Trail Magic

I have been feeling a bit off sorts lately. I am signed up to ride my bike from LA to Albuquerque in May and have spent the past few weeks selecting and shopping for a new bike that would be a better tool to assist me in my adventures. All of that would normally make me feel excited and content but something just wasn’t right. On the advice of my coach and friend Amonda Rose, I decided to ask the Universe to show me what it is I still need to know so that I can live my talents.

 

I recently joined Columbus Outdoor Pursuits (COP) which is the group that organizes the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA), one of my favorite cycling events. I thought I could meet some like minded people in COP and learn a lot about organizing bicycle events. I received their welcome letter and learned they were having a meeting the following Tuesday in Columbus.

 

Tuesday came and I drove the hour and a half from my house to Columbus. I had a little trouble finding the COP headquarters so I arrived exactly at seven for the 7:00 pm meeting. I immediately Ann G who is the CEO of COP and Glen who was the speaker for the evening. Glen was scheduled to present a program on cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

 

It soon became apparent that no one else was coming to the meeting. Ann and Glen said attendance at the Nov. meeting is typically low because of the Thanksgiving holiday just two days later. I was thinking, “OK Lord, it seemed like you wanted me to come here to learn something and meet key people. I have zero interest in cross country skiing and I am the only one at the meeting. What is it that you wanted to show me?”

 

I decided to briefly share my story with Ann and Glen. I told them how when I was the fat girl in high school I dreamed of running a marathon, riding my bike across America, and hiking the Appalachian Trail. “Since I have ran a marathon and rode my bike across America, I guess one day soon I’ll need to go for a walk, but I don’t know anything about hiking”. They exchanged a knowing look with each other and then looked at me and said “Pull up a chair, we can trail talk all night.”

 

It turns out that both Ann and Glen have section hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) and are extremely experienced backpackers and hikers. For the next two hours I received a private tutorial on how to hike the AT complete with a tent pitching demonstration (Glen just happened to have his new backpacking tent and trekking poles in his car).

 

It was an amazing evening and I learned so much. If the meeting had had the typical attendance level, I would have driven all that way to hear about snow shoeing. Besides all the great AT info, I learned two very important things that night.

 

1.      I feel off when I am off track. I love cycling and I love bicycle adventures, but it is not the only thing I am called to do right now. The Appalachian Trail is a big part of my calling. I was ignoring the AT as I prepared for my Southwest cycling adventure this May. Frankly, I was hoping that the whole idea of hiking the AT would go away and I could be happy riding my bike and sleeping in a nice cozy hotel room. As much as I wanted to just ride my bike, the preparation for the trip lacked joy and zip. The more I ignored the AT, the crankier and more unsettled I became.

I spent an evening learning about the AT and gaining confidence that I could complete it in 2014 and suddenly, everything is more fun. The Universe calls us to our best life and our levels of fun and joy let us know if we are aligned with that calling.

 

2.      When I am open to receive, God delights to give me what I need. Think about it, this whole thing set up like a surprise. God gave me the feeling like I needed to meet someone and then I’m the only attendee at the meeting. Surprise! It’s the hosts who I needed to meet. God didn’t mess around. There wasn’t anyone extra at the meeting who didn’t absolutely need to be there. I thought it was a mistake at first and now I realize that God was just making it easy on me. Instead of having to sort through a room full of people to discern my contacts, my guides were the only two people there! The fact that Glen ‘just happened’ to have his tent and trekking poles in his car makes me giggle. Even when I don’t exactly know what it is that I need, the Universe is conspiring to bring everything together for my highest and best good. Wow! Why do I ever waste time on being afraid!?!

 

So what’s next? Well, I am still going on the bicycle adventures I already have planned for the summer of 2013. The physical conditioning and skills required for these trips are absolutely aligned with hiking the AT in 2014. I will also be attending backpacking school this spring (offered by COP) and participating in some extended hiking trips this summer to prep for my long walk in 2014.

