Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Day 48 & 49
Gettysburg to Clarksburg, MD - 50 miles
Clarksburg to Washington, DC - 53 miles
We did it! After 3,427 miles we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The last two days were shorter miles but both had around 4,000 feet of climbing. We all gathered about 3 miles from the memorial and then rode in together to meet about 60 family and friends waiting to greet us. Thanks to a retired writer for Business Week, Bill Cook, there were both TV and newspaper coverage.
We spent the afternoon and evening partying and saying our goodbyes. When I reflect back on the trip it was not about the miles or how hard the ride was but it was about the friends you make and the people I met along the way.
Would I ever go on a trip like this again? Absolutely, bicycling is the greatest way to see the world. You are moving fast enough to feel like you are getting somewhere but slow enough to totally interact with your surroundings.
On a seven-week bicycle trip across the United States, we all learned a lot about ourselves, our situations, and our colleagues. Here's what our homespun Texas philosopher, cattle man, rodeo rider, and family doctor David Ramsey says he learned.
1 The smoother the pavement, the shorter the distance you'll be on it.
2 Don't try to talk during climbs, especially to women, unless you want to be embarrassed.
3 In July, nothing ever really dries out in the Midwest.
4 When you live out of a dufflebag, the things you really need are always on the bottom.
5 Age is a relatively minor feature compared to mindset.
6 Physical appearances have little to do with physical abilities.
7 You don't have to have ice in your water when you are really thirsty.
8 Real friends help you even when you say you don't need it.
8 First impressions of people are often wrong, though not always.
9 Things hurt a lot worse when you focus on them.
10 You can go to sleep while sweating profusely.
11 Awfully big projects can be accomplished by just daily working at the goal.
Clarksburg to Washington, DC - 53 miles
We did it! After 3,427 miles we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The last two days were shorter miles but both had around 4,000 feet of climbing. We all gathered about 3 miles from the memorial and then rode in together to meet about 60 family and friends waiting to greet us. Thanks to a retired writer for Business Week, Bill Cook, there were both TV and newspaper coverage.
We spent the afternoon and evening partying and saying our goodbyes. When I reflect back on the trip it was not about the miles or how hard the ride was but it was about the friends you make and the people I met along the way.
Would I ever go on a trip like this again? Absolutely, bicycling is the greatest way to see the world. You are moving fast enough to feel like you are getting somewhere but slow enough to totally interact with your surroundings.
On a seven-week bicycle trip across the United States, we all learned a lot about ourselves, our situations, and our colleagues. Here's what our homespun Texas philosopher, cattle man, rodeo rider, and family doctor David Ramsey says he learned.
1 The smoother the pavement, the shorter the distance you'll be on it.
2 Don't try to talk during climbs, especially to women, unless you want to be embarrassed.
3 In July, nothing ever really dries out in the Midwest.
4 When you live out of a dufflebag, the things you really need are always on the bottom.
5 Age is a relatively minor feature compared to mindset.
6 Physical appearances have little to do with physical abilities.
7 You don't have to have ice in your water when you are really thirsty.
8 Real friends help you even when you say you don't need it.
8 First impressions of people are often wrong, though not always.
9 Things hurt a lot worse when you focus on them.
10 You can go to sleep while sweating profusely.
11 Awfully big projects can be accomplished by just daily working at the goal.
