Dave
Dave recently graduated from Durham University with a Masters degree in Chemistry. He was born and raised in Gateshead and attended school at Emmanuel College. Ever since I have known him he has been an avid fitness and endurance event enthusiast having completed the GNR three times, the Silverstone half marathon, the Great Ireland Run, the Berlin Marathon in 2008 and the London Triathlon in 2010. He is also competing in the London Marathon this year in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK.Dave is currently working in Newcastle and will be completing a PGCE in Chemistry at Newcastle University next year.
Tom
Tom recently graduated from Durham University with a degree in Economics and an MA in International Studies. He was born in Hong Kong and has lived in Thailand and Bahrain as well as his native country, England. He attended Warwick School in the UK, Patana School in Thailand, St. Christopher's School in Bahrain and Newcastle-under-Lyme School in the UK.Tom has always enjoyed travelling and a challenge, so whenever possible he attempts to combine the two. Since I have known him he has hiked the Himalayas in aid of Future for Nepal, trained as a scuba diver in Egypt and competed in the 2010 London Triathlon.
After graduating Tom worked as a part time volunteer for Macmillan Cancer Reasearch UK before flying out to work in Bahrain. Next year he is completing a PGCE at Warwick University.
Our Inspiration
Upon finishing University in 2010 we both decided to take a year out to earn some money and go travelling in the summer of 2011. We have always been interested in fitness and long distance endurance events so when deciding on potential travel plans we were looking for an experience a bit more intense than your average gap year.
Neither of us had ever been avid cyclists but when discussing the possibility of driving across America one of us had the idea of cycling across. A few inspiring Youtube clips and a visit to the Adventure Cycling Association's website later we were sold on the idea. We have been organising the trip ever since.
Planning the Trip
Planning for the trip began in August 2010. Over the next few months we researched blogs of prior trans-American cyclists and forums dedicated to the coast to coast.
We planned provisional routes crossing different sections of the US and by October 2010 had decided on a crossing of the 'Northern Tier and Lakes' from Washington State in the North-West to Maine in the North East. In January we ordered maps from the Adventure Cycling Association and began plotting the route in more detail.
We planned provisional routes crossing different sections of the US and by October 2010 had decided on a crossing of the 'Northern Tier and Lakes' from Washington State in the North-West to Maine in the North East. In January we ordered maps from the Adventure Cycling Association and began plotting the route in more detail.
Once the maps arrived the planning began to gather momentum as we started gathering the kit and plotting the route. We booked the flights in February 2011 and are continuing the preparations.
Training
Dave is training for the London Marathon on April 17th 2011 and Tom is training for the March 4th 2011 Amwaj Triathlon in Bahrain. Formal training for the expedition will begin after these dates.
