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Thanks for helping with GYGIG
April 24, 2007
Thanks for all your prayers, money and training tips. You helped me raise over $7500 for GYGIG. My three day bike ride in Seattle, WA is now over and I am happy to report I actually biked 170 miles of the 210. Let's remember, there were only fifty miles of flat land on this trip. Each day was quite an experience for me. The hills were plentiful and of varying sizes and most of them were a challenge for a big, middle-aged woman on a recumbent bike. I have no regrets and urge anyone out there to try for it. I felt every cell in my body was alive and alert. I had to be one with the road because many of them did not have shoulders and some had traffic going by at a fairly good speed. The view over the Puget Sound was breathtaking and I had plenty of time to view it as I walked my bike up the steepest areas.
We also took the ferry across to Whidbey Island and then went through the gorgeous Skagit Valley. One morning when I could still see my breathe as I left at 6:30 am, the fog was nestled over the farmlands and the Cascade Mountains had shades of bluegray showing through the fog. Wildlife and farm life peeked out at me occasionally and many hours passed by quickly with many stops filled with fun and snacks. I would get back at camp around 5:00 PM, have dinner and it didn't take long before I was sound asleep ready to face the next day.
A year ago when I first started learning how to balance on my two-wheeled recumbent and I was crashing occasionally, one mile seemed unattainable. Over time, with a few ice packs, some Ibuprofen, and many prayers, I trained slowly and the miles began to accumulate. Recently, I did a local 30 mile ride with a few thousand people and it actually seemed easy. I never thought I would say that. The gift I received in helping others learn about the diseases of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis was that I truly enjoy biking. The trails in Minnesota are breathtaking and if you find yourself in my neighborhood, give me a call and we'll go biking.
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