Why I Ride

Remember that part in the movie “Forrest Gump” where Forrest takes off running from one side of the country to the other and back again and is gone for over 3 years? People who saw him asked if he was running for world peace or the environment or women’s rights. His response was simple: “I just felt like running.”

I never thought that much about that part of the movie or Forrest’s answer until about three years ago when I did my first long-distance bicycle ride. I’d been going through a bit of a personal crisis and felt like I was at the end of my rope. Then one morning I started thinking about how my dad used to always joke about riding his bike to Lincoln, MT. I’d always told him he was crazy. But that day I just got it in my head that I was going to try to do it. Three months later, on the first day of August 2010, I rolled into Lincoln on my mountain bike absolutely exhausted—but completely inspired by what I had done.

The next summer I biked to Lincoln again, this time riding the highway the entire way and not taking Stemple Pass. Last summer, in 2012, I did the “Tour de Lincoln.” I rode to Lincoln on one day, spent the night there, and rode home the following day for a grand total of 137 miles.

Unless you’ve pushed yourself through a similar challenge of physical endurance, it might be hard to understand. But doing those rides made me a better person----made me stronger, more confident, and more hopeful. I chose to do all of the rides alone too. I didn’t want any “cheerleaders” standing on the side of the road tossing me Cliff bars and Dixie cups full of water. I’ve had very few people in my life stand on the sidelines encouraging me to keep moving forward each day, so the way I figured it, if I managed to be successful at these rides, I wanted it to be purely by the will of God and my own sheer determination. And I do believe that that decision is what made the rides so rewarding.

This year I wanted a different challenge. So I decided I would bike to Butte, MT. 

On the first day of summer (June 21) I woke up at my usual ambitious hour of 5 a.m. to start getting everything ready. I squeezed into my spandex pants, pulled my hair into a long braid down my back and filled my camelback. I scarfed down a bagel and cream cheese, took a few giant swigs of some chocolate milk and I was set to go…..except for one final thing.

I realized a long time ago that I’ve only managed to make it this far and become the person I am because of the roles several crucial individuals have played in my life. When I did my second ride I knew that there would be moments when I’d get tired and want to quit. And those would be the moments where I would need to be reminded of the reasons I get up every single day and give the world my very best—even in the face of all the things telling me not to. The reasons for who I am and what I do, essentially come down to nine individuals. They are the people who have loved and hated me, inspired me and broke me, tested me and stood by me. They are the people I pray for each night and try to maintain some sort of relationship with even in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

The last thing I did before heading out on my ride to Butte and as well as on my rides the two years prior, was to write the initials of those nine people on my arm. I then encircled their initials with a giant cross to remind me of who brought all of those people into my life and who alone knows the reasons why.  

After two mountain passes, seven hours, and nearly 70 miles I finally crested the hill and saw Butte. I was beyond exhausted and my knees were so sore I could barely stand and pedal. As I started gaining speed upon descending the hill, my eyes scanned the mountain-side to my left. I was looking for the Lady of the Rockies statue.

One week earlier I visited the statue for the first time. While I was there, I wrote prayers for several people and left them inside the statue. Some of those prayers were for the same people whose initials were emblazoned on my arm.

For seven hours I biked my heart out with nothing but the image of the statue in my mind. I think part of me hoped that if I made it through the ride and finally flew down the hill by it on my bike that my prayers would be answered. And even if they weren’t, I would’ve proved to myself and God just how much I was willing to fight for anything in my life that I wanted.  

When I finally saw the statue come into view at the top of the mountain, tears started streaming down my face. I had made it! I kept my eyes locked on the statue for several minutes as I continued down the hill. I looked down at the initials on my arm and thought of how grateful I was to all of those people. Without them, I never would’ve attempted the ride to Butte. I never would’ve realized my full potential and then surpassed it over and over again.

My ride to Butte and each day of my life is forever dedicated to those nine people. I thank God each day for bringing them into my life….and I continue to try and keep them there in some way with each passing day.

AG
GM+SM
JN
SM
JW
SW
KL
BB  

I love you all!