Wings to Fly

Hey cycling girlfriends! Let's chat. I have been told many times, "once you try bibs, you will never go back to spandex cycling shorts again." The idea is that bibs don't have an elastic waist that cuts in to your middle when you are riding your bike, which makes you feel more comfortable and free to move on and off the saddle. Based on the encouragement of other girls on bikes to try bibs, I bought a pair a few years ago... and while yes, they don't cut into the waist like traditional spandex shorts do, I was absolutely miserable wearing them and vowed never to wear them again. Why??? Because usually I have to "relieve myself" before, during and after a ride. I remember 10 minutes before the start of my first mountain bike race, I ran to the port-a-potty for one last pre-race nervous tinkle and about fell out of the outhouse attempting to take off my jersey which also housed my phone and race nutrition (thank goodness neither fell into the depths of...

By now most of my Facebook and Instagram followers/friends know that a few weeks ago I took a tumble on my bike, or maybe I should call it a side swiping run-in with a tree stump that left me with a cracked rib. Not my best moment, but I had it coming. Had it coming, you may ask? In a way, yes. God is funny that way. After training so hard last year and having more success with racing than I would ever have imagined a few years ago, the voice between my ears got a bit overconfident... some may call the term cockiness. Outwordly, I hopefully kept this attitude in check for I knew that all I have been given -my life, my talents and abilities, home, family, and health could be taken away in an instant... but when on the bike or out for a run, the overconfidence in my strength and abilities was starting to creep out.  If I saw a girl get a QOM on Strava, I would think "Oh, I could crush that", maybe not on all technical downhill segments riding my little hard tail Scott Scale, ...

I am sure I will get a bit of grief about this post as some people might take my thoughts personally and feel the need to justify themselves. I am fine with that. It means I got you thinking about yourself, your excuses, and outlook. Here's the thing... You can live your life fully, throwing yourself into whatever it is you choose to do, or you can walk around full of excuses as to why you can't do something. Back in my mid-20's, I worked as a personal trainer for a spell in an affluent upscale fitness center. I quickly learned that people would pay what I considered a ridiculous amount to spend an hour with me supervising them as they lifted weights, ran up and down stairs, or worked through plyometric exercises and stretching routines. I would give them "homework" ranging from cardiovascular exercises to diet modifications even as simple as drinking more water each day, and things they could do in their daily routine to help them achieve their goals. The nex...

2017 race results: Xterra Southeast Championships, Pelham, AL- 1st Overall Amateur Female USAT Off-road National Championships at Xterra Gator Terra, AR- 1st Overall Female Xterra Mountain Championships, Beaver Creek, CO- 5th Overall Amateur ITU Cross World Championships, Penticton, Canada- 5th Overall Amateur, 2nd in age group Xterra Pan Am Championships/USA National Championships, Snowbasin Resort, Ogden, UT- 1st Overall Amateur Xterra World Championships, Maui, HI- 1st American Amateur Female, 4th Overall Awarded Ms. Xterra 2017 USAT ranked 1st overall in the women's 40-44 age group for off-road triathlon for 2017 Selected to be part of Pearl Izumi's 2017 Ambador team Sitting on the couch with my feet up while snow falls outside the window makes me think the race season above and results were just a distant dream rather than only ending a little over a week ago. I don't feel out of shape quite yet, but I have been indulging in chocolate, lattes, beer and wi...

How do you do it all? I always laugh when I get asked that question. The self critical side of me never feels like I am doing enough. As moms, we compare ourselves to other moms and feel the eyes of judgement on us all the time, waiting for us to screw up. As special needs moms, even more eyes are watching our every move. Will we lose it completely in the grocery store when our child is having a meltdown and destroying loaves of bread beyond recognition or knocking over an entire shelf in the checkout line when we're creatively trying to block everything from their reach while we unload our cart and pay for our mangled groceries? Picture taking with an Angel... always an adventure. Can someone this cute be so challenging? I am fortunate. Not only do I have an amazingly supportive husband who takes the night shift with our daughter when she chooses to have a party at 2am instead of sleep (that is what we Angelman Syndrome parents call the bewitching hours when our sleep disorde...

In 1988, Nike advertisers coined the phrase “Just Do It”. This slogan captured Nike's desire to associate their clothing and shoe company using professional athletes and motivational slogans emphasizing sportsmanship and health to drive success. Customers flocked to stores to purchase “Just Do It” apparel, which catapulted Nike sales for the next decade and making the “Just Do It” slogan one of the top two taglines of the 20th century. Nike’s advertising campaign was in a word, brilliant. Those 3 simple words inspired the American public to get off the couch and attempt challenges they once thought impossible. Many people began to realize that completing a 5K, a marathon, a century (100 mile) bike ride, or even a full Ironman triathlon were not events merely for the elite to race. The goal of completing an event did not have to be winning, but rather taking on the challenge and finishing. While watching one of Nike’s motivational commercials might motivate some to lace u...