The Walking Machine

So day one of this adventure, at least the biking part, is in the books. After a lot of ceremony, (which Josh duly recorded), we took off from San Diego and made it to Alpine, California. Only a total of around 36 miles, though the climbing made it somewhat challenging. The course thankfully involved a lot of bike trails and a fair amount of bike lanes, when the trails ended. Our first “SAG” stop was in Mission Trails Park, following the Junipero Serra Trail. Saw some absolutely stunning scenery, (mostly rock cliffs and bluffs…very dramatic). I took a few pictures, and will hopefully be able to download them shortly for you all to review.

I found a great crew of about 6-7 guys to ride with, with all of us having about the same ability. One of the guys in the group, I discovered, went to the same college (Marshall University), and graduated with a business degree one year before I graduated. We shared our recollections of professors and of course, good ol’ West Virginia. “Jim Bob” (a great WV name) grew up in Oak Hill, and married a girl from Parkersburg. They have traveled all around the US, and now live in Minneapolis. All that was missing was a serenade of “Almost Heaven, West Virginia”. I suspect we would have been up for it along the way, had it not been for the long slow climbs that were admittedly challenging.

Arrived at the Ayres Lodge around 2:30pm or so, and checked in. Showered and began the process of re-charging our bike lights, chargers, phones, watches, and “power banks”. Ah, such 1st world problems, huh?

Tomorrow, (March 5th) we cycle from Alpine to Jacumba, CA. The trek tomorrow is approximately 52 miles, but will involve 4,934 feet of climbing. I’m told by the staff that tomorrow is the toughest day of the entire trip. Perhaps I should call an Uber, huh? Hope every one is doing well. Thanks so much for the encouragement and support. It is GREATLY appreciated! I promise to post pictures, (if I can ever get fluent at that!). More to come!

Well, here I sit, about 1 hour from the start of my journey. Though scared and excited, I am so glad that Josh is here to see me off, and for the love and encouragement that everyone here has sent. I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers every single day, (particularly when attempting a long incline!)

Yesterday, I met the riders and the support staff. Lot’s of people from all over, including the UK and the Netherlands. We have a couple riding a tandem bike, and a few that make their home in an RV, and will be following along as part of the support staff. My new best friend is Lance, who says he owns no car but 8 bicycles. He’s my friend, since he will serve as the mechanic for the trip. I’m glad he is here, but secretly hope I don’t have to deal with him too much. We shall see! I love you all so very much, and will see you “soon”.!

Fortunately, yesterday’s weather cooperated a little better. With temperatures in the 50’s, though slightly nippy, the wind was low and the sun was out, making it overall a really nice day. Josh and I drove to see the Japanese Friendship bell on Shelter Island, and then drove up to Point Loma to see the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the Carrillo National Monument. The views of San Diego, Coronado, and the Pacific were incredible, and being able to go inside the lighthouse and see how the “light-house keepers” (a favorite pun of mine) lived back in 1855. The lighthouse stands 422 feet above sea level, and had one serious flaw. Given the height of the peak, fog and low clouds back then often obscured the light. It served San Diego for 36 years back then, before they built a new one closer to the tip of Point Loma.

One of the most moving sights, for me, was seeing the Fort Rosencrans National Cemetery, a federal military cemetery that overlooks San Diego bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. The cemetery spans over 77 acres, and is filled with beautiful monuments, all lined up in perfect rows. I’d highly recommend a visit, if you ever get the chance.

From there, Josh and I traveled to La Jolla, were we went on a Sea Kayak “adventure”. I knew we were in for some excitement when the really nice people front the check-in desk suggested we rent wet suits, purchase dry bags for our phone, and secure anything that we did not want to lose. At first I thought they were simply trying to build some business, however the advice proved to be sound, at least for us. Never having worn a wetsuit before, I struggled to wriggle into the rubber outfit, once I finally figured out that the zipper goes in the BACK. The suit did wonders for my figure, and was so tight that I swear people could see blood flowing through my veins. As Josh said, this simple act combined two things he truly loves: Tight clothing and wearing something that is old and had been used previously by many people. The fact that we had to strip down to our skivvy’s made the experience a little more up close and personal.

After donning all of the gear needed, (including helmets and lifejackets), we headed for the ocean, where we shortly got a very intense indoctrination with the frigid waters of the Pacific. Long story short, we boarded our kayaking and attempted to paddle past the breakers and ultimately were unceremoniously “dumped” into the water. I’ll be the first to admit that this was a slight frightening feeling, (OK, maybe more than slightly, at least for me). Re-boarding the kayaking was a little challenging, but with some help from our Everyday California hosts, we made it back onboard and over the breakers to join the other folks. The paddling went fairly well, and we were able to learn a lot about the marine life and the history along the shore. We were treated to a great view of some beautiful mansions, including Dr. Seuss’s mansion, which is now a VRBO. We even came up close and personal to a sea lion, who put on a show before disappearing under the water. Of course, the trip back was just as eventful, whereupon attempted re-entry, we were once again dumped back into the water, thanks to the waves pushing us ashore. Josh most accurately attributed our failure to stay upright to me, though I’m still not sure exactly what I did wrong! (I’m sure he can tell you, in his version! 🙂

From our kayaking adventure, we found a really nice brewery and restaurant, and had a great meal before making it back to our Ocean Villa Inn “palace” in Ocean Beach.

