Nutrition: If Only Spinach Tasted Like Chocolate

I have been trying to convince myself for years that because I ride so many miles, I can eat whatever I want. It's simply not true. If a body doesn't get the fuel it needs to perform the work that it is asked to do, it will 1) break down muscle tissue in order to get the fuel, or 2) refuse to perform the work. When Karen sent me a suggested list of foods that would properly fuel someone doing endurance activities, along with when those foods ought to be eaten, I realized just how far off the mark I had gotten. Then Patty told me of a mutual friend turned racer...he had lost 15 pounds, and while that seemed wonderful...he found out through some body testing that 12 of those pounds were muscle. Yikes.

I have become serious about my food intake. I like to fast for Lent...it's a personal thing, and though it changes a bit from year to year, I usually do something along the lines of a Daniel Fast. I basically become a vegan who eats no sugar. If it's true that you are what you eat, then I've become Mr. McGregor's garden. Which...poses a problem. I need protein...about 60 grams a day, and it's hard for me to get that kind of protein from fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts. I supplement my diet with some protein drinks called muscle milks. I had heard about a swimming coach whose swimmers were dragging by noon following a morning practice. He had them down chocolate milk after their morning practice and noticed a change in their energy level almost immediately. Afternoon practices were just as rigorous as the morning practices, but now the swimmers were performing at higher levels. Chocolate milk seems to have a good ratio of protein to carbs.


I won't bore you with a list of what I eat, but I will tell you that gone are the days when I would come home from a long ride and have a cup of coffee with plenty of cream and sugar along with a scone or a handful of cookies. And I can feel the difference. I have more energy and I am starting to feel stronger. Today I was clipping along at 15 mph on the flats. My Garmin said that I burned a little over 2000 calories in the 50+ miles that I rode...double that, and you have a good idea of what it is going to take to fuel me each day of this trip. Now, could you please pass me the quinoa tabouleh?

maybe you can't...because you won't...

Training...a Regimen of Convenience

Several people have asked me how I am training for this 50 day ride. Good question...and I'd like to tell you that I have a good answer...but I don't. I ride...to get groceries, to check on my parents, to the library, to meet my financial guy (yes...he has on a blue button-down, I have on spandex...wet spandex at that). It is my training regimen that is borne out of convenience. I had firewood to split and stack in January, and a mountain of never ending yardwork. I decided 30-40 miles per day in February would be good, followed by 50 in March and 60 in April. I'd like daily, but there are days when I just can't ride. Because there is a tremendous time factor involved with all of the mileage, once in awhile all I can do is hop on the elliptical trainer at home and put on about 45 minutes of random hills at level 7. Does this concern me? Yes. I'd like to incorporate a weight lifting program to build as much muscle as possible, as I know the continuous riding days in May, June, and July will take its toll. But...I also believe that the body is an amazing thing...it adapts. Perhaps you have had a job where the physical demands were high, and the first few days were pure torture. But as your body adapted, you were then able to do that same work, day after day, with no problem. That's...what I'm hoping.




I am not fast. When God handed out the fast-twitch muscle fibers, I think I was in the rec room watching an episode of Father Knows Best. But I do have a few of the slow-twitch fibers and I am loath to quit...anything. Typically, I ride between 12 and 13 mph, and that is with racks, fenders, and a 10 pound rear trunk. I find that if I try to bump up my average to 14 mph, I am fatigued the next day. I won't have the rack or that anchor of a rear trunk on this trip, but I have planned for 12 mph days, or just over 8 hours of actual riding each day. Every 10-15 miles I will stop, get off the bike, eat a little something, and stretch a bit. There are those three contact points which need to be pampered...the hands, the butt, and the feet. All are important...and I will take care of them. But my trump card? Well...I like to think it's my mindset.
"Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body is not tired if the mind is not tired.". ~George Patton~
maybe you can't...because you won't...

Warm Showers is a Warm Feeling

In 2005, I rode across the US, and in preparation for that trip I stumbled upon an amazing organization...Warm Showers. Started in 1993 by Terry Zmrhal and Geoff Cashman, Warm Showers is a world-wide hospitality service offered to touring cyclists. Through a dedicated group of volunteers, the site at www.warmshowers.org offers an online way to set up lodging when you are touring. As an organization, it has undergone several leadership changes and over time has evolved into a sophisticated network of people who offer their homes, their knowledge about routing, and sometimes even their food to traveling cyclists. I stayed with 6 Warm Showers hosts on my Coast-to-Coast ride, and still remain in contact with a handful of them. What a delight!


