Suit to Saddle

Biographies & Memoirs

synopsis

Synopsis

"Your job has been eliminated." In other words, you're unemployed, out of work, and desperate to find a new purpose. When US Army veteran Larry Walsh heard those words, his world was turned upside down. With a desire to move beyond unemployment, create an exciting new future for himself, and push past his limits, he decides to fulfill his lifelong dream to bike across the country. He purchases a Surly Disc Trucker touring bike and begins his 3,120-mile ride of the Southern Tier from California to Florida. Cycling over treacherous mountains, through open plains, unforgiving deserts, and over 200 unique small towns, Walsh not only discovers a new world and new people, but he uncovers a side of himself that he thought was long forgotten-one filled with true grit and determination. In Suit to Saddle, Walsh chronicles his story of triumph over adversity. Each person he meets along the road plays an integral part of his quest for inner peace and growth. Through the eyes of a one-armed cyclist, a retired police officer, a gun-toting waitress, and a thousand miles of open road, Walsh learns that the true meaning of a life well-lived is the journey. Join Walsh on his trip across America and see what it feels like to experience life one mile at a time.

bio

Author Biography

I'm a US Army veteran, basketball enthusiast, family man, and the author of Forty to Finish, the sequel to the #1 New Release, Suit to Saddle, stories of my cycling adventures across the country. After a seven-year stint serving in the US Army and a twenty-eight-year career in the pharmaceutical industry, I stepped away from corporate life to cycle into the heart of America. I enjoy sharing my story with others, reading, spending time with my family in New Jersey or vacationing at our cabin on Torch Lake, Michigan.

A wise man once said, "If you dig it, do it. If you dig it a lot, do it twice."-Jim Croce.

So that's what I did.

website

Author Insight

Wisdom and Inspiration

"What was your tipping point?" "My daughters," I replied to Rob's question what motivated me to ride my bike across America. At the Jersey shore on July 5, 2018, I asked Tara and Jaclyn how they felt about dad cycling across the country. "Dad, YOLO!" they replied in unison, revealing wisdom beyond their years. The rest is history. Our Zoom video call continued. I recapped Lael's story when Rob, We Get Outdoors, wanted to know what inspired me to enter the Trans Am Bike Race six months after returning from the Southern Tier ride. His eyes widened as he gleefully shared, "I interviewed Lael about two weeks ago!" The notion that Rob from South Africa and I from New Jersey uncovered Lael's gripping story for inspiration in a world of over five billion people struck me as fantastical. Young in years but old in wisdom, my daughters helped me see my North Star. And Lael's story of true grit and determination inspired me to test my mettle.

Book Excerpt

Suit to Saddle

In March 2019, I watched a YouTube video of the 2016 TABR. Lael Wilcox overtook Steffan Streich on the last day of the 4,200-mile race, to win. She completed it in a little over eighteen days, the second-fastest time on record. Streich was leading with 130 miles to go. On the final morning, he started riding in the wrong direction, the effect of sleep deprivation. He realized his error when he met Wilcox in Bumpass, Virginia, cycling in the opposite direction. They rode together for a brief time, and Streich suggested they ride to the finish together. Reportedly, Wilcox responded, “This is a race,” and sprinted the last 130 miles to become the first woman to win a major ultra-distance backpacking race, beating Streich by two hours.43

I pondered what it would feel like to race across America just like Lael did.

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Larry Walsh

Suit to Saddle

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Wisdom and Inspiration

Book Excerpt

Suit to Saddle

Comment on this Bubble