Happy Anniversary Dear Synapse

Bike is officially put away for the winter. Sadness. I miss riding. I really miss being outside.

I guess my last ride, was my last ride (for this year). The Saturday after Thanksgiving was the one year anniversary of my first ride on my new bike, so it seemed only fitting that Bill, Keith and me, would set out and ride the same route we did last year.

That first ride was really special. I had flat pedals, no cages or cleats, I rode in sneakers. I didn't have a bike jacket, I wore one of Tyler's underarmors, a sweatshirt and my "Final Four" windbreaker. I had an old pair of weightlifting gloves that did the job for my hands. I didn't have any real bike shorts, but I did have a pair of knickers with padding that I wore for spin class, so they were what I had to cover my bottom half.

My makeshift bike clothing was only surpassed by my total lack of knowledge about my bike, and biking in general. Bill pulled out his tire pump and asked me if I needed to pump up my tires. My answer... NO! The bike is brand new, I just picked it up from the bike shop the week before, why would I need to pump the tires!?!?!?! I had not yet learned the Team in Training mantra "pump before you ride".

We left the parking area and started out from the parking area in Unionville, and headed out to Collinsville. We stopped at LaSalle Market for tea and muffins, then continued on. The hill on RT 44, heading up 219, going by the turnoff for Ski Sundown, around the Barkhamsted Reservoir, stopping for some pictures, riding back down the other side and back out to 44. We made a second stop at LaSalle and then headed home.

It really struck me how much easier the ride was this year, November 2010, as opposed to November 2009. The hills were easier, I kept up with Bill and Keith (for the most part). I am much more stable on the bike, I know how to shift, I can move over in traffic to take a turn, I can lead a pace line, I know how to draft. And, most importantly, I know how to dress! A lot has changed, and all for the better. What a difference a year makes!

Tailwinds,
Karen

Alfredo's Road to Remission

This post is going to tell you the story of someone other than myself. This person's story reaffirms in me why I am still sitting on this God-awful bike seat (okay so it is not as God-awful as the last one, but still pretty hard), and why I am going to ride Lake Tahoe again this year.
Last weekend, I went to visit NYC with some friends. Our big goal for the day was to have brunch and then hit Junior's in Times Square for a piece of cheesecake. We were successful on both counts. Brunch was great and the cheescake.. OH. MY. GOD. It was an M.O. (and if any of you need to know what an M.O. is ask my friend Marie.. she works for Ortho Clinical Diagnostics and she is the one that coined the phrase). Anyway, my friend Bill had invited his friend Alfredo and his sister Aileen to join us for brunch. Bill knows Alfredo through his wife Cindy who... so on and so on.. lets just say they are family friends. I knew that Alfredo was a survivor and that he was going to run the ING NYC marathon the next day. I was excited about meeting some new people, but not as excited as I was about cheesecake.

Alfredo and Aileen showed up at brunch, we talked about the marathon, and Alfredo's plan for running the race, what kind of time he hoped for etc. Alfredo was running as a member of TNT and he had raised over $12,000! Way to go Alfredo!
Talk eventually turned to the disease that Alfredo is fighting. I asked him how he found out he was sick. His answer was honest, and rather disturbing. It started with a cough. A cough that he thought was just due to a cold or the change of seasons. But when the cough didn't go away, and he started coughing up blood, he knew he needed to check it out. So, he headed home (Wallingford), and they found a tumor the size of a football in his chest and was diagnosed in November of 2008 with Stage IV-B Hodgkins Lymphoma. Stage IV is the most advanced stage of Hodgkins Lymphoma, how could this happen to a 27 year old kid?

Chemotherapy lasted almost a year, and ended with Alfredo getting a stem cell transplant. The only exercise he could do was to take small steps around the hospital floor, IV pole in tow. Eventually the news was good. Alfredo was (and is) in remission. Eventually the small difficult steps became a walk, which turned into a jog, which turned into a run.