 

I am having a blast so I know that I am absolutely on the right track!

 

You Gotta Love Your Bike Part II

You have decided on the bike that will best suit your riding goals (fitness vs. road bike) and now you have to decide exactly which bike to get of the several styles available.

 

There are different levels of bicycles within each category and just like when purchasing a car; you get what you pay for. Each level of bike will come with a higher quality derailleur, or wheels, or frame materials. If you are relatively new to cycling, this is the point when you don’t want to let yourself get talked into buying a very sophisticated bike just because you can afford it. You haven’t ridden enough miles yet to know what you want and the subtly of how an Ultegra derailleur performs vs. a 105 derailleur is probably not worth the hundred dollar upgrade. This is my opinion and I’m sure that there are others who would disagree and tell you to buy as much bike as your budget will allow. They can give you their opinion in their blog.

 

Since we have broached the subject of price, let’s talk about that for a minute. You gotta love your bike which means you have to be comfortable with what it costs. If you have to take a little extra time to save the money to buy the bike you want, that’s fine. The extra time will be well worth it. If you splurge and buy a bike that is on the north side of your budget, you won’t feel right about it and ultimately, you will ride the bike less. Your health and your well-being are extremely valuable so honor them with an appropriate place in your budget.

 

Your friendly bike shop person should guide you to selecting a bike that is the correct size for you. The first step in this process is typically done by having you stand straddled over the top tube of the bicycle and then lifting the bike by the handlebars and seat until the top tube rests gently against your anatomy. The wheels of the bike should be 1-2 inches off the floor if the bike fits your inseam.

 

Bicycle frames are measured in centimeters and come in sizes like 48, 50, 52, 54, etc. Most people can ride two different sizes. For example, I can ride a 52 or a 54. If you are between sizes (like me) I suggest that you go with the smaller size. It is easier to make a bike that is slightly too small a little bit bigger than it is to make a bike that is slightly too large smaller. These adjustments are typically made by changing the length and/or angle of the steering stem (the piece that connects the handlebars to the bike). I made the mistake once of buying a road bike that was slightly too large and I have never felt 100% comfortable on it no matter what adjustments I make.

 

If the bike shop doesn’t have the bike you want in the correct size for you in stock, they can order it! Don’t let yourself get talked into buying a bike that doesn’t quite fit you just because it’s the only one they have in stock at the time, even if they offer you a discount for buying now. The few dollars you save now won’t be worth the hours you will spend fidgeting on the bike and griping about how your shoulders hurt and your knees ache.

 

Last but not least, is the issue of color. You have to know how important color is to you and then choose your bike accordingly. I have one friend who loves color. She is really inspired by bright, high energy colors. She picked a road bike that happened to be predominantly white so she had the bike shop put on colorful turquoise water cages and redo the handlebar wrap in bright pink. We now call it the “Easter bike” but the point is that she loves the colors and that makes her happy about her bike. If you don’t like the color yellow, I suggest that you don’t buy a yellow bike. On the other hand, don’t buy the blue bike just because you love the color blue even though the bike if the wrong style and wrong size for you.

 

Shop around until you find a bike that meets your needs, fits your body and your budget, and shines with colors that make you smile. Think of this process as one of your first cycling adventures. Don’t rush it. Savor the search. After all…you gotta love your bike.

You Gotta Love Your Bike Part I

I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather this past weekend and went for a bike ride with Karen Z and Beth #1. Of course we were chatting as we rode and the subject drifted to shopping for a new bike. It seems we all knew someone who is going to be looking for a new bike over the next few months. Selecting the right bike is a critical decision that can have a major impact on your health, your peace of mind, and your wallet. This is especially true if you are new to cycling. If you make a bad bike decision early in your cycling experience, it can kill your enthusiasm and knock you out of the saddle for good.

 

So what’s my advice for finding the dream machine that will help you improve your fitness, increase your mental focus, and awaken your mind-body connection?

