Riding With Courage Video Blog 001

Last Day East

This weekend was a bit of a blur to me as I look back at it.  I distracted myself from the stresses of packing and planning by competing in the CrossFit Games VA/DC Sectionals, and distracted myself from the nervousness of the Sectionals by worrying about my ride.  All in all however, it was a great weekend.  I was able to hold my own against 160 male competitors and finish 8th, securing a spot in the Regionals in May.

But the brutal reality stood waiting for me when I returned from the wonderful celebration feast myself and about 14 others shared.  I have to complete my packing, wake up at 5am tomorrow morning , and fly out to San Francisco, super sore body and all.  The ride begins on Thursday!

So yes, the fact is, I just completing a grueling 4 workouts in 2 days, beat my body to a wonderful pulp, and now I will focus on recovering in four days so that I can be ready for about 126 miles per day.  Every day.  For 30 days straight.  From below sea level.  To just under 12,000 feet.  The winds of Kansas.  And I am sure, plenty of rain. 

I am being totally honest when I say this to you.  I am SO EXCITED!

My big bag is packed, my food is packed, all needed equipment is almost packed (I am writing on the computer after all, and need to edit up the videos from the Sectionals), and as far as I can tell, I am ready to go from here.  I still have a tone of planning to do once I am out in San Fran.  I have a bunch more equipment to purchase, food to get, test out the trailer, rest, rest some more, and eat.  A lot.

I am ready for this.  I live for this sort of thing.  I am so grateful Lindsey will be out there for the first week, it will be a huge help to have another person around for a little bit of this journey.  And of course, if you or anyone you know lives along the route, please cpome on out and join in for a bit.  Or just give me a wave and a high five.  When logging hours of slow, monotonous moevemnt, a simple smile can keep you going for a couple hours.

Getting close now!

Josh Courage

Packing

Today I have spent most of my tome running around the house packing.  I have to get it mostly done tonight as I have this CrossFit competition this weekend.  So, I made my lists, checked them twice...um, made my piles of things and just started to make them smaller and smaller.  The goal is to bring as little as possible, but luckily I will be able to pass some stuff off to Lindsey over the first week if I bring too much.

I got my Paleo Kits in, check 'em out!

Also got a couple boxes of Clif Roks, little protein balls made by Clif Bar that are so good while running or riding.  I plan on getting a couple more boxes of these out in Cali.

And finally, I picked up something absolutely wonderful today.  I have been a bit of a sucker for a really good cookie lately, and with the need for any and all types of fuel along this ride, I asked my friends down at Bethesda Market if I could pick up some of the cookies I have been totally hooked on.  They helped me out and baked me up a batch of these awesome chocolate peanut butter cookies!  Love these guys.

So, it's been a relaxing yet productive day and I am trying to think about this weekend and the crazy workouts myself and about 250 others will be participating in, but all I can think about is this ride!  It is a pretty exciting adventure I am about to head out on, and I am anticipating a pretty large selection of entertaining stories to come out of it.  Hopefully it goes well!

Less than a week to go!

Josh Courage

One Week

It is officially 1 Week from the start of my ride.  Nerves and excitement have set in like crazy and I am gearing up for the packing that I'll be doing, over and over, for the next couple days.  Here's why I have to get this all done so soon.  Early Saturday morning I am up and out to Annandale, VA to compete in this areas CrossFit Games Sectionals.  I'll be competing most of Saturday, passing out directly following that, then waking up and competing some more on Sunday.  Then passing out even harder after that and my flight is at 7:20am Monday, out of Baltimore.

So, realistically, I have to be pretty much fully packed up and ready to go by the time I head to bed Friday  night.  So, I have my multiple lists, my multiple piles, and my anxiety-filled routine.  Here is what I am looking at:

Wash all clothes
Work on fully figuring out my fancy Garmin watch
Finishing my taxes...ugh
Make playlists on my iPod
Separate all piles (clothes, food, electronics, equipment)
Securing a list of all things I need to buy in Cali
Send out email to all CrossFit affiliates for Riding With Courage WOD
Rent a car for the three days in Cali
Learn to read the maps
Drink more water
Stretch
Download more audio books
REST

This is a pretty loose list here, but it's a start.  So, while the next couple days will be meant to chill out, I know Ill be busy like crazy, in my mind mostly.

So yeah, one week from now, I will be on my bike, all of America's wonderful streets staring me in the face.  Pretty crazy!

