Merry Christmas from Bats!

Our bat friends from Bat Conservation International have given us gifts for the 12 days of Christmas!

Bats give us the gift of pears!  They help control pests that otherwise would destroy or damage pears.

Bats give us the gift of hot cocoa!  Chocolate comes from the cacao tree.  Bats help control the cocoa pod borer, the primary pest of cocoa growers.  Additionally, bats are important for seed dispersal of the cacao tree.

Bats give us the gift of pecan pie!  They help control pests that otherwise would destroy or damage pecans.

Bats give us the gift of apples via pest control!

Bats give us the gift of mittens!  They help control pests of cotton plants.

Bats give us the gift of gingerbread via pest control of ginger!

Bats give us the gift of bananas via pollination!

Bats give us the gift of pumpkin pie!  They help control insects that feed on pumpkins.

 

Bats give us the gift of cacti!  They pollinate cacti and disperse their seeds.  Bats also pollinate agave, another desert plant.  Agave is what gives us tequila for our margaritas.  Ole!

Bats give us the gift of coffee via pest control!

Bats give us the gift of tamales!  They help control pests of corn.  Also, tamales are traditional for Christmas in Mexico.

Bats give us the gift of fruitcake!  They control pests of many fruits, including cherries, peaches, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, and many more!

Lesson Learned

Today I had the sixth and final laser treatment on the scar on my chin.  I’ve been having these treatments every five to six weeks since June.  I go to my plastic surgeon’s office, but his nurse actually does the procedure.  I asked her if she pretends that she’s Dr. Evil with his “laser.”

In the months following my crash, I learned a lot of things.  I learned more about bone, teeth, and scar tissue than I ever thought I would.  Also, I pushed my personal envelope of mental and physical toughness as I waited through the long healing process and continued to train and race during that time.  One thing I discovered, though, surprised me.  I confess that I had a prejudice that I wasn’t even aware of.  I’ve had a very judgmental attitude toward plastic surgery.

Obviously, some people have a true need for reconstructive plastic surgery, like after a mastectomy, but (thankfully) this hasn’t been on my radar screen.  On the infrequent occasions I thought anything at all about plastic surgery, it was always in terms of what I considered unnecessary, even frivolous treatment – a nip here, a tuck there.  It never occurred to me that plastic surgery would be appropriate for an injury such as the deep laceration I got on my chin during the crash.  Nobody wants a disfiguring scar like that, especially on his/her face.  I’m grateful that one of my friends who visited me in the emergency room urged me to see a plastic surgeon right away.  If I had simply stuck with the sewing job that the emergency room doctor did, I probably really would look like some kind of inverted Frankenstein.  (One of my ongoing scar treatments has been three-times-a-day massage, which I jokingly refer to as doing the Monster Mash.)  However, between surgery and other treatments recommended by my plastic surgeon, the scar is not too bad.  It helps that it’s in the natural crease of my chin.  Regardless, I’m sure I notice it much more than anyone else does.

So, it turns out that plastic surgery can be a very good thing.  If it has made me feel so much better, who am I to say that someone else’s plastic surgery – of whatever variety – doesn’t help him or her just as much?  I needed a little plastic surgery on my thoughts, too, eh?  My hope is that I can always recognize and correct any other wrong in myself.  Proverbs tells us that wisdom and knowledge are more valuable than silver and gold.  Even Dr. Evil might say that they are worth more than…one million dollars.

Even I didn't know that cycling makes me this happy!

Ain't Skeered

The route on this morning’s group ride went by the site of my crash.  Without my even saying anything, my friends who were with me today were very perceptive and considerate, asking whether it was the first time I had been back there. It was, but I wasn't afraid.  Going back there does make me a little reflective, though.

Some people have asked me whether I have started riding again.  An understandable question, perhaps, but I always laugh to myself as I tell them I got back on my bike six days after the crash and raced a time trial the day after that.  (By the way, the fact that I did ride and race again so quickly may make it sound like my injuries weren’t severe, but they were.  They just didn’t physically prevent me from riding.)   If I really loved mass-start races, i.e., road races and crits, I’d probably still do them.  There are just so many other types of cycling that I enjoy more.

