2020, Day -2: Retired

Welcome back, everyone!

This, 2020 (knock on wood), is the potential ultimate year of riding across the nation! We're 2/3 complete on mileage, and though I promised a 3000 mile journey back in 2012, joke's on you for putting too much trust in my geographical estimations. Prose over Precision! In reality, the full trip will be closer to 4000 miles (~6437 KM in case you're a metric purist). Alas, my rhythmic site title has been disrupted, but 1600 miles of asphalt await. I hope mom stocked up on audiobooks.

This year is special for more reasons than just the theoretical sidewalk's end, however. Dad, our champion on wheels, our brigadier of bike chains, our mileage mathematician, our headwind harbinger, has packed up his box lunch and called it quits, for good. He is... and I expect a place in the Dad Joke Hall of Fame for this... reTired.

I expect a submission to the Reader's Digest.

Today was the first of two days of driving just to reach last year's endpoint in Michigan. No riding just yet, but plenty of pavement to pound to get there. Tomorrow they'll make the last stretch to the Great Lakes region before unclipping the frame and praying for a tailwind.

From dad:

August 31st, 2020

This year's trip begins. The goal: complete the ride all the way to the end! Since I retired Friday, I don't have to get back to work as in prior years. Two critical factors:

1. Will the weather hold out for the 7 weeks or so necessary to make it through Maine? and

2. Will my body be able to go 40-50 miles/day, day after day for that long?

We left home in Orem, UT at about 7:45 this morning, arriving in North Platte, NE around 7:30 this evening. We had strong tailwinds through Wyoming with gusts over 40 mph according to the freeway signs. We drove 675 miles on a tank and a half of gas. Nice!

Bon Voyage, dad! Don't forget to stretch!