Emotions Run High - A Day of Inspiration and Battles

“I always think about what I want to share, what I want to give.”

I finish reading, She’s the One, The Source Weekly’s introduction of Cassondra Schindler as Bend’s Women of the Year.

I close the unbleached pages and look up; across the table.  Ben is thumbing through The Bulletin, having a hard time finding an article that will genuinely grip his interest.  He feels my gaze, looks up and our eyes meet.  Mine fill with tears.

Cassondra is one of the most sincere, authentic people I have ever met.  Her smile is contagious and her sense of style is one few can compete with. 

Cassondra is a good person, doing good for her community and sharing her passions for art and culture and playing nice with the rest of us.  

And she is getting credit for it.

How incredible is this place we call home; a place that recognizes the good in others, their honest contribution to the larger community, and celebrates their accomplishments?

How fortunate am I to be sharing community with so many incredible individuals?

My mind turns over and over; excited, moved, inspired.  I am once more encouraged to leap outside the box, to grasp for goals far out of reach, to set sights on destinations that lay far beyond the horizon.  We only get one shot at this, right? 

Still reeling from the overwhelming emotion Cassondra has provoked, I check my email.

My thoughts turn quickly to another fabulous, strong, talented woman. 

F#*%king Cancer.  Damn. 

Talk about overwhelming.

The tears run down my face, completely out of my control.  This time it is Ben who looks across the table.  I can’t look at him. 

“She’s so damn tough.”  I mutter under my breath.

My emotions change from sorrow to fear to battle.

This is one fight Cancer will not win. 

A battle with this girl is a f*%king waste of time; she is the toughest, most determine woman I know. 

If this fight goes anything like a bike race, which I am confident it will, Cancer will get its f#@%king legs ripped off.

So FU Cancer. 

Don’t mess with this girl.  She is strong, beautiful and has an army of supporters.  

She will destroy you.  

You will suffer.

So FU Cancer, you don’t have a shot.

Recipes from America's Small Farms - Dinner Frittata

The perfect "breakfast for dinner" recipe, this frittata takes not more that 20 minutes to prepare, is an excellent source of protein and the perfect way to use up all the veggies hanging out in the the refrigerator drawer.

There aren't many rules to the Frittata - follow the basics and experiment.

Using a cast iron skillet, saute the following until tender:

2 Small Onions
Loads of Garlic
And Veggies (You Pick):
     Potatoes
     Red, Yellow and Green Peppers
     Mushrooms
     Broccoli
     Squash or Zucchini
     Spinach

Meanwhile, whisk together 6 eggs, 1/4 cup cheese (sharp cheddar is fantastic), salt and pepper.

When the veggies are tender turn the heat down to very low and quickly stir the egg mixture into the veggie mixture, right in the skillet.

Cover and cook until the top surface has set, about 8-10 minutes.  Place the skillet in broiler for a couple of minutes, until the top of the frittata browns.

Cut and serve, straight from the pan.

Serve with whole wheat toast and avocado.

Some Monday Morning Sappy-Sap; Friends and Community.

It is only recently that I have learned the value of community.  

Community.

community |kəˈmyoōnitē| 

noun ( pl. -ties)

a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals : the sense of community that organized religion can provide.

A group of individuals continually making me a better person, challenging me, lifting me up and putting me in my place.  Friends I can call upon anytime of day, for any reason.

Friends.

friend |frend|

noun

a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.

Bend has been my home for the last three and a half years, but the feeling of community, a group of friends, people with whom to share stories and meals and trails, has come more recently.  

As a kindergartner, it is easy to make friends.  No one knows better.  You laugh and play and hug each other because that is what you do with new friends, people you first laid eyes on moment before.

As we grow older, the whole “making new friends” grows difficult.  

We become more self-conscious and less care-free.  The need for acceptance is often overshadowed with hesitation and timidness.  

But perhaps “we” isn’t the correct pro-noun.  Perhaps “I” would be more appropriate.

As an adult, I have struggled with making friends.  I have been timid and shy and reluctant to reach out to others, in fear of rejection.  I shoved off the idea and the importance of community; until I fell in love with Mr. Community himself.

