Every Step of the Way

I detoured from the climbing world into the ninja world for a couple weeks.  In mid March I volunteered at the Chandler Mountain Challenge, Climbers for Christ bouldering event in Alabama.  Michelle Warnky an American Ninja Warrior star was our keynote speaker at this event.  I spoke with Michelle and another ninja for a while about the obstacles, the courses, and the process for walking on.  I had watched the show and thought it looked amazing, and speculated as to whether I could complete the obstacles, but that evening for the first time it seemed possible.  A few weeks later I found myself at the Movement Laboratory, Michelle’s gym in Columbus, Ohio for a small competition.  I tried a lot of obstacles, didn’t finish many, left with a sore shoulder, but nearly all of the obstacles seemed very possible.  The two lessons that I learned were that there is a lot of technique to every obstacle, and that the community is very welcoming and helpful.  I love sports like this where athletes are all striving to see everyone succeed.  It is the ninja vs the course instead of ninja vs ninja. 

After this experience, I naively decided to try to stop at another gym with the intention of learning to swing and jump off trampolines, then head to Indianapolis to try to walk-on.  Again people were super helpful and my swinging was much more effective after this short training.  I showed up at Indianapolis and got my name on the list.  I spent a night in the rain and cold in the park before filling out a one page bio which was given to the producers.  We were released for the weekend, to wait for an e-mail telling whether we were invited back to the filming, and a possible chance to run the course.  I traveled down to Nashville with a few other hopeful walk-ons to learn a little more technique and try a few more obstacles on a backyard course.  That Sunday I received the e-mail that I was one of the 30 potential walk-ons, and showed up in the park the next Tuesday morning.  They did a very brief interviews and some filming of stupid human feats of strength.  We were all hoping that maybe we could impress someone enough to get our chance at the course.  One fellow walk-on commented that it felt like he was back on college spring break with all the guys doing tricks to impress the girls.  I was amazed by the strength and commitment of my fellow walk-ons.  I was inexperienced and new to the sport, but nearly everyone else had trained for years, some waiting in lines like this all around the country during multiple different seasons.  They were superb athletes who didn’t have a crazy video backstory, but did have good chance at completing the course if they received the chance to start it.

The next night was the filming.  The event started with 10 walk-ons who ran in a light rain.  The rain made all of the obstacles slippery and extra challenging.  A couple people who had been in Indianapolis for three weeks to have this opportunity fell on the first obstacle.  It was heart breaking to see, particularly after getting to know them personally, and knowing how strong they were.  After this the rained picked up and we were all brought inside for a 2.5 hour rain delay.  This pretty much eliminated all hope of more walk-ons running, but we couldn’t give up.  The night continued and the first half of the chosen athletes ran.  Near the end of the night they knew they didn’t have time to complete orientation with the second half of the athletes, so they called up 10 more walk-ons.  At 5am the walk-ons were about 4 people from running, and it started raining again.  The crew covered the course and the event was over for the night. 

This left me with a hard decision.  I could either hold on to a slim hope of getting to run the course the next night, while they are running the qualifier for the rest of the chosen athletes and the city final for the top 30 athletes, or I could become a tester and try out some of the obstacles for the finals course.  I contemplated all morning and made the illogical decision to remain in the walk-on line.  I really felt like I could do well if I got the chance, and even though the chance was slim, it still existed.  I returned to the course and again waited in the warm up area until nearly midnight.  I watched a lot of great athletes run the course one after another, until just our walk on crew remained.  We heard rumors that they might squeeze some of us in because things had run smoothly.  None of us wanted to give up hope, but we had not heard an official word.  Eventually, the athlete coordinator came over and give us the expected, but disappointing news that the qualifier was over, the 10 walk-ons who ran in the rain were the only 10 to have a chance at the Indianapolis course. 

