Thought of the day:

Today was one of the toughest days of the trip. In the past 11 days I have covered over 1350 miles. Just when I thought I couldn’t be stopped I came up over a ridge and right into a strong head wind. Life has a way of keeping me in check. I went from riding between 18 and 22 mph to riding between 10 and 12 mph. I was out in the middle of nowhere and feeling very discouraged. It took all I had to keep going. I wanted to stop many times but kept on pedaling. I don’t want to be the type of person that stops when things get tough. I want to be the type of person that uses the tough times to my advantage. Every challenge is a learning experience.

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Thought of the day:

With the wind blowing so hard it was difficult to think of much other than keeping my bike upright.

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Thought of the day:

When the ride gets tough and I need motivation I think about all the people that are still stuck in their addictions. I couldn’t have made it this far if it was just about the ride. This ride is about so much more.

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Thought of the day:

A number of people have asked me along the trip what my favorite place has been. The truth is that I don’t pay to much attention to the scenery. When I ride I’m thinking more about the difference that I would like to make in the world, than the areas that I am riding. Don’t get me wrong, there have been many beautiful places along the way, but the beauty doesn’t give me the strength to keep going.

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Thought of the day:

It's days like today when everything is going well and it makes me think I can do anything I put my mind too. Unfortunately, some days are harder than others and the doubt sets in. The farther I ride the more confident in my abilities I become.

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Thought of the day:

When I am riding I wonder what people that are following my trip are thinking or if they have questions that they would like answered. If you have a question for me or are curious why I am riding 12,000 miles please send me an e-mail and I will answer it on the blog if you would like. If not I will just answer you in an e-mail. Send your comments or questions to mdluman@800meters.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thought of the day:

Sometimes I feel like it is just one thing after another. Hopefully today I will finally get my bike fixed so that it shifts right. It is hard enough just riding but when you’re having trouble with your bike it makes it that much worse.

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Thought of the day:

Nobody said the ride was going to be easy and there are people that are dealing with a lot worse than I am. It’s all about a mind set. Sometimes you just need to do what you need to do to get the job done or complete the mission.

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Thought of the day:

It feels good to be in Texas. I’m really starting to get my motivation back. Even though things haven’t been going quite the way that I planned, I am glad that I’m doing the ride. Through all the pain and hard work I know the ride is something I need to be doing, even if I don’t know the exact purpose yet.

To leave a comment, just click below on "Comments." Also, if you would like to send me an email you can email me at mdluman@800meters.com I look forward to hearing from you.

Thought of the day:

Today when I was riding I asked myself, “what are people thinking who are following my ride and learning about my mission”. If you are following the blog and have a chance send me an e-mail and let me know your thoughts are about what I am doing, not just the ride but the mission. mdluman@800meters.com

Thought of the day:

I showed you earlier the picture of the bridge crossing the Mississippi. Some bridges are posted with signs that say no bicycles. If it says no bicycles I either find another route or jump in the trailer to cross the bridge. I didn’t see any signs that said no bicycles so I started crossing the bridge. When I got on the bridge the shoulder ended and there was no where to ride. There was no way to stop and turn around so I had to keep on pedaling. The bridge was a couple miles long and I rode as fast as I could to get off of it. When I got off of the bridge and back on the rode a police officer pulled me over. He asked me why I was riding across a bridge that was posted no bicycles. I told him that I didn’t see any signs and if I had I wouldn’t of rode across it. He took offense to my comment and said they were posted in a number of different spots. I tried to explain to him my story and my past and that I wasn’t trying to break any laws. I showed him my ID and he finally let me go. What I learned from this situation is that even if I don’t see a sign telling me not to do something I should use better judgment in the situation. Even if I didn’t see a sign and it wasn’t illegal to ride the bride. I should have said that doesn’t look safe. I should get a ride over the bridge. Just because something isn’t illegal doesn’t mean you should it.

To leave a comment, just click below on "Comments." Also, if you would like to send me an email you can email me at mdluman@800meters.com I look forward to hearing from you.

Thought of the day:

I rode into Biloxi, Mississippi today. This was one of the areas hit by hurricane Katrina. You could still see some of the destruction left behind but you could also see the rebuilding process taking place. After today I know that our nation is able to rebuild after a disaster. I know that we can rebuild our education system to make it more beneficial to the students. Together we can build stronger individuals.

Thought of the day:

What do you think when you look at the picture of my 7th birthday what do you think? I think, if I had the chance would I do anything different. I have to say no. I am glad that my path has brought me to where I am today. Without my past experience I wouldn’t have the knowledge and desire to do what I am doing today. The only thing that I am sorry for is the people that I hurt along the way. It is my hope that I will be able to make up for some of that. I know I can’t change the past but I can make a difference and change the future. I will do all I can do!

To leave a comment, just click below on "Comments." Also, if you would like to send me an email you can email me at mdluman@800meters.com I look forward to hearing from you.

Thought of the day:

I was starting to think I had forgotten how to ride with intensity and passion. I think I am back in the groove. Mind over matter! What the mind can see the body will achieve.

To leave a comment, just click below on "Comments." Also, if you would like to send me an email you can email me at mdluman@800meters.com I look forward to hearing from you.

