Little Red Riding Hood 2016

It’s funny, for every person who says, “that’s awesome!” when they find out that I have a road bike, there’s another person who says, “ugh, I would never do that!”

They have all kinds of reasons – they hate cardio, the seat is uncomfortable, they dislike physical activity, they think the spandex outfits are stupid, they think it’s boring, they think it’s scary…

But, how strange is it, that people’s initial reaction to something that someone else loves is instant negativity? I’m certainly not immune to this – my friends that do ultramarathons and other crazy-long running events get an, “oof that sounds AWFUL!” from me. So, why? Why can’t I just go, “wow, that’s truly amazing!?” When I tell people about my latest half-century, why are so many of the reactions negative? Why do we make it about ourselves at all?

Food for thought :)


Anyway… I did the Little Red Riding Hood last weekend! I have an amazing aunt who lives up in Logan, and I LOVE this ride and this distance! I chose the 50 mile event, and it was simply perfect – warm weather, pretty scenery, delicious food, amazing (cross-dressing) volunteers, attentive support, fun and supportive participants (all women!), and a great opportunity to socialize and shop after crossing the finish line (okay, okay, I bought all the things. Not even sorry.). It gives me an opportunity to spend time outdoors, be alone with my thoughts, encounter wonderful people, be extremely grateful for my life, and generally appreciate things :)

Hands-down one of the best races/events that I have attended, I’ll definitely do this one for many years to come!

Little Red Riding Hood 2014

Ok, so yesterday's ride was simply amazing. I've totally fallen in love with this sport, and this ride pretty much cemented it. I want to do this every year! Women-only races are so much fun!

I drove up Friday night to stay with my awesome aunt, and we went to check out the pre-race festivities. There was food, music, booths (I bought a sweet cycling headband!), and just an all-around fun atmosphere.


This dude = one of the many awesome (all male) volunteers

Saturday morning, my start time wasn't until 9:35, so I got to sleep in and take my time getting ready, which was SO nice! Everything went super-smoothly with getting there and getting started, which was such a relief. I signed up for this ride with a friend, and when she bailed, I was pretty nervous to do this alone. It ended up being such a great experience though!! I'm so glad things turned out the way they did :)

Everything went so perfectly! The weather was ideal, the scenery was gorgeous, people were so incredibly nice (from the people drumming music on the sides of the roads to the people sitting on their lawns and cheering us on to the amazingly costumed volunteers to all the nice and encouraging ladies, these people were seriously the best), the cold I'd been dealing with all week didn't give me nearly as much trouble as I'd expected, the rest stops were great (ok oreos with peanut butter and banana chunks on top are my new favorite race food), and I felt really good on the bike (especially on the uphill - it's such a cool feeling to dig deep and pass people on those tough parts!)!


lunch stop

Crossing the finish line, I just wanted to bottle up that feeling and keep it forever. I love events like this! I love the preparation, I love the energy, I love the feeling of accomplishment, and I love the people!


finish line sprite and beads

Aaaaand I love the ice cream sundaes they give you



I had the time of my life, I'm excited to sign up for some more rides and races, and I'm thankful to everyone who was so supportive :)


Yeahhhhhhh race stuff :)