This was a difficult time for me.  We all gave each other hugs, and took a picture of our disappointed crew in front of the sign and parted ways.  I really didn’t know where to go from here, I had emotionally invested myself in this event, and frankly didn’t have anywhere else to be.  Feeling a little lonely and lost I crawled behind a fountain and cried for a few minutes.  I can’t explain exactly why I cried, I wasn’t that upset at not running, I knew the whole time that the chances were slim.  I think the tears were a combination of physical exhaustion from lack of sleep, emotional exhaustion from continually hoping for a chance, and loneliness from not knowing where I was going next.  This didn’t last too long before I, still tired, was ready to watch the finals.  It was exciting to see these great athletes in their realm, performing beautifully on a brand new course.  They are certainly phenomenal athletes.  The whole thing wrapped up around 6am, at which point I drove to a parking lot and slept for a full 8 hrs.  I woke up knowing my ninja adventure was complete, but unsure where to drive next.

What I learned was that the community may have been created by the tv show, but in reality the community is much better than the tv show.  Stars from all different regions where in Indianapolis cheering their friends on.  There are formal ninja gyms and backyard courses popping up all over the country.  People are traveling to different gyms to try different obstacles and compete against each other.  There are actually multiple ninja leagues around the US.  This community is the heart and core of the ninja world.  I will always be grateful all of the ninja’s who welcomed me, gave me pointers, and encouraged me along the way.  Even though I didn’t get to run the tv course, after playing in their world, I consider myself a ninja.      

The walk-on line

The walk-on trophy. It is the prize for the walk-on who made it the farthest.

Michelle and I

I have recently come to appreciate how critical falling is to climbing.  There is a technique to falling safely.  If I climber knows that they are going to fall its best to push off from the wall and swing smoothly down.  This makes the climber swing gently back to the wall and their legs can absorb any shock.  It is key to always know where the rope is running relative to the climbers’ legs.  A leg behind the rope could possibly cause a climber to flip upside down during a fall.  If the rock is of a particularly low angle, the recommendation is actually to turn and run down the rock instead of getting scrapped up by sliding down it.  The ropes that we use are dynamic, which means they stretch a little like a bungie cord when the climber falls, this elasticity decreases the abruptness of the stop.  We’ll typically switch ends of the rope after big falls to allow the rope to ‘rest’ and regain that elasticity.  The belayer’s catch is also critical.  It seems counter intuitive, but a shorter fall is not necessarily better.  On a straight vertical wall a hard catch by the belayer will cause the climber to swing into the wall harder.  To have a soft catch the belayer will have some extra rope in the system and will actually jump a little as the climber is reaching the bottom of their fall.  This small jump causes the system to equalize more slowly and the climber to come to a smoother stop. 

Over the past couple weeks I realized that I’ve acquired a silly fear.  I am currently afraid to push my limit to the point of a potential fall.  I am calling this a silly fear because I know how to fall.  I know that the systems are safe.  I know that the ropes are strong.  I have partners that I trust and the falls are totally clean and safe.  Most of the climbing here is fully overhung, so falling just means swinging in the air.  I have been using these systems and catching other peoples’ falls for years, but I rarely commit enough to take a fall myself.  Instead, I’ll climb up a little ways, then down climb back to my last bolt (wasting energy) and rest there before continuing on to the next.  This is particularly frustrating here because more than other stops along the way, I really want to push my limit and see how strong I can climb.  The style of climbing here is extremely safe and fitting for what I enjoy most. 

A few days ago I actually went out for the day with my primary goal being to fall.  I had a picked a route that was 100% safe to fall from any point along it, and my goal was to climb until I fell rather than stopping unnecessary.  I only semi succeeded in falling.  I took 3 falls that day.  One tiny one, one medium one, and one fairly big one.  They were all totally safe and clean, but I am still definitely not comfortable with falling. 

I know that overcoming this fear will greatly improve my climbing.  It will allow me to pull through harder unknown moves to rest points, rather than withdrawing and climbing one small section at a time.  Hopefully over the next couple weeks I can get more courage to commit to the next move even to the point of a safe fall. 

Just for clarity, I don’t expect or want to be a particularly bold climber getting on dangerous routes.  This is a desire to trust my strength and take calculated risks to safe falls.  It’s the challenge not the potential fear that keeps bringing me back to the wall. 

