Guest Post: Riding Across America

This is a guest post by my friend Eric Wagner from riding across the country. You can learn more about his journey and buy his book on his website: http://leavingitontheroad.com/ 

There is a chapter within my book called, No Man Left Behind (pg 87 - 94). In it, we are riding out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a rest day spent in the city. We had just finished the first leg of our 33 day trip, and during that first third of the ride we had ridden from Costa Mesa, California, to Albuquerque, New Mexico. All in all, we had covered a total of 842 miles in just seven days, averaging about 120 miles per day!

During our day off from the road, I spent absolutely no time stretching or riding the bike, something that our leader had strongly recommended that we consider. Of course now that I'm older and certified as a Personal Trainer, I know exactly what he was talking about. Hindsight is 20/20 I suppose.

But back then, I did absolutely no stretching or no recovery moves of any kind. So sure enough, I remember getting up out of bed the next morning on the stiffest legs and tightest lower back muscles imaginable. We were barely on the road two miles before we were riding directly into the Sandia Mountains beyond the city limits.

I remember silently cursing myself for being so stubborn and foolish that I thought I knew better than our rider leader. It seemed we spent almost the entire morning climbing up into those mountains. And as the sun climbed higher into the bright blue sky and it continued to heat up the black asphalt beneath Shiva's tires I can distinctly remember thinking the most wild and improbable methods in which I would escape from my current situation. I came up with at least half a dozen speeches in which I told my dad and the rest of the America By Bicycle Riders that today was as far as I was going to go.

That this was too hard, I had made a mistake and that they should let me go on my merry way. Sorry about all the time it took to train and the wasted money to get us here.

Each excuse was worse and more pitiful than the last until finally I came across a United States Postal truck apparently making its rounds along the side of the highway. The taillights were steadily blinking and I could tell from the way the tailpipe was gently shaking with the reverberations of an idling engine that the truck was actually running despite no one being around.

"All at once, I fantasized about throwing Shiva (my CANNONDALE CAAD 8 road bike) into the nearest brush pile and hijacking the mail truck. I'd drive all the way to Mexico and live out the rest of my days in disgraced exile."

- pg 92

Even long after the truck had faded into the distance behind me, I continued to entertain different scenarios in which I made off with this mail truck while evading both the authorities and my concerned parents.

But the thing here, and this is the most important thing to take away from my little story, is that despite all of the negative chatter and ridiculous scenarios, I kept Shiva moving forward. This is the most literally translation of you mind over your body, a perfect metaphor for the challenges we face in life each and every day. You will always find that in life, there will be hills to climb, moments when your body and mind won't be on the same page, when the doubt starts to creep in and things get hard.

"When it was all said and done, it had been my feet turning those pedals and my determination that had pushed me forward - sleep started to overtake me, but I had a smile on my face thinking about my crazy hijacking scheme with me on the lam, hiding out from the authorities as I headed to the Mexican border in a United States mail truck."


- pg 94

Like my coach Brian has said on countless occasions, having a limitless mindset isn't about being unstoppable all day, every day. It's about being able to take those voices of doubt and fear that are inside each of our heads, and moving forward despite those misgivings. Making those small changes (or in this case, small advancements on the road) eventually added up to riding 137 miles in just one day, one of the furthest I will most likely ever ride on two wheels, ever.

It took me a long time to understand that what I experienced on the roads of America was a very literal example of this method of thinking. In fact, it wasn't until my conversations with Brian that I really allowed myself to accept this valuable lesson into my own life. And trust me it has been a welcome thing to have!

I hope that this better answers your previous question of providing a specific example in my past that I've experienced a physical representation of the unlimited mindset.

I've provided a particular link to my blog of that day on the road. Feel free to use any of the photos on my blog and any additional information from my posts about the ride to help with your article!

5 Minutes: Coffee and Leadership

Coffee again was the vehicle to change my life. This time it would bring me in front of some of the best leaders in the world.

I was talking my friend Thom Cody about the goals we had for our lives. When he asked me about my goals I told him “I want to change the world.” Little did I know that admitting that, would actually help me change not just the world but my life.

Thom told me about a leadership camp that he was helping run called RYLA. I could tell his passion for the program by the way he talked about it.

RYLA is a youth-led leadership camp that is funded by Rotary. The goal of RYLA is to help participants of any age, embrace their talents and gifts to become the best leader, team member and person they could ever imagine.

Further into our conversation Thom asked me if I wanted to take over RYLA. I was speechless. I did not think I could ever come close to making the program as great as he did. I was confused as to why Thom would ask me when there were so many people that I believed would do such a better job than I ever could. Even with all of that, I said yes, and it changed my life.

Here is what it taught me:

1) Take on challenges you are not ready for: Life always presents us with opportunities that will change our lives and many times we believe that we are not ready for them. We let the list of excuses of why we are not ready drive our life. You only need one reason to say yes, focus on your passion. Your passion will drive you to be successful.

