Why do I ride?

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

2009-06-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

Team in Training raised 6.8 million dollars for LLS. As a local chapter, we raised almost $55,000. Great job to all the fundraisers and participants. I had a great job training and riding with everyone.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

There is a reason why this bike ride is called "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride". While it was a bit cloudy and rainy when we got there, you could not deny presence that the lake has.

I was stopped the TSA getting my bags checked Friday morning. Seems I missed taking out my CO2 cartridge... OOPS. And, then they were questioning my Hammer Nutrition container with Tuaca. After explaining the situation I was able to pass with my Hammer Nutrition (hee, hee).
Jan and I flew out three hours after everyone else. I was glad when I found out there was lots of turbulence (not a fan) for the group that went out before us. Our bus ride was slow... but when we got to our hotel I was thrilled to see I had a lake side view. We spent Friday night at the Naked Lady sushi place and stayed for a couple of hours just eating and eating.

We were going to go on a short 20 mile ride on Saturday, but the rain gods would have nothing to do with it. It rained, and rained and rained all day. Needless to say we were all concerned that the rain would not stop for Sunday. To sooth my rain anxiety, I shopped. Something I never have a problem doing no matter where I go.

Barb (my roommate) and I got up at 4:00am to get ready on Sunday morning. I had already decided that I was going to ride even if it was still raining. I hadn't come all this way to not ride. We were in luck. It was just a bit cloudy outside and the roads were not too wet. It was chilly though... a cool 30-40 degrees out. Thank goodness for Starbucks downstairs. I'm not sure what I would have done without morning coffee.

For the majority of the day, I rode towards the back of the pack. I knew I was not going to be able to stay with the fast group and did not want to burn myself out too early. I did okay until mile 82. I think I was bonking. Mike M, who rode with me for about 30 miles helped to get me back in good riding condition to finish with the help of Ed of course. I was determined to not get in a car to finish the last 18 miles.

After being out a total of 11 hours, 8.5 hours of riding time I finally finished. Thanks to all my team mates who waited for me. You guys are the best. The ride was great, the scenery was incredible, but the friends I made on this riding journey is invaluable.

Melissa and I walked down to the beach to wade in water before we met everyone for lunch. I think I was born to be near the water because I did not want to leave. I could have stayed there all day soaking up the sun and watching the water.

There are two sets of pictures below. As you are watching them, place your cursor over the picture to read the caption.

XOXO

Lake Tahoe 2009

2009-06-11T13:41:00.001-07:00

flying around the clouds

2009-06-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

For some odd reason, I love clouds. I love the shapes the clouds form, I love the way clouds look like pillows you just want to jump into and most of all I love the peacefulness I feel when looking at clouds. I love to lay out in the backyard and look up in the sky at the clouds with my kids.

And, since I had a birds eye view of the clouds, I had to take advantage of beauty.

flying around the clouds

2009-06-11T10:16:00.001-07:00

Lake Tahoe Here I Come

2009-06-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

Life has been so busy these last few weeks I have not had time to post what has been happening with riding lately. Here is the quick down & dirty. After the Tahoe ride I will catch up with pictures.

~ Long training training rides in the mountains in horrible winds.

~ Training rides cancelled due to bad weather
.
~ Great ride to the Gilman Tunnels in Jemez - 75 miles.

~ Rode the Santa Fe Centruy with friends - 80 miles.

~ Blew off the last 85 mile training ride Memorial weekend to spend it with my family. Saw Night at the Museum.

~ Taper ride on the 30th. Rode 30 miles on my mountain bike to the Range in Bernalillo to have breakfast with the whole team. Guests were able to join us.

~ TNT send off party at the Giudice's. Ate lots of good food, kids swam all night, soaked in the hot tub and was eaten by mosquitos.

~ Starting to pack for the trip. Packing the girls to go spend the weekend with my sister. Frank is free for 5 days.

~ Frank has still not bought me the Nikon D90 I want. I am now asking for the lower model D60.

~ Leave for Lake Tahoe on Friday the 5th and the ride is Sunday the 7th.

I'll be back with awesome pictures (I hope).

XOXO to all.

2009-04-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

Why Do I Ride..
in the horrible wind and not not feeling well?

Meet my beautiful cousins Suzanne and Liz. Our mothers are sisters and both lost their battle with cancer. I ride so we can do a five mile walk because we want to get some exercise, not because we want to wipe out cancer.

Making Strides for Breast Cancer 2009.

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50 miles in the canyon~

The last couple of rides have been in the east mountains. In the rain, wind and fog. I was never a fan of wind, but now that I am on a bike more, I really don't like it. I feel like I am being tested at every turn. I am either riding into a 20mph wind going a whopping 8-10mph, or I feel like I am going to be blown over with a 30-40mph crosswind gust.
Since Lake Tahoe has several climbs, we are training on hills. Our elevation gain is 3000-4000 feet from our starting point. At the end of the rides I am always grossed out by all the dirt that has managed to find its way to my body. Only 5 weeks... can't stop now.

We are always smiling and being nice at the beginning of the ride. You should hear us while we are trying to get to our next rest stop.

My half smile at the end.

I'm smiling because we only have 12 miles to go and most is downhill. :0)

Even if we do have to climb these mountains and we sometimes do not like it, God sure has done a good job with the beauty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The same mountains a week before. Yes it had snowed and it was a bit cooler.

And, The Thunder Rolls

2009-04-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

I love the clouds... the cool breeze...
the rolling thunder... and even the rain.

However, I prefer that these events not happen on a Saturday when we are scheduled to ride 60 miles. For the second week we canceled our team ride due to bad conditions. The wind was fierce and the rain did not let up all day. Only 7 weeks until we go to Lake Tahoe. I am also signed up to ride the Santa Fe Century on May 17^th. We only signed up for 75 miles and do have a SAG to scrape me off the road when I fall over.

Kudos to my friend Cece. She participated in a triathlon on Saturday and cycled 17 miles in the rain. She is a better woman than I. XOXO

Diehard or Dumb?

2009-04-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

There was a time in my life when Saturdays were for sleeping in. I wouldn’t get up until at least 8 (sleeping in for me) and would love having my kids crawl in bed with me so we could watch the latest Bratz cartoon. One of the girls would go get the box of Lucky Charms and we would eat them out of the box in my bed hoping one of the dogs would catch any stray cereal that would fall. We would start our day about 10 or 11 am unless we had a soccer game to go to. How my life has changed in one year. Fast forward…

The wind is howling on Friday night. It is about 9pm and I am getting my food ready for the following morning. PB&J, banana, cheese stick, recovery drinks, water, gels, etc. I take a sleeping pill and I am off to bed. The wind is so bad that my kids are in my room during the night scared because of the noise and the dogs are whimpering not knowing what is going on outside. Morning starts about 6:30 (slept in a bit). Eat an egg omelet (courtesy of my husband) load the car with food and bikes. I kiss my kids goodbye and let them know what time I will be home reminding them of what they need to get done while I am gone… dust, water, clean room and don’t forget to be good for grandpa when he gets there to be with them for the day. (MacKenzie is still asleep while I am talking to her). I am off by 7:50.

It is cold outside, it is terribly windy. I am thinking that while I don’t particularly want to ride in this weather, I will since I missed last week. I need to be strong since everyone else is. The consensus is that the weather is too bad to ride and we will try again on Sunday. Knowing that I will not be able to ride on Sunday I sheepishly ask a couple of other riders if they still want to do a short ride “since we are here”. The only takers are Melissa, Jan, Tom, Frank and me. We started with coffee at Starbucks hoping the winds would die down a bit. They didn’t and we went anyway. We rode 11 miles in 48 minutes averaging 13.5 mph. There were times I was freaking out at the crosswinds. They had to be blowing anywhere from 30-40mph. I was riding behind Melissa and noticed at times that her bike was leaning right while her body was leaning left. While we wanted to do at least 20 miles, we stopped because we felt is was getting dangerous. We did make it back safely.

