The time a tree gave me a hickey.....

ah yes...FREEDOM or so I thought.

I had a little eye opener last week and it made me stop and think, life offers no do-overs! You get one chance to do what you want and I tend to do what I want. Work was sucking the life out of me. I had no time for friends, kids, my wife and of course my bike! ---this list is not necessarily listed in order of importance.

It was time to make changes in my life and get this show on track. I followed up my eye opener with phone calls to the doctors office and I contemplated what I wanted to do with my career. Ask my wife, I don't drag my feet on much and my job was no different. I made an offer to my employer which allowed me a little more FREEDOM. My employer wasn't so much interested in my offer or my FREEDOM so I politely resigned.

....with no real guarantees in the near future I tasted FREEDOM!

Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin' don't mean nothin' hon' if it ain't free, no no
And feelin' good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues
You know, feelin' good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee 

The crazy thing is.....everything lined up perfectly. Once I made the decision to quit, all the cards seemed to fall into place. And once I felt like everything was lined up, the next decision I could make was heading out for a ride, in the woods, with a friend.

We jumped on our bikes and pedaled on down to the trailhead, as we approached we discussed easy or moderate route? We both agreed quickly, start easy and end hard. Two minutes into the easy ride....and my friend hit the dirt. I laughed. Karma laughed. Then I hit the dirt.

I felt every bone in my body crack. I'm pretty sure I hit the tree going 15 25 35 45 mph. After I laid there for a second to make sure I was still alive, all body parts were still attached and I could still move my legs, I couldn't stop laughing. I'll have to admit though, the bruise the hit left behind is pretty badass.


Exhibit A:

The one thing that pisses me off about the entire experience though? I wasn't wearing my GoPro camera. Leave it to me - get my ass kicked by a tree and have nothing to show for it, except a wicked hickey bruise.

Happy Ending (*that* kind of happy ending, as a matter of fact)

My wife is posting again....she thinks she's funny....

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We'll get back to bikes in a minute, but first, the back story…..

There are only a handful of times I can remember that I have sent my husband the "don't be mad" text. The text that says, in no uncertain terms, that I have done something, or more accurately bought something, that probably in hindsight wasn't a good "investment." Editors note: Since when are shoes NOT a good investment, thankyouverymuch.

I'll admit, I'm not a big shopper but when I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood. And this one time? I was in the mood.

I had spent the weekend with my sisters - which should have been a warning to my husband in and of itself. We had done the normal shopping, of course, but the real purpose of that particular day was my younger sisters upcoming wedding. I was to walk away with a Maid of Honor dress purchased for myself and a Flower Girl dress purchased for my daughter. By the end of the day and by the time those purchases had added up, I knew I was in big trouble. A dent that big in the checking account was surely going to be noticed by him, and fast. I blame the Flower Girl dress entirely.

So, I came up with a plan. A sure-fire way to make sure the topic of money and more importantly how much of it I had spent was a short-lived one. I got home from the shopping trip and snuck everything into the bedroom. I wasn't hiding my purchases, I was preparing. If my plan was to work, I needed to get it set-up. I needed to set the trap, bait my husband and wait.

I piled all of the receipts onto the center of the bed and next to the receipts, I piled my new treasures. I stood next to the bed and waited. And just as planned, when my husband finally walked into the bedroom he immediately zeroed in on the bed and the damage I had likely done. The look on his face was one of sheer terror, followed by "what in the hell did you do?!". 

Ex-cel-lent, I thought. *hands rubbing together mischievously* My plan was working.

I waited a beat, didn't say a word, reached down and yanked up my shirt - fully exposing the girls and rendering him speechless.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is how I spring a new, large, purchase onto my spouse.

Fast forward to this past weekend. My husband went out biking and as he always does he took pictures and video of his excursion. As usual, he posted some of those pictures to Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. Unlike unusual - as I was scrolling through those same pictures, I realized that I didn't recognize the bike. 

What? The? Hell?

Where'd the…..?

What'd he…..?

Are you kidding me?

He. bought. another. bike.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is how my husband springs a new, large, purchase onto his spouse.

Passive - Aggressive - Bullshittery

-----At least with my way, somebody is gettin' a happy ending.------

Finding Your Calm

There comes a time in life when you need to just step back and not only smell the roses but to stay awhile and enjoy their fragrances too.

Today with every gadget known to man, linking yourself to the world - sometimes, I think, we forget to disconnect. I had an eye opener the other day, nothing serious, but it was more the fact of what could have been that scared the shit out of me. It was at that moment that I realized, it was time to disconnect and reconnect with only that of what really matters.

The place for me to unlink myself is most definitely the outdoors. Where the only people you come across are those that are unlinked, just like you are. I love being on my bike. Put me in a group of hundreds or just riding with my neighbors and I will ride. I often get on my bike solo and just pedal the city. The place that I really disconnect is in the woods. Its not about what machine I am on, how fast I am going or how far I cranked but for me it is the calm of hearing nothing but sounds nature has to offer.

