Enjoy the serenity... Feel the burn...

It is true after all; you never forget how to ride a bike. However, someone forgot to mention the fact you may have to pace yourself. Pacing myself, well, wouldn't that be a novel idea? Instead, I think I will do things in my own typical design, I think I will sign up for a bike ride, one that takes place, hmm, after dark, and to make things extra sparkly, let's go downtown.

I suppose it would be beneficial to dust off the old bike. Technically, I haven't ever ridden it. Driving down the road one day, there to my right, my favorite sign reads, "For Sale". Was this a directive, could it be true? There in front of us, two shining bikes, and an invitation to make them my own. Moments later, the bike is being loaded up into the SUV and making its way to my garage (where it will sit for over a year).

That sweet Mr. Fix-it, I tell him the day has come, the bike will be conquered! Hmm, the damage doesn't appear to be too bad, some dust, flat tires, just a quick pump up and I will be off to navigate the road. In the meantime, let me stop to smell the flowers (well, okay, let me go water our flowers, which are already mostly dead). I am a bit concerned that we live on a large hill. I wonder how I will get back up the thing.

Hit the deck! I think I hear gun shots, there were two huge bangs. Except, we don't actually own a gun, and they came from the garage. Didn't Mr. Fix-it just finish telling me not to touch the air as I would blow the tires up? Oh, Mr. Fix-it, Are you okay? I guess I will be going for a run today. It seems my tires have blown up.

Oh well, I still have months, well, weeks, okay 14 days until the big race, how hard can it be anyway? Goodness, call on dad to save the day! I will practice on his bike until mine comes home from the bike shop. Except, ouch, he is taller than me, and this practice makes parts of my body hurt that really shouldn't. Still, I went 20 minutes, give or take 10, and I did remember how to do it. I will be fine!

Hooray, the big ride is tomorrow! It is nice to see my bike back in my garage. It has pretty lights, new handles, lots of fun things. I can't wait to ride it. My friend rode 150 miles, so I am assuming 15 shouldn't be all that difficult.

Let's make the list then shall we?

Cute bike shorts? Check
Official race t-shirt? Check
Bike helmet? Check
Water bottle? Check
Registration Packets? Check

well then, it is off to the races!

A nice balanced meal of veggies and steak on a jittery stomach seems like a smart choice to me. I wish I could've gone to the bathroom, but I was a little too nervous. Let's get on the bike...

Old C's to the capital, I wonder how long that is? That ride was nice, not too much energy exerted, I can hang with this. Oh fun, time to take pictures! Tick, tock... Time to head to the starting line. There must be 4,000 people here. I am a little worried my driving skills are not up to par after all. Man, next year, I need to add a bicycle bell to my pimped out ride, and I need to come in costume!

Smooth sailing; just take it one pedal at a time from the start to Wild Oats in Cherry Creek. I have absolutely no idea how far that is, but it seems like it is going to be fun. Hmm, 15 gears are more than any bike I have had before. I wonder which gear I am supposed to be in. Something tells me that this gear is a little harder for going up a hill than I should be in, but I need to look like I know what I am doing, so, feel the burn! Oh the sweet serenity, going down the hill, the warm breeze on my face (I am trying to ignore the fact that I can't get my water and my right hip is burning.) The night is peaceful. I am quickly reminded of City of Angels, and I decide attempting to close my eyes would be certain death.

Pit stop 1: Everyone is sure having a great time! No one is even sweating. Run for the watermelon! Umm, I think I will skip out on eating anything else, my stomach is still nervous and the line at the port-a-potty doesn't smell so pretty. So, what now, we are like, half way done? Oh, more like 4 miles... This may be more than I should've taken on. I really thought it would take an hour to finish it all... We left at 10:45; I actually think it might be a long night. I am a woman, I am tough as nails, ignore the pain below (I mean, I have given birth, which feels worse?) Onward Mr. Fix-it!

Well, it seems to me that I am alone on this trail. It would be nice to have some music. It would be nice to have some water. I'd talk to my knight in shining armor, but, I am afraid I might crash if I open my mouth, so, I am back to my thoughts.

Pit stop 2:
I've confessed to Mr. Fix-it, I think I might be dying. I need to go to the bathroom, I am already sore; I can not figure out my gears, I am thankful we are another 5 miles into it though.

Eh, hemm?

Oh lovely, a nice old man sitting next to me has just informed me he has been doing this race since 1987. In fact, we are only 8 miles into the race. He is feeling great! I realize the clock is ticking on, the longer we sit here, the longer it will take. The rest of group thinks we should be in the lead, that way, they too can attempt turtle paced bike riding, and the constant ringing of "on your left" beating through your mind like an African drum. Remember, nothing I do is easy, and anything you work hard to accomplish, is far more rewarding in the end. Never let them see you sweat!

It's all sort of a blur at this point. Mr. Fix-it has been off-roading it with The Ghost (He’s not actually a ghost, he’s just so white I can actually see him in the dark!) I am trying to carry on a conversation with my friend. I think she is sensing I may not make it. I was told she only rides her bike once a year on this course, and that she never had any problems with it. I am pretty sure by the conversation that I was duped into believing this, and in fact, she rides a little more frequently than that. I break down and admit that I may not be in as great of shape as I had predicted, I certainly do not know how to properly shift gears, and perhaps if I wasn't so worried about pacing with the crew, we would all have more fun.

Pit stop 3:

The final frontier is in site. Usually the team doesn't stop here, but they do anyway (No doubt for my sake). I can see the bright lights of the big city again. What are a few more miles at this point anyway? Please God, give me the strength! Umm, strength can come in many forms, and this time, it was 6 pretzels. Yummy, maybe I should've eaten at the other pit stops. Wait, it is my fat that has caused this coronary attack in the first place! Drink the H2O and prepare to finish.

