It's all over... what a ride!!

It's over. We all finished. And it was, in short, amazing!
It's taken some time for the ride to actually sink in, but I loved it and really thought it was a once in a lifetime experience. The people I met all had such great stories, the friends I made were great, and the scenic views of California were breathtaking.

So how did it feel and what does it all mean? For one, it felt great to accomplish something like this. I have never trained this hard for an athletic event nor have I taken on this type of challenge. When I first started, I could hardly take my fat butt up the hills of San Diego. But at the end of the ride, it felt so good to finish strong and hang with some of the fastest rides on the trip.

Two important things I learned on this journey. 1) Never give up. So many of these challenged athletes have had all the reasons in the world to give up. To stop trying. To stop pursuing something. But they never did. They never let anything stop them. Duane, a double-leg amputee, said one day that losing his legs was the best thing that happened to -- because of the doors it opened up.
2) Anyone is capable of doing anything. The challenged athletes on the ride are anything but challenged. They are individuals who have adapted to their situations and become stronger from it. To be honest, I had a skewed perception when we first started our training that the challenged athletes were actually "challenged". After the ride, my perception has become that they are just like you and I. It doesn't even occur to me that they are challenged in any way.
I loved the ride. I am excited to do it again, and hopefully next year I can. I really believe in CAF and that what they do helps in a tremendous way.
Thank you to all my friends and family who supported me on this ride. A special thanks to those who could come out during the ride and show support. It definitely lifted my spirits.
I hope you consider doing this ride next year. If you think you physically can't do it... you are wrong. You can and I'm sure you'll have a great time on the ride.

It's time to wrap up this portion of the journey and move on to the next one. Maybe an Ironman or half Ironman is in the picture. Maybe some crits in San Diego... but I know one thing, I can't wait to get back on my bike!