Expect the Unexpected (Tahoe, part 1)

What is that they say? You plan, God laughs. The past few weeks have reinforced that lesson over and over. The take home message is that nothing works out the way you planned it, but somehow everything works out the way it is supposed to.




The view on the way to Lake Tahoe

My last blog entry was a few weeks ago, and I was counting my blessings, every single one of them. I was also laid up with lower back pain, which turned out to be a result of a little bike wreck I had two months ago. A few visits to my trusty chiropractor had me back on my game and I was good to go. The next two weeks passed in a flurry of tying up loose ends at work, getting ready for the last day of school, and packing for 10 days of vacation. I was obsessively checking the weather report for South Lake Tahoe and despite my efforts, prayers, and crossed fingers, the forecast never changed – cold, rain, possible snow – low of 36, high of 52 (yuck). So, I packed every warm thing I owned, and spent way too much money ordering brand new (and warm) cycle clothing (gloves, shoe covers, fleece lined cycle tights, foot warmers...). Fortunately everything arrived on time, and got crammed in my suitcase with everything else. 
It’s go time!

As our flight was heading towards Sacramento, the captain let everyone know we were flying over Lake Tahoe – yeah, baby! I peered over Ray’s shoulders and noticed a very large body of water below the plane... very large... huge, even. I also could not help but notice all of the snow around the lake. Snow? In June? Sigh... good thing I bought all those warm clothes.

Perfect cycling weather...

Ray and I arrived a day before the rest of the Team, so we explored the area a bit, but mostly relaxed. On Friday I rented a mountain bike with my Teammate and good friend, Jacey, and we did some more exploring. The idea was to try and acclimate to the elevation (6200’) and the hills since we had the time. Jacey is a bit more adventurous than me (but then again, who isn’t?), and was in her element; dodging tree trunks, riding through squishy mud, and spotting wildlife. I, on the other hand, was white knuckling the handlebars, had my eyes glued to the trail/road (so I missed most of the wildlife), and was generally spazzing out (but trying to seem cool), as usual. We found ourselves at the Pearl Izumi outlet (specialty running and biking clothing and accessories), where we were compelled to spend even more money on warm cycle gear. The store was full of fellow cyclists who were just as freaked out about the weather report for Sunday’s ride. The store manager was grinning from ear to ear (not that I blame her). 

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

The next day we met up with the rest of the team for a 20 mile “shake down” ride. Here was our chance to get the kinks out before Sunday’s mega ride. We could try out what we planned to wear, and make sure everything on the bike was shifting cleanly, and working smoothly. The weather was cooperating in that it was rainy and cold – exactly what was expected for Sunday, so it was a true dress rehearsal. We set out on the road and quickly realized a few things: cycle shoes are designed to keep your feet cool on a hot day, Florida toes get cold... fast, Florida lungs (gasp) train at sea level, you cannot ride in a pace line on a wet muddy road unless you want to eat the mud spraying off of your teammate’s tire in front of you, and finally, (speaking of mud) it is best to squirt a bit of water out of your bottle before putting it to your mouth for a drink (Aack! Choke, spit!).

As I was wiping down my bike after the ride, I noticed a familiar tightening in my lower back (no!). I quickly dropped to the floor and started going through all my stretches and exercises to release the twinge of pain, which was getting worse by the minute. I took some ibuprofen, forced myself to relax, and spent 20 minutes in a hot shower, all to no avail. I refused to accept the inevitable and gamely started getting my stuff ready for the ride on Sunday. I showed up at the TNT inspiration dinner with a back brace and a support pillow, and my coach’s eyes got real wide (I didn’t want to talk about it).

At the dinner, we learned some amazing things... Team in Training has been participating in America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride for the past 15 years; in those years, we have raised over 75 million dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society from this event alone! Just for the record, TNT has raised over a BILLION DOLLARS (yes, I used the Dr. Evil pinkie to the chin maneuver) for the Society! This past weekend, TNT had over 1500 riders determined to circle Lake Tahoe, and together we raised $6.8 million (whoa).

Hearing all this amazing news, and being surrounded by all the good cheer and purple people made my back feel better and I was excited to ride. Both my coach and teammates warned me to listen to my body and make a call in the morning. I went to bed early and said a prayer for a speedy recovery and a pain-free morning (with a little sun thrown in for good measure).

Unfortunately, morning came a little early to my room in the form of a 3:00 AM bathroom call (nature calls, I listen). I rolled over to get out of bed and felt the spasms in my back begin. Ray heard my whine and leaned over to comfort me – bad move, baby (cue the water works!).

To say I was despondent wouldn't even scratch the surface of what I was feeling. Disappointment, regret, futility, helplessness, and a little bit of rage, mixed in with back pain made for a very unhappy camper at three in the morning. What did I do all this work for? Raise all this money? Train so hard? Push my body to the brink and back? Save for a new bike? I missed countless softball games, girls’ nights, date nights, neglected my family, my house, my yard... All for this moment – the ability to bike 103 miles in the mountains, and I COULDN’T EVEN GET OUT OF BED!!

I was wrecked, emotionally and physically and I hadn’t even gotten on my bike, yet.

Ray, ever the philosopher, said to me, “Everything happens for a reason. God has a plan for you.”

I wanted to smother him with my pillow, but I knew I didn’t have the strength.

I’m not an emotional person, usually. I’m not given to rash, hysterical crying jags. But, when I finally give in, I generally make it count and this tantrum was no exception. After using nearly every tissue in the room (plus the bed sheet, and probably Ray’s shoulder which is big and strong, but not particularly absorbent), my darling hubby was desperate to make me feel better. He said something that (though I am sure he is regretting) actually did make me feel better.

He said, “You can try again next year, and I’ll do it with you.”

WHAT?!?

Did he say it just to make me stop crying? Maybe. Men have been known to agree to lots of things just to stop a woman’s tears. But, hopefully he meant it. Hopefully he was inspired by the thousands of purple people willing to put their lives on hold for a little while to make a difference for those who can’t. Maybe it was my crazy teammates and the way we love and support each other like a single-minded yet slightly dysfunctional family. Maybe it was the challenge, the tough course, and the new shiny (and expensive) bikes.

He’s a man – it was probably the bikes.

(More on the ride, to follow...)