Friday, June 10, 2011

Picture Me Rollin'

In roughly four hours I'm leaving to go participate in the MS 150.  Which means today I will be riding a bus to a small town just outside of Duluth, MN, tomorrow I will wake up, get on a bike and ride 75 miles to Hinkley, MN.  Then on Sunday I will get up again, get on a bike, and ride another 75 miles to White Bear Lake.

Or that's the plan anyway.  I would say the odds are pretty good through the end of Saturday.  The whole getting up again on Sunday thing, I think that's where I'm going to run into problems.

Oh right, and the biking part.  That's... that's going to be a challenge.

Up until a few weeks ago I had not been on a bike since I was 15 years old.  I haven't really participated in regular physical activity since I was... 13.  I am not an athletic person.  I don't enjoy sweat.  I like reading.  And knitting.  And movies.  Things I can sit still for I'm just really, really good at.

So deciding I'm going to ride a bike for one hundred and fifty miles in a weekend is probably the dumbest thing I've ever done in my whole life.  And let me tell you, that is beating out some just really, really poor decisions.

I can honestly say that training for this has been the hardest thing I've ever done.  I can also say that in like 72 hours that will no longer be true.  I have wanted to quit.  Every single day.  Somewhere in the middle of the ride, every time I got on my bike something in my head has gone "you know this is ridiculous.  Just give up already."  The good news is I haven't listened to that voice.  I have not given up, I have kept going.  I have kept training and today I'm getting on a bus and I'm going to try my damnedest to do this thing.  I am proud of myself for that.

I'm not going to lie - I am scared.  I really have very little belief that I will actually finish.  And I am - illogically - worried that if I don't finish I will be letting people, and myself, down.  I know that that's not true.  And I am trying really hard to keep telling myself that, and to believe that.  I know that a lot of people are proud of me for just making it this far, and nothing will change that.  Still.  I am scared.

I WANT to finish and I'm going to work really, really hard to finish.  But if I can't I'm going to stop and be safe and be fine with that reality.

Now... the sarcastic brat in me wants to make fun of myself for a little bit and... well, I do sort of like the sarcastic brat in me so I'm going to go with that.  There's a solid chance that I will actually die trying to do this this weekend so if you want any of my stuff, now's probably a good time to call dibs.  Okay.  I got that out.  feels better now.

Here are some pictures I've taken while out biking the last couple weeks.  Enjoy.

Ir... Irises... Irie... screw it - Many an Iris growing on the St. Kate's campus

The Gateway Trail.  From this vantage point 35E is about 30 feet to the right.  You'd never know it.

Down by St. Anthony Falls

Smoke stacks that I thought looks pretty cool in Minneapolis
A random little lighthouse that I didn't know existed but thought was cool anyway

 One of my favorite Twin Cities landmarks

 Bridges all lined up.  (you can see the Hennepin Ave bridge, 3rd Ave bridge and if you look REALLY close, the Stone Arch bridge in the distance.)

That's my city.

2 comments:

  1. So.. I've been meaning to ask you, are you going with a group or did you just up and decide to do this by yourself? I've been meaning to get on my bike as well. Its been hanging in my garage for the past four years and it hasn't had any use in maybe more then that.

    Good luck with the ride this weekend. If you do decide to do it again next year, give me a heads up, I would be willing to do it with you.

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  2. Cait you will totally rock this no matter how much you get through! I am so impressed with your ambition. It might just inspire me...one can never tell. Also, the pictures are gorgeous. :) By the way I want to call dibs on some of your gorgeous scarves. ;P

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