Finally I was able to ride outside for two days in a row...this has been the worst Spring I can remember for weekend rides.  My friend Mark and I did 30 miles of rolling hills on Saturday and we did 52 miles on the trail (a few hills) today.  I have the bags on the bike with some stuff in them so I am going to gradually load it up.  Feel pretty good but wish I had more days to train between now and June 5th.  We saw a crash today...biker hit a jogger on the trail...bike lost that one and was sitting in an abulance as we rode by...a reminder that I don't want to crash on my trip.

So, I learned today that I was blogging incorrectly.  As Steve Martin used to say, "Well, excuuuuuuuse meeee!".  I've been adding comments to my original blog so there are 46 comments to my first entry.  I think I got it now.  My next move will be to learn how to post pictures so look for a pic of my bike...it's so ugly, it's cool.

Local weather has not been kind to me as I try to train on the bike outside on real roads...but, strangely I'm not worried.  I have been lifting 3 days a week with a trainer who gets the whole biker thing.  Not losing weight but definitely getting stronger.  I know this because, on the few occasions I have been able to get outside and do a long ride, I recover much faster than I had last year. Weight bearing exercise is great for my arthritis.

On Saturday I will ride for the first time on a fully loaded bike which will simulate my riding load on the trip. That should be interesting. One rule I have followed is that nothing will go on the trip if it hasn't been tested...nothing. I'm putting new tires on the bike this week so I have a month and a half of riding on them before the trip.  I have a friend who bought a bike a week before he did a solo ride across the US without training...he made it but learned that prep is a good thing.

Any questions out there? 

 

Hello out there....I'm new to the blogosphere but look forward to being in touch with you all.  I am riding a bicycle across America this year to show that people with arthritis can achieve stretch goals if they put their minds and bodies to the task.  I have osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis.  I will start the ride in Seattle, WA on June 4th and finish in Cape May, NJ on August 9th (my 60th birthday!).  I am also doing this ride in memory of my mother who died the day before Thanksgiving and who suffered for many years with osteoarthritis.  She spent the last 15 years in a wheelchair, unable to walk because arthritis has caused so much damage to her spine.  You can also learn more about my ride by reading the nice article in Arthritis Today magazine (page 16). 

 

While I ride, I will be blogging very day so you can track how I am doing and give me encouragement...I'll need some friends to cheer me on.

 

More later

 

David Shuey