Out from the chaos of thoughts, I could still here the engine of the freight train churning within me. I was overwhelmed by one notion: “There are no limits. We truly can do anything, when we are free.”

Never have I felt more alive than when my knees dropped into the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean for the first time. I felt the wave of a thousand emotions pour over me in the same way that the ocean waters rushed over and almost through me.

This journey had been the most enormous undertaking of my life. It had required every ounce of energy and focus I had. In fact, it had required more, and so, I was forced to grow. No amount of forethought could have prepared me for the experience of completing the Freedom Skate. As my body swayed forward from the force of the drop, I could feel the momentum of the American flag I had carried the entire way as it lurched forward. It was as if the incomprehensible force of will and tenacity that had carried me across a continent was actually separate from me and suddenly needed to be brought to a halt at the shore. It seemed as if even the vast ocean that lay before me would not have been enough to stop that flag from moving forward. I had to choose to stop there. I knelt on what felt to me like holy ground and thought, “Nothing is impossible. Nothing is impossible.”

As the waves crashed into my body, my mind raced through a thousand memories of the places experienced, friendships forged, challenges overcome, pains born, fears faced, doubts turned to dust, and triumphs lived. It was the culmination of a journey that was truly larger than life and larger than me. Gasping for breath with tears and sweat pouring down my face, I felt a groan bellow up from deep within me, almost like a roar.

As the wild cry of absolute elation went out from me, I physically felt lighter, for the burden I had carried across thousands of miles was suddenly being lifted. We had done it! With the tireless support of a tight-knit team, an unlikely sponsor, faithful families, and thousands of fans and friends met along the way, I had blazed a trail and carried a message of entrepreneurial inspiration 3410 miles across the country on in-line skates. My support team and I had faced more physical, logistical, financial, relational, and emotional challenges than I can even begin to count. This journey had turned three boys with big ideas into men who had actually done something big.

Out from the chaos of thoughts, I could still here the engine of the freight train churning within me. I was overwhelmed by one notion:

“There are no limits. We truly can do anything, when we are free.”

The 411:

Distance Since last Update: 46 miles
Final Distance for Tour: 3412 miles
SKATE LOCATION: The Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, CA!
STATUS: Elated!

If this journey has inspired you to believe that you truly can do anything you set your mind to, then I would love for you to come out and celebrate with my crew and I at the finish! Could be a first opportunity to exercise that newly found belief! I have provided the basic information you need below. Dillon will be there filming for the documentary, so anyone who makes it out will be seen in the documentary. Also, Bob and I are working on setting up a LIVE cast for the end of the tour. We should be able to pull it off. If all goes well, it will air here on the website, beginning around 12:00 PM PST.

Celebrate with Us!

We’re asking anyone who wants to celebrate at the finish to meet us at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Blvd in Santa Monica at 12:00 PM PST on Wednesday June 15th. There’s a sidewalk on the ocean side of the intersection, which I will be taking out to the ocean. It’s difficult to predict exact times on this skate, but we’ll do our best to be there right at noon. You can see the map of my last day’s skate here. The images below should make it easy enough to find:

Ending at corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Blvd.

Street View of Finish Location

June 13th, 2011

When I first had the idea to skate across America, I didn’t really conceptualize exactly what that meant. We frame what we expect from the future, based on what we’ve already experienced. So, drawing from my experience at the time, I guess I pictured myself skating through thousands of miles of small to medium size towns and suburbs, punctuated by stretches of farm land. I was picturing myself skating through mid-Michigan over and over again! Obviously, that was not an accurate representation of the journey. The real picture should have included long stretches of desert, mountains, swamp areas, forests, big cities, and everything in between. The real picture was far more interesting.

Freedom Hiking to Banning!

A Day of Everything

There have been a number of days on this journey that presented unique and memorable challenges. For that reason, they stand out in my mind. Interestingly, there has really only been one day that was representative of the entire skate. June 11th is a memorable date for me, because my skate between the southwestern edge of Desert Hot Springs and Loma Linda, CA included just about every single type of obstacle I’ve faced on the tour, in one day!

