ipadio:Bike Trip Audio Blog Post – Hear me talk about my experiences along the way – 4th phonecast

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ipadio:Bike Trip Audio Blog Post – Hear me talk about my experiences along the way – 3rd phonecast

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Bike fits…

Hope you can see how well the bike fits in the tent.

KOA tonite

First night out and a great lady @ KOA saves the day, or night for a silly old man on a bike. A silly, exhausted old man. Should have trained more, these hills are gonna kick my ass. Later

Day 1, Finally…

Finally away 90 min late. Into the storm I ride.

Thx…

Thanx to everyone for the kind words and encouragement. Truly, thank you all.

1…

Wow, we’re really getting close here…

Tomorrow is the big day. I’ll do the final walk-through on the house, and then…I’ll hit the road.. Unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to get on the road before 9 am. I’d prefer an earlier start but the office doesn’t open until 8:30, so I’m sure that will not be possible.

The plan for today is to work hard on final tuning and set-up of the bike, then move everything into storage this afternoon. Tonight will be my last camp-out inside.

I’ve been thinking a bit about why I’m doing this over the last couple of days; these thoughts prompted by the concerns which some of my friends and family have voiced since learning of the challenge I’ve set for myself. These last two years in Phoenix have been very tough for me. Finding a decent job, or any work at all really, has simply not been possible. At times, the challenge of remaining hopeful and positive has nearly defeated me, since I’ve been unemployed for more months than I’ve been employed during these past two years

However, through it all, the one thing I’ve always been able to count on was my bike. No matter my mood, no matter my situation, a ride would nearly always brighten my day. What great therapy it is. No matter how badly my day might begin; despite frustration or depression; an hour–or two–or three, on my bike, would surely improve my mood.

How quickly, with age, we forget the sweet and simple joy of physical exertion we experienced in our youth. Do you remember, as I have recently begun to, the absolute joy you felt as a child when your mom finally allowed you to go running from the house to jump on your bike and speed down the street to ride with a friend or two? How sweet the memory; how sweet to feel that joy again–at 54 years old.

The simple pleasure of physical exertion, the concentration and focus of such a simple task–of turning the crank and rolling down the road– to whatever location, task, or destination I have set for myself that day–ah, what a perfect moment. FREEDOM, that is what I feel; and so, freedom is what I seek on this ride. The freedom to challenge myself. The freedom to explore. The freedom to do something I could never have imagined myself trying two short years ago. The freedom to succeed at a task which I, and I alone, can do.

Joy and freedom, two emotions which have been sorely lacking in my life for some time now, are the reasons for this ride. If I succeed, I’ll know both. Should I fail, I’m sure I’ll have glimpsed them both again and will know, even in failure, that both of these things, joy and freedom, are still available to me.

Later

Uhmm…

Uhmm…if anyone out there is contemplating moving house and taking thier first long-distance unsuported bike tour, at the same time, DON’T DO IT. I am exhausted.

Monday

Pretty productive day. Tomorrow I buy the last few supplies I need and move stuff to storage. Wed is walk through and begin ride. Hoping to be on the road by 9am. Later

2…

I’m nearly packed for the move now.

I’ve done a much neater job than usual. There are cartons and boxes all over the place. Knowing that I had to pack for the future drive to Denver meant that I had to take more care. Many times in the past, when I was merely packing for a move across town for instance, I would just throw a bunch of junk into a box for ease of carrying, not worrying about transport. This time, I had to bear in mind that my stuff would be in a dusty storage unit for months before I would load it into a truck for the eventual drive to Colorado. This has forced me to be much more organized and careful. This is a good thing, right?

Packing for the ride is also pretty much settled.

I’m a bit worried that I am taking a little too much stuff. My riding clothes are lightweight and easy to pack but, even so, I’ve probably planned on too many pieces. All I really need is one outfit in my bags and one on my body. Trying to pack for all possible contingencies, such as weather and remote locations where it might be difficult to clean things, has forced me to choose more clothing than I might otherwise do. I’m going to play with the packing and unpacking a bit today and make a final decision. I really don’t want to get on the road and feel like I didn’t bring enough, yet I also don’t want to carry anything I don’t really need.

Since this is a “future post” I can’t tell you how the camp out on the floor went last night, but I’ll try to post from my phone later to let you know. I hope I didn’t wake up too sore this morning. lol

Later