time to rise 2 ripple
What does ready feel like? I'm not sure I know. Do you?
Sure it's easy to recognize when you feel like you're not ready - your palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy... - but how do you know you're truly ready?
Hey, I've told myself that I was ready countless times. Like when I proposed to Lynn, we decided to have children, took on big-leap promotions, or prepped for risky surgeries. But they were just pep talks as I searched for my first-step courage.
"Nobody ever got ready by waiting. You only get ready by starting."
- John Maxwell.
I'm seventy-nine days away from my "little" spin across the country this summer, and I've come to accept that I will never be ready, but that's not stopping me. We're doing this thing.
Here's a perspective, I don't think we ever feel truly ready - unless we're talking about our next meal. But I don't know if we get there for the big things in life. So, maybe readiness isn't a feeling but rather a choice.
The first time I rode without training wheels, I fell in love with the bicycle, but it hasn't been a smooth romance. As my wife says, "The bike nearly killed you, but it also saved your life."
On June 14th, we (that is, Lynn, our two dogs (Jester and Hope) and I) pull out of Astoria, Oregon for a coast-to-coast adventure and arrive in Yorktown, VA on July 31st.
- 10 States
- 4200 to 4300 miles (depending if I get lost)
- 45 days.
I'm calling it the Rise 2 Ripple Challenge (R2RC).
Here's a riddle, How do you train for a 4000+ mile ride?
The answer is you can't; you just keep pedaling.
I've accomplished a lot on my bike, but nothing like this, and I'll be as prepared as I need to be. It will be epic, and I hope you'll come along. We've got energetic space in our RV for you - don't worry, you don't have to pedal.
I've made a short video that explains the ride. If you like it, I hope you will give it a thumbs-up, post your encouragement and share it with your peloton.
I also put together a webpage that provides additional details and how to become part of the R2RC Ripple Squad.
We've been through some challenging shi(f)t the last two years, and if we want to create a "different normal," it requires us to do things that we may not be ready for.
Hey, Westley, Inigo, and Feezik weren't ready to have fun storming the castle, but they did it anyway, and so can we. I hope the ride inspires you to take a step toward your better tomorrow.