Who Restores You?

So after having crashed my system, I managed to come down with a cold yesterday. Yuck. So I'm off the bike entirely until I get over this and I'm taking the time to reflect on the restorative and healing process and those whom we seek out when we are wounded.

It's easy to remember the people who get us excited, inspired and ramped up to do things because they are the larger-than-life people. The ones who instantly fill up a room with their personalities, enthusiasm and ideas. And those are the people I am usually off chasing like a small dog after a car. There is so much energy and excitement that you can't help but be caught up in the whirlwind and the feeling that you can accomplish almost anything! I am so fortunate because my life is filled with these awesome people and I gibber about them constantly.

But after I fly out of the whirlwind and fall to earth with a big thud, who is it that calms and soothes my owies and my shorted-out brain? My Yogi, that's who. She is one of those people in the back of the room who you may not notice at first but when you walk into her space, you feel a definite calming presence. She is always there providing quiet encouragement and asking me what I need. Every week I go to her house for a magical restoring session with a couple of good friends and walk out feeling calm and recharged and restored. If you ever get a chance to take a yoga class with Anita Farrah I highly recommend it! She is also my dear friend and fellow artist and I am lucky to have her in my life.

So take a minute and remember to thank those quiet-yet-oh-so-supportive people in your life!

You Better Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

The crash was inevitable. Not able to sleep, sick to my stomach, stuttering, shaking like a frightened chihuahua in a thunderstorm, frustrated and crying at the drop of a hat. All my muscles felt like they had stilettos stuck in them. Every object I picked up got dropped at least twice. I had pushed myself into a flareup.

The holidays hit with all of the extra cleaning, decorating, cooking, baking, visiting, and shopping. I had set my sights on doing my first 100 mile test ride in early February and started to ramp up my training schedule the first week of December. For a normal, healthy adult that would be a lot. For someone like me with my fabulous gift basket of physical dysfunction, it was the perfect storm.



We did a 40 mile ride up by Usery Pass which is a lot of hill climbing on Saturday and climbed that big red hill on the profile twice. I came home and I cranked out five different batches of cookie dough and cleaned up the kitchen. Sunday I spent the day baking cookies with a friend. By Monday evening I was a wreck. Dave came home and found me freaking out and crying over the computer because I couldn't figure out how to re size some photos for printing.

So Tuesday I had to do some soul searching. The superhero cape needed to be folded neatly and put in the drawer for a little while so I can get stronger. I am still planning to do that 100+ mile ride for Beads of Courage and the kids but at a slower pace. I'd like to get to that 100 mile marker by my 50th birthday this summer.

So stick with me, I'm downshifting a little but still training and posting. This is just a little bump in the road!