Resting, Recollecting, Reflecting

The glorious ride ended 15 days ago. My coach's imposed rest days have given me more time and energy to recollect and reflect. Time well spent. The resting is now over.

Yesterday, I swam laps for 40 minutes and my body loved the limbering and loosening. Today I rode with a noon riding group that does an hour long loop with some nice hills. What a different cyclist I am now than I was when I left last November! I love the increased strength and competency. Our guides told us it would be so.

And, then, to see the gorgeous cactus blooming on our bike path. I've never noticed it before. My senses have been quickened and I'm grateful for that.

The gorgeous cactus I noticed on the bike ride.

I so look forward to personally thanking our corporate sponsors and member donors in New Orleans. I'll have on bike clothes most of the time, which really simplifies packing! Please introduce yourself if we haven't met. I want to thank you for sustaining and growing our WOCN Society, and I want to know your story.

According to Katherine: Day 51

I savored two helpings of scrambled eggs and hash browns before we left for the 48-mile ride to Crawfordville. The fog was very dense; the humidity was 93 per cent. The morning temperature was 65 degrees. Later in the day the temperature climbed to 89 degrees.

Marge cycled to the first SAG stop and we switched roles. While I was finishing my ride into Crawfordville she picked up tuna fish wraps from Subway. Robbie Sharpe, the indefatigable WOCN from Tallahassee, brought Harriett Loehme, a physical therapy expert in wound care, and they hosted a meet and greet at the Inn.

Sharon Aronovitch, Harriett Loehne, Farrah Hamilton, and Lisa Hamilton, Robbie Sharpe and me at the Meet and Greet at the Inn at Wildwood. 

My long time friend and colleague Sharon Aronovitch came along with local WOC nurses, Farrah Hamilton and Lisa Hamilton. We had a marvelous visit. Robbie presented me with two generous donations. One was her own; the other was given by Louise Bruner. That will help us reach our goal. Before dinner our two guides served up Margaritas and toasted our great group of 16 cyclists and the riding we have done. Always love the encouragement.

We had sausage (ours were soy) and beans over polenta and salad for dinner. I was not even tempted to taste the Dutch oven Dump cake with whipped cream. I'm sure I was asleep by 8:30, excited about going to the Crawfordville United Methodist Church to worship on Easter Sunday.

2857 miles behind us. 243 to pedal. 5 days to go.

Dr. Jeter Day 51 on Polyvore.com

According to Katherine: Move!

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It saddens me to hear people say they dislike exercise, or even worse: “I hate to exercise.” Moving your body shouldn’t be drudgery! People can experience that natural high from releasing endorphins through a variety of ways: Walking, running, swimming, biking or even doing an exercise DVD.

Let’s not get confused, I’m no Jane Fonda. I’m just an ordinary female trying to be as healthy as possible, to live a longer and more fulfilling life.

Motivation should come from within. People should want to better themselves. Men and women alike would look and feel a lot better if they adhered to the principles introduced in the book Younger Next Year.

I encourage the people around me to get out and move. If you don’t move, you’ll miss out!

According to Katherine: The Moment Everything Changed

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Everyone, at some point in their lives, experiences something so powerful it changes them forever. I experienced breast cancer. I would never wish such an awful disease on anyone, but for me, it changed how I live my life.

I doubt I would have explored some type of journey to take for my 70th birthday if I had never had cancer. That means I would have never ridden in a 70-mile bike ride that raised almost $100,000 for two charities. If I didn’t start riding just a few years ago, it’s tough to say if we would be here today talking about Cycling for Scholarships.

At 72, I realize it’s important to be joyous, and realize how vital it is to move. Movement keeps me fit and healthy, which brings me joy!

According to Katherine: Training for a Healthier Tomorrow

Training for a cross-country bike tour is intense. Personal trainers can be intimidating during a workout. So, imagine your trainer is a retired Marine Sergeant Major. Jimmy Gibson, a devoted coach, is just that, which I must say, is pretty intimidating.  Thank goodness he only sent weekly training schedules, rather than training with me! 

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He based the exercises on heart rate. In order to determine if I was completing the exercise properly, I wore a heart rate monitor – not in anyway am I lazy, but I prefer this than having to count myself! He switched the training between endurance and strength.

I used videos to supplement the workouts from Jimmy. One I particularly enjoyed was On the Road with Coach Troy: Rides So Realistic You’ll Get Bugs in Your Teeth! It’s a pretty realistic ride, with beautiful scenery; fortunately though, no bugs in my teeth! This workout was intense, but I believe it helped on the tour with parts where I struggle, including pushing uphill.

Aside from training on the bike, I enjoyed skiing every morning. And every morning, I had to be disciplined about getting off the mountain and on the noon bus home in order to make time for bike training. After making it home, I ate lunch and then hopped on my bike. I trained six days a week from 50 minutes to 1.75 hours a day. One day of rest suited me well -- I usually have too many things to do to take a break!