Final Thoughts and Reflections on the Ride to Conquer Cancer 2009
My Thoughts and Reflections on the Ride to Conquer Cancer 2009
I'm not really sure what to say or how to say it. It's hard to describe and put into words how I feel today other than exhausted, sore, tired, elated, proud, accomplished. It was truly the experience of a lifetime. I'll give you my thoughts and reflections below.

Optional Bike Drop Off Friday, September 25th, 2009: My friend April went with me to drop off my bike Friday evening and pick up my registration packet (wrist band, cycling jersey, bike tag). WOW! It was so neat seeing all those bikes and the excitement on people's faces in anticipation of the ride. I was incredibly nervous but incredibly excited too.

Saturday, September 26th, 2009 Arrival: I got up around 4:15 am. Sleep did not come to me easily the night before so I was very tired, but got up easily. My sister, Kelly, came to pick me up at 5:15 am. As we were driving to Louisville, the rain was pouring down. Talk about being nervous! I had never ridden in the rain and was NOT excited about the prospect of riding in it this weekend. There was no way I was going to back out though. I had signed up and committed, so I was riding rain or shine. When we got to Louisville, it had miraculously stopped raining. WOW! It was high energy environment- music, bicycles everywhere, food, lots of smiling faces, food. When we got to the E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park we dropped off my luggage. One the crew members told me I had to change into my ride jersey for day 1. I was wearing a jersey I had embroidered with In memory of Jeannie Lane The Ride to Conquer Cancer 2009. There were other riders w/out their ride jerseys, but it was ok. Around 7:45 am I tried to encourage my sister to go ahead and leave so she could make her spin class at The Prevention Park YMCA. She wanted to stay to see me off. Very sweet, Kelly. (I appreciate you so much!) At 7:45 stretching began. At 8:00 opening ceremonies began. They talked about the ride and the work the Norton Cancer Institute is doing on Cancer Research- very inspiring, uplifting, and touching. The ride started around 8:30 with the speaker saying- Ready, set, ride! I was nervous, but once I started pedaling, I was fine.

The Course- Saturday, September 26th: The weather held out for us the entire day. I think THE BIG GUY upstairs was watching out for us protecting us on our ride. It was a little misty some parts of the ride and it was overcast all day, but it was not bad at all. It was actually very comfortable. Temperature wise it was great. I was never too hot or too cold. The route was great though challenging- lots of challenging climbs. There were steep descents too. I typically love going downhill (the only time I feel fast), but road was wet and I was afraid I would wipe out. The worst part of the ride on Saturday was riding on Leestown road. It was very busy- UK tailgating. This was the only time during the ride I felt unsafe. The cars were absolutely nuts. I felt pretty good the majority of the day. There was one point around the 50 mile mark that all I wanted to do was to pull over to the side of the road and just sit down for a few minutes. I didn't and after about 20 minutes I felt much better. When I rode into Masterson Station Park, I was a mess- muddy and wet from water spraying off the tires. My bike needs a good cleaning. What beautiful countryside we have in our magnificent state.

The Course- Sunday, September 27, 2009: Whoa! I thought Saturday was challenging until today. Not only were there LOTS of hills, there were also strong headwinds the entire day. The last 7 miles were probably the toughest, not in terms of hills, but in terms of being sore, exhausted, and just plain old ready to be done. I was really scared about riding over Tyrone Bridge in Anderson Count. I was told that it was very intimidating. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There was a long, winding, uphill right off the bridge. I kind of wanted to get off and push but I knew I would be disappointed in myself if I did. Persistence was got me up the hills on this ride. I actually passed about 15 people who had gotten off their bikes to push uphill.

Camp at Masterson Station Park: I have to say camping was not as bad as I thought it would be. Was in comfortable? Absolutely not. Was it terrible? Absolutely not! There were little blue tents lined up in a field. They were so close together, they were almost touching. The tents were so close you could hear everyone snoring. It was kind of comical. I had a "tent mate". I hate to say this, but I cannot for the life of me remember her name. She was a very sweet lady. She was a crew member, not a rider. She volunteered because of the care she received from the Norton Cancer Institute when diagnosed with colon cancer 3 years ago. She had a neat story to share. The food at camp was very good. It was amazing how much food there was- all I could possibly want and definitely more than I needed. The entertainment was good too. There was a live band playing- The Rigbys. They sang all the Beatle's songs. They were amazing!!!!! I feel They had free massages too. I had to wait in line for about 30 minutes, but it was well worth the wait. The port-a-potties were not that bead either. I used more port-a-potties this weekend than I ever have before. The showers were awesome too. They had these showers on these big rig trucks. It honestly felt like the best shower I had ever taken in my life. They water was hot and the water pressure was fantastic. I fell asleep Saturday evening around 9:45 pm. I feel asleep easily, but woke up a little after 4:00 am. I think the rain woke me up and all the snoring that was happening. I laid in my sleeping bag until around 5:00 am, then got up and brushed my teeth and walked around the campsite for awhile. Around 6:00 I got my cycling gear on then ate breakfast. After breakfast, I got my bike, tried to clean it off the best I could, then had the guys from Scheller's bicycle shop to check the air pressure in my tires. They were low. I was ready to head out around 7:00 am, but they wouldn't open the route until it got a bit lighter outside. The Route was incredibly well marked. I never at one time thought I would get lost. You would have to be pretty clueless to get lost. There were signs posted along the route telling us to ride single file, to watch out for loose gravel, slow down- steep downhill, etc.

The Crew of Volunteers: The Ride to Conquer Cancer was one of the most organized events I have ever taken part in. ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!! I'm not even sure what to say about the volunteers- from checking people in, transporting luggage, medical personnel, massage therapists, setting up and breaking down tents, passing out food and drinks at hydration stations along the route, offering words of encouragement, etc. YOU GUYS ROCK!!! What an amazing group of people. They made everyone feel so welcome and appreciated.

People Along the Route Cheering Us On: WOW! I kind of felt like a celebrity. It was so neat and empowering to witness the people along the route rooting for us and cheering us on. Thanks Berry and Elaine Lane- I saw you out the corner of my eyes as I was passing by in Shelbyville. Thanks to the Albers family. I made my day when I saw you guys along the path cheering me on and the other riders. WOW!

The Food: The food was great. There was no lack of food. (I think I probably gained at least 5 lbs.) I do, however, feel like I've been "carb overloaded". Thanks to following businesses for keeping us well-fed: Calistoga artisan sandwiches, Morrison Healthcare Food Services, Qdoba, & Olive Garden. Thanks to all the people who manned the pit stops. There was what seemed to be an endless supply of food- fruits, chips, granola bars, trail mix, water, Gatorade, etc.

by Julia King on Tue, Sep 29, 2009 @ 4:55 AM

 Permanent Link   No Comments