Go the Extra Mile – Maybe Ride a Bike Across the U.S.?

Shawn and I were next door neighbors for many years, and of course, still friends. We used to mow each other's lawns, just for the fun of it. Whoever woke up the soonest on Saturday mowed both lawns. He was always an interesting person. When I spotted some old campaign posters in his garage, he informed me that he once ran for a congressional seat in Nevada. There were pictures of him shaking hands with Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan in his home office. One day, while I was cleaning my garage, he started juggling a golf ball on one of my golf clubs. He informed me that he attended Stanford University on a golf scholarship. Shawn was full of surprises, and secrets, yet to be revealed.

Shawn took up bike riding in a big way. He and his wife originally planned to take a year off and ride around the world! There was actually a group planning this adventure for the millennium. They eventually decide not to go round the world, but Shawn did decide to ride his bike across the U.S. He tried tagging onto a cross-country trip for Breast Cancer, only to discover that the trip was really intended just for women. Insisting that men get breast cancer, too, he pushed his way into the group. By the time they reached Texas (from California) the women basically chased him away. Apparently, a man riding with a group of women ruined the whole group dynamics.

Not to be disappointed, Shawn decided to ride across the U.S. by himself; totally unsupported except for his credit card. He started up the Sierras, cross the Great Plains, and ended up at the Atlantic Coast about three months later. He claims (and I believe him) that he never walked his bike once. He rode the entire way, between motels and roadside greasy spoons.

As a vegetarian, Shawn said the most difficult part of the trip was getting enough non-meat protein, especially in the Midwest. There are only so many bean meals that a vegetarian man can take, although I really can see how a little gaseousness could help you make it over the Rockies.

Shawn is really an entrepreneur, writer, and motivational speaker with lots of ventures under his skinny belt. When his wife called me last week, I had no idea what he was up to this time. His wife makes the best banana bread on the planet, so I was really hoping this was the reason she called, but no….Shawn was riding across the country again, on his bike. You would really think that his butt would have retained the painful memory of his last trip many years ago.

I had to drive a hundred miles to Lake Tahoe over the weekend and take my grand-daughter to church camp. I was exhausted. I can't imagine doing the trip on a bike, let alone go another 3000 more miles just for the hell of it.

Starting later this month, from San Francisco, Shawn, now in his 40's, is going to cross the country again. This time, he is doing it for a different reason – a project called Extra Mile America. He will be starting in San Francisco on July 21st, riding to 21 cities, ending up in Boston on October 8th in just 80 days. (http://www.extramileamerica.com/). In addition to going those extra miles for himself, he is searching for others who go the extra mile in their own communities. He will be selecting ten recipients and give them each a thousand dollars for their projects. Now, that is what I call an extra mile.

Check out his web site and follow his progress. If you live in any of those cities he will be visiting, or the thousands of small towns and villages in between, try and watch out for him. Don't hit him with your car. Give him some water. Give him some encouragement. Give him some ibuprofen. Give him some (vegetarian) food. Or, give him a big, industrial tube of Preparation H.

"I passionately believe that now is the time when we have to do more…to push harder…to be more creative. Now is the time to rekindle that passion to create our own existence and not let the time dictate what happens to us. If we want more in our lives…Let's create more! Let's decide to go the extra mile!" – Shawn Anderson.