There Is Sanity In Cycling!

I love my road bike, and that is a good thing. My wife said I had better love it as I was going to have to live with it for a long time. Well, 3 years later we're still in love. (oh, me and Sheri are too!) 

That is what has gotten me to this point. If my friend at the time had not talked me into trying to ride again I would have missed out on the greatest camaraderie in the world; cycling. 

I was blessed to get to ride in The Ride To Remember last year and I'm excited to say that I'm registered again this year to ride with the Ryobi Cyclepaths.

Last year I was blessed to make so many new friends and I can't wait to see you all again. But I also can't thank the people who do this ride as volunteers for all that they do for us riders. I've never felt so well taken care of and loved than I have those 3 days.

Here is the nice thing. It didn't stop there. I met an incredible lady named Jamie Guay. She heads up a connections group that is comprised of people like me and their spouses/caregivers and we have a regular activity every month, as well as special programs as they become available. She even started a new group on Tuesdays so that I could come. The other group meets on Thursdays and Sheri is running the store so she can't take me. 

I don't drive very much any more. Just around town and not that often.

That is what makes the cycling so special to me. As you start to lose the ability to do the things you've always enjoyed, it can make you feel more isolated and frustrated. I used to go to Greenville and ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail most Saturdays. Now that is not a possibility. I haven't really found anyone in Anderson to ride with so it keeps me limited. But I'm not going to let that keep me from riding and preparing for RTR 2019. 

I have subscribed to an app called Ride with GPS. $5.99 a month and it will track what I do and how long it took me. It also allows anyone to follow along with where I'm at on the bike. That way if something happens and I don't return, it is easy to locate me.

The biggest thing I know (sounds funny coming from a dementia patient) is that when i'm on my bike pedaling down the road, that is my glory moment. I can revel in the triumphs of the steep hills, the "faster than that dang dog" moments and the smell of the surroundings, except for the farms. For these minutes and or hours I can forget about my condition.

People don't realize that the disease affects more than just the mind. It affects how much you can continue to work, which affects how much you bring home to pay the bills, which affects your quality of life, which affects relationships that are strained because of this disease already.

My wife is my rock, my fortress, my shield. She puts up with a lot yet she worries about me a lot too. Even to the point that she is going to see about being my SAG vehicle for the ride this year. You see, i'm a lot slower than most, averaging about 14 mph, so I tend to get left out on the course by myself. This way I can have someone dedicated to me full time without taking a resource away from the other riders. Kimberly Best and her hubby were really great to keep an eye out for me, even letting me ride with them when I needed it and for that I'm very much grateful. 

So if you pass by me anywhere from Fountain Inn to Mt. Pleasant, throw up your hand and wave and I'll gladly wave back to you. I loved riding with you all last year and I know we're going to have a blast again this year.

And hopefully my sanity gets a boost too! 

If you would like to support me and help us find a cure, please visit my fundraising page and make a donation of any amount. Every bit helps! 

Please Click HERE to Support My Ride To Remember

Thank you for your support!!