOT go to help me out on the road; it's going to help people who are dying of a terminal disease; people in many cases who do not have good insurance and this disease is costing them money they don't have. By giving up your entrenched habit you are becoming healthier AND helping a person that literally can't help themselves. And this doesn't have to end on July 31st! I would really encourage you to continue this on an ongoing basis. But at least for 1 month. It won't kill you and it's literally helping to save lives. How about it, guys? And if you need accountability, email me at wrosselet@yahoo.com for ongoing morale support! Together, real change is possible.
PS: Donations can be made directly on the right side of my blog at the link "Donate to Wes' Cause". This page goes directly to my 3rd party event page on The ALS Association's website. All that money goes directly to find a cure and care for ALS patients.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Vlog #2: A Ride to Gettysburg and an Experiment
Vlog #2
Ahhhhh... the peaceful Pennsylvania countryside
The Majestic Theater in Downtown Gettysburg, PA
I'd never been to this area of G-burg before. Only the National Military Park and Visitor's Center.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Something Worth Fighting
Ya know that stuff that you do every single day but don't even think about? Stuff like walking, talking, giving a hug, chuckling, burping, sneezing and all that? We all do it without even thinking. It's just normal, everyday stuff that almost every person on the planet does. When we see something hilarious on TV we let the laughter ripple out from us. When our friends have a bad day we give them a hug and a chance to vent to us. When we're wanting to get out and enjoy nice weather we go for a walk or a bike ride or a drive through the countryside with the windows down. Now take just a second and imagine with me. No seriously, imagine with me. Imagine that all those things were gradually taken away from you. Little by little, you lost your ability to walk. Then one day your speech started becoming slurred and it was a little harder for people to understand you. And then you started having to write down what you wanted to say. And then your hands stopped working and the only way you could communicate was with your eyes. You couldn't walk or laugh or tell someone how you were feeling. Gradually, you became sealed in between your two ears. You were fully aware of everything going on around you but couldn't express yourself at all. You couldn't eat any of your favorite foods. You couldn't scratch a mosquito bite. You couldn't even wipe yourself in the bathroom. Can you imagine someone having to accompany you into the bathroom to wipe you? This is what people with Lou Gehrig's Disease deal with every single day. But not only this. They also have the knowledge that death is coming quickly. They don't know what day might be their last and they aren't able to tell anyone that they love them or that seeing them made their day better. They are a mind trapped inside a body which knows that death is coming and nothing will prolong their life.
This is something worth fighting. Give an ALS patient some hope and some help today and donate to the search for a cure.
http://webwpawv.alsa.org/site/TR/3rdParty/WesternPennsylvania?team_id=283063&pg=team&fr_id=10596
This is something worth fighting. Give an ALS patient some hope and some help today and donate to the search for a cure.
http://webwpawv.alsa.org/site/TR/3rdParty/WesternPennsylvania?team_id=283063&pg=team&fr_id=10596
Monday, June 9, 2014
What I Did This Week
Here's a list of what I did this past week to prepare:
1. I had a tutorial on clipless-pedal bikes from a cycling friend.
2. I arranged for 100 paper brochures to be printed from Minuteman Press on Carlisle St. to aid me in my fundraising ventures.
3. I practiced riding around town on Sunday then rode out of town on Carlisle Rd. (altogether about 10 miles, I think)
4. Contacted REI about corporate sponsorship but was turned down on the basis of health/medical issues not being one of their areas of focus.
5. Contacted Liberty University's Alumni Relations Office but the management was out. Will follow up on Thursday if I haven't heard anything from them.
6. Had my picture taken by York Daily Record for a story they will be releasing shortly.
7. Rode from Hanover, PA to Manchester, MD and back for a total of about 22 miles.
8. I bought candy for fundraising and gloves and sunglasses for riding.
I know what you're thinking! Booooooooriiiiiiinnnnnngggggg! Life isn't always glamorous. I'm still learning to enjoy the mundane aspects of life. There are many of them and they can be wonderful beyond words! For instance, feeling the sunshine and wind on my face as I rode downhill just past the Maryland state border? Inexpressibly wonderful! This trip isn't about getting to San Francisco as much as it is about enjoying riding across the US and seeing people's lives changed as research funding and awareness of ALS are raised. And that's what is great about a bicycle! It keeps things moving slowly enough that very few simple pleasures are missed along the way.
1. I had a tutorial on clipless-pedal bikes from a cycling friend.
2. I arranged for 100 paper brochures to be printed from Minuteman Press on Carlisle St. to aid me in my fundraising ventures.