Home was a welcome sight that morning. I kind of wanted to crawl back in bed and have the girls join me to warm up. Instead, we watched a movie and relaxed. Meanwhile, I am feeling guilty that I didn’t get my miles in and didn’t do any significant climbs. I was hoping the winds would die down so I could do some hills behind my house. The wind gods were having none of it. I ended up taking Bailey to her soccer game watching her play in the same miserable conditions.

Diehard or Dumb? I keep hearing the wind is your friend and it will make you stronger. Today I wanted to revert back to my old life. But, I am hooked to the road and will ride because there is someone out there who is fighting.

Look what the wind blew in. We make is back safely.

Cold ~ Afraid ~ Sad ~ Sick

2009-03-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

COLD ~
Spring Training is no fun. I am having a hard time with the weather. One day it is absolutely beautiful, the next you are pulling out the winter coats. Because I am claustrophobic, wearing several layers of clothing is becoming a problem. I like to ride with a sleeveless top and my camelback. When it is cold outside I end up with 4 shirts on and then a jacket on top of it. As I start riding, I get hot, so I stop at the side of the road and start stripping… then I get cold because I am sweating in the 40 degree weather so I put some clothes back on. I’m hot, I’m cold, I’m hot, I’m cold seems to be my mantra.
On the ride a couple of weekends ago, we were riding in 75 degrees. Needless to say I was hot and had a short sleeve shirt on with no sunscreen. So I am sporting a very attractive farmer tan on my arms. I am definitely looking forward to some consistency with the weather. And, if we can deal with no wind it would be even better. Wind is my other nemesis! 20-30 mph cross winds has been very scary riding down a hill at 20-25 mph.

I never knew how bad wind could be. I am used to sitting at spring soccer games in the wind. But, I usually have a blanket helping to shelter me. Or, I just sit in the car. Riding on a 12 pound bike and trying to keep your balance is a bit tricky. Is it fair to say I would like to be a "fair weather rider"? That probably is unlikely in living in New Mexico.

AFRAID ~
It has been 9 months since my big bike crash. I hadn’t been back to the scene since, call it superstition (which I don’t believe in). We rode out to Zuzax starting from Tramway & Montgomery. There is no way to avoid the Tramway/Central intersection and my mind started doing tricks on me. I was looking for excuses to not go on the ride or to start from a different spot. Well, I have to love Road Mom. I think she purposefully knew I would be freaking out a little, so we did a little detour to the bike path. I ended up walking my bike across the “spot”. It’s amazing how the mind can make or break you. I’m happy to say I can finally put this bike crash incident behind me. While I do not completely agree with the outcome, I will have to live with the decision for three years.

SAD ~
These last couple of weeks has been extremely busy. After the ride on the 14th, I get a text message from my very good friend Chris from Colorado asking if they can stay with us. They had just flown in because Mike’s mom was not doing very well. I would never say no, so when I got home I had everyone doing a quick clean up to see where we were going to have everyone sleep. Five additional people make a huge difference in sleeping arrangements. Unfortunately, Mike’s mom Suzie passed away early Monday morning from non other than CANCER ~ Lymphoma to be exact. My heart sank when I heard the diagnosis. Frank and I took care of their kids while they dealt with family issues. While I loved having them stay with us for a week, I wish it would have been on better terms.

SICK ~
Having three additional kids to take care can really do something to your immune system. I don’t know if I am just run down or what, but I have not been able to be completely healthy. I rode on the 21st with a cold. I was stopping every time I saw the SAG car to blow my nose or just catch my breath. I think having Suzie in the back of my mind kept me going. The ride was to San Isidro - one of my favorites. Only 45 miles? When you are not feeling good 45 miles is a long ride, especially on the climbs coming back. I didn’t ride on the 28th because I woke up with pink eye and was extremely stuffy. I think I have another sinus infection. In general I consider myself a healthy person. While I may not eat the best all the time and I have extra junk in the trunk, I have never had these kind of health obstacles before. All I can say is that I can overcome a cold faster than someone can overcome cancer. So, I will ride and ride and ride so we don’t have to watch friends and family bury their loved ones.

XOXO ~ love to all.

Yeah!! We completed a 35 mile uphill ride to Zuzax.

Frank & I snuck away for a hilly 15 mile ride on Paseo Del Volcan.

Can you see the Star Center in the background. There is a terribly steep hill when you get close to it. I'll have to do it more to get ready for all the climbs in Tahoe.

Are You Afraid?

2009-03-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Courage

is doing

what you are afraid to do.

There can be

no courage

unless you are scared.

Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973)

Updates & A Ride With My Girls...

2009-03-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

I only did 30 miles with the team on 21st of February. And, I didn't ride on the 28th because I have been fighting a painful kidney infection. I will not be riding this Saturday because I am having a yard sale for Tom to help him raise some money.

I also looks like I will need surgery on my ankle. I have always had a week ankle since I tore all my ligaments playing basketball in high school. I will be walking and the ankle will just roll. People think I am clumsy because I will just fall over or lose my balance when my ankle gives a bit too much. Well, I rolled it pretty good before Christmas. I think I would have won on AFV if someone had been video taping. It was about 6:30pm and I went to the curb to bring the trash cans in. My foot got caught in a crack and I ended up on my backside with the trash cans in the middle of the street. It took me a minute to figure out what had happened. Since it was dark outside I saw car lights coming toward me and thought I was going to get run over. When I stood up, I couldn't put any pressure on that foot. When I got back into the house my ankle was the size of a balloon. Being the stubborn person that I am, I did not go to the doctor and have been living with a swollen ankle since that night.

When I was at the doctor for my kidney infection, I finally had them x-ray my ankle. The x-rays revealed that I have a piece of bone floating around in the "swollen" area. And, there is something that looks like a cyst on another part of the ankle bone. I will be fighting going under the knife until after the June 7th ride. We will see what the orthopedic sugeon says.

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On a happier note, I had a "great" ride with the girls. It was Sunday, the weather was beautiful and we needed to get out of the house. Bailey wanted to spend some time with friend so we rode to her house. It was a painful 4 mile ride. We had to stop every block to get a drink, or for Bailey to catch her breath. She was complaining that me and Mack were going to fast. She was complaining that we were in front of her, her helmet was too tight, the hill was too steep. On and on and on. It took us 30 minutes to go 4 miles. Mack and I dropped her off at her friends and headed home. It only took us maybe 10 minutes. We were so mentally exhausted from Bailey that we got huge bowls of ice cream to make us feel better.

A Valentine's Birthday Ride

2009-02-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jan...

She was ambushed with silly string.

We celebrated Jan's birthday on Valentine's Day. All birthdays are special, but how fun to be born on the day Cupid shoots lots of arrows. We planned to ride 53 miles for her 53rd. We tried, but the wind was not our friend. We ended up doing 35 (53 reversed). We ended up at the Range in Bernaillo for lunch and cake (and a couple of drinks) :0) Frank and Tom drove down and met us there. Thank goodness. After filling our bellies the wind would have just blown us over for the ride home. We piled in the warm trucks for the drive home.

Good friends at the Range.

Getting ready to ride in the morning with the group. The first part of the ride was 25 miles on highway 528. The tempreature was in the 30's. Just a bit brisk.

Gina and I were spoiled on Valentine's Day. We both had our special someone to ride with us. My kids were with a friend and Gina's kids were with her mom. Both of us usually try and hurry to finish our ride so we can get home to our kids. Not today, we took our time.

Frank's Valentines present was a new road bike. My mountain bike man finally caved into the road. He said he will never give up the dirt through. I drooled over his bike for two days. I think we should trade.

Looking goofy.

Week 1 ~ The Training Starts

2009-02-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

Happy 6oth Birthday Mom,

My mom would have celebrated her 6oth birthday on February 5th of this year. For those who don’t know much about me, my mom died on St. Patrick’s Day 1987 from breast cancer. She was only 38. It is a strange feeling to know that I have lived past 38 and can’t imagine leaving my kids behind. I still cry for her. While I am not the strongest rider out there, I ride proudly for not only my mom but for everyone who has had to endure cancer in their lives. Come take a journey with me to help cure cancer one peddle stroke at a time.

