I've been wanting to share more about my experiences riding
in the 2016 California Coast Classic, but to be honest I’ve had a bit of
difficulty figuring out just how to begin. As a whole, the experience was both
amazing and terrible. I loved it and I hated it. It was a completely crazy goal
but somehow also totally possible. I don’t know if I’ve ever questioned my
abilities more or, at the exact same time, been more sure of them. The way I
feel about this experience is quite a paradox, so I guess the best thing to do
is begin at the beginning and try to move forward from there!
It was a really long
day of travel for our family to get from Colorado to California in the first place. Minivan to the
airport. Train to the terminal. Several hours on an airplane (including about
20 minutes of flat out screaming from a two-year-old, who shall remain
nameless, who was disinclined to buckle up during landing). Tram to the BART
station. BART into the city. Trolley car to the hotel. Not to mention wrangling
suitcases, camping gear, car seats, diaper bag, a bag full of plane
entertainment and copious snacks – thank goodness we shipped the bikes! The
boys were real troopers but we were all tired by the time we arrived.
By far my favorite part of the long journey was during
turbulence on the plane, and again when the BART train shook a little, when my
two-year-old put his hand on my chest and said “I got you, mama.” I was really
nervous about the upcoming week, but if my son could be so sure of the world
and his own small abilities, surely I could face the challenge bravely. We
finally met Grandma and Grandpa in San Francisco, and it was a relief to know that
my boys would be lovingly cared for so that I could focus on my goal. And getting
to have In-N-Out for dinner didn’t hurt either!
To be continued...
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