Epilogue
January 22, 2012
After 5 months, I decided to write an epilogue as closure for my bike tour blog. I need to close this chapter of my life so I can start a new one.
Why?
Why did I do this, why would I do this? I don’t really have a direct answer. Maybe because it's there, or to see what's on the other side of the mountain, the grass grows greener on that side, doesn't it? To push myself to new limits and then go beyond those limits, what are limits anyway? Just something you make up when your tired and it hurts too much to go on, so to hell with limits, I'll do it anyway!!
Well, not really, maybe the real reason I'm doing this ride is that, 2011 is my 20th year anniversary of beating the odds against cancer. I was diagnosed and treated for bone cancer in my right knee in 1991. To make a long story short, I went through a year of chemotherapy and surgery that saved my life, but left me with an artificial right knee. This is my 2nd cross country bike ride and I can't think of a better way to keep kicking cancer's ass than to ride my bike with my artificial right knee across this great country.
OK, but not really, the real reason I'm doing this ride it simply because, I get too!
This is my 2nd cross country ride and when I decided to go for it I new some things would be easier and some things would be more difficult.
Things that where easier, in no particular order: Packing for the trip, the daily routine, the mental aspect of ridding everyday, daily hydration, having a room mate for 7 weeks, daily navigation, and ridding in bad weather.
Things that were harder, in no particular order: The overall route had a lot more elevation gain and higher mountain passes to climb (I’m prone to altitude sickness), Steeper climbs mean steeper down hills (I don’t like going fast downhill), more rough roads (I experienced at lot of knee pain when riding day after day riding on rough roads).
The group that I road with were and are a fantastic bunch of people with an age range of 22 to 74 from all walks of life. We all had different reasons for doing this ride, but we all had one thing in common, the love of life and the willingness to experience it outside the box.
I experienced great days, good days, bad days, and days that I suffered on and question why am I doing this. In the end, I road every day, I road every mile, I road every foot, and I road Every Fantastic Inch!!!!!
Will there be a 3rd cross-country ride for me? I certainly hope so!!
What ever you do in your life, just remember one thing,
PEDAL ON!!!
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