Today is the day after Christmas and as Sarah and I were eager to enjoy some of the day after Christmas sales. Well we didn't yield much in terms of the sales but there also wasn't much to yield - in my opinion. However, after not being able to get out on a run yesterday I told her that I'd really like to either take a 3 mile run or get some time on the rollers. We got home, she, being the incredible wife she is, told me to get out and do something before I settled into other projects while she took care of the dishes from last night (that's right, I'm a lucky guy!). Out to the garage I went. 1.67 miles into it, I remembered that even with the garage door open I dont get much of a breeze so I moved the rollers to the edge of the garage (still under the overhang of the roof) and got back to pedaling.
I enjoyed (though complained to myself at times) a great 20 miles in a rather brisk breeze. Though I didn't receive a specific request those 20 miles were broken down for a few different reasons. Firstly, I rode for Sarah Leopold (my wife was named after her late grandmother). My wife never had the chance to meet her grandmother because she struggled with various health issues throughout her life, and was ultimately stolen from the family by the evil cancer. Though it is never easy to say goodbye to a family member, grandma's passing happened at the same time that my wife's parents found out they were pregnant. Being the first female born in over 70 years, my wife was given the name Sarah. I'm sure she was an amazing woman, and she fought so much more than cancer in her life. I'm sure she was an amazing woman and I was happy to ride in her honor.
The reason I chose to ride for Grandma Sarah is because one of the gifts I received for Christmas was a donation from my father-in-law toward my fundraising. The donation was given in my honor because the whole family has really enjoyed to see how Sarah and I have embraced the Livestrong movement. It was a great Christmas present to receive. Yes, it gets me $100 closer to my ultimate goal, but most importantly it provides added funds to help those who need it most as they battle the beast. We need all the help and funds we can get to support those who are fighting cancer now, will tomorrow, and continue to live life after cancer.
Another reason that I moved the rollers out of the garage (besides the wonderful benefit of keeping my body temperature down) is that in riding in honor of my father-in-law, I know how much he REALLY loves and embraces the outdoors. In fact, as I was riding, he was skiing Stevens Pass (I just hope it wasn't as winding at the mountain because it had a miserable potential). Shortly before my diagnosis, Dad really wanted to improve his health. He began focusing more on what he was eating, started doing more hiking, and became a fanatic on rowing like I have with cycling. We all need to find the hobby that best suits us and get out and keep the body moving, and stay healthy before it's too late.
On a side note about the rollers. Riding the rollers isn't much fun. I mean, it is because I love biking, but it is SO MUCH more enjoyable when you are actually moving. There were various times when I would look down at my distance and say, "meh, that could be good enough," but then I would remind myself why I was out riding and my promise to those who donate to my support of Livestrong. So I kept riding. But while I was out there, I saw a total of 4 cyclists all bundled up, fighting the wind on the road. As much as I don't like the rollers at times, cycling with 30+ mph gusts just doesn't seem very enjoyable either.
LIVESTRONG!
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