All of that adds up to about 20,000 miles of bicycling in my lifetime. I've made some significant long-distance tours like Alaska to Montana, Mexico to Canada, and the Pacific to the Atlantic. But most often it's the small, short runs that have eaten up a hefty number of miles.
And all this riding hasn't come without its bumps and scratches. I wear internal jewelry in my left foot from a dumb left-lane turning accident in Missoula and broken ribs et al and several days in the hospital from a crash in Whitefish. About seven years ago, even worse happened. I had crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and was beginning a tour from San Fran to Pueblo, Colorado. At the front end of this thousand-ish mile tour I suffered a massive heart attack. Did an ambulance run red lights to get me to the ER? No, but my BikeFriday did. After open heart surgery and a triple bypass plus recovery time, I was back on another bike pedaling through North Dakota farmland.
So, the adventure continues. I've just finished a nine-person tour in Montana and currently, I'm prepping for another long distance tour from Montana to Oklahoma. So, I thought (while pedaling) that I should chronicle the tour for others who might be contemplating a long-distance tour. Maybe others could benefit from my efforts. That's referred to as a "community of practice," where we learn from each other "between the formal" business meetings. Thus, if you are a cyclist thinking about long-distance touring, maybe we can be occasional conversationalists or offer our own Q and A community of practice. Whatever it is that keeps you coming back to my blog, may you vicariously enjoy the fragments of adventure that is sure to emerge with each new post.
God Bless,
Fr. Thomas+
There's my sweetie. :)
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