Hatching Plans: ALA's Big Ride Across America

[redrhodie]

That quilt is gorgeous! I bet that will get you a lot closer to your goal. What a generous mom!

[indysteel]

That quilt is gorgeous! I bet that will get you a lot closer to your goal. What a generous mom!

Seriously. I would be all over that.

[WindingRoad]

Wow! That quilt is amazing! Your mother is a talented woman!

[Reesha]

Well I should say that that quilt is not hers... It's the one we found that she is going off of. Hers is still in the midst of production. Apparently the design is not that difficult to put together!

Anyway, when the time comes, if anyone would like to purchase raffle tickets, you can do so through my donation site and send me a PM and I will mail you your tickets (and keep the stubs for the drawing naturally).

[Reesha]

Oh, I feel like I should share this here because I know there are probably women here who would love this blog:

http://www.bigride2011.com

The lady responsible for this lovely collection is an excellent writer who took marvelous pictures of the journey. I definitely feel like I'm along for the ride with her posts. I think my blog aims to be a bit more utilitarian for the aspiring Big Rider. More training/fundraising information. On the ride, I hope to take lots of pictures of things you might not normally think to take pictures of-- meals, annoyances, things you can't live without. Nonetheless, I have read some of her blog posts thin in anticipation!

[Reesha]

I met with my new personal trainer today. He is going to be a great fit for me and works for a very reasonable price ($45/hr, plus $60 for each 6 week plan). Our first session today was hard and he had a lot of great advice. I feel certain that if I stick to his program I'll be 15-20 lbs lighter by April

Today the single calf lifts were the hardest part... I figured I had more calf strength than I did, but I haven't been running so apparently they need some work. Shoulder presses were embarassingly hard as well.

On the other hand, I was surprised by my abilities in the roman chair... I was certain that I couldn't do a single knee up. I'm also pretty decent at stiff legged dead lifts! I just need to remember to slow down each movement and to get zen when I do them. I tend to go too fast.

I think I was most thankful for the nutrition advice. It's good to hear one plan from one person who knows their stuff. I'll be looking for good morning and afternoon snacks and I'll have to watch my carbohydrate intake (keeping it under 150 grams per day). I'll also need to elevate my protein intake.

[Reesha]

Wow! I've been working with my PT for 7 weeks now and he's really whipping me into shape. I have lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of muscle, but really have only lost a pound or so numerically. Honestly, I could follow his nutrition guidelines a LEETLE more carefully, though. By the time I next see him, I'll be handing him the training guide in our rider's handbook for the Big Ride so he can tailor my training schedule to it! (Very exciting!) He started a website http://phasetraining.net/ and took a few of us disciples on a 50 mile ride sunday. The ride followed on the heels of a new training session, so I was pooped by the time I got back.

Fundraising is going going going but it feels slow. I'm at 20% right now and I was gratified when a bunch of my online friends collectively donated $400 in the last couple days. That was well-timed because my boss shot down the carefully planned penny war that I wanted to do in the middle school and I was feeling a little down about that. Lesson learned: do not hang your hopes on any fundraiser until you are sure that it is going to happen!!!

Still, the start date creeps closer, and I am hoping the looming deadline will spur my friends and family to make their contribution. There's no sense of urgency when you're asking them for support 8 months in advance.