Sunday, December 29, 2013
2013 - Best year of my life
2013 is closing out and I am not sure I will ride the next two days - Garmin Connect is as follows: 4104 miles; 228 activities; 418,924 feet of climbing; 582 hours in a saddle!
I am so grateful to be alive, let alone riding a bike. I would guess 95% of my rides were mountain bike rides. I would like to thank all my friends and family for your support and love in my endeavors in 2013. So many people gave me the hope to power forward and do my best. I have never been on a podium or even come in close in any race. I seem to be better at coming in last. I am happy just "riding in" to any place, period. My friend Bike Lord posted this his stats this morning for 2013, and asked about the rest of us. This is the first time I have looked at the totals on my Garmin Connect for the year. While it may not be impressive to many, and it's not meant to be, it sure the heck impresses me. Did i really go from being drunk in a nursing home, a wheelchair, terminal cancer, to climbing 418,924 feet in a year?
I cannot explain the loneliness I have felt and the dark places I have been while fighting cancer and alcohol for 25 years. I would never wish either disease on anybody. After my femur broke, my foot broke, my mother passing and waking up to the King's Liquor store guy delivering my vodka in 2009, I surrendered. I discovered mountain biking in my late 40's after pretty much living a life of destruction.
My mother died after long suffering of MSA in Feb of 2010. I was with my family in Seattle when she died on my six-month anniversary.
We all have problems. Many people have medical problems. All I know is that I have today, nothing more, nothing less. For today, I am grateful...for the good and the seemingly bad things in my life. The holidays with my family and watching my nephew Keith Sargent fall in love with riding a bike has brought me joy beyond anything I can explain. Again, you know who you are if you are on my FB - and I thank each and every of one you that may read this for making 2013 the best year of my life. My new friends from Leadville, and my local friends here. My daughter and siblings and family who have also been all the support I need to move forward through my fear of cancer, or fear of not finishing a bike race. I like to encourage people to chase your dreams, don't give up, ever! Believe in yourself. Some days just showing up for your life may be all you can do, and that is just enough. May 2014 be a year to follow a dream of your own. Life is short. I have choices today and I choose to live it happy, joyous and free. My dream today is to have peace of mind, learning to slow down (not on the bike) and to try to be a good example of just being human and being kind and loving to friends and strangers. Bring it on 2014, I am ready for anything now.
Count:
228 Activities
Distance:
4,104.12 mi
Time:
582:02:07 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:
418,924 ft
Avg Speed:
7.1 mph
Avg HR:
138 bpm
Avg Run Cadence:
73 spm
Avg Bike Cadence:
64 rpm
Calories:
137,672 C
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas - best time ever with Keith - mountain bike ride and family dinner!
Keith surprised me with a photo album he made me of every special event on a mountain bike - All I could do was cry.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
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