In with the boys...

I just finished 125 miles last weekend and did a quick 16 miles on Wednesday to get my speed up. All was good 'till my gears slipped again. The bike issue is not resolved and Specialized is sending yet another replacement part. This time they want to replace the entire crank. That's not good enough for me. They need to do better.

I worked this entire season for last weekend and my time, performance and pleasure was compromised by mechanical failure. And it was compromised on the century I did a couple weeks ago. Uncool. I paid for a high level precision machine, I should have a high level precision machine, not something that needs to go back to the shop each time I ride it. This will be the third set of rings on this bike... I have no confidence in this gearset. Replacing it again is unacceptable.

End of rant.

I went out this morning a bit later than usual.
I had a 3-5 minute head start on the guys.
My gears spun a bit early on but I got my speed back up and wasn't going to let it throw the whole ride. I was pushing it faster than usual. I really wanted to be on the hill with the guys and the late start was not going to let that happen. I pushed it so well that they didn't catch up until around the S-curve. I saw them coming. Damn! I pushed up my speed some more.

The lead man... "Hey Sandie" Another one, "How "ya doing?" another "Hey" then "Sandie"... My gosh, the guys can talk!! I think I heard at least six of them acknowledge me. Wow!! What's up with that?

They did pass me, but they seemed slower than usual. Off they went on the loop and I headed for the hill.

Right at the base of the incline I felt it, and heard voices tell me that today wasn't going to be the day, that I would end up walking it, that the strain from last week's 125 was showing up now. I shut them out. I hunkered down, watched my problem areas in the gears, kept my thoughts on the rhythm and the breath and kept my eyes four or five feet ahead on the road.

Something happened while I was away last weekend... somehow, they took a whole hunk out of that hill. It was smaller!! I didn't walk it. I dammned near rocked it!! I was at the top! I had a smile as wide as the road. This feels great!

One of the guys that got a late start climbed the opposite side of the hill for punishment. We met up at the top and hovered, waiting for the pack. It seemed a real long time. The other guy commented, "Where are they?" I started to get concerned, then the first helmet... and then the pack.

I'm here. I'm ready. They start to roll. Not losing me this time. I'm in the back of the middle. I go outside. they're too far out, I'm on the yellow line. Holding it back... not yet... waiting... the first incline, a bit more speed. I catch up with the front four. The real incline. I pass three and it's me and the lead guy. I'm a bit back and start to up the speed, he responds in kind. We're going at it and I start to just edge ahead, millimeters then half an inch then I know I've got it.
I turn to him and say "This one's mine." And I turned it on.

I flew down that hill. I ate it up. Inside, I screamed triumphant. My best performance yet, and I led the pack.

They caught up quickly at the bottom.
I turned to the lead guy, this time on my left and said "The rest is yours."

As he passed, Tony said "Good work." A few other voices pass but I don't hear the words...
Suddenly, the air is somehow sweeter... I breathe it in deep. Man, this is good!
The boys are not too far out of reach, but I'm not going to be able to catch them and keep up, I let them go.

Then the rain comes.
Fine, like the burst of mist from popping the cork on a bottle of champagne. It smells sweet, it feels sweeter. I lift my face to it and drink it up.

Yea, I'm still smiling.
Later, I'll go to the shop and bring Tony a sample of one of the fuels I experimented with, the honey and protein mix. I don't use it anymore. Now I use more pure protein, I cut the honey and the carbs. He can't believe I've done my rides fueling on protein or that I have any power at all while avoiding the number one source of fuel for almost every athlete. Carbs. Sugar. Pasta. I don't touch any of them. He asks if it affects my performance. I can't answer that because I never rode when I ate carbs. I'd like him to take the challenge and see what happens if he cuts them out of his diet. I'll see if he'll give it a test.

And I'll ask the question...
I want to know that the boys didn't give that run to me.
I want to know that I took it fair and square.


Edited 9/24
When I asked him, Tony looked at me square in the eye and said, "Nobody gives anybody anything out there."
....They couldn't even get a draft off me. :-)

The ride we've all been waiting for....

Friday night, I opted to stay home and get packed and in bed early. Of course, early is a subjective term and at 11:30 pm I went to bed early. I woke a bunch of times and listened to the rain. I hit the snooze button once, twice... the next thing I knew it was 6:30. Damn! I should be on the road! Quick shower quick eggs quick protein drink and out the door.