Lighting him and and drawing out the best in him, Ben loves to surround himself with good friends; comrades in the journey of life, souls that force him to challenge himself. 

I am a slow learner; a reluctant student in the course of community.  Ben has been patient.  After five years of observation and study, I finally figured it out. A simple realization that is still coming to fruition, but strengthening with each passing day. 

Just be yourself and love the people around you.  (Sounds pretty cliché, doesn't it?)  

Allowing the insecurities and expectations melt around me, the walls of defense crumble.  The sun shines upon my face, warming my heart and bringing forth a smile.  I see the people who surround me; my friends, my community.  Faces of love and support, excitement and motivation, encouragement and inspiration.   

Not only do I live the most fabulous place, I also have the most fabulous friends.  You know who you are and I hope you realize how much I cherish you.

Sorry for all the sappy-sap, but sometimes if is important to reflect on what makes you tick, what makes you whole and what makes you smile.  

And the Road Racing Season Begins. But not for me!

Saturday is the first day of the Oregon road racing reason.  The Cherry Pie Road Race.

One year ago Saturday I stepped up to the starting line of my first ever road race.  I had no idea what I was doing.  I pulled the group around, I wasted way too much energy, I was just learning to draft, I all but stopped when I heard the sound of carbon hitting pavement in the group behind me.  365 days doesn’t seem like very long, but in the young life of my cycling career, it feels like forever.

This Saturday I will not be racing. 

It is still the winter.  Cyclocross Nationals was only 8 weeks ago.  My mind and body aren’t quite ready to focus and suffer the way I would expect them to if I jumped off the line at Cherry Pie.

Last year I did every race I could.  I traveled to the west side 7 out of 8 weekends.  I road in the rain, in the snow, and when the race was cancelled due to weather, I road the course anyway.

Last year, I didn’t consider myself a cyclist.  I had to become a cyclist.  I had to prove (if only to myself) I could ride.  

I had to give up a 15-year relationship with my running shoes and instead, break-in a thin leather saddle.  I learned the definition (and purpose) of Chamois Cream and embrocation.  

I learned that the strongest member of the peleton doesn’t necessary (if ever) win the race.  

I learned that aero-helmets actually serve a purpose (even if they do look a little funny).  

I learned about watts and power and RECOVERY. 

I road my bike a lot in 2009.  I am not sure how many hours I spend in the saddle, on the asphalt, on the trails; but it was a lot.  I kept a trailing log, religiously, for the first time in my life and downloaded workouts onto my computer.  

I did 20-minute tests (aka suffer-fests) for the soul purposed of evaluating my own progress.  

I fell in love with my bike (or should I say bikes).  I also got engaged, to Ben (which is another fabulous story I will write in another blog entry – It deserves special attention).

2010 will be different.  A friend sent me an email the other day, a wise friend who always has the right thing to say, at just the right time.

“Racing is special. You are good, you should race to win, not just because you are addicted to it. Those are strong words maybe too strong. You do not need to race or even think about racing so much. It is winter and it is ski season. What I am trying to say you are no beginner anymore, you are an accomplished racer who should choose the races with purpose and stick to that purpose.”

At 1pm on Saturday when the Women’s 1/2/3 field rolls off the line, I will not be among them.  I will be skiing, gliding along the pure white snow on my super skinny skis.  I will be smiling. 

Racing is Special.  And in 2010 I will race to win.  I will race because I am ready, mentally and physically.  And I will race because it makes me happy.  I will race because I am strong and I am made strong by the support of my family, my friends, my team, and above all else, Benjamin. 

And he says he's not a bike racer!

Ben says he's not a bike racer, but the above photo documentation might just prove otherwise.

Take a look at The Source's Article about all the bike shops we have in Bend.  11 to be exact.  I don't think that is such a bad thing!

And, check out the newest thing in bike racing, Velo Sprints!  The ever popular Gold Sprints have come to Bend!  We might not have a Velodrome, but who says we don't have track racing?  Try your hand at Velo Sprints if you get a chance, and after an oh, so long 15 seconds of racing... well, you might just be hooked.