Day Three and Day Four

Ahhh how the days are blending together, I am not even sure what day of the week it is or where I am anymore.  The only thing I know is that I get on my bike in the morning and I stop where they tell me.  Yesterday was a tough day for sure.  We rode from Syracuse to Watertown, not too far of a jaunt, but long enough for my tired legs and sore....bottom.  Towards the end I was not sure if I could do it to tell you the truth.  Every muscle on my body was screaming at me, I felt incredibly dehydrated, my belly was rejecting food and I was just spent.  But being the trooper I am, or the stubborn swede that I am, I pulled up the strength and I started pedaling.  I could hear my father in the back of my head telling me to suck it up, and I could also hear my little John telling me, You Got This Mom.  So I popped to ibuprofens and started pedaling.  It was well worth the journey, for at the end of the ride there was my good friend Brian Sayers waiting for me.  He waited three hours he said for me, now that is a good friend.  I will confess though that I was exhausted last night, I felt horrible, as I was talking to my room mate I would completely blank out and loose all train of thought.  Also for the life of me I could not remember the word menthol,   to describe how all the creams smelled that we lathered on our poor sore muscles. 
Today being day four is hump day and recoup day, and it was much appreciated.  We had a short 28 mile ride to the border crossing in which we rode a ferry across and then a nice 7 mile ride on the island followed by another ferry ride.  As we rode into Kingston people honked at us, rang bells or just stood on the sidewalk and waved or clapped for us.  It was such an incredible warm welcome, they are proud of their town and were more than happy to welcome us to it.  Today we had no other schedule, what a wonderful feeling that was, to be able to do whatever you want, and Kingston is a wonderful City to have a free day.  It is absolutely beautiful, the old buildings and alley ways are breath taking.  Below are a few shots I took tonight. They also have incredible restaurants and pubs, there is nothing more yummy than a cold guiness for a very sore body. 
So my lesson for the last two days is this, enjoy the moment, relax and just go where you feel you should be at the moment.  My intention for today was to go sit at the park and read or write, but instead I enjoyed a Guinness with some new friends and ended the day having ice cream with other new friends.  All in all I would say it was a great day.

Challenges

Today was an epic day, for me atleast.  I rode another 100 miles today, but it was only 100 of the 124 that were scheduled.  What I am most proud of though is that I knew when to say when and I pulled out.  Typically I would just suck it up and keep going, but not today, too many body parts were sore and starting to hurt.  I never knew my body could hurt this bad, from the calves on up to the neck, but it’s a good kind of hurt.  I hurt because I did not just sit at home and keep saying what if…. What if I did sign up for this ride, what if I did not.  I am so very glad that I did sign up for the tour, there is nothing that can compare to the challenges you may face everyday and the many people you meet along the way. 

We all look the same, in some aspects, we all have shorts, the same jersey, the same helmets but we differ in glasses, pants and of course bicycles.  But overall as you are pedaling along, we all look the same.  Its not till dinner time and everyone has had a chance to shower and put on normal attire that you really notice how different we are and yet we all have the same goals and love of trees.  There are people from all over the world here and all different age groups.  There is one guy who is in his 80’s and let me tell you he can put me to shame all day long.  He gives me so much inspiration to continue cycling because obviously cycling can make you stronger and allow your life to be full and very enjoyable. 

Today at a rest area, one of the support crew members noticed I carried an inhaler in my bag.  I have had asthma most of my life, but I do not approach it as a limitation, it is a challenge and every challenge can be conquered.  She asked me if I would be alright, and I just smiled and said, sure I just keep on pedaling and if I have problems then I will address it, no problem.  Asthma is a weakness of the lungs and what better way to make them stronger than cycling and pushing yourself.  I did take two hits yesterday but today, not a single one.  So I must be getting stronger :) 

The closing message for tonight, don’t let your challenges slow you down, look at them as a challenge and find a way to conquer them.  You are only as strong as your  last challenge, so what are your challenges and how are you going to tackle them?  Me, I will get out of bed tomorrow and ride another 85 miles in the name of trees.  I’ve got this. 

Day 1 of the Tour des Trees

Day 1

Wow what a day it has been, it has definitely been a day that will not leave my memory too soon; well atleast not until tomorrow when I do it again.   First of all I have to start by saying, I DID IT!!!!!  I rode my first centurion on my bicycle.  To tell the truth I did not think I had it in me, but low and behold I did.  As Johnathon told me last night as he grasped my face with both of his hands, " You got this mom, you can do it,"  I can't tell you how many times I have told him those same words, but it sounds so sweet hearing it from him and seeing his belief in me through his eyes.

  I have been told the Stihl Tour des Trees is not all about the bike ride, but it really embodies a fellowship amongst fellow tree lovers.  I must say I have never experienced such an open arm welcome from everyone I met, this is a tree family that has many branches but we are all connected by one central stem, the love of trees.  I rode with a variety of people today of all different levels and from all parts of the country.  I must say even if you were not up to their level they would not leave you behind, that is until you found another group to become a part of,  no one really rides alone. 

