Michele Across America

A Day in the Life

It doesn’t matter how many miles I ride or how fast I go. Just being out there is exhilarating. I usually ride on my own, solo, for hours on end. So, some of the most common questions I get are; “What goes through your head while you are riding?” “What do you think about?” “Don’t you get bored?”

I really don’t get bored. I’ve even ridden the same 4-mile or 9-mile loops over and over and it doesn’t bore me. I notice small changes happening throughout the day and think about how remarkable it is.

To give you a sense of what goes through my head, I tried to capture some thoughts as I was attempting my latest 24-hour challenge. Here goes…

6:20 am.

Here we go!
Wow, it’s still pretty dark!
It’s pretty cold. Glad I wore my long tights.
I’m kinda liking this tail wind! Oh, wait. I’ll be going into the wind in about 10 minutes. Ugh!

7:00 am.

I love watching the sun rise.
Why would you be laying on a bike/walking path, in dark clothing, doing yoga?!
Squirrel!
Oh good, the organized century riders are out on the road, not on this bike path!

8:00 am.

Hmm. I’m getting a little hungry.
Good morning! (Said to another rider.)
32 miles. Not too bad.
Squirrel!

9:00 am.

There go more riders. Must be the metric century start.
This is like deja vu!
This banana tastes really good!

10:00 am.

Nice to see some friends out!
Hi Kathy.
Hi Penni.
Well crud. They are having the family fun ride of 12 miles go right along the bike path with me.
Should I jump out onto the road for a couple of hours?
This head wind out of the North is going to wear me down today!

11:00 am.

I think I’ll have a PBJ.
Ahh! Water. Time for re-fills.
It’s getting warm. Maybe I’ll dump my jacket after this lap.
No. You know if you’re thinking of taking your jacket off, go another hour.
On your left! No, your OTHER left! OMG!

12:00 pm.

OK – dumping the jacket.
Can’t wait for this “organized” ride to be done.
I think I’ve seen that person before. They must be doing some laps too.

1:00 pm.

I shouldn’t be riding by that restaurant all day. It smells really good.
Squirrel!
It’s a beautiful day, except for the wind!
I hate the wind!
How should I set up my activity tracker (for work).
Hey! That’s Aaron Comfort Dog! Hi Aaron!

2:00 pm

At least the wind is calming down.
On your left!
People need to pay attention while they are riding!
I wonder how many bottles of wine that vineyard produces.
I love the smell of crush!
Really? That restaurant is smoking meat? Yum!

3:00 pm

100 miles down. I’ve got to stop stopping and chatting!

4:00 pm.

I can do this. My bottom isn’t even sore.
My quads are a bit tight. I think I’ll stop and stretch after this lap.

5:00 pm.

Hi Andie! Thanks for riding with me!
Wow! I can’t believe she’s doing this, and she’s 7 months pregnant! I don’t think I could have done this.
I miss Miss A. I hope she’s enjoying Rwanda.

6:00 pm.

This pizza tastes really good. Thanks Andie! Better not eat a lot. I’ve got many miles to go.

7:00 pm.

Getting Dark!
Time to put my high vis on.
Pick up the speed!
Hey! Yo! (Yelled at truck speeding into my path from across the road)

8:00 pm.

It gets chilly when the sun goes down.
Maybe I need my over gloves again – hands are a little cold.
Squirrel!

9:00 pm.

Huh! Not a soul out here, but me.
I kinda like this solitude.

You get the idea. I think about what’s out there visually. I think about what other people are doing and why they are in my way (LOL). I think about things I need to do at work. I think about my family. I think about how I feel in the moment. And, all day long, different songs go through my head. For me, things I see, smell, hear, or think about, trigger songs – mostly oldies (My goodness! When did songs from the 80’s become oldies!) or ones I listen to on K-Love.

With that said, my song of the day:

Ride on!

More Courage

Does it take courage for me to cycle 100 miles? No. It does not. Does it take courage to cycle 200 miles? No. It does not. Does it take courage to cycle 3500 miles? No. It does not. All it really takes is a bit of fitness and mental ~~craziness~~ stamina.

It takes courage to stand up and fight against cancer.

It takes courage to live with and fight against MS.

Me and Bubby

It takes courage to fight and win against leukemia.

It takes courage to stare down Parkinson’s Disease and keep riding.

