I LOVED MY 2009 CYCLING YEAR
2009 is ending, making way for a new decade of cycling adventures. I can honestly say that in my entire life, 2009 has been one of the best for me. I have been so fortunate to meet such wonderful friends through this website and through the many rides and events we’ve done together, that 2009 will always hold a special place in my heart with fond memories and camaraderie.
REACHING MY GOALS
If you asked me a year ago if I would ride a Century ride (100 mile ride in one day), I would’ve given you my safe answer “Um…yea…sure. I can ride a century, but I just don’t have the time to do it right now. Maybe next month.” (Sound familiar Asia? lol.) Let’s face it. Our friends and family already think we’re crazy when we ride more than 25 miles in one day, so when you think about riding 100 miles, it does feel a little scary and fun at the same time. But this year, I actually did ride a century. In fact, I rode three of them. Viva Bike Vegas, Bike MS and an unorganized, non-sanctioned century with a couple friends on a day where we all had time to kill. Yes, I know…crazy as it may seem…I loved every minute of it!
The beauty of the century ride is not necessarily the one ride. It’s the many rides leading up to it. The training rides with all of your friends who have similar goals. To increase their distance, speed and insanity levels! ;) I couldn’t have done those three century rides without the support of my friends who rode alongside me every pedal stroke of the way. So thank you to all of you for encouraging me to be a crazy road cyclist and for giving me the ‘push’ I needed along the way.
GROUP SAFETY AND RIDING TECHNIQUES - TEAM SPIRIT
2009 was also a year of learning for me. When I first started riding, I would just go out there and pedal and try to get faster. That’s all I thought riding was. I never watched cycling races before. I never participated in a group ride until January 2009. I was a newbie in every sense of the word, but I had a desire to learn, to grow and to get better in this sport we call cycling.
As our group grew with members, our rides grew in numbers and our desire to ride together stronger, faster, better all grew with us. We were fortunate to have our resident expert, Alex Irizari give us a lesson in group safety and pace-lining. Alex taught us how to look after each other on the road safely, while utilizing each other as a group offering specific techniques which made us work together better and increase our average speed over the course of our training as a real team would. With this knowledge, we realized the concept of teamwork in cycling and our friendships became stronger as we practiced and trained along the way.
YOU CAN NEVER “KNOW” IT ALL
With a little bit of knowledge our group was powerful! We felt invigorated and ready to accept any challenge that was ahead of us. We knew we could overcome any obstacle, no matter how large or small, as long as we had each other to rely on. That being said, we quickly realized that just because we knew a few things about group riding, it didn’t mean we knew it all or were experts. Cycling is a work in progress. You can always ride better, train better and be more aware of your abilities….but to ride safe is first and foremost the most important.
TASTING ASPHALT FOR THE FIRST TIME
The BikeMS 2009 ride was by far one of the most influential rides of my season. I created a team to help a charity that is near and dear to me. (My mother has MS and has had it for over 20 years). I raised over $3,000 for the cause and my team raised over $20,000!! I was ecstatic over the bonds we formed while training for the event. I loved riding side by side with them while we all worked hard to help make a difference for those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. That being said, I never expected the end of my Bike MS ride to end up face down on the asphalt. An example of no matter how safe you are, sometimes an accident can occur. I must admit, there was a sense of irony that I was on the ground that day. I mean, after all, I tout safety all the time. But, mistakes happen and I can tell you the only way to get over it is to learn from your mistakes and move on. That’s exactly what I did. As soon as I could, I got back on the bike and kept pedaling. I wasn’t going to let my first taste of road rash end my love of cycling.
GIVING BACK TO MY COMMUNITY
My ultimate goal for 2009 was to create the bikinglasvegas.com website and to help other cyclists learn, grow and become a part of this wonderful community. I wanted to give to others something that would empower them to become stronger and more confident. I wanted to help anyone who wanted help in learning more and becoming better cyclists. I can only hope that I met this goal.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
2010 will be another wonderful year and I plan on doing all that I can to take this love of bicycling to a new level. I know I have some lofty goals ahead of me (see the forum thread on 2010 Goals and submit your own), but with friends like you…I know they will be reached.
Thank you for a wonderful 2009 and l look forward to spending 2010 with you.
A VIDEO REVIEW OF 2009 BY DON LACZI (a.k.a. Eell)
Don has done it again! He created a “year in review” video of our Las Vegas Cycling culture and community. Thank you Don for always being there to capture the spirit of our moments and for spending many sleepless nights in the editing room just to share them with us.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! MAY YOUR NEW YEAR BE BLESSED WITH LAUGHTER AND LOVE!
