Hello all! I'm riding the WomanTours Cross Country (lower tier, San Diego - St. Augustine) ride. It'll be a trip of about 59 days, and I'm psyched! I have done a lot of things for the wrong reason, but I think this is for the right one - I just want to do it. Two years ago I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Life as I knew it seemed to stop so abruptly, and the boring part of serving the illness set in. I had 9 surgeries within a 12 month period, some huge, some small, but I do think that the body paid a price each time. Chemo for 6 months, which I had a particularly hard time with, was the worst of the experience. When I finally felt like moving my body through space again, either walking or on a bike, I was a rank beginner, with dreadful balance and almost no stamina. I'm getting better each day, and I do see real gains as I work on my "new" body. I plan to have a small "2-year anniversary" party somewhere in Texas! For so many reasons, this trip is like the mountain; it's there, and I need to do the ride. I know that there will not be a better time to do it, and it is giving me a purpose to stretch for. I just learned to ride a bike about 14 years ago, and found that despite the falls, it was the most fun I'd had since I was 8 years old! I appreciate all the tips, and I can hear the guidance better from you sisters. (When my sons wanted to take charge of my training, they got very analytical and laid out a logical training program. I promptly got very resistant and turned off. They are alarmed, thinking I plan to just go out and "wing" it). So I want you to know that I'm writing down all your tips in a brightly covered journal, and I'll be putting tick marks beside them. And yes, I plan to enjoy the hell out of this ride. I've made a number of changes in my life these last 2 years. Along with letting go most of the small stuff, I 'm having more fun. I'm saying "No" to a lot of things, and "Yes, yes" to a few others. And I sure do appreciate all the other women who make a difference in my life!