Thought of the day:

Why do I feel like I am the one that needs to do something? Because I can! I don't think anything happens by chance. I know without a doubt that I experienced the things in my life so that I could make a difference in others. Knowing what I know and experiencing what I experienced I can't just do nothing. I am lucky to even be alive. When you read 800meters you will know why I. Not a moment goes by that I don't think about the adult and children that need my help. They need to hear my story and they need to learn from my past. More importantly we need to develop and teach these skills to our youth so that they will have the tools to make better decisions. I know I can make a difference and I won't stop until I do. I will not quit. Just like the ride.

To leave a comment, just click below on "Comments." Also, if you would like to send me an email you can email me at mdluman@800meters.com I look forward to hearing from you.

Thought of the day:

Why did I write a book? I never planned on writing a book but I wanted to build my foundation A Generation Free. I thought I could use the book as a way to tell my story and use the book sales to help fund A Generation Free. The book doesn’t just tell my story but by telling my story it will give people a better understanding of my life and why I am promoting A Generation Free. 800 meter is an accurate account of my life. There are many things in the book that I didn’t want to put in it but I couldn’t write the book without being 100% honest. I don’t want to give too much of the book away because I want people to read it. I want to apologize to anyone who has ordered a book and hasn’t received it yet. The books are on the way, finally. What a draining process it has been. You won’t be disappointed. The book is great. In the next couple of days I will have some sections of the book on the www.800meters.com web site.

To leave a comment, just click below on "Comments." Also, if you would like to send me an email you can email me at mdluman@800meters.com I look forward to hearing from you.

Thought of the day:

I didn't ride all day to day. I took a break for a couple hours and worked on the phone with Mara. She is doing a great job helping me get out of my head. I will try to get up to date and stay current with the blog so that you can get a better sense of what is going on day to day. I have some new and exciting additions I am going to be adding to the blog in the next week so stay tuned.

To leave a comment, just click below on "Comments." Also, if you would like to send me an email you can email me at mdluman@800meters.com I look forward to hearing from you.

Thought of the day:

Why 12,000 miles? Why not 8000 miles or 3000 miles? When I picked the 12,000 miles I hadn’t even ridden a bicycle in years. I wanted to do something that was out of my comfort zone. I wanted people to know that I was serious about making a difference and that they could trust me and that I wouldn’t give up when things got hard. Believe me, things have been hard. This trip has been 100 times harder physically and mentally than I ever imagined. That’s good; it just goes to show that I won’t give up on trying to make a difference. I want to be able to stand in front of a group of high school students and tell them my story. Tell them about how I was a star athlete and had huge dreams. How I was injured and how I gave up on those dreams. I want to be able to tell them how one bad decision leads to another and before you know it your life is out of control. I want to be able to tell them about jail and prison and how alone that feeling can be. Then I want to tell them that I decided I wanted a different life, a better life. I want them to know that I said I was going to do something before I even tried to do it because I knew that if I tried I could. I want to be able to tell them that it didn’t go according to plan. That it was harder than I could have ever imagined. The best part is going to be when I tell them that I rode 12,000 miles and that my life is different now. Some might even listen and decide to make different choices in there lives so they don’t have to go through and miss out on all the thing I had too.

To leave a comment, just click below on "Comments." Also, if you would like to send me an email you can email me at mdluman@800meters.com I look forward to hearing from you.

Thought of the day:

What does A Generation Free mean? When I came up with the name A Generation Free I made a list of what free meant to me. I had been addicted to drugs for 10 years but free didn’t just mean free from drugs. It didn’t just mean free from jail and prison. Free is such a powerful word and that is why I chose it. I didn’t just want to be free from drugs but I wanted to be free from all the garbage and baggage that was holding me back. I wanted to be free to be the best Mikael Luman I could be. I have gotten a way from that I little lately and I am trying to get back there. I don’t want to be selfish though. I want everybody to have a chance to be free. That is what A Generation Free is about, giving every child the skills necessary to be free from anger, crime, drugs, guilt, hate, poverty, shame and stress. I want to live in a nation where every child has the skills and the tools to be the best they can be. Through A Generation Free we can build a better nation. A freer nation!

Please if you have any comments or suggestions drop me an e-mail mdluman@800meters.com. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thought of the day:

Mara introduced me to Martin Cohen. Martin had something that I wanted. Martin expressed himself the way that I have always wanted to be able to express myself. These last 3 days in Miami were some of the most productive days of the trip. I have learned a great deal about myself and about whom I want to be. I have started to become complacent with my life and with the way that I want to live it. Today I am going to strive to be the best that I can be. Not just on the bicycle but in every aspect of my life. If and when I do that everything that I am trying to accomplish with the ride and A Generation Free will become clearer. I need to be the person that A Generation Free stands for. I will be that person. This is my passion and I won’t give up on that dream. Thank you Mara and Marvin for helping me find myself and for challenging me to be the best I can be. Keep reading the thoughts and I will continue to show you who I really want to be.

To leave a comment, just click below on "Comments." Also, if you would like to send me an email you can email me at mdluman@800meters.com I look forward to hearing from you.