3. I practiced riding around town on Sunday then rode out of town on Carlisle Rd. (altogether about 10 miles, I think)
4. Contacted REI about corporate sponsorship but was turned down on the basis of health/medical issues not being one of their areas of focus.
5. Contacted Liberty University's Alumni Relations Office but the management was out. Will follow up on Thursday if I haven't heard anything from them.
6. Had my picture taken by York Daily Record for a story they will be releasing shortly.
7. Rode from Hanover, PA to Manchester, MD and back for a total of about 22 miles.
8. I bought candy for fundraising and gloves and sunglasses for riding.
I know what you're thinking! Booooooooriiiiiiinnnnnngggggg! Life isn't always glamorous. I'm still learning to enjoy the mundane aspects of life. There are many of them and they can be wonderful beyond words! For instance, feeling the sunshine and wind on my face as I rode downhill just past the Maryland state border? Inexpressibly wonderful! This trip isn't about getting to San Francisco as much as it is about enjoying riding across the US and seeing people's lives changed as research funding and awareness of ALS are raised. And that's what is great about a bicycle! It keeps things moving slowly enough that very few simple pleasures are missed along the way.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Momentary Darkness
Well after picking up the bike on Sunday evening, I was pumped and ready to start training! I got up at the crack of dawn on Monday morning to ride to work on my new vehicle. That's when the problems began. Riding on the way to work wasn't hard but I realized that this was going to take some practice. My body is in a completely different position with this bike than with any other I've ever ridden. I don't understand how the gears work. And my shoes clip onto the pedals so when I'm coming to a stop, I have to unclip or fall over on my side. Going home was a nightmare. Firstly, I was tired after being at Walmart for roughly 9 hours. Secondly, it was hot outside and I was in my Walmart khakis and navy blue shirt. Thirdly, Hanover's roads were packed. Cars everywhere. I got to a gas station about a 30 minute walk from my house and pulled onto the sidewalk. I was fuming at myself. So angry, irritated and bitter. I stood there for probably 10 minutes just letting negative thoughts spiral out of control while I pissed and moaned on a Facebook status. But eventually I gave myself a pep-talk and decided to walk the rest of the way home. I unclipped my cleats, stuck them in my backpack and headed off for home. The pep-talk helped a lot so I was in a relatively decent mood coming home although I was still sweaty as all get out and stressed about the phone interview I was going to have with The York Daily Record when I got home (which went pretty well if you're wondering).
All that to say, this isn't all super-fun, exciting, thrilling, and inspirational. This is a hard thing I'm doing and I truly realize that. I've been told that it's a rite of passage to go from the kind of bike which I *was* riding to a really serious road bicycle. And a friend told me that if you haven't fallen over with the clipless pedals, you haven't yet joined the club of serious cyclists. So I feel accomplished. I came close to falling over a couple of times on Monday and went all the way once. I'm giving myself a chance to acclimatize to this new style of bike and I'm getting some help tomorrow night from my cycling friend. I am sure there will be more than a couple of times on my cross-country trek when I want to throw in the towel and give up the tour but I'll make it by the grace of God and the help of my friends!
All that to say, this isn't all super-fun, exciting, thrilling, and inspirational. This is a hard thing I'm doing and I truly realize that. I've been told that it's a rite of passage to go from the kind of bike which I *was* riding to a really serious road bicycle. And a friend told me that if you haven't fallen over with the clipless pedals, you haven't yet joined the club of serious cyclists. So I feel accomplished. I came close to falling over a couple of times on Monday and went all the way once. I'm giving myself a chance to acclimatize to this new style of bike and I'm getting some help tomorrow night from my cycling friend. I am sure there will be more than a couple of times on my cross-country trek when I want to throw in the towel and give up the tour but I'll make it by the grace of God and the help of my friends!
Sunday, June 1, 2014
A bike! A bike! My kingdom for a bike!
