The diagnosis of cancer sets ordinary people with ordinary lives on extraordinary paths.  Life must take on new meaning, priorities must change, and a new focus comes into view.  When I accepted Jeff’s invitation to do the Ride from Reno last year little did I know the extraordinary path that decisions to do the ride would put me on.  Even though my sister has had cancer for years, I’m now more acutely aware of her needs and challenges.  I wish there was more I could do.  Phone calls, visits, weeding her garden or moral support are about all I can do.  I cannot lift the burden she, or other I ride for carry.  But I can ride for a good cause and maybe suffer a little along the way.

Today was one of those ‘suffer a little’ days.  Statistically, it doesn’t look like a ‘suffer a little’ days, but like cancer, statistics is a poor substitute for reality.  It wasn’t the longest day in the saddle, it wasn’t the day with the most climbing, it wasn’t the day with rain, and there wasn’t anything unusual about the average speed.  Maybe it was the wind and day 4 in the saddle.  And I wonder is this a little taste of what it’s like to go in for a chemo treatment biweekly for months on end?  Probably not, we shouldn’t complain about a little hardship when we know it will soon pass and we can return to normal lives.  A normal life is something a cancer patient will never see again!

Today’s Stats:
Miles: 119  [I added another 12.5 by descending for Connors summit again – this time in the morning sunshine]
Time: 7 hrs, 17 mins [by now there are some sore bits]
Avg Speed: 16.3 mph [bad head winds most of the day, especially for 40 miles into Delta]
Avg Heart Rate: 108 [same as yesterday – changing the battery didn’t have any effect – must be the heart]
Climbing: 4100 ft  [slacker day)