Climbing mountains one pedal stroke at a time
Crater Lake came into my life unexpectedly when a road trip spontaneously got extended. With the gift of extra time, my husband James and I found ourselves in the lovely little town of Bend. Our location, the fact that we had our bikes with us, and our love for craft beer all resulted in our stay in a place that we had never heard of, and quickly fell in love with.
WOW!!! The blogging community continues to be amazing, strong and supportive!
Thank you SO much to elanaflutterfly for the nomination for the Mystery Blog Award.
Mystery Blogger Award is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.
It is official. ‘Just a Girl and a Bike’ the book is now available. This has been a long project as I made my way through a brand new journey as an Indie Self-Publishing author. There were many times when I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing. But it didn’t matter. It was a learning experience.
Most importantly, I connected with many people along the way. My goal was to inspire even one person with my words. Based on the feedback on my blog posts, I believe I have already done this. If even one person picks up my book and feels inspired, more positive, like they can accomplish something and maybe even face their fears, then I have succeeded.
The cherry on top of this wonderfully delicious sundae is that the whole project is a fundraiser. My bike changed my life. Thus, all of the proceeds of my books sales will go to World Bicycle Relief. This amazing organization provides bikes to children in Africa who need transportation to get to school. Instead of walking miles each way everyday, they can now ride. Their chances at an education are greatly increased due to these bikes.
Some of these bikes are also given to healthcare workers to increase the number of places they can reach in one day.
So, if you have enjoyed my posts, please consider helping me out to change lives.
Details:
Books are $20 (CAN). Choice of two covers.
Order snowy mountain top cover
Peace and love!!!
Sometimes things do not go as planned. Sometimes what you set out to do or to accomplish doesn’t happen. Life brings us many surprises. Things that we cannot possibly anticipate tend to happen. Just because you did not do exactly what you set out to, it doesn’t mean you failed. There was a time that I thought failure meant that you didn’t do it how you had it in your mind. Now, I believe that if you went out there and gave it what you had, then you have succeeded.
I like to ride my bike. I like to climb mountains. On more than one occasion, a mountain has entered my life, only to re-enter years later. There have been times when I attempted a mountain, and did not make it to the top. There have also been times when I have been close to or heard about a mountain, but it didn’t enter my life at that time. These beauties had a way of coming back into my life that could not have been anticipated, and in which offered such a sweet, sweet ending. If you consider sweat, fear, and tears a road to a sweet ending.
I present to you Croix de Fere, a magnificent mountain the French Alps. It has made multiple appearances in the Tour de France. The first time I met this mountain, I was an extremely green, very beginner, ‘cyclist’. I had really just learned to ride a road bike, if you could call what I was doing ‘riding’. And there I was, brute forcing my way up this crazy climb. That day, I simply bit off bite sized pieces and kept on pedaling, one small section at a time.
That day wasn’t the day that I would summit. However, that day was the day that I realized I can do this!! If I put my mind to it, I can climb magnificent French mountains!!! Years later, with much more experience under my belt, I was lucky enough to have another wonderful encounter with this beautiful climb. There are many details to be told, and which present a story for another day. The point is, summit or no summit, there I was – doing something that I didn’t even know I could do. And both times, there was absolutely no denying the absolute beauty of my surroundings. As challenging as it was, I was lost in the harmonious feeling of being one with the earth. I felt like a tiny, insignificant dot on this breathtaking road, engulfed in mountainous magnificence.
Thus, as you go forth at the beginning of this New Year…how will you define failure? And what will you set your heart on doing?
My story is simple. I was the MOST unathletic person in the world!!! When it came to my ‘physical being’, I was uncomfortable in my own skin, and at times very anxious. I preferred to be a wallflower and to hide from any real adventure.
Shortly after I married my best friend, James, he bought me my first real road bike. I had no idea that I had just started not one, but two, life long relationships.
Less than six months later I found myself at the base of Alpe d’Huez, a mountain in the French Alps well known for its appearances in the Tour de France. Completely overwhelmed, and wondering how the hell I was going to make it to the summit where our hotel was, this would be an absolutely life changing day. It was also the start of a journey, which I am still on.
A BIG thank you to iMac for nominating me for this award! I received the nomination quite a while back, and am finally responded. It surprises me, but I had much more content planned for my blog than I realized.