I started off in the desert, as I finished my descent of CA State Route 62. Unfortunately, 62 ended by running into I-10, and there was about a 7 mile section where I was forced to skate on the freeway. Bob went on ahead, since he really couldn’t follow me on the I-10 shoulder. I made slow progress, as the venturi effect created by the mountains to the north and south of the highway basically make that section of I-10 into a wind tunnel. I was facing 30-40 mph winds, but still made it about 6 miles without any really problems.

When I heard the familiar sound of police sirens behind me, just about a mile from my exit, I knew it was going to be a long day. At first, I thought the officer was going to arrest me, as he was all business, but he was just trying to keep the situation safe. To make a long story short, he was kind enough to give me a break, but I did have to ride the last mile of I-10 in his cruiser. I’m not feeling too bad about that, as I did everything I could to skate the full distance.

After getting dropped off on Railroad Avenue, I met back up with Bob and started to work toward the small town of Cabazon, CA. This was the single most windy section of road that I have skated on the tour. I would estimate the winds I was skating into between 35 and 50 mph. I was skating as hard as I could, but was only able to manage an average speed of about 3 mph. It wasn’t until about 5 miles past Cabazon that the winds returned to what I would consider to be reasonable levels (below 20 mph). That’s when things got more interesting.

To get to Banning, I needed to cover one last section of less than adequate service drive along I-10. The civil engineers who designed this section of freeway had the audacity to actually give the service drive a name: Johnson Lane. Johnson Lane is actually a crumbling, pothole filled trail that features an interesting surprise for anyone brave or foolish enough to cover its whole length (about 3 miles). Thankfully, I’m pretty used to nasty pavement, and with the giant wheels on my LandRollers, I made quick work of the first 2 miles. Unfortunately, whoever designed Johnson Lane did not see fit to pave its whole length! For whatever reason, the last mile was nothing but sand and rocks on a very narrow pathway. Of course, I was foolish enough to have Bob continue following me in the “Freedom Mobile,” even after the pavement stopped.

Oh the places you'll go!

As I marched my way across the sand and rocks, Bob had his first real RV off-roading experience! There were several times when I was concerned that Bob wouldn’t be able to squeeze past the trees and one time when I actually thought the RV could roll. Fortunately, Bob handled it like pro and was able to keep the motor home upright by plowing through some bushes and tree branches a few times. He was going around holes in the road that could easily roll a motor home. I almost fell over from laughter, at one point, as I watched Bob freaking out trying to make it through an absurdly narrow section of trail. After he made it through, I marched up to the window (still in skates) and said the one liner that really captures this entire tour:

“Oh the places you’ll go!”

Oddly enough, once we finished that section of trail, we were suddenly in full-blown city with roads, sidewalks and cheering fans! Once into Banning, everything became simpler. The pavement was pristine, and there were two lanes, so we weren’t impeding traffic. I was still finishing a 1400 foot ascent that began while I was skating down the shoulder of I-10, but I was not concerned about that. At some point, you’re just happy to have reasonable pavement and not be skating through a wind tunnel!

At one point, in Beaumont, Bob stopped me because he thought he had a flat tire. Hilariously, a large rock had wedged itself between the dually tires of the RV, no doubt a souvenir from our previous off-road escapade. I kept it.

Upon leaving Beaumont, we entered San Timoteo Canyon, and I was treated to about 15 miles of primarily downhill skating. It was pretty wild; somewhere between Cabazon and Beaumont, the desert rapidly transitioned into lush, green farmlands. Skating through San Timoteo Canyon was like entering a tropical oasis, after over 1000 miles of desert. The only difficulty came as a result of the winding road. All of those blind curves made for a dangerous situation with a few impatient drivers who decided not to wait until rounding the bend to pass. Unwise. Thankfully, we made it through without incident, and I skated a couple miles through the southwestern part of Redlands to reach that day’s destination in Loma Linda, CA.