Last weekend, on November 7, 2010 Alfredo ran, and finished the ING NYC marathon. Alfredo raised over $12,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He gave back. He gave back to help others that are fighting now. He gave back so that maybe someday the word 'remission' with be replaced with the word 'cure'.

After Alfredo and Aileen left to go pick up his bib for the marathon and we left to make our way to Junior's, I thought about what an honor it was to meet this young man. A kid with a big wide grin and a warmth and good humor about him. A kid that handled with courage something none of us want to face.

This year, I will ride Tahoe in celebration. In celebration of Alfredo's remission. In celebration of all the strides research has made in fighting blood related cancers. In celebration of my cycle team, because together we can do more than any one of us can do alone. And hopefully, someday, in celebration of a cure.

Tailwinds,
Karen

Long Time, No Blog

It has been ages since I have sat myself down long enough to put a post up here on Talewinds. So here goes... my summer in a nutshell.

Tyler was home from college. Grocery bill went up, toilet was constantly plugged and my house smelled of Axe. All the time. Electric bill went up, water bill went up. The garbage can was always full. He is back at college and I miss having him home. I do not miss his dirty baseball uniform.

Kelly had a blood clot in her lung. Serious. She has recovered, but is on Coumadin. Old peoples medicine. We found that she is a mutant. Or, I should say, she has the Factor V Leiden mutation, which makes her prone to clotting. Not good. No more oral contraceptives or any estrogen based product. She is back in the saddle, riding her horses, rescuing her racehorses, and 'just being' (Kelly).

Matt made an appearance in July. New girlfriend in tow. I like her. I like the him he has grown into. I like her with him. She brings him out of his shell a little bit. To any of you with a son that is mildly defiant, not into school and always does when you say don't.. there is hope. I feel like Matt has become a friend. Mommy likes.

I am still pedaling! Yes!!! Training for a new ride, a FLAT ride! It will be on October 9, and originates in Salisbury, MD. I thought that a FLAT ride would be easy peasy. Hah! Was I wrong or what. Seems as though on FLAT rides you have to pedal the whole time. Coach always joked that Tahoe is 50% downhill (okay so it is 50% uphill), but still, on the downhill you can coast some. On the flat, you pedal. All the time. Anyway, even though it will be a FLAT ride, it is supposed to be very pretty and circles around and out to Asateague Island. I am excited and hope to see some of the ponies. Maybe I can bring one home ;)

Promise to post again soon, about the team and the training.. and oh yes... my plan to do Tahoe again.

Talewinds!

Biked it ~ Liked it

Two sentences (or phrases) sum up the experience.

1. Biked it ~ Liked it!
My bike is a kick ass piece of machinery, and I love it. The area is really, really, really gorgeous. I have never worked so hard, or struggled so much in one day in my life, I have also never felt so accomplished in my life. I can ride up hills... I can ride down hills... although I still really hate riding down hills.

2. GO TEAM!
My team has become like family, and each of us wants to see the others succeed. . We were so supported, by the staff, by each other, by perfect strangers. We were all united... to get closer to a cure, one mile at a time. On an endurance event, support along the way is critical. The cow bells, the signs, the people cheering us on, the man in the SPAM hat, all served to keep me going. One person can't do this alone, but together we can do anything. I really, really, really miss my team. Charryse, Jen, Cathy... I have faith in the future because of the strong young women you are. You amaze me. Viktoria.... you are not only a survivor, you are one tough cookie that showed me age is only a number. Henry, thank you so much for not making me change my own flat tire, and also for understanding when I entered the BM zone (Bite me zone)


What I found...... my strength, my courage, empathy...... when someone has faith in you, it is easier to have faith in yourself.......life is tough, we need to stick together.....Spooner is done, stick a fork in it........challenge yourself, you might be surprised at the outcome.

We will find a cure for these cancers, someday, we have to.

On to the next adventure... Seagull Century in Maryland, in October. Stay tuned.