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Our official Lake Tahoe training began on Saturday 2/7. There was a period of about 3 weeks where I thought I was not going to be able to train with the team. When I signed up to be a mentor, I thought I was automatically in. Well, I wasn’t, I did not get picked initially. I was terribly disappointed. I registered for the Tahoe ride when it opened up in January and started to panic as to how I was going to train on my own. I started checking into other riding groups and thought about just hiring a coach to train with. Well, the good news is that I am in and have 2 mentees and hoping to recruit one more.

We have a wonderful group of people training for this ride. Most everyone who knows me knows that I am usually not shy about introducing myself to new people. So when the opportunity came for me to stick my hand out and say hello, I did. I am super excited to be training with someone who has had cancer and is currently in remission. I will be proud to ride next to him whenever I need motivation. We also have an oncologist and his wife training…super nice people. One of my mentees is riding in honor of her sister who is currently battling cancer. It was also nice seeing some of my old riding buddies. Each of us comes from different backgrounds, but we come together as one to help find a cure.

Jemez Canyon Dam was our destination for our first ride. Only 12 miles round trip… sounds easy until you start climbing. But, we made it. I can already see the cold weather not being my friend. I don’t like riding with lots of layers of clothes (I get claustrophobic). Some pictures below to check out.

My friend Cece. She initially started trianing for Tucson with me, but a car accident took her out of training for awhile. She is back!!

Tom my mentee. He is my good friend Jan's husband. I will be kicking his butt to train hard. He is actually a better rider than me. Will you change my flats?

At the top. Gina, me, Tom and Cece.

The girls are back. Me, Jan and Gina.
We are women, hear us roar.

This is a mountain bike ride we did a couple of weeks earlier. That kicked my butt too. I hadn't been on my mountain bike in 6 years. I forgot how the gears worked.

The boys on the bike ride. Jake the hot trainer, Tom and Frank.

Lake Tahoe here I come...

2009-01-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

And, the training never stops. I have registered for the Lake Tahoe century ride on June 7th. Official TNT training starts on February 7th. I will not be fundraising this time around, instead, I will be a mentor helping cyclists meet their goal.

Yes, I cut my hair again. It should be long by the ride.

I will be training indoors for awhile until it warms up a bit. I think the dogs would rather me take them for a walk rather than ride on the trainer.

I Did It ~ El Tour de Tucson ~ November 22, 2008

2008-12-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

I Did It ~

On November 22nd, 2008 I completed El Tour de Tucson. What an overwhelming experience. I started training for the endurance event in May 2008 when I could only go about 20 miles on a bike. While it took me an epic 10.5 hours to finish 100 miles, I can now say I have completed a century ride.

I want to say thank you to everyone who supported me through this adventure. Part of my training with Team in Training was to raise a minimum of $2900 to support the efforts of the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. Well, thanks to wonderful family and friends I raised over $7200.

The day of the event started out at 4:00am only because I could not sleep. I got up, stretched out and ate my oatmeal and almonds. I had to be at the hotel parking lot by 5:30am to ride down to the starting point with the rest of the team (17 all together). I was taken aback for a moment when we reached the starting point. I was in line with over 7200 other riders. The ride did not start until 7:00am so I had a “little” time to think about what was happening and get even more nervous about starting the ride and not falling. The national anthem was playing and the gun went off at exactly 7:00am. The “professional” line when first and then it was out turn. It was not as bad as I had anticipated. We even went by our hotel and Frank was there cheering us on.

At 8 miles into the ride we had our first dry river crossing where we had to get off the bikes and carry them across the dirt. Once we were back on the road I was having a hard time peddling and I started to panic. I kept thinking that it should not be this hard 13 miles into the ride… Well, the queen of flats had a flat. Thank goodness I have great coaches; Ed came and changed it for me while Road Mom and my sister Heather waited with us. I was a little disheartened though…after he changed my tire we were the last riders on the road. Road Mom kept saying, “don’t worry, we won’t be the last ones at the finish line”.

After that, the ride was great. Our pace was only about 12-16 miles an hour, but the ride was glorious. We did not stop at most of the rest stops, only because we didn’t need to. I met great people along the way especially other Team in Training riders from all over the country. As we would pass each other we would shout out “Go Team” ~ “Go San Diego” ~ “Go New Mexico” etc. All Team in Training participants had state names on the jerseys. We also had icons on our helmets to signify something from our state. Ours, of course, was a red chile.

I hit a wall at 55 miles. I think I was just hot and hungry. I had been living on shot blocks and gels. We finally stopped and ate (we had a wonderful SAG and Frank was there too). When I finally got back on my bike, I looked at my shadow and saw the ribbons I was wearing and remembered why I was doing this. I was wearing ribbons in remembrance of those who had lost their battle with cancer. And, those ribbons got me through the next 45 miles. There were a lot more hills than I thought there were going to be. And, I only had to walk up one of them.
I started in the dark, and I finished in the dark. But, I finished. I had a good cry when I had only 10 miles left and new that I would be finishing. My emotions were everywhere that day, happy, sad, tired, elated, overwhelmed and more. When I checked my phone at the end, I had messages from lots of people who were thinking of me out there.

Once again I want to thank everyone who donated yard sale items, bought jewelry and candles from me and gave money from your heart to a great cause. I exceeded my goal at $3800 and my company matched $3400 making me the largest fundraiser in New Mexico.

I have plans to do it again next year in 8 hours or less. Who’s in with me?

Love to all, XOXO
Chris

The Team in Training pasta party the night before.

Heather and I excited and nervous.

Ready to roll at 5:00am.

7000 of my closest friends waiting with me at the start line.

The first river crossing... there were two of them.

The best cheer leaders along the road.

Do you see me?

The finish line with Ed, Heather and Debbie (Road Mom).

Ed and I.

Debbie and I.

We did it. Me, Heather, Jan and Elizabeth crossing the finish line.

Party Before the Ride

2008-11-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

I had my company name put on the bottom of my jersey since they donated $3434.00. I also had a dragonfly embroidered on the shoulder.

Friday the 14th, we had our "Bash", with all teammates before we leave for our ride on the 20th. The food was awesome, the company was wonderful and the energy high. Our team manager Kirsten distributed our jerseys and I have to say that my emotions were every where. I am a basket case because I am so nervous. Not worried... NERVOUS.

Jan & I with our mentor Gina.

Our last ride was Saturday the 15th. It was a short taper ride to the Range in Bernalillo for breakfast. Jan and I rode to the starting point and got in a few more miles in. Since I did not ride the week before I wanted to to have a longer ride to make myself feel better. It is amazing to think how far everyone has come. I remember when we had our first 30 mile ride and I thought I was not going to make it. Now 30 miles seems like nothing. I hope I feel this way on Saturday.

Please pray for every one's safety. I will be there with my pose... Frank and the girls. I can't wait to cross the finish line jump into their arms.

Us girls ready to ride...

Carla, Gina, LeeAnn, Jan, me, Tabitha, Elizabeth & Heather.

We are woman... Hear us Roar

Carla & Scott at the Range.

The best coaches ~ Ed & Debbie.

The team at the Range.

Gina & Jan

Elizabeth & Tom

To The Tunnels

2008-11-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks have been hard on me because I have been sick. On Monday after our Tunnel Ride, I finally went to the doctor and found out I had a sinus infection and a double ear infection. I started taking meds this week and my ear infection is the only thing that has gone away. I have now developed a upper respiratory infection. I am panic mode because I only have two weeks until the ride and I feel like my body is not going to be ready. But, I also know that if I try and push myself too hard, I won't get better and be absolutely no good in Tuscon.

The decision I have to make is agonizing to some degree. My brain in saying you need to go and do the ride Saturday and do what you can. My body is saying stay in bed and do nothing. I have faith and determination that I will complete the ride, but the little voice of doubt is always there.

