Thursday, February 2, 2012

New Cycling Plan

Back on August 27th I scribbled out a post  (Three Year Cycling Plan) about my touring plans and declared that...


…since I’ve turned 50 which was seven years ago I’ve had knee, shoulder, back (2x), left hip and now right hip surgery. Nothing else can go wrong…right? Right. All the breathing and circulatory apparatus is in great working condition.


Oops...my " circulatory apparatus" turned out not to be "in great working condition" (Heart Attack 12/25/11). Just when you think all is going well shit happens and plans need to be re-thought. I'm physically in good health. I'm only taking one prescription med compared to the four that I was downing after leaving the hospital.  I'm ready to go. The only thing I'm still trying to wrap my head around is the lingering feeling of being vulnerable and how it plays into venturing out into the great unknown. I also don't feel like being away from Carrie and the kids for any extended time. 

I still have a burning desire to get out and tour so here are my thoughts for now;
1) I'm currently planning  different 3 to 10 day tours  that don't take me more then a days drive from home. Some of those rides will include touring the Pacific Coast. In the end I want to complete the entire Pacific Coast tour from the Canadian border to the Mexican border but do it in segments.

2) As for doing a Trans Am...that is still a dream of mine. On the practical side, I may be considered retired, but I still have some business responsibilities that I need to manage for a few more years. In addition I realize now that I can't just leave Carrie and the kids behind for three months. In eight years form now I will have minimized any business that needs my attention and the kids will be out of school. That leaves Carrie who, with a little luck, will meet up with me occasionally along the way to share a beer or two. I plan on making it more then a dream some day. I need to stay healthy and keep cycling so in eight years from now when I'm 65 years old my old bones will still be well greased. Keep your fingers crossed.


More to follow as I figure things out. Ride on.


Byron, Carrie and Leili at Cambria, CA