My goals and tactics for the 2010 Cross the USA ride

PacTour Goals

Northern Transcontinental

Everett, Washington to Williamsburg, Virginia

July 11 to August 9, 2010

• Dream, anticipate, prepare, adjust, and continue

• Pay attention to my body and take care of problems as they come up

• Keep a balanced life as I do this PacTour ride

• Pay constant attention to the details on the road

• Manage my space and know who is in it

• Stay within myself and let the ride come to me

• Enjoy other people’s company while learning from them about life and riding

• Enjoy the total cross country ride experience

• Have fun, use good judgment, and be safe

• Thank Kathy for supporting me to do this ride

Wrap up on the training

July 4, 2010, the Tour is on, my base miles are completed, the bike is packed for transport to the start, and the water in the river is perfect. Rode my last big training ride yesterday when we had south/southwest winds gusting up to 25 with temps topping out over 90. Rode out into the wind for sixty miles before changing my direction to work my way back to home. It will be nice to got on the PacTour where this is support verses stopping in small town bars for ice water.

I had just gotten the bike back from Penn Cycle where they did a complete tune up/check over so the bike rolled like a new one. This is when it is fun to ride a good bike on the open road.

Today I broke down the bike and packed it up for it's trip to Everett with one of the PacTour vans. So that kind of sets up a good cool down week before the tour. Last week I spent some time on my mountain bike just spinning around. Then when I rode on Friday after doing the mountain bike for four days in a row I felt great. Maybe it is very good to ride a different sized bike, different weight, and different shoes.

So this week is time for total recovery for the body, yoga, spend time on the river, get things done around the house, and spend time with Kathy.

Travel day is next Friday, July 9 from Minneapolis to Seattle then start riding on Sunday, July 11 for the next 30 days in a row. Best sleep in a day or two now as there won't be the chance to do this while on the tour!

The time is now to be centered mentally and physically to enjoy one of America's great cycling adventures. "Namas day".

Preparation

Preparation, to plan, train, focus, and dream about what you want to do in the future. The future is now four weeks away from tomorrow, Sunday June 13. I am ready to get this underway!
Today we again have a rainy overcast day around St Mary's Point so I choose to go to yoga. During this preparation time I have tried to go to yoga three times a week and now am working on expanding my poises to the next level from what is covered in a regular session at the Y. The leaders are good at coaching and responding to my questions about how to get my body working even better. In these sessions I work on a lot of core strength moves which I can tell is helping me on the bike.
Tomorrow the weather report is better so will try to ride in the morning.
I know I could go ride in the rain today, but have done that, know how to do it, know what to wear, and will do it on the Tour as needed.

Northern Transcontinental PacTour 2010

Well my second attempt to complete a ride across America is coming up starting July 11, 2010 in Everett, Washington and ending after 30 continuous days of riding in Williamsburg, Virginia on August 9, 2010. That is 3,410 miles of riding, 114 miles a day average, with around 101.500 of climbing. This is a sea to shining sea over purple mountains, through many a field of waving grains, in winds, sun, and rain. Neither rain, wind, heat, nor sore bodies will stop this tour from it's assigned riding challenges.

I noted that this is my second attempt at riding across America and that is because on my first attempt in 2007 I rode for 19 days covering 2100 miles then at that point my right butt cheek developed a cist that I had to have cut out. I had the surgery the day after I left the ride, have healed up completely, and that part of my body feels ready.

In the summer of 2008 I rode the PacTour Ridge of the Rockies from Canada to Mexico as my second event with PacTour and that went great.

Then in February 2009 I got myself upside down, while up in the air at high speed in a USSA Masters Super G race at Aspen Colorado and because gravity has a greater power over manned flight I had to land. The landing didn't go so good, one fractured left tibia right below the knee joint which took a plate and seven screws to put back together. That took me out of the opportunity to ride across the country in 2009.

But being a forward looking person I reset my goals to do this ride in 2010. So since February 2009 it has been a rehab program with the goal of getting strong enough, mentally and physically to attempt this adventure again.

So as I write this on June 8, there are 32 days to go till we start riding across America.