Little Red

The Little Red Bike Ride is one of my most favorite events to ride in. And this year it had much more meaning behind it. Why? Well since my best friend Harmoni is fighting her Stage 4 breast cancer and the Ride raises money for Huntsman Cancer Research it gave me all the more reason to want to ride in it. 

I wanted her slogan #HARMSTRONG written on my arms and legs to ride 100 miles in honor of her.  It's a ride that she loves doing and she isn't able to do it this year. Which just makes me heart break. Next year! Next year we will do it together. 

I recruited my cousin Timalee to ride along with me. She is the one that got me into Little Red in the first place. Which I love her for. 

 The course this year was changed due to some flooding on part of the route. Which made it so we ate lunch at mile 58 instead of 50. Which got in my head a little bit because I was ready to eat at mile 50. Plus it didn't help that due to the course change we climbed alot more by this point. I had a little bit of cramping in my legs but a fellow rider gave me some supplements to help with that. So by the time I had lunch, some water, pink salts, and ibuprofen I was good to go.

Through the painful parts of the ride I tried to enjoy the fact that I CAN feel pain and I'm able to do this. Thinking of Harmoni gives me strength to keep pushing through the tough moments. If she can fight cancer, I can fight the hills.

This was at the top of a really steep hill and we were feeling great. The weather was perfectly warm and we were loving life.

 But the last 20 miles we were fighting the WORST head wind. Which by this point in the day was a HOT head wind. It actually made me so mad. But I used that to fuel me. I can't really explain those last 20 miles, but they got really emotional for me. As I am fighting this head wind I kept repeating over and over again "I am Harmstrong." I was alone by this point because Timalee had fallen behind and I only stay in my pace and I couldn't keep going back for her(I went back at the last mile so we could finish together). But as I was alone, thinking about Harm and telling myself that I am Harmstrong I fought the urge to SOB. The feeling overcame me and I felt a deep love for Harmoni.

 Today was a good, hard, emotional and a proud day for me. Another 100 miles in the books and it was all for Harmoni.

 I had been posting on IG all day about it and right after I made my final post about the last 20 miles, I got a phone call from Harm. I had tagged her in it so she had just read it and called me. But I couldn't understand what she was saying on the other end because she was crying. And that's all it took for me to lose my sob as well. It was actually a really tender moment we shared together. I heard her tell me "I'm so proud of you" and "Thank you for being such a good friend" and "Next year I'm doing it with you". Oh my heart grew a size bigger in that moment and one more love root grew even deeper for her.

I cannot wait to do Little Red next year and I want Harm to do it with me. Even if we do a shorter distance.