Why?

At times, it is extremely easy to see why I push myself to ride a bike almost every day. While racing down a hill on my road bike, getting a little air on my mountain bike or experiencing the feeling of snowflakes kissing my face on the fat bike, I feel like a little kid. My smile is so large that my face continues to hurt after the ride is over, and feels like it might get stuck in that position for eternity. It is easy to choose happy during these precious moments in life, even more so when I am sharing these moments with loved ones.

Innumerable days, I must admit, I am riding for myself. I want to get stronger, faster and fitter; above all I want to win races. In the heat of all those moments, I want to be a professional rider making a living with the one thing that appears to be my biggest current passion and there is not much that I will let get in my way of this ultimate dream. Thus, I can be quite ruthless in these situations, and will, at times, become a she-beast of epic proportions. Competitive to a fault, I both love and hate my vying personality and struggle with balancing its very large fangs in everyday life. I am much afraid, but this struggle is one that will continue to plague me for many years to come.

That being said, there is nothing like the joy of my friends, family and community that the bicycle has brought into my life. I think it is the real answer to the "why?" that I ask myself each day I'm out on a training ride, pushing my poor legs to their limit. What a blessing to have such a simple machine bring so many of my favorite people together on a regular basis. Honestly, I cannot thank each and every one of them enough.

Today, I just want to give a quick shout-out to all the awesome people who have supported me on my cycling journey this far. I could not have done anything without them. First, the guys at Kokopelli Bike and Board. They are the one's who I give most of the credit for inspiring me to ride.

Next, there is an individual who has started helping me out more than almost anyone: Michael Engleman. This man has started to believe in me, providing me with a stunning road bike, and coaching through Tyler Hamilton Training. I cannot thank him enough, and I hope I can be a good representation for him through the work he is trying to do for women's cycling. Check out all of his work through Mission Sports Group, seriously, he has a lot of amazing goals and I'm thankful to be a small part: http://missionsportsgroup.com/

Last, but of course not least, my husband, Ben Carelock. This man might be my biggest fan who believes in me WAY MORE than I believe in myself. To Ben: you are a gem, and I am very thankful to have you in my life.