A New Goal

I've heard about 24 hour mtb races - one of my friends from adventure race camp has run quite a few, winning most of them (what else can you expect from a bad ass like Jari - she beats all the guys too!). But the thought of actually doing one of these races? Last week = 0 probability. This week = absolutely possible!

The 24 Hour ERock MTB Race is what changed my mind. I found out that the race course is a trail I ride all the time, and one I can do REALLY WELL!!! And then I found out they allow teams to race and I thought "that means I will only have to ride every few hours!!" On top of that, the race isn't until next June - I have 11 months to train! My mind has been working overtime with the realization that I could actually do this, a 24 hour bike race. And you know what happens when I put my mind to something? I don't give up too easily.

I've already convinced two people to join my team (my brother and a friend, who, by the way, thinks I'm crazy but will never admit he likes that about me). Just need to find one more person and we are all set!

I am now obsessed with thoughts of a race that is almost a year away.

It could be a long year.

http://www.elephantrockride.com/24_index.html

Seriously??!!

I discovered something amazing today... that my bike has gears. Lots of them. And when I use those gears, hills become a whole lot easier. And when hills are easier, I am a much faster and happier rider.

I know it seems crazy that I'm saying this NOW, after having spent the past year racing and riding and, of course, falling. But from the first time I got on a bike last year, gears were the most frustrating and difficult skill to learn. I just couldn't figure it out and usually ended up walking my bike for much of the trail.

However, that all changed today - I FINALLY got it! I headed out to another one of my favorite trails, one that has climb after climb after climb. It exhausted me last year and I never once made it up all those hills without some walking. Not today, I zoomed up all the hills, no problem, changing gears all over the place! I just can't believe what a difference it made.

To think I could have been doing this all along... that thought slightly depresses me.

self diagnosing is never a good idea

It all started last month when I began experiencing odd stomach pains. Well, not so much odd as mind numbingly painful. This after having spent the previous months nursing every $#&^% type of injury imaginable. The stomach pains were an unwelcome guest, kind of like if one of my scary relatives decided to visit.

After some research of my own and talking to my Dr, 'we' (read: I) were pretty sure it was gallbladder. Took all the tests and guess what? They all came back negative. My very reasonable Dr. decided that another option would be an ulcer. Seems rational, right? I didn't see it that way. Me and my very respectable degree from webmd.com said it had to be gallbladder, why didn't everyone else see this??

The Dr. gave me free samples of some meds and I reluctantly started taking them, all along thinking that this will not work... of course it won't work... no way am I wrong.

A couple of weeks later and I felt like a new person. Anyone else would realize that was a good thing, right? Sure (Have I mentioned that I have a Welsh background? And that the Welsh, and in particular my family, are known for being stubborn?) That whole stubborn thing was in particularly good form and I decided that I didn't need to take the meds anymore - I just knew it was my gallbladder!

Fast forward to today. After spending the afternoon writhing in pain on the floor of my office, I am now ready to relinquish my oh so distinguished med degree and admit I was... ahem... wrong. I am back on the meds and nursing my pains... and ego.

So, that's been my week. How has yours been?