The Tunnel Ride
God knew we were going to be out riding on Saturday and privided us with a beautiful day. It was a bit chilly to start out with in the morning, but by the time we arrived at San Isidro it had warmed up nicely. We only stayed at San Isidro for a brief time so we could continue our journey through Jemez to the Gilman Tunnels. For some reason I though the turn off to the tunnels was only a couple of miles out of San Isidro. NOT. We rode Jemez road for about 10 miles and the hills were plenty. I was doing well until I down shifted to go up one of the hills and my shoe came unclipped. Yes, it was on the steep part of the hill and because I couldn't clip back in I stopped. Do you know how hard it is to start again going uphill? Needless to say, I walked my bike to little flatter place so I could start again. We rode through the Red Rock rest area and the smell of fry bread was enough to make me want to stop.

When we got to the turn off to the tunnels, Debbie had us get off the bikes and walk carrying them for a little ways. There are two dry river beds in Tucson we will have to walk through. The road to the tunnels was absolutely gorgeous... The leaves were changing colors all around us giving us a beautiful landscape to look at. We even ran into horses in the road "just hanging out". Nick showed me a tarantula crawling about. I also thought the road to the tunnels was a bit flatter. NOT. It was a gradual incline the majority of the way with a couple of steep hills in between. At the tunnels we were able to refuel and take pictures. Thanks to everyone for their support.

I definately want to do this ride again. And, this time without a sinus infection.

A river running through...

Walking the bikes.

Week 21 ~ Winds of Change Part II

2008-10-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

Last's weeks windy ride turned into this weeks beautiful ride. Total miles... 72.5. Total hours on the saddle 6-ish.

I have learned to look at this time as my own. How often is it that I have 6+ hours to myself. Time to think. Think about what you ask?

Chores I need to get done when I get home
Getting the girls ready for what ever event is coming up
Who I need to call
Reminding myself what I need to read for bible study
Am I going to make it back to my car from the ride
The election (can't wait until it is over)
Dinner
The things I have negligted since starting training
Sleep
Nothing
Why I'm doing the ride
My wonderful family

But, when I get back to my car reality once again sets in. I get my messages on my cell phone "Mom, when are you coming home?", "Mom, do you know where my flat iron is? Call me", "Mom, where are you. Are you going to be home soon. I miss you.", "Mom, can I go to my friends?" The never ending story of kids. And, I wouldn't have it any other way. They have sacraficed just as much or more when I am gone on Saturdays.

We stopped at Camping World twice during our ride to rest and eat lunch. It was nice to stop some place with an nice area to sit and relax. My friend Aaron works there. He is my bible study leader and really kind person. Jan and I see every week.

Week 20 ~ Winds of Change

2008-10-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

As Road Mom said... "The winds huffed and they puffed and they blew our ride away".

We made it 13 miles before the ride was called off. The weather man predicted a storm coming, but we didn't want to believe him. Well, we fought our way uphill against 25 mile an hour winds. I think my top speed was 9mph. It took us 1.5 hours to get in the 13 miles. I have to say it was a bit scary at times when we had gusts coming at us at 30-50mph. While I would have continued on the ride, I was glad it was called off. We made it back to our starting point in 30 minutes. Sure does help when you have a tail wind. We made it back just in time as the storm came with a fury. Sheets of rain were coming down.

The road we were on is called Universe. It is the Double Eagle Airport 2 lane road. As you can see from the pictures, there is nothing out there.

The two best coaches... Ed and Road Mom (Debbie)

The clouds looming... they only got worse.

2008-10-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

Week 19 ~ Beautiful.. BDOTB

2008-10-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful, confidence was there... but it wasn't in the cards. BDOTB stands for Bad Day On The Bike. The ride took us from Tramway and Montgomery to the top of Placitas. I didn't realize that Placitas was all uphill, but it was. And, the body was having none of it. I had to keep stopping the let my cramps subside and then continue. On the last rest stop I lost my balance and fell to my left without having my left foot unclipped. I thought "No Big Deal, get up and get going". Well, the clip of my shoe broke and I couldn't clip back in. I was done for the day. Frank was SAGging and we had no cell reception for him to come and get me. So Ed and I started walking to the top. I was only about 2 miles away. We were gone so long that everyone ahead of me started coming back down the hill. I got in the car and cheered everyone else on.

It was one to to avoid going back up the Tramway Hill. I can't avoid it forever. Thanks to Ed for sticking with me. I kept telling him to "Just Go and get Frank". He said "NO".
With only 45 days left to train I am feeling a bit panicked. I will be missing this weekends ride so it will be up to my to get my training in.

Congratulations to everyone who completed this past weekend's ride. You guys are awesome. Enjoy some pictures from the ride my kids took.

Week 18 ~ Lessons Learned

2008-10-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

In order to succeed, Your desire for success

should be greater than your fear of failure.

Bill Cosby

Feeling more and more confident every week, I woke up early and got ready. Our ride started at 8:00 instead of 7:30 so I had extra time to relax, stretch and eat breakfast while I waited for Jan to pick me up. I kissed the girls goodbye and loaded up. Jan picked up the “tool box” Frank put together for me and started taking it to the truck. I foolishly said “let’s not take that today. We are going on a short ride and I have new tires. I won’t need anything”.

We started out on our “short” 47 mile through Los Lunas from the Tingly Beach train station and took the bike path until we reached the highway. For those of you who are not familiar with Tingly Beach, it is a stocked pond off of Old Route 66 (Central). The train goes between the Botanical Gardens and the Zoo. The beach has no waves washing ashore nor can you do any body boarding. It is a place to go and have a picnic with your family and while trying to catch a couple of fish.

I have always liked the bike path. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn so the scenery was great to look at. When we got to the highway, the scenery turned a bit brown and boring. Eleven miles into the ride the flat queen got a flat. I heard the “phish” going up the overpass and tried to ignore the noises the tire was making trying to repair itself. We rode to the nearest gas station and sure enough it needed to be changed. Well, I didn’t’ have anything… no tube, no tools only a co2 cartridge. Why would I need tools, I had new tires and tubes? LeeAnn gave me a tube, Nick changed the tire and Tom pumped it up because he did not want to use my cartridge for fear of freezing his hand.

We were off again and about 5 miles later Ed got a flat. We waited for him to change his tire and finally got to our official rest stop in Los Lunas. We didn’t stay long as we were already rested up. We trekked through Los Lunas. A bit scary at times because there are no bike lanes or shoulders to ride on. The cars didn’t seem to care we were there and drove very close to us at times. We finally made it to the road going back to Albuquerque. The road was a nice flat with one hill. I kept telling myself this is easy and tried to keep my speed at 16-18mph. Well, I was struggling. Why, Why, Why, I don’t know. The peddling was hard and butt was aching. Rides like this should be easy and rewarding. We rested at the Walmart on Coors and Rio Bravo. When we started out again, Tom M said, “your back tire looks low”. NOOOOOOO Yes, I had another flat. I rode approximately 10-12 miles on a back flat tire. No wonder I was struggling. When we returned to the bike path Nick pumped up the back tire and I made it back to the car.

Needless to say I was frustrated. I was mad at myself for being too confident and not having any tools with me. It does not matter what kind of tires you get or how much goo you have in the tubes, you have to be prepared with spare parts. I will ready this weekend.

Our route starting at point "A".

Heather and I getting ready to ride out.

Waiting for Ed.

The road we came from.

Scenery while waiting.

The bike path going back to the car.

Weeks 16 & 17

2008-09-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Here are two weeks worth of updates.

Week 16 ~ we rode 55 miles out to the San Felipe Casino. I like this ride mostly because I am familiar with it and I am comfortable with it. The ride was a good for me because I had to get out of my comfort zone as we rode in a pace line. Since I am semi claustrophobic I had to learn to trust my fellow riders who were on my wheel and I had to trust my self to get close to the person in front of me. We stayed at a pace of about 12-15mph. I think we could have gone faster, but because we were staying together the pace was a bit slower. Not that I minded. It was a great ride to bond with teammates I had not had a chance to talk to. Gina was behind me for at least 10 miles and we were chatting about kids… age, activities and our age. The whole time we were chatting, I thought she was Leanne. Yes, I felt like an idiot. Something both Gina and I will never forget.

