Following the Dream

This will be an exiting weekend! David's USA Cycling license arrived in the mail yesterday. Tomorrow, David will test the waters as he re-enters the world of bicycle racing as more than just an observer!

David raced as a teenager, but with becoming a grown-up and having stresses and responsibilities, his own desires were put on hold. Now that David's (with me!) in a supportive relationship, he's on the right path with his career, and his son is off to college -- it's time to do those things he didn't have the freedom to do previously.

I'll be ringing a cowbell on the sidelines to cheer him on!!

The Plainville Spring Series is held on the roadways of The Farmington Valley Corporate Park in Plainville, CT. The course consists of a flat, 0.5 mile circuit on smooth pavement with two, wide 90 degree turns.

I discovered this video clip online of a previous year's race.

Keeping Up Connections

It feels good to know you've made a difference in someone's day. Maintaining family connections is important -- not only for your own well-being, but for the impact on those you love.

Over the weekend, Dave & I visited with elderly relatives.

Sometimes we get so busy in our day-to-day activities, and in keeping up with the demands of work and home, that our days are a blur. Modern technology has impacted face-to-face interactions too. With voicemail, email, texting, and online calendars jammed with appointments and commitments, it's with us always, right in the palms of our hands. These devices may have been developed to make our lives easier, but we feel compelled to respond immediately, so we end up more stressed than ever!

Every now and then, we should stop to take a quiet moment, and consider elder family members and others we know whose lives are not so intertwined with modern technology. Imagine what it might be like to have failing senses -- eyesight and hearing diminish, and oftentimes there are other health conditions in the mix as well. The world closes in as driving privileges are lost, friends pass away, opportunities for social activities are fewer.

On Saturday, we visited my grandfather who is 94 years old. He lives alone in a apartment. He was suffering from a migraine headache when we arrived, but still so happy to see us. We brought him donuts. We also changed the batteries in his hearing aids, read him his mail, and took out his garbage. We sat and talked. We had my 7-year-old daughter, Katie,  with us and she gave him a big, big hug!

On Sunday Katie went to her Dad's house. We were free to get in some cycling, and although the weather was a little on the cold side, we had made that our day to get out on the tandem and get some exercise. But where to ride?

Our visit on Saturday was very gratifying. In fact, we enjoyed the time spent as much as I'm sure my grandfather did. So on Sunday, we decided to visit David's elderly aunt in Rhode Island. It was 30 miles to see her and 30 miles back. We got on the tandem and made it our mission -- not only to gain the benefits of pedaling -- but to brighten her day!

The smile on her face made all the pedaling all the more worthwhile!

Small acts of kindness can mean a lot.

Scares the crap out of me!

Some things about being on the road scare the crap out of me!

I wish the possibility of something terrible happening could escape my mind, but it's there whenever I'm on a bicycle. When I am on my own, I always stop at intersections -- even on the most rural streets. I'm a lot more cautious now than I remember being as a kid pedaling all over city streets. Safety wasn't at the forefront of my thoughts back then. I just wanted to get to my destination, and bicycle was how I got there.

Maybe it's that I haven't spent much of my adult life on two wheels -- with the exception of time spent on a designated bicycle path. There, I felt pretty safe, in spite of the numerous walkers with dogs, rollerbladers, and children happily unaware of the rule about staying to the right. It's just that on the bike path, there's the comfort of knowing there wasn't going to be heavy objects on four wheels whizzing by, easily capable of flattening out me and my bicycle like a pancake.

My other fear-factor is revolves around the fact that I am now taking a prescription for a blood thinner. I've seen Facebook photos of cyclists after a fall, and the full length body scrapes I'm sure would be a larger problem for me.

But all-in-all, when I balance the overall health benefits of cycling with the inherent risks, I don't want to give up the riding. I don't want to live in fear.

On the back of our tandem, I place my utmost trust in my Captain. He brought me into the world of serious cycling, and I've hungrily accepted his guidance all along.

However, David is a speed enthusiast by nature. Although I was scared crap on our first few fast and straight downhill descents on the tandem together, I made a promise to him and myself that I would not scream. And I will not ever, ever punch him in the back! I will admit to closing my eyes on occasion. :)

Three years into it now, whenever I am with David, I feel a greater sense of safety than when I am riding alone. But still, we have had a few close calls. In recent weeks, these have been with motorists making a right-hand turn in front of us. I've held my breath while David makes a split second decision on how to react.

Ride safely. Encourage motorists to be aware.

Challenging for sure!

I have a weekly appointment to have my blood checked. A year ago, after considerable weight loss, I experienced severe abdominal pain. Initially, it was assumed to be a gall bladder issue. But a MRI revealed a blood clot in the portal vein of my liver. Eventually, the pain subsided, I was placed on blood thinners to help my body to dissolve the clot.

A year later, I thought I would be over this health crisis. But the clot is still there. Now the blood doctor wants to watch me more carefully to assure that my blood is consistently thin enough. I'm told my gall bladder is sick too. But since it hasn't given me much trouble, they are cautiously waiting before removing it. They want to be sure I have no clotting issue before going ahead with a "routine" surgery.

While I was getting my blood drawn yesterday morning, the lab technician was very interested in my cycling activity. I shared with her how many miles Dave & I ride each week, and our great enthusiasm for tandem riding. She wanted to learn more. I offered her some encouragement to get involved in cycling. I enjoy spreading the word about the sport as a pastime -- it's a way to gain all the benefits of regular physical activity without the drudgery. It's challenging for sure ~ more at some times than others ~ but it's exhilarating and afterward, the feeling of being refreshed and relaxed is so worth the effort!

Last night, we joined in with an after-work group ride of cycling club members. The first part of the ride was a lot more challenging than we anticipated! When it comes to hill climbing, it's a lot tougher on a tandem! Dave & I struggled as our ride leader explained to us that there was approximately 4 miles of uphill facing us... Wow, that was 100% pure effort in our combined output for a prolonged period of time! During those climbs, we find ourselves questioning what we ate that day, was it too much stress, etc. And we feel pressured to keep up with the others, not wanting to hold them back. Dave becomes very verbal. I prefer to quietly focus. We're good together!  : )

The second half of last night's ride was better. The longest stretch of road was rolling with generous ups and downs. On the tandem, we were invited to lead the pack so that we could maximize our momentum on the downs to carry us forward on the ups. It worked out beautifully!

Overall, it was a 34 miles ride with 11 fellow riders, and a 14.4 mph average speed.