It's just a few days before I leave on my cross counry bike trip--San Diego to St. Augustine. I am excited, anxious, scared of coming home in a box, and looking foreward to meeting my new group of riders. This weekend, my last at home before the trip, looks to be full and fun. Marna, Corb, Angus, and Gillis are coming tomorrow for a family weekend. So are my sister Jane and Doug from Allentown. Saturday, Rich and Lou will join the out-of-towners for our family dinner. Lou made her famous lasagna and JJG is handling the salad , apppetizers and desserts. BTW, JJG and MAG have been together for 43 years, and never apart this long before. What will that be like?
Friday, my good friends, the Gonzos, Hoffmans and the Gockes are throwing me a bonvoyage dinner. I am so touched by all the thoughtfulness. Kathleen and Bill, my California niece and nephew want to see me off in San Diego. Peggy has offered to help me with postings and with making sure all of you who have asked to be included get an invitation.
As I ride across the country, it is my hope that my friends and family will share their pictures (worth a thousand words), thoughts, feelings, questions and ideas with me as I will try to do with them. I hope to open myself up to any possiblity as I fight off my tendency to know-it-all--what a job. Giving up my leading edge. What can I learn about myself and the biggger world out there?
Best of luck to you - I can assure you it's a real adventure.
ReplyDeleteDave Knight,
C2C2010
Marge,
ReplyDeleteSo very proud of you for taking this leap. I could not do it. One thing is certain you will come back changed ... in incredibly wonderful ways. We will be rooting for you here in Maryland.
Love you,
Pat
Margie,
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you. You have worked very hard in preparing. You are ready, and now it is time...
Can't wait to hear about your adventures and your insights!
Love,
Maureen
It is great to hear from folks. I am amazed at how this blog is already making me feel connected to a bigger world. In answer to Maureen, I hope I am prepared for this trip. I have ridden 1700 miles since August when I got my bike. Greg at Cyclefit told me it was more important to ride everday than to take one long ride a week. I have followed his direction and thanks to an incredibly mild winter I have been able to ride 5 days out of 7. I was comfortable riding in the high thirties, but most days if I waited until noon or so it was at least in the high 40s. I have had my new pedals for about two weeks and they are still giving me a fair amount of anxiety. I have spent many hours just starting and stopping. It is a lot better than initially. I have fallen in place about 5 times. No injuries, and I do feel like I am getting better at knowing automatically what to do. If I have to think about it I usually get befuddled and don't make the right quick decisions. I guess that is true for life as well. So much of what I do is automatic. Anything really new requires my full attention and often finds me a little sloppy and uncertain on the execution. I think the big thing with the pedals is the feeling generated in me with my feet locked in place. I do not like the idea of having my feet not free to do as they please. Maybe it is part of my control issues. I do think I ride a lot more effeicently than I do with rgular shoes and for that reason I am willing to tough it out. Hopefully at the end of this trip it will all be second nature. I have told some of you how different my body feels since I have been riding. I feel a greater balance, more energy, less appetite and more confidence on the bike. I no longer get off and walk my bike through narrow pathways like I did initially.
ReplyDeleteI want to take a minute to relate a biking incident that happened to me this past Wednesdy night. I was heading downtown on my way to meet the bridge ladies for dinner at Knock on 12th between walnut and spruce streets. I was riding east on pine and I was in the bike lane for some portion of time. I then turned onto 11th streest and stopped at a traffic light. No sooner had I stopped, than i heard a banging on my passenger side window and looked over to see a male cyclist dressed in black banging and yelling at me. He said, "Do you know that you cut me off?". I shook my head "no". I had not seen him until he arrived at my car, and did not see any lights on his bike. It was about 6:30 and completely dark out.Before I could roll down my window to apologize for any harm I had caused him, he put both hands together and began banging with all his might on my sideview mirror until he had completely destroyed it. I was unable to move, as there was a car in front of me.I think I was also in a state of shock at the ferocity of his enragement. I did not experince fear, it was more like shock. He didn't say anything else and after he had punished the mirror beyond repair he rode off. I watched him leave. I wish he would have given me the chance to apologize and to ensure that he and his bike were ok. As it is I will be paying for the mirror and I would rather have seen the money go to him. I hope he reads this and learns I am truly sorry for any harm I caused, and for his safety comes to realize that he was not visible at night without lights and or refelctive clothing. I have been thinking about this incident since it happened and realize in a very Jungian way it is a story about the dark side of biking, both on the part of bikers and the part of motorists. You often see signs up about sharing the road. I would like to add to that, caring. I know I will be more vigilant as a driver and as a rider, to know who I am riding with and to care more about that relationship. Hope some good will come of the incident for both me and the rider.
I'm looking forward to meeting you and helping you enjoy your adventure of a lifetime. I will take it as a personal challenge to make certain you do not arrive back home in a box. :-)
ReplyDeleteWeb
C2C2010,
C2C2012 SAG
Good luck Marger! I have my twine and map ready to plot your course as you go. Sweet pea, Rich and I love you lots and are very very proud of you.
ReplyDeletelove, lou
I am so excitted for you...this is going to be an amazing experience!!!
ReplyDeletexxoo
Kathleen
I am so glad that you included me in the blog email! Keep 'em coming! I am so proud that you are doing this and that you are able to share your adventures with everyone. Stay confident in yourself and I am sure you will tough it out through anything and everything.
ReplyDeleteSending heartwires for a long and incredible journey!
Bethany