We will be extremely fortunate on this trip...out of the 50 states...we have Warm Showers hosts in 24...and friends in another 4 states. We will be using public and private campgrounds for the remaining 22. I couldn't be happier about that. I am forever grateful to the Warm Showers hosts for their willingness to share their backyard, let us rinse the dirt and sweat off our weary bodies, and give us ice for our water bottles. I have already been in contact with several of them about the routing in their particular state, and it is a big load off my mind to know that at the end of most days, we won't be scrambling for a tent site.


maybe you can't...because you won't...

The Route: Connecting the Dots

I use Microsoft MapPoint to do my routing, and then retrace the route on MapMyRide so that it is online and can be shared. I have spent more hours than I care to count on the routing for this trip, paying close attention to roads that I think will be low traffic, roads that will be scenic, and roads that will be kind to my climbing muscles. MapMyRide gives me a number for total elevation gain, and I have tried to keep that number below 2500' each day, but I have heard that you actually climb 20-30% more than MMR estimates. Oh well...it is what it is, eh? I have a Garmin Edge 705 that will have all of my maps on it, and the 705 gives me all kinds of information, including a number for elevation gain at the end of the day. It will be interesting to compare the Garmin with MMR. There are 7 states where the gain will be significant: Nevada, Utah, Arkansas, New Hampshire, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The states will be covered in the following order...I haven't included details of the route, but I could certainly do that for someone who wanted to hook up with us for the day. All of these routes are subject to continual tweaking, as I adjust and refine the route.
Hawaii-Kailua to Waimea starting May 22
California-5/23 Fresno to Bakersfield
Nevada-5/24 Las Vegas to Overton
Utah-5/25 Ivins to Big Water
Arizona-5/26 Page towards 4 Corners
Colorado-5/27 Wolf Creek Pass to Fort Garland
New Mexico-5/28 Cimarron to Clayton
Texas-5/29 Dumas to Booker
Kansas-5/30 Coldwater Lake to Wellington
Oklahoma-5/31 Ponca City to Tulsa
Arkansas-6/1 Siloam Springs to Alpena
Missouri-6/2 West Plains to Poplar Bluff
Kentucky-6/3 Columbus to Murray
Tennessee-6/4 Paris to Moscow
Mississippi-6/5 Kosciusko to Jackson
Louisiana-6/6 St. Francisville to Bush
Alabama-6/7 Fairhope to Brewton
Florida-6/8 Marianna to Monticello
Georgia-6/9 Waycross to Savannah
South Carolina-6/10 Summerville to Conway
North Carolina-6/11 Kinston to the Great Dismal Swamp :) (love that)
Virginia-6/12 Windsor to Dunsville
Maryland-6/13 Chester to Queen Anne
Delaware-6/14 Greenwood to Milford
New Jersey-6/15 Woodstown to Old Bridge
Connecticut-6/16 Fairfield to Wauregan
Rhode Island-6/17 Chepachet to Pascoag
Massachusetts-6/18 Manchaug to NH border
Maine-6/19 Scarborough to York Beach
New Hampshire-6/20 West Nottingham to Canaan
Vermont-6/21 East Thetford to Brattleboro
New York-6/22 Rome to Rochester
Pennsylvania-6/23 North East to Sharon
West Virginia-6/24 Chester to Chester
Ohio-6/25 Mansfield to Bowling Green
Michigan-6/26 Morenci to Union
Indiana-6/27 La Porte to Schererville
Illinois-6/28 Rochelle to Rockton
Wisconsin-6/29 Madison to Prairie du Chien
Iowa-6/30 Clear Lake to Superior
Minnesota-7/1 Lynd to Graceville
North Dakota-7/2 Edgely to SD border
South Dakota-7/3 Pierre to Westover
Nebraska-7/4 Merriman to Crawford
Wyoming-7/5 Thermopolis to Cody
Montana-7/6 Hebgen Lake to I-90
Idaho-7/7 Lolo Pass to Kamiah
Oregon-7/8 Milton-Freewater to Boardman
Washington-7/9 Washougal to Vancouver
Alaska-7/10 Girdwell to Soldotna finishing July 10th
maybe you can't...because you won't...

The Plan...Stan...