Well I now have the bike I will more than likely use for my trans-American trip next year. And if I had to sum up the story of how I got it in one word, it would be this: grace. Sheer grace is how this worked out. I didn't realize it going in but this entire thing is literally just bathed in grace. Unmerited, undeserved, reckless. Let me share:
Late last year (I've forgotten exactly when), the bike I was given by my folks suffered setback after setback after setback. Rusty gears, bent wheel frames, popped tire after popped tire. I finally ran out of money to keep fixing it so I gave up and walked to work for a few weeks until a guy at my church lent me his just so I wouldn't have to be walking all winter long. It was only a temporary solution, though, and he'd need it back once the weather started getting nice again. So when this trip idea suddenly came up I thought to myself, "You've only got a temporary bike. You should keep your gym membership so you can keep working out there until you can afford a good touring bike." Now for those of you who aren't aware, new touring bikes *usually* run about $600+ for a decent model. If you want one that is really good quality, you should be prepared to spend $1100 or thereabouts. I hoped that I could maybe get my hands on a second-hand one from a friend for $400ish but my hopes weren't high. So just as I'm thinking about all this a guy from my church posts about a bicycle that he's selling so I decide to pursue it and see if it would meet my needs. It wouldn't. It's a racing bike. BUT, his wife is selling one that probably would and she's more my size too. We talk about it and I do my research and it looks like a really good fit! The only qualms I had were about the money. I've only got $150 and the model of this bike (when new) can run upwards of $1200. This one was only 2 years old so I feared I might have to back out of negotiations due to the prohibitive cost. But when money came up in the discussion, the owner just said "I'll give it to you for $150." Words can't even express my internal reaction. I mean it was almost like giving someone a Lamborghini for a day's work as a janitor! And that wasn't even the end of it. This kind of bike needs cleats. They threw them into the deal without asking for anything more. Those cleats cost about $100 brand new! And even THAT wasn't the end of it! "You need a real helmet; not a Walmart one." Again, no charge! So now for $150 I have a top of the line bike, riding cleats AND a helmet that won't make me sweat my brains out on long stretches! Remember my first post? "It is the Lord!" Yeah. That again. Literally just bewildered right now. Thanks for reading, guys!
Late last year (I've forgotten exactly when), the bike I was given by my folks suffered setback after setback after setback. Rusty gears, bent wheel frames, popped tire after popped tire. I finally ran out of money to keep fixing it so I gave up and walked to work for a few weeks until a guy at my church lent me his just so I wouldn't have to be walking all winter long. It was only a temporary solution, though, and he'd need it back once the weather started getting nice again. So when this trip idea suddenly came up I thought to myself, "You've only got a temporary bike. You should keep your gym membership so you can keep working out there until you can afford a good touring bike." Now for those of you who aren't aware, new touring bikes *usually* run about $600+ for a decent model. If you want one that is really good quality, you should be prepared to spend $1100 or thereabouts. I hoped that I could maybe get my hands on a second-hand one from a friend for $400ish but my hopes weren't high. So just as I'm thinking about all this a guy from my church posts about a bicycle that he's selling so I decide to pursue it and see if it would meet my needs. It wouldn't. It's a racing bike. BUT, his wife is selling one that probably would and she's more my size too. We talk about it and I do my research and it looks like a really good fit! The only qualms I had were about the money. I've only got $150 and the model of this bike (when new) can run upwards of $1200. This one was only 2 years old so I feared I might have to back out of negotiations due to the prohibitive cost. But when money came up in the discussion, the owner just said "I'll give it to you for $150." Words can't even express my internal reaction. I mean it was almost like giving someone a Lamborghini for a day's work as a janitor! And that wasn't even the end of it. This kind of bike needs cleats. They threw them into the deal without asking for anything more. Those cleats cost about $100 brand new! And even THAT wasn't the end of it! "You need a real helmet; not a Walmart one." Again, no charge! So now for $150 I have a top of the line bike, riding cleats AND a helmet that won't make me sweat my brains out on long stretches! Remember my first post? "It is the Lord!" Yeah. That again. Literally just bewildered right now. Thanks for reading, guys!
Vlog Entry #1: Inspirations
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Studies in Tour Cycling
I know that some of you out there (heck, probably most of you) thought I had literally gone off the deep end crazy when I went public with my decision to bike across the country for ALS research. Honestly, *I'm* not 100% sure that I haven't lost a couple of my marbles in making this decision. But after having acclimated to the idea, I realized that I need to really apply my mind to studying things to get me ready. So this week, apart from going out to get in road time, I've started to examine topics like nutrition, breathing techniques and strategies from people who have crossed the country by bike before. This is the hardest physical test I've ever set for myself by a very wide margin. So I thought I'd share a little bit about what I've learned this week and open up the floor for others to give advice, warning or thoughts on what I may face starting next April.
1) Belly breathing. Most of us breathe from our chests which is just fine for day-to-day, routine oxygen inhalation. But when you're exerting yourself physically chest-breathing often just doesn't cut it. If I'm going to be climbing the Appalachians almost right off the bat, I need to figure out how to maximize my body's oxygen intake. Breathing from the diaphragm gives you a much more ample supply of the oxygen your muscles need when you're pressing yourself really hard. This one is going to take some practice but it should eventually become second nature.
