Ride to Empower

Are you up for the 100 miles challenge!

This post is addressed to those of you who want to take on the 100 mile challenge!  In my last post, I tried to ease the concern of those of you who may shy away from the 2009 Ride to Empower because of the fear of not being able to ride the full 100 miles. As I wrote in that post, you only have to do as many miles as you want. However, if you do want to try riding the full 100 miles then I want to  encourage you to give it a try. With some time and effort, you should definitely be able to reach this goal.

The reason why I wanted to try riding the full 100 miles in the 2008 Ride to Empower is because I've always liked to challenge myself physically. In my younger years, I was quite competitive. If you asked my sister about me she would be quick to point out that I was the one who always wanted to finish first, and she was the one who could care less. On vacation a few years ago, we went on an informal bike tour, and it was funny that even in our 50's, I was the one riding at the front of the bike group, and she was the one riding at the back. However, ever since I had breast cancer, I've changed a lot in this regard. Rather than focusing on the finish line, I've tried to slow down and enjoy life more. I have a strong desire to appreciate life and value those things that make life meaningful. It's the journey and not the outcome that most intrigues me these days.

 So, although I trained seriously for the 2008 Ride last year, I knew that when I went to Solvang I wanted to enjoy the experience and not become too obsessed about riding the 100 miles. In order to take the pressure off of myself in Solvang, I actually rode 100 miles in Chicago early last Ocober in order to prove to myself that I could accomplish my goal after training all summer. ( I can hear my sister laughing at me for having rode the 100 miles twice.) Anyway, as I've mentioned before, I had a wonderful, amazing time in Solvang and it was the experience rather than achieving my goal of riding 100 miles that I will remember the most. 

 We all have different personalities that influence the goals we choose for ourselves, and the ways in which we achieve these goals. This was apparent to me during the 2008 Ride in Solvang. There were people who were determined to complete the 100 miles, and were successful in this regard.  You could feel  their focus and competitive edge.  In contrast, there were people who laughed about the 100 miles knowing that there was no way they would be able to ride that far, and so they didn't even try. Then there were those people who had their doubts but thought they would at least try to ride the 100 miles. Some were successful and some were not. The key for me was finding someone to ride with who matched my personality. The day before the ride, I asked a woman next to me if she was good at following map directions and could she change a flat tire? These were two things I was bad at so when she answered yes to both, I knew we would ride together. To put it simply , we had a blast!  Whether it was relieving ourselves on the side of the road, getting lost for a short period of time, enjoying the beautiful scenery together, or her making jokes to me in order to help me keep going when I no longer wanted to, that was what made the 2008 Ride so memorable for me.

Given that I was not a serious bike rider, I did have to train pretty hard last summer. The Network of Strength- Illinois Affiliate was able to find a local coach last year, and I more or less followed the training plan created by that coach. I've been told that a new coach has volunteered in the Chicago area for the 2009 Ride, and that a new training plan will be prepared. I would suggest that you first check with your Network of Strength Affiliate to see if a coach is being used in your area. If not, I want to assure you that we will provide you  with the information you need to train for this Ride. I will try to make a training plan available to you, or at the very least, I will share with you, on a weekly basis, how I intend to train for the 2009 Ride. All you have to do is keeping checking  this Blog for the latest tips on how to prepare. We will help you achieve your bike riding goals- whether it's 100 miles or less!

In my upcoming post, I will address the bike issue. I found that as I started to train for the 2008 Ride last summer, I visited the bike shop quite often so I could upgrade my bike ( such as a new seat, new pedals, etc)  At 53 years old, I needed all the help I could get. So I will be sharing with you what I personally learned along the way.  I want to emphasize that what I may suggest is based on what I experienced, and you may find that it doesn't pertain to what you need. That is definitely okay!  The information I provide is just my suggestions, and you can take or leave what you want. Also, the other people posting on this Blog have their insights on these topics. The purpose of this Blog is to provide you with information which will hopefully help you achieve your goals.  For me, having a decent bike and bike shorts made a huge difference in training for and completing the 100 miles. I will be taking my bike in soon to have it tuned up so I will be ready to ride once it gets above freezing around here. It's been one heck of a winter here in Chicago. I will get back to you soon on the bike issue so you can also start taking the steps necessary to begin training.