When I got on site, It was controlled madness with a sprinkling of light rain. Got my packet, got my numbers, had the Wayne police pin my numbers on...it was nice to have the home team on board! I didn't do too badly getting all my gear stowed and my bike packed and I went out at 8:15am. I had the road to myself for a little bit as the rain fell gently. I was glad I took the time to put my under-armour shirt on in the car... it helped cut the chill from the cool morning air and the breeze on damp skin. It rained lightly for a while then a bit heavier before it broke and the sun came out. Then, it got hot. By the first rest stop I couldn't wait to get the long bike pants and shirt off. I waited 15min to use the porta-john to change and quickly hit the road again.

The stop was pretty early @ 10 miles, so I didn't need anything. I've been battling with slow starts all season, taking time to really get moving, and I felt it a little today, but not as bad as usual. I think dropping caffeine and most carbs from my diet was finally making a positive impact. And taking off the hot, long, black stuff didn't hurt either. I found a bit more energy.

Then the hills... I certainly was draggin' my wagon again. The first couple of challenges, I couldn't have done without using Eric's head. Eric is a friend I interviewed on our show a few years back. He and Dan Navarro(Dan has a voice that melts me to the core) make up the awesome musical group, Lowen & Navarro(check 'em out, you'll be glad you did! http://lownav.com/) Eric was diagnosed with ALS a few years back and has been an inspiration to me with his determination and drive in the face of his mountains... he's part of the reason I got on a bike in the first place... Comparing my trials as miniscule to his daily struggles has given me the strength to go up many hills I otherwise would have bailed on. Yes, our challenges are different, but refusal to give up when the going gets tougher than tough is a common bond between those that struggle to navigate walls thrown in their path.

As the morning went on and the further along I went, the better and stronger I felt. And on the third stop, the lunch stop, I chose to breeze through and hit the power loop. The power loop would come back to this rest stop in 21 miles. Surely, I could do that. And then there was this ridiculous hill. It just wouldn't end! Somehow, it didn't seem as steep as the monster I climbed for the century, but it beat me up, just the same. my gears choked on me and I walked up it a bit. I was trying to ignore the conversation in my head on whether or not I should turn around.

Then... the view!!! You couldn't get more pituresque if you imagined it yourself! It was like coming through the canopy of a rain forest and seeing whispy clouds brushing the tips of mounds of foliage covered mountains and then, the downhill, whooo hooo!!!! Speed a-plenty! It was so glorious I even touched the brakes a bit on this one as it curved down the mountain!(God, I certainly don't want to climb up this one) After it leveled off, the road shoved a bit to the left and went over an open grate metal bridge. The bridge was pretty rough and then a curve and gravel and grit on the road... a recipe for disaster!

I saw a rider off the bike and called out, "Are you okay?" as I passed. I was still going at a pretty good clip but I hit the brakes and turned around because something wasn't right about her standing there. I came around and saw. She got thrown after the bridge and had road rash in a number of places. Her upper thigh was swollen and raw like she rolled in paint. She wouldn't admit much, but she was really hurting. She said she had called and was waiting for the SAG and that I should continue my ride, but I stopped 'cause you don't leave a downed rider alone. I told her I'd wait with her. She was in front of a deli in the middle of nowhere and she didn't go in to get ice or water for fear of missing the wagon! In fact, she had waited an hour already and her cell phone was now dead. I called SAG... they had been looking for her but didn't know she was on the power loop.

I got ice from the deli for her leg. As we waited, we chatted a bit. She did this route often and was training for a race in two weeks. She projected that her chances of that bid was over, she's a Physical therapist and felt she tore her calf muscle. We were both glad I stopped. We waited another 20 min for the ride. By then, I decided I'd best ride SAG back to the previous rest stop. No sense continuing the power loop at this point, it was safer to save some of myself for the next day.

