Riding For A Reason

I ordered my Bike on Friday Night!!!! It is the Specialized Roubaix Elite...  I was between 3 bikes: the Cannondale Synapse 105 disc, the Specialized Tarmac, and this beauty... I was amazed at how different they all felt.  I have a bad left hip (I need to get it replaced eventually) and also a bad right shoulder (replacement needed there also).   I was only looking at the Roubaix and the Cannondale, but when I walked into the store, the owner, who rides all the time, told me he had a 2016 Tarmac, in my size, that I could get a good deal on.  Those of you who know me appreciate the impact of hearing the words "good deal"...  I really wanted to like that bike... Review of the Tarmac:  Really Fast!  It was very responsive, almost to the point of being skittish...I am a mountain biker by choice, so going from a fat boy to this lean, mean speed machine was an epic leap...I was stressed just trying to keep it on the road.  It wa...

This past weekend was the turning point in my seasons.   We had an AMAZING 5 days in the mountains of Vermont, tearing up the slopes.  However, it looks like the weather is changing and the skis will need to go away shortly...I guess God wants me to focus on my riding and not my mogul skills.... So, today I did my first two-a-day...I rode for an hour this morning before work.  I tried to keep in the 85 RPM and 145 heart rate for the entire hour...goal: to begin to get used to being in the saddle.  This evening, I did an hour spin class, focusing on interval work.  I have a feeling that A lot of my training will be done indoor, either on a trainer or a spin bike.  I only have time to train when it is dark out (except the weekends), so I need to make the most of it. I have still not purchased a road bike.  I am getting a little irritated.  I know what bike I want, the Specialized Roubaix, but my local shop can't get it in stock...I don't want to...

"Reaching for the Stars", and "Daring to Dream" have always been slogans that I can get behind...My life has always been about striving to reach for something that my rational mind would not find possible.... For example, I thought that the hardest part of this journey would be to raise enough money to have an impact on MM research.  The program set a goal of $7500.00, which I thought was going to be a stretch...I would need to get 70 people to give over $100.00 each in order to make that happen. 5 days after agreeing to ride, very amazing and generous people have donated over $10,000.00 to my challenge!  I am overwhelmed by the hearts of these people.  I believe that God gives you opportunities to do things, and then, if you accept, blows you away with the results.... This challenge started out with me questioning if I could even do the ride...I was diagnosed with severe hip arthritis last year, and I worried that the the wear and tear would be too much....

So, I text one of my best friends, whose mom died of MM last year.  I was originally just wanting to ask him if I could dedicate my ride in her name.  As we were communicating back and forth, he asked about being able to ride with us.  I wasn't sure it was possible, since I thought I was the final spot on the team, but I told him to apply and see how it goes. He got word this weekend that he was accepted as part of the team!  I think it will be great being able to take on this challenge with a long-time friend.  He and I live in different parts of the country, so it will be a long-distance training situation, but I am sure that it will increase both of our motivation. Funny thing is that he doesn't have a road bike either! To that note...My family and I were force to come home early from the mountains this weekend, due to a pending snow storm....While the skier in me was really disappointed I was driving AWAY from great snow, the rider in me saw a chance t...

So, I set up my donation site last night: endurance.themmrf.org/MMyRide/Forbesfam.  I was thrilled to see, when I logged in this morning, that I had already gotten two donations!!! I want to thank the two people who got the ball (or wheel in this case) rolling for me!  It is funny how from the time I was selling things to raise money for school trips, to now, my Mom has always been one of the first people to sign on...Now I just need to get the rest of my friends, family, and acquaintances to buy in.  The good news is that there is not a goose egg in my donation column anymore! I have decided to collect of list on names of people who are either fighting MM or have lost their battle, and carry them with me as I train and eventually ride in the event.  It will be my way of giving tribute to them.  If you have any names you want me to include, please let me know and I will add them to my list.  Depending on how many I get, I want to put them all on one of ...

Today I decided to do what I can to help patients with Multiple Myeloma.  Even though I work as a marketer on a drug to treat Multiple Myeloma, I wanted to make it more personal. I have the opportunity to raise awareness and funding for Myeloma research by riding a bike from Los Angeles, California to Flagstaff, Arizona.  I am supposed to raise $7500.00 for the cause, but I would really like to blow that goal away....first things first....I need to buy a bike. I will be documenting my journey as I prepare for the ride on September 2, 2017.  I hope you will join me on my journey! Feel free to lend me moral (and financial) support along the way. I hope you enjoy the ride.