2:43:46

2:43:46 is what is displayed on my watch as though it is the time, frozen in place. Still there because I am proud of our accomplishments, of what we were able to do yesterday. Tammy, Casey and I all rode the Huckleberry 3 times out and back which is 35 miles, in the above time. Funny thing it took less time for us to do three laps than the first time Tammy and I did one lap.

I know that Jessee and Elizabeth did a great job too on their 30 miles, but I was not with them so I cannot speak of their ride. So I'll pause here to applaud their wonderful job for doing what they didn't think they could!

As I have mentioned before the first time Tammy and I rode The Huckleberry it took just over 3 hours. It was funny, cause we calculated how fast we had been going on our regular ride at that time (which we now realize is mostly flat) and determined it should take us about an hour and a half. Well we headed out and made a wrong turn for about a mile, so we U-turned and got back on route. Just over an hour and a half from the start we arrived at one end. Proud, cause that seemed tough and it was further than we had ever riden at that time. We paused took a picture (that we take each time we cross) and headed back. It was dark by the time we got to the car and we were super tired, hungry and sore all over. I'll remind you at this point this was before we had coooshy bike shorts.

So we fast forward a few years, add a 45 mile Livestrong Challenge (www.livestrongchallenge.org) bike ride I'm training for, a friend and once again we are celebrating another distance achievement on the Huckleberry. It is amazing to see how far Tammy and I have come on our bikes! Glad Casey was there too! He has his own things to celebrate, he just made his 5K goal last weekend and also rode further than he ever has on his bike yesterday.

The three of us cheered each other on, laughed joked and pushed each other through an excellent adventure. The first two laps of course were easier than the third. The return trip on the last leg was slower than the other two. Changing gears seemed like it took effort and climbing out of the saddle to get up a hill did not happen. That did not matter when we crested that last hill with the grazing cattle, cause we were in the home stretch. A quarter of the way through the last mile I had a goofy grin I'm sure and started whooping at our fabulous achievement. We did it!!!

I read many cyclist say that cycling is a solitary sport. I must be exceptional, because I do not only have a fabulous partner there with me, but there was a whole wonderful group there to support my training efforts. They were there to achieve goals of their own.

Thanks gang!!! Who is up for a repeat performance June 13?

With sore muscles and abundant gratitude!
-Rhonda

saddle wisdom

"You never have the wind with you---either it is against you or you're having a good day."
~Daniel Behrman

In case you're new to cycling or it has been a while since you've been out, here are a few things I hope can aid you along the way.
1- What cmes up must come down, so hills are no big deal....Not exactly, it takes longer to climb than to decend.
2-(this is generalized please take no offense if you're part of one of these parties) Children under 10 on a bicycle or razor scooters, dogs on a retractable leash, parents with strollers and sqirrels all make me reach for the brake! They are all incredibly unpredictable as to their direction or sudden changes.
3-Head winds happen! It does not always mean you'll have a tail wind for the return trip.
4-Warning! Cycling is addictive and you'll think about the joy it brings often! :o)

Pedal on!
-Rhonda

the love of riding bicycles

"The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and reedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard."
~Sloan Wilson

My love of riding bikes started when I was little, I have no clue how old I was, but 3 or 4 seems right. My Mom & Dad picked me up at my grandparents house. I don't even recall the time of year, I'm sure pictures might reveal this information. My Dad told me to go outside, where I saw my Mom standing there with a beautiful bicycle. It was all mine!

I remember it just like yesterday. White and pink with a little white basket with daisy flowers on it. It had a banana seat with a pink and white checked pattern. Those little white pedals were going to become a part of a wonderful new experience.

I don't ever remember using training wheels and my Dad said I never used them. I remember my first bike ride when Dad taught me. We lived on a dead end street so we had a good space to start. There was this big water tower across the street, that I always thought was a giant spider that as going to bite me and remember wanting to stay on the side of the road closest to the house.

No helmet and hair blowing lightly as my Dad stood beside me grinning. I look back now and assume the no helmet thing was common and there was less hectic traffic in the 70s. I don't even remember what he was wearing, I just remember his big-very big ear to ear grin as he held on the back of that seat. Holding tight he ran beside me, wobbled and stopped because I felt out of control. We did this a few times and I can almost hear my Dad saying something like, come on Ra-ra you can do it. Let's go. And I did, finally I took off pedaling and was off on my own. I probably only went a few feet the first time, but kept at it. I would ride down the street to the top of the hill, stop get off and turn my bike around and ride to the end of the street and do it all over again. Turning while on the bike came later. I'm thinking it had someting to do with the water tower/spider across the street.