This was also the last ride for our Honolulu team before they left… lucky dogs. So we bid them farewell at the end of our ride to be safe and have fun in the sun.

Team photo minus a few riders like Heather, Elizabeth and Scott. This shot includes our wonderful coaches and mentors.

This is a shot of our bikes. By the time we reach our half way point destination, we are glad to prop our bikes up and fuel up with the food and drink we brought.

Week 17 ~

I had been avoiding the hilly mountain rides the last couple of times the team went out. So I knew for personal reasons I had to go to this one. Destination – Moriority via Old Route 66, which means you have to go up Sedillo Hill (map is below). I woke up early and confident. It takes 45-60 minutes to get to the starting point of Tramway and Central so I had everything ready the night before. The reddish balloon on the far left side of the map is where we started. We followed the thick yellow line all the way to the big red dot. Sedillo Hill is the point on the yellow line. The red lines on the right of map is the route we went a couple of weeks agon when we went to Stanley then Moriority. Notice that the hills are minimal on the Stanley route. This ride had hills both ways.

The first mistake I made was thinking I could start strong and fast. A few riders left the parking lot a little ahead of me and I wanted to catch up and be with the "fast" group. Well, when you start behind a group of strong riders catching up to them in hard. Not only did we start the ride going uphill, we had no warm up, and we had a headwind of about 15-18 miles per hour. Five miles into the ride I was already feeling winded and my thighs were starting ache. The fast group was no where to be seen. So I decided that I would just go at a nice easy pace. Then the others riders that started behind me caught up and passed me. So now my confidence was dwindling. When I reached the rest spot at the top of Sedillo Hill, my behind had shooting pains on the right side. I think I pulled a muscle trying to stay fast going up the hills. I also started to cramp on my left side. I tought about getting into the SAG car going into Moriority because I didn't think my butt would survive another 15 miles. I did end up riding into Moriority. Again, the last rider coming in. Coach Clyde stayed with me and I just felt terrible that he had to go "slow" on the downhills.

The Moriority truck stop was a welcome sight. I ate my peanut butter and marshmellow sandwich Bailey made for me and the oranges we cut up the night before. I drank my Rockstar energy drink, I gelled up and even had a couple of shot blocks. I stretched as much as I could to get the cramp out of my left side and get my butt feeling like I could get on saddle for another 25 miles. Again, I started out good and strong. I stayed with the pack. I made it half way back to Sedillo Hill and the cramps started up again. All I could think about is "how much further". So I wimped out and got in the SAG car. I was determined not to ride in the car all the way back. So in Tijeras I got back on the bike. Tijeras was dedicating a Veterans Memorial on that day so there were tons of people in the roads as well as motorcycles. The park had a military helicopter land and two F-16’s did a fly over.

I made it back to the parking lot. You would think that if you had a headwinds all the way out, you would have tailwinds coming home. But NO. The headwinds coming back were just as miserable. I was happy that it was mostly downhill on the way back.

We will start increasing our milage this week. So far the longest I have done is 65 miles. This week it should go up to 70-75. I also realized that I had been getting by not doing a whole lot during the week. No extra ride, no stair machine and no spin bike. If I want to be stronger I need to workout during the week. I paid dearly this past week for not doing anything. I will not let it happen again.

Ed, Nick, Jan, Diane (SAG driver), Courtney and Clyde getting ready to ride.

Jan and I trying to get warm.

Moriority truck stop. I-40 is our view.

Sedillo Hill going east. No words needed. Click on the button to get a better view.

Going downhill from Sedillo Hill west.
Bikes along the road in Tijeras. They were everywhere.

The semi is actually on I-40. Since Route 66 is parallel to I-40 we could see it most of the way. Don't the clouds look cool. The ride is actually pretty boring when it comes to scenery. This is the highlight.

Week 15 ~ Easy Week

2008-09-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have been plagued with sinus headaches the past week so I decided not to go on the group ride on Saturday. I did meet up with Heather on Sunday for an easy 30 mile ride on the bosque. We started at 6:30am. Although it was a bit chilly, I welcomed the cool weather. When I got home I was feeling guilty that I didn't do any hills. So, I ventured out behind our house and climbed a long hill a couple of times for a little interval training. This coming week we are going back to the Hollywood Casino. It will be an easy 55 miles.

Morning Sunrise as we are getting ready for the ride.

Heather at Tingly.

Me at Tingley.

Week 14 ~ 65 miles in the mountains

2008-09-02T10:28:00.001-07:00

Well, after a few bumps in the road, I managed to finish the 65 mile ride. The ride took us from Frost Road and North 14 (in the Sandia Mountains) to Stanley then to Moriority and back. While it was mostly flats, the last 10 miles was climbing 2400 feet of elevation. There was a couple of times where I was ready to get into the SAG car. I managed to get a flat on the way back to Stanely. The goo in the tire kept trying to seal, but to no avail. I ended up changing it. I will be looking into thicker tires this week. I am tired of changing tires and my team mates I'm sure are tired of waiting for me.

The ride took us through some beautiful landscape... llamas, sunflowers and corn fields. The road from Stanley to Moriorty was full of grasshoppers. It was really gross knowing I must have run over more than 100. Not only did we go through grasshopper road kill, but we also saw snakes, rabbits and dead birds.

I am really starting to enjoy and look forward to my training rides on Saturdays. One reason is knowing that I am getting stronger. While my body size has not changed, knowing that the heart is getting healthier is good enough for me. I sign recommitment paperwork this week and I am very close to my fundraising goal. Please take the time and donate to get me there. Just click on the link on the side bar. Thanks to everyone who has supported me this far. Don't forget, you are not only supporting me, you and helping aid in cancer rearch and care. All donations are tax deductible.

Love to all, XOXO.
Check out the pictures below.

2008-09-02T10:27:00.001-07:00

The Agony of Defeat at 2.4 miles

2008-08-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

This was the week I was bound and determined to complete the 60 mile ride. I wanted my odometer to read 60 miles. We were doing my favorite destination to date… Bernalillo to Algadones. The route was taking us through Algadones twice to get the mileage in. My husband and girls were following us in the SAG car. Bailey and MacKenzie were the best cheerleaders and Frank did a great job trying to keep track of three different groups of riders.

I felt good. I was drinking enough water. I ate my peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich I was jelling up. My cadence was about 15 miles per hour. I was on the home stretch when I heard pishhhhhh. Yes, a flat. No big deal because I had a spare tube. I called Frank and he came changed it for me and Debbie and I were off again. We were in the North Guadalupe neighborhood when I discovered I was having a hard time peddling. We decided that Frank hadn’t put enough air in the tire so we used a hand pump and taking turns, pumped it up. When we took the pump off the adjust-a-valve, it came off. No big deal, we had another tube. So, I turned the bike over took off the tire and Debbie and I started changing the tube again. For some reason we were struggling getting the new tube in the tire. We kept telling each other, “it shouldn’t be this hard.” It was so hot we were dripping sweat on each other. Once we got the tube in, we attempted to put the tire back on the bike before we pumped it up. Well, if someone had been watching us and recording, they would have won money on America’s Funniest videos. Somehow the chain ended up on the wrong side of the big ring, then, the back chain wouldn’t go through the back rings. Our hands were so black and we were both so frustrated.

I ended up calling the SAG back for me because we couldn’t get it. Then… a break through and we got the tire back on the bike. Yeah!!! All we had to do was pump the tire up. So there we went, taking turns with the hand pump. When we had enough air we pulled the pump off and guess what? The adjust-a-valve flew off again. By then the SAG was there, I loaded up my and bike and went back to the parking lot in total disappointment with only 2.4 miles left to go on my ride.

