The wheels on the bike go round and round....

‎"Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not demanding more from yourself-expanding and learning as you go-you're choosing a numb existence. You're denying yourself an extraordinary trip." -Dean Karazes

This is the first bike I ever owned. I LOVED this bike. When it came time to take the trainer wheels off I totally flipped out. I only let my dad take one wheel off. Then I proceeded to ride the bike lopsided for an entire year. It made it really easy to go in circles in my driveway. Finally my brother that is 2 years younger than me took his training wheels off. Since I obviously couldn't have him do something I couldn't do, I insisted I was no longer afraid and made my dad remove my one remaining training wheel. I was so excited to be riding like a big girl that a few days later I went flying down a hill as fast as possible. I turned around to make sure my mom could see me, hit a curb, fell and broke my arm.

25 years later I am going over the route for my ride across the state of Florida. This is going to be a solo record breaking attempt. Jason spent countless hours planning the route. The only requirement is that you start and stop at the exact same location as the current record holder. You plan your own route. You have to have a support vehicle and an ultra-cycling association official. The ride is currently around 416 miles. The record holder rode 405.3 miles in 27 hours and 58 minutes. That's a LONG time in the saddle. This is how our conversation went last night:

Jason "You are sure you want to do this right? Because we are getting ready to spend money now. You have to buy lights, radio, get signs made..."

Me: " Signs? Awesome! I want a sign with purple writing and two big yellow stars on it"

Jason: "No. The sign says "Caution: Rider ahead" in black on an orange background"

Me: "Do you think it can say Caution: Extremely awesome rider ahead?"

Jason: "Do YOU think we have a 10-foot car to put this sign on? Why do you care about things that don't matter at all?"

Me: "I don't know. But I want a bag full of food to feed me in case of emergency. Honey buns, moonpies, just a bag full of junk. And don't let Chuck eat it all."

Jason (shaking head) "Ok babe."

And there ya have it folks! I WILL be riding my bike across the state of Florida. It WILL be awesome and you will be hearing a lot more about it soon, including the fundraising I am committed to!

In the meantime if you need me I will be on my bike.....