Everyone takes off. Here I am, pedaling away. You would think I would've figured out the gears at this point, but, in reality, I am no better than when I first started. My timing is apparently off. At the beginning of the race, I thought it would be nice to have the police man stop my group and wait for the cars to pass; a small breath of fresh air. Now I realize that it is sucking the momentum I have been straining to build, and causing me to start from square one all over again. Dumb ideas come easily to me... Okay, this should be the last big hill, luckily it is short.

Climbing, climbing, seriously, I don't think this pain can be ignored any longer. Looking down is never really a great idea, but I go ahead and do it anyway. Its official, my leg is pulsing like there is an alien inside of it. Full on spasm! (These started happening when I was pregnant, something about potassium, I don't know) Mr. Fix-it comes to the rescue again! Aaghhh, the gentle stretch. Truthfully, the pain was great! It took my mind off of the throbbing in other places. Shall we walk the rest? A gentle and sincere question from the knight... Walk? I laugh in the face of pain! Mount up Sire, we are pushing through.

I see it, yes, it is clear, right ahead of me, stretched across the street. The famous last words: "Finish Line". I know longer am gasping, I feel no pain, my body is numb, I look over to see my knight in shining armor. He is smiling! My word, I am smiling too...

It wasn't so easy for me. And yet, I may look back and decide I enjoyed it. It is nice to sit in the grassy knoll, among friends, laughing at strangers, smelling burritos. I wish I didn't have to get back up and ride to our car, but once again, the time has come.

The street is quiet. It is late. The city does in fact rest her weary head. I have worked through the burn, I have conquered the pain. It was fun. Actually, it really was fun. Most people don't even know that I nearly crashed, I couldn't shift gears, and my body was hurting. Most people don't know when I felt scared because I had no idea where I was, or nervous when people were passing me by.
The city streets didn't mind it at all. I enjoy their company; I enjoy the street lights, the gentle hum from the grates in the street, and I enjoy how calm everyone is as we ride silently back to our cars.

Close your eyes with me & enjoy the serenity!

The last paragraph

I feel like I am reading a wonderful book. I am a fair amount of the way into the book, you know, where you are fully invested in the characters, you relate to them, laugh with them, feel their fears, the whole nine yards. Well, it's as though I have been reading a lovely chapter; it has been full of happy times, struggles, lots of love and little smiling faces (the most precious angel faces I have ever seen). With each day, I can see it... I am coming to the end of the chapter. I feel like I am trying to read slower, trying to savor those last few sentences, on the last paragraph, of a phenomenal chapter.

It is the kind of book where you don't need pictures, you can close your eyes and imagine each and every story. You can cry just thinking about how perfectly wonderful and smashingly horrible it has all been. But, alas, it is also the sort of book, where you can't see what is going to happen when you turn the page. Oh sure, I can see the sub titles, and I can even see the fancy graphic indicating a new chapter is about to begin. Beyond that, well, unfortunately, turning to that page means closing out this chapter.

I feel, well, terrified? Perhaps humbled? Nope, I am definitely going to throw up. I can guess what lies ahead in the next chapter... I know the oldest girl will be off to kindergarten. Oh how it breaks my heart to see her growing up so quickly. Her big brown eyes begging mommy to sleep in her bed one more night, followed by an independent morning of having to brush her own hair, her own teeth and picking out her own outfit. I know I can hardly take credit for how wonderful her little heart is. I know first hand what an extraordinary daddy she has. He sacrifices so much, and loves them anyway. I know God sends the angels to surround this family, I have witnessed the proof. I wonder how that first day of school will be.

The mom, it feels like she never stops. People in the story thought she was crazy for going to school when her youngest daughter was only 3 weeks old. I suppose she just closed her eyes and leapt. Only now, it's been what, 18 months, and she is standing there, right there, about to step into a magical world. I know from the previous chapters, she has always been a teacher, but in the next chapter, she'll put that to the test. I do wonder if the kids will like her. I wonder if she'll pass or fail... I am terrified to think that she will impact someone's life far more than she should be given the ability to. Yet, I know God will guide her, and I know He will protect them. I can picture her, tugging at a dress she hasn't needed to wear in some time, wondering if her hair will make it an entire day, wishing she had chose a more comfortable pair of shoes, worrying, worrying, worrying... What will happen if the kids she already loves, she already knows, she already prays for, what will happen if they no longer see her, or look at her, the way they always did before? This time, this is the time they have to call her "Mrs."

Oh won't the next chapter be interesting for the littlest one? She changes almost every day. Will she still dance? Will her eyes sparkle when she lays down for a nap, the precious little smile swept over her face in that instant she drifts off to sleep? She so much wants to be like that big sister... I remember when she was born, all the hopes, all the dreams. She really was the precious image God had placed in her daddy's dream. There is a world out there, and something tells me, she will find a way to tackle it, and we will laugh with her along the way.

It is going to be a new chapter all right. I know they are pretending it isn't going to happen, and yet, pretending doesn't seem to slow it down. The chapter is ending, the family will push forward. Oh Lord, please, hear my prayer as though you have never heard the cries of a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a friend ever before... Peace be unto this chapter, wisdom, patience, guidance and love, let them flow out in abundance. Lord, let them dance.

Will I have the guts to close the chapter? It will take the strength of a mustard seed, the courage of Daniel, and well, it has been a terrific story so far, I am guessing this new chapter will offer different perspectives, different appreciation, and it will offer another stepping stone in the path the Lord has laid before me. Okay Lord, I am holding on, closing my eyes...
I am leaping!