A week ago, I completed my summer cycling goal of riding 150 miles across Michigan in a single day as part of the “One Day Ride Across Michigan” event for the benefit of diabetes. I was in the saddle for a little over 9 hours and averaged 15.6 mph. Long day but the weather was beautiful and I had a great support team that met me every 25 miles.

The biggest question I get asked when I mention this ride is “Why did you do it”?

When I reflected on this, I had multiple motivations:

I am very goal oriented

I love to cycle but I am even more committed when I have a goal to target. Cycling 150 miles was a distance I had never ridden before training for this ride. (100 miles was my maximum). Participating in this ride forced me to stick to a set training schedule to give me the best opportunity to complete it. It kept me accountable! It was also fun to prepare and assemble a support team (include my spouse, Sara) to help me along the way. Sara said I made it look easy, but she was not there for the hundreds of hours of preparation that happened leading up to that day.

Don’t tell me it is impossible

My regular cycling teammates said 150 miles was simply too far and could not be completed in one day. This was all the motivation I needed. I wanted to ride with them, but if they did not want to, I would prove them wrong!

I love the quote by Arnold Schwarzenegger-  “People that say it’s impossible should not interrupt those who are trying to make it possible!“

I was never much of an athlete in school.

I was never very good at organized sports when I was in high school. I guess that these endurance rides are where I try to prove to myself that I still some kind of athlete (who can just keep pedaling)!

Strange what motivate us, huh?