I must say a big huge thank you to all the support along the way, especially my children and husband.  They were there at every rest stop and at the lunch to share their support and to keep telling me I can do it.  Towards the end they were on the side of road continuously cheering not only me on, but all the riders that passed them.  It made a big difference not only to me, but also to my fellow riders. Seeing them at the finish line was incredible, and having them help me with my bike and suitcase was wonderful.  

I also want to say thank you to all the moral support, from the rest area attendees and fellow riders.  Everyone cheers on everyone, no matter what your skill level is or where you are in the pack.  It was wonderful seeing fellow arborist along the way from the NYS ISA chapter, but it was also great meeting new friends. 

I also need to say thank you to the support vehicles.  They would drive by you, cheering you on and making sure you were okay.  God forbid I should have a breakdown, be it emotional or technical, but knowing they will be along certainly does help.  

The main thought or message I would like to leave for me to remember this day is this:  In life we have a lot of support that sometimes we take for granted.  Let’s face it our lives are busy and sometimes we forget to breathe and take a look around us.  Today I learned and thought about all the support in my life, not only here on the tour but also in my daily life.  I am complimented on the outstanding behavior and citizenship of my boys very frequently  but they are not that way by chance; it really takes a village to raise great boys or in my case a great support group.  So thank you to everyone who has helped me and them along the way, I don’t think I could list everyone, but know this, I know who you are and so do my boys.  We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and wish you the best always and please  know there are two outstanding boys in this world that will leave this planet a better place than when they entered.  Together we have changed the world one boy and one tree at a time.

Thank you.

Training

When I first contemplated signing up for the ride there were two people that helped me make my decision, my father and Walt Disney.  I overheard my dad mentioning to my uncle how I was training for this big ride, at the time I was still contemplating it, but well after hearing my dad say it I knew I could not disappoint him so I started filling out the registration form.  I had trouble hitting the final submission key though on that form, so to take a moment and really think about it I decided to visit Facebook.  Low and behold what should I see but a quote from  Walt Disney himself, " The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."  So rather than keep talking about doing something great, I went back and hit the submission key.  
 Training has become a love hate relationship for me lately.  I love getting on my bike and just riding through the countryside.  It doesn't matter where I am,either  around home, or in Vermont or in Central New York.  There is nothing in the world compared to the simplicity of just pedaling and really being part of your surroundings.  The hate part of my training is simple, I hate the fact that I can't get on the bike as often as I would like.  Life has a funny way of getting in the way all the time.
I have met many wonderful people along the way.  The other day I decided to get a quick ride in before some meetings, the trail wasn't that far away and it looked well marked, those are some famous last words.  After receiving some last minute instructions of where to get on the trail I started pedaling along the Erie Canal, that right there is pretty cool to me being the history dork that I am.  As I was pedaling I could imagine the boats floating down the canal with the mules pulling them along on the very path I was pedaling.  After pedaling for a while I realized I did need to head back to attend the meetings, darn life for getting in the way once again.  But in typical Lori fashion I realized I had made a wrong turn, or missed a turn. I could have just turned on the phone and looked at a map, but why do that when there was an angel sent to me to give me directions?  Dave is a retired gentlemen that travels between Florida and Utica throughout the year and most mornings you will find him out riding his bicycle.  When I asked him how to get back to the Campus, he said "not only will I tell you but I will take you there myself," and that he did.  You see I did not miss a turn, the turn was gone; it was under construction and to all appearance was impassable, but not for Dave.   He showed me where to go through the fences, carry over re-bar, ride along abandoned trails, and to finally arrive at our destination.  When I set out that morning I only envisioned riding along where history had occurred, but instead I was rewarded not only with history but with an angel where one was not expected.  Thank you once again Dave, without your help it would have been another ride, but instead it was an adventure I will look back at with a smile.
When I first signed up to do the Tour des Trees I would lie awake at night wondering, " What am I doing, What was I thinking?"  There were so many nights of insomnia that I wondered if I would ever sleep again.  The looming thought of first getting a bicycle to do the ride was over daunting and then to actually raise $3500 during this tough economical time for so many people seemed impossible.  As I laid awake every night though I would say a silent prayer, asking for support, for assurance and most of all sanity to complete this endeavor.  He heard my prayers and he answered.
Now as the date is fast approaching I realize that I may not be completely ready physically, but my bike is ready and I truly have learned how many friends I have in this big world.  I have reached my fundraising goal of $3500 and I could not have done it without all my friends who believe that trees are the answer and they do need our support.  So as I start pedaling this Saturday at Niagara Falls, I will not be alone.  Riding along with me will be all my friends who contributed financially and physically, which I would like to thank  Vicki for all those morning chats at the gym as I dragged myself for over eight months.  When I reach the moment where I don't think I can keep pedaling I will hear all of you cheering me on and somewhere deep down I will find my reserves and I will keep pedaling. But if you should be in the area, could you possibly give me a gentle push? I would appreciate it very much. 
Thank you once again to everyone that has supported me, not only do I thank you but our future generations thank you because through your support we will have trees for them to enjoy.