OMG I did it!

It was brutal - just brutal. I completed the Tour de Cure on Saturday and it was the most difficult ride of my life!

We began at about 7:40 - in the rain heading out north into the wind. I was going a good clip - completing 15 miles the first hour despite the rolling hills and some wind. The rain had stopped and by the second check point it was time to remove a layer. It looked like the sun was going to shine on us... but when would the wind let up??! Not too much longer and the clouds came back and the wind picked up even worse and it changed direction - just as we began heading south again - OMG It was awful!! You literally HAD to pedal to go down hill. If you stopped pedaling you would be blown over. By mile 45 or so I was seriously considering quitting - a few of us were together on the tail end of the pack and when we met at the check points we would complain a little, replenish our food and water and then decide to go on.

At one point when I was very lonely and discouraged and my right leg was bothering me I passed by a farm. On the front lawn was a mom and her two smaller children. They were out there waving and clapping for me! The little boy said "I picked this flower for you" and ran down to the road to see me. I stopped and very gratefully took the white fuzzy dandelion and tucked it into my front pack. I knew the wind would take all of the fluff off of it in no time, but it made me smile none the less.
More water, more Gatorade, another Cliff bar and on I went.

Well the sun came out, the route seemed to flatten and I knew the end was near. I was excited to see Richie and Theresa and my dad at the finish so I pedaled as fast as I could. I was already about an hour past my goal time so I hoped they were not impatiently waiting for me. I came into the Am Fam property, rounded the bend, went up the gentle hill (the last one Thank God!) and there they were. Theresa started clapping, Grandpa took my photo, Richie smiled and the Tour de Cure crew handed me my goody bag and said "well done". Theresa said "great job Mom, now let's get you off of this bike." I couldn't agree more!