Ride with Pam

It takes courage to fight diabetes, heart disease, ALS, chronic pain, depression and so many more of life’s medical challenges.

Since I can ride, and enjoy doing so, I feel privileged to be able to help others fight by raising awareness and funding for their causes. Yesterday, I had a special opportunity to bring awareness to Pediatric Cancer research. I challenged myself to ride for 24 hours to highlight the need and raise some funds. I didn’t quite make the 24 hours due to a flat that I didn’t have the courage to change in the cold and dark, but we were able to raise over $1000.00 in honor of a special person who lost her battle with cancer 3 years ago, while starting a full on war. Molly W. had way more courage than I could ever hope to have. The ride wasn’t a total loss either. I rode over 200 miles (35 after fixing the flat in the morning), and I had fun with friends who came out in support to run or ride for a bit.

Pics of the day:

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Song of the day:

Ride on!

Lighting the Night

I was blessed this week to be part of an ‘IncredibLLS’ team that walked to light the night to raise funds for leukemia and lymphoma research. We raised our lanterns to honor those we have lost and to celebrate those who have survived.

I walked because I lost a dear friend to leukemia several years ago. Gail was a PT I worked with in the first clinic I worked at in California. We were in a small space and our office and treatment areas were cramped, but if you ask any one of us who worked there, it was the best place we ever practiced, because of the people. Gail was part of that team and she was one of the nicest people I’ve ever known.

I walked because Danielle fought bravely and survived her battle with leukemia. She taught us all what true faith is and how to face struggles head on with no holds barred.

I walked because I could. And I’m proud to be part of a team that raised over $5000.00 for leukemia and lymphoma research.

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Song of the day:

Next up: I’ll be riding for 24 hours next Saturday (September 23) to raise funds for pediatric cancer research. You are welcome to donate by going to this site: https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/MicheleArnold

Ride on!

All Grown Up

I started cycling about 50 years ago. My family of six used to ride around town together. People said we looked like Disney on Parade! We had a variety of bikes and you just grabbed one to go with. A couple had banana seats with high rise handle bars. There was a vintage Schwinn, a Raleigh touring bike and a tandem to choose from. There was no “bike fitting”. You just rolled.

While in high school, I rode my bike to school, to sports practices, to work, and to volunteer opportunities. It gave me a sense of independence and freedom. I bought my first road bike (a Trek) with money earned from babysitting and working as a lifeguard. I thought I was something else when I rode twenty miles.

In college, I continued to ride and would easily adventure out for fifty to a hundred miles at a time. I fell in love with distance riding back then. The big difference between then and now, though, is back then, we didn’t have cell phones or satellite trackers. If you broke down and were stranded, good luck! No wonder my mother didn’t want to know what I was up to. She would worry way too much.

After college, I worked in the Chicago area, and I found a friend who would ride with me. We had regular old steel 10-speeds with drop handle bars but we were fast! We typically rode about four hundred miles per week including two hundred plus mile rides. You ride that many miles, you tend to get strong and fast. We generally rode a 25 plus mph pace. We pushed until we were able to ride our hundred mile training route in just under four hours.

I’ve probably ridden close to fifty thousand miles including my trek across America earlier this year. And that’s with about twenty five years away from riding all together. In all that time and over all those miles, I’ve ridden with plain platform pedals or with toe clips. I never had any desire to even try clipless pedals (yes – those are ones you actually do clip into), until now. For whatever reason, I decided to go clipless. Maybe it’s Mr. SAG’s fault for once again bringing me to REI. When I go to REI, I always find something to come away with. This time, it just happened to be new shoes and clipless pedals. Now mind you, there is no research that shows that clipless are actually better or more efficient than platform pedals. There are just a lot of anecdotal and subjective opinions. It’s funny, now that I have them (and I’ve ridden just over a hundred miles with them), I sort of feel all grown up! I no longer feel like a kid grabbing any bike that’s handy. And I do like them. For me, I’ve gained about 2 mph in speed and they make it noticeably easier to stand out of the saddle when climbing.

They took a little getting used to. Clipping in was especially different. With toe clips, you lead with the toes. With a clipless system, the cleat is more towards the mid foot. And luckily, I haven’t forgotten to or been unable to clip out when stopping. Oh, but I’m sure there will come a day!

Song of the day…

Ride on!

Courage

What is courage?

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines it as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.

