Guest Blogger: Peter Asmuth

Editor’s note: I am doing the Fuller cross country bike ride with my friend, Peter Asmuth.  He recruited me and did it last year.  He is also providing updates to friends and family.  He agreed to let me post his dispatches.  We pick up Peter’s reports in progress.

One of the axioms of the Fuller Center for Housing is, “living simply, so others can simply live.” Along the way, you do come to realize how little you actually need to be completely content with your situation. So, when nature calls, you look around and make do.

The other day, I was “in the field”, after ignoring the warning about the fire ants that someone casually mentioned. When I got to the showers that evening, my ankles had a dozens of bites, which extended up to, but not past…the leggings; reason #24 to never ride without them. 🙂

Today, was a nice 83 miles with next to no wind. I could tell that the wind might be a real problem in these parts, as there are hundreds of wind turbines dotting the landscape; and they’re all facing the direction that we’re heading, just poised for that thirty mph head wind. Today, they just stood there barely moving, which was fine by me and the folks back in Craig, Colorado operating that coal fired generation plant.

After about 40 miles we crossed the Indiana state line and entered the eastern time zone. The landscape is quite flat and a mixture of corn on one side of the road and soy bean on the other. Every now and again, to break up the pattern, they reverse the corn and soy bean sides, which doesn’t really bring any relief from the monotony.

I came upon a livestock auction house with a bunch of trucks parked in the lot and, although I didn’t think that I needed a cow, I went in to check out the action and talk shop with the boys. The auction wasn’t going to happen for a hour, but a nice fellow gave me the nickel tour of the place and told me how the process works. I learned something, too. Who else knew that cows have horns, just like bulls?

BTW, everyone must have gotten the corn quiz question correct. It’s one ear per stalk, for the reason stated. And you can buy it for $.18 in the store. How does that business model work?

The next two days are going to be pretty tough; 100 plus miles, back to back. Some of you have asked, “How do you do it, Pete?”

Like all successful people have discovered, you break it down into manageable segments. The first 20 miles, you’re not even thinking of the ride; your fresh, fed, and the morning sun is greating the new day. And you get to enjoy it all on your bike. What could be better?

Somewhere along the second twenty miles, you’re 1/3 of the way. And the difference between 1/3 and 1/2 is only 1/6, which is practically nothing. Soon, your 2/3 done and the mental gymnastics start to give way and you realize that it’s hot, you’re tired, and the last quarter is going to take a lot longer than you want. At that point, you put the distances and the time in familiar context. Why, the last 15 miles is just the distance from the Capitol to home or that’s no longer than one song: Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven.’

I’ll let you know how my method holds up, tomorrow.

Category: Fuller Bike Ride