 

You Gotta Love Your Bike!

 

You have to love how it looks. You have to love how it meshes with your cycling goals. You have to love how it feels. You have to love what it costs. You gotta love everything about that bike because if you don’t, you won’t ride it with joy. If you don’t ride your bike, you won’t experience any of the benefits of riding. If you don’t ride your bike, it won’t matter how it looks or what it cost because you will have wasted your time and your money.

 

The first big decision you face is where to buy your bike. You can pay around $100 and get a bike from a discount box store or you can go to a friendly bike shop and pay $500-$1,000 to get started. If you plan to feel better about your fitness level because you own a bike but truly don’t intend to ride it, I recommend you visit the box store and get any bike there that suits your fancy. The cheaper the better because you’re just going to hang it in your garage so don’t plunck down any more cash than you have to. However, if you are committed to honoring yourself through fitness and really making a life-changing difference for yourself, then go to a bike shop and spend some money. Five hundred to a thousand dollars isn’t really that much money when you consider the value of your health and your body. How much money would you pay to avoid diabetes? What price would you put on amazing friendships? How much does it cost you to be sick? Hmmm….that bike doesn’t seem so expensive afterall, does it?

 

No matter where you live, chances are there are at least three bike shops within a 25 mile radius of your home. I recommend that you visit several shops in your area before you make your purchase decision. Talk to the people in the shop, walk around, ask questions, see what kind of a vibe you get. You are going to have a longterm relationship with your bike and a good relationship with a great bike shop can really enhance that experience.

 

Here are some questions to ask the bike shop:

Do you provide a free tune up for bikes you sell? (Any shop worth their salt is going to give you a free initial tune up)

 

How many miles do you typically ride a season and what kind of riding do you do? (You don’t want to buy a bike from someone who doesn’t routinely ride)

 

What was your best day ever on a bike? (Look for the twinkle in their eye as they answer this. If there isn’t a twinkle, move on to a different shop or at least a different salesperson.)

 

Does your shop offer any group rides or classes?

 

The next step is to choose a bike that meshes with your cycling goals. You need to match the kind of cycling you plan to do with the bicycle designed for that purpose. There are many different brands of bicycles (Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Specialized) just like there are different brands of cars (Ford, Chevy, Toyota). Many cyclists have a favorite brand and are willing to tell you at length why their preferred brand is better than the others. The truth is that all brands are relatively similar, especially at the entry level of their product lines. It’s more important to buy the correct type of bicycle from a friendly and knowledgable shop than it is to buy a specific brand.

 

Let’s presume that you want to buy a bicycle because you want to improve your health and well-being and see what this cycling thing is all about. To experience the commaradity of the cycling community and participate in cycling events (rides, not races!), you will need to work up to riding at least 20-30 miles comfortably. I promise you, THIS IS NOT AS HARD AS IT MAY SEEM. You can do this and you will be astonished at the world that opens up to you. There are two different styles of bicycles that can help you achieve this goal; a flat-bar road bike or a road bike.

 

A flat bar road bike (sometimes called a fitness bike) has the frame geometry of a road bike but flat handlebars. The flat handlebars make the bike easier to steer and put your body in a more upright position. The upright postion makes the bike easier to balance and is more comfortable if you have any low back issues or muscle tightness. The downside of the upright position is that you have no where to hide if you are pedalling into a headwind. The flat handlebars also provide less hand positions to help prevent fatigue and nerve issues but this isn’t as noticeable if you are using the bike for rides in the 30-60 mile range. I also like a fitness bike for commuting around town. (I save over $20 a month by running just one errand per week in town using my bike!) You can easily cruise at speeds of 12mph-16mph on a fitness bike with aerobic bursts at higher speeds. To cruise faster than that or go longer distances, you will want a road bike.