Lessons learned:
• I need to learn how to change a tire better
• Get Co2 cartridges for air
• Next time, find shade to change the tire
• Cursing your bike does not help
• Dripping sweat on someone doesn’t matter
• Zip all pouches on your bike before turning it over
• Don’t give up unless you HAVE to
• Sometimes God has a different plan for you – accept it

When I got home I tried not to be disappointed. I tried to rest but had too much adrenaline going on. Even though I technically didn’t finish, I know I would have.

I have a question for you. How do you handle disappointment?
Check out the pictures below.

Week 13

2008-08-25T12:41:00.001-07:00

Week of reflection

2008-08-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how the mind can make or break a ride. Once again I had a hard time sleeping on Friday night and the lack of sleep gave me a headache when I finally got up. The ride was taking us back to San Isidro on a 60 mile ride. The hills didn't bother me, but in the back of my mind I knew I had to go down hill. Most people cherish going fast down hill. I, on the other hand dread it. I actually think I made myself sick with the anticpation. When I got to the 30 mile mark, I got off my bike and hurled my breakfast.

I ended up in the SAG car back to my car. I had Tom drop me off at the gas station at the corner of 528 and Corrales road. I rode back sad and alone and contemplated why I was feeling so down. I knew why, but just didn't want to admit it. On my Week 7 blog entry, I wrote about a friend from church Ada Rae. Well, she passed away on Thursday and I went to the memorial service on Friday. While it was beautiful, it was also sad. My heart broke when I saw her husband walk hand in hand with their 4 year old son down the aisle. I know that she is in heaven and not in anymore pain. Apparently, her final days were difficult.

I thought about my own mortality. She was only 47, not much older than I am right now. How do you say goodbye to people you love when you pray for a miracle. I know her family will see her again when they reach heaven. I will always remember what someone told me. The only thing you can take with you when you die is your family. I know I will see my mom someday.

And, someday the big "C" will have a cure. I have to remember why I am riding. To find a cure for the big "C". My deamons will be met head on. Cancer patients do not give up, and neither will I.

Here is one of Ad Rae's favorite songs that was played at her service. I hope you enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV9jiqS-74g

Week 11 ~ Going to Hollywood Baby

2008-08-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well, Hollywood Casino anyway...

I was a little nervous about the ride on Saturday. I missed the "hills" ride the week before and indulged during our vacation. I have a hard time sleeping the night before any of my rides and this week was no exception. Frank and I were alone. The girls were with my aunt since Frank had to work on Saturday. So we made baked potatoes and chicken for dinner and enjoyed the Olympic opening. I fell asleep at 10 but woke up at 12 and 5. Since I could't go back to sleep I stayed up and got ready for the morning.

When we got to the Alameda we had a special guest. Roy, a cancer survivor came and gave us a pep talk. He thanked us for our efforts and reminded of us that even though some of our rides may seem grueling at times it is nothing compared to fighting cancer. I remember when my mom was fighting cancer. The chemo and radiation were tough on her and I saw her whither a way before my eyes. I am riding to help eliminate the pain and suffering that cancer patients endure. I am riding to find a cure. I am riding to help the family left to remember their loved ones not feel a void. My mom was only 38 years old when she died. Thanks Roy for your courage to come and talk to us and congratulations on your remission. A great accomplishment.

The ride did take us to the San Felipe Casino. I felt pretty good on this ride. It was mostly flat and that helped me to gain some much needed confidence. This ride was about 53 miles. Sometimes it is hard for me to think that only 3 months ago I couldn't even go 20 miles.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to my fundraising. I am half way there. Look for a couple of fundraising events to come.

XOXO

I made it to Hollywood.
Heather and I at a pit stop in Bernalillo.
The road from Bernalillo to Algadones.
The road from Algadones to San Felipe Casino.

Week 10 ~

2008-08-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

I missed the training ride this past Saturday. This was my families last chance to get away before school started. We had a great time visiting our very good friends in Colorado. We were able to float down a river, go to WaterWorld eat and drink lots of mojitos. I will be paying for my indulgences this Saturday. When we got back home the guilt started creeping up about the training I was not doing, so I did the stair machine for 30 minutes and rode the spin bile for 30 minutes. I will be doing it again tonight.

Stay tuned for pictures from the upcoming weekend when we go to the casino toward Santa Fe.

Week 9 ~ Half Century + 4

2008-07-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

I did it... Well half of it anyway. We rode 54 miles on Saturday. We started along the bike path at Alameda and Rio Grande. The ride was beautiful all the way to Rio Bravo. Who knew the bike path went that far. As we went west on Rio Bravo the "big hill" loomed ahead. I found out after we climbed it that it is a grade 7. That didn't mean much to me until I found out the hill from San Isidro last week was a grade 5. I was very thankful that the clouds were following us everywhere we were so the heat was not too much of a factor.

The ride took us far... We started back on Universe road. Not familiar? Well it is a two lane road that passes the Double Eagle Airport. I would say all of the cars passing us were respectful and gave us lots of room when they were passing. The decent was from Ventana Ranch down through Paradise Blvd. We crossed Coors (scary) and jumped back on the bike path at Paseo.

All in all I think I did good phsically. I got a new saddle and that helped by behind tremendously. It's amazing what a good seat can do for your seat. I need to work mentally on being confident. When we got onto Paradise Blvd I freaked out a bid with the traffic. All I could see was myself splattered on the road again with people staring at me. I know it is a mental issue. When I am riding, I don't want anyone near me. I am happy to be at the back of the pack which I know is not always good. It is safer to be in numbers.

I have to give a extra special thank you to my best friend also known as my husband. He got off work early and helped SAG for a while. He was waiting for me at the top of the big hill, and, just kept not only encouraging me, but the whole team I was riding with. He stopped and took pictures and even came to look for me when I got a flat. (Ed changed it for me). Love you Frank.

I was happy to get back to the car and home. My girls had just returned from camp so thier kisses and hugs were extra special.

I will miss this Saturday's ride because we are going to Fort Collins as our last trip before school starts. Good Luck to all my fellow riders. I will be thinking of you.

Coach Ed. He is a wonderful motivator.

The "faster" group taking off at our rest stop at Albertons on Isleta.

View of the grade 7 hill we climbed. This is Rio Bravo. The airport is east, can you see it? Neither can I.

Our view at Lost Horizons. That is I-40.

CeCe and I resting at Lost Horizons. It is near Camping World.

The beautiful bike path by Tingly Beach.

Elizabeth and LeeAnn at Tingley.

Tom and Meghan at Tingley.

Week 8 47.2 miles

2008-07-21T11:53:00.001-07:00

I couldn't sleep on Friday night in anticipation for the ride on Saturday. I think I ended up with about 4 hours. I was thinking that this was just too much for me and I should wait until next week. But, I went. I picked Jan up and knew there was no turning back. We started out at the Santa Ana Casino and warmed up our legs by going up the dam road (Tamaya road). I started to panic because my legs started feeling stiff and hurting right away. I kept thinking that there was no way I was going to make it to San Isidro.

But, I kept going. The beginning hills were not as bad as I anticipated. What freaked me out more than anything was the traffic zooming by at high speeds. The semi trucks made no attempt to go away from us. After the hills, it was easy going until we got to the gas station. We rested there for about 10 minutes and made our way back. I used the clip pedals and was a bit uncomfortable because I felt I did not have any control. The hills on the way back was 10 time worse than the beginning of the ride. Steep, steep, steep. We also had false flats. Thinking you are going straight when actually you are going up a steady incline. The hills didn't bother me to too much. What bothered me was coming down the hills. I think I rode the brake the entire time. I was not comfortable going super fast being clipped in. But, I backed away from everyone for my own comfort and I MADE IT... the whole 47.2 miles. Almost half a century.

I didn't get any pictures going to San Isidro, but I got a couple on the way back. The group picture is at the San Isidro gas station. I think the signs behind us told of what we wanted to do after the ride. Another team member CeCe is showing off the milage sign back to Bernailo, 22 miles. And of course I like to get a end picture after the ride. Jan, Heather and I made it. They finished before me, but I was not too far behind.

