[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Well, he did it! Chris reached the Atlantic Ocean 48 days after leaving Los Angeles and exactly 3424 miles later. Below is Chris at Revere Beach in Boston, right after he dipped Irma\u2019s wheels in the Atlantic Ocean.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/lifewithedge.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_9462.jpg” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/lifewithedge.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_9525.jpg” title_text=”IMG_9525″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”1715px” custom_margin=”|-17px|||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|0px||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/lifewithedge.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/3W7A5169.jpg” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”|0px||-18px|false|false” custom_padding=”|0px||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/lifewithedge.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/3W7A5273-2.jpg” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”90%” custom_margin=”|-22px||13px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/lifewithedge.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/3W7A5235-2.jpg” title_text=”3W7A5235 (2)” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”93%” custom_margin=”|-10px|||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n When Chris said he wanted to ride across the US on a bike (thanks go to Dr. Patrick Milroy for inadvertently putting the idea in Chris\u2019s head a few years ago after he and a friend completed the same adventure), I didn\u2019t think he was crazy nor did I think he would bail out before the ride started or somewhere on route. Those of you who know Chris know he loves a challenge. He was always going to get to the starting line. Once he started, it was going take nothing short of a major mishap on the road or a deterioration in his health before he would ever contemplate stopping. Quite remarkably, Chris got stronger as the ride progressed. His confidence seemed to grow with each passing day (and another 85 miles further down the road) and with each big climb he completed without the need, even once, to hop off the bike and push it up the hill. Every day he woke up and thought only of how far he needed to cycle that day, until eventually there were no more miles to cycle!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To put it all in perspective during the nine months that Chris trained for the ride he completed only one century ride (more than 100 miles) which was his only ever century ride! The most he had cycled in any month prior to the ride was 770 miles. During this coast to coast ride, he completed 6 century rides, 9 rides between 90-100 miles, and 6 rides between 80-89 miles. He rode a staggering 2101 miles in the month of June alone. It\u2019s no surprise then that he and his fellow riders came to view a 75 mile day as an walk in the park! Chris stayed in a different budget chain hotel every night (Red Roof Inn being the worst and Holiday Inn Express being the best), consumed far too much coffee to be considered sensible (along with a daily array of caffeinated energy drinks), managed not to lose a single item in any of the 48 hotels, had six flat tires, expended 118,000 calories, did not break anything on his bike, did not get any saddle sores, fall or get injured, and road EFI, or as Julie his Coach likes to say, EVERY FREAKING INCH.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n All of Chris\u2019s fellow riders had their own reasons for signing up to cycle across the America and their own journey\u2019s to complete. Without fail they supported one another and picked one another up each and every day, and those who completed the ride did so in part because of the support they received from one another. Extra special thanks go to the \u2018Three Amigos\u2019 \u2013 Barry (aka the Colonel, who had previously completed the coast to coast in 2014, was the first into the hotel each day, and was without doubt the best rider of the entire group), Terry (another strong but quiet rider with a great sense of humour, who rode many days with Chris), and Mike (the last of the \u2018three amigos\u2019 and another strong rider who loved his numbers (he was an accountant) and kept the group well-schooled on the history of the various towns they passed through on the route). Chris learned a great deal from all of them, and they in turn looked after our boy and helped get him safely across the country. They are good people (not to mention extremely fit) and now friends for life! Please do send some healing wishes to another rider, Mike S (or Mike 2 as Chris called him), who fell off his bike in Missouri and sustained quite serious injuries. He has a long recovery ahead of him, but also has the fortitude and the \u2018never give up\u2019 spirit needed to fully recover.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Chris heard from many people across the world with WM after the International Waldenstr\u00f6m\u2019s Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF) reached out to their network to make them aware of Chris\u2019s ride. Many, many fellow WM\u2019ers sent him words of encouragement and also donated to the Mayo. Some even made the effort to visit him on one of his stops across the country, including Sharianne Hall, Don and Mary Brown, Pete DeNardis, and Pete Skinner. Huge thanks to each of them for finding the time to drive considerable distances just to cheer on Chris, wish him well, and most importantly share with Chris their personal journey with WM. We look forward to seeing all of them again.<\/p>\n We also want to send huge thanks to some of our UK peeps without whose help Chris\u2019s blog (www.lifewithedge.com<\/a>) would not have looked so good, including the world class team of Neil Griffiths and Angie Dac from Driven (www.thedrivenagency.com<\/a>), and Jake Griffiths from The Drawing Room (www.thedrawingroomcreative.com<\/a>). Finally a massive shout out to the one, the only, the legend that is Ric Parker from Northern Print (www.npml.co.uk<\/a>), a printer from Lancashire, UK who today prints in-store marketing materials for @ 95% of Subway\u00ae markets around the world. As usual Ric helped with some creative printing solutions for Chris\u2019s arrival at Revere Beach!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lastly, we want to thank the team from Mayo Clinic\u2019s Department of Development, including Jessy Swick, Jennifer Brinker, Tanya Trelstad and Nick Mueller. Collectively the team spent considerable time putting together the micro giving site and providing information on donations as the ride went along. For those unfamiliar with Mayo Clinic, it is has been consistently ranked the #1 hospital in the United States for too many years to count, and our experience with them since Chris\u2019s WM diagnosis has helped us understand why they are ranked at the top.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lifewithedge.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/3W7A4179-300x200.jpg\")
L-R, Terry, Chris, Barry, Mike<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lifewithedge.com\/staging\/app\/uploads\/2018\/07\/3W7A4592-200x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lifewithedge.com\/staging\/app\/uploads\/2018\/06\/87BE6C70-2179-40C6-81C1-A0F80C4D64CF-300x220.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n