Two years ago…I was getting ready to go on a two-day bicycle winery tour…just 
out of Winston-Salem, NC…in the Yadkin River Valley…and to celebrate my 56th birthday…
Something about a biking vacation…really intrigued me…so…I did what I do best…I Googled…and found…Carolina Tailwinds…a bicycle touring company…they had several tour packages…for different levels of cyclists…different lengths of time…and…different amounts of money…seems as though…the two-day package was the one that fit me the best…the wineries sounded neat…even though I rarely drink…
As with some of my endeavors…especially on the bike…I was probably crazy to even attempt it…first of all…I had broken my arm in mid-March…and…had not been able to train nearly enough for the forty some odd miles I would be riding in the North Carolina hills each day…they called them hills…I called them mountains…secondly…I’d only ever ridden in a group once…mostly I rode alone…occasionally with one other person…thirdly…I wasn’t a spring chicken…or…a speed demon…
But…it was one of those things…I had to go…I really didn’t want to go alone…I asked a few cycling friends…but no one could make it…but…I had to go…so…I sucked it up…and went…anyway…
The trip was wonderful…one of the most awesome experiences I’ve ever had…mostly because…I proved to myself that I could do it…I was usually the last one to the rest stop…but…I made it without having to catch a ride in the van…oh…and…they gave me a birthday cake on my birthday…
I won’t say riding that much…was exactly comfortable…especially when I hadn’t trained for it…and…I had a lot of discomfort in my arms…which I thought was from not being properly fitted on my bike…I later found out…that it was from the Chiari I Malformation and Syrinx…the condition that was diagnosed later that year…
At the time…I wondered…why…I was compelled to go on this trip…what was I proving…and…who was I proving it to…Bertha…said…not to worry about it…if it seemed that important…just go…
The final rest stop!
So…I did…and…thankfully she went…too…in fact…I think she pushed me up that last hill…yeah…the one that was two and a half miles long…yeah…she pushed…a lot…
But…after all was said and done…I was happy that I had gone…I came home stronger…more self-confident…ready to tackle anything…especially on my bike…and…I pretty much did for the rest of the summer…logging over 1000 miles…and some pretty tough hills…
Until…the pain in my arms…and legs…sent me seeking answers…and…I found them…not ones to my liking…leading to brain surgery…and…a lot less time on my bike…in fact…almost none last year…and…we’ll see about this one…
Bertha…points out that I learned a valuable lesson…when something really seems important…and…it’s coming from my heart…that I should listen…there’s a reason…I just always know what it is at the time…
Jane
I was JUST having this conversation yesterday… we need only listen to our heart and follow that next inspired step… we don’t need to worry about why, or what comes next – we just need to follow our heart…
What is it about us and this insane NEED TO KNOW HOW AND WHY RIGHT NOW?!? LOL!!
I’ve learned what you’ve learned – don’t ignore that inspired pull 🙂
Jenn…I love that we seem to learn the same lessons…maybe that is universal…I hope it is…I now know…that if I hadn’t made that trip then…I probably never would have…which would have been a shame!
Here’s to continuing to listen to our hearts…and pedal with our feets…
Good Morning Lovely Lady ,
I have so much respect for your inner voice, it sometimes tells me what to do !:) So…you listen up-you will know when it’s right.
A warm hug for your day….
Thank you Bea…you not only made me smile…you made me laugh…sending hugs back your way!
I am so glad Bertha is in your life, not only to push you up that hill, but to continue to inspire. We ALL need a Bertha!!
Arlene…I’m so glad I have Bertha…as well…she definitely pushes and pulls me where I need to go! I’m also gratelful that I have you…what an encourager you are!
I just stumbled onto your blog today via Twitter. I am a fellow blogger also diagnosed with Chiari Malformation. It’s great to find others that can understand the struggles of this frustrating condition.
Shalunya…thank you for finding me! I just subscribed to your blog and look forward to getting to know you better. Chiari is a frustrating condition…I think I probably have done better than many…but…do have permanent nerve damage due to the srynix…so…it’s sort of a wait and see how it goes kind of thing…I’m about 16 months out of surgery.