Biker Hen--Happy Birthday! I hope you get in a great ride for your 50th. I got smoked last summer on a metric century by some older ladies who had to weigh around 200# each. It was humbling. They were stronger. Older, heavier, and stronger. I'm 45, and like you, I don't want to be old and incapacitated. My mom used to love to ride her bike, but lately her inattention to her diabetes has robbed her of that pleasure. I am sure your Chick gets a lot of pleasure out of getting out there and getting muddy with her mom.

Mel, you make me think of Jayne Williams, who wrote a book called Slow Fat Triathlete. the subtitle is "Live your athletic dreams in the body you have now." Her website is www.slowfattriathlete.com Her message, like yours, is really clear: Get out there and do what you love to do. I am glad that cycling is working for you. I think Jayne is 5'10", too. Her story about trying on a wetsuit for the first time is hilarious. I re-read it before I tried on my own first wetsuit, because the internal messages about not looking like an athlete were so strong. I think I've finally got it that an athlete is some one who does athletic stuff. And you've been an athlete from the git-go, it sounds like to me.

Take care, Lise