I have now been in the Minneapolis area for 6.5 weeks. Needless to say it has been an awesome experience, but has also provided some serious stress. Because my teammate Zack, and his wife Lindsey, I have an awesome place to live, but this doesn’t come without its own interesting situation. We total two kids in their 30’s, one 8 year old, and one adult (of course that would be Lindsey). This is an interesting dynamic, but we are all finally falling into a routine and understanding how this thing is going to work. I have never had the chance to have any children in my life, but after getting to babysit I have to say I am excited when the time comes for me to find a woman who’ll be willing to actually bear the spawn of insanity and hyperactivity. (Megan… just let me know whenever you’re ready). We not only live together but Zack and I train together, Lindsey supports us with planning and brain storming, and the munchkin is a constant reminder to maintain our love for what we are doing rather than letting it overwhelm us. I am also extremely lucky to have my girlfriend who lives in Chicago and is my outlet to daily frustration, my compass on rough days, and my first phone call when we have a success. Simply put I could not live with, or be with, a better team of people to help keep me focused on our goals. With all the wonderful help, this event is still a beast.
TRAINING:
Going from powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting to pure cycle training is an interesting transition that comes with its own interesting aspects. Firstly, I am constantly checking bicycle weight limits. You simply can’t put a 280lb man on a bike rated for 240lbs, apparently the wheels and frame literally yell at you as you get on and begin pedaling. Secondly, cardio training sucks. There is a reason why I love lifting so much, it doesn’t require running. Have you ever seen a Rhino run more than 200 meters? Hell, have you ever seen a Rhino run more than 20 meters? So making the transition has been challenging. That being said, I have seen a marked improvement in my cycling ability as well as my technique.
PHONE CALLS: (and small victories)
I have had the chance to be a part of, and experience, some pretty awesome things in my life. I’ve been to Mt. Everest, seen the ruins of Carthage, and have gotten to celebrate some amazing events with my family and friends. I have also missed a heap in my life. As anyone who has been deployed knows, we miss a ton. I’ve missed funerals of close friends and family, weddings, the birth of new cousins, and even my God Children all because duty called. With all of my experiences this event is shaping up to be one of the most dynamic, incredible, and meaningful events of my life. It covers the full spectrum of human emotion. As a Green Beret we are constantly reminded to keep sight of the small victories, and eventually those will amount to the success of the mission. Well, let me just say, that the smallest of victories for this event have had HUGE impacts. Of all the hours we spend on the phone, planning, calling, writing, more planning, and more calling, to finally get a return call or email that shows even the slightest interest is like we just summited Mt. Rainer. In the same instance, not getting call backs or emails in return is horribly frustrating, but also strengthens my resolve to get our message to as many people as possible.
ICE, SNOW, SPRING: (within 2 days)
One day we were out smacking pucks on the ice and sledding down hills, the next we are wearing t-shirts and shorts crushing a PBR or two out in the front yard. Also riding outside is significantly more fun and rewarding than riding inside, in the dungeon, on a stationary trainer. Minneapolis is also an awesome place to ride as the city, and many private organizations, have provided a veritable buffet of trails and dedicated bike lanes to enable us silly cyclists to piss off all the drivers of the city.
SHOWERs, CHAMOIS, and LYCRA:
Nothing fits me. Literally nothing. I have to stand sideways to fit in showers, look for giant freaking shirts and pants to fit over my shoulders, legs, and butt so obviously biking attire doesn’t fit. Just as bikes aren’t designed for what we will call beefy riders, neither is the clothing. Who would have thought that a sport where everything is designed to be as lite as possible that there would be a need to produce XXXL products for dudes who are built more like Oxen rather than Gazelles? All I’m saying is someone, somewhere should have thought it before now.
SPREADING THE WORD:
All of this comes down to one thing. This is the most meaningful endeavor I have ever taken on. I have lost close friends to suicide because of PTSD and former teammates because they never were ever quite right after getting shot to shit. This is why I am doing this. I don’t ever want to look at another mother burying her son or daughter, because they weren’t able to get the treatment they needed. Because a system that is broken wasn’t able to support or identify their needs. This ride is the beginning of something I hope will make a real change. I don’t care if it changes 1 or 1 million, all I care about is the people helped get a chance to live a long and meaningful life here back in the land of the “normal.” No matter how much time we spend here as civilians, only other vets will get our morbid, disgusting, and often times none PC humor. We owe it to our brothers and sisters….. I owe it to my brothers and sisters to do everything I can to ease their suffering and assist them to find that happiness from a life they once knew so well.
If you want to support our efforts, it’s as easy as texting “RIDE” to 80077, and then reply to confirm your donation. Just with the few taps on your phone you can donate $10 to the cause. You can also visit our donations page at https://www.crowdrise.com/ridetovalhalla/fundraiser/GBAT.
cfviking 