June 14, 2006
Notes from John's Journal...
Pre-Ride Thoughts & Message

Brunswick, ME
            It is 2006 and I’m back, yet again, to ride my recumbent bicycle a healthy distance to raise money for the American Lung Association of Maine. This series of articles will chronicle a 4,300-mile expedition; for those of you who were able to follow the accounts of my bike trips over the last two years, and to any new readers who might have missed that opportunity, here is yet another chance to follow along.

            This is my eleventh year of fund-raising for ALA-ME and it has been a successful campaign this year; thanks to all my generous sponsors. As of Monday I collected a total of $25,049. By the time all pledges are received I will have collected $25,400. Along the way this year, I will certainly let people know that I’m still fund-raising. It is possible that I’ll be able to collect a little more during the ride. I must send out a sincere, heartfelt and hardy thank you to all who have supported this ride. Your generosity, as always, has overflowed. Over these 11 years then, I have been able to raise over $132,000.

            The ride this year is divided into two distinct parts: a van-supported group ride from Seattle, WA to Washington, DC and a partially spouse-supported ride returning from there back to Brunswick, ME. On June 19^th, I’ll fly out to Seattle to begin riding back to Brunswick on June 22^nd. On the 21^st we have a special short ride to check any last minute repairs and to do the ceremonial wheel-dipping in the Pacific Ocean.

            Adventure Cycling Association of Missoula, MT is the organizer of the transcontinental crossing. This year marks a special anniversary for them; it was thirty years ago in 1976 that Bikecentennial (now ACA) created the first official transcontinental bicycle route. Over a thousand people took part in this rolling celebration of the American Bicentennial. It is a special anniversary for me as well; I was a leader for a portion of the cross-country route (Jackson Hole, WY to Missoula, MT). This, then, is a special celebration of thirty years of biking for me; the last eleven of which have been for a good cause: ALA-ME.

            ACA will provide a vehicle to carry our camping and biking equipment on a daily basis. This is the most significant difference from two years ago when I participated in a self-contained ride. Read this as meaning, all riders had to schlep their own gear every day plus some portion of the group cooking gear. In exchange for the pleasure of not having to haul fifty to sixty pounds of “stuff” daily, we have to ride farther each day. Two years ago the daily average was 51 miles per day; this year, the average will be 83. So it’s not exactly a bike in the park as you can well imagine. We will be camping along the way in inexpensive campgrounds.

            ACA will also be providing meals – 3 of them a day as I have understood it. One thing that is still unclear is whether some riders each day will be responsible for helping prepare meals. Two years ago, each day 2 riders had to go shopping for food for the 14 of us. They had to haul the food to the campground, prepare the dinner, clean up, prepare breakfast in the morning, lay out lunches, and clean up. With 40 riders this year, I’m not sure how that will operate. I’ve been too preoccupied with other things to call ACA to find out. I guess they don’t call it Adventure Cycling for nothing!

            As in the past, I’ll try to provide daily reports and photos of interesting people, scenery, animals, towns, statistics, and, of course, food. Yet again I’ll be hauling a laptop and various electronic necessities to ensure connectivity to the Internet when a library isn’t available. This commentary will be available on-line, of course, and in the Times Record of Brunswick as space allows.

            We’ll have 8 rest days out of the 48 it will take to get to Washington, DC. There we will have a special celebratory finish on August 8^th on the Mall itself. If all goes as planned, my wife will be there to meet me.

            The next part of coming home is a little more complicated. Susan, my adventurous wife, will play the part of support vehicle from Washington, DC to Middletown, NY.  I’ll try to continue the tradition of camping when possible, but there may be times when something drier and more comfortable might be necessary, i.e. a B&B, if for no other reason than sanity.

            From Middletown, NY to Brunswick, I’ll be on my own hauling whatever gear is necessary, camping when possible, and probably riding shorter distances because of the added weight I’ll be pulling. I’ll stop and see a couple of friends in Connecticut along the way. My goal is to arrive back at Simpson’s Point in Brunswick on Friday August 25^th.

            The preparations and lead-up to this ride have been as much physical as psychological. As many of you may know, it has been raining incessantly for the past month or so. There are some bicyclists who will train outside no matter what. I have to admit that I prefer biking in fair weather unless I absolutely have to be outside. There will be enough days along this ride where I’ll have to ride in grim conditions. My philosophy is: why rush it?

            Between today and Monday I still have to evaluate what to take, pack it, bag up equipment in manageable loads, finish mapping the east coast portion of the trip, pay bills, pet the cat, spend time with Susan and do laundry. As usual this isn’t an exhaustive list; but rather an exhausting one. Fortunately I do have an equipment list I saved from the last time I did a transcontinental crossing. There were actually 2 lists: the first one that had about 22 pounds too much and the second which was fine except for a small miscalculation about replacement tire needs.

            That is a sketch of the plan for this year. I hope that you will have the time to follow along with the ride. As always, you, my readers and sponsors and the sign at the Maine border, “Life as it should be” will be my beacons beckoning me home.