Back at the stop, I filled my bottles with water, added my powder, choked down some of my goo(my recipe was too thick this time) and off I went. The rest of the day was good and enjoyable. Towards the end of the ride I spent a bunch of time jockeying with a kid. He was somewhere between 11 and 14 and he was fast and good. We clipped along at @ 23MPH together and chatted a bit. I told him he was good and asked him if he was thinking about going into racing. He said he already is, then I noticed his shorts and jersey. Something about a racing team... yea and he was hanging with someone old enough to be his mom! As we made the last turn and headed up to the hotel, we made tentative plans to look for each other on Sunday.

In in just under 6 hours, Including the power loop and SAG. My ride time was just over four hours putting my avg speed @15 MPH Bunches faster than last year. At the hotel, the beer was good, the food was good, I met a rider in the lobby with a case that looked suspiciously like a guitar case. We exchanged brief bio's and made plans to meet later.

Later, I walk into the room and am greeted with... "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a set of strings, would you?" "You're kidding!" He just broke his A string at the ball end. "All I have is my bike tool." I went to get it and returned to witness the most amazingly whacked out method of dealing with a broken string. He twisted the end around the ball(I think) jammed the bridge pin in and it didn't want to go. So, he took the bike tool and began to pound the pin into the bridge. I was aghast!! Then, he let one of his bandmate's girlfriends pound it a bit! It was the most painfully horrific experience. Like fingernails on a chalkboard mingled with witnessing a gruesome carnage that you just stare at with amazement cause you can't turn away(This man will never touch any of my Taylors).

To beat all, it worked!!! He didn't crack anything and though his strings were neatly trimmed he had just enough left to grab and hold in the tuning pin. We played and had a great time. His bandmates were all there and they sounded pretty darned good. What a great bunch of people on this tour! After a bit we hit the bar for a drink.

Coming into the bar, I passed a man who must have come from the pool for a drink as he was sitting with his tiger striped speedos well exposed. He kindly invited me to have a seat. Stunned speechless, I stuck close with my group. Speedo man kept trying to work his magic on unsuspectingladies. We had a great time, then it was 1:15!!! What??? wake-up calls at 6am... I got another offer from speedo man on the way out to which I replied, "Nice, but I've seen better." and "You must be so proud." I got him good on that one... his buddies got all choked up. ;-)

Well, if you've made it this far and realized I've only skimmed the surface of this experience and want to mark your calendar for next year's tour... sept 13-14. You'll have a hell of a good time too. I promise. For the strong, and those that have too much free time, let's get to Sunday.

Sunday

6:30 am, not too restful a sleep, but happy anyway. I made my drink mixes and protein shake, downed a 33oz bottle of water and headed to the dreaded buffet breakfast. It was worse than I imagined. I'm a two eggs over light kind of girl and the lumps of tasteless blobs of yellow tinged clumps of rubbery blech they passed off as eggs.. I honestly couldn't swallow. There was nothing else I could stomach either. I was so glad I brought soymilk and my mix, that was all I had for fuel.

I grabbed my bike. Rear tire flat. Damn! Tech was out back and adjusted my gears a bit since the chain jumped off on Sat, but he had no tubes. The next tech team arrived with tubes and found a metal shaving in my tire. My first flat, better here than on the road. He fixed the flat and did more tune-ups on the brakes, spokes and gears.

40 min after the start of the ride, I headed out. We were warned very strongly that if we missed the 8am start, we would be automatically SAGged to the first rest stop. No way in hell I was getting SAGged... I rode out. At the first stop I jumped off the bike, stripped off the long pants(I had the shorts under), stowed them in my pack and headed out again.

I hit the downhill speedway that was the highlight of my tour last year and wound up riding pretty tight with a lone guy from another team. We sparred and chatted and had a most pleasurable run, passing bunches of people. And the hill that got me last year... I climbed it. Although, slower than the muscle man I was riding with, I did it and rode with him again later till the next stop. I breezed past it, intent on making up time. Within 2 miles of the third stop, I ran out of steam. I hadn't paid attention to hydration and was about 30oz behind, My speed was way down. I was out of fuel. When two guys passed and said it was less than 8 tenths of a mile to the stop, instantly, I got a burst of energy.

