Hmmm where to start.....

This update has several pieces:

This comes from prewreck thinking: I was looking at the Madone. It was around $2,500. And I asked on another biking forum about it. A young snobbish cyclist replied that I couldn't have a bike that cost more than my accumulated total of miles ridden so far. While I didn't really take that to heart, I have kept it in the back of my mind. Well, I figure that I have around $3,000 in the Madone after all accessories and such: new helmet, shoes, pedals, water bottle cages, saddle bag, etc.

So, I've had in my mind that 3,000 miles ridden would be when I "earned" the bike. Well, I'm approaching that for 2007 now!!! As of last night, I had 2,648 on Bike Journal. At the end of 2006, my total mileage was a little short of 2,500. So I've doubled my lifetime mileage in the last 6 months.

Well, I've decided that I must make 3,000 by June 30. Let's hope that we have lots of good cycling weather (we need rain so hopefully it will all come at night).

OK, now the other stuff....all this was interrupted last October 1, when one of the men that I was riding with was hit by a car and killed. This experience changed my life.

You can read about it here:

http://www.etsterling.com/sam_wolf-in_memory.html

Since then I have worked with some of his friends to have some Share the Road signs put up. We had three signs put up at the accident site and are working to have 100 more in the area.



Finally, My wreck.....On October 29, while riding a memory ride for Sam, I had a bad wreck, breaking 5 ribs and deflating my lung. I was in the hospital for 10 days. While I was in the hospital, Mr. bought me the new Madone that I had been talking about. I didn't know if I'd ever be able to ride it. It sat in the kitchen for 2 months as I recovered. In late December, I was able to try a few tentative rides. I rode it through January and February with a cast, then a brace on my right arm.

And back to the present.....I still don't feel as strong as I did prior to the wreck but I think that I'm getting there. I still have some rib pain and some shortness of breath. I ride differently now, very cautious, probably unnecessarily so, but I ride in a different comfort zone than others. I've seen things and experienced things that others haven't.

But I feel good! And I love to ride. And I'm so happy that Mr. and Silverson are riding too. Life is good!!!