2) Do not underestimate your actions: I used to think that changing the world had to be on a big state I would always get frustrated because I never thought I was doing enough. In my role I work closely with 10-15 facilitators each year. If you look at this from the population of the world it does not seem like a lot and yet to those few people, it makes an impact.
We think of changing the world like a magic trick. That with some action everything in our lives will change and the world will be a better place. People change the world one person at a time.

3) Ask for help: You do not have to figure it all out by yourself. When you ask for help, it is not a sign that you do not care, it is a sign that you do care. You care so much that you are willing to admit that you do not know it all and you put the program, idea or impact ahead of yourself.

4) You are never too old: RYLA targets sophomores and juniors in high school. Every year there are a few brave Rotarians that attend. One of my favorite stories is of a man in his sixties that attended as a participant. He was open, willing to try new things and wanted to gain the most from the experience and because of this RYLA changed his life. It is not our age that determines when we stop living, it is our mindset.

5) Letting go means that you care: It is hard to let go of something that you love. It feels like you are giving up on it. While it may be true at times, letting go can be the biggest sign that you care. I witnessed this first hand when Thom handed off the program to me. He loved the program so much, that he wanted to see it grow. It does not mean that you suck as a leader, it means you realize that everyone has a unique gift they can bring.

6) Be who you be: The irony of it all is that while RYLA Is about embracing your own gifts and yet for the first few years, I tried to be just like Thom. I tried to do things the way he would and I failed at it. I never really felt like I was having an impact until I started leading my way. The world does not need another person you admire, it needs you.

7) Greatness comes from some of the lowest points in your life: I met Thom was that I was looking for a job after I graduated from college and moved back in with my parents. Thom knew my dad and offered to meet with me. If it had not been for that low point in my life, I never would have met Thom and I would not be lucky enough to take on a program that continues to change my life.

One of the greatest things this program has done for me is bring me closer to my friend Ashten. If you have ever met me or worked with me on a project you know that at times I can be all over the place, unorganized and a little crazy. Ashten was my partner in crime in making all of this happen. She has done a lot of the work that gets no glory and I am forever thankful to her for that. RYLA has brought us together not only as leaders but as friends. This is one of the greatest things RYLA has given me.

If you have a story about how five minutes changed your life that you would like to share, email adam.lofquist@gmail.com

The 3:00 A.M Wake Up Call for My Life

The first time I got up at that hour (on purpose) it changed my life.

To make a long story short, I needed people to run with and no one I knew was running my distance. I asked around and my friend Josh Pierce told me his friends Brian Gruender and Sam Benjamin were running at 4:00 a.m.

I have no idea why I said yes, it just felt right.

This decision was a literal wake up call for my life.

At the time Brian, Josh and Sam all served on the board for the Snowdrop Foundation of Wisconsin. This amazing organization helps fund pediatric cancer research and provides scholarships for pediatric cancer survivors. The people they serve are inspiring to say the least.

Here are a few of my biggest lessons because of that run:

1. Brian, Josh and Sam have all completed 100 mile runs. The best part, the runs are not just about them. They are in honor or in memory of pediatric cancer patients. I was reminded that I can still kick ass, have fun and push my limits while helping other people. In fact this is one of my biggest motivations to push my limits. I am inspired by the people that I have the privilege to run for. They keep me going.
   
2. This organization has shown me the best of the human spirit. People that have cancer are incredible. They are not angry or bitter at anyone, they may be angry at the situation but their love for people is beyond words. Their ability to find joy in the worst situations is inspiring. I think about all the things I let ruin my day and I am humbled by the kids and their families that are dealing with cancer, have dealt with cancer or have lost a loved one because of cancer. The ones that lost a loved when have taken their anger and hurt and turned it into finding a cure and helping other families that are fighting.
   
3. This run started my fire for endurance events. When I am asked why I do  endurance events, my response is usually “I want to” or “why not” and while it may sound like I am being short what I mean is that if I want to go do something so I am going to go do it. The worst thing that happens is that I fail. We are filled with limitless potential.
   
4. The pain that pediatric cancer patients and their families got through, grounds me. It helps me see the bigger picture. My pain is temporary and minor compared to what they go through. It is because of that mindset that I embrace pain. The best part of embracing pain is not the pain itself but the growth that occurs because of it. Pain is you pushing past your current limits.
   
5. There is magic in an early morning run. You are in the dark with people that you need to trust. You build a bond and the hours seem to fly by, I actually looked forward to the early morning runs. The conversations ranged from some really stupid things to conversations that were personal, meaningful and profound. Many times we tell ourselves that we cannot have both, we cannot be funny and serious. The truth is that you need to have both if you want to get a point across. 

Here is the kicker. I never would have gone on the run if not for my friendship with Josh. I met Josh through my friend Christian. I met Christian over a cup of coffee and that coffee changed my life. You can read about that here. The smallest moments in our life, create the biggest impact.

Do you have a story of how a small moment changed your life? I would love to hear it and share it on my blog. Please email me and share it with me.