I’m in Florida and in the Home Stretch

Well by next week this time or perhaps a bit earlier I will have rolled in to Vitual St Augustine and completed my pseudo TransAmerica ride across the Southern Tier. Tonight finds me in virtual De Funiak, Fla only 399 miles from the finish. I saw my first Florida Saguaro today.

I saw my first Florida Saguaro today.

So if you see a western and there is a Saguaro cactus in it. The movie was probably shot at Old Tucson.

This pseudo ride has been interesting in some respects, boring in some, tiring in others and as I had anticipated the mental aspect has been a primary challenge. To get up each day and ride one of the 5 main routes I need to get 60-100 miles can be a grind. Throw in some real wind and it’s downright depressing. But Mother Nature has capitulated. She figures she can’t stop me now. So she is giving me winds from the South in the morning, shifting to the North in the afternoon. So I’m getting tailwinds both ways. (Of course it’s also 95-100 degrees).

I knew that once I got past a certain point I was not going to stop. I had too much invested in my adventure, emotionally as well as physically.

I can say that my body has responded well. I’m in that groove and to ride 70 miles is really not a big deal unless I’m fighting a big wind. I did have issues with saddle sores but found the answer.

I spoke with a pharmacist and he told me I needed to cover the sores. Well good luck finding a bandage that fits my posterior. But, while I was perusing the pharmacy I found the product below for what I would describe as “male post nasal drip”.

Interestingly, the pattern is exactly the same shape as the chamois pad. So by applying Chamois Butt’r directly to the area and putting the pad over the Chamois. I had a nice gentle buffer that also absorbed the Butt’r. Problem solved. 

Once that problem was handled 5-7 hrs in the saddle was actually not to bad

On the nutrition side. I suppose a downside to being at home is the easy access to the fridge and other food stuffs. While I have dropped some weight, it’s not nearly as much as I hoped. 

As far as supplements go I have found jelly belly sport beans indispensable. Taken with water during the ride the help slake thirst and provide electrolytes and caffeine. I typically go through a couple of packs per 70 mile ride. Of course Extra Strength Excedrin is often a must to begin the ride.

When I started the trip I said in part it was to quiet the voices in my head. And while it has not necessarily done that it has shifted the dialogue quite a bit. When you undertake something that becomes your singular focus it consumes a significant portion of your mental energy. Consequently, other things get pushed aside. In a way it’s a nice break. With too much free time an unchecked mind can wander into some strange places.

I came across this T-shirt. Really!!! I think the Covid has been a boost to biking. It’s one of the few social distancing things you can do. I have seen more cyclists on the road here than ever before. Many on a bike for the first time in years or decades.

I quoted Tony Robbins before. “If you are committed there is always a way”. Covid should not ruin anyone’s cycling season unless you are a pro rider. The other 38 million cyclists in the US will do just fine!!

So as things come to an end I’m thinking about how much I have enjoyed sharing my journey with you in this blog. I’ve tried to keep in interesting, funny, self deprecating, and informative

You have also gotten a little insight about me. Some people call me quirky others different. I am proud of this. I am different! I’m different in the mental and physical challenges I undertake. I’m different in that I try not to let people’s good or bad opinion of me impact how I view myself. I’m different in that I don’t seek bias confirmation and try to be open to other viewpoints( but not always)

We are all individuals and we are all different. That’s what makes this world so interesting. We should all dance like no one is watching.

I love the saying “people laugh at me because I’m different, I laugh at them because they are all the same”.

Be the best you that you can be and that will be your greatest achievement. That’s what it takes to be a winner. Dicky V has the following quote which describes it perfectly.

A winner is someone who can look in the mirror at the end of the day and say in pursuit of my goal and dreams I gave my best. – Dick Vitale

So next week I hope to have completed the excellent adventure and will give you my closing thoughts. I hope you have enjoyed this blog as much as I have writing it. In a sense you, the readers, have inspired me to keep on going and the blog has given me some things to think about while in on the road for hours on end.

To put this in perspective. My ride will be 27 days and about 1000 miles longer than the Tour de France. Of course I’m not riding 100 miles a day at 28mph avg and climbing the Pyrenees. But then again I’m 40 yrs older and not getting paid to do it😉. Nor would I ever weighed 140 lbs or have that ability at age 28. Those pro riders are amazing!!

Also I figured there are 28 million people in the US between 65-74 years old. If 15 thousand did this Trans America ride that would be .05 percent of that age group that puts me in pretty rare company. And I seriously doubt 15 thousand people in that age group have done the ride this year. I guess that makes me different eh?

So till next time. May you have smooth roads, the wind at your back and good health. Stay safe!