2) Eat before you're hungry; drink before you're thirsty. Proper nutrition is nonnegotiable on endeavors like biking the lower 48. Carbohydrates and lots of them. Carbs are quickly converted into energy and I'll need to take a lot of them if I'm going to be biking for more than a couple hours at a time. What's more, I'm going to need to learn how to eat *while* riding. One blog writer advised having your road foods unwrapped and very easily accessible so you can literally reach down and grab a bite to eat every 30 minutes. And if someone is going to be cycling more than one day in a row, the first 30 minutes after finishing your ride for the day need to be spent in eating loads of carbs. In the same vein, drinking a lot of water is necessary. The problems arise when it's not hot outside. Your body gets tricked into thinking it's not thirsty if it's feeling cold but I'll need to keep well hydrated by making sure to drink on a regular basis whether I feel thirsty or not.
3) Don't take long breaks. I remarked to a good friend who's a cyclist that I realized that if I get really worn down midway through the day's ride, I can just take a break for a half hour or an hour. She told me that would likely be a big mistake because your muscles cool down during a break of any longer than a couple of minutes and they do NOT appreciate you making them start up again. Better to just pull over for a moment, take a good drink and a bite to eat and then keep grinding.
4) Meltdowns. They will happen. There will be days when I wake up and everything goes wrong during the day. I will despair and, if alone, seriously consider permanently throwing in the towel and bailing out. This has sealed it in my mind. I need companionship. I need that extra push to keep going. I know myself too well to think I'd make it all the way on my own gumption. "One day at a time" is the solution for meltdowns. I must have this mentality. I must keep my eyes firmly fixed on "Just today." Not letting my mind wander out to "I've got another month and a half of this." Because things are always better the day after a meltdown.
So now you have an idea what I've learned so far. Hopefully these lessons will help me work smarter rather than just harder.
1) Belly breathing. Most of us breathe from our chests which is just fine for day-to-day, routine oxygen inhalation. But when you're exerting yourself physically chest-breathing often just doesn't cut it. If I'm going to be climbing the Appalachians almost right off the bat, I need to figure out how to maximize my body's oxygen intake. Breathing from the diaphragm gives you a much more ample supply of the oxygen your muscles need when you're pressing yourself really hard. This one is going to take some practice but it should eventually become second nature.
2) Eat before you're hungry; drink before you're thirsty. Proper nutrition is nonnegotiable on endeavors like biking the lower 48. Carbohydrates and lots of them. Carbs are quickly converted into energy and I'll need to take a lot of them if I'm going to be biking for more than a couple hours at a time. What's more, I'm going to need to learn how to eat *while* riding. One blog writer advised having your road foods unwrapped and very easily accessible so you can literally reach down and grab a bite to eat every 30 minutes. And if someone is going to be cycling more than one day in a row, the first 30 minutes after finishing your ride for the day need to be spent in eating loads of carbs. In the same vein, drinking a lot of water is necessary. The problems arise when it's not hot outside. Your body gets tricked into thinking it's not thirsty if it's feeling cold but I'll need to keep well hydrated by making sure to drink on a regular basis whether I feel thirsty or not.
3) Don't take long breaks. I remarked to a good friend who's a cyclist that I realized that if I get really worn down midway through the day's ride, I can just take a break for a half hour or an hour. She told me that would likely be a big mistake because your muscles cool down during a break of any longer than a couple of minutes and they do NOT appreciate you making them start up again. Better to just pull over for a moment, take a good drink and a bite to eat and then keep grinding.
4) Meltdowns. They will happen. There will be days when I wake up and everything goes wrong during the day. I will despair and, if alone, seriously consider permanently throwing in the towel and bailing out. This has sealed it in my mind. I need companionship. I need that extra push to keep going. I know myself too well to think I'd make it all the way on my own gumption. "One day at a time" is the solution for meltdowns. I must have this mentality. I must keep my eyes firmly fixed on "Just today." Not letting my mind wander out to "I've got another month and a half of this." Because things are always better the day after a meltdown.
So now you have an idea what I've learned so far. Hopefully these lessons will help me work smarter rather than just harder.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Overabundance
Here I am at the outset of the most ambitious goal I've ever set for myself. I'm going to ride my bicycle from Baltimore, MD to San Francisco, CA to raise funds and awareness for The ALS Association. And right here at the outset, before you get a chance to think too highly of me, I'm going to share something to point you to what's truly amazing.
