Cathy Weber is a fabulous artist and inspiring friend who has urged me the last few years to join her at CRatpod - a 140 mile ride around the Pioneer Mountains to benefit Camp Mak-A-Dream. I have actually signed up twice but life intervened. So this year I am IN...! I must be nuts. I am juggling so much on my plate right now - the last thing to add to the list is a HUGE ride over several mountain passes two weeks before my wedding (I just have to say my tummy did a happy little flip when I typed the words "my wedding") Frankly I am not very much into road biking. I LOVE mountain biking but paved roads and traffic are not my thing. I got the road bike used from friend a few years ago just to enjoy the brief period each spring when Yellowstone National Park is closed to vehicles but open to bikes. The park is MAGIC on a bike...! Springtime in the Rockies most often doesn't allow for much single-track biking so the road bike is simply a fun way to get out with a friend, talk, take in scenery and catch up. Last year an early spring ride ended in horrific disaster when I was attacked by three pit bulls. Severe PTSD kept me from creating last year - the journey was dark and challenging. The act of registering to join Ratpod was a gutsy leap-of-faith and a purposeful challenge to myself. What better way to motivate myself back onto the road bike than to join a wonderful good cause and dangle the challenge of a BIG ride to get my butt back onto the skinny-tire bike.
In between spring storms, work and intense "momma-care" I have begun to squeeze in moments to ride:
