"Hey, Gehrig batted after Ruth...No worries!" (punctuation mine)

The title of this blog is a text I got from John after a more ominous and threatening message that read:

"blog or no sandals"


I told John that after reading his last two posts I couldn't possibly blog ever again...anywhere on the internet. Well, it wasn't that dramatic, but you get the idea. Anyway, John inspired me with his words of encouragement about Gehrig and Ruth and then Meagan kept badgering me to blog as well, so here I am blogging to close out the trip...A week later.

The last day was pretty humdrum in comparison to the other days. Meagan's knee was still bothering her and she joined us about 12 miles in at the beginning of the Boston Marathon Route for the remaining 25+ miles. The start of the ride was hilly, but not asskicking hilly...With the only exception being one hill on Main St. in Hopkinton in which I unsuccessfully tried to goose John, bumped into his tire causing him to lose momentum and forcing him to walk up the hill (I made it to the top...I apologized to him afterwards).

The Marathon route consisted of a beer at the Happy Swallow, a delightful lunch and one final (albeit incomplete) game of "I Went to Fenway Pahk"...I can't remember the whole thing, but there was an Ahdvahk (like an anteater), My Brother Tawmmy, The Green Mawnsta, Ice Cream Bahs, Those Damn Red Sawks, Manny Hair, A Friggin Sweet Hat and most importantly, Timy brought

THE HURT!

This game helped to distract us for a good portion of the ride, although I'm sure the fact that it was the last day was always in the back of all of our minds. But it wasn't until we saw the Citgo sign by Fenway that it dawned on me that we had actually done it...We had completed the ride...Or had we?

That's right loyal readers (aka Mrs. Letson)...Although we did indeed make it from Point A (Yankee Stadium) to Point B (Fenway), did we actual COMPLETE the ride? The answer is, no...We didn't. And in fact, nobody has!!

That's right...NOBODY. Sorry Liz...Sorry Bea...But it's a fact. Yes, mileage-wise MAYBE the two of you did, BUT...Not a single rider over the last two years has rode his or her bike from the starting point of every day to the end point of every day. I know I got us lost on day one last year, and I still feel bad but we didn't finish the day.

Don't get me wrong...There's no better feeling in the world on the ride then getting to Fenway and placing your hand on that rollup garage door. At the same time, what we accomplished is not diminished by the fact that we did not ride the entire route. It is still a tremendous feat of skill, strength and will.

What does it mean?

Simple...We have to do it again.

As I said last year, and ad nauseum this year, everything happens for a reason...So the cab rides each of the last two years were unavoidable...The results of our decisions AND events beyond our control. If we're determined to finish this ride, we'll do it again. Unlike last year, I'm not hesitant to commit to the ride again a week after having finished it. I would gladly do it again, and fully intend to if there is a willing contingent of riders with whom to take the journey.

In the interim, I'll prepare myself and hope for the best.

I had a blast this year and shared some great experiences with some really amazing people and I loved every minute of it...EVERY minute of it...The good, the bad AND the ugly. Until next year sports fans...Or maybe if I post once more...

So it goes...