This weekend I was no longer able to rely on strength alone to push me through the momentous task of biking 190 miles in 3 days. As my thighs pounded, my seat became uncomfortable, my hands ached, and my feet swelled, I knew that something had to change. I learned to tuck in my tailbone […]

“Here’s the truth about telling stories with your life. It’s going to sound like a great idea, and you’re going to get excited about it, and then when it comes time to do the work, you’re not going to want to do it. It’s like that with writing books, and it’s like that with life. […]

The sun is out, the birds are literally singing, and I rode my bike today for the first time in a month. Since my last post in November, my road to Alaska has not been the smoothest. I had a significant crash in December that put me off the bike for a month over winter […]

Our team of 77 recently embarked on a 50-mile bike adventure with a catch- to finish in 5 hours! It was our half-century test, and while my anxieties were high and the anticipation of mechanical difficulties was inevitable, I’ll admit I cried three times before my group set out. After two rather difficult rides previous […]

Last Monday, I biked a route called Scenic with my teammates Sam F. and Valeria. We first did Scenic as an entire team back in November. It was a particularly challenging Saturday ride due in large part to an unexpected hill of 12% grade. For those who aren’t versed in grades, 12% is quite steep. […]

Resiliency. What does it take to endure hardship or to overcome extreme challenges? Through Texas 4000, I have heard countless stories of the pain and difficulty that goes hand in hand with the experience of cancer. The idea of resiliency is one that has stuck with me. Cancer can take away so much and yet […]

It was cold. It was wet. And the sun was still at least half an hour below the horizon. A few of my teammates huddled together underneath a small light, vying for warmth. It was the day of our half century test and as my teammates keep rolling into the parking lot, I tried to […]

Yesterday I walked into our weekly meeting and looked around at a bunch of fresh faces, the 2019 team: some looking anxious, some greeting each other for the first time, and some looking slightly overwhelmed. It is hard to believe that only a year ago I was in their shoes, a newly admitted T4K rider. […]

Since coming back to school for the new year, we have jumped headfirst into training. Mileage is increasing, rides are becoming longer and more frequent, and my carb intake has definitely skyrocketed. With all of that, I have gotten to see my teammates in a new light—one where they are put in positions of weakness, […]

I am in constant awe when I step back and look at our team. It’s crazy to think that around this time last year, we were just getting started with our involvement in Texas 4000. I remember feeling very awkward most of the time. At our Monday night meetings, there was almost 80 people in […]