August 16, 2010 MS 150 Training Update

Hi, everyone,

I usually don't send my blog on Mondays but this weekend Tracy and I were out of town so I didn't ride until this morning. As I headed out at 4am this morning, on Hwy 51 which connects Stillwater to I-35, the stars were out and it was only 69 degrees...woo-hoo! I have learned so much about cycling this summer so instead of thinking about work I tried to focus on my breathing and pedaling, which is a real trick for me, but I was able to do it most of the time. As I got closer to I-35, averaging 15mph, lightning moved in so I turned around and headed back into Stillwater. Needless to say, the rain started before I got home, so I tried not to think about the drops hitting my face as I peddled!

Once I got home, I read my email as I cooled off. I didn't know that a woman close to my age had been killed while riding her bike Sunday afternoon...on the same highway I ride. So, I received emails from family/friends checking on me and reminding me to be careful. When a cyclist is killed, the cycling community places a white bike, called a "ghost bike", at the site of the crash, in honor of the victim.

I am sure the Stillwater cycling community will be doing this soon. We have had several cyclists killed this summer in Oklahoma which has made me more nervous to ride my bike. But, I'm going to keep doing it and hope that drivers stay alert. Not only am I riding for a cause near and dear to me, I really love riding my bike! I'm also going to go back to riding my other route (remember the one I've been doing all summer due to the repaving of Hwy 51??) because there are shoulders on both sides of the road (Hwy 51 only has shoulders on one side).

I'm telling you all of this so that you don't worry! Instead, please keep the family and friends of Debra Miller in your thoughts and prayers. And, remember to become a friend of my blog...stay tuned...my big ride is only six short weeks away!!