I have to love my girls. When I got home, they made a sign and put it on the door saying "Good Job Mom". I had to treat them to ice cream. I crashed that night after church and then sent the girls off to camp on Sunday.

My new mantra... Harder, Stronger, Faster. I think it is a song. Until next week. XOXO

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-07-21T11:51:00.001-07:00

Week 7 - Up the Dam Road

2008-07-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to thank everyone who has contributed to my fundraising. You all are awesome. I am a firm believer that it does not matter how much you contribute, every little bit helps.

I was reminded this week of how cancer can be so devestating. I ran into an acquaintance of ours. I know them through my babysitter. They have a 4 year old son and so my girls get to play with him. Bailey of course is ever the mommy. The wife was diagnosed with cancer about 1.5 years ago and has been undergoing chemo for months. She was featured on a series the church did called Against All Odds. Well, her husband came up to me at church to say hi. Of course I said hi and hugged his little boy. He looked at me with his big beautiful blue eyes and said with tears that his wife was not doing very good. He hugged me so hard that I could feel him trembling. I asked how we could help, and he was so distraught that he had to leave. I looks like his wife may not make it. Bailey and I cried when we thought about how thier beautiful little boy will grow up without his mother. He is now the survivor in this cancer war. So please donate even if you think the amount is insignificant.

On to better news... Well my training during the week was not up to where it should be. I only road to work and back home once which was about 1 hour total of ride time. At least I made it home this time. I can tell that my legs are getting stronger. It did take me 20 minutes to get from the front door of work to the top of Northern (Destiny Center). I have a goal to do it in less time this week.

I think I was not in the training mode this week since some events came about regarding the bicycle crash that happened a couple of weeks ago. I do know that I am not 100% responsible and I have a witness that saw the accident.

But, this weeks ride took us up Jemez Dam road. If you are not familiar with this area I recommend you take a Sunday drive there with a picnic lunch. The road that takes you to the Tamaya Resort near the Santa Ana Star casino is the same road you continue on to the view point of the dam. Certain parts of the road were not fun to be on. It was up and down the whole way and my thighs were yelling at me the entire time. When you finally get to the end, the view is breath taking. Unfortunately, there was no water, but God's beauty was all around. We stayed for about 10 minutes to rest up and then we headed back to our starting point at the Whataburger on 528. Total round trip was 40 miles. Not too shabby for someone who couldn't ride 5 miles a few weeks ago.

I found it challenging riding on the shoulder of 528. Cars are zooming by you at all speeds and you are trying avoid roadside trash. I think the group I was in kept a good pace of about 12-15mph. I was a little freaked out crossing 528 into traffic and then crossing 550 onto the dam road. Horrible visions popped into my head. I prayed for everyone to cross safely. I also noticed we all had better communication on this ride. Everyone was saying "slowing", "stopping", etc. Something we did not do a couple of weeks ago.

I am looking forward to this weeks training. I must persevere for those who believe in me. And, I must learn to believe in myself.

XOXO

Heather and I at the overlook.

The group I rode with.

Some of God's beauty.

Week 6 - Meeting a friendly face along the ride

2008-07-07T14:56:00.001-07:00

All week I had people calling to check on me. And, I had people asking when I was going to get on the bike. As you can imagine I was a bit hesitant since my fall. I planned to take the week off and start from scratch on Monday. Heather invited me to ride on the bosque to just get on the bike. We did't have to go far but we had to go. So on Thursday, I met her at 7am and we had a nice ride from Alameda and Rio Grande to Central. Round trip was about 18 miles. Since I was not riding with the team on Saturday, "Road Mom", wanted me to get another ride in. So Nick (mentor) was gracious enough and met me on Sunday. We did about a 28 mile ride to Bernaillo from Alameda. All in all both went well. I was nervous on the road to Bernalillo. Nick stayed far enough back so I felt comfortable.

When we got to the gas station in Bernaillo, I ran into a friend from my old neighborhood, Katie. It was great talking to her and meeting a friend she was riding with. Both were very encouraging to continue. Her friend Nan is a cancer survivor and I was inspired to see her out on the road.

I am trying to stay positive. My thoughts continue to go to Dale and how she is doing. She will be in recovery for a while. Continue to keep her in your prayers. I hope to do better this week with my training. I am feeling a little depressed about the fall. I am working it out as best as I can...

Read Heather's blog on sharing the road with cyclists.

http://paperfollies.typepad.com/109_mile_ride/

Me, Nick, Katie and Nan

Week 5 - Not Good

2008-06-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

This week's ride took us back up to Tramway since the winds were going to be calm. I was feeling confident with my bike nicely tuned up. I find that at the beginning of the ride, I am not the fastest, but not the slowest, so I am somewhere in between and often left alone with no coaches or mentors. About 10 miles into the ride Heather and I were approaching the Tramway/Central intersection. Another rider, Dale, sped up to catch up to us so it was the three of us crossing the intersection. We made it across and were going through the light when things went seriously wrong. I was looking to my left to make sure there were no cars around and when I looked up, I saw Dale right in front of me and panicked. I thought I was going to hit her. The next thing I know is that I am on the pavement in the middle of the intersection. Things flew off my bike and I was trying to collect them. I looked up and saw Dale falling on the ground. I grabbed my bike and went over to where she was to help her. She stood up and was having a hard time walking so Heather and I got her to a place to lay down.

Several people stopped to see if we were okay which was nice, but then you ge the a_ _ holes that honk at you to get out of the way. We called 911 right away because she was in serious pain and could not stand or sit up. A guy in a TLC truck stopped and assisted with a emergency kit he had. Heather and I did what we could to clean off any cuts and scraps that were visible. Eventually, the team that was behind us showed up and helped us with bikes, helmets etc. When AFD showed up they took over with her and only then did I notice blood oozing from my body. Needless to say, I have severe road rash. As I was peeling off my clothes Frank noticed that I had road rash in places I don't remember hitting. The good thing is that I am ok. Dale on the other hand did not fair as well. She broke her wrist, hip and pelvis. I feel just awful and have been racking my brain to figure out what went wrong. I may have just clipped the back of her tire that made her out of balance when she looked back at me. I don't know.

This horrible experience has made me question what I am doing. I am totally freaked out that I may have killed someone or myself. While I understand that we need to go longer rides, should we be on Tramway? Is there a better place for me to ride as a novice. Do I continue and ride with guilt, or can I overcome this experience and learn from it. Right now, I want to crawl under my blankets and hide.

My thigh is looking pretty in purple.

My knee bled and bled and bled and...

Grease and more bruises.

And, there are many more I will not show you. Please pray for Dale! She will be in rehab for 6 months as part of her recovery.

Week 4 Ride

2008-06-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

This week our ride took us to Tramway. This ride was to be an introction to "hills". Anyone who has ever driven on Tramway knows that it can be hilly. You don't realize it as much as you are driving, but on a bike... you feel it. We started out at Tramway and Candelaria. We rode south to the County Line turn and went north. We rode to Central, and I have to say it was miserable. The winds kickec up to about 30-40 mph. I felt like I was going to be blown off the bike. At Central we were to go up Route 66 to continue riding the hills. Since it was so windy, everyone rode back to the cars and we were done. Round trip was 18 miles. This week's ride is going to be back up to Tramway to see if we can do it again.
Back at home, Frank and Jan's husband Tom were manning the yard sale for us. This if our first fundraiser. I was excited to make $200. This was after I paid my helpers MacKenzie and Bailey.

Still looking good after riding in the scary wind.

Can you believe no one wanted a working microwave?

Week Three Ride

2008-06-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

This week we rode 28 miles. The ride took us from 528 & Alameda to the intersections of 550 and I-25. The ride going toward Bernalillo was terrible. We had a strong head wind and my chain and gears were not working properly. I had to stay in a higher gear most of the way. I am taking it in for a tune up this week. The ride back was better as we had the tail wind. But we made it in 2.5 hours. The rest stop was at the FINA gas station in Bernalillo. This week we are to increase our workouts to 45 minutes to an hour twice. The ride this Saturday should be about 35-40 miles.

