In just four weeks I'll be biking up the Cascade mountains on the first challenge of my bike ride across America....
...and I'm scared!
I'm not scared of the distance...or the mountains....
or the thirst, hunger, pain, aches, heat, cold or rain.
Been there, done that.
I have trained and my body feels ready...
...but I'm having my doubts.
I'm afraid of leaving home.
Fifty days I'll be gone.
Who will feed my dogs and my birds?
Will my Prius be taken care of?
Who will love on my cat?
What about my duck garden?
Will the kids help Tom?
And what about my Mother?
Since Dad died, she's come over for dinner every Sunday starting with Mother's Day.
We only have 3 dinners left before I go.
What if something happens to her while I'm gone?
I have reason to be scared.
Last fall, when Tom and I left for a long-awaited bike trip to Italy, we got called back because Mom was dying.
Luckily she survived.
But could it happen again?
Three weeks ago I biked a century right here in Indy.
And my Father died that night.
But I was there.
Yes, I'm afraid to leave my family.
Who would guess that the hardest thing about biking across America is leaving home?
5 comments:
i'll take care of MY prius =)
not YOUR Prius, KC.
You can take care of Kitty.
Hi. I got your link from the Beaver Creek Wetlands Facebook page.
I completely empathize. I ride a lot (not ready for 50 states in 50 days) and have reached the middle ground of being too slow for those with the light bikes and high pressure tires but too fast and able to do more miles than my family or others casual riders.
So I ride alone in order to meet my own goals which are modest but respectable. I hope to get in at least 1000 miles this year including one (maybe two) half-century rides.
Even though I ride several times a week including destination rides, some days it is hard to get out the door. That is one of the issues about a half-century; what if I get stranded overnight because I can't reach somebody to pick me up?
Probably too much thinking; maybe I should just pedal.
Deb,
I think the doubt brings the joy.
I find my best rides (which are most of them) are when I start out doubting if I can make - wondering, a little bit scared...can I do it?
It's only in those last few miles that I get this rush realizing yes! I did it!
Best feeling in the world!
Helen, Mike and I thought of you this past weekend. For some reason we decided the big Georgia hills were not enough of a challenge for us and took our bikes up to the Smoky Mountains and rode all weekend. We went through this area called Cades Cove that was just unbelieveable praire land right in the middle of the mountains. You would be in heaven there, it was just so peaceful and tons of wildlife.
We certainly do enjoy reading your blog and can't wait for your journey to begin and read all about it.
Julie
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