I suck at journaling but here we go: What a roller coaster these past 18 months have been. From our Training Camp last semester, the Half Century Test in February, the Spring Break Ride in March, all the way to the Century Test (100 miles in under 10 hours!) in April… After training over 2000 […]
Last night, the mechanics on the team gathered in Jake’s living room as per usual to learn about some bike mechanics. Allow me to set the scene: Seinfeld is playing in the background. We’re scattered throughout the room waiting for the training to start, on the couch, kitchen, and floor. Seamus is ordering a pizza […]
When you get in to Texas 4000, it feels a bit like a waiting game. Everything feels so far away. Little do you know that everything will happen so quickly. Last week, I met all of the minimum requirements to officially ride my bike to Alaska, & I am over the moon. Here’s a little […]
My team finished a 100-mile ride again. I, along with 7 others provided SAG support. I had a very unique perspective. This century ride was hot, and the sun beat down on their backs for over 10 hours. They climbed over 6,000 feet and were on the saddle for over nine hours. For most of […]
So much has changed since the clock struck midnight and 2018 began. In 2018, I healed from an injury. In 2018, I got back on my bike, nervous and afraid. In 2018, I felt weak and defeated. In 2018, I leaned on teammates for support, emotionally and physically. In 2018, I pushed myself up hills […]
This past weekend was our Century Test. 100 miles in under 10 hours. As crazy as it sounds, I remember thinking about this ride a year ago as I watched the 2017 team successfully complete it. In my head, I would be zipping up hills with a confident grin on my face, gleefully at ease […]
But that’s what teammates are here for – they’re the ones who have experienced the ups and downs of training, the ones who understand how hard it is to balance regular college responsibilities, and the ones who are constantly there to remind each other why we’re all here. These are the people that are up every Saturday before the sun rises and the ones by your side for 8+ hours on the bike. And they’re the people who will be there when the noise from the summer fades and we need people to decompress this experience with.
“Why bike? Can’t you just do fundraising for cancer research? Why do you have to bike to Alaska?” These questions weren’t new. I’ve heard them before, and they’re frustrating to hear every time I do. And these were the questions that a teammate posed to the entire room at meeting on behalf of his friend. […]
Woke up to a text from a dear, dear friend: “Madeline. You ride for me now too.” I knew Jackie had had a biopsy done on her thyroid. It was just a few days ago, and it was supposed to take at least a week to hear back. But instead it took days, and the […]
It’s no secret: I’m not the best at cycling. It takes skill and my talents are more in the skill-less category. I often find myself becoming extremely frustrated with other riders when they give out encouragement to me while I’m riding. I know when you yell “You got this!” you think you’re helping me up […]