It sure is nice to ride with family and friends. Heather and Jan... you are looking good.

Week Three Training

2008-06-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

I missed the team ride on Saturday because we went camping with our bible study group. While I felt a little guilty not going, it was sure nice to get out of town for a couple of days. Frank and the girls did tons of fishing. I mostly relaxed and ate. Oh, I did take a hike with the other ladies for some exercise. We got home on Sunday and I got on the spinn bike right away to get one more training in. This week our team ride is scheduled to be 30 miles. I'm a little worried. I also want to ride by bike to work again but there is construction on my route. Once that is cleared, I will give it another try.

I didn't make it home :(

2008-06-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I left work around 4:30 and started on my way home. The wind kicked up but I felt good about the trip. I made to the corner of Northern and Quantum and when I went to change to a lower gear, the chain fell off. I flipped the bike over and reattached it and started on my way again. I made it 2 feet and the chain came off again. I guess I am doing something wrong. After the third time, I decided that if I couldn't get going I was going to call Frank. Well, I managed to do something to make it work. So I started going up the hill very, very, very slowly. My goal was to Destiny Center. And, I didn't make it. I was about 100 feet away and my legs died, probably because I was going uphill in a high gear. So I just stopped to catch my breath and drink some water. I knew that once I got to Blades it was easy sailing.

While I was resting, a familiar white Expedition drove by. The driver had familiar hair that was standing up. Yep, it was my husband. He decided to not necessarily look for me but to find me and take pictures of my torture ride home. He pulled around and came out to adjust the bike so my legs wouldn't die so quickly. I told him I wanted to try to make it home. So he and the girls left and waited for me at the edge of next intersection. As I was coming down the hill, my heart melted. Frank was standing there taking pictures of me and Bailey was jumping up and down encouraging me. Yelling... go mom, you can do it. As I got to the inersection, I decided to stop. The wind was awful and the dust was stinging my legs as I was riding. If he hadn't been there, I would have tried to go all the way.

I am not giving up. I will try it again next week. Isn't my family wonderful?

Riding to Work...

2008-06-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

This is looking back.

OMG... I rode to work today. I left at 7:20 at made here by 7:40. Not too bad considering I had to climb a couple of hills and I was doing it in a high gear. And then to top it off, I dropped the chain twice trying to get into a low gear. The gears are going to kill me. The trip is only 4.5 miles from my house. The ride home is going to be my challenge. It is mostly uphill until I get to Blades. I may be calling Frank to come and get me if I can't work out the gearing. Here are a couple of picures.

This is what I have to climb coming home.
OH JOY!

Week 2 of training

2008-06-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

This week seemed to be a little easier for me in training. I only rode the spin bike once and did the team ride Saturday. This ride was only 10 miles. I know I could have done more, but we started late in the afternoon and I needed to be somewhere by 4:30. I have to say, I felt great on the ride. We were going at a steady 12-15 miles an hour and finished the ride in less than an hour. I am excited to do my first longer ride and see how I feel. My biggest problem is going to be keeping my self hydrated. When we finished yesterday, I drank 32oz. of Gatorade in 10 minutes. I think I am going to use a camelback because I am not carrying enough water with me.
What a learning experience this has been for me. I am also encouraged when I see my other team mates. We are all different levels and the coaches and mentors take care of all of us. Some left on a 20 mile ride yesteday, and then there was one lady who wears an oxygen tank and went on her first 10 mile ride. While she was not fast, she did finish. No pictures this week, I forgot my camera and also have to get a bigger bag for under my seat to put all my stuff in. It is amazing all the suff you need. Still learning...
XOXO

My First Team Ride

2008-05-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

My first team ride was this past Saturday. Since it was a holiday weekend, my training buddies, Heather and Jan, were off enjoying the great outdoors. We were to meet at 7:00am and be ready to ride by 7:30. I was a little hesitant going by myself and not knowing anyone. While I consider myself a friendly person for the most part I was already intimidated by other riders I had not even met. But after I got there, my hesitations were quickly put aside. Road Mom (coach) was there and she recognized me and quickly had me come over. There were also some new trainees there that I introduced myself to. Since it was the holiday weekend, not everyone was there. And, while I have to say I am out of shape, I felt better to know I am not the one who is out of shape the most. I met my mentor. She is the person who will be helping me with my fundraising (have you donated yet")?)

The ride was a great experience for me. There was a total of 15 riders. This included Clyde a coach who rode with us and was the leader and Road Mom (Debbie) who was bringing up the rear. A coach will always be the last person in the pack. No one gets left by themselves. I felt good about that. There was also no pressure as to how fast you were to go. We also had 3 mentors join us, Nick, Ed and Petra. They just joined anywhere in the pack. They would ride up to you every once in awhile and check to make sure you were okay.

You had a choice to ride 10 or 17 miles. I chose 10 because I am not in shape. When we got to the turning point for the 10 I was feeling good so I continued and did the 17. The most difficult part of the ride was when we got to Corrales road and had to go uphill. Since I am not good with the gears yet, I dropped my chain (new lingo). Not to fear, Nick was near and helped me on my way again. We rested at Giant and took off again. I rode with a guy named Dan for most of the ride back. He and his wife are training for the Honolulu ride. He had a reader clocking us at a steady 15 miles an hour. I did not think that was too bad.

We returned back to What-a-burger and hung out for a bit and left. I took me around 2 hours to complete ride and my butt did not hurt the way I had expected it to. Must be the cool shorts and gel seat. I felt good that I finished and was not the last person, but I have to say, the overall experience was a positive one. I am very impressed with the commitment the coaches and mentors have for us. Most are donating their time to help us be better. You can see their passion and love for what they are doing. I look forward to crossing the finish line giving them a big thank you hug for getting me there.

My training plan includes riding 30-45 minutes 3-4 times a week including the team rides. The spinn bike will be my friend for awhile along with getting used to my cool clip shoes. Until next time...

May 22nd, 2008 The First Official Day of Training

2008-05-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

Today is my first official day of training for "El Tour de Tucson" century ride. The ride is November 22nd, so I have 6 months to get ready. Since I have never really done anything with a bike besides short rides with my family on my mountain bike, I needed some stuff... say like a road bike. Frank found me this bike which is a GIANT. It has 27 speeds. The first time I took it out, I jacked up the gears and chains. I am also not used to clip peddles, but rather the cage peddles. So, I got got new shoes. Normally I am excited to get new shoes. Not this time. As you can tell from the picture, they have no tread. They have a small black hook in the middle. This hook attaches to the peddle of the bike so your feet can not come off the peddles when you going up hill, down, etc. The only way you unattach the shoe is to slide your heel so it becomes unattached. Frank put the clipless peddles on the spin bike so I can practice. Something else I learned from the clip shoes, do not walk on tile with them. Yes, I slipped and as I was going down, I slid down the corner of the wall as I was trying to catch myself. Woo Hoo, my first injury.
You will notice the lovely shorts next to the shoes. Somehow I am not feeling good in these shorts. They have padding in the butt so you don't hurt so much during your ride. When I wear them, I feel like I have a load in my pants. Frank says it will get better.
We have coaches starting to help us get motivated. So we did a heart rate monitor test. Heather and Jan met me there. I have to say, they did better than I did. Heather did really, really well. We rode stationary bikes for about 30 minutes and had to bump up our heart rates from 100 to 170. Yeah, I wasn't happy during this. But, I now have my max heart rate to train with. The picture is after the test. We are looking forward to our "after" picture when this ride is over. My arms look huge...UGH!

I have my first team ride on Saturday. We are going 10 miles through Corrales. I hope I can make it. I plan to do a 1 hour spin ride tonight. Grey's Anatomy is on. I will just distract myself with that.
XOXO