Sooo good and why I HAVE to bike

So good to have my cast off. So good to have permission to live without my splint except when I'm on my bike. So good to be working out and feel like a human being again. The last two days, after my sessions on the trainer, I could wring out the liner of my splint; it was soaked with sweat. Feels good.

I have good cycling goals for the first part of the riding season:
1. The Ironman ride in Lakeville, first Sunday in May: 100 miles
2. The Senior Games in Rapidan(!!), first weekend in June: two short road races and two time trials in two days
3. The primary reason for getting in shape this year: the Jackson County Brevet near Atlanta, Georgia, with my son-in-law Tom McCaslin, to raise money for and awareness of Aplastic Anemia. Tom is a survivor of AA, and he's the FIRST survivor to ride this 100-mile ride. I'm so excited for the weekend of June 16 for this event. Nikki and Alec will be there to cheer us on. I get to stay with Daniel and Tessa, which is another huge boon for the event.
4. Do the local time trials regularly and get faster as the summer progresses. And to be the fastest woman over 50 in the local peleton; hahahaha

It's good to have goals. And so many friends have already generously contributed to the Aplastic Anemia cause and the Jackson County ride. Thank you!

I have a weird sense of drive: I can refuse that extra helping of food or stay away from sweets if I have an event in front of me. I want to be lighter and faster on the hills.  But to look okay in jeans or fit into a dress? It doesn't even faze my ability to eat right. I like to eat too much.

Another thing about cycling goals: I can't control how I do competitively--who knows who else will be faster or stronger--but I can control what I do. I can work hard and get faster and stronger, yes, even at this age. I think that's why I need to ride so much.

I can't control what happens in the publishing world. I can control how I write. I can force myself to be disciplined and write, and I am in control of if my story is any good--but I can't control public reception or how much my books sell. I can't always be in control of how much time I get to write, but I can control the quality that comes out of that time.

Letting go is more than a cliche. It's real. Cycling helps that.

One more thing: I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis 32 years ago. It's a "cronic" disease that supposedly never goes away. I've been in remission, without being on medication for nearly 20 of those years. If I quit working out and eat a lot of crap, I can feel it creeping up on me. If I eat well and most importantly work out, to take the stress out of my body, which is a CLEAR CORRELATION, I can stay symptom free. It's so important to be active.
Sometimes I want to scream it from the rooftops. MOVE!

Right now: shut up on the blog and WRITE.