My friend Lindsay’s fitness bike “Dash”

 

A road bike is designed for speed and distance. If you are just starting, you don’t need a carbon fiber bike with race lite wheels, etc. An entry level aluminum bike is a great way to get started. A road bike has a slightly more aggressive frame geometry (for speed and climbing hills) than a fitness bike and it has the drop (bullhorn)handlebars. The drop handlebars allow you to tuck down for less wind resistance and provide a variety of possible hand positions. They also make the bike a little squirrely to control. Road bikes typically have a thinner tire than fitness bikes and this makes the ride faster but also a bit more bumpy. You can easily cruise at speeds of 14mph-18mph on a road bike and you’ll find climbing hills and riding against the wind easier than on a fitness bike. Remember though, a road bike is more ‘twitchy’ to ride than a fitness bike so if you aren’t comfortable with your balance or have limted experience on a bike, I would go with the fitness bike to get started.

My first road bike “Sprocket”

 

If you look at the fitness bikes and the road bikes in the shop and you think “Those seats are way too small”, I can promise you that your butt is way too big. When you first start to ride a quality bike, your butt may be sore for a while. This too shall pass. The more you ride the less your butt will hurt. A bigger seat will impede the movement of your legs and may actually rub a sore in your bumm. Get over the seat and get on your bike and ride!

 

You’ve made your choice between a fitness bike or a road bike and the friendly salesperson shows you three different bikes that will fit your needs. Now how do you choose? Let’s talk about narrowing down those choices and selecting the perfect bike for you tomorrow in Part II.

The Fat Lady Trifecta: How to Lose 100 lbs, Run a Marathon, Ride a Bike Across America, or Do Anything Impossible to Live Your Best Life

When I was a kid, I was fat. I wasn’t big boned, or chubby, or a little pudgy; I was fat. While other kids were running around and playing on hot summer days, my cousin Cherie and I would lounge in her family’s tent camper and dream of the adventures we would one day share. Instead of actually doing something, we just laid around and dreamed. I knew I was too fat and out of shape to do any of the things we dreamed about and I don’t think I truly believed that I would ever one day actually do those things, but it was fun to dream anyway.

We talked about running a marathon and how many miles we would have to run each day to do that. We dreamed of riding our bicycles across America and we fantasized about how great our legs would look after we made it over the Rockies. We imagined hiking the Appalachian Trail and spent hours discussing and dreaming what that would be like.

 

I was fat and those dreams seemed so impossible and yet I wanted the life that they represented. I spent the next thirty years getting fatter. I picked up addictions to alcohol and cigarettes to go with my obsession with food. I was profoundly unhappy. I didn’t even think about the marathon, the bicycle trip, or the Appalachian Trail. I had forgotten myself and therefore, I had forgotten my dreams.

 

Then one morning, I woke up and I couldn’t remember going to bed the night before. I said to myself, “This is not the life that I was born to live.” That day, I quit smoking, I quit drinking, and I started to eat mindfully. I got out of bed and instead of having my morning cigarette, I went for a walk.

 

I started to walk every morning. Eight months later, that morning walk turned into a jog. Two years later, I ran the Columbus marathon with my friends Linda C and Patty H. At the time, I thought that running the marathon was a celebration of my sobriety and the amazing life transition that I had negotiated and it was all that; yet it was something more. As I crossed the finish line, I thought of those summer days with Cherie and I felt a soft ping in my heart.

 

I wanted the marathon to be enough. I had quit smoking, given up beer, lost 100 pounds, and run a marathon. Really, wasn’t that enough self-improvement? Hadn’t I earned the right to kick back and coast?

 

That’s the funny thing about Life. Once you experience being present to your own life, once you taste the sensuality of being present in your own body, the joy of living your authentic self; kicking back on the couch just doesn’t have the same appeal.

 

So this summer, I rode my bicycle across America. It was an amazing adventure and I learned so much about cycling and about how to be a better human being. I shared that adventure in this blog and you can look back through the entries and see some of the things I learned along the way.

