"If the miles behind me could be put into words before you, you would feel my efforts, my struggles, and my desires. Most of all you would see my joy"  

Steven Perezluha

                       

 

December 31st, 2011   

An amazing year came to a close and so I reflect as my ankle heals up from an injury last week which plagued me of my goal to bike down and explore more of the Everglades. With the rest I know that I have time to reflect on the year and also think about what lays ahead in life. So many amazing memories and experiences happened this year for me. Like my Uncle, I am proud to say I recorded these in a journal. That way I can look back to every single day of the year to see what I did, how many miles I rode on my bicycle, feelings for the day, quotations, thoughts, mood, and insights. One of my biggest goals is to turn my journals and many experiences I have had in life into a book. Still to this day I will never forget the memories of a lifetime on the journey to Alaska and back with Uncle Danny.

 

79,214 miles conquered on my bicycle in the past 3 years. 2009: 27,560 miles. 2010: 30,726 miles. 2011: 20,928 miles. This year was the lowest mileage year including extra recovery, more racing, and unexpected injuries. Still 2011 has some of the most amazing experiences of my life. At the same time there have been a number of close friends and family members that have left me this year. These people will not have the chance to come back to life but before they did pass, I took a little bit of them that will remain with me forever. I will not soon forget the positive impact many have had on me since the time I graduated high school. The kindness of strangers makes a day on the verge of disaster all of the sudden good again in a matter of hours. I have learned to be patient and take each day as it comes for I never know what lies down the road ahead of me. I must be grateful of all the positive relationships I have had and build on those that believe in me. As for those that do not work out or turn negative, I must keep moving along and learned for any mistakes. My uncle and I have learned so much about each other and have transformed from friends to companions over the past three years. It’s more than my Uncle that I must thank for being there for me, but it goes out to my sponsors and all of you central Florida cyclists that have at one time offered my advice or insight. With the miles and people behind me, the sky will be my limit. Thanks again to all that supported me on my Race Across America this year. 2012: You’re just a number like 2011, but just wait and see of the many more amazing experiences that will come in the next 365 days. Many people have come and gone in my life and I have learned something from every single person, no one is forgotten.

 

I am proud to say I have not consumed a single animal for the past 4 weeks. I have turned into a vegetarian again and still one of my biggest goals in life is to stop mass-slaughtering animal abuse, save endangered species as possible, protect the environment, and influence future generations. I have a long life ahead and must take advantage of every day of life and live each day as it comes; keeping my biggest goals and dreams inside my flesh. I wish the best for everybody in their goals for the future, and for those that never get out and explore much, consider these words from on of my biggest inspirations from Into the Wild: this is why I love riding my bicycle across the country: Goals are out there waiting to be conquered we must reach out and grab them!!!!!!!

 

 “The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty” –Christopher McCandless

November 26th, 2011    

  I raced in my first "Dirty Dozen" bike race held in Pittsburgh, PA originally created my my Uncle Danny Chew. Uncle Danny had a record number of riders enter this year with well over 300. The race originally started with Uncle Danny and his brother Tom Chew back in the early 1980s. The race consists of racing up 13 of Pittsburgh's steepest hills ranging from 20-37% grade. Each of the 13 hills is a race to the top, most of which start for the bottom. The racers race neutral and casually ride in between the hills. I came in 4th place this year with a total of 68 points, winning the 12th hill and coming in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place on 6 of the other hills. Being my first time racing, I did not position myself well on 3 of the hills and did not score any points and came in 6th and 7th place on the other 3 hills. Nevertheless, the Dirty Dozen was a great experience testing myself against the defending champion Stephen Cummings shown here in the picture above. Below is a link to the Dirty Dozen on my Uncle Danny Chew's website:

http://www.dannychew.com/dd_11.html

November 1st, 2011  

I had a successful racing weekend this past weekend at the Florida State Road Race Championships in Ferndale , FL. On Sunday I won the 56-mile Category 3 State Road Race. I had to be very patient and had some unfinished business to unleash after getting 2nd in the 19-23 and 6th in the combined 19-34 group. In that race I attacked 3-4 times and on the 4th time, soloed it to the final road and got caught. After getting 8th place last year in the Cat 4 state road race by making the same mistake, I was out today to unleash my attack at the right time. I waited to the last lap and right after the demolished break away got caught I attacked on Bruce Hunt Road, the place where everyone seemed to by falling apart into a headwind and uphill. I attacked hard and soloed it 6.5 miles to the finish winning by 1 minute and 7 seconds. Not to get caught this time... 

October 16th, 2011    

I just won the Brooksville Road Race for Cat 3 and came in 4th overall with the Pro-1-2 racers. 

On October 8th, 2011 I won the Category 3 Florida State Time Trial with a time of 53:13. The time was the 6th fastest of the day and 4 minutes and 26 seconds faster than my last years time. This year I rode on my Quintana Roo time trial bike while last year I had a regular road bike with aero bars. 

 

September 27th, 2011

        I am now recovering from a crash on September 21st. During the recovery after the crash I have pondered upon topics and ideas for writing a book on my cross-country adventures. The crash left me with the worst road rash I have ever had in my life.