Ernest Hemingway defined courage as “grace under pressure”.

Winston Churchill stated, “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all others.”

And according to Maya Angelou, “Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.”

I learned what courage is from a seventeen year old girl. Molly Widner lived life to the fullest and without fear despite having a diagnosis of cancer at such a young age. She fought bravely and showed us all what courage looks like in the flesh. Molly died three years ago but not before showing the rest of us how to live.

Molly died in part because she had a rare cancer and there just wasn’t enough research that told her doctors how to treat it in a young patient. Only 4% of research dollars is directed toward pediatric cancer research. It’s time to change that. Don’t get me wrong. All cancer research is important. September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month and on September 16, I’ll be walking with Team IncredibLLS in the Light the Night Walk to support blood cancer research. I know plenty of people who have survived various forms of cancer and many who have not, including my mom. I know how impactful a diagnosis and treatment can be. And I know we are all hopeful for a cure. But when cancer strikes a child, it absolutely breaks my heart.

September is also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. One of the things I’ll be doing to help raise awareness and funds is a 24-hour cycling challenge in Molly’s name. On September 23, I will be riding a nine mile loop along the upper part of Napa’s Vine Trail for 24 hours to see just how many miles I can ride. You can join me too. Come and ride a loop or two and I will try and keep up! If you would like to donate and have your dollars directed specifically toward pediatric cancer research, my link for The Great Cycle Challenge is live. Great Cycle Challenge USA is a national Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) fundraising initiative. I participated in this event in 2016 and 2017. Rides are uploaded throughout June, but donations are accepted any time. They are a great organization with one goal: end childhood cancer. I’m giving a dollar for every mile I ride on the 23rd. I am hoping to do a triple century – I’ve never done that before. I hope I have the courage!

For Molly:

Ride on!

Tour de Fox – Check

I had a great time riding in the Tour de Fox – Wine Country event this weekend! I rode the “petite” 10-mile route. For me, that’s usually a warm up. After all, I’ve ridden 36 centuries this year. Those 10-miles were some of the most gratifying I’ve ridden, though.

The Tour de Fox is a ride to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson’s Disease research and I was privileged to ride along side a friend who has early onset of the disease. She has been riding for a few months now to prep for this ride which had a couple of pretty good hills in it. Her goal at first was to just finish alive. Check! Once she gained confidence, the goal changed to finishing in an hour. She actually finished with a personal best on the route of just over 53 minutes! Check! So proud of her!

As usually is around these parts, it was a perfect morning to ride. It started out chilly, made it to the mid seventies by ride time and hit the high eighties by the end. Good thing we finished when we did too. The temperature rose to over 100 degrees F by mid-afternoon. Ugh!

The event raised over $600,000 for Parkinson’s research! Happy to play a small part.

Next up? I am planning to do a now annual, 24-hour challenge. I guess 2 years in a row makes it annual. Right? I participated in the Great Cycle Challenge 2017, which targets pediatric cancer, when I did my cross-country ride in June. It ran concurrently with my Bike the US for MS efforts since it is a virtual ride that automatically tracks your miles. I didn’t talk about it too much because my main cause was MS research. I did raise $1000. for GCC, though. September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness month so in 3 weeks, I will be continuing with GCC and co-sponsoring the first ever Molly Widner Courage Ride to raise funds and awareness for Pediatric Cancer Research. Only 4% of all cancer research dollars are directed towards pediatric cancers and it’s my hope to increase that. You’ll hear more about the ride coming up.

Today, though, we celebrate Pam and her team P-Cubed…Pamela’s Parkinson Pack!

Song of the day:

Ride on!

Change Is In The Air

Wow! It’s already getting close to harvest time in the valley. The days are starting to get noticeably shorter. Schools are back in session. And the fog is staying put longer in the mornings. Change is in the air. We’re definitely starting to see Fall peek around the corner.

With Fall coming, and winter not far behind (and yes, I know it’s still August), I’ve started thinking about my continuing exercising and training routines. So, cross training has crept back into my vocabulary and I like it! I am a cyclist at heart but I enjoy other activities to challenge myself as well. I’m still riding one hundred plus miles per week (if I get a long weekend ride in), but I’ve started to run again too. This week I pulled off 16 miles. No, not in one run. But, some day! I enjoy running in the rain, so for the winter in California, it’s a good one to have in my wheel house. Besides, switching it up helps keep me from getting bored (not a good thing if you know me).