Today, Josh goes on his Beerucation tour, and I have to meet with the tour people to get last rites, (or something like that). I’m sure I’ll have more to write tomorrow. Tomorrow will be the first day of my ride, and the day that Josh will return to Texas. I’ll miss him so miss, as much as I miss each and everyone of you. More to come!

Welcome to not so sunny San Diego, where the temperature is currently 42 degrees, with wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour, and periodic episodes of rain. In other words, perfect cycling weather! Josh and I have been here since Monday afternoon, and we have a few more days before I leave for my cross country adventure.

Josh and I have seen and done quite a bit. We’ve visited the Hotel del Coronado, toured Petco Park (home of the San Diego Padres), visited a brewery (of course!), done a “hop-on-hop off” trolley tour (of which, due to the weather, very few people “hopped off”), visited the San Diego Automotive Museum, the Air and Space Museum, little Italy, and Balboa Park. Up next today is the La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak tour and then on Friday, while I meet with the Timberline Tour group in anticipation for our Saturday departure, Josh will go on a 3 hour “Beerucation” tour, where he will likely teach the attendees more about beer than the tour guide himself.

Despite the weather and a (hopefully) slight tweak to my back, I think I’m ready to ride. I’ve seen 2 or 3 vans / trucks from the tour company in the hotel parking lot, and snuck a quick peak in one van, which was stocked to the gills with energy bars and snacks. I even saw a few boxes of Rice Krispy Treats, so my best guess is that I will gain about 20 pounds on the trip, given my penchant for the chewy marshmallow delights!

The hotel here isn’t the fanciest one I’ve ever stayed in. If only they had a few nails in the walls, we might be able to hang a few things up. Thank goodness for doorknobs! The best thing I can say about it is that we have a view of the ocean, where we see a few souls clothed in parkas and rubber boots, braving the weather just long enough for the dogs to run and explore along the water’s edge. Saturday morning, I’ll be out there myself, dipping my rear tire in the water, and then heading east. I’m thinking about you all, and hope and pray all is well with each of you. I promise to write more soon!

After 9 months, I took my last training ride yesterday. It was relatively short, only 25 miles. According to the trusty Ride with GPS app, this was my 99th ride, with total mileage accumulated of just over 5,900 miles. This doesn’t count any mileage I did in June, the month before I installed the Ride with GPS app on my phone.

The plan is to travel to San Diego with Josh on Monday, and to spend a few days of sightseeing before the “wheel dipping” on Saturday, just one week from tomorrow. Following the wheel dipping on Saturday morning, we turn our front tires to the east, and don’t stop for the next 52 days. To say I am “excited” doesn’t necessarily adequately portray my mental state. It’s more closer to “scared out of my mind”. :). Hopefully, this will pass after the first week or two.

First, let me set the record straight. I am in no way a cyclist, nor will I likely ever be mistaken for one. Despite the fact that I spent a small fortune on a fancy bike, and have subsequently purchased virtually every bike accessory known to man, I still peer into the mirror and see an aging 62 year old man, dressed up in abnormally tight shorts and an obscenely bright shirt, perhaps posing as a wayward adult about to embark upon his first “trick-or-treat” in over a half a century.

Allow me to set the stage for my story:

About nine months ago, I retired after 38 years with the same company. As with most people, along the way within these nearly 4 decades, I collected and assembled a variety of bucket list items and “one-day-I-wills…” Back when I was in my early 20’s, a good friend took off on the journey of a lifetime, and traveled by bike across the country, from Huntington, West Virginia to Huntington Beach, California. This adventure represented my first entry on my bucket list. “One day, I will ride a bike across the US”, I said, as if my making the statement would contractually obligate me, when the time came. The time is now rapidly approaching, and starting March 4th, 2023, (approximately 2 weeks from now), I will begin my own journey.

The biggest question I have is whether a 62 year old man replicate the same feat his friend did in his early 20’s. After a little research, I realized that a substantial amount of training would be required. Keep in mind, I knew how to ride a bike, having been taught by my father who displayed at the time an unusual amount of patience, (at least for him). My longest rides were about 30 minutes long, saddled upon a green Schwinn “Cheater Slick” with “ape hangers” and a “sissy bar”, (the name of which I probably somehow inspired). I’m sure I cut a dashing figure at the time when I was 6 or 7, given my green ToughSkin jeans and orange and black sneakers, both discovered and purchased in the discount bin at Sears. I can still remember the wind blowing through my hair, at a time when I at least had some hair for the wind to blow through.

In preparation for the upcoming 52 day journey, I decided that intense training was called for. After reading a few dozen books on cycling, cross-country tours and training, I decided to create a hybrid method where I would ride the average daily distance, (approximately 65 miles per day), starting three days a week, then increasing to four, then five, and then six. I thought that perhaps I would follow this schedule as best I could for as long as I could, up until I either accomplished the feat or until I was served with divorce papers.

According to my “Ride with GPS” app that I installed on my phone, I see that at present since I installed the app in early July 2022, I have ridden 5,849 miles, amounting to over 18 days of “moving time”. Talk about a miss-spent youth…how about a miss-spent first year of retirement! With only a few days of riding left, I’m praying that crazy training schedule has adequately prepared me for the 3,000 mile journey that I will soon take with 24 other people, who at the moment remain perfect strangers. Of course, these people are about to discover just how strange I am, and I will be making judgements along the way on just how “perfect” they are. (Kidding, of course!).

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