Ready set go! 2013 New Years Resolutions are in motion as the quest for an affordable, quality road bike begins.
I’m super excited! I have been looking for a new challenge to keep me busy and fit, and allow more freedom in my life. So today I took the first steps (very first steps) toward obtaining a road bike, and achieving one of my 2013 resolutions, participating in a sprint triathlon.
I must admit, I was procrastinating on actually purchasing one. Searching around for the right deal and learning about all the varieties, gear levels, framing size and the extra costs (i.e. pedals, clip in shoes, helmet and water bottle holder) can be overwhelming. Not to mention, bikes suitable for racing aren’t cheap!
But today, I took the first step. I haven’t been on a bike in so long, and I’ve never been on a road bike with such small tires. I thought for sure I was going to tip over and fall the first time I attempted to go around the parking lot for my test run. I was surprised when the guy helping me let me ride off on my own. You trust me? Do I have to pay for damages if I crash?
Once I got on and placed my feet on the pedals, there was no turning back. A whoosh of wind glided over my face and I immediately fell back in love with riding. My fear of falling vanished when I took the first three strokes on the pedals. An “ahhhhahhhhhh” moment came over me. Yes, this is what I need to be doing! Freedom.
I first noticed how the gear shifted, which was different on each bike. I could tell the Felt F85 (red and white bike) had better gears because the shifting was much smother and easier. I barely noticed when I shifted over. While the others were a bit more difficult, not hard by any means, but more clunky. The Felt F85 also had more of a racing feel to it. I could tell this was a performance bike from how I was positioned, my chest was closer to the ground and my back leaned more forward.
I haven’t made my final decision yet, and I may go to another bike shop to compare other brands and prices. I know I’m definitely leaning more towards the red and white Felt F85, the sprint race is calling me…
Are you a road biker? Have opinions on what to look for? Best deals? What not to do? Tips for tracking rides or tips for saving money? Please share for all the newbies like me out there!
To all my followers waiting to hear my Dear Child post’s conclusion, here it is.
For all those new to the story, a click back to Last E-mail will get you up to speed on the below content, and understand how I began fading fear and healing old wounds.
Dear Child,
3 Months Post Surgery Burning Process Begins
2011 begins in heartache. After you lose the man you believe to be the only man for you, January also includes rush surgery due to a staff infection spreading over your chest and heart. Surgeons take 120 ml of puss (equivalent to ½ cup) out of your chest, leaving a hole the size of a cricket ball (or baseball) over your heart. You brave a smile for your friends — the first faces you see upon waking from anesthesia.
The next three months are filled with treks to the post surgery ward of St. Vincent’s hospital every other day before work. Mornings include sitting in a line behind people with much worse wounds, some with severe burns and disfigured limbs. Seeing this makes you appreciate life and health.
Nurses clean, stuff, and bandage the hole in your chest, they show no mercy as they perform their duties on your open flesh. During the final healing stages they’ll burn excess flesh off to allow “normal” healing. A painful reminder of the sadness you feel every day. You literally have a hole in your chest representing the hole you feel in your heart.
You’re not ready to let go. Your dreams will get you through.
Your 2011 new years resolution, to ensure everyone important in your life knew how much you cared and appreciated them. After your surgery, this notion could not be more important to accomplish. During the hard times, you realized how strong your connections where in a country half way around the world from your homeland. You witness a family sprout, and decide to celebrate.
So your 25th turns into a celebration for your friends and family, all those who make you smile, especially for those who kept you happy in a very unhappy situation. You (with the help of your awesomely handsome A Series of Fortunate Events owner, Christopher McLaren) create a space for everyone to dance on the red carpet like stars– well pink carpet I should say. A cocktail style party, set with lights, hanging photos, umbrella cocktails, and large open space on your 3rd floor balcony of your Sydney apartment…oh ya, and it’s open bar!
Grad School Group Representing Canada, US, Russia, Germany, India, Switzerland, Norway, and the Netherlands
You’re happy, refreshed, and sharing incredible moments with close friends and family.
Sydney Media Clan Matt Young, Christopher McLaren and Me
Oh and as an added bonus, your fantastic group of grad school friends gave you a helicopter tour of Sydney!
Enjoy a couple beauties below…
The next year will bring many ups and downs, as you say “till next time” to your job, home and family in Australia, journey back to the other side of the world, stopping on Australia’s sunny west coast, Indonesia and later Central and South America, until you’re finally settled on the east coast. Here, you finally begin to fade fear and heal old wounds. You will begin again, and create freedom in your life –mind, body and soul.
So don’t cry in the corner dear child, your dreams do come true. You just have to remember it’s Ok to let go. You’ll discover more and you will flourish into a strong, beautifully intelligent butterfly that has families and knowledge spanning the globe. You are not alone, you are not trapped –you are free.
First picture in 3 months without a bandage Happy 25th!
Dear Readers,
Here’s what I want you to get out of my story spanning 3 blog posts — the art of letting go. Obtaining the ability to allow yourself to be completely free — mind, body and soul. I mean real FREEDOM! Ensuring fear is not driving action. Not so easy in today’s world of deadlines, alarms, bills and competition, which sometimes feels like an endless mountain of obstacles and restraints.
I must admit, my journey to freedom is one that will encompass life long learning, as most things in life. But it was only a couple weeks ago, when I received the Last Email, that I was able to finally begin to let go and allow myself to discover new possibilities and new ways of thinking. I let go of the idea that I was in love and that there could only be one man for me, I let go of childhood traumas and promises, I let go of past mistakes and heartaches, I let go of a life that I no longer lived. I let go of everything I was holding onto in fear of losing.
An anvil was lifted off my shoulders, and a funny thing happened, my mind was more clear and my breath more stable. I began to open to new exciting adventures, to a realization that I was not losing the past but creating a future and cementing a lifestyle that will always allow me to be free…
But for all this to occur, I had to go through some things –a lot of things. But what I want you, the reader, to understand and embody is that sometimes trauma and heartache leads us to freedom and new discoveries, new and better paths.
Never stop believing you’ll get there and never stop dreaming…
Don’t forget to follow along as I share my thoughts and give tips on freeing the mind, body and soul from past wounds to create a life without restraints or boundaries, but one that unfolds unlimited possibilities.
“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.”
― Mark Twain
owhataworld 