A lot of people have asked me how I train for a trip of this length. The truth is, I am not entirely certain that you can. It is next to impossible to get your body prepared for a 4200 mile journey. There are variables such as wind, weather, mountains, altitude, heat, and cold. Not to mention fighting the mental strain of looking at a seemingly endless road stretching far ahead. As I sit in the comfort of my home, I am aware that I cannot comprehend the physical and mental related challenges. It will have to be a day by day endeavor.
With that said, I'm not fooling myself into thinking I can come home from work, hit the couch, and "take it day by day." As a middle school teacher, I was able to use my spring break to ride and averaged 63 miles per day. Recently, I have averaged about 200 miles per week, with the majority of the miles ridden on the weekend. I have tried, on any number of occasions, to organize a specific "training" plan. I wrote down the miles I logged, watched what I ate, and strapped on the heart rate monitor for a while. But, to me, the whole point of riding a bike is the freedom it offers. Now, I just go ride! If the sky is dark in one direction, I go the other. If a Starbucks sounds good, I make sure to stop along the way. I do, however, make sure I get the time in on the saddle. In so doing, I get to see things along the way.
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