I guess suddenly I got the courage up and decided to ride over the hill. Uh-oh might have been my thought as the speed I picked up was a little faster than I had been riding back and forth on the flat ground. Slide, crash bang is about how the minutes later played out. I hit a group of those old school big metal trash cans. I had bruises already showing up and scrapes all over the place. My Dad ran down the hill to help carry me and my bike back up to the house. I remeber he told me something about how I did good and way to go Ra-ra, you were doing really good. I got bandaged up and I was ready to go again.

I'm not sure if I went right back out to ride that same day, but the delightful feeling of wind blowing across my face has never left me even with all the scrapes and bruises I've earned.

There is something liberating about riding a bike. I rode all over the place on my pink and white bike, which was around the house and on the street in front of the house, I would fill my little white basket with all sorts of rocks, plants, and treasures du jour. As I got older my little white basket came off and I started to zoom around on my little white and pink bike. I tried ridng off curbs, ramps and was stopped one time trying to ride off our station wagon. Thank God, that would've been an ER visit for sure! The white basket with the multicolored daisies moved on to be strapped to my grandmothers walker, aiding her to carry things from point A to point B. My pink and white bike went to my little sister when she got old enough to ride and I upgraded to a sparkly royal blue ten-speed.

That ten-speed helped carry me from point A to point B. More on those years later.

The love of bicycles grew over the years along with the love between Dad and I. I think that is exactly why a 45 mile Livestrong ride fits perfect. He gave me a gift many-many years ago when I learned to ride a bike. Now I can use that gift and a bike to help make a difference.

Thanks Dad!
-Ra-ra

age

Age is funy-funny thing! It puts wrinkles on our face, causes skin to hang wierd off our body and we may have to buy glasses, orthopedic shoes or who knows how our bodies will react.

I am 36 years old. The main thing I notice with all of this new training scheduled is, I am doing things I never thought I would do at 36. I am preparing to ride 45 miles in August and that feels good! A few things I have noticed different is that it takes a little longer for my body to rebound after long rides or hard workouts. I have to loosen up my muscles before I roll out of the bed to start my day. That is ok, because all in all my body has been good to me. I have abused it, by eating horribly and it is still be-bopping along. I have a few aches and twinges I probably didn't have at 18, but I'm doing it.

Now, I am changing many of my habits. I am eating better than I have my whole life. More whole foods. Fruits and veggies not processed foods, limiting refined sugars and practically eliminating dairy. I am stopping the cycle! You see my great-grandmother, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle, a cousin and many friends have lost their life to cancer. My Dad, uncle and countless friends are living with cancer or learning how to live life after cancer. All at varied points in diagnosis, treatment and remission.

I had a dream a month ago. One of that I thought was one in the many anxiety dreams since my Dad's cancer diagnosis. I was running for my life through the whole dream, trying to prove I was innocent. That is how I think people feel when they hear they have cancer, they ask why me, what have I done. Or I'm a good person. Then I realized that at 36, having spent most of my life overweight, correction morbidly obese, this is my last chance to change the pattern.

It is my choice what I do with my life and I take full responsibility for all I have done in terms of eating and creating a healthy life.

I hope you talk to your family doctor, ask them how you can reduce your cancer risks. There is even genetic testing to determine your risks. Nothing is 100% effective, there are a lot of factors that go into cancer, but an improved diet and excercise can reduce your risk of some cancers by 50%.
Accept your choices you've already made and change your path. If you have multiple risks, every little bit helps, stop smoking or start excercising, pick what works for you. Let us all stop this disease of cancer. We have the power! I plan keep doing a ride and raising money as long as we are still in battle with cancer, because I know how crippling the disease is on many levels. It's more than about you and me, it is about all of us. Anyone with cancer affects us all! Please donate so that these monies can start going toward prevention or helping someone learn their treatment options.
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Take control and stop the cycle of disease in your life!
-Rhonda

fun quote for a Saturday

"The bicycle will do more for the women's sensible dress than all the reform movements ever have been waged."
~Author Unknown, from Demerarest Family Magazine, 1895

Happy Saturday everyone! Did some weight lifting this morning and walking downtown to support two friends doing a 5K.
Go and make the world a better place!
-Rhonda

a rough ride over 2 weeks and 3 days

Yea, I've had some celebrations and some exciting things to talk about over the past 2 weeks and 3 days. In addition to the exciting news and everything I have had a really challenging time. I hurt! Beyond sore hurt too. I am not injured and I am doing better now. I have not put this in the blog until today, because I did not know what to put. In addition to my hurting, my head was cloudy. Cloudy for multiple reasons, my aches were keeping me up at night so I was not sleeping well. Then last Friday my Mom discloses that she was having a biopsy on her tongue because her medical doctor thought she had cancer. My head got really cloudy. Thank goodness it came back as non-malignant, but still a very scary few days.

