OK, I’m really on this training stuff. So far in March I’ve gone skiing and played several games of ice hockey. I wonder if that counts? Oh, and bike work- Mt Hamilton 80 miles, 8800′, 8 hours and then added another 20 or so to complete the 100. Pointing to the Tierra Bella, rode to Coe from So. San Jose- 62, 4,000, 5 hours. Lots of core work, riding and spin when the weathers bad.
I’d rather ski and play hockey.
Someone asked me about my New Year’s resolutions and I stayed firm in my tradition of not setting any (vocally anyway). We have just come out of a tornado of activity to close ‘07 with the TWFK Pirate fundraiser, the 49er bike build, our Big Bike Build (2100 bikes assembled in 4 1/2 hours!… thank-you everyone), a trip to Bay St. Louis to coordinate a 100 bike assembly and donation to victims of Hurricane Katrina all concluded with a family cruise where my oldest daughter accepted a proposal of marriage. I needed a break. Unfortunately no one else thought that would be a good idea. A break was not in the cards. We had barely made it back into town late in December when TWFK fund-raising and bike activities hit again.
This was already going to be a busy year. My oldest son and his wife will be moving to St. George, Utah to open the state’s first In-N-Out, my oldest daughter (just engaged) wants to get married in the spring, my next daughter is in school in Idaho and comes and goes and my youngest son is graduating from High School (with a 4.0 gpa) and is going away to school in the fall. I am self employed and have a business to run. I am active in Church and have responsibilities that require my time. I’m tired just thinking about this year.
I know several people that have ridden the “Death Ride” multiple times. It sounded intriguing. I bought a new Raleigh road bike this last fall and have been casually, but regularly riding it and working out to get into better physical shape. I wanted to ride a century “someday”. I knew that the Death Ride would be way over my head and put it out of my mind for ‘08. No way for ‘08. Ain’t going to happen. Not enough time to train. I’m too old and have way too many other commitments. Forget about it.
So I submitted a registration request for it. It’s OK, I told myself. It’s a lottery system and I won’t get picked.
I got picked. I paid my entry fees. I am in. I’m a fool. Why do I feel so tired all of a sudden? July 12th is less than 4 months away!
I’m in! Dave’s in! Jack’s in! We are official participants in the 2008 Death Ride – Tour of the California Alps.
Today marks the beginnings of the TWFK team. Commence jersey design…training…eating…training…eating.
it’s saturday and i have a few minutes — no one home, quiet. time to catch up! and as those mornings go, it’s now a lot later and i find i had one of those really special moments that you don’t mind that you lost time and now you might not get as much done today as you thought. i have been floating, reading the thank you notes that came in from the Bay Area Rescue Mission, one of the charities we support. The package included pictures, notes from children and notes from moms, dads and grandmas. There are a few that really touched me. First of all, most of the kids wrote to TRAININGwheels : )) — cute!
One little girl said, “to give children like us wonderful bikes . . . . ” — children like us? i wonder what she means? Children like us. I relate to that — do you? it makes me wander off in my mind and remember.
another little girl says, “I got the coolest bike on the block”! Sweet Vanessa! The coolest bike on the block.
How bout this one, “I love to ride bikes and I never had my own. I don’t believe in Santa Clause, I believe in people like you who care about kids like me.” There it is again ~ “kids like me”. But more important, this child is learning that there are people who care in a world where homeless, scared and disappointment is up front and personal. I wonder f he will grow up and be one of those kind of people – the kind that care? Can we make a difference for this one?
How bout this? “My name is Delisha Johnson i am 14 years old. Thank you so much for making this Christmas so special for me. I have been wanting a bike to help me loose weight and you gave me one. I will starting riding my new bike tomorrow”. In a world of crazy, this little girl wants to lose weight. Some measure of control. I hope it made a difference. I worry a bit — what if it has a flat tire? sigh!
And the many notes and comments from parents and grandparents. There was true gratitude expressed and i wandered off in my mind and wondered ~ wow, to be a parent that must rely on others to provide for the people you love most in the world, your children ~ and then to be willing to let go of your own disappointment, feelings of inadequacy, and perhaps even a measure of bitterness and say, thank you for doing what i couldn’t do. My love and heart goes to these parents and grandparents. I hope that it turns around for them. There were adults who wrote that the bike allowed them to take something “valuable” to their children from whom they are estranged. I hope it made a little inroad for them, cleared a path just a bit for reconcilliation.
One man wrote, “I Reginald XXXXX, Writing on behalf of the entire XXXXX family. For your gifts of bicycles. In which I and my wife received three. For the children of my two daughters. One boy Michael age twelve, two girls Shamiah age two, and Jaysha age nine. Truly in the season of giving. I must admit that such gifts would not have been possible without your gracious donation. We the XXXXX family are greatly appreciative for your assistance in our time of need”. and he sent pictures of the two little girls – so precious with HUGE smiles.
I will stay with these people in my head today and I know my mind will drift to them ocassionally as i do my “stuff”. It’s March. Wonder where they are? Wonder if life is turning? Best intentions — how many will find there way? The Bay Area Rescue Mission works mostly with people with addictions. Have you lost anyone to an addiction? I wonder what that is like for them today — not me.
I wonder what letters would have touched you, what thougths? I wish you could have a morning reading these. It is the reason for doing it – TurningWheels. I had a dad who was an alcoholic. He died a long time ago and this morning I thought about him. He was a great person. I loved him. Yup, I loved him.
Susie
Training: riding 2-3x per week, increasing mileage on the weekends when possible. Average mileage per week: 50 – 75 miles; Average altitude gain per week: 6,000 – 8,000 feet.