Sisters man rides border-to-border

If you're thinking you're getting a little too old to pursue your passions with vigor, Clark Brody will tell you different.

The 67-year-old Sisters man recently completed a cycling trip from the Canadian border to the Mexican border - and he trained so thoroughly that the trip itself didn't push him as hard as his local rides.

There were many takeaways from the epic journey, of course, but one thing really stands out for an athlete "of a certain age": Yes, you CAN do it.

"People older than I am inspire me," Brody told The Nugget last week. "Probably the only limits I have are the ones I put on myself."

Brody isn't arguing that a 67-year-old athlete can do anything a 27-year-old can do ... exactly. But with the right approach and attitude, that 67-year-old can do pretty much what he wants to do.

The proper approach and attitude comes down to a fundamental principle: An older athlete needs more recovery time. You can put in the miles, but you don't bounce back as quickly, so you need to work in the rest, too. Rest with intent.

"The rest is every bit as important as the intensity or the duration of you're working-out," Brody says.

To monitor his training regime, Brody used the Strava running and cycling app. The app provided all kinds of data on duration and intensity of workouts, rest periods, and fatigue and fitness levels. And it provided more than data.

"I was surprised at how well it kept me motivated," Brody said.

That's a common result of collecting exercise data. Seeing your progress mapped out in a visual manner makes you hungry to keep that progress going.

The cyclist said that having a specific adventure in the plans is key to motivation for him.

"I'm personally somebody who needs a goal," he said. "I'd have never trained like this over the summer if I didn't have a goal."

That training amounted to about 3,000 miles of riding before he put his tires on the border-to-border route starting at the Canadian border on August 22 and finishing up at the Mexican border on September 18. And it paid off. He traveled with two other men - Bob Knott and Dave Anderson - and he believes he held up well.

"I don't think I got as fatigued as the other two, because I trained differently," he said.

Brody is no stranger to long-distance cycling. A few years ago, he rode his bike across the United States as part of a touring group. His motivation for such trips goes well beyond the challenge of simply grinding out the miles.

He rode across the country to see and learn about the country - and "that's still my biggest interest," he says.

He also noted that, as a traveler, you're more engaged when you see the country from a bike, and "things are more vivid in your mind."

Brody's wife, Barbara, provided key support, finding restaurants at which to eat each night and providing recovery food and drink when the riders came in off the road.

In order to keep friends abreast of the action, Brody sent out a nightly email newsletter - which quickly became anticipated reading.

"I was surprised at how interested people had become," he said.

Perhaps that's because many of us have ambitions of heading out on the road for a great adventure. Brody encourages that spirit, no matter your age.

"Whatever their passions - just go do it," he says. "Don't self-limit."

Brody is going to take some time off from adventure ... but there is that idea for a ride around the Great Lakes...

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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