“The word “liebster” means “dearest” or “favourite” in German, and the tag is used to spread the love awareness for the smaller bloggers in the community.” — SBD
So, this is how it works…
The rules:
♦ Thank the blogger that nominated you
♦ Write 11 random facts about yourself
♦ Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger that nominated you
♦ Nominate 5 to 11 other bloggers and let them know they’ve been nominated
♦ Come up with 11 questions for the bloggers you’re nominating
It has been a long journey…
13 years ago, I met my bike. Up to the point of this pivotal meeting I was the least athletic person in the world!!! I had no belief in my physical being. At times, I was completely uncomfortable in my own skin. I would experience a lot of anxiety in many situations, and simply wished I could blend into the wall.
My bike changed me life. It helped me to find a strong, capable physical side to my being that I never knew existed. It took me on adventures to new worlds and cultures. It took me deep into nature where I could connect with earth in a way I had never experienced. It introduced me to new friendships that would have otherwise been undiscovered. It took me to a place where my mind, body and soul melded into one and worked together to get me to the tops of mountains one pedal stroke at a time.
How a girl with no connection to her physical being could cycle to the tops of mountains belonging to the Tour de France pros I will never totally comprehend. All I know is that I get out there and I find a freedom that I never knew.
What is your passion? What do you long to do but are terrified to try?
Today IS that day that you take the first step.
IF I can do it, SO CAN YOU !!!
It is that time again….as the festivities flow, we find ourselves amidst a plethora of treats. There are parties to attend where we swim through a sea of savoury appies, sweet cocktails and decadent desserts. There are people to see, and many drinks to be had. The baking is all around us, and the family dinners are abundant. With so many functions during such a whirlwind of a time, how does one stay healthy?
Don’t worry – you can have fun without getting whisked away into a world of gluttony and inactivity. I am here with you. Together, we can make it through the holidays and into the new year.
My approach? Keep it simple – I say!!!
One trick that really works for me is the ‘big’ salad. Whether it be for lunch or dinner, you can whip it up real quick, and pack if full with protein and greens! Your protein of choice will keep your hungry at bay, and the veggies will pump you up with the vitamins and minerals you need especially at this time of year.
Really, all you need is a simply protein, lots of greens, and whatever other veggies you like. Here is a sample to get you off and running.
Continue reading “A Healthy Holiday Season – The ‘Big’ Festive Salad”
My secret identity is … yes … I am actually an IT geek. I know that my writing is all about my bike, my adventures, and my journey. But, before I started cycling and spending time in the mountains, I was a computer scientist. This is how I met Stacey. Stacey is the brilliant leader of the security team at one of the companies that I contracted for. She was one of my key stakeholders on multiple projects, and thus, I quickly got to know her as an IT professional. Always strategic, mindful, and very professional, she was one stakeholder that I definitely enjoyed working with.
During our time as work colleagues, I got a glimpse into the many sides of Stacey. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. I quickly came to realize that Stacey is quite the endurance athlete. I barely had time to train for one sport. I didn’t know how she balanced a full time professional career, training for three sports, and a family!!! Yes, it did appear to me that Stacey was some sort of superwoman who did it all. Yet, when I asked her if she would have time for a coffee as I was wanting to learn more about how she kept her immune system strong, she didn’t hesitate to say yes.
{Welcome back my feature series on those who have inspired me on my journey. Today’s post is about one the fastest, most dedicated athletes I know. And, everyone loves her because she exudes positivity, encouragement and support. If you missed Strength and Spirit, My Warrior Friend be sure to check it out!!!}
The other day, as I finished one of my regular, moderate runs, I glanced at my running watch to see that I had accomplished about 5 km in about 34 minutes. Not bad, fairly consistent – I was happy with that. As I uploaded my data, I browsed around on Facebook, and came across Melissa’s results for the 10 km race she had just finished that morning. She had reached her goal, a personal best, and a time of 39:10 for 10 km!!! Wow, I thought. How does she do that?
I am constantly thinking how does she do that when it comes to Melissa. It just seems that she is always accomplishing another amazing win! She has been most known for her running. She has been competing at many distances for a long time. Since I have met her, she has continuously expanded her horizons. She took on the road racing world with a bang. With only two seasons under her belt, she has already moved up a category and has multiple podium finishes. She has taken on cross country skiing with zest, and recently entered the world of cross biking. The whole time, she is chasing down and challenging her equally speedy husband, Reinier, who is clearly the passion of her life. During a recent foot injury when she could not bike or run, she focused on swimming – something that she knew nothing about. She simply looks at something, and does it. Continue reading “Fast and Gracious: Mel the Running Rabbit”
Just a Girl and a Bike 