Josh Courage

First Announcement Of The Workout!

Here's the poster for the Riding With Courage WOD, taking place Saturday, May 1st, the day after I finish my ride!  

I am sending this out to as many CrossFit affiliates as I can with the hopes that this will be the workout performed all around the world on this day.  With everyone joining forces to sweat together for a great cause is something that I hope I can be a part of for the rest of my life.  And while I am riding 3,700 miles in 30 days to raise money and support fitness in children, I want to get as many people involved in the excitement as I can.  

So spread the word, donate a few bucks if you can, but please come on out and get this workout in with so many other people.  And of course, follow along all April as I ride across the country, a wonderful journey for a great cause!

Dedicated to spreading fitness around the world,

Josh Courage

Last Weekend!

Today I went to pick up my bike from the shop.  The thing looks hot!

Picked up a case to take it on the plane, some more snacks including...getting some great stuff from Paleo Treats and Paleo Kits!  Love those guys man, absolutely dig their stuff.

Tomorrow I get a good ride in, to test the new saddle and height of the handlebars.  Should be fun!

Enjoying the last weekend of hard work (before CrossFit Sectionals next weekend that is...)

Josh Courage

What I'm Carrying

This post is all about what I'll have with me on a typical day as I ride.  Real quickly though, it looks like the first 8 days will be much lighter than originally planned.  This is so because Lindsey will be along, taking nice vacation and driving some 1200 miles while keeping tabs on your truly.  This helps me, not only for the moral support and such, but also for the fact that I can keep all my stuff in her car, rather than tow it along with me.  Oh, it also means I may not have to spend every night in a tent, perhaps a hotel a few of those nights may be in order.  Sweet.

I will have a couple water bottles on the bike, and a light backpack with some food, tubes and other basic bike needs with me for this stretch, but besides that I will be as light as I can be.  I would just keep everything with Lindsey, but I have no intentions or expectations of her just tailing me the entire time, that would be so boring.  So, as long as she can get to me within an hour, we'll be good to go.

But when she leaves, it's all on me.  And I will have my second tallest peak climb right at that point as well, at about 11,550 feet (can someone lend me an oxygen mask?  Actually, being kind of serious on this one).  So when all is hooked up, all is packed up, and I am riding along, here is what I will have:

Attached to my Cervelo S2 bike will be:

Handlebar Bag 

All maps

Electrolyte tablets

Bike tools

Wallet

ID and Money

Smaller extra batteries

Earphones and Bluetooth

Flip Video Camera

Digital Camera

Action Camera

Lighting + Other Bike Attachments

Flashing lights on front and rear

Bright light on front

Helmet light

4-5 lights on bike trailer

1 large water bottle (1 leter)

1 small water bottle (1/2 leter)

Bento Box (phone, iPod, inspirational picture)

Bike pump

Sattlebag

2 CO2 cartridges

1 tube

Extra tools

2-4 smaller meal bars

Osprey Backpack

Water bladder (2 leters)

6-10 packages of food (cliff roks, PaleoKits etc.)

Extra maps

Gloves

Hat

Extra shirt

Extra socks

Water filter

Sunglasses

Sunscreen

Bug repellant

Bandana

Knife

Flash light

Video Camera

BOB Bike Trailer

Tent

Sleeping bag

Towel

Toilettres kit

Camping Stove

Extra flame

Extra spark

Utensils

Tupperware

2 Gallon water jugs

6-10 MRE's (dehydrated meals)

4 cans Tuna

PaleoTreats

PaleoKits

Dried fruit

Raw Veggies

Bread

Oatmeal

Electrolyte powder

Protein powder

Extra food

Laptop computer

Extra batteries

All chords

4 tubes

CO2 cartridges

Extra tools

Bike locks

Extra Clothes (in the trailer)

2 long sleeve shirts

Bike jersey

Bike shorts

2 tights

Cold pants

1 booties (shoe covers)

1 helmet cover

4 socks

4 underwear

1 jacket

1 rain jacket

2 gloves

Face warmer

Goggles

2 shirts

1 shorts

1 pants

1 shoes

1 VFF's

So that's my list.  I am sure this will be changing practically every day, but this is what I have in terms of right now.  I'll have to weigh this before I head out, but I don't think I'll want to lose too much from this list, especially when I'm alone riding though Kansas (80+ miles of nothing, like, no houses, gas stations, rest stops...nothing).  Yeah, and I am open to suggestions here as well.