Have you ever had a moment where you were expecting something but ended up getting far, far more of it than you thought you would? I know Peter sure did. At the end of John's word-portrait of Jesus, we find the fisherman Peter and his friends out fishing. They've spent the entire night out on the lake without getting any significant catches and are pulling into the harbor conceding defeat when a guy on the seashore yells out "Have you caught anything?" Annoyed, they reply "No." The man calls back "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you'll find some fish." When they obey, the amount of fish they drag in makes it too heavy to pull all the way into the boat. Without any further ado, John says "It's the Lord!" What makes John so sure? He doesn't even add the clause "I think..." So certain is he that he just says "It is the Lord!" He knows because giving far more than is necessary is kind of Jesus' signature move. At the very beginning of John's story (at the wedding in Cana) Jesus created far more wine than was necessary to keep a party afloat. When he fed the multitudes, they gathered in entire baskets of food that people were too full to finish eating. Jesus just loves giving an almost absurd amount to meet a small need. The disciples suddenly went from having no fish to speak of to having too many for the small ship's crew to pull in. "It is the Lord!"
I had an "It is the Lord!" moment tonight. In fact, this whole week has pretty much been an "It is the Lord!" kind of week. Two weeks ago, I hadn't even thought of this trip. If you'd have told me that I would soon be working on this major project and that I'd have taken in the resources that I've taken in I'd have laughed you out of town! Tonight I was given permission to make an announcement about this project for the 3rd shift associates at their meeting. I was *hoping* to maybe get 5 or 10 bucks. I made my pitch and told them that if they'd like to make a contribution, I'd be sitting at a table with chocolate chip cookies for them to buy. Moments later, I was $41.25 closer to my goal! I couldn't believe it! Some people didn't want cookies but instead just gave money. One guy gave $20! I've had "It is the Lord!" moments in the past but my faith is so small that I forget about them and when the status quo rolls around again I expect only the barest response from the Lord. Most of the time, my conception of Jesus is that he'll give grace that's just enough and no more and you've almost got to pry it from his stiff fingers. It's moments like tonight that I remember that this is not what Jesus is like at all. He loves giving. Giving is like his hobby! It's the thing that makes him excited! He literally loves it! At the briefest request, he literally pours far more than I need out! This is the God I serve and HE is far more astounding than any bike trip I'm going to be going on!
Have you ever had a moment where you were expecting something but ended up getting far, far more of it than you thought you would? I know Peter sure did. At the end of John's word-portrait of Jesus, we find the fisherman Peter and his friends out fishing. They've spent the entire night out on the lake without getting any significant catches and are pulling into the harbor conceding defeat when a guy on the seashore yells out "Have you caught anything?" Annoyed, they reply "No." The man calls back "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you'll find some fish." When they obey, the amount of fish they drag in makes it too heavy to pull all the way into the boat. Without any further ado, John says "It's the Lord!" What makes John so sure? He doesn't even add the clause "I think..." So certain is he that he just says "It is the Lord!" He knows because giving far more than is necessary is kind of Jesus' signature move. At the very beginning of John's story (at the wedding in Cana) Jesus created far more wine than was necessary to keep a party afloat. When he fed the multitudes, they gathered in entire baskets of food that people were too full to finish eating. Jesus just loves giving an almost absurd amount to meet a small need. The disciples suddenly went from having no fish to speak of to having too many for the small ship's crew to pull in. "It is the Lord!"
I had an "It is the Lord!" moment tonight. In fact, this whole week has pretty much been an "It is the Lord!" kind of week. Two weeks ago, I hadn't even thought of this trip. If you'd have told me that I would soon be working on this major project and that I'd have taken in the resources that I've taken in I'd have laughed you out of town! Tonight I was given permission to make an announcement about this project for the 3rd shift associates at their meeting. I was *hoping* to maybe get 5 or 10 bucks. I made my pitch and told them that if they'd like to make a contribution, I'd be sitting at a table with chocolate chip cookies for them to buy. Moments later, I was $41.25 closer to my goal! I couldn't believe it! Some people didn't want cookies but instead just gave money. One guy gave $20! I've had "It is the Lord!" moments in the past but my faith is so small that I forget about them and when the status quo rolls around again I expect only the barest response from the Lord. Most of the time, my conception of Jesus is that he'll give grace that's just enough and no more and you've almost got to pry it from his stiff fingers. It's moments like tonight that I remember that this is not what Jesus is like at all. He loves giving. Giving is like his hobby! It's the thing that makes him excited! He literally loves it! At the briefest request, he literally pours far more than I need out! This is the God I serve and HE is far more astounding than any bike trip I'm going to be going on!
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