Serenity: The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled: "an oasis of serenity"

Today I found that place. I actually stopped got off my bike and just sat. I sat and I listened.

So when life is getting crazy, find your place, disconnect and then come home and hug your family!

Biking My Path

When the world feels out of control and is weighing heavy on my soul, there are few things that can bring me instant calm, instant tranquility like a bike ride can.

As I stood on this bridge, I realized that life has a funny way of teaching you just where it wants you to go, bridging you from one event to another.

Some people may walk their path in life, others may run, still others may swim or drive. I bike.

In Which *Motherf**ker* is an Adjective

My wife is guest posting again today - about the ride we had this past weekend. I'm sure you'll enjoy her take on the less than desirable wind we experienced.

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I'm guest posting again because it was, quite literally, the only thing that got me through my first ride of the season. I just kept thinking make it through this ride so you can bitch at your husband on his blog.

This past Sunday I went on my inaugural ride of the year. Last year I ended the season averaging between 40-55 miles per ride. I felt pretty damn good about myself, considering it was first season ON a road bike. So when I was told we were riding 45 miles on Sunday, I felt like that was something I could legitimately handle.

We headed out and I was soon finding my stride. The motion quickly came back to me. The changing of gears quickly came back to me. The realization that my tax dollars most certainly do NOT go towards filling potholes, came back to me.

I rode with my husband - my normal riding partner - and his two Team Mocha teammates.

The first half of our trip was relatively calm. Our pace was about 18 mph - it was tough for me holding that pace being that it was my first ride out but I maintained it. Make no mistake - I am a runner, I am not a biker. I trained the entire winter on the treadmill, running between 5-9 miles per day. My goal is to run a marathon. My love is running.

It is here that I think I should acknowledge the devastating events at the Boston Marathon. I am typing this post out as I watch the news conference of the days events. These athletes have trained, sacrificed and devoted their lives to the goal of running a Marathon and not just any Marathon, the Boston Marathon. I hold them and their loved ones up in prayer. My heart hurts as I see runners turn and run away from their goal - from THEIR finish line.

Being a runner and holding an 18 mph pace didn't hurt my legs, they are used to the punishment. Although it was trying, I felt like I could finish our ride out. I felt comfortable but I also felt like I was pushing myself - it was good.

And then we made the turn to head back home. This was the part of the trip that I began mother**kering everything that I either felt, that moved or that I laid my eyes upon. The bike, the road, the water bottle, the twig in the road, the roadkill, my husband, my helmet - but mostly, I mother**kered the wind. I cursed my way through 20 miles. As I headed up mother**king mountainsides hills, headed straight into a headwind, I begged my bike to have more lower gears. With each click of my gear shift I was disheartened when no relief came. At one point I even gave thought to unclipping and walking my mother**king bike up.

I was falling behind the group and I was doing the one thing I never want to do - I was slowing my husband down. I was the only girl in the group and I couldn't hold the pace. I was pissed. I was motherf**king pissed.

I gave serious thought to stopping at a coffee shop, a church, a park bench, a rock, a cemetery - you name it, I looked at it and thought *this* is where my motherf**king husband can come back and pick my ass up.

Finally, FIN-A-LLY, I caught sight of home in the distance. My mind was telling me to just. keep. pedaling even though my body was begging me to stop. I was pretty sure at that point if I stopped, I wouldn't ever get going again.

And through all of that motherf**kering, I can honestly say I am glad to have gotten my first ride out of the way. I was also glad to get my first saddle ass of the season out of the way. It may or may not still be mother**king sore.

This Can' Be Happening!

It was just a tease! Playing with my emotions! Taking me to the top of the mountain only to just drop me off the side of the cliff with absolutely no warning!

I was all ready - ready for the daily rides to start. Ready to get home from work, throw some shorts, shoes and a t-shirt on, grab my helmet and go pedal. Pedal away my daily stresses from work, spend some time outside, some time with the family. All the signs were there! Riding in the car with the windows down, getting warm in minutes just setting in the sun. The proof....

That was Tuesday. It actually broke 80. I actually had wished I would have chosen to wear a short sleeve shirt that day!

I don't work on Thursdays, so I always look forward to these days but I especially look forward to them during the warm months. I can go on long rides and not feel bad because the kids are in school and my wife is at work. I found myself day dreaming Tuesday about my would-be ride on Thursday! I couldn't wait. And then it happened.....the dreaded forecast of rain. And, of course, it didn't stop there, today it was not only raining but it was damn near freezing again! Thanks Indiana, thanks for your lousy weather and your empty promises of warm rides and summer fun!

