How I became obsessed with biking from Canada to Mexico?

During the last Tahoe City xterra as I was suffering through another off road triathlon, I was thoughtfully contemplating my bike ride across Nevada. As you can see from my photos I'm wearing my Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Jersey. I have been supporting breast cancer research, survivors, and really everyone touched by the terrible disease by wearing this Jersey for the last three years at all my racing events (I think it makes me look fast, and thin too?).

For anyone reading this blog, that might not know the adversities my family has faced (and so far conquered) in the last three years, my wife of fifteen years was diagnosed with stage III estrogen positive breast cancer in June of 2009. www.todayluluwins@blogspot.com We have spent a great deal of time receiving blessings, love, and support from everyone, and will all the wonderful people touching our lives, I wanted to something to raise awareness that more can be done.

Back to the thoughts of riding my bike across Nevada. Sometime during my 2012 training/racing season I conjured up this idea that if I'm joining to do this much training why not just jump on my Specialized Roubaix for a month and half journey down the famed Pacific Coast Hwy? I could raise awareness for breast cancer, and even possibly get donations for a local breast cancer support group? Could I do it? Would it be big enough? Does anyone really care? All these thoughts invading my grey matter on a daily basis (for anyone that isn't a triathlete, we train daily in one of three disciplines swimming, biking, and running, and on occasion, a triathlete trains doing two or all three of these in the same day). So how does a crazy thought of riding one's bike from Victoria, BC to San Diego, CA fit into one riding his bike from the border of California to Utah? All I can say is, "You have to start somewhere?" 

 My plan is to Start on Sunday September 16, ride the "Loneliness Highway in American" highway 50, from South Lake Tahoe to the Nevada/Utah border, arriving the evening of September 20th. This will include about 410 miles of Nevada desert, 20,000 feet of climbing over 7 Nevada passes, and an average of 80 miles/day on the Specialized Roubaix bike (that I have named "Lourdes," after my wife and only daughter, Lourdes). Because this ride is preparation for next summers Canada to Mexico ride, I will be riding alone (solo), just as I will be doing then. I have arranged to be picked up at the Nevada/Utah border at the end of the five days and 410 miles (I just wasn't sure I could make the return trip on the bike, who knows I might try?).

During this journey I plan to blog daily my thoughts. How this experience has effected me, what I can possibly do to make a difference, what there is to be thankful for, and how we all can contribute? Oh, and of course, anything exciting that could happen while I'm peddling the 410 miles? Hard to tell what might happen to a 46 year old male that is testing his limits of endurance, will, and most probably battling shear boredom?