Running with the Wind….more like riding against the wind Ron posting for Beth

So we completed our 3rd ride Tuesday at 6:00pm (only my second ride because I had to work on Sunday) and it started on the Natchez Trace at noon. We were all so excited to ride the Trace. It’s beautiful, flat, and Ron and I were super excited to see it in the daylight (1st time for both of us to ride it in the daylight in all 5 years). We had a great night’s sleep, like 9 hours when the night before we got less than 3 hours. We were ready to rock it!!! Donna’s wrist that I tried to break in two from an accident with the trunk of our van was still hurting but she was determined to ride the Trace. We started our day silly stringing Team Cancer Crusaders as they came off the bike and before we got on! We know paybacks are tough, we will be ready…
So off on the Trace we go… 1.5 hours into the ride I barked out I need a sandwich, when is lunch?! So we pulled over and ate and all was well. We are on our way again and 2 hours into the ride something was not right with me, we were keeping a 19 mph pace line against a strong head wind. The drama for me began, I kept falling back and had nothing to give, my body was getting stiff and I just wanted to stretch. My team hovered around me protecting me from the wind and it got real quiet, or at least I did and we all knew something was wrong.
Team OCC was waiting for us at the Alabama/Tennessee State line at mile 50 for a photo opp. I rolled in and spotted a Diet Coke in Team OCC’s car…I grabbed and downed it, sorry Jerry! Ate a bunch of food and then we rolled and I was a new woman, I was not going to let my ailing body ruin this day, nooo-way! I have never felt my body bonk like that before and I will never go that long without eating and pushing hard.
We finished out the day with a fabulous 105 miles and we were all hurting and the key was for us to eat every hour and hydrate more than usual. I was really worried I was going to have to come off the bike and that would’ve been a first for me in the 5 years but it happens, it’s all part of the challenge!!
We get in our vans and drive to The Hyatt Place in Ridgeland, Tennessee, we were staying in the Ritz thanks to Jamie and Lynne Cole and their Hyatt points!! You both ROCK!! So…up to our rooms we go and Ron opens up our hotel door and holy TP’d room!!! The room was totally white and they TP’d every inch of that room, it was so awesome!! Job well done Crusaders…and yes we got our pay back!!
Wednesday’s ride started in Jonesville, LA on a busy and very windy stretch. I said a 1,000 Our Father’s and called in all Angels to keep us safe and to cease the wind and it worked about an hour into the ride the wind calmed down and we were flying and feeling good. We stopped every hour to refuel so no bonking would occur and then Ron gets word of the bus not working so we hauled it to the bus where Team Cancer Crusaders were with the bus as well. We were there for a while so our leader could figure out what needed to be done. Everyone rallied and we hit the road again and we all told Ron to not stress and enjoy the ride. Our next rest stop was at a really cool little country café and we refueled there for a bit before finishing out our last 15 miles. The last stretch was windy, hilly and the temp dropped. I started the prayers again and called in the angels as I just wanted us all to push through the pain and get there safely. I gave one of my pulls to Deena and said come on sista take me up this one, show me what you got!! It was awesome and at the top of the hill we descended into the most awesome skyline of a lightning firework show. It was heat lightning everywhere and then there was a storm off to the right fast approaching so we pushed it into high gear one last time for the night. We got to transition and OCC gave us another warm welcome, like they always do but they looked a little afraid of the weather that was moving in on us. We were changing and the storm hit, massive down pour and everyone was dancing in the rain.
We have had some tough challenges this year but every single challenge has made us stronger and has made the journey so much more special to each of us! We knew this year would be different from years past but we were all up for the Challenge. No pain, no gain and if it was an easy journey would you feel complete that you didn’t suffer? Is finding out you have Cancer, dealing with Cancer or getting a chemo treatment ever easy? Life isn’t easy so how would a journey on a bike cross country be easy? Bring on the Challenges, bring on the fight, we are a strong group and we will never stop fighting…we don’t give up…ever!!!