Friday, November 23, 2012

WR; Hub; Eagle Rock 32.5 miles; 4068 feet MTB by stenogrl at Garmin Connect - Details

WR; Hub; Eagle Rock 32.5 miles; 4068 feet MTB by stenogrl at Garmin Connect - Details

Another great ride in the Santa Monica mountains with Catherine Hinton.  We headed up from my house to Westridge, Hub, Eagle Rock and back home.
Beautiful day!


Gilbert's annual Thanksgiving ride by stenogrl at Garmin Connect - Details

Gilbert's annual Thanksgiving ride by stenogrl at Garmin Connect - Details

                                            Devo admiring my bike
                                          Over 30 riders showed up for the
                                          Sullivan Backbone loop!


We started at Ocean and San Vicente at 8:00 a.m.   I met my friend Stephen at 7:30 and we headed to the start.  Up Amalfi to Sullivan FR, Hub and Backbone.  I ended up riding most of BB by myself as the others missed the turn off.  It was so much fun.
Over 30 miles and plenty of climbing.  Then off to Oxnard for a wonderful dinner my daughter prepared for 7 of us.  A long day with so much gratitude for my life and health, family, friends and mountain biking!


Monday, November 5, 2012

My thanks to La Grange for the Russell Moon Ride of Hope


Thank you, Michael.   I do know Russell – Russell gave me hope in some very tough times – Russell never gave up on me, even when I thought I had no hope to keep on living.  It was really hard for me to walk up to him too, though it was all I was looking forward to.

I chose to ride solo on Saturday – For 70 miles I thought about getting back in time to see Russell so I could tell him that I pray for him every day – and tell him to keep on fighting!
Over and over I thought about  how this type of accident could happen to any one of us.  I fought my own  personal battles, first, breast cancer, seven years later, multiple myeloma,  terminal bone marrow cancer -- two bone marrow transplants – But by some miracle, I am not only alive, but in the two percentile of surviving my situation.   I rode for Russell – I climbed for Russell and kept thinking of how I wanted to make him happy – and he would be so thrilled  to see all the riders who showed up for HIM.    
I did not want to miss seeing Russell!!  I knew I had to be back by 12:30.  Ride faster,  Cheryl! 
That may not be a big ride for most  of the LG riders, but that was the longest ride I have ever ridden alone -    I cried a lot of tears on Saturday.

The highlight was when I finally had eye to eye contact with Russell and he smiled and moved his lips and whispered “thank you” when I said, “I pray for you every night” -    Please know, my LG friends, most of whom are strangers, that I thank you from my  heart for what you all did on Saturday.   It was a life-changing day for me -- and I am sure for Russell -- And I am sure  lot of you who know and love Russell, or don’t know him, but still showed up him. I won’t forget those minutes with Russell, the  hope in his eyes, the  look on his face- It will never leave my mind, and in a good way.    He is a fighter like I have never seen.   He is one heck of  good guy --  Who knows what the kind of support you all  gave him on Saturday might do.   The mind is a powerful place.    A place we can believe and dream for the good. 

As said earlier, this was a ride for a fallen rider and not a race.    I had over four hours to reflect on how grateful I am for my life and how grateful I am to have had that opportunity, that day, with my bike, with fellow riders, and mostly FOR OUR FRIEND RUSSELL – I had the opportunity to say, “keep fighting” – we all had the opportunity to show another human being that WE care! What a gift.
I am still emotional about it, obviously.   I just wanted to chime in on this thread to say thank you all.    La Grange is  great group, with a solid foundation of riders who give hope.   Riders who deliver meals to those in need and, from what I see a lot of charity.    The few people I personally know in this group are people I respect and look up to very much.    You know who you are!  I am proud to be a small part of this group.

Maybe next year Russell will be with us on the ride – I know that I am glad I never gave up hope when doctors told me I had six months to live in 1995.  
Peace

Sunday, November 4, 2012