Logistics. "The detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities, or supplies." I love 'em. Which is good, because this trip has a lot of logistics. I have paid close attention to the time of year, the elevation gain of the route, the "linear efficiency" of the route in relation to the state I'm going to next, the scenic beauty of the area we're riding in, the personalities and riding styles of my companions, the mechanical condition of my bikes and other gear, and the list.goes.on.
I will start on May 17 near Portland, Oregon, and drive to Santa Rosa, CA where I will pick up Karen and head to Oakland International Airport for a flight to the big island of Hawaii on the morning of May 19th. I have a coupled Rodriguez touring bike that I will be taking, and will put it together after I arrive. I'm staying with a wonderful couple that I met through Warm Showers, and you will hear a little more about that organization in a future post. It takes me an hour or two to put the bike together, and May 20th and 21st I hope to see Mauna Loa and a bit of the island. At midnight on the 21st...12:01 am to be exact...I will start riding the Kona Ironman route. Riding in the dark is not something I do regularly, but I have an excellent light (Niterider Blowtorch) and really have no choice because...well...I have a 1:00 pm plane to catch back to Oakland. I should be done riding by 10 am with just enough time for a quick shower and a repack of the bike. If I am pressed for time I will simply bag my bike and check it, but that is definitely plan B. I am taking two bikes on this trip...a Litespeed Blue Ridge will be waiting for me in Oakland for the century I will ride in California on the 23rd. My flight arrives in Oakland at 9:00 pm and Karen and I will drive for several hours before we stop for a few hours of sleep. The western states will be the toughest, and I will know by the end of the first week...perhaps by the end of the second day...whether or not I am physically capable of what I am asking my body to do.


maybe you can't...because you won't...

Whose Idea Was This, Anyway?

Blame it on Dean Karnazes. I think it was the year after my coast-to-coast ride...I saw that this man was going to run a marathon in every state...and he was going to do it in 50 days. Never mind that he had an enormous entourage...I thought it was amazing. I told my husband so. And a few minutes later, with synapses in my cortex popping like corks at a wedding, I ventured, "I wonder if I could ride a century a day...you know, 50 of them strung together, one in each state, in 50 days.". Bill looked at me with dismay. "What...is wrong with you?"
Well, that's subject matter for an entirely different blog, but suffice it to say that the idea was never too far away from my thinking. I planned a bit, and dreamed a bit, and kept myself in decent riding shape, just in case. Well, guess what? Case. This year I turn 60, and my idea has become a reality. The present I am giving myself is the opportunity and the resources to make this trip. 50 centuries, in 50 states, in 50 days. We'll have to wait and see how it all turns out. There are things I can control, like equipment, companions, and routing, and then there are things I cannot control, like weather, construction, and flight schedules. It is my ultimate road trip and I am both excited and anxious to my very core. I don't know if I can do it physically, and that is a large part of the draw for me.
"Ah but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"~Robert Browning

maybe you can't...because you won't...

My Bikin' Buddies

Several women have consented to do this trip, or parts of it, with me...they are map savvy women who run with scissors and get along well with others. Each has talents and strengths that they bring to this endeavor, and I am grateful to have them along, grateful for their friendship.
Karen Cooper-

I met Karen when a mutual friend and I delivered a car to San Francisco, pulled our bikes and bags out of the back, and started riding home to Portland. Karen met us on day 2 and rode some of that route, sagging with her vehicle when she wasn't riding. I immediately liked her...she is always eager to learn more about cycling and is organized, thinking of potential hazards before they become a liability. She rides a Sycips bike which is handmade in California, putting about 4500 miles a year on the bike. She has ridden across the United States via the Southern Tier and a year later the eastern half of the Northern Tier through Woman Tours. She was also with a group I took up through the San Juan Islands last summer for a week. Karen plans to be with me for the entire lower 48. Wow.
Patty Holt-

Patty has been riding for longer than I have and I appreciate her experience and knowledge. She has been places, knows people, and she shares that wealth of knowledge with the people around her. I love that. I met her after one of the week long tours that I organize each summer, and she has been on every one since...Coeur D' Alene, a couple of tours on the Oregon Coast, and the San Juan Islands. Patty rides a Lemond about 2500 miles a year. She has a delightful, positive outlook on life, and will be a welcome addition to our little group. She will be with me from Nevada to Oklahoma and New York to North Dakota.
Liz Wakeman-

Liz is my best friend and a partner in many of the hair-brained schemes I invent. She is always eager for an adventure and even when I get her into miserable circumstances she remains my steadfast friend and doesn't hold it against me. I trust her instincts...she considers not only the immediate impact, but the fallout and repercussions down the road. Liz rides a Surly Long Haul Trucker about 4500 miles a year, many of those with Wally, her husband, who was kind enough to share her with me for this trip. She will be with me from Oklahoma to Georgia.
Laura Schroeder-

I met Laura just last year on her first tour. She was busy introducing herself and comparing gear with the other cyclists...in the pouring rain. Her learning curve has been steep...last year she rode the Columbia River Gorge, Portland to San Francisco, and the San Juan Islands. I appreciate her optimism and dogged determination...all with a generous dose of humor. Laura rides a Cannondale about 3000 miles a year. She is also a runner and teaches 3rd grade full-time. Her husband Jon is staying home to hold down the fort and keep their dog Ruby happy. Laura will meet me in Savannah, Georgia and ride through the state of Washington.
maybe you can't...because you won't...