January 30, 2002
WHAT WE LEARNED
Many of our friends have asked us "How has this changed you?" or "What have you learned?" Quite frankly these are hard questions both because we have learned many things, have each experienced this from our own life experiences, and the impact is still sinking in.
Having said that one of the biggest things we have learned is the importance of setting a real tangible goal that is bigger than yourself [ie Coast to Coast in 24 days], and having smaller goals [ie daily mileage] that help you along the way.
We learned the value of perseverance and inspiration as core elements
required to complete such an intense effort over a sustained period of
time. Perseverance comes from within and is a key mental characteristic.
Inspiration is different. It needs to come both from within and outside
oneself, and needs to be both given and received. This was a valuable
lesson and we hope in some small way we have helped others with this as
you followed our progress on the Coast-to-Coast for Cancer ride.
We learned the value of teamwork. We learned the value of supporting one
another at all times but especially on days when one of us was not as
physically or mentally strong as we should have been. We learned the importance
of the extended team; both our direct support team in the RV, and the
extended team working behind the scenes. Achieving one's goals through
a team effort is truly a cornerstone of why we were able to achieve the
targets we set.
I [Jeff] also learned that the power of the mind and how committing to a goal bigger than oneself can overcome many things. Before the Coast-to-Coast ride, I only rode 3 times in my life more than 100 miles in anyone day, and never in the mountainous conditions that were part of this ride. To think that with a few months training we could bike 3,000 miles in 24 days in January weather conditions shows the true power of the human spirit. I know each and everyone of us has that capacity.
And finally we learned, or more accurately, reinforced the true value
of friendship and the importance of one's family and friends. This effort
has really put that into focus and made both of us realize the importance
of people that we can truly rely on.
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