 

Next on the list is hike the Appalachian Trail. I cannot begin to tell you how little I know about hiking. I know nothing about hiking, I currently have none of the necessary skills or equipment and yet I KNOW that I am going to do this.

 

Which brings me to my point: YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO DO SOMETHING TO GET STARTED DOING IT, YOU JUST HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

 

Accomplishing the biggest feats begins with taking the smallest step. My life turned from insanity to sobriety because instead of just promising myself that I would never do this again (I had tried to quit many, many times before), I got out of bed and went for a walk. I couldn’t look at the big picture (being sober for life), that was too overwhelming, but I could  go for a walk. I went for that walk and while I was walking, I let the walking show me what to do next.

 

When we were in Rochester, MN on the bike ride across America, I broke down in tears at breakfast. My mentor Sam asked me what was wrong. “I’m so tired Sam. We have come so far and yet we have so much farther to go. I just don’t think I can do it”, I sobbed. “Can you just ride today’s ride?” he asked. I shook my head, no, today’s ride was too much. “Can you just put your luggage on the truck?” he asked. “Yes”, I nodded, I could do that. After I put the luggage on the truck Sam said, “Can you ride a mile with me?” Yes, I could do that; and so the day went.

 

So what is your marathon? What is your ride across America? What is your leap into sobriety? What are you waiting for? What is the small thing you can do now that will put you in the flow of your best life?

 

The Appalachian Trail lies ahead of me. It is an enormous adventure and the biggest thing I have ever attempted. So what am I doing today? Today, I am going for a walk. I am going to walk 3 miles on the treadmill at a 3% inlcine wearing a backpack loaded with 6 lbs of hand weights. It’s not a huge thing to do and I’m not entirely certain that it’s the “right” thing to do, but it’s something to do. I know that at some point while I am walking, the next step will come to me and it will just feel right. It may not come during today’s walk or even tomorrow’s walk, but I know for certain it will come.

 

How do you do something big? You start by doing something small. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go for a walk!

 

The Fat Lady Sings Part II

(sometimes technical challenges force me to publish the post in progress before completely finished-here is the continuation of the previous post)

Experiencing life intensely has been one of the unexpected gifts of this trip. I think that one of the greatest challenges I will face in the future is how to integrate this extreme intensity of living and awareness of life into my day to day experience when I return to my 'normal' routine. Maybe that's a good reason not to let myself get too settled and comfortable in a routine again. Life is truly lived outside your comfort zone.

Sunday's ride took us from Brattleboro, VT to Manchester, NH. By this point, I felt like I had nothing left to prove to myself and I actually enjoyed the ride to the fiat SAG stop at 32 miles. My friends Lindsay and Karen had arrived in the area to pick me up after the ride finished on Mondays so I coordinated with them and they scooped me up and I took Sunday afternoon off to relax with them before the final push on Monday. I was leaping with joy when I saw them!

Sunday evening in Manchester was the final banquet for the ride. Karen and Lindsay got to attend and it was fun to have someone from home meet my new family and put faces with to some of the people they had been hearing about. The banquet itself was a tender experience as we all began to bring some closure to our amazing journey together. Jeff Lazer gave me the inflatible turtle he had used to decorate his SAG stop table and the we presented Crist with a cycling jersey of a train engine to thank him for pulling us across the country. We belly laughed, sniffed back tears, reminisced and wondered at it all.

Monday morning brought the final ride to the ocean. Forty eight miles to the rendez-vous point at Rye Junior High School and then three miles with a police escort down to the beach. The first 20 miles had quite a few short but very steep climbs and I was determined not to get separated from Team Turtle. I rode my heart out and they held up at just the right times and we were able to finish the ride like we started it...together.

There was a 10 mile stretch that started around mile 35 where the terrain was calm as it went through a beautiful wetland and we were on the road just the five of us. We thanked each other for the gift of friendship and the love and support we received during the journey. We also rode a good piece of that ten mile stretch in silence, soaking in the beautiful scenery, the warmth of friendship and the joy of accomplishment. There are moments when life is beyond words and it is my prayer that everyone could experience a moment like we did in those ten miles. It took the 3,668 miles that came before them to make those 10 miles what they were and I suspect that is why many people never get to taste that kind of joy, they give up somewhere in the 3,668 or worse yet, they never even start the journey.

