Psychling (1981)

[Music] Big smile. Congratulate your son. That's great. Wonderful. >> Thanks very much. >> John Marino has a goal to ride a bicycle across the United States in less than 13 days and set a new world record. >> Good luck, John. >> Thank you. >> I must have lied awake all night. >> You're not forgetting any clothes or food or >> just like a mother. >> It's okay. John must average 250 miles a day. >> Almost ready. >> Roughly the distance between New York City and Washington DC. >> He will live on his bike. >> Riding at least 18 hours every day. >> I'm leaving. >> John Marino is 31. Only 10 years ago, as a result of a serious accident, doctors said he would never compete again in any sport. [Applause] New York [Music] all my life, I've wanted to be a professional athlete. In 1968, my dream came true. I was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. So, to stay in shape and to build up strength, I started to lift weights. At times, I tend to be a little stubborn and I tried to lift too much. Suddenly, my back exploded with pain. It was as if a gunshot had gone off in the weight room. Everybody heard it. Uh, I had actually compressed my lower lumbar vertebrae in my back. And uh that caused excruciating pain for about the next five years. I I wasn't getting any better. I felt very down, very depressed. I had no more goals. My athletic career was ruined. One day, I got on a bike. I just had to get some exercise. It felt so good to ride because my back didn't hurt. For the first time, I could do something physically and not be in pain. And this was this was this was a revelation in my life. So I established goals for myself. I started to ride different distances and use the bicycle as my avenue to success and uh decided to set the ultimate goal, the ultimate challenge and that was to ride across America. And uh it's just something I had to do. >> In 1978, John rode coast to coast in 13 days, 1 hour, and 20 minutes and set the world record. The next year he tried again, but seven days of torrential rain destroyed his effort. Only 60 m from his goal, John fell exhausted and was hospitalized. [Music] The beginning is always rough. It's kind of like the flight of an airplane. An airplane will use more fuel in the takeoff than it'll ever again need on the entire flight. Palm Springs Weather Watch calls for 118° temperatures today. It's the hottest June 16th in 26 years. [Music] [Music] How you doing, John? You going to make it? >> I don't know. I'm burning up. You got to fry. Let's get his shoes off. Get out the ice. We got to cool him down a little bit. >> Towel for his face. >> It's in the freezer. >> 2014 over 72. >> Catch his pulse. >> 88. >> 88. Is >> this helping? Yeah. According to the UCLA Medical Center, if Jon is successful, he will expend enough energy to run 43 consecutive marathons, swim the English Channel 18 straight times, times or do nearly 1 million push-ups in a row. John's body, however, is no better than any other endurance athlete. His achievement must spring from his mental discipline, his will to win. >> He just wipes you out. Look at this from the heat. >> Well, you looking forward to a good night's sleep or not? >> Yeah, I get 3 hours tonight. >> Wrong again. Two and a half. >> 5:45 a.m. John wakes up. His body is stiff with pain. >> Um, >> there's just no way around it. Pain hurts. >> You have to learn not to mind. And remember, >> it will be worth a reward down the line. Last year you did not stop at the rest site. You stopped a few miles past Albuquerque, he told me. So you're not 24 head, but on world record time you're 133 miles ahead. Okay, we'll put your stuff on here. [Music] >> John burns 8,000 calories a day. Every 45 minutes, his body must be refueled. >> Chowo time. [Music] >> As John crosses the continent, he will eat enough to feed the average American for over 7 weeks. [Music] It's the hills that get you. The murderous hills where half your body hunches over the handlebars like an angry statue and your legs push like pistons that never stop against 2,930 mi of summer hot road from Santa Monica to New York. At 3:45 last Monday morning, John Marino began a journey again, hoping to break his own record this time, hoping to do it in 12 days. And never on any of his previous journeys, he says, has he felt this good. Charles Shipley, New Mexico News 13. When I see that TV camera, I guess it it stimulates the ham inside of me. Gets my ego going. But ego is a good thing. I think it's a way of getting things done. [Music] This is the third time I've made this trip. I did it the first time, but I failed the second time. I kind of look at failures in a positive way. It's like driving a car down a dead end street. You don't look at this as a failure. This is a positive thing that's just happened. You no longer have to consider the street again. After 1,000 mi, John is on schedule. But in the last 4 