SMMT CHALLENGE OVER - I was the only woman to complete all the MTB climbs, only woman to do all 30 climbs and most QOM's - what a summer

SMMT Challenge

9 hours ago

Congratulations to Cheryl Parrish for having the most QOMs! Cheryl had 13 QOMs (all MTB) in the challenges. For second place we have a tie between Mary Bouchard and Tink with 7 each.

Road QOMs:
1 - Mary Bouchard - 7
1 - Tink - 7
3 - Fiona Petersen - 1

MTB QOMs:
1 - Cheryl Parrish - 13
2 - Melissa Buches - 2

SMMT Challenge

10 hours ago

Congratulations to Conal Tepper and Cheryl Parrish for winning first place in the Mountain Bike Challenge! Conal was the only person to break the 5:30 mark and Cheryl was the only woman to tackle all the MTB climbs! Great job Conal and Cheryl!

MTB Men:
1 - Conal Tepper - 5:29:41
2 - Gareth Roberts - 5:47:39
3 - Craig Donkin - 5:49:11
4 - David Donatoni - 5:53:47
5 - Jon Dutton - 5:56:27
6 - Buz F...See More

SMMT Challenge

11 hours ago

Congratulations to Jon Dutton and Cheryl Parrish for winning first place in the Combined challenge! Jon was the only person to break 12 hours and Cheryl was the only woman to take on all 30 climbs! Great job Jon and Cheryl!

Men Combined:
1 - Jon Dutton - 11:59:55
2 - Gareth Roberts - 12:04:52
3 - Craig Donkin - 12:12:46
4 - Buz Fulton - 12:32:31
5 - Ross Lamb - 13:57:01
6 - Carlos Alves - 14:26:...See More

                                           River horsing around

                                            Oma horsing around at Paseo

Hot Saturday 114 degrees; 32 miles; 4000 + feet

Yesterday I rode out of my garage at 6:15 a.m. and headed up Westridge to meet Derek and Doug for a long mountain bike ride.  The heat came fast.  We headed to the hub, trippet ranch, and paseo.  We me a crazy guy at the Paseo bench who rode a huge heavy downhill bike there.  I seriously struggled lifting the bike off the ground. I used to downhill and have had a bike like that.  But my Giant was more like 35 to 40lbs - This bike felt like 60! Big travel and big pedal - Paseo is one of the toughest climbs around here.

We refueled at Trippet Ranch, but my water quickly turned to hot tea water and not drinkable.  I decided I needed to head back down Paseo to PCH and not do the more grueling climb back the way we came.  Thank goodness.  It may have been too dangerous in that heat.   Overall, my goal was not there, but I did get 32 miles and 4K feet - and in the heat, that is still some training.  I need some more 50 mile endurance rides and longer climbing days.  Skipped the LaGrange Piuma race.  Good move, Cheryl - MTB was better training.

My darling  River turns 2 today and we are having her party at the Moorepark zoo.   I need to get ready and see if the 405 is going to reopen in time.  She is so beautiful and I am so happy.   River has the most loving parents and grandparents.
She is a lucky little girl.  And, frankly, since I did not expect to see my own daughter turn 16,  I sure never expected to see her daughter turn two.  

I woke up this morning and first thing got on my knees and thanked God for another day!   I am so happy not to have a hangover.   I am happy I am not in the hospital on chemotherapy.  I am happy I have hair.  I am happy to have sore legs from riding bikes.   I am happy to have friends and family.  I am not sure why or how I lived through two very serious cancers, especially since my best thinking was to include a lot of alcohol with the chemo.  Those were some lonely days.  Me the chemo needle in my chest 24/7 with a battery attached to me- and a fifth of vodka.  No friends.  No hope.  No "life" -

**What I thought was the end, was really just the beginning.  So keep calm and keep confident and keep on being the best you can be, no matter what.  Remember that everybody is likely going through their own rough times and good times.  So just strive to treatment like you want to be treated.

