the little diesel who could

I post these b/c they MUST be posted. This is some of the dialog that goes on 'behind the scenes', for those of you following along. These are emails shared today after learning more details about the 112 mile cycling course in Madison. After reading this you will see why I HAD to train for this race with these women. They are amazing. Enjoy!

This Morning: approximately 8:29 a.m.
Hey Tri Women!
I just swam the distance again and I feel great....the time was 1:41...certainly not as fast as you water cheetahs but well w/in the cut off time. Then I got home to read the power point Meg sent....SO GREAT! That was very useful. Useful in the sense that now I am scared out of my granny panties. Jesus mother. How is an amateur cyclist like myself going to get through things as challenging as what is described?? What have I gotten myself into. To date this is the most fear I have felt about this race. OMG. Gulp.

Advice welcome!
hugs all around!
JJ

Response: This afternoon 1:46 p.m.

Dear Scaredy Granny Pants-

Once upon a time there was a girl we shall call.....Jackie. Jackie was a couch potato with visions of not just sugar plum dancing in her head but also an athletic, finely tuned body that had long since gone the way of too many cookies. Anyway, Jackie said to herself...."self, I think I shall do this ride they call RAGBRAI (in lay terms the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa)." Now, many a rider had taken on this feat....usually with some training. Jackie said, "nyah training is too hard, too sweaty. I shall be able to do this ride because I love Iowa and pork chops." So, Jackie and her two friends the Bad Idea Bears.....went off to Iowa....where they met with a week of heat, humidity, and hills (H3). Sometimes they had to ride up to 80 miles a day....and contrary to popular belief....Iowa ain't flat!

Well, many might have thought Jackie would perish under the stress of the H3's....but no, she just rode steadily and each day she finished, just to drink beer and wake up and do another ride. She got to dip her tire in the Great Mississippi River and call herself a RAGBRAI finisher (two times even).

The moral of this story is: You can fucking do this. You have done the training. You conquered the clay in our yard to create pathways. You are teacher of the year. You are a woman who left her husband, came out, lost her friends, seduced the hottie Trina, and started a new life. You are fucking Wonder Woman. You do not have to be a "professional" cyclist to do this ride. It is fine.....some rollers, some hills...it will be hard, but you can and will do this. We know this because Jackie did RAGBRAI (twice) and if she can do RAGBRAI twice.....Wonder Woman can do Madison once.

1:40 is a great time! Nice job.

love you much. i really am not minizing your concerns.....because I myself have felt scared this week.....but, Meg and I have done enough riding to know that what matters is the continuation of forward motion. You can do this....continue moving forward.

And, when in doubt remember our good friend Jackie....the couch potato who could.

See....they're amazing. And now I'm not scared. CURED! BRING ON THE IRONMAN! WHOOO HOOO. I am the little diesel who could....or I am the wonder woman who could...that's even better. Double WHOOOO HOOOOO.