Now as I mentioned before I go to an acupuncturist on a regular basis, he is for a lack of another term my primary care physician. I call him for all sorts of things and it is addressed in a Chinese Medicine and philosofical kind of way. One that I understand and comfortable with, I understand not everyone will be comfortable with his xplainations. Before the aching started, my chiropractor stated that there is a deficiancy in my system and suggested a couple of specific vitamins to take. So I started on those. Then my acupuncturist put it in this way again stating the safe deficiancy. My body is changing rapidly he said. It is getting stronger and doing things it has never done or has not done in a long time. It has to adjust, so some aches and pains may occure. He goes into more detail, but that is the basic part of the conversation. If you want to know the details ask.

What I have gone through is tough! For me at least. I had to really push myself beyond what I thought possible. I had the energy level of a slug and felt like a blob. Yea, one day I left the gym without finishing my wrkout, went home and cried. Feeling like a failure and feeling just plain terrible. I had a pity party! It was a day and a half of how bad I am doing and how I do not even understand the purpose of this ride. Blah blah blah! I felt that bad!!! Then the news from my Mom, I didn't know what to do.

I pushed through and not until yesterday did I even start to feel like myself. It's been tough, but I'm glad I have had this experience, for so many reasons. I as at the 2 month mark. Most studies show that it takes 2 months to start a new habit, though habits are always easy to break when the going gets tough. I had a tough time getting there and making it happen, but I went and gave what I had, which I have to tell you it wasn't much. I also had to make myself get on the bike, even though my legs felt broken, as though he bones had shattered. They have not had such a physical injury, but I feel it is all the emotional stuff I've stored over the years in the fat of my body. I also feel my acupuncturist got it right when he stated that for my body, I'm performing at an elite athlete level. I got to trea it that way. I got a chuckle out of that later, eeing a great Tshirt or comic strip, but recognied the truth in it.

Then we sat down to watch The Biggest Loser. They had a challenge to run a marathon. One of the things I find as a neat thing to achieve, but have a century ride and a triathlon that I want to achieve first. Throughout the show I heard one of the contestants state that fat people don't do marathons and that walking a marathon doesn't count (he had an injury that kept him from running). The truth of what my acupuncturist said started to ring through. I cried for each of the 4 contestants as they crossed the finish line. Proud of their accomplishment. That is an amazing thing to do, to walk 26 miles and to push yourself through the fear and pain!

I hate hearing people say you can't do something. You can't do something because you're a woman, you're fat, you're this or you're that. I'm hear to ell you that you can!!!! That is as long as it is with in reason. Find a way, it may not happen right away, but set goals, it will happen. People told me I shouldn't go to college, I graduated from Hollins. That I couldn't rock climb, I have. People have told me that I shouldn't, couldn't and can't a lot. I'm here to tell you that you and I can, will and are!

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quite, however, it lasts forever."
~Lance Armstrong

I'm not quiting and hope that you join me in this fight!
Ride on!
-Rhonda

Join me in Philadelphia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feXOVkDp-Rw
This is simply a plea to you to join me in this fight! Join me in Philadelphia. If you cannot do that, please donate: http://morethanaride.blogspot.com
They need volunteers to give out water and do all sorts of assisting. We are all in this fight together and we can defeat cancer, but it is going to take all of us!!! Remember that 1 in 3 people we hear the diagnosis of cancer, is that what you want to hear or a loved one to hear?

Please note that there are two new exciting fundraising opportunities on June 20th!

Strength in unity!
-Rhonda

gear!

"What do you call a cyclist who doesn't wear a helmet? Organ donor."
~David Perry

Unlike running or walking, bicycling needs a few extra items beyond sneakers and flexible flowing clothes. The obvious is a bicycle and there are all sorts to choose from! There is a road bike, cyclocross, hybrid and mountain bike. All have their own benefits and work differently. I have a mountain bike and a road bike. There is lot to choose from past selecting what type of bike you want.

Let's pretend that you already have a bicyce, but do not use it much if at all, but you want to. You don't ride because you rode one time and that saddle (common lingo for the seat) is not comfortable. Well it does take a little getting use to, but let me tell you about bike shorts. A wonderful invention with a padded saddle area! They comes in all styles of inside material to keep down on blistering or chaffing from long rides. They even have a cargo short style if spandex isn't your thing.

