Friday, 12/18/09 at 6:11 PM
by Jenny Skorcz
by Jenny Skorcz
Inspiration
What better way to reconnect with the wonderful world of road cycling then pedaling alongside the 1,400 women who came together on a cool Sunday morning to participate in the 2nd annual Venus de Miles Metric Century this fall. Founded by Greenhouse Scholars - a non-profit organization based in Boulder, Colorado that helps send high-achieving, under-resourced students to college – the Venus de Miles began in 2008 and was spearheaded by Teresa Robbins and the Greenhouse Scholars team. Their goal was to bring a group of women together in the spirit of sisterhood and charity. I think it fair to presume they got what they wanted and then some!
To avoid a 4AM departure from Colorado Springs, my partner John and I drove up the night before and slept comfortably at the Longmont Marriot. As evidenced by dozens of women rolling their bikes from car to room I was not the only one who opted to exchange a small financial burden for extra hours of sleep. At 6AM, coffee in hand, I pedaled the mile over to Prospect Park and picked up my event packet, containing one cool t-shirt, a number for my bike, and a bracelet that guaranteed me access to nutritious vittles at the end of the ride. I wandered around the expo area sneaking peaks at the vendor’s goods I could purchase after the ride. I ran into a Boulder friend who introduced me to her Boulder friends and viola! I had riding buddies.
Following brief motivational speeches offered by Pete Buridge, the CEO of Greenhouse Scholars, Lauren Maynard, the ride coordinator, Tricia Downing and Connie Carpenter we were given the green light at 7:03AM.
The word of the day was “inspire”. During the course of the 65-mile ride I felt inspired by those around me as well as inspired by the strength that flowed through my body on the climb up to Jamestown. I was inspired by the generosity of the hundreds of volunteers who marshaled the course, inspired by all the men who came out to help at the aid stations dressed compliantly in drag, inspired by the beauty of the land across which we pedaled, and inspired by the collective effort of everyone – riders included – that made the event possible.
To be honest, I did little in terms of physical preparation. I felt waves of anxiety pass through me the days before the ride. The longest pedal I did before Sunday was 20 miles. I have stayed in shape over the summer, primarily running trails, doing Pilates and Yoga, and have enjoyed a few trail rides. This body knows the multi-hour pedal well, even if the last time I did one was last summer. There is memory in the muscle; it seems to be stimulated by calm, confidence, and a little pinch of “I can always turn around if I feel like crap”! In the company of Jenn, Gina, and Sharina I never felt like turning around. There was so much to talk about when the hills flattened, body and breath to observe on the climbs, and thrill of drafting behind Jenn barreling down Left Hand Canyon after the Jamestown stop. During the last 20 miles, I had an opportunity to put my memory to the test. As hunger and fatigue began to affect my companions, I felt my strength surge and helped hook the girls onto the passing train of four women in black and red team kits who were led by a woman who appeared to have the strength needed to drag a car across a frozen lake. As we cruised across the finish line the group splintered, cell phones came out and calls were made to loved ones waiting to scoop us up and get us to the food tent. I caught my last glimpse of the Boulder girls while sitting on the wet grass munching salad and chocolate waiting in line for a free leg massage. On the drive home, I sat heavily on the passenger seat, napping off and on, new memories taking root in my muscles.
Best,
Jenny
To avoid a 4AM departure from Colorado Springs, my partner John and I drove up the night before and slept comfortably at the Longmont Marriot. As evidenced by dozens of women rolling their bikes from car to room I was not the only one who opted to exchange a small financial burden for extra hours of sleep. At 6AM, coffee in hand, I pedaled the mile over to Prospect Park and picked up my event packet, containing one cool t-shirt, a number for my bike, and a bracelet that guaranteed me access to nutritious vittles at the end of the ride. I wandered around the expo area sneaking peaks at the vendor’s goods I could purchase after the ride. I ran into a Boulder friend who introduced me to her Boulder friends and viola! I had riding buddies.
Following brief motivational speeches offered by Pete Buridge, the CEO of Greenhouse Scholars, Lauren Maynard, the ride coordinator, Tricia Downing and Connie Carpenter we were given the green light at 7:03AM.
The word of the day was “inspire”. During the course of the 65-mile ride I felt inspired by those around me as well as inspired by the strength that flowed through my body on the climb up to Jamestown. I was inspired by the generosity of the hundreds of volunteers who marshaled the course, inspired by all the men who came out to help at the aid stations dressed compliantly in drag, inspired by the beauty of the land across which we pedaled, and inspired by the collective effort of everyone – riders included – that made the event possible.
To be honest, I did little in terms of physical preparation. I felt waves of anxiety pass through me the days before the ride. The longest pedal I did before Sunday was 20 miles. I have stayed in shape over the summer, primarily running trails, doing Pilates and Yoga, and have enjoyed a few trail rides. This body knows the multi-hour pedal well, even if the last time I did one was last summer. There is memory in the muscle; it seems to be stimulated by calm, confidence, and a little pinch of “I can always turn around if I feel like crap”! In the company of Jenn, Gina, and Sharina I never felt like turning around. There was so much to talk about when the hills flattened, body and breath to observe on the climbs, and thrill of drafting behind Jenn barreling down Left Hand Canyon after the Jamestown stop. During the last 20 miles, I had an opportunity to put my memory to the test. As hunger and fatigue began to affect my companions, I felt my strength surge and helped hook the girls onto the passing train of four women in black and red team kits who were led by a woman who appeared to have the strength needed to drag a car across a frozen lake. As we cruised across the finish line the group splintered, cell phones came out and calls were made to loved ones waiting to scoop us up and get us to the food tent. I caught my last glimpse of the Boulder girls while sitting on the wet grass munching salad and chocolate waiting in line for a free leg massage. On the drive home, I sat heavily on the passenger seat, napping off and on, new memories taking root in my muscles.
Best,
Jenny
Comments
Add a Comment