cyclingsawatzki.com

Total miles logged so far: 970.5!

Yesterday I dropped my bike off at my teammates place. She generously offered to take it up there as she was taking hers and another one of my teammates' bike up there! Which was a relief because I did not think I would have been able to make it up to Omaha by 5:30 on a workday. She and I talked a bit about how excited we are and how it feels weird that we are shipping our bikes off already!

And it really, really does!

I can report to you that my bike was successfully packed into it's wedge-shaped box! Apparently we were supposed to write our full name (including middle name) on the boxes and since my teammate, Diane, didn't know my middle name she made one up for me! So it'll be a fun little surprise when I get to Maryland!

It feel so weird to not have my bike...kinda like what am I supposed to do now?

Then I recalled a vague recollection of an exercise bike that sat and collected dust while my butt grew bigger a few years ago. And indeed it was downstairs...living out a second job as a shelving unit to various blankets and boxes of stained glass. Poor thing.

So I dusted that bad boy off, reloaded it with some batteries to get the computer part of it working and went to town while I watched the television sensation Glee. (You don't want to get me started on the many reasons I love that show! ) 

It was fun to use it. Different though. I can definitely see the advantages of why the smaller seat is better for long-term riding. The bigger the surface the quicker you lose feeling in your hind-quarters and feet. I guess in grown-up terms that means the smaller the seat, the better the circulation. 

But it was nice though. Definitely helped with my anxiety over not being able to train over the course of the next week! I do still think I will rent a bike on Saturday and maybe Sunday to get some actual riding in! 

I'm edging ever so closely to that 1000 mile mark!! Awww yeah!  

We leave for our journey to Maryland in ONE WEEK from a few hours from now! ONE WEEK!!!! How did this go by so quickly??? I am just so excited and thrilled and nervous and happy to be participating in this! 

I will end this email with very, very good news!

My dad went in for the results of his post-chemo PET scan and got REALLY REALLY GOOD news! The numbers for his cancer activity levels that, when he started in April, had been at 30, are now down to just 1.5 with 1 being absolutely perfect!! The doctor isn't really worried about the .5 factor, but is sending him to another doctor for a second opinion just to be sure (he feels confident that the other doctor will feel the same way). So! He's off the chemo! He had his gross PICC line removed from his arm and just this morning was able to enjoy a shower without the use of farm industry gynelogical gloves (the kind that go up to your shoulder) that he had to use to keep water from his PICC line. He was pretty damn happy about that! He had another follow up PET/CT scan in December to monitor it! But we are all EXTREMELY relieved, happy, and just overjoyed! The news of this also came on his 60th birthday. What a great birthday gift!