A healthy approach to cycling – and to life – requires a reasonable assessment of risk and benefit.  Sometimes people’s perception of risk is way off, as when they are afraid to fly but think nothing of driving their car every day; they are much more likely to die in a car crash than an airplane crash.  I don’t know what the probability is that I might ever have another cycling accident, but I’ll bet it’s a lot less than the probability of developing some chronic disease if I gave up cycling and starting lying on the sofa and eating bonbons.  Besides, the benefits of cycling are pretty compelling: the feeling of flying as the wind rushes by, the good kind of fatigue after a hard ride, camaraderie with cycling friends, and enjoying food and wine so much more.

During his first inaugural address, Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”  (For some good reading, check out this quote in the context of his speech: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/)  He was referring to the Great Depression, but people often – not incorrectly – extrapolate this wisdom to other life situations.  I like to think that his words inspired other polio victims that he met when he went to Warm Springs.  Another place that FDR frequented on his trips to Georgia was Dowdle’s Knob on Pine Mountain.  There’s a nice park there now.  Robert and I visited it for the first time a few years ago.  Maybe it’s not a coincidence that it was right after we did the Wheels o’ Fire Century.

Giving Tuesday

You've heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  How about Giving Tuesday?  Giving Tuesday, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season.  It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations.  What a great way to show love and generosity amidst a sea of consumerism.

Heifer International, one of my charities through A Year of Centuries, is an official partner with Giving Tuesday.  Please consider a gift in honor of your loved ones to Heifer or any of my other charities.  Even though A Year of Centuries has not officially begun, any time is a good time to give.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Well, my favorite official holiday – Groundhog Day and International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Arrrr!) rank pretty high, too.  Anyway, even though this hasn’t been the easiest year, I have more than ever to be thankful for.  In addition to my ongoing blessings (Robert, dogs, chickens, bees, home, work, cycling, wine, books, etc.), I am so, so grateful to be feeling, functioning, and looking as well as I do after my crash.

Today I want to send a special thank you to all my cycling friends.  Robert and I have been riding in Macon for about 10 years.  It’s been wonderful to see the cycling community grow.  When we first started doing group rides, there were maybe a dozen people.  Now it’s common to see close to 50 people at Tuesday/Thursday Worlds.  Some of us ride for competition, some of us ride for fitness, some of us ride for recreation, and some of us ride to keep from blowing a gasket (or a combination of these reasons).  We’re a rather motley crew of roadies and mountain bikers, professionals and tradespeople, and college students and retirees.  We may not all agree philosophically or politically, but the important thing is that we get out and enjoy riding together, always looking out for one another.  To all my riding buddies, I really appreciate your friendship over the years and your support and encouragement in these recent difficult months.  Wishing you and your families the happiest Thanksgiving!

Base Mileage

Winter training rides continued in Macon this morning.  Our group rode at a nice, steady pace of about 18.5 mph for 60 miles.  That may sound like a fast pace if you're a non-cyclist, but we take advantage of the draft effect, similar to race cars and flying geese.  (We needed it today; it was rather breezy!)  The amount of effort I have to put out drafting in a group like this is equivalent to me riding around 16 mph by myself.

During Daylight Saving Time, we have group rides on Tuesdays and Thursdays after work.  These are essentially practice races.  In fact, we affectionately call them Worlds, as in World Championships.  I ride with a group that goes 30-35 miles at around a 21-mph pace with an occasional attack (hard interval).  By the way, even though I no longer do mass-start races, I feel comfortable riding in Macon because our group is much smaller than the one in my crash, and, more importantly, I am very familiar with my friends' riding styles.  Anyway, Tuesday/Thursday Worlds are a lot of fun - and certainly a challenge - but by the time fall gets here, I'm ready for a change.

Right now we're building base mileage.  We'll increase our distance over the next few months, pushing toward 100 miles (perfect training for A Year of Centuries!).  Then, as spring approaches, I'll be primed for Worlds to resume.  Cycling, like life, has its seasons.  I think the key to happiness is learning to enjoy them all.

The Journey Begins

Today is the wonderful end to one difficult journey and the official kickoff to an exciting journey.  Seven long months after my crash in a bicycle race, I had my final dental work.  I am thrilled!  I can't believe how much I look like myself.  At the same time, I am looking forward so much to riding my first century in A Year of Centuries in January.  I could ride it right now, but I'm glad to be building some base mileage on our winter training rides in Macon on Saturday mornings.  Thank you so much for joining me on this journey!

Big smile in the parking lot after my dental appointment today!