Tonight's route winds up in NYC.

So, let me explain right up front what the heck I am talking about. I mean, I am supposed to be cycling cross-country and, at last check, my pedaling had delivered me to Twentynine Palms, CA. Thus, what does New York City have to do with anything?!

When I decided last minute to make this 40-day trek, I was thereby committing to refuse/cancel a number of meetings, consultations, and speaking engagements already scheduled for that time. All were amicably rescheduled, and I look forward to getting back in the professional saddle in November.

That said, there was one particular commitment that I made over a year ago to a good friend in New York, promising to come in and help his large private equity/hedge fund's management team reposition themselves to encourage more internal innovation. When it comes to friends, I just can't bail.

The result? A car just picked me up from the 29 Palms Inn and whisked me to the Palm Springs Airport. The redeye I am boarding right now will put me in Manhattan for a couple of quick meetings and this consultation and, by late afternoon, I am back on a plane to Palm Springs.

Now, in the meantime, my group goes on without me, pushing from Twentynine Palms across some unforgiving desert into Parker, AZ. I could skip one of the legs of this journey and just pick back up with them. But, if you know me at all, you can confirm that I would never let myself cut a corner like that.

Thus, Plan B. My brother Brian (@saccasacca and one half of the comedy duo www.peteandbrian.com) is coming up to Palm Springs to fetch me, and, after a good night's sleep in Twentynine Palms on the 17th, I am going to wake up inexcusably early and ride like the wind to catch the rest of my group. Brian will support the ride from his car and generally shout all kinds of disparagement disguised as motivational speech.

My Trek group is riding 111 miles tomorrow and 44 miles (rolling recovery day) the day after. In a move that shows the measurable disregard I have for my own well-being, I plan to rack up both of those stages at once arriving in Lake Havasu City in time for dinner on the 17th. 155 miles? Yikes!

At this point, the lightbulb has gone off for some of you. "A-ha! Now I know why Sacca put in those extra miles today!" Exactly. In the fine tradition of 'paying it forward', I decided to bag 26 bonus miles on today's stage and thereby shorten what I owe on the 155 miler. Make sense? The math probably does, even if you still can't understand why I would do all this to myself.

Anyway, off to polish some slides and polish off a shocking number of calories.

Comments

[twitter.com/sputnikmd]

wow! this demonstration of commitment, perseverance and down right stubbornness is inspiring! keep it up @sacca and i'll be cheering you on from my job, approximately 105 miles east, in Ontario, CA!! i hope to find a way to "spin the pedals with you a bit."

[Ryan Graves]

You're a badass, keep grindin.

I'm really enjoying following the process.

[Hershy]

dude... is this why... when i say i know you, or get people to support you... they say they are kicking you off the trip? hmmm.. safe travels bud! enjoy the ride!!!

[Scotty G]

Great posts to a very inspiring ride. Is anyone taking photo and video clips to document this adventure? If so - please share a link!

Good luck with everything and enjoy the ride! I will continue to follow the progress.

PS: I was interested to hear you were a Bills Fan

[Barbara Greene]

Find it hilarious that you on your most heroic day on a bike you get called an a-hole by a man on a hog. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.