GOLD’S GYM: MAY 2013 |p.5
Trip of a
Lifetime Gold’s Gym helps a dream come true for one member
means he only had December, January and February to train. And despite the area’s mild winters, these are not the greatest months of the year to be outside on a bike. “I had a certain amount of base but not quite enough for this trip,” he admitted. “But that gave me a reason to be doing something in December, January and February. So I’d alternate between spin classes at Gold’s Gym and outside when I could.” Without Gold’s Gym, Ron said that he doesn’t know if he would have been able to complete the Coast 2 Coast ride. “Well, first of all, if I wasn’t going to Gold’s and knew what I could accomplish at Gold’s, with the equipment and the spin classes, etc., I may not have signed up to take on this challenge,” he said. “It was an enabler, physically and mentally, to take on this challenge. Even before that, I was in pretty good shape because I had been going to Gold’s and doing cycling. Had I not been doing that, I may not have been able to do this.” “Also, there’s a natural inclination of people who’ve had bilateral knee replacement not to risk doing something like this,” Ron continued. “But there’s no reason not to, according to the surgeon, and now I know I can. I’ve been doing the Appalachian Trail hiking, and the knees held up to that. And the knees held up to the cycling, and the knees held up to what I do at Gold’s and that gave me the confidence that my knees would
hold up… if I could only get the rest of me to work.” Ron’s knees, as well as the rest of him, did indeed hold up and he’s glad they did. Otherwise, he never would have experienced the uniqueness of each of his 52 days he road. “My favorite thing was the fact that every day was a significantly different experience than every other day,” he explained. “And I didn’t expect that. Each day would be a unique adventure unto itself. And adventure is a good word because we had challenges and delights and that made it a really fascinating experience, all the way from the beginning to the end. I anticipated that twothirds of the way through I would think, ‘Oh is this ever going to end?’ And that never happened.” Every single one of the 24 riders who participated, ranging in ages from 48 to 71, finished the race, something Ron attributes to the supportive atmosphere of the group. It’s an atmosphere that he also finds when he visits Gold’s Gym. “When you get a group with that average age and every single one finished, that’s pretty special,” he said. “And I think part of what that says to me is that when you’ve got a good, mutually supportive environment, more good gets accomplished. And that’s what Gold’s is, too. A supportive environment for what you’re trying to accomplish.”