What an adventure! The next day was more tame, as I skated through the eastern edge of the LA metro area. I’m just 44 miles from the finish, as I type this post.

The 411:

Distance Since last Update: 433 miles
Total Distance for Tour: approx. 3366 miles
SKATE LOCATION: Walnut, CA (just east of LA)
STATUS: Preparing for the end of the tour!

Update:

A lot has happened since my last post. The most important highlights are in the video above. One important and unfortunate note: I climbed about 1200 feet to the top of a mountain just west of Miami, AZ, only to get stopped by a state trooper at the top. To make a long story short, the trooper basically told us that we would likely be arrested, if we continued as we were. Even if I had dared to skate down the 6-8% grades with no follow vehicle, there was no shoulder, and we were told that I could be arrested for skating in the road, even without the motor home impeding traffic.

In short, I had to make an executive decision and have us drive down the mountain and start back up 15 miles later. Even though I’ve certainly taken the long way across the country, that didn’t sit to well with me. The only other place I had to do that was for a couple miles crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana. Another situation that would have most likely resulted in me getting arrested. In both situations, I subtracted the miles from the running total of the tour. Well, we did what we had to; let’s just hope nothing else like that comes up. We should have a lot more options heading through Phoenix tomorrow, and the roads after Phoenix are pretty lightly trafficked, all the way to California. BTW: I expect to break 3000 miles somewhere in or near the Phoenix metropolitan area!

The 411:

Distance Since last Update: 288 miles
Total Distance for Tour: approx. 2933 miles
SKATE LOCATION: 1 mile east of Gold Canyon, AZ
STATUS: Gearing up to skate into Phoenix and cross the 3000 mile marker somewhere in the metro area!

Yesterday, I skated from Hatch, NM to just outside of Deming, NM. There were some pretty serious hills toward the beginning, as I increased my elevation by about 500 feet in the course of roughly 5 miles. That, however, was not the big challenge of the day. The wind was back in full force, and I essentially skated 39 miles head-on into 20 MPH winds. Anyone who has ridden a bike into heavy winds would have a pretty good idea about just how fun that was. Except carrying a 3’x5’ American flag is much like dragging a parachute through the wind.

As I was preparing to get back on the road after my first pit-stop, about 13 miles in, I was trying to mentally prepare myself for the next 25 miles of punishment. With wind like that, skating with that flag is comparable to running under normal conditions. I was essentially preparing myself for a marathon effort after having already skated 13 miles.

Just as I stepped out of the RV, I had an interesting thought: “What if, for each of the next 12 miles before my next pit-stop, I celebrate?” I decided that the natural tendency in physically difficult situations like this is to think about how negative and difficult the circumstances are. It was clear to me: I would have to create my own strength and happiness for the next 25 miles. I would start by defying all negative thoughts for the first 12.

For the next 12 miles, I would get myself as hyped and pumped as possible each time I crossed a mile marker. My plan was to get progressively more excited the higher the numbers got. It wasn’t easy, and I even thought about scrapping the idea a few times, but I kept it going. “I promised myself 12 celebrations, and I will have them!” I told myself with resolve.

There’s something remarkable about the human spirit: It is not so important how difficult or painful a given task may be. The real important factors are the motivation, the energy, and the “why” behind what we do. We can put up with almost any “how,” if given the right “why.” I needed immediate inspiration and strength to press on, and I found it by creating positive energy around what I was doing. In case you were wondering, the 12th celebration did in fact bring an incredible sense of accomplishment. I will never forget my “12 Celebrations” in defiance of the blasting winds on highway 26 between Hatch and Deming, NM. I’ve never felt so strong in the face of true difficulty.

