February 20, 2012

Overnighter

My friend, Will, and I took a short out-and-back overnighter this weekend. We biked a beautiful, 40 mile section of the Atlantic Coast route; the section we biked followed along the Delaware River in NJ and PA.

Some things I learned on the trip: I love stopping for coffee and pastries in the middle of the day when it's chilly out, I need a way to keep snacks handy to munch and ride, headwinds really slow you down, even going downhill, chocolate GU smothered on a banana is delightful, and trying to keep up with a cyclist with quads bigger than my head is extremely difficult.

Here's my action shot that Will snapped (I was too lazy to take any, myself):

February 7, 2012

Inspiration

Before I hiked the AT, I read journal after journal (www.trailjournals.com) and pined over a life on the trail. It was how I learned and gained inspiration. I saw countless photos of the many places I would visit; I fantasized about climbing those very same mountains, touching those very same border signs, and seeing those exact same vistas that make your heart skip a beat. I had a fire within me that was so fierce, so unstoppable; I had to hike the AT.

Somewhere along in my browsing for info on the TransAmerica Trail, I found this blog that really, really, hooked me in. My mind had already been made up that I'd bike cross country, but the route had yet to be determined. Randomly stumbling upon RJ's blog answered that question.

Then I found this video that she created. When I first watched it, I put it on full-screen, threw my legs up on my desk, leaned back and watched it on my 24" monitor; I had the feeling of "Yes, YES, I will DO this!" That intense fire was rekindled; I knew I had to bike cross country...so I will.

Note: Take 20 minutes out of your day to watch the video, because if it doesn't inspire you to ride a bike cross country, or even across town, it'll at least allow you to see some wonderful sights this country has to offer.