The sound of those words from the song playing, I looked up and time stood still as I crossed the finish line. The large digital clock blinking red above my head: 1:10:53 exactly six hours after I had begun the bike trek of a lifetime. To some it may not be much but to me it was something for the record books. I often find things I thought unbelievable, impossible, never gonna happen, to be for the record books. It was a 50 mile bike “ride” as Joanie calls them. The Iron Horse isn’t just a ride, its a ride that gains about 6000 feet in elevation over 40 miles. “Its just another ride” she encourages. I call them ass kickings, butt beaters, mountains of madness! I called it a race this time because thats what the registration said when I had to opt in for the more pro race since the citizen tour was sold out. How funny is that, me in a real bike race? (In movie trailer voice) A bike race respected by many, feared by even more, one of the toughest in CO. The course was the same I just figured I had to dress a little douchier, mas spandex.
How I find myself jumping off cliffs to only think later, I’ll never know. I guess its better that way for me because if I had the brains to think first, I’d probably out think myself and decide not to do it. And I've learned it makes things look much easier after that! Anna, a best friend from high school, has seemingly always been the person I jump after! She blazes trails wherever she goes and always thinks things are possible. Whether the original Epic adventure in a canyon w an 8 year old, before the word Epic was even cool, or repelling off a jeep atop Gemini Bridges while I pray, she fears nothing...or at least never shows it! When a small Facebook comment box exchange went “I’m doing this...” and I reply “I’ll do it with you lol” and she replies “You should!” ...and the rest is history. Bike race #1 officially in progress.
You know if you sign up for a bike race you actually have to train for it? I know that, yet some apparently didn’t think I knew that. The amount of times people said the obvious kind of had me unsure, it wasn’t as if they were really concerned with my training, rather their way of saying “Are you sure you can do this?”. I ebbed and flowed through valleys and peaks of surety and doubt. I guess what I didn’t know was the painstaking time and children management that would need to take place in between a part time job and full time commitments to make this thing happen. Thank God for the best mom in the world, Vonnie aka Omi #1. I’m surprised my husband Gideon the King, sacrificed during a “Ghana year” lol. There were some logical reasons I felt I could do it. For the last year and half I had been killing it in spin class and had went through intense weight lifting sessions with my personal trainer, the body builda, Siobahn the Canadian great! It wasn’t like I just got off the couch of fried chicken, bon bons and despair to race 50 miles up a mountain.
There comes a point in massive endeavours where the body, but mostly the mind, gets to you. There can be an awesome training day and then a crap one. There can be circumstances out of your control that just happen to stomp you out at the worst times. It was one of the worst outdoor training seasons due to extended snow and rain. There were multiple deals for my new bike purchase that fell through that had me off to a late start on outdoor training. There were sick days and sick kids to put a pause on the full steam ahead engine in my head. There were days I thought I could conquer the world and there were days I thought I had already failed.
I prayed and prayed “Dear God show me how to make this happen, send me who I need and show me what I don’t know”. All along the way he answered. While some may see it as coincidence I see it as his warm guiding hand. Its a big world, but not when God is around- he makes it small and familiar. From the bike purchase to the equipment needs he put some special people in my path. My trainer had paired me with a wonder gal Lisa, who had my back all along. She a most loving lady, brought me to her husband Ryans awesome spin class where Lance Armstrong rides were in effect, literally. She sent me info on a meet up group that rode out at Deer Creek, and peer pressure is always good on rides. She kindly introduced me to Joanie the riding sage. Not too shy, riding sage began teaching wee grasshopper. She told me what shoes I needed, how to grind out my spin class and invited me to ride with her and Roylynn, the outdoor masta. These ladies hadn’t just rode, but rode the Iron Horse multiple times and were riding again this year. How awesome to be in the presence of such wisdom all around me!
As race time neared I finally found my rhythm. It wasn’t so fast but it was good for me. While I could of grinded out head down to the pavement, I opted to enjoy the view. I love the scenery and spend time alone just me, God and the open terrain. I sang, I whistled, I stopped to stretch and take pictures. Silly songs encouraged me when I was tired, for some reason when good weather the great Mr Rogers neighborhood song would flow...it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood! I inhaled the fresh alfalfa air in the valley and gazed above at the cloud breaks as if heaven had been unzipped above me. While maybe not the best recipe for a ‘racer’, it was surely a recipe for me to keep going! I got my bike all tuned up nice and neat, gear in tow. Had the awesome peeps down at Adventure Cycling in Aurora hook me up:) I was ready to go! Mr. Triathlon bike fitter John the genius reminded me "Remember you're there to have fun!" in that tone of 'don't forget the obvious'. I kept that close to me....
I drove in to Durango with the supportive brother Jesse who flew in for support. As we wound around the massive climbs I was doing “tomorrow” it seemed too daunting. He looked at me with huge eyes and a “wtf??” in his stare. It didn’t look this hard on the video! It didn’t look this hard on the chart! Oh crap what have I done?! The car was almost struggling through these passes!! The gulp in my throat and the slight nausea in my stomach had to answer to all the voices of the above mentioned saying “you’ll be fine!”, “you are ready!”, “you trained for this!”. This year my only goal was not to get swept on the buses of shame and make it safely to the finish line. The high elevation gain had me worried as I hadn’t had but a quick lunch the day before on Mt Evans to prepare for that, dang weather again! All the mind chatter and nerves just came to a calm at dinner. There is no more time, tick tock, you’re out of time and all the woulda shoulda coulda’s have to go away. Tomorrow is it. Ahh portabello mushroom, grilled zuchini and a southern lasagna is all there is now. Comfort me little cannoli in my time of need! Pack up the bike, get your clothes laid out and try to sleep.
I couldn't of prayed for better weather. I couldn't of asked for a better day. While the start line was a little chaotic and I didn't know I could just go, I was on my way! All the worry was gone and all that was ahead of me were fields of plenty, flowers galore, waterfalls and grazing show horses. I huffed and puffed like a woman doing Lamaze for birth, people looked at me funny but I was getting the O2 in regardless! I kept hearing the voices of my friends and family all along. When things got tough I prayed, I breathed, and I heard the voice of le Canadian saying "Come on girl you got this!" "Its your mind not your body!" as she always does when I want to give up. I kept going strong and steady, stopping like always to stretch and take pictures, oh and a few hundred bananas at aid stations. Really the most beautiful hardest ride ever, but a ride that was all mine.
 |
| The view for most the ride |
 |
| Coal Bank...the real PAIN Conquered! |
 | ||
Molas...Almost done!
|
I say I didn't choose the Iron Horse, but rather the Iron Horse chose me. For a small little charity 5k or fun ride wouldn't of sufficed. It wouldn't of fed that need of belief deep down in my soul. It needed to be big, crazy and radically ridiculous. God knew I needed a little encouragement and big payoff at this time in my life. It’s easy to think on some days after three kids, stacks of bills and in my mid 30’s- that life is all down hill. But I needed more and God knew it! When nearly every prayer was answered I couldn't believe the phrase in the song, the song from when I was 15 and in the Cottonhood free, Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers.
After just missing the bus of shame by the hair of my chiny chin chin, 15 minutes on the first, and the second bus by 4 minutes, I crossed the finish line...shocked...surreal....miracle... eyes locked to the clock, time frozen, the familiar hippie voice rang over the loud speaker....”SHE loves JEEESUS and America toooooo....yeah I’m Freeee....freeeee falling” ....No coincidence at all....Ahhhh how TRUE:)
   | ||
| After...ahhh off da bike |
  | ||
Celebratory Beer w/ Anna, Did we just do that?!?!
|