        It was September 21st, 2011 around 5:15pm . I had already done a 2-hour weight workout, gotten a massage, rode 32 miles to and from the Retro City Cycles bicycle shop, and now I was out on what was planned to be about an 80-mile ride from about 5pm-9pm. The crash situation unfolded when I was picking up some draft from some vehicles in front, cruising along at 37+mph  toward the Wednesday night Windermere ride on Central Parkway. Then in the 53x11 my chain dropped and I went sliding along the pavement 30 feet . :x !! I stood up in a fury and walked my bike to the side of the road. I was covered in blood on my right side and I could see my big shorts torn open. My bike chain was off and my handlebars were messed up. Luckily my bright BikeRay lights kept cars away and a lady helped me to get medical assistance. With my right side covered in road rash from knee to shoulder to hand, I painfully crept into the pool to clean off my wounds with soap then the painful burning of betadine followed by a sublime feeling of neosporin. Pain tolerance rising...not to let this darken my spirit in my future goals...telling myself one of my favorite quotes:

"Strong. You can do anything. You can go anywhere...It's up here. You can be here. Me and you." 

        I reminded myself that a very important aspect of cycling and anything euphoric in life is that pushing through the pain and discomfort will make what comes out on the other side that much more rewarding and gratifying. I tell myself to be patient and recover, you will ultimately come out stronger than before. I have pushed through all of the hardest times and adversity with the mentality to leave no regrets for I do not want to look back years from now and think about what I could have done.

        So many amazing memories came alive on my cross-country trips and often they came after I had to overcome an obstacle and potential trip ending incident. This includes my crash on the Alaska trip going down an 8% descent for 7 miles. I was 6,000 miles away from home. I was uneasy, I was fearful my body was damaged and I could not continue on, I was weakened. Why don't you take the secure way out and just end the trip there some asked?  I then reminded myself of my dream, the absolute freedom that a bicycle with a trailer attached to it can bring. I must keep Moving Along. I was not about to end my Alaska Trip of a lifetime over this crash. I had fear instilled in me, but I still had my confidence and the dogged-determination to make it back home to Florida in one piece, on my bicycle.

        Next year was getting hit by a car on my way to Pittsburgh. The easy way out voice in me says to just stop, do not keep going, take the drive home, pack your stuff up, call it quits, end your trip, end your dreams, they can wait; California can wait, it will always be there, listen to your secure friends; listen to the doctor that says you should not keep going, maybe next year.

        But no not me, I block these thoughts out. I let the determined, rebellious, stubborn, and never-quitting Steven come out inside me and tell myself to keep moving along. I want to live, I continue to forge on, for I do not want live with the regret of not knowing what memories could have come if I would have kept on going. Pushing through my struggles reminds me to always treat everyday like it may be the last and to cherish every moment and do not waste a second of life. I tell myself to never put my dreams on hold because I never know where they might lead and also never know what could happen tomorrow; I must never waste time. After recovering from getting hit by an S.U.V. I slowly, uncomfortably, and with much patience, continued on my journey to California and no regrets. I kept telling myself that the triumph of completing this cross-country journey will be a memory of a lifetime. Not just any old trip but the 7,737 California trip of a Lifetime.

  August 21st, 2011

I just completed a 24 day and 2,235 mile bicycle camping trip from Orlando, Florida to Ohio and back. The journey started off heading to Nashville, Tennessee then to Cincinnati , Ohio then to Charlotte, NC; then back to Orlando , Florida .This was my shortest trip completed so far of only 2,235 miles . The first trip from Orlando to Alaska and back was 13,769 miles and 140 days; then from Orlando to California and back was 61 days and 7,737 miles ; the Race Across America was 10 days and 3,000 miles . Each journey had memories and experiences that will remain with me for the rest of my life. During these journey's I had some of the greatest moments of my entire life. Read more to found out about my journeys and cross-country bicycling adventures. The wanderlust and footloose feeling of being on a cross-country bicycling camping trip is like no other.

July 1st, 2011

Race Across America 2011

        On Saturday, June 25th, 2011, right around midnight, I completed my Race Across America in a finishing time of 10 Days and 8 Hours. It was a memorable experience and with it came many euphoric moments as well as conflicts and adversary among crew members. For me the race started out a little on the slow side and then I finally got into a more solid routine and stated getting into a rhythm in Kansas where I rode 260 miles in 12 hours. I listened to my body and knew I would ride more strong and efficient with sufficient sleep and stop time. Sometimes the stop time was more than I had planned sometimes caused by R.V. and follow vehicle mechanicals, bike problems, or knee problems. I used the stress and adversary that went on while I was off the bike and channeled into positive energy on the bike. While my crew did get into some brouhaha’s at times and some wanted to quit before the finish, each crew member stuck it out until Annapolis to see me cross under the finish line. I thank my crew and the amazing help they had. I also thank my sponsors for the amazing help they provided; I could not have completed this race without my sponsors. Please visit my Sponsors page to view the list of my sponsors. Just like I learned on my cross country adventures with Danny, I told myself I must be patient through the tough times of the trip; for there is something good waiting down that road for me. When everything seemed to be going wrong or I just felt totally out of it, I always had my Lady Gaga in my ears to cheer me up. Please visit my Race Across America summary page to read into more details about my race.

        I now have goals to work my way up in road racing and move up to Category 1 by spring 2012. I may do the Race Across America again but this time I hope to plan it out and organize more, especially the crew. RAAM was an amazing experience and I and proud to have completed it.

!NEW!

Visit the Race Across America page for a summary of my Race Across America including day by day journal entries including pre and post RAAM activities.