Another piece of a equipment that I do not consider optional is the cranial protection. You see, I've always said, you may be cool, but not in a pool of your own drool. There are all kinds and styles of helmets too, get one that is approved for bicycle riding and make sure it has a proper fit. You never know when you may come flying off your bike or over your handle bars or bumped by a bored driver. I wear a Xen helmet by Giro, offering good protection, while being cool (because your head does get toasty) and comfortable, but a little more stylish than the white styrofoam dome.

The next piece of equipment to consider are bicycle gloves. Nope they don't seem like much and give you funny tan line, but they reduce the vibration you feel in the road. They have varied degrees of padding and materials. Take time to shop around for the right ones for you. Mine have a neat panel to help wipe off sweat.

Speaking of tan lines, yes my fingers are darker than the rest of my hand and my hands are less tan on my arms. Haha! Sun screen is important to have on rides during the summer months even overcast days. Those sun rays may give you a golden tan, but damaged skin from over sunning has been proven to cause skin cancer. And I'm wanting to hep stop cancer.

Hope this helps and look forward to seeing you out on a ride.

Keep on keeping on!
-Rhonda
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

wristbands

Tammy and my close friends title me a walking PSA, because I always have crazy statistics running through my head. Such as 12 million people world wide will be diagnosed with cancer this year. On top of my random tidbits of statistical information, I also am keen on observation. One thing that I have always noticed since we bought our wristbands is the yellow LIVESTRONG wristbands. Yes, they are bright yellow, but even slightly tucked under a sleeve, coat or among other bands, I notice that yellow wristband with LIVESTRONG shining brightly on it. It is cool, over 70 million have been sold worldwide, that is at $1 a wristband. Way cool!

I have the privaledge to sell these wonderful wristbands at $1 a piece to help reach my fundraising goal. It really makes me feel good to see people who have bought wristbands from me wearing them. They are not only supporting my fundraising efforts, but they are also supporting anyone they may cross paths with who is suffering from cancer, a survivor or has a loved or friend one with cancer.

Thank you to each of you for your support and purchase of a wristband. Let me know if you would like a wristband. As I said before all the money I raise by selling these wristbands goes toward my fundraising goal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF5lmHOQsFE&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR9Y8PRBfxo

Wear yellow around your wrist!
-Rhonda
*Please pass this along to your friends!

donating

I know you're possably tired and exhausted about people asking for donations for this important cause or that important cause. I'm not here to tell you what to do although I am going to ask for money. Though this money goes to my 45 mile Livestrong challenge bike ride goal, it goes to so much more. It goes to The Lance Armstrong Foundation, where they have lobbyist going to capital hill working toward friendly cancer fight drugs, it goes to prevention, awareness and support of the people living with cancer. Visit www.livestrong.org to see why I feel I picked the right organization to help in this fight against cancer.

If you've never experienced it, cancer even as friend or family member is a terrble disease!!! For survivors and those living with cancer, it is often life changing. It strikes people at any age, from 3 months, 8, 14, 26, 39,42, 55, 66 and so on. For example, while at the bake sale (4/25/2009) a woman came by whose best friends 14 year old son was just diagnosed with cancer. The Mother is terrified and felt lost and a friend wanted to do what they could to help. She had just bought a wristband for her friend, then I donated $1 and gave the friend a youth sized for the 14 year old, I cannot remember what I said as words of encouragement. I couldn't remember, because as I spoke I started thinking about when 14 and how it would be so tough to be looking at fighting for my life, just when I was starting to live. Cause when you're 14, you have that independence growing, you're stating to think more on your own and your dreams are starting to form. Then I swallowed hard and continued to listen. I say a prayer for each of them daily and hope they are all learning how to LIVESTRONG.

Please donate, any amount counts!!! You can donate $1 and I'll give you a keen yellow LIVESTRONG wristband. It all adds up to make a difference. Cancer is the second leading cause of death and as Lance Armstrong stated at the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum,"Unless we act on a global level, cancer will be the leading cause of death by 2010. Our goal is to be a catalyst that brings everyone together to fight cancer --- from survivors, like me, to world leaders and policymakers who must commit completely to the effort to avoid a public health catastrophe."

Like I said I am going to ask for a donation:
If you would like a yellow LIVESTRONG wristband (all money from wristband sales goes to LAF) or
if you would rather send a check, email me at rhonda@holisticenergyworks.com or call 540-998-9087.

http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

With love and dreams of a cancer free future for all of us,
-Rhonda