As far as cycling goes, I’ve been working on speed (thanks for the ongoing motivation bgddyjim! For me, that means HIIT (high intensity interval training). Easy to do when you essentially ride loops – rather than going straight across the country. OK, straight may be pushing it. You all know I got lost and backtracked more times than I’ll admit! I’m also working on climbing strength. I’ve climbed some mountains in my day, but I’d like to do it quicker and easier.

I do have a couple of personal challenges in mind for the near future. I’m still working them out in my head though. I haven’t settled on what they will be for sure yet. Suffice it to say, I have something in mind for running and a couple somethings for cycling. Stay tuned. 🙂

My next event for a cause is the Tour de Fox – Wine Country, a ride to raise funds for Parkinson’s Disease research. I’ll be riding with my friend Pam and her team.

Song of the day:

Ride on!

It Was Never Just About Me

Many who followed my cycling ride across America have expressed that they’ve actually missed my stories. Who’d have thought? I am humbled by your sentiments and have decided to continue blogging about my endeavors to stay healthy and meet new challenges. So come along for the ride – if you will.

It’s been said that when you embark on certain journeys, they change you and you grow in ways you would never have imagined. I recently reflected on my whirlwind ride and found that it changed me indeed. What started as a check off on my bucket list became so much more. It was more than just being about me and completing a goal. I decided early on that if I was going to take on that challenge, I should raise awareness and funds for something important. I was led to the group Bike the US for MS. They support self-contained riders, and my sister and some friends back home in NY have Multiple Sclerosis. What a match! I also raised funds for pediatric cancer research through The Great Cycle Challenge in honor of Molly, a special person who lost her battle with cancer 3 years ago. I will continue to raise funds for MS and cancer research, but will also join in other fights and ride, run, walk, or just be for a cause. As a matter of fact, I have two events later this month.

Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – I will be walking with my friend Danielle who survived a battle with leukemia last year and taught me so much about courage and faith.

Tour de Fox – raising funds for Parkinson’s Disease research. I will be riding with a long time friend who has the disease and is an inspiration with her positive attitude.

How else have I grown or changed?

I stopped watching the news and being cynical. There are such good people out there who are wanting to help or make a difference in any way they can. They are curious and interested and fun and caring and so much more! I met Charlton on day 1. He found my lost packet of cash, credit card and id along the road and found a way to return it to me! On day 7, I met up with LaVoy and others from the Union Pacific Rail crew. They made sure I had safe passage and kept me hydrated and replenished on a hot day along the Great Salt Flats. Alan made sure I didn’t walk too far with a flat tire on Day 8. Team Cubby Comfort Dog gave us food, shelter, and worship on day 11. And we met up with many more LCC Comfort Dog Teams along the way that were wonderful to us. Then on day 27, Nancy generously gave me shelter from the storm.

My Comfort Dog Friends – Aaron, Cubby, Eddie, Moses, Joy, Katie, Anna, Gracie, Shami, Barnabas, Lydia, Obadiah and Jessy.

I also learned that staying connected with friends and family is a good thing. They love you forever, no questions asked. And some friends are family! Even if you haven’t seen them in years, it will feel like it was yesterday. You really can go home again.

And I now know more about me and what I’m made of. I did this ride in part to see if I could. I now know that I can. When it gets tough, I can push on. And I’ve grown by learning that even though it looks like I am riding solo, I never really am.

Since I’ve returned, several people have told me it was inspiring. That alone makes me feel great about completing the trek. Many people inspired me so if I can pay that forward to even one person, it was worth it.

Song of the day:

Stay tuned to hear more about the causes I support or the challenges I take on.

Ride on!

MAA – Epilogue – Reflections on a Month of Cycling Across America

Hi again – I get to relax in the RV on the way back to California, so I am taking some time to reflect on my month of cycling across our great country. I hope you had fun tagging along and getting a glimpse into what it was like. The following are some retrospective thoughts about the experience.

