KEEPING IT REAL

The funny thing about blogging, and something I did not really anticipate, is people actually reading it. And not just Kerry and my mom. People I don't even know. It is a pretty strange, but also really flattering when a complete stranger tells you they love your blog and read it all the time. That happened to me this weekend when my new friend Daniella, another first time rider, told me she follows us. When I heard this, it occurred to me that I need to make sure I am honest with whoever out there is reading this so I feel compelled to share with you the following:

Lest you think that riding twice a weekend and 3 week day mornings is all rainbows and butterflies, let me break it down for you...I am SO tired. My legs hurt. My back hurts. My brain hurts. I am hungry all the time. And not just normal hungry...the kind of hungry that makes me want to yell at everyone around me until they bring me something to eat. NOW! I have not done the following in the last month:

-had my nails done

-taken my poor little dog to the dog park (or anywhere else)

-gone shopping for anything other than food or biking related items

-looked like anything even close to attractive on a weekend

Don't get me wrong. I am having a lot of fun. I love my team and absolutely everyone I have met thus far has been so amazing and supportive. But this is hard. It is a really big commitment of time and money and energy, both physical and emotional. And bike seats are really, really uncomfortable.

Really though...it should be hard. It's easy to think that everyone can just ride the inspirational wave of what we do this for and get on their bike one day and feel at home. But that's not the case for everyone. Not for me anyway. But I am not getting on the bike in the first place for me. I am doing this for those who can't. And in the last month I have realized, I am also doing this to maybe push other people to do things for others, to do things they didn't think they could do either. And that is really what I am thinking about on mile 10 or 25 or 30 of these rides when I feel like laying down on the grass or calling a cab. Just thought I would keep it real.

But again...so tired.

-Caitlin