Jamie calls in with some final thoughts

Hello, this is Jamie Thomson. I finished the race a couple days ago. I needed a couple days to let everything settle in. My final thoughts are...you know, I started the race on the first day and I talked to Matthew Lee, that was the last time I saw him (laughing), but he said his big goal was to open up (share) this experience to a lot of people and I think he and everyone who has worked on the website and every other component of this amazing event really has done that. I take my hat off to you guys. This is an amazing thing...and the work that they did was really cool because what it's done is it's opened up the experience to people all over the world. And the ripple effects of the goodwill that has come out of this race will go on forever. And so this is some very, very important work that all those people that worked on putting this on; the folks that made the maps, the websites, Matthew, and all the hardcore racers that ended before I did. All those guys have done some amazing things and I appreciate it.

I am trying to think of all the stuff that made a big difference to me that wasn't obvious that other people haven't commented on...and uh, probably the biggest thing is that i came to really appreciate is bicycle tracks...so, if I was riding along on some place that had cemented, two inch track, I would look down on that and know that someone had suffered more than I did...and I remember even going through mud one time in NM and looking back and seeing my own tracks and hoping it made someone else feel good to see those things. The other thing was...coffee in the morning...I read...I think it was Grapes of Wrath. There was this one guy giving advice to another about how to make a meal out of 5c. and what he would do is take coffee in a diner and then slowly, when the waitress's back is turned, would fill it with cream and completely full of sugar and, it's not that i was that poor or anything but it was cool to connect myself with that literature and you never have that opportunity to do that unless you're riding so long that the calories...(cut off).

Hello, this is Jamie Thomson, I got cut off. I'll just finish off by saying, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, a thousand and one thank-yous for putting on this event and thank-you to all the people in Silver City and my family, who are always so supportive, even in the down-turns...but...it was great...I would do this thing...the last day I knew that, if my life allows it, next year that I'll want to do this race again. It was spectacular and I encourage anyone who's considering it to think about do it. It is an amazing thing. Matthew Lee is absolutely right on this stuff, that humans ought to experience 20days or more of this sort of contemplation. I think we would be much better off if everybody took a sabatical and rode their bikes for a month (laughing). Thanks you so much for making this possible. Bye.