Tuna... I could eat and tossed the bread, restocked fluids and poured my last protein mix into a bottle of water and downed it. I got out within 20 min and felt the difference pretty quickly. Then came the hills. One was listed on the cue sheet as a BAD hill. If they admit it, you know you got trouble!! First incline, accomplished, a quick downhill a sharp left and a quick shift for the next climb and the chain popped. DAMN!!! I was in a good gear and it still jumped! By this time I've had enough experience on the bike(nearing 300 miles) that I've figured out when I'm right and when I'm wrong. Tired and not thinking, I have shifted wrong a few times but this was clean and it jammed.

Fortunately, it was at the base of the huge incline so I was able to spin it into gear, get on and attack the hill. It was long and brutal. I used the voices to keep me going. One of the most instrumental was Tony from the shop. He's a great guy and a pleasure to chat with, I've got a few good tips and observations from him. I replayed him saying, "I wish some of the new guys could watch and learn a few things from you. You sit solid in the saddle and don't bounce around. You've got a good clean rhythm. Your music background must really make a difference even if it's sub-conscious.", "We're all hurting out there. If you think we're not, you're dead wrong." and "If you can move at the end of the ride, you didn't work hard enough." His voice helped me up a bunch of hills.

I had gone to the shop on Friday since I was feeling a bit nervy and was really looking to chat with Tony for a bit of encouragement, but he wasn't there. I have done all of this training on my own and figured it out as I went along. It feels natural to me and most of the things I've learned alone are right on, but there's a wealth of things you can get from more experienced riders that can make all the difference. I wanted to hear more things I was doing right.

Tony wasn't there but Rob helped me. I asked him to pump my tires to max. Good thing I did, Rob showed me how to work the valves... on these racing tires you have to unscrew the brass threaded cap under the black cap to open the valve. I'd have pumped forever and got nowhere. So, I admitted to Rob that I came in for air and a bit of coddling. He smirked a bit at the honesty and said "You just banged out a century. This will be nothing for you." Ka-ching! Once again, I got just what I needed. In fact, I had a bit of trepidation before doing my last ride. And it was Rob's voice saying "You're an experieced rider." and "62 miles is well within your capabilities." that helped fuel my brain for the century. Ya' know, he isn't much of a talker, but he's supportive and non-judgemental, and his few words have always been the right ones.

It's funny, I compose a lot in the car and work things out in my head and memorize and try new harmonies and make plans, but on the bike, it's a more single thought process. It's all about the body and the breath and the smooth transition of gears and feeling the road and the slight increased pressure on a climb that signals the need to shift to keep the rhythm of the strokes and the breath. It's really basic. And in the end, it's cleansing. That's why I love it so much. It's time for me when I can only think about the basic me. There is no room for anything else.

In the swamp on the later legs of the last day when I had a long stretch to settle into a great rhythm and good consistant speed, the thought process was, "Breathe, 2,3,4,exhale, exhale, Breathe, 2,3,4,exhale, exhale..." and it made all the differencein the world. It translated into all power.

Yes, there was the sore saddle. I've come to the determination that there are no kind bike shorts. Maybe that's why Lance Armstrong endorses this stuff they sell in the shop called "Butt Cream". I'll have to check into it...

The finish line. It caught me by suprise. Already? No, no power loop today, I'm satisfied. This year I'm in early enough to be greeted by crowds and cheerleaders and the paparazzi... well not the paparazzi, but the rest of it is true! There was food and a wait for a massage and a chat with some other cyclists. 600 people rode and I didn't meet a stinker in the lot. (though Speedo man could have tipped that way if he wasn't knocked down a few) All great people.

When it all comes down to it, these guys and gals are out there to challenge themselves and have a good time but the main reason is compassion. They want to give what they can to people who are afflicted by a senseless disease. I am honored and lucky as heck to be among them and fight the fight with them for all the afflicted people. I may be a tad closer to it, cause in the end, (hopefully later rather than sooner) I may need it too.

Today, I rode with the words on my back, "IN HONOR OF PAT, LEE, BARBARA and ME!!"
Next year, I want to ride with a special group of people. I want to make my own team of challengers. We'll have our own snazzy Jerseys that will bond us as people who may have challenges, but they don't have us. My son wants to ride. I found out Friday, he's facing another surgery for a benign bone tumor, and unfortunately, my daughter is too. We have challenges, but they don't have us.

Join us. Donate if you can, I have 3 more weeks to collect and your gift can make all the difference.