TRIP STATS

Start – Finish: San Francisco, California to Plymouth, Massachusetts
Days Riding – 32.5 plus prologue
Rest days – 0
Miles – 3569
Most miles in one day – 146.5 (Austin, NV to Ely, NV)
Feet climbed – 102,450
Highest point – 8062 feet (Colorado)
Most feet elevation gained in one day – 8288
Number of states touched – 16
- CA, NV, UT, WY, CO, NE, IA, IL, IN, MI, OH, PA, NY, MA, CT, RI (ended back in MA)
Dogs giving chase – 36
- Dog deterrent air horn used – 4x
Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) Comfort Dogs met – 12
- Aaron (send off from home), Cubby, Moses, Eddie, Joy, Katie, Gracie, Shami (early morning send off in Illinois), Barnabas, Anna, Lydia, Obadiah – And they are all looking out for us on the way home!
Mechanical Issues – SAG Actual got really good at fixing/maintain things!
- Flat Tires – 5 (I had one the day before the last ride – slow leak found at camp)
- Brake pads replaced – 1 set
- Rearview mirror replaced – 1
- Chain dirt and grime cleaned – daily
Times caught in rain – 3
Highest temperature on road – 104.6 degrees (according to Garmin)
Weight lost – 12 lbs.

OBSERVATIONS/LEARNINGS

I have a GREAT SAG Team!
The sweet spot for riding is between 6 and 10 am.
I don’t like riding in the wind (especially head wind)!
I don’t like rumble strips!
I am directionally challenged.
Biggest Surprise – that I liked Nebraska
I have the best supportive friends ever!
Best ride – day 15 – Gothenburg to Grand Island, NE – nice smooth road, flat, slight tail wind, moderate temperature (100 miles in under 6 hours).
Hardest ride – day 12 – Fort Collins, CO to Sterling, CO (103 miles) – lots of wind!
Prettiest scenery – California for awe inspiring, dramatic views and New York for absolute, serene beauty.
Best barns – Iowa
Friendliest state – Nebraska
Best RV Park – Streetsboro, OH KOA (and then Dayton Ohio KOA after the ride)
Best bike path – Des Moines, IA
Best road – Route 6 in IL from Marseilles to Joliet
Worst road – Service and frontage road along Union Pacific Railway West Wendover, NV to Salt Lake City, UT
Coolest experience – riding along prancing Antelope on the way to Laramie, WY
Dogs love to chase bikes.
This was a one and done adventure.
The vastness of this country is incredible.
Riding across the country 100 miles at a time was easier than I thought and harder than I imagined (hard to explain).
When I asked for a sign along the way…
You get to take a new road/go in a new direction only at the top of a hill – never happens at the bottom – you must climb first!
Descents are the best!!! (This is what it was like coming down from Spooner Pass)
Scoobert is a dog that is too big for an RV!
Reconnecting with friends and family is great! Don’t wait to do it.
Downshift before you stop. No, really. Downshift BEFORE you stop!
America is not flat (except for parts of Nebraska)
Even Iowa has hills, lot’s of hills!
My faith in humanity has been made stronger.
There are a lot of good people out there!
Respect the checklist! We learned early on that I needed a checklist to make sure I remembered everything. I forgot things every day! (Things forgotten: tail light, Camelbak, sunglasses, food, sunscreen, helmet, more…)
Respect the SAG team! They have a different vantage point and are extremely helpful!
Cycling gets you a great tan. LOL

This is likely my last post for a while. There will be more adventures/goals coming up and I may write about them as well, but I’m pretty sure nothing will be as epic as this one was! Apparently, this is the end of the path for now. 😉

God is good! Ride on!

MAA – Day 33 – (Omega) Done. Check.

It started as a dream about 30 years ago and after a nice 32 mile ride this morning, I made it across the country to dip my tires in the Atlantic Ocean! My sisters, SAG Actual, and SAG1 (their preferred names now) were there to greet me and record it for the history books! So cool!

I did get within site of the ocean first on a bike path, so I stopped to have a personal moment and take a few selfies. 🙂

Then it was on to Plymouth Rock and the dip in the Atlantic!

Obadiah Comfort Dog caught up to us to extend congratulations too!

Back in Latham, NY, my sister hosted a congratulatory cook out. I was so fortunate to re-connect with another high school pal, Terri!

And our cousins who read about the adventure in the Times Telegram came too! And they brought home made half moons too so they are definitely OK in my book!

The SAG team is just happy they no longer have to move in 20-50 mile increments!

Other pics of the day:

Song of the day:

Stay tuned for a few reflections on the month of riding, and then it will be on to the next adventure! 🙂

Ride on!

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