I am still struggling with life on life's terms.   I daily struggle with low self-esteem and not ever being "enough" - I have a new t-shirt, which appropriately says, "will you ever be satisfied?" And Paul sent me a great shirt that says, "pain is weakness leaving the body" - AWESOME  -
Peace and blessings!

Santa Monica Climbing Challenge completed last Sunday

http://www.smmtchallenge.com/Leaderboard.aspx?type=Both&filter=f

Yes, I finally climbed the last five climbs last week:  Three on Friday, Yerba on Saturday and Corral on Sunday.   That was something else.   My legs were zapped.  Corral is steep, hot and terrible road, but I  did in 52.06.  Pretty good for this old gal.  30 climbs in all, around 37K feet, 15 road, 15 mountain - a very tough challenge, to say the least.

                                    Top of Corral - completes the SMMT Challenge and I am in first place of the women and 4th place of men in overall leaderboard - the challenge is still open until Sept 22, so I have some time go get faster times, if I wish.


On Monday I headed up Westridge with a group of girls for 23 miles and over 3000 feet of pure fun mountain biking on my RDO Niner HT.  I am new to riding a hard tail and not having rear suspension, so this will take some getting to used to.   But the bike is fast and I hope to be a great race bike for me.

Life continues to be filled with every-day quality problems.   Sometimes it is a challenge just reminding myself from where I came.  The path I took to get where I am now was more than rocky, more like I had to making my own bridges to get from destination to destination.  

I know my purpose in life and after several life relapses, literally, sticking to my purpose is something I must never forget.

                                 Westridge on Labor Day - with very tired body!
Remember, we all really only have today, this moment, now.   Worry about past and future is simply a waste of time.  So I am moving on this morning for an early ride, to the office and hope to take a new friend to a meeting in Thousand Oaks tonight.
And Happy Birthday to Lou  Kobin who coached me last year to my new life!

Peace

Yerba Buena Climb - -down Mulholland - fun ride by stenogrl at Garmin Connect - Details

Yerba Buena Climb - -down Mulholland - fun ride by stenogrl at Garmin Connect - Details
headed up Yerba Buena this morning prepared for a gnarly climb - not that bad - sort of fun climb.  I took it nice and easy, keeping my HR not over 150 since I have never ridden this climb before - Still getting comfortable on a road bike, period, especially on the downhill -
thanks to Monte for changing the stem and seat post, it was much better today.  Trouble getting out of the left pedal, so stopped for that several times and mechanical issues -  I was crying this morning driving to this climb, knowing I only have one more and I will have completed the challenge.

And it has been a lot of hard climbing 30 tough climbs, 15 mtb and 15 road - and I am not used to a road bike, or lots of climbing! lol -

My life has really changed.  Sometimes I feel I have lived three different ones, maybe four -  Life as a struggling child without a father and skipping the whole childhood deal -
Life with breast cancer - life with multiple myeloma -
Life as a party girl, turned to cannot-stop -the-party girl - Living at that point with (what Dr. Vandermolen called) three terminal diseases!  And that my liver was shot - over, Cheryl - Lost my daughter - lost my money - lost any and all hope to live to see Dani even turn 16 and drive a car.

Been a long (un-paved) road - lots of demons to work through and now after just celebrating three years (again) without a drink - no cancer - two beautiful grand kids - lost of cycling friends and support - work is work, but not the most important thing in my life anymore -

I saw Dr. Kevin Earhardt yesterday at the bike shop.  He treated my broken leg and foot.  I remember him telling me, no more mt biking!   You can ride the bike path!
He was happy to see me and my new bikes ;-)

I am sorry to ramble with so much gratitude for my life today, but I suspect not many read these long boring blogs - however, it sure helps me to write, to reflect, to smile and thank God for another day - Never give up hope - that's what I say.

Cannot wait to climb Corral tomorrow!  yahooo