Day 58: September 6th (Route: San Clemente, CA to San Diego, CA)

Day 58: September 6th (Route: San Clemente, CA to San Diego, CA)

Technical Data:

Distance, miles: 69.64
Ride Time 5:30:32
Work, kJ 3500
Average power, watts: 170
Normalized power, watts: 209
Average speed, mph: 12.45

Forecast: Cloudy with a strong head wind the entire day!

Today started out a little different than others. With a short ride to my final destinaton on the west coast I spent the entire morning at Starbucks working on writing and just trying to soak in the last day of riding here on the west coast. I wasn't really motivated to ride today, to be honest the motivation has started to fade as my toughts have been taking over the last couple of days. I'm pretty sure I'm just tired, or I've let my hopes get the best of me the last couple of days. The knumbness in my fingers is still there and I'm starting to get a little concerned as I don't want nerve damage from this trip, thats the last thing I need!

Rolling out of the Starbucks I notice a stout headwind and I'm pretty sure I'll be riding in this all day long! What a way to finish, maybe I'm supposed to turn around and enjoy the tail wind to Oregon??? Maybe this is all a dream and I'm destined to wake up in the midwest in a few days realizing that all this has been a dream...

Following the instructions I got from the local bike shop I head south. Thinking is really taking the day off as I'm just enjoying the day, the cyclist, the ocean waves and really just enjoying the ride! I enter Pendalton Military base and have toughts of, what if I just enlist and stop the journey right here and now, I've always wanted to serve my country however with my dreams of playing baseball in college took me down a different path. I have thought about applying for the PT program in the military however I just can't seem to get my verbal score high enough on the GRE, which is a pain in the tail end! Tried twice and improved the second time around, however when it comes to preforming in the clutch I just can't seem to deliever, funny how on a timed test I can't but when it comes to something physical I'm the man to go to. I have always thrived on the stress in competition, when I played baseball I usually came through when it counted. Just curious to see why I can't when it comes to a simple test...

Random thought I know, however that's what I get sometimes when I sit down to write! Continuing my journey south I encounter many cyclist which is pretty cool, not talking to many, however enjoying the fact that so many people are out and about riding is motivation enough to keep me riding today! Then into Oceanside, I first visited Oceanside in 2007 when racing the 70.3 Ironman, where I first experienced the ocean to be honest, first time I was in the ocean I was racing! It was 59 degrees and I was freezing! The course was great and now I was truly riding the course and o' the memories! Some good and some bad, however making new memories now and that's sure to wash away all the bad ones!

With Oceanside being my first Triathlon I was pretty stoked to be far away from home, experiencing my first triathlon, however flying a friend out to watch turned out to be a mistake. I would like to ellaborate on this, however its not worth the time! All I know is I learned a valuable lesson in trust during this time, that warped this relationship until it fell apart a year later. All I can say is that when the right one comes along, I'll need to know I can trust her! Relationships to me are very special and they have to have the utmost trust in them otherwise they won't work. Thinking about this for a while I turn to the kites flying on the ocean side and think about the feeling of getting lost in the wind! If I had a sail right now I would be blown the otherway for sure!

I'm writing this a couple days late as when I got in to San Diego I was beat! I'm looking forward to a few days off the bike for sure, yesterday (the day after I rode in) I slept all day long, literally only got up to eat and go to the rest room, I'm hoping I'm not getting sick from all this travel! I can't afford it...I head to the east coast on Thursday to travel back west, hoping I was traveling back to Oregon, however I stop in the Midwest and figure things out. Very little communication from the outside world which is getting tough, maybe all the silence is getting to me? I'm not sure what's going on, I'll rest, eat, and rehydrate and see how I start to feel over the next couple of days!

The plan is to get to the east coast and build up the bike and BoB and start riding West, I'm not sure how long it will take as the terrain out East is not likely to be easy with the rolling terrain and the weather staring to change. I'm up for the challenge though, as I don't like to say something and not do it! But, again I have always mentioned if my health starts to dwindle to the point I need to stop I will, however thta has not occurred yet, I'm still feeling strong just a little down I think. Down becuase I've been on the road close to 60 days now and certain when I get home I'll need some direction, some help to get back on my feet and then to walk down the next path the Lord has for me.

I have wanted to ask so many I have meet for help along the way, however I've been leaving it to my faith to provide and it has which is a true blessing! I just hoep that my changing my stars is in the near future. Where or whats in store for me is still unknown. Many have asked me along this trip what am I going to do, how am I going to use my new gained fitness, where are you goint to go, et cetera? All good questions and I have a lot of thoughts on what I would like to do, however sharing them is another thing, if I do and they don't come to fruitition then I might be disappointed. Its not like me to care what others think, however lately I have been a little disappointed or just tired!

The good thing its a new day and I should be thinking of all the positive things out there! I have the ability to do about anything in this world so that's what I should focus on! I just need a little help getting there, so if anyone that reads this feels strongly about helping a good christian kid, that walks the straight and narrow feel free and let me know!

Right now what I would like to do is go to school and become a Physical Therapist, of course after I write my book that is! Would like that beautiful girl in Oregon to give me a call. Would like to change my financial situation and have the guidance to do so! There are so many schools out there, however to fullfill a dream I would like to be in the NW to go to school to be closer to the one I have been thinking about the last month or so...who knows maybe I'm dreaming again!

Back to the ride! The ride was great today, I just tooled along, not pushing the pace. Taking things into San Diego was great, then I hit the hills of the city and this I did not expect! I climbed a lot once into the city, destination the host family I contacted that plans on allowing me to crash with them until my flight on Thursday! Once to their house I clean up and get settled...