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RIDE ON

Pedal to the Point 2014
After one accomplishment, I immediately start plotting my next adventure. If you have been following my blog, you likely saw that I ran the Glass City Half Marathon last week, and now I'm moving on... What is it the next goal for this year? I'm shifting gears, literally, and refocusing on riding for the summer. Once again I will be taking on a Bike MS event.

I have to admit, this past week has been a week met with some mixed feelings. Finishing a huge race comes with this immense feeling of accomplishment, but then I start to think about how I can meet that accomplishment, and do I even need to? I was talking with my mom today and I was telling her about how I feel I have built some of my adult identity around my athleticism, and I sometimes wonder about the 'what ifs' that likely will NEVER come. For instance, what if I can't ride my bike anymore; what if I can't run anymore; what if I can't swim anymore? Because it is part of my identity, I honestly don't know how to answer that question... AND, that is why I am participating in this ride!

OK, so that isn't the only reason I ride... The other reasons I ride include hanging with my friend, to feel the wind in my hair, the feeling of accomplishment, and quite honestly, because I just like it. Actually, I LOVE it!!!

But here is the deal, the what ifs I mentioned above are the realities for many people around the world who are dealing with MS. I'm lucky... I'm just forgetful and clumsy, but I otherwise have all of my mobility in tact. I attribute my mobility to my athleticism and the care I put into my athleticism. I certainly am not only athlete, after all I've been working on building a very cool garden with my friend over the past few weeks, I've been hanging with my kitty and thinking about the next gifts I am going to make for people; all things that also impact my identity! But even the threat of losing one part of your identity is a scary prospect. This is likely why we grieve when we lose someone we love, whether through break up or death, because they are a huge part of who we are!

So, I am committed to making sure one less person has to grieve the loss of a small part of their identity by riding for MS.

My closest friend who is always there for me, is going to ride with me again. She was there for the 175 miles last year, along with my awesome family, and now she is going to put up with me for hours on this course...

Help us raise some funds for MS!!! A donation to my friend is just as special, if not more, as a donation to me. Feel free to click on either link below to donate, and Sue and I will promise (OK so we will shoot for) another picture like the one above!!!

Donate to Sue: here.

OR

Donate to me: here.

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