Mu(ni)sings

Day 59. Munising to Newberry. 60 miles. 1200 feet elevation. 3613 miles TTD. The weather was wet, but there was a tailwind.

This is pretty much what my ride looked like for the first 30 miles of the day, and yes, that gray coloration is rain.

And this is what the second 30 miles of my ride looked like, also with rain. There wasn’t much to photograph, and I was afraid to take my phone out and get it wet. So, if you look at this blog rather than read it, this might be a day to skip.

I’m definitely on the back side, or the second half, of this adventure. As I thought about it today, I realized that’s a parallel to my life. I’m definitely on the back side, or even the tail end, of my life adventure. At this point, every day that I’m not dead or diseased is a marvelous blessing.

Happily, I can say that the first half of my bicycle adventure has made the second half easier. At least so far. A 60-mile day now is significantly easier than in the first weeks of the trip. Things I’ve learned along the way are being applied every day to make things run more smoothly. Unhappily, I’m not sure I can say the same about my life. Peddling a bike, finding a place to eat, and locating a motel are pretty simple. Navigating relationships, living with disease and death, and trying to do what’s right are slightly more complicated.

Fortunately, there are three things I’ve learned on this ride that can help improve my life. First, sometimes you just need to put your head down and move forward. Second, no matter how important what you’re doing is, you probably need to take a break occasionally. Third, maintaining good family relations and friendships is worth way more than good finances.

Head down, move forward

This morning, as I walked out of my motel, it was raining. In fact, for most of the 60 miles, it was raining. It wasn’t heavy rain, but it was enough to keep me wet, and the ride wasn’t quite as fun. But I had a destination to reach. So, I put on my raincoat and began to pedal. I had learned from my amazing wife that, regardless of weather, frustrations, and even life-threatening diseases, you need to move forward. Life is better moving forward. Einstein is said to have said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

Take a rest

Gloria and I pedaled on The Great Divide for the better part of 2 months in 2018. It was a 2,600-mile journey, during which the elevations we gained equaled about six climbs up Mount Everest. Along the way, we met many people. We always stopped for the Sabbath, the day of rest. Invariably, other riders would continue on. They would always be surprised when we later passed them. I’ve realized on my long days during this trip that just stopping for 15 minutes every 20 or 30 miles makes the next several miles significantly easier. In fact, trying to cover 100 miles seems impossible, even after doing it repeatedly on this trip. But riding 25 miles is completely doable four times.

Family and friends

Occasionally on this ride, I’ve been fortunate to have cell service for several miles while talking to or texting a family member or friend. Those miles flew by, even though they were equal to other miles and the energy required to cover them. I realize that my separation from family and friends is self-inflicted. However, continuing to engage with them has made this part of my life and every part of my life far easier and much happier.

Tomorrow, I’m hoping to be back in Canada.