In one week I will be participating in the CrossFit Sectionals for my region, then, it's an early plane ride out to San Francisco.  I'll post even more details tomorrow!

Always dedicated to the journey,

Josh Courage

A Demoralizing Realization

Today had a tough realization I had to overcome.  When Lindsey asked me to try to figure out where I might be on a couple specific dates, I started to break down my route to figure out where I could be.

First off, I found that the entire journey, as mapped, is 3779 miles in total.  This means that I need to get 125.96 miles per day.  Also, with two separate climbs above 11,500 feet, I know that this average is going to be damn hard.  The tough part was when I was goofing with the new google maps bicycle stuff, and they had all kinds of routes that were between 3000 and 3300 miles long.  So I just got bummed out like crazy.  Why did I have to ride so damn long?  How the hell am I supposed to ride 126 miles every day for 30 straight days?

Well folks.  This is that exciting time before a huge event where one begins to doubt ones preparation and abilities.  I had this before my first marathon, before my first ultra, before my jiu-jitsu tourney and before my first tri.  Why would I not get it now?  This is by far the toughest thing I have attempted, and what I mean by that is that there is more risk involved with this than anything I have ever done.  But while I am nervous, scared, worried and overwhelmed; I am also extremely excited.  This is so cool!  I am about to embark on a 30-day journey where I really, honestly have no clue what night happen.

So, with just over a week before I head out west to get ready for this thing, I will embrace these doubts, these worries and fears, and I will harness the knowledge that my body can do pretty much anything I ask it to do.  It is always my mind that holds me back

Getting ready to ride!

Josh Courage

My Fuel

 So this ride is going to take a lot out of me!  I am expecting to be on the bike between 8-10 hours every single day for 30 days, no rests.  That is a ton of calories burned.  I would say at least 2000 per day, and that is not factoring in the after burn, or, the rate my metabolism will increase and burn calories like crazy, even while I sleep.  So, to keep myself at the highest level of performance throughout this ride (with a good deal of expected performance decrease), I will have to be eating/fueling on a non-stop basis throughout the journey.  The worst part about this though, is that I will probably not be wanting to eat so much.  This will happen for a couple reasons:  One, I will not want to feel weighed down, or bloated or anything like that while sitting on the bike.  Two, while in the middle of constant motion, one usually does not have the desire to consume solid food.  I figured this out a couple years back when training for my ultra marathon.  I began to carry snacks with me on my long runs to train myself to run with additional weight and pockets, as well as try to force things down my throat while I was moving.  The first day ended with a couple dry heaves and a very sick feeling in my stomach and legs for a couple days.  I did, however adapt, and was able to suck down all sorts of wonderful things during my 12 hour run/trek through the woods that day.

So, seeing how I will be doing all day rides, every day, I will need to be getting a LOT of food into my system.  Here is the official list of fuel I will be carrying with me at all times:

2 gallons water
1 large water bottle on bike
1 small water bottle on bike
1  2-leter blatter in backpack
25 PaleoKits
45 PaleoTreats
4 cans tuna
1 bag bread/wraps
1 large bag trail mix
1 large bag dried mango
2 large bags turkey jerkey
1 bag baby carrots
1 bag mixed raw veggies (peppers, broccoli, cucumber, celery etc.)
7 instant oatmeals
1 large bag GNC brand whey protein (chocolate/caramel flavor)
10 cliff builders bars
14 cliff roks (little protain balls from cliff bar)
1 bag electrolite mix (to mix in w/ water)
Probably a good selection of cookies (I love peanut butter/chocolate cookies!!!)

While this is what i plan to have, I am sure there will be a couple other things that find their way into my pack.  The main thing with this list is that everything is easy to pack into a smaller space.  I can't have things that may go bad quickly, and I can't have things that need to stay separated from others.  I just need fuel that I can stuff into a small space, and then stuff into my mouth when I need it.  Another point to make is that I may be stopping here and there for a sit down meal.  I know there will be a place to eat here and there, and I welcome a nice warm meal every now and again, especially if that meal looks like a nice egg white omelet with turkey sausage!  I do plan to try to keep everything I eat balanced.  So instead of just aimlessly throwing things into my mouth as I ride, I will actually have a base system I will be following.  I must mention however, that this system is sure to be skewed as I go.  I am expecting nothing but the unexpected on this adventure.

