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CHRIS FIGUREIDA: RIDING ACROSS THE US PART 1
June 19, 2008
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Preparing to cycle across the United States is in many ways more difficult then the ride itself. Scheduling appointments with state Senators and presentations to elementary schools; securing sponsorships and fundraising to offset personal expense; and on top of it all – training – every day. All of this to engage people – especially kids, our leaders of tomorrow – to know that they can make a difference too – starting with themselves and healthy habits. Every day. Out of that single goal, Cycle for Heart was born. An inspiration project on a national scale aimed at reversing the trends of obesity and environmental damage by promoting healthy living and cycling as one part of a sustainable solution.
“Know who you are, know who you want to be, and follow your dreams.” My name is Chris Figureida, I’m 27, I ride out of Ventura California, and my dream is to make a difference. I’ve been a mountain climber most of my life, something about wanting to reach up and touch the clouds has fascinated me ever since I could hold my head up (according to mom). But in the Summer of 2005 and at the urging of a friend I rode solo down the US Pacific Coast – Vancouver to Tijuana. I had never owned a road bike and it had been years since I pushed my superstore huffy to the door of my 6th grade classroom. I purchased a Trek 520, mounted panniers, trained for three months, and with only the basic idea of cycle touring set out to cover the 1800 miles in 21 days – a reasonable goal I thought – but really was all the time I could take off from work (I’m a welder).
At 86 miles a day and covering some the hilliest terrain, physically I was broken in two, or so I felt. I completed the challenge on schedule, and while I could not walk without people offering to help, my sprit and newfound passion for a way of seeing the world around me, had blossomed. With some of the current dismal affairs of the world and a chance meeting with an inspirational AIDS volunteer I met in Kenya (I had just finished hiking up Mt. Kilimanjaro); I felt compelled from within to do all I could do to benefit those around me. In the Fall of 2006 I began planning the first cross country ride. On April 14, 2007 – just before taxes were due – I skipped town. Setting out from my home to ride 3746 miles to Lubec Maine in 64 days. Along the way, I endued torturous weather including the famous Greensberg tornado, ridiculously steep roads of Pennsylvania, but reveled in the joy of speaking to nearly 6000 students and humbled while being recognized at state capitals along the way.
With the everlasting success of that first ride, come September 8th I will again set out on two wheels, and a full load of supplies to continue making a difference. Starting in Neah Bay Washington and diagonally crossing the country over 78 days to Key West Florida, a distance of 4112 miles. So what does it take to prepare for such an odyssey? Outside of all the networking, scheduling, speeches, fundraising, and selecting equipment from my sponsors, I have to train. And for me training includes more then just time in the saddle pulling a water loaded trailer, but time at the gym, time sleeping, and what I eat during dinner time.
Living in Ventura affords me year round outdoor training in good weather, and plenty of variation on the road that comes from geographically diverse Southern California. Monday though Friday, I have to work like everyone else, but the boss lets me off early so I can get on the bike or go to the gym. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, it’s an out and back ride of 32 miles along the coast. It’s flat but I pull a BOB trailer will two gallons of water – a total weight of 30.2 pounds. It’s a struggle but I push all out and try to maintain an 18 mile per hour average. Saturday is hills, and towing the same trailer, I head for a few of the 1500 and 2000 foot climbs near by, and one 4000 foot in Santa Barbara. For hill workouts I rarely go over 70 miles and try to focus on standing up as much as possible and improving on that technique. Sunday is my long day, 100 or more miles and mostly flat. Usually up the coast about 50 miles and back. Again, taking a trailer full of water I go steady pace of 14 to 15 miles per hour, taking breaks every 2 hours. It generally it takes 8 hours to go 100 miles. I still ride my Trek 520, and with 12000+ miles, it shows very little wear. It’s a workhorse and heavy, but dependable and unbreakable.
On Tuesday and Thursdays, I am at the gym. Doing a combination of weight lifting to strength my upper body. Chest, biceps, lats, abs, shoulders, triceps, and upper and lower back is my focus areas. 3 sets of 12 reps per exercise, with no more then 2 exercises per muscle group. I gradually increase the weight after a 2 minuet rest for each set. I don’t work each focus area every time, except for my abs. I divide the arears into three groups, and rotate through. Finally, I keep a detailed record of each set and chart my progress. This is mostly in helping me to remember how much weight I should be picking up and how much to Increase by. Then on the backside of my lifting cheat sheet, are my lifting goals – always have a goal. If I can get in, get to work, and get out, not stopping to talk with anyone, it takes about an hour and an half to complete the workout.
Working out that much, not only do I need to have a high caloric intake – 3000 to 4000 calories per day – but I need to make sure that I am also getting all the right nutrients from the best sources. Most importantly I’ll eat 90 to 120 grams of protein each day. The healthiest and most economical way to achieve this comes from canned tuna. Not only a great source of fatty acids, but at a $1 per can and about 30 grams of protein – I’ll put on or mix it into just about everything. For the rest of my nutritional needs I have a light on the stomach and inexpensive diet. With a base of pasta and breads for my high caloric and carbohydrates needs, everyday I will consume: hard boiled eggs, carrots, cereal with soy milk, cheese, dried apricots, bananas, oranges, peanuts and brazil nuts, and yogurt. By sticking to that diet I ensure myself that I get ever vitamin and mineral need for proper health and all from healthy sources. I don’t take any vitamins, but I love Endurox R4 recovery drink, and I use Creatine Ethyl Ester to speed up my recovery and help out with muscle soreness.
Probably the most important thing I’ll be doing to prepare is getting a good nights sleep – every night – about 9 hours. With all the training, there has to be plenty of time for the body and mind to recover. Plus I have to get up early before work to continue networking and scheduling the trip. When bedtime does come around I have to fight to keep my eyes open and finish working on the computer. And being that I have yawned twice in the past minute, and my head is repeatedly falling forward, pulling my eyelids down; I believe that time is upon me. Good night.
For more information about Chris and Cycle for Heart, please visit www.cycleforheart.org
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