The rest of the day was a glorious blur. When we descended around a bend and caught our first view of the ocean I was filled with awe, gratitude and joy. Had we really bicycled from the Pacific to the Atlantic? How did we make it this far? How is it over so fast? What am I supposed to do next? What does this really mean?

I will post some final pictures and thoughts over the next few days. I want to thank you for your prayers and support throughout this incredible journey, your love and kindness were tangible and a mmajor contribution to the success of the ride. I also want to encourage you to check out Sam's blog at samsride.blogspot.com (or google 'Sam went for  a ride'). His blog has many great photos and a lot of great technical information and insight about the ride.

The Fat Lady Sings

I have been home now since last evening and it was brought to my attention this afternoon that I haven't posted since last Friday so I wanted to make a moment to share what's been happening.

Saturday was our ride from Latham, New York to Brattleboro, VT. The route started with a detour in Latham to avoid construction but I think the real purpose was to make sure that we climbed every possible hill in the city. We weren't even out of the city limits before I thought I was going to lose my breakfast! I sent Team Turtle on ahead because it was immediately clear that I was going to need my own time and space to deal with all the steep climbs of the day.

The weather Saturday was extremely humid and combined with the steep climbs in Vermont it made for a great test of my new belief system. I'm not proud of how I reacted every moment of every day and there were times on those climbs in Vermont when I was quite surly. Kathy the guide passed me during the 10 mile long climb and shouted "You can do this!" I yelled back "I know I can, but why would I want to!?!"

Good question. I thought about that and about how cranky I was being and it occurred to me that if you want to do something bigger than yourself you have to have a reason why that is beyond yourself. I hunkered down, set my gaze forward and kept pedaling.

By the end of the day I had done over 5,000 ft of climbing in extreme heat and humidity, I was rained on, hailed on, hungry, hypothermic, exhausted and exhilarated. I will always remember this as a day that I truly lived. Experin

A Day to Remember

Today was a day that I will look back on the rest of my life and say "That was a truly pivotal day". Today I learned what a difference my beliefs make. I knew all the cliches about how attitude is everything and all that, but I didn't really KNOW how simply changing my belief about something could so immediately change my experience of it.

When I went down to the breakfast lobby this morning and saw all the other riders, my first thought was "I wish I was like them and was strong enough to know that I would be able to do today's ride". This is something I notice myself thinking at some point every day. This morning when I noticed that same old sad story I decided that I WOULD be strong enough to do today's ride and I would know that strength and enjoy it.

It is absolutely astonishing the difference that changing that belief made. As I saw each hill ahead, instead of panicking I thought 'I can do that'. As I was climbing I would roar out my 'Grrrrrrrr!!!!!!' The Turtles got a chuckle out of that and after a bit they were growling back at me. Big fun!

I felt the power I can posess and how to summon that power with my belief. I am so, so grateful to learn this. Thank you God for this amazing experience.

Besides all the self-realization, the scenery on today's ride was also stunningly beautiful. We spent most of the day riding through the Mohawk river valley. We would climb to the crest of a ridge and you could see the river and the valley and the the Adirondack's to the north. Spectacular!

Tomorrow we have a big day of climbing (5,000 ft). I know it is going to take effort and determination and I know I can make it.

Please continue to hold us all in your prayers. We had favorable wind today and that is truly the difference between enjoying the day and just suffering through it. We are also going to ride some narrow roads to orrow in Vermont with lots of traffic so say an extra prayer for safety and patience. Safe travels also to Karen & Lindsay as they begin their drive east tomorrow to meet me in Manchester, NH on Sunday and bring me home after the ocean dip on Monday.

On to Vermont!