If you can’t do it yourself, live it vicariously

I‘m a sucker for a great adventure story and with my recent re-stoked interest in cycling, I’ve been glued to the blog of Jason Mauer, a Portland-based tech guy who decided he’d cycle from Portland to San Diego for his vacation. I find it completely inspiring and romantic to just get out on the open road and explore the Oregon and Washington coast lines on a bike, camping along the way. Never mind that I’d be petrified of becoming road pizza or suffering an aneurysm on an uphill climb, Mauer shows that one doesn’t have to be Lance Armstrong to embark on such a journey.

I figure I’ve got a year to train and then, maybe I could start out with the Seattle to Portland ride next Summer. But until I set a goal, I need to, a) get a road bike, and b) get into some kind of shape that doesn’t resemble a pear.