The 411:

Distance Since last Update: 122 miles
Total Distance for Tour: approx. 2646 miles
SKATE LOCATION: 8 miles east of Deming, NM
STATUS: Enjoying a much needed day off in Deming, NM

FIRST THINGS FIRST: A HUGE “thank you!” to the Super 8 Motel in El Paso for donating a room for two nights while I take my day off here in “the Borderland!” We had a chance to meet the owner today, and on top of being a really cool guy, he gave me a tip to checkout “Chico’s Tacos,” which is a phenomenon that can only be found in El Paso. I’ll be sure to give you guys a full report on that soon.

A lot has happened since my last update after my speech to the high schoolers in Monahans, TX. The basic updates are below, but first: Here’s a news story that we landed in El Paso:

Basic update

After my day off in Monahans, I picked up where I left off and skated about 45 miles from Pyote to Toyah, TX. We ended up staying the night in Pecos, TX. After some quick research, I realized that continuing to follow my path from I-20 to I-10 would be a disaster. I was looking at about 40 miles of skating on the expressway where the speed limit is 80 MPH… Not good! I made the executive decision to take the motor home down to Marfa, TX and skate 74 miles northwest on US 90 to Van Horn. It’s the first time I’ve had to do a “jump” on the skate, and I didn’t really want to do it, but I had no other option.

Taking the US 90 route actually added about 5 miles on some of the roughest roads I’ve had yet, so I’m feeling more than justified in that decision. Sometimes, you have to be “the boss” and make a difficult decision. Ironically, I still ended up having to do a 10 mile skate on the side of I-10 one day and 21 miles the next day. Thankfully, those portions between Van Horn, TX and McNary, TX included large smooth shoulders.

I took one day off in Van Horn and skated 120 miles into El Paso over the next 3 days. I’ve officially decided to adjust to a 3 days on and 1 day off schedule for the time being, as it only adds about 2-3 days to the total length of the tour. I need to do everything I can to prevent stress fractures.

I arrived in downtown El Paso yesterday and was able to land the NBC 9 news story above. I’m taking a day of rest here in El Paso and working on some details for Motor City Challenge back home. Just 812 miles to go!

The 411:

Distance Since last Update: 238 miles
Total Distance for Tour: approx. 2524 miles
SKATE LOCATION: El Paso, TX
STATUS: Catching some much needed R&R at the Super 8 Motel in El Paso, TX

BTW: A few people I didn’t get a chance to mention and thank specifically in the video:

Don from the local news paper in Monohans – for the story and dinner at Huttle House!

Donna and Theresa from the Monohans Chamber of Commerce – for looking us up, setting up the speaking gig at the high school, meeting us, giving us a care package, and putting us up for two nights at Best Western in Monohans! Can’t thank you ladies or the chamber enough!

Bryan, also from the Monohans Chamber of Commerce: For filling up the thirsty “Freedom Mobile” with gas! Also, thanks for introducing me before the speech at the high school!

Distance Since last Update: 150 miles
Total Distance for Tour: approx. 2286 miles
SKATE LOCATION: Pyote, TX
STATUS: Enjoying an awesome day off in Monohans!

Distance Since last Update: 254 miles
Total Distance for Tour: approx. 2136 miles
LOCATION: Snyder, TX
STATUS: Gunning for the New Mexico border and loving the southern hospitality!

Speaking update: The speeches went well at James Madison High in Dallas on Monday. Wednesday, I had the opportunity to visit North Dallas High and speak to Mr. Markley’s classes all day long. We talked primarily about figuring out the “why” for your life before figuring out the “what.” Basically: You should know what you believe and why you are living and let that direct your larger life decisions.

I really enjoyed speaking to the students at North Dallas High. It’s exciting to make a connection and see people really “getting it.” It’s exciting to see positive change associated with this tour!

Distance Since last Update: 68 miles
Total Distance for Tour: approx. 1882 miles
LOCATION: Fort Worth, TX
STATUS: Had some great speaking gigs in Dallas. Inspired some folks… Went to the ER in Fort Worth. Oops! Heading west again!

BTW: We are hanging out in Dallas for at least a couple more days, as we’ve been pretty successful in arranging for speaking opportunities at Dallas high schools. It may be the last big speaking city (for high schools).