Sometimes I think of my fear of falling and wonder how that relates to my faith in Jesus.  Am I willing to follow Jesus into unknown terrain to the point of a potential fall?  Do I hesitate and lose confidence when I see difficulties ahead?  Am I willing to risk falling for Christ?  I just finished reading The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken, a book about the persecuted church.  It left me feeling blessed to be able to freely write this blog and show myself as a follower of Christ without fear of persecution.  In the book, one of his interviewees stated “Don’t give up in freedom what we would never give up in persecution.”  Individuals like this are continually making the move toward the next bolt, even if they are fearful, but trusting in the Lord’s strength to pull through.  These examples make me want to share Christ’s love even more with everyone that I meet along the way. 

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek 

James 1:2-4  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

Fall Creek Falls State Park, TN

View from Tennessee Wall, Chattanooga

Foster Falls, TN

Mr. Alligator, Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park

Baby Alligators at Everglades National Park

Playing with the iPhone camera, Everglades National Park

Sunrise at nine mile lake, Everglades National Park

Mom and Dad canoeing in the mangroves, Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park

Manatee, Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park

Sunset at Key West

Florida Keys

Red River Gorge, KY

Red River Gorge, KY

Red River Gorge, KY

Red River Gorge, KY

In mid-February 2016 I left my van behind for a very different adventure then what I’ve been doing for the last 1.5 years.  I traveled to Jordan to assist with a training to help local climbers to expand their skills.  This was part of an Operation Mercy project with an end goal of these young men guiding climbing tourists up classic routes. 

I had a lot of concerns up front.  I have traveled internationally, but never in the Middle East.  Would it be safe?  Would I be able to function without speaking Arabic?  Would I be able to get around as woman?  From a climbing perspective I had similar concerns.  Are my skills strong enough?  Even if I was skilled enough, will I be able to effectively train young men from a different culture?  Will they respect me?

After doing some research and talking to multiple people I decided that this was an adventure that I needed to embark upon.  How often do we really know what we are getting into?  For me this is what faith is, trusting that God will use me in this adventure to help me grow in my Love of him and my understanding of the local culture in rural Jordan. 

On Feb 11, 2016 I flew out.  On the airplane I sat by an older woman from Jordan who spoke no English.  We communicated a little difficultly with gestures.  During the 10+ hour flight I was wondering whether this was foreboding what my next two weeks would be. 

In the morning we met the climbers and were able to gift the local climbers brand new climbing shoes.  This was their first pair of climbing shoes.  Up until this point they had always climbed barefoot.  Then we headed out to the desert to get on some rock.  Frankly, I was concerned about safety on that first day because our communication wasn’t as effective as I would have liked.  Each day after this huge improvements were made.  I think that these improvements were much more than just language.  I think a larger driver was the friendships that were developing, the trust that was being established, and the vulnerability of the Jordanians to be willing to speak our language.  Every time I travel, I feel guilty that I am fully dependent on other people to speak my language.  Whatever the reason, communication improved and we were able to focus more on the climbing and the relationships. 

On day five I we took the Jordanians on multi-pitch climbs.  I was in a team of three with a local, and a westerner who has spent many years in the Middle East.  We had a great climb.  It was excellent rock to a beautiful overlook of the city.  The defining point in the route for me came when the local started leading up a pitch with an exposed, overhang and decided to back down.  I told my partner that I enjoyed that style and he made the comment that it would be good for the local to see me, a woman, lead it.   I tied in and when I reached that point took a deep breath and continued over the exposed roof.  I don’t think that Matt knew it, but this redefined the trip for me.  My goal became; to be an image of a strong, capable, and respectful woman to these young men. 

We continued to get a variety of good climbs in over the next few days.  My favorite climb was called Merlin’s Wand.  It was a 5 pitch fully vertical climb on amazing rock.  There was a crack with huge holds on either side, and all of the holds were super solid.  It deserves its status as a classic climb. 

The next day was rainy, followed by a day to allow the rock to dry out.  This particular sandstone becomes very weak when it is wet.  On the drying day we were tourist in Petra.  I highly recommend visiting if you have the chance.  The ruins sunken into the mountains are amazing.  There were stairs carved into the cliffs, and the colors in the rock were extra vibrant from the rain.  There were swirls of reds, purples, and yellows.  I even rode a camel to get somewhere.  We walked in, then took a camel ride on our way back out.  I’ll just say, it’s was little scary when I rocked way forward and way backward as the camel stood up and sat down. 

