Cycling in March: Birthdays, Bugs and Bicycling

200ish Miles Ridden in March Since I came to the party a little late this year, I'm not exactly sure how many miles I rode this month.  But it's around 200ish, which is somewhere between threve and plenty-six, but all miles are good miles.

1 Field of Poppies in Bloom My first ride of the month was on a day when the scent of rain on asphalt filled the air.  My friend, Abby, and I set off for a ride in the sprinkles and were greeted by poppies in bloom.  They turned their golden faces to us and I was reminded of when we moved to California and I picked fistfuls of poppies for my mom.  I quickly learned that they're the state flower and never picked them again.

1 Pesky Bug On the last day in March, I found myself riding the river trail with a friend, a newbie cyclist.  On our way home, we pedaled up a steady incline when I felt something fly down the back of my jersey.  I wasn't really worried about it.  Shoot, I've swallowed flies, narrowly escaped the sting of a bee caught in my jersey, and even had a butterfly flitter right in between my eye and my sunglasses.  So this little gnat of a thing was no big deal.  Except that it started to bite me.  All over my back.  I shimmied and shook my jersey loose, but that little pest just wouldn't leave.  My friend suggested we stop.  I scoffed at her suggestion. Pffft!  Total newbie suggestion.  Like I was going to let a little bug make me stop riding.  Ha! That night as I scratched and itched my way through a fitful night of sleep I wished I'd listened to her.  Oh, Hindsight, you are so very, very cruel.





33 Miles: My Furthest Distance this Season Abby organized a 30th birthday ride for herself, including SAG wagons, goodie bags, and medals of completion.  The wind advisory that day predicted gusts in between 35 and 45 mph.  Frankly, I didn't need the wind advisory to tell me that because the fence that had blown down in our backyard was a pretty solid indicator of the insanity that awaited.  So, I slipped on my tights and arm warmers and readied myself for the ride.  After all, I couldn't let the birthday girl have all the fun.  Plus I had decorations for her helmet and bike.

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1 New Cycling Game Sometimes I invent games to keep myself occupied when I'm riding.  For example, when I'm gutting it out up a steep hill and battling the urge to simultaneously pass out and throw up, my favorite game is 'I Can Pass That'.  It's a simple game wherein I set my gaze on an object a few feet ahead of me and tell myself I can pass it.  I can pass that stick.  I can pass that rock.  I can pass that sign.  I can pass that roadkill. Pretty soon I've passed enough things that I'm at the top of the hill.  This year I invented a new game.  I call it 'Wardrobe Bingo'.  It's a perfect game for windy days when clothing and such might be blowing out of cars.  My goal is to have ridden by a complete outfit by the end of the season.  So far I've seen a lone green glove and a pair of sunglasses.















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1 Time I cried on my bike At mile 30 of Abby's birthday ride, I pedaled by the cemetery where my dad is buried.  I'd ridden with Terry and other friends all 30 miles leading up to that point.  But as cyclists do, we'd spread out and I found myself riding the last three miles alone.  I was grateful for the solitude.  Riding by the cemetery hasn't gotten any easier, even with the passage of time.  This continues to surprise me because my relationship with my dad was complicated at best. The wind was ripping right at me and I looked at the giant American flag standing guard in the cemetery.  The wind snapped it to attention on the pole with such force that I thought the flag might just tear off and float away.  I tucked my chin into the unforgiving headwind.  The cord of the flag clanged on the pole over and over again, like a bell tolling a funeral dirge.  My legs pedaled slow circles and I cried.  The wind dried my tears before they could even hit the ground.  That night I went to sleep with pink tear trails windburned onto my cheeks.  Sometimes cycling is about so much more than being on the bike.  In March I had the pleasure of hearing Maya Angelou speak and her words came back to me there on the road by the cemetery.  "Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently."  For me cycling is all about finding courage.  Finding courage to do things I thought I'd never be able to.  Finding courage to fight for others in need.  The place I find that courage is on the seat of my bike.

$135 Dollars Donated Thank you Adam & Suzy, Chris, Laura & Janice for making a donation to The LiveStrong Foundation on my behalf.  Your generosity touches me and compels me to get on my bike.

$865 Dollars Until I Reach My Goal If you'd like to make a donation to the LiveStong Foundation on my behalf, click the link above or over to the right.  All donations are tax deductible.  Thanks so much for your generosity and support.

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I look forward to telling you all about my cycling adventures in April!