I sure do hope you are telling the truth about this Sunday Ms. Mother Nature!

Dust in the Wind

Dust in the Wind......a classic music piece and a symbol for my Saturday evening ride.

I started Saturday with a ride through the woods - peace, calm, and most importantly, shelter from the wind. I had a ride planned later in the day with one of the guys from Team Mocha (Adam) and I was really looking forward to getting out on the country roads, but to start - it was just me, my bike and a trail.

Shortly after I got home, I knew my night ride might be in jeopardy - my wife was already voicing her opinion on how the wind had effected her 4-mile run (read: bitching and moaning explaining to me how it screwed up her pace) and I was getting texts from my ride partner, warning me - It's gonna be a windy one.

I got geared up anyway. As we (I always recruit my wife to go over my checklist of essentials for the ride) got things around, the American flag on our front porch flapping insanely back and forth, wasn't lost on me.

I started out. The head wind was brutal. I was having a tough of it. I was still in my driveway.

By the time I met up with Adam and his wife had pointed out to us how windy it was, I had heard no less than 5 times what a rough ride this was going to be. But one of my favorite quotes is If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done.

So, we ride!

The beginning of the ride seemed okay, the houses in the neighborhood provided some much needed protection. The rest of the ride out was done at a lovely 30 degree angle. We had planned a 42 mile ride so the 21 mile ride to the turn around point was all head-wind. I'm pretty sure I know why they call it a head-wind now - because it was all a mental game at that point. My mantra was just. keep. pedaling.

We reached our turn-around point which was Adam's parent's house. We were met with extremely friendly dogs (and their tongues), a bathroom break that didn't involve a farm field and a look-out and a nice big glass of apple juice. As a matter of fact, we were juicing. Apple-juicing. (insert eye roll here)

And then we turned around and headed back out for our 21 mile journey home. This time, though, we had a tail-wind that had us praising the heavens and panting like dogs getting their belly's rubbed. I'm pretty sure the only thing that would've made this ride better was a sail.

-All my dreams, pass before my eyes with curiosity. Dust in the wind...... -Kansas

For Adam's prospective on this ride - check out his blog!

Morning Date

I live about 10 miles from downtown, I don't know why but I love incorporating downtown into my rides. The nice thing about where I live is that we have an awesome trail system. I think it's nice for obvious reasons but also because you don't have to be on the roads the entire route. This morning, I was able to jump on my bike and pedal with the sole intention of being downtown. I feel like one of the "cool kids" when I am riding the city streets. No need to comment - my kids assure me, I am not a "cool kid."

Recently I purchased a commuter bike (Surly Cross Check) and I decided to take her on a date this morning. We headed for one of my favorite destinations.....a coffee shop. As I sat outside and waited for my wife to join me, I just listened to the city sounds and took it all in.

Biking for me is not only a means of exercise but it is like medication. It puts me at peace and it helps me forget all the daily struggles. It gives me time to not only count my blessings but to appreciate them too. Even those close to me can tell when riding season has started because of my attitude and outlook on the day. This could also be why my wife doesn't mind me taking my bike out on a date!

Diamond In The Rough

There is a lot of truth to what my wife has said in her guest post! I have a very addictive personality! My parents always joked "thank God you're scared of needles!" When I do something, I refuse to go half-way, second place is always first loser type of mentality! That has gotten me in a trouble in the past and at the same time I believe it has made me the person I am today.

I took a chance several years ago and left my job as a certified welder and entered into the sales field. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I also knew I hated being handcuffed to a daily job with little possibility of advancement. I will admit I miss the hands-on and dirty smell of steel and I really miss the sense of accomplishment when the finish product was sent out the door. Nonetheless I continued on this path of sales. There have been many times I have wondered what the hell I was doing as the stress can by far outweigh the joy at times. The everyday hustle can make you second guess every choice you made to get yourself here. At the same time, sales changed me, it actually made me a stronger person. It also afforded me the ability feed my addictions.

The best thing about being in Outside Sales is everyday is like a little adventure! I cover a territory of about a two and half hour radius of my hometown and I never know from day to day where I will be or who I will meet. There are definitely some interesting characters out there and I am sure some people I run into think the same about me.

Whenever I am out and about there are two things I search for in every town - coffee shops and bike shops. I have found some of the neatest things going into these places. I have had conversations where I have left thinking, man am I glad I found this place! Some of my favorite destinations have been the ones I dreaded going to when planning the night before. Many a time I have told my wife about the dread I was feeling going to such and such town the next day - only to eventually return, with her, so she could see the splendor I had witnessed, first hand.

In fact, that very thing happened the other day. One of the benefits to my job is if the kids are home and want to spend some alone time with me, they know they can jump in the passenger seat and go. They know the day is going to bring them coffee shops, lunch out with dad and a strong possibility of a little something special for them from a local store. The other day my middle daughter wanted to go with me and although I was going to place I had already been many times - and was not particularly fond of - I told her she could go but to prepare herself for a pretty uneventful day. Of course, she still wanted to go.