It's all said and done. I feel great. 125 miles and I'm not in pain(except where the massage therapist rubbed too hard).
The scale... I burned over 4,000 additional calories by riding this weekend and I gained two pounds. I'll look at the bright side... It means I hydrated well and maybe it is all muscle anyway... ;-)

Thanks for your love and support.
I'm forever grateful,
Sandie

It takes the first push to get the ball rolling, takes the first puff to start the wind blowing, takes It takes the first drop to form the mighty seas... S Reilly

It's almost here!!!!!

It's Thursday night.

Less than 31 hours till check-in.
Less than 32 hours until my heart races and the adrenaline pumps and a cascade of near a thousand shoes clip into pedals and the gentle crunch of wheels grinding sand into the pavement as we roll out. The chaos of the check-in melts and the chatter of riders yields to the chatter of shifting gears while riders find their position... slowly, we're off. I can picture the first long curve as we head out of the lot. It comes around to the left. I'll be out on the inside waiting for the pack to stretch and thin out till the break where I find my rhythm. Fast enough to get the stretch going and the blood circulating and the breath remembering how to go deep for efficiency.

I'll adjust my rhythm to control the adrenaline rush that will want me to race like a thoroughbred but would spend me just as quickly. No, we're in for the long haul on this one. Sure and steady and strong throughout, that's the way to go. My breath will be even and smooth and from the saddle, vocal training will afford me an advantage here. Later I'll sprint, much later, when everyone else is spent and my power just begins to surface.

I go over all this in my mind. If I set the stage, I can control the action and I can master this ride.
I have my time goals, my hill strategy and my rest stop critera. I'll skip the first rest for sure, so don't look for me there, I won't need anything yet. I am armed with the voices of many supporters and I'll pull those words out as I need them in the challenges. I'll let them whisper to me in the wind past my ear. I'll do fine, I'll do fabulously, I'll have the time of my life.

You'll be with me.
Call me if you can. If I can't answer, leave voicemail that I can get when I need your encouragement most.
Check out the route(link on the right) cheer as we pass. Ride along for a while if you can, but if you do, be very careful and WEAR YOUR HELMET!!!! Sponsor me if you can for as much or as little as you can, it all counts and it's all good.

I had my jitters on Monday and Tuesday when it was raining and I couldn't ride and the energy just had to get out, but I am okay today. I'm nearly packed, I have my supplements ready and I'm confident in my choice of fuel. I am really looking forward to this. I've waited a year, trained nearly four months and met every goal I set for myself so far. I'm prepared.

I'll keep you in mind and try to remember the best parts to share with you, and I'll write you when I can.

Namaste,

Sandie

Ethics, morality and compassion

I handed out a letter to neighbors and others to let them know about the bike tour.
I gave them info so they could support me if they wished.

One of them responded that they cheered my efforts but could not support the cause since some funds were appropriated to embryonic stem cell research. Being unaware and not real comfortable with this, I had to do some soul searching. I have since researched and found that you can donate with the stipulation that your funds do not go to such research and I have decided to make that request when I hand in all of my pledges from all of you. If you disagree, please let me know and I'll exclude your pledge from that stipulation.

I decided to let you all in on the note since it delves deeper into my motivations. Being so focused on the muscle end of this event, I hadn't spent much time with that and I think it's important for you to know.

I've removed names for privacy(I'm not sure they'd care) but the recipient is someone I respect highly who is also an activist for stopping embryonic stem cell research and encouraging adult stem cell research which may have greater success without the moral and ethical implications of destroying life.


Hi,

Thanks so much for your note.
I am pleased that you spent the time to read it and
even research the research methods. I must say I was
unaware of the embryonic research and I agree that
it's wrong to destroy human life to save human life.

I totally understand and appreciate your position and
hope that adult stem cell success will quickly
over-run ebryonic research. I hope that you will keep
fighting for that end.

Supporting something I don't believe in lumped in with
what I do believe in is a difficult thing, but I
believe the money I raise goes locally to help support
MS patients. I have seen their programs and seen what
they offer to patients.

It wasn't always so. In 1987, when I was diagnosed,
there was nothing for me. No support. No advice.
Just a bunch of "I don't know"s handed to me by my
team of doctors. I was a young college kid released
from the hospital with terribly uncooperative body and
a virtual good luck kiss. I desperately needed someone to
tell me there was life after diagnosis but I only got
silence.

