Another Epic Journey Crossed Off My List

It's official - I finished the Big Ride Pacific Coast on Saturday in San Francisco with no knee injuries, only a couple of scrapes from falling off my bike at a standstill (thanks Susan), no major mechanical problems, no broken spokes and only five flats.

Something is a little odd about those flats because I had two on the first day and the last three occurred on the final day in the duration of two hours. After I flatted the third time with only five miles remaining, I started to doubt whether if I would ever make it to the Golden Gate bridge. Thankfully, with the positive encouragement and pump from my riding "buddy" Robert (who also had three flats that morning), we made it just in time.  

I have to say that this is one of the best trips that I have taken in my life so far. The scenery was always gorgeous, even on the overcast and cloudy days. It did not rain on us while we were riding. We covered a whole spectrum of riding conditions from the long and hilly roads along the Oregon coast; spinning up some steep and long hills with the names of the "Seven Devils" and "Leggett Hill"; speeding down Highway 101 at 25-30 mph with a strong tailwind at our backs; feeling the pain in our legs climbing the never ending rollers on Highway One in Sonoma and Marin counties; and lastly, the knarly bridge crossings where we rode on the roadway or on elevated sidewalks with no left-hand siderail. In spite of daydreaming of a world of no monster trucks or semis, I only had a couple of close calls with crazy drivers.

Here's a summary of my favorite moments on this trip:
- Riding my bike everyday. I know most people find this an odd way to spend a vacation but it was awesome. I am sure you could cover more ground in a car but you don't get the same feeling descending downhill or breathing in the ocean air spinning uphill. When I get back to Maine, I will seriously miss riding my bike in the west.   
- Eat all you want, even if it's ice cream and beef jerky. I think I lost weight on this trip since it's hard to replenish the 7,000 plus calories burned per day. I probably ate more red meat in September than I do in a year.
- Hot chocolates. I am not a coffee drinker and everywhere I stopped, the hot chocolates were absolutely delightful. Why can't New England produce a decent cup of hot chocolate and a delicious bear claw?
- Camping along the ocean with the perpetual sound of the ocean surf lulling me to sleep at night.
- Riding through the sequoia and redwood forests. Taking in the magnificent beauty of these trees truly makes you treasure the natural world even more.  
- The beautiful Pacific coast that was always on our right. The blue hues of the ocean changed colors depending on the location and weather conditions.   
- My favorite places along the way were Manzanita Beach, Oregon, Mendocino, Tomales and Point Reyes Station, California.
- "End of Passing Lane" road sign = hill is most likely over with a nice descent to follow but this is not true 100% all the time. On one long day, I think we had what felt like seven or more long hills in the last 10 miles before camp. That's when I found myself continuously looking at my odometer every minute or so.  
- Getting off the bike at the end of the day. Yes, I do enjoy riding my bike for long distances but after many hours of wearing lycra shorts and a tightly fitted jersey, it's like heaven to be off the bike and to wear normal clothes after a hot shower.
- Lastly, all the great people and the crew on this trip. There were a whole lot of people who made me laugh and were an absolute joy to ride with every day. Although we were forewarned about the about the 46,000 feet of climbing, everyone was enthusiastic about riding, even if certain days were quite long and hilly. The crew members were always helpful and supportive while having fun.    

This trip exceeded all my expectations and I think I will go through cycling withdrawal when I return to Maine for the fall and forthcoming winter. It was epic, it was fun, I loved climbing the hills and I am still in disbelief that I finished it. In the two weeks, I got used to the grind of getting up in the morning, putting away camp, riding 75 plus miles, setting up camp and sleeping. When we were two days away from San Francisco, it was hard to believe that we were so close to our goal. In the end, it was well worth the effort.  

This is it for now and this will be my last blog entry. I will be posting photos soon when I get back to Maine and I will include a link to them on this blog. I want to say thank you to everyone who sponsored me and to inform you that the American Lung Association of Washington and I truly appreciate your support. Your money is going to a great cause. Also, I thank everyone who has posted comments to this blog and who has sent me words of encouragement over the last year.  

Sayonora for now.

Mark