Don't let the 100 miles psyche you out!

Hello everyone! It's me Barbara. How did you react when you found out that the 2009 Ride to Empower was a 100 mile destination bike ride? If you reacted by thinking, "Wow, I would love to try and ride 100 miles",then this post is not addressed to you. I want to get the attention of those of you who thought,"There's no way I could ride 100 miles". I feel it's important to address this topic for two main reasons. First, people may decide not to sign up because they are too psyched out by the mention of 100 miles. Second, there's a good chance that those of you who are overly concerned about the 100 miles and do sign up  may not have as much fun as you should because you are too stressed out about trying to ride 100 miles. The reason why I mention the latter is because I saw this happen first hand at the 2008 Ride to Empower in Solvang. I saw some women put a lot of pressure on themselves to ride 100 miles, and if they rode less than expected, they got pretty upset with themselves.

Attention everyone!I The main purpose of the Ride is to raise money for the Breast Cancer Network of Strength. This is such a worthy organization in so many the ways. Let us not forget that what we are trying to do is help those who are dealing with breast cancer. There are many different ways to raise money such as walking or running. How cool is it that the 2009 Ride to Empower is so originally different. Not only does it focus on biking but you get to take a vacation in Las Vegas. But whether it's walking, running or biking the common denominator is that all of these events are raising money for a good cause. So, it's time to try something that is a little out of the ordinary and still serves a worthwhile purpose.

I want to make clear that you can ride as many miles as you want. You do not have to ride 100 miles! However, I understand that we all have a competitive side and sometimes that makes it hard to do less than others. In order to help you put less pressure on yourself about riding 100 miles, I want to make an analogy to breast cancer. When people are diagnosed with breast cancer what they experience and the decisions they make are personal to them. Everyone's journey with breast cancer is unique to them. You can listen to the choices made by other survivors, but ultimately you have to make decisions that are best suited for you. For example, even though I had decided not to have reconstructive surgery after my mastectomy, I still  found it hard when other women talked about how happy they were with their reconstructive surgery. I must admit it was a difficult time for me, and second guessing myself made it harder. At some point, I knew that I had to  stay focused on what worked best for me irregardless of what anyone else had decided in this regard. It's hard to stay true to oneself and not have doubts when others do it differently. So, whether it has to do with making serious decisions about breast cancer,or less serious ones having to do with riding 100 miles, I urge you to listen to your inner voice. Rather than not participating in the Ride because you are afraid of not being able to ride 100 miles, make the decision to participate knowing that it's okay to ride less than 100 miles.  

Some of you may be thinking, " If riding 100 miles is not so important, then why did you ride 100 miles?"   I  promise I will address that more in my next post. For now, I will end by saying that riding the 100 miles is not what I treasure the most about the 2008 Ride to Empower. I had so many wonderful experiences, especially those I shared with the other people who attended the event. For example, I formed a friendship with  the woman I rode with during the  Ride, and that friendship has continued. Those  types of experiences are the ones I  treasure the most. Take a chance.. you never know what wonderful experiences will come your way!

A new year of hope.

January 2009?   Where did 2008 go to?   Last year just seemed to fly by, although considering all, maybe is was the best thing for it to go fast.   New year, new hope.

Last year's Ride to Empower in Solvang, was such a tremendous success in terms of not only fund-raising, but truly empowering.  My first thoughts after crossing the finish line was, "when do we go again?"  Riding 100 miles with some great company, and for such a worthwhile cause, was much easier than I expected.  Even though there were several moments when I felt like just giving up, jumping in the SAG wagon and heading back to the hotel, I kept thinking of my mother and what she must have felt like when they told her she had breast cancer.  Riding up a few more miles over hills, some larger than others, seemed easier to accomplish.

That evening, listening to fellow riders speak of their ride and each other, I was amazed and in awe of what the human body, and mind, is able to do when motivated and determined.  Many fellow riders were not only survivors, but many were in treatment while training and riding that day!  While proud of my accomplishment in Solvang, I was more inspired by the end of the trip, and ready to ride again in 2009.

I am excited and anxious for this year's ride in Las Vegas, the training, and new friendships that will come with it.  I look forward to seeing some familiar faces, and look forward to meeting many new ones!