I spent many years going through the motions of life
but not fully living because the "doom" was always in
the back of my mind. Symptoms would come and go over
the years and after the birth of my first child I saw
my Dr. with a "mild" exacerbation. He identified it
and said it was to be expected but was really "no big
deal".

I continued with doubt and confusion and few answers
until my latest exacerbation in March 2006. Then, I
got the info and the answers I was looking for. I
realized there could be life after diagnosis, mostly,
because I had lived it. Today there is information
that is accessible, there are support groups and
people that live out of the closet. Back then, there
was nothing for someone who wasn't sick enough.

I have been unbelievably lucky and I am unbelievably
grateful that, so far, I have MS in such a mild form.
But, I would have appreciated knowing all posibilities
back then. I would have appreciated meeting someone
with MS(instead of just hearing about some friend or
twice removed relative in Arizona). My first known
encounter with an MS patient was just a year and a
half ago! She's 60-ish, uses a cane and was diagnosed
just 7 yrs ago. Last year, I met a man with MS at the
Folk Project. He uses a wheelchair for mobility. He
is vastly different from me in his affliction, but I
feel like he's family. Finally, I have people like
me!

And that's truly why I am riding. I'm riding for
people I care about, because it could be me in that
chair... I ride to celebrate the fact that I can ride
and I can stand and I can play guitar and chase kids
and help run a music society and I can do anything I
choose to do. And now, I also do it because I have a
bunch of people who are following my blog and cheering
and living vicariously through what I'm doing and
little by little they are getting the strength to
conquer their own mountains... 'cause if I can conquer
mine....

Most of all, I'm doing it so some college kid who gets
handed a diagnosis of MS can take her wobbly life by
the reigns and live with hope and possibility.

Thank you for making me aware of the research. Thank
you especially for opening this conversation which has
helped me get my thoughts in order and find my
position. I hope your friends are getting the support
they need. If not, please point them to the Bergen
chapter, or to me and I'll happily get them there.

I admire your work and especially, your
teaching methods. You teach like I do, with love and
encouragement and support. I believe that those three
things can change the world.

Fondly,

Sandie Reilly

The Backpack Blues

What? You think I have the blues? Not a chance!
The kids head off to school tomorrow, RAH! RAH! RAH!

I am released from 90 days hardly labor! It really wasn't labor hanging on the beach and traveling, but it wasn't all fun either. I am literally exhausted from 3 months of negotiating, explaning, boundry setting, rule enforcement, dietary policing, stop antagonizing, quit hitting, no fighting, would you two please just knock it off-ing!!

I may just kiss the road the bus travels upon. I'll surely embrace the marching band teachers who insist on keeping my eldest a few hours after school. And for the girl scout leaders... showers of flowers.

I'm going for a ride!!!

Well, my new bike had a one in a thousand defect and is back in the shop. Rob was really great and explained it just so to the manufacturer and my new gear rings are on their way ASAP. I really am hoping I have no further trouble, cause it's cost a bit of love for the bike, cost a bit of skin and some blood when the chain popped off and I fell. I started balking at hills unsure if the bike was going to be with me or not. That's poison in the brain, man. You can't conquer a hill if you think you can't. You can't do anything if you know you're going to fail. You psyche yourself out. And you definitely hesitate attempting when the chances are good you'll pop the chain, loose momentum and end up sprawled on the pavement with your feet attached to a way-too-expensive-for-problems bicycle.

I'm confident the shop will take care of me, but for at least a couple days, it's back to riding the way-too-heavy mountain bike.

As soon as I drop the kids off at school, I'm going to meet a riding group in Glen Ridge that goes out at 9:30. It shoud be significantly easier to keep up with than the guys are, so the mountain bike shouldn't be too much of a handicap.

Good News!!!
More than a few of you have said you were encouraged to dust off your bike and start to ride again. And somebody asked if they could ride with me. I am honored. In fact, I decided to start a group route in the Morris Plains and/or Pompton Lakes area on fairly level ground at a beginner's pace and duration. So this is YOUR chance. Stop waiting for the perfect time... it's here!

