I wonder sometimes if I make these athletic events such big mile markers because they have mile markers themselves. This century ride was a serious privilege. As I checked into the hotel I crashed into Amy Dodson (http://blog.livestrong.org/2010/04/23/amy-dodson-one-leg-one-lung-100-miles/) who I had met briefly in Austin. We agreed to go running the next day and she wanted to both run and cycle longer than I had intended to since she’s training for an ironman. I accompanied her and was impressed… she has a great humility to her. I posted her blog on my facebook and my mom who knows I’ve ran 5 marathons and 5 half marathons was finally inspired to sign up for her first half…
I went to the booths to pick up my packet and met the UT
kids from the Austin 4000 (http://www.texas4000.org/)
and was thoroughly impressed with the character and maturity of these kids who
are riding 4000 miles to fight cancer. Somehow the fact that I was going to
ride 100 the next day seemed a lot smaller… But it was just a weekend of great characters,
people who had formed different teams from the area, who were riding in honor
of someone, in memory of someone, as survivors themselves. I ran and rode with
someone with Amy who is missing part of one leg, I met with someone who rode a
very modified bike so that they were able to because of some of their medical
issue. I met a woman who was not a cyclist at all but whose son was a serious
one who was riding 100 miles on tandem with her to celebrate her success over
breast cancer (he was a serious enough cyclist to where on the ride he would
pass me going up hill).
I’ve done some Livestrong and Brain cancer related events
for a while now… trying to “pay back” the people who saved my life… but this
was the first weekend where I felt more comfortable with this being part of my
permanent identity. Some of the awkwardness and uncomfortableness I’ve had
seemed to be far more faded and I tried to embrace two big parts of the speech
that Amy shared… to those who much is
given, much is expected and our scars are a symbol of our courage. I mentally rode
with my aunt who passed away from cancer in mind, with a sticker to remind me
of the little girl who I’d taught to bike through this process. I even had some
fun with it and because of a certain donation I had to shave my legs. I’ve
always had plenty of respect for the female gender but it grew exponentially
with 4 razors and over an hour to take away 30 years worth of hair…
Like I do before every event… I laid out my gear Friday night.
When this all started, showing some scars which are still healing but much closer
than they ever have been, I had joked that this bike that was lent to me was about
what an engagement ring should cost so I was committed. Then I realized that in
the gear there was something old (the gear I’d been training with), something
new (the new Livestrong helmet ), something borrowed (the bike itself) and
something blue (my road id medical bracelet), it seemed like proper gear to be
having at the end of the training and the beginning of the road. My heart is
still healing from all of the messes from the last year… Interestingly enough I
met someone who had made “gold ring bands” out of the Livestrong bracelet. I
remembered the comment I’d made that if I ever propose again it would be with
Livestrong gear… she immediately gave me a new ring. I’ve put in a safe place
for now.


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