days, he's had just 15 hours of sleep. It's starting to take its toll. [Music] [Applause] No. headwinds. You know, I can't help but think back when I was a kid. My dad, he used to build houses. And I used to wonder how he could possibly build a house on a vacant lot. And he would always say to me, "Johnny, by and by, I'll get it built. I'll start with the foundation. I'll build the floor. And by and by, I'll put the roof on. And before you know it, the house will get finished. Kansas. John is halfway there, but the headwinds have slowed him down. In order to break the record, he must cut back on his sleep. >> Bye-bye. Don't forget to feed the cat. >> Have a good day at the office, John. >> Oh, I will. >> Don't work too hard. >> I'm going to probably work overtime tonight. >> Little overtime late at the office. >> A little overtime. >> A lightning start. sailor. >> How do you feel with 4 and 1/2 compared to 6 hours sleep tonight? Is it is a lot better or >> Yeah, it's okay. I feel good. >> Okay. Well, uh if the 4 and 1/2 is sufficient, then we'll keep doing that. If not, we'll go we'll go six. >> Uh it's hard to say. You know, I feel good regardless, but what my muscles feel will remain to be seen. [Music] [Music] As John crosses Kansas, an agonizing pain develops in his back. Despite the best efforts of his crew and the support of local cyclists, the pain persists. [Music] Could this be a recurrence of his old injury? >> I can just hear it crack. >> I can feel it right in there. I can feel it crack. Is that what you're hearing? >> Yeah, that's just all the cartilage and stuff in there. [Music] [Music] Okay, >> thank you very much. >> You're welcome. >> Really appreciate that. >> Pull me out of a bind. >> You may have just helped set a cross country record. >> Yeah, you did. Kansas City weather indicates increasing cloudiness and a 100% chance of precipitation through tomorrow. The National Weather Service tells us heavy rains and thunderstorms are expected. The rain slows Jon down, wears him out. Ironically, it begins on the seventh day, just as it had in 1979. [Music] Okay, here's the thing. Right now, you have 11 and2 hours left on your trip. That's how many hours you have left to go. And out of that 112 hours, he's gone how many miles this morning? >> 103. You have,10 miles to go. Okay, let me just figure that out. You've got to maintain 9.91 mph for the rest of the trip. Okay, >> not counting sleep. >> That's including sleep. And you are maintaining 10.5 right now, which means it'll bring you in under 12 days. [Music] [Music] What's your body feeling like? >> Just weak. Weak. I'm only in second gear. I haven't gotten out of it again. I can tell my strength level by what gear I use. Right. I've been riding in second gear the whole time. Okay. 3 hours sleep that we haven't adjusted to yet or >> I don't know. >> Did you wake up low on energy? Cuz yesterday, remember, you had that 90minute sleep and you were saying how supercharged you felt. >> I don't know. >> This is when it gets the toughest. John has almost no strength left. The crisis has come. I know that the last two years, starting at about this point, has been a push. You know, no sleep against the clock, wondering if you're going to set the record or not. I won't go through that. It's that the worst agony I've ever gone through. And I will not go through that if I don't have to. There's no way I'm going to kill myself. No way. [Music] the morning of the 10th day. John is physically and mentally exhausted. Uh Is the soup ready? >> It's getting ready. >> I'll drink a little bit and then go. >> With 750 m to go, John faces his greatest challenge. 114 mi of grueling mountain roads. [Music] I can I can be you. [Music] After 11 days and 2700 miles, John has overcome every adversary except the clock. Time is running out. >> I don't want to go inside. I just want to get my clothes on and go. So, if I go inside, I'll sit down. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. You want another bar? >> No. >> Leg warmers. >> Leg warmers. >> How come you don't look tired? >> Because by not looking beat up, you don't feel beat up. Feel if you look beat up, then you'll feel it. So, that's why I'm shaving. >> That's why I'm showering. And >> I'm trying to my best not to look tired. Aren't you keeping your body from getting tired? >> It doesn't. If you as long as you think that, it just won't just will not get tired. You know, it won't. It's like fatigue is a disease and I don't want it. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] Heat. We go. [Applause] My god. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Okay, John. We've got 12 days, 3 hours, and 31 minutes. >> That's official, John. Congratulations. >> Well, after you go through something like this, what's next? Oh, right now. I will not do this again. [Music] Oh, heat n Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music]