Tag: teamwork

I’ve Been Through the Desert with a Horse with No Name

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I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name

‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain

La la la la la la la, la la la, la la

The words echoed through my mind.  Distant voices of people that weren’t really there. I could hear the soft strums of the guitar.  A guitar that wasn’t really there.

There really wasn’t anyone to give me any pain.  Just me.  And my bike. Continue reading “I’ve Been Through the Desert with a Horse with No Name” →

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A Smooth Riding Companion: Dehnis B DelaCruz

{My feature series on those who have inspired me on my journey continues and stays strong.  Today I introduce you to an amazing rider who supported me and helped my confidence to grow.  If you are curious, be sure to check out this Slowburn post.}

The alarm starting beeping way too early, but out of bed I leaped.  I was pumped.  I had been waiting all week for this.  This morning, I would be joining my beloved Slowburn group once again after many years.

The feat would not be easy.  We would be doing the famous Great Western Loop – A.K.A. GWL.  This ride would see us climb almost 1200 metres and cover nearly 70 km.  The climbing starts almost immediately, and most of it is accomplished in the first 2/3 of the ride.  So,  you literally feel like you are climbing, climbing, climbing…

As the group began to gather, a felt a twinge of excitement edged with a bit of nervousness.  No matter how many rides I completed, I just never knew exactly how I would feel until I started pedaling.  So many things can happen in cycling, so you just never really know what a ride is going to be like.  It seemed like it wasn’t that long ago that I couldn’t even fathom riding a road bike, never mind take on the ride that I was about to embark on.

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Me, Matt Tabaya to my right, Dennis Caco and James Hiner up front.  Dehnis was behind us, and took this beautiful photo.

 

Continue reading “A Smooth Riding Companion: Dehnis B DelaCruz” →

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The Importance of Appreciating the People that Push You

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I will admit it, there have been times when I have gotten on my bike, and I did not try. It has happened. When I am riding alone, I am the only one who suffers the consequences. I have been in situations where the ride wasn’t just about my bike and me, but there was also a team aspect to it. Driven by fear of not living up to expectations, I have chosen a defeated attitude that paralyzed me from performing as well as I could have. I have learned some very important lessons from these experiences. There was one ride in particular that I recall during which my husband and I were out in the open desert, only had so much water with us, and were up against a fairly aggressive head wind. If I had stuck with him and drafted, then we both would have made it back to our vehicle within a shorter amount of time then I could make it on my own. Due to some communication breakdowns, and some lack of understanding on my part, we ended up separated during the last leg this ride. I was really battling to finish. I was so caught up with the fear of slowing him down that I chose to ride on my own. I was so blinded by my fear that I didn’t even see the support that was being offered. Continue reading “The Importance of Appreciating the People that Push You” →

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