September, 2021
It's been twelve years since this ride. So much has happened ... but it has been fun to go back and look back and remember friends. I read this now and realize how motivated I was by the stats of the ride - miles ridden, elevation gained, average mile per hour.
Life evolves - and priorities change. On later rides I worried less about the stats and took the time to find the stories that every day reveals when you slow down enough to find them. And I also paid more attention to the writing, so apologies in advance for the sloppiness of some of the writing here - often done after biking a 100 miles and before dinner.
This was a challenging adventure, and I learned I was strong and thrived on challenge. And perhaps this ride was great training for what the next decade brought where perseverance and focus and "keep pedaling" not only opened doors to new adventures on the bike, but got me through some difficult times in life.
I added some videos other riders made on the right side, as well as some photos.
Keep pedaling!
Read more at LeighPate.com