My love affair with riding a bike started early. Playing with dolls or playing house never really appealed to me. I just didn't get it. I preferred adventure - and in small town Eastman, Georgia, books and my banana-seat-blazing-red bicycle with streamers fit the bill. Nancy Drew, Laura Ingalls, Captain Nemo, and a host of others fueled my imagination while my beloved bike provided transportation.
Pedaling away, I explored our neighborhood and the surrounding woods, enjoying the thrill of riding wherever my heart desired. I would stop along the way to build forts, find special rocks, and read a bit in my current book. Those were magical times and served to instill the love of being outside, seeking adventure, confronting fear, and riding a bike deep in my soul.
There were of course, a few misadventures now and then. Like that one Sunday my middle sister Karen, my friend Lisa, and I rode beyond our approved destination of the library and pushed the boundaries a bit too far, deciding to bike to the convenience store just a couple of blocks further away. We safely crossed the only-red-light-in-town intersection; but, while crossing again to go home, I got caught in the middle when the light changed and was hit by a car. I remember the distraught driver, a young woman, screaming; Karen and Lisa biking home as fast as they could to get help, and waking up in the emergency room. Fortunately, aside from being shaken up and a little sore, I wasn't hurt. I also wasn't allowed to ride my bike again for what seemed an eternity. Once back in the saddle, I chose to keep my adventure-seeking in check and avoid the loss of my bike again.
Another time, when I was about eight or nine years old, I rode to the creek just a few houses down from our home to check on a fort I'd built with the stump of a fallen tree. Looking for a few more sticks, I spied a purple velvet bag. Nearly breathless, I pulled it out from underneath a pile of leaves and opened the heavy bag. Finally, a treasure! I slowly pulled out a strange looking item made of what seemed to be shiny gold and wood. Puzzled, but excited to the point trembling, I carefully repacked the treasure and raced to the house. Next thing I knew, the neighborhood dads and law enforcement officials were in my front yard examining my treasure. Apparently, finding what turned out to be a bong stored in Crown Royal bag, hidden in the woods near a family-filled neighborhood, caused a great deal of angst among the adults. That area was off limits for awhile, but admittedly, I never really adhered to that rule. The creek was too beautiful and the fort needed my attention; I couldn't stay away.
Biking for fun stayed with me as an adult. When Jordan was born, I added a child's seat to my bike and rode with him attached, typically singing and pointing out birds and dogs as we pedaled around. As time rolled on, I'd ride for exercise, ride for stress relief and ride to be alone with my thoughts. A little time on a bike always seems to soothe my mind.
On one trip to Jacksonville Beach, I decided it would be a great idea for me and Kevin to rent a bicycle for two. How much more fun would it be to ride together? As reality and fantasy collided, I quickly learned a ship can't have two captains and that I was not all that great at sharing control of my biking adventures. It turned out to be a really short ride; there were, however, a lot of laughs about this... later.
While in Paris just a little over a year ago, Kevin and I discovered Velib bike rentals. Thanks to Kevin's well-honed navigation skills, we biked from our apartment to points all over The City of Light. We explored the bridges, cafes, museums, and neighborhoods by bike, soaking up the sights and smells. The bike system there is really fantastic; we'd rent a bike, ride to our destination and then electronically lock the bike at one of the ever-present stations. We could wander around from there, and then just use our code to rent different bikes for the ride back to the apartment. For a bike lover who had always wanted to explore Paris, this was simply paradise. [Though I've said it a hundred times, thank you Kevin for giving me this gift.]
More recently, I decided I wanted to change my workout a bit. Being cooped up inside all day at work, I longed to be outside, not inside a gym or always watching a DVD to exercise. As usual, my bike came to the rescue. I started out on my Schwinn and it worked for awhile. Seeking a bit more of a workout and well, more adventure and more miles, I decided it was time to graduate to a "real" road bike. Kevin surprised me with a red Specialized bike, and though it was sans a banana seat & streamers, the magic was the same.
In December, when planning the It's 50/50 project, I chose the 45 mile route of the annual Tour de Tifton bike ride for my March activity. Kevin and I mapped out routes for training with different legs I could add on for increased mileage. I had just started when Polly Huff, a friend and fellow Wiregrass Farmers Market board member, said she wanted to train and ride too, so we began riding each Sunday afternoon and going to spin class at the Y. My fabulous trainer Reggie Kinchen created a at-home workout plan for me to complement my bike training and I was off to the races.
Yesterday, March 28, was the big day! It dawned clear and... cold at 41 degrees. Fueled up on quinoa and black beans for breakfast and with homemade energy snacks tucked in my cycle shirt, I joined Polly and 175+ other cyclists for the ride. At the halfway mark, I was still feeling pretty jazzy and energetic. We stopped at the rest area, ate our snack, hydrated, and hopped back on for the second half.
By the time we rolled into the third and final rest stop for the 45 mile route, we had 10 miles to go and my thighs were talking to me. [And not all that nicely.] I thought about all the times I'd heard Jordan talk about "grinding it out" while playing high school and college golf. I knew the next 10 miles were going to take a little grinding on my part, but there was no way I was giving up. As Polly and I alternately talked and rode in silence, each focused on pedaling through the final hills and the home stretch, we biked closer to the end. As we turned in at the Y, I spied Kevin waiting for me, camera in hand. Polly's husband Charles and daughter Eliza were waiting as well. We'd made it!
After the hot tub, a yoga session and a nap, I was rested, starving, and pretty darned pleased with myself. I think pursuing the coveted Century Ride is in my future; it seems a bit out of reach, but not entirely. A real challenge, but not insurmountable. After all, for me and my bike it's all about the next adventure!