Tell me what your preference is and let's get rolling! You will thank yourself over and over and over again!!!
Write me at Sandie@SandieReilly.com

I'll leave you with a note from a friend in from Maryland. He's a Singer/Songwiter/blues guitarist who I met and had the pleasure of playing with in Ocean City, MD. It was a once in a lifetime chance meeting where our guitars were attracted to one another(both being Taylor's, ya' know) and everything else followed. We were instant friends and mutual admirers. So cool. So profound. He made me smile with this one.

"Way to go Sandie !
One day s.one will write a song about this event.

Oh,oh,oh Sandie there ain't no mountain you can't climb
oh,oh,oh dear Sandie where there's a challenge you'll not hide
Many would have fallen, just not tough enough
Now you'll be a legend when your children are all grown up
Oh ,oh ,oh Sandie

Congratulations Sandie !
Your one of my heros."

And Mike, you're one of mine! :-)

Remember when...

An image for you...

Pooh drops in on Rabbit around lunch time. Rabbit, being polite to a fault, invites Pooh to lunch and Pooh being hungry to a fault, eats and eats until each of Rabbit's pots is emptied of honey. A sitcky, full and bloated Pooh leaves through the door he came in. Only, he gets stuck and hopelessly lodged. Nothing can budge him. So Pooh is stuck half in and half out of Rabbit's house for what seems an eternity until he loses weight. Poor Rabbit has to deal with the constant companionship of the south end of Pooh in his living room.

One day, when he is resolved that Pooh will never be unstuck, he leans against Pooh's rear and it moves.
"He Booged, he big, he bugged, He BUDGED!!" springs Rabbit, joyously.

That's the mental picture I got when my scale registered 2lbs less. After three months, could I have tapped into my metabolic wiring? I don't know, but gosh, it would only be fair!


This week was a bit of a roller coaster after I completed the Century. Though I was thrilled that I went so far, the backlash was, I felt like I exceeded my goal a month ahead of schedule. It was actually a bit of a let down. Having met the high mark, I felt that you might loose interest in what I was trying to do and it would be just me alone on the bike again.

Do you know that I take you on each ride with me? When I'm alone and things get tough, I hear your words of encouragement and support. When something funny hapens, I think of you laughing like you tell me you do when you read of the adventure. I think of just how I'm going to say it to you. When I'm having trouble, I think of your personal struggles and triumphs that you've shared with me and it all gives me fuel to go on. The idea of having you lose interest in our journey is scary.

You see, I go out each Saturday to ride with a bunch of guys who are way, way beyond my reach(Boy, I've heard that before!). I do a bunch of calculations on my speed and timing to judge where I'll meet up with them. I try to use it to my advantage to get me in with the pack at my strongest, for the longest I can. I'm hoping to work my way up to them, but feel I may have to die and be reborn a skinny guy to do it. At times, I'm tempted by Larry's offer for a Harley Davidson hybrid to blow 'em away in style;-) (Not really, but he makes me smile anyway.) It is each of you who are in my pack each time I go out. You're the ones who are with me on each turn, up each hill and flying down the other side, and I need you.

So, this week I was suprisingly unscathed from last week's ride. On Monday, my legs were slightly sore in one area and on Tuesday my forearms were tight and sore and my fingers were feeling it from the shifting and gripping but I didn't even need Advil(and no numbness, Yea!). I really expected to pay for it a bunch more but since I didn't, I think I probably just didn't work hard enough! :-) (And Jay, since you asked, suffice it to say that the bike shorts definitely have to go. I'm searching for kinder ones.)

And, that brings me back to my goal for September, to do it faster and better than before. Okay, so the goal hasn't changed.

Now, the answer to the burning question from two weeks ago, drum roll please... Chew me up and spit me out!

Yep, they certainly did. One guy said "How ya' do'in" as we waited at the top of the hill for the pack(they're getting friendlier about it). They never clipped out, never stopped. Someone said, "Ready, Let's go!" I rode downhill in the rear but they were already a flash, and I roared within 2 lengths of them. Then the two guys in the rear glanced back and saw me.

There was a quick spark. (Was it fear in their eyes or the sun on their glasses?) Then, like gazelles bounding from the clench of a racing lion, they stood in their pedals and stepped up the pace of the whole pack.

This time, Lion goes home hungry.
But there will be a next time....