My fuel schedule (not to be confused with my daily schedule, to be posted next!):

1. oatmeal, prtein drink, fruit
2. protein bar/drink/roks, veggies, fruit
3. nuts, fruit veggies
4. PaleoKit
5. tuna, bread/wrap veggies, fruit, nuts
6. protein bar/drink/roks, veggies, fruit
7. PaleoKit, Paleo Treat
8. tuna/chicken, bread/wrap veggies, nuts
9. protein drink/roks, nuts, veggies, fruit
10. Paleo Treat

This is a skeleton mind you.  But the idea is that I am consuming some good protwin constantly, and just inhaling good carbohydrates along the way.  You can see the amount of fruit I'll be taking in as well.  The goal is to get sugars, good natural sugars, into my system on a constant basis.  I don;t drink coffee, but I may reconsider along the way.  Tea will probably be a pregular part of my daily fuel though, I am sure of that.

For those of you curious as to what PaleoKits and Paleo Treats are, just click on them and check 'em out.  They are awesome. While I am one to argue like crazy the science behind the whole Paleo Diet concept, I can not argue against the performance gains I have seen in CrossFitters on that plan, and the fact is, some great meals can be made, and perect travle snacks are put together like these. 

So that's the basic plan.  Eat often, eat balanced, and try to keep up with my netabolism so I don't bonk, or lose too much weight (I am actually exopecting to lose up to 12 or more piunds on this ride...).  Next post will be a base idea of what a day will look like.

Never Stop, GET FIT.

Josh Courage

Finding My Route

In the ever-frustrating attempts I made to put together a good route for this thing, I found out a ton of things:  I have no patients when it comes to drawing lines on a map (I love looking at maps, just not drawing them out), I really don't know too much about what roads are legal to ride a bike on, America is freaking big when looking to cross it at a micro level, I needed help!

So, I found it.  I had found Adventure Cycling a while back when looking through adventure type of escapades, and I turned back to them for this situation; it just seemed perfect.  I promptly became a member, sowing my support for cyclists and the push to make cycling a more accessible thing to do all around the country.  Then I ordered a route.  This came to me in the form of 10 pamphlet style maps, 4 of them were part of the Western Express Route, 6 were part of the TransAmerica Route.  And talk about detail!  Each portion come fully detailing everything a cyclist would need to know:  distance, elevation, weather trends, points of interest, bike shops, camp grounds, food resources, water resources, emergency contacts, and trends of weather and road conditions based on any time of year.  Opening each panflit is a little overwhelming at first.  They are filled with detailed text and smaller sections of mapping, each section with turn by turn instructions.

Now, if I had myself 3-5 months, I would love to just get on my bike and have at it, see where the road takes me and just ride.  But with this pressure of 30 days, I needed some good guidance.  These maps are as close as one can get to a guarantee that the roads will not only be there, but they will be ridable as well.  I will know where I can stay, where I can refuel my food supply and where I can get water.  I'll know in advance if I have a campground nearby, or if I'll have to hid in the woods off the street for the night.And, if i get randomly attacked by a bear, a coyote or a cray truck driver, I'll have plenty of numbers to call if my jiu-jitsu skills fail me!


View Riding With Courage in a larger map

As you can already see on my site here, the course has been mapped out.  What I did was, using the detailed maps, I made a contact point on the google map of the cities I hit along the way.  Some 10 miles apart, others up to 40.  As I ride I will be highlighting the cities I pass, and I will add a little text of the day, time and other such details when I get there.  But to give you guys a little more information, I will also be taking the actual maps I will have on my bike as I ride, and pasting them up along side the google map, so you can see the details of each section I ride through.  If I had the money, time, and brain capacity, I would get a satellite navigation ordeal, so that everyone would literally be able to see my exact location at all times (this would prove very helpful if one of those beasts tries to get me in the middle of the night...).

So, that's the mapping/route situation.  Tonight and tomorrow I am going over the nutrition planning, and I will post that info the second I have it slightly figured out!

This time in two weeks, I'll be in San Francisco preparing!

Josh Courage

2.5 Weeks

After much back and forth, I think it is going to be easier to just stick to this site for the entirety of the ride.  So, I'll be posting my written and video blogs here along the route.  Also, starting tomorrow, I will be posting up something new every single day.  On top of that, I'll be adding new widgets (the little things along the right there) as I get closer.  The goal is just to get all you guys as much info about this as I can, without adding too much stress to my prep for this thing.

And even though it's not the actual Courage Performance site, i will still finish everything with:

Never Stop, GET FIT.

Josh Courage