Pre Trip Thoughts

Getting ready for the trip -- riding across the Mid-Hudson Bridge

Just thought I would give a little background on my thoughts about the trip I am to embark on and comment on the training that I have done to get ready for the big day.

I decided when I finished my first cross country trip five years ago when I was  70 (check out the blog for that trip at www.BikeUSAat70.blogspot.com)  that I would love to attempt to make the trip again provided there was a different route. Low and behold Trek Travel created a trip from Portland Oregon to Portland Maine and I was one of the first to sign up for the adventure.

I started to plan for the trip 2 years ago. I hired a coach through training peaks bought $1000 pedals that measure Watt output and set out for intensive training starting in January 2016.  The first 3 months I spent in Florida building my FTP and the rest of the summer doing hill repeats and endurance rides.  I even hired a personal trainer for strength  training and began private Pilates training twice a week. All was going well until August when I found out I had postrate cancer.  Ann and I had already booked a three week trip to the Amazon and Machu Picchu for the first three weeks in September, then when I came back I biked some but then had the operation for the cancer on December 1 in essence I was forced to slow down or do no training for the last three months of 2017.

Started without a coach or personal trainer when I arrived in Captiva for the first 3 months of the 2018 and did intensive interval training making what I thought were great strides.  Upon returning to NJ the weather was terrible and I did a lot of training in cellar during the entire month of March and then started hill work for April- July. My plan was to complete ,15,000 feet in April, 30,000 feet in May and 45,000 feet in June and 60,000 in July.  Unfortunately I had a serious accident with the bike in early July (The bike literally fell apart -- the chain ring sprockets and pedals all came out of the bike at once! I was going 20 mph -unusal for me). I really messed up my back, shoulder and put a signifcant hole in my leg where the pedal went in.  Needless to say this screwed up my 60,000 feet of climbing plan and was off the bike a week and after that was back to training to regain my 4000-5000 foot daily climbs. The last two weeks before the trip Ann and I flew to Oregon and rented a house on the beach in Oceanside.  I rented a bike in Portland and have been out everyday the first week of the vacation. I do have days when I climb 100 feet per mile -- signficant for me. Even if I am slow I still can accomplish this feat.  I will be needing that training as there are many segments that climb 200 or more feet per mile for up to five miles.

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Notice the chainring in the forground of the picture -- That is not supposed to happen!

It has been said that bicycling across the United States is more of a mental exercise than a physical exercise.  I agree!  As I approach the upcoming starting date  which is less than a week away and have analzyed many of the routes along the way cross country I wonder if I have the stamina to bike all those miles day after day after day. I did it at 70, and never once got in the van, but the additional 5 years does make a difference especially in pre-trip mode. I seem to be more tired on consecutive days of long rides than I was in 2013.  I am apprhensive about the first four days of the trip.  I know its better to take it one day at a time and not project but I did look ahead. (If you want to see the whole itineray to to https://trektravel.com/trip/cross-country-usa-bike-tour/ The rides consist of 30 miles and 800 feet Day 1, 97 miles and 4700 feet Day 2, 112 miles and 8500 feet Day 3 and 100 miles and 8300 feet of climbing Day 4 followed by 91 miles and 4200 feet of climbing Day 5!  So in the first 5 days I will have covered approximately 425 miles with a little over 25,000 feet of climbing.   What an opportunity to build more strength and meet the tough stuff right at the start.  I also am concerned that I only average about 10-11 miles an hour with climbing like this so I might be a pain to the guides who, on the last trip always seemed to be waiting for me to arrive so they could race off to support the others that were miles ahead.  I know I will try my best and I know that I will be supported by the guides and this trip I will get in the van when absolutely necessary.  

Well that my thoughts for now keep tuned!

Below is the route the fifteen of us will be following!   15 states, 3800 miles and 150,000 feet of climbing.