After twenty-one years of cycling trips, we keep hoping it might get easier.
Problem is, we keep getting older too, which tends to counter any of the original benefit of having done it a few times.
We originally called these tours Hell on Wheels cuz we kind of thought we were, what with all the partying and carrying on.
But here’s the new perimenopausal reality: It’s the cycling that’s hell. We just happen to be on wheels or recently fallen off them ( as evidenced in this photo) when the hell is occuring.
We started this year’s trip in Astoria at the Oregon/Washington border and pedalled our butts off to just past Brookings, Oregon at the California border. In between there was a bit of shuttling to help with some of the too-long days, but the last day was a 123 kilometre burn to the border.
Ainaz and Robin from the Great Explorations bike tour company in Vancouver were awesome support. They helped make the finish feel like we’d done the Tour de France. Not bad for some old gals….
The invigorating, breathtaking, Oregon Coastline brought me on this trip closer to myself, through my friends.
Profound and beautiful, are good, old, friends…people wonder, but the experience is simple- time is the ticket, to deepening relationship. Commitment to investing in the relationship, is part of investing in the time. No magic- each one of us in that group of cycling chicks, grew together, despite differences. This year, I felt a sense of rejoicing at that “finish line,” that symbolized the deep inner work that each of us has embarked upon, over the years, supported by each other. We each crossed a hurdle at that finish line (The California Border), and the overflow of emotion was earned, by “taking it to the limit, one more time….” differently, again.
Push thine self, and realize my potential… I thought I pushed, but this push was supported, encouraged, known and understood by each of the chicks turning toward fully growing up, perhaps even evolving- I’m learning.
I saw gorgeous potential realized in each of these profoundly strong and soft, women – together.
Changed alone.
Kathleen
(One of nine, participants)