I was looking for a new addition for my bike, so I googled bike shops close to where we were. We decided to hit the first one on the list and as we pulled up my daughter (who is NOT afraid of speaking her mind) asked what kind of jacked-up store is this? I decided to give it a chance thinking it might have been a diamond in the rough. We walked in and I immediately realized I had given this place much more credit than it deserved, the place was a dump. My daughter and I looked at each other, gave each other the nod and got the hell out of dodge! I decided to check out the next store on the Google list, promising my daughter that if it looked shady we would forego our search altogether and just get something to eat. We drove the 8 miles across town and as we pulled up I was sure that if my kid had it her way, we'd be leaving immediately for lunch. We double-checked the locks on the car door and went inside.

I really believe I almost went to my knees like I was at the Cathedral and thanked God for bringing me home! Not only was this most definitely on my top 5 favorite bike shops I have ever been to but they incorporated a coffee shop into the business!!

To recap: coffee and bikes.....in ONE business.

The conversation with the owner, myself and my daughter was so incredible. This guy had a passion for life, for people and for riding! As we got in the car and pulled away my daughter said, that was awesome! And I couldn't have agreed more - I can say I truly found a diamond in the rough!

Store Name: Buckskin Bikes

Store Location: Anderson, IN

If you have the means, I highly recommend it. And tell them I sent ya!

Biking - From My Wife's Prospective

My wife decided she wanted to play along and write something for my blog. I introduce you to my wife.

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Let me start by saying that my husband has an addictive personality so the day he met me at my office and said "...don't be mad at me....." - I knew I was screwed. Check that - I knew our bank account was screwed.

Before this, I had never purchased a bike that didn't need to be walked to the front of the big box store and rung up. I had never spent more than $150 on a bike. I didn't even know this world of cycling existed. I didn't even know that people actually clicked their shoes into the pedals thereby LOCKING their feet INTO the pedals. Seriously, WHO does that?!

This world was completely foreign to me.

Foreign until a red and white Trek road bike came into my life. And immediately I knew that this was his new thing. And, of course, it didn't stop with the bike - how could it? No.....we went full throttle into cycling, thankyouverymuch. We had to have a bike seat (which I would later learn was actually called a saddle) that matched his bike, we had to have water bottles AND water bottle holders (which I would later learn was actually called a cage) that matched his bike and we had to have handlebar covers (which I would later learn was actually called tape) that matched his bike. Eventually I knew that this would all lead to a checking account that matched the color of his bike.......red.

At this point I should probably also tell you that my husband is a rockstar. He does nothing half-ass. If he plays the part, he wants to look the part and he wants the same for his entire family. I tease him a lot about his bike stuff and if he weren't such a hard working and faith driven family man, I probably would've asked him to stop by now. But he is those things and more - so I shoulder through and put up with his impulsive and matchy-matchy needs.

Because the Trek bike was 7 years ago and now? Now, he owns more bikes than we have members of our family. He owns a road bike - two actually, a commuter bike (apparently this is strictly for commuting), a mountain bike (for all the bad-ass mountains in Northern Indiana), a single speed bike and a cross bike (I'd love to tell you what these bikes do but I have no clue). He also owns the Go-Pro camera system so that he can videotape all of his biking adventures to play back for me in slow-motion, with fade transitions, set to the beat of some kick-ass song. It's how he rolls, pun intended.

And then one day, it happened. I didn't even see the urge coming. I showed up at some speciality bike store - not a Target or a Dicks Sporting Goods but an. actual. bike. shop. And, I bought a bike. A road bike. With skinny tires. With a saddle that matched. With water bottles and cages that matched. With tape that matched. With shoes that LOCKED my feet INTO my pedals.

Call me crazy but I love spending time with my husband - he's a blast to be around and we have one hell of a time when we are together. So, I was sick of sending him on his way every Sunday for hours upon hours of solo biking. I wanted to be with him. The fact that he would go out on these rides and leave me home with our three kids probably didn't factor into my bike buying decision whatsoever. Probably.

I can honestly say that it's a decision I have yet to regret. Other than those damn pedals - my inaugural fall happened last year and I will tell you that the moment you are tipping over and mentally realize your feet aren't coming out of those things, is a rude awakening. According to my husband, now that I've fallen, I'm a true biker. Funny, I thought the time I biked over a snake and screamed. like. a. little. girl. made me a true biker.

(A sweet ass pic of us during a moutain bike ride - not a road ride - for God's sake people, there is a difference. Also, this was not the ride that involved the stupid ass reptile that decided that the middle of the road was the place to freakin stop snake.)