Going The Extra Mile

Haven’t you done it at least once in your lifetime??? Going the extra mile can mean many different things to people. Perhaps it is going out of your way to help someone in need. Or putting in a little extra effort on a school or work project. Or seeing if you can make it to the next exit on the interstate before needing to fill up the gas tank (a trait I must’ve inherited from my dad). Or, maybe it is the extra trip to the all-you-can-eat buffet line to stretch your dollar further.

This weekend I went the extra mile – or 25 miles to be exact – during the MS150 Breakaway to the Beach bike ride in Myrtle Beach, SC. Billed as a 150-mile ride over two days, you would expect to go 75 miles each day, right? Well, some biking genius decided that on the first day of the ride, participants can choose to go 100 miles if they want. In riding terms, it’s called a “Century”. And being with high-energy, type-A Mojo teammates for the weekend, I knew I’d get sucked into going the extra miles. Ok, you’re not buying that, are you? Yes, I am highly competitive. Yes, I am goal driven. And yes, I didn’t need much convincing to go for 100. It’s just not my style to stop short.

But there was problem. The same genius, who billed it a Century ride, only mapped out a 94-mile ride. Huh? What's the deal with that? How can I be rewarded for going the extra mile and receive a Century patch, if it is only 19 extra miles. Seemed contradictory to me and a few other Mojos. So during the latter part of the day one ride, we bantered about doing a few extra loops around Broadway At The Beach – a shopping an entertainment complex where the ride was to finish – to reach a true 100 miles.

As we neared the finish line on the first loop – thunderous applause rang in our ears from the MS volunteers and spectators who gathered to greet us. Myself, and two other Mojos (Denny and Rhonda) kept motoring past. Yes, I was finishing with two women – you have a problem with that? They are strong riders, and I prefer to think of them as riding with ‘the man’!

Anyhoo – we did three additional laps around the complex before pulling into the finish line for day 1. A Century was complete, and we had gone the extra mile – for ourselves, for our team, for MS, and for all the others who contemplate whether going the extra mile is worth it. Trust me – it is. If not, it would be analogous to marching the football all the way down the field to the one yard line, only to take a knee to run out the clock. That’s not right. Give that extra effort, go the extra mile, and punch it into the end zone! You’ll be glad you did. I sure was.

So, after approximately 7 months of riding on weekends, and finishing the MS ride, I am “officially” transitioning to training full-time for the Goofy Challenge. My legs feel stronger than ever and I am excited about the months ahead. I have had many individuals reach out and comment about how inspirational my effort is, and donate to the Leukemia Society at the same time. In honor of these contributors, I pledge to you that I won’t stop at 39.3 miles. That would be taking a knee at the finish line. Instead, I commit to you that I will get in an extra .7 miles in somewhere during the two days in Disney and run a full 40 miles! I will go that extra mile – or .7 miles to be exact…for you, for me, for Team-In-Training and for the Leukemia Society. I will punch it home!