After the rains tourist season picked up and the local climbers became less available.  I fully understand that they can’t very well turn down work to climb rocks.  It made us particularly grateful for the good weather and climbing that we had at the start of the trip. 

As the trip concluded we were able to leave them a full double rack of gear so that they can continue to climb.  My hope is that there will be another trip to expand the Jordanians skills more, and that they will be able to use the equipment safely in the meantime.  Overall, I think that the trip was a resounding success. 

There are many more stories of people and adventures that could be shared, but this is basic overview of the trip.  If you would like more specific information about this trip, please contact me directly.  

Hiking down from a climb

Petra

Petra

Petra

Wadi Rum from above

Goldfinger

Merlin’s Wand

Looking down on the desert, so many potential routes.

Climbing by headlamp over a fire, pretty amazing.

Check out all of the desert life!

These little purple flowers looked and smelled wonderful!!

Petra

Salt along the bank of the dead sea.

A barefoot rappel off Merlin’s Wand. Photo Credit: Dean Olin

Sitting by the fire between climbs, a common occurrence. Photo Credit: Dean Olin

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning –the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31

Right now I am sitting on a crash pad in Joshua Tree National Park, struggling to see my screen due to the suns glare, but thoroughly enjoying the view in front of me. Climbing has caused me to visit a lot of amazing places that I probably wouldn’t otherwise explore. It also causes me to stay places longer, pausing to take in the details of its beauty.

Joshua Tree National Park Campsite

Rock climbs are typically off the beaten path along climber trails. We scramble along these little trails, away from the crowds, through local vegetation, to a hidden oasis of a wall. This was particularly true in Yosemite National Park. It stands as my favorite national park, but it holds that status because of the secret escapes from the 4 million annual visitors. There are great crags (climbing areas) tucked into all kinds of hidden corners. I just found myself on a wall in Malibu, where Planet of the Apes was filmed.

When I get to the crag there is also the beauty of the rock itself. The rock at each crag has different nuances that force a climber to adjust their style. I look up and see the potential lines and wonder how good the holds really are. I see the challenge that lies above.  Each time that I visit one of these locations, created by wind, water, earthquakes and volcanoes I am in awe of God’s creation. There are a multitude of different types of rocks, vegetation, and creatures.  I can’t believe that this all could have formed by chance. I don’t think that I’ll could ever get tired of exploring this amazing creation.

Climbing also takes me up the rock to some jaw dropping views. I love looking out and seeing for miles in every direction. Sometimes you see a whole mountain range, flowing rivers, or wide open valleys. The only climb that I completed three times a Smith Rock was an easy multipitch called Voyage of the Cowdog. This route is one of my all-time favorites because it is simply fun movements to an absolutely amazing spot.  The picture below is sunset from the top of this climb, which was my last route before leaving Smith Rock. I climbed the exposed pitch to the top, then belayed my partner up while watching this sunset through the clouds. Even if I could no longer push my limit, trying harder routes, I would still climb for places and moments like this.

Sunset from Voyage of the Cowdog – Smith Rock OR

What stands out to you when you wander?  When I wander I notice particular features of the rock. I see seams, flakes, jugs, and crimps. I see the challenge and the mystery of what lies above. Do you notice the shapes, sizes, types, and colors of leaves? Do you notice the down logs that litter the trail? Is it the way the stream meanders and tumbles over the rocks? Is it the waterfall that crashing along its path? Is it the lone flower that survives in the middle of the trail? Is it the bird tracks along the shore? The otters playing? Do you listen for the coyote that howls in the evening? Do you bask in the warmth of the sun’s rays against your skin? Is it the colors and shapes in the clouds at sunrise and sunset that stand out? Is it the way the snowflakes fall from the sky, and the wonder that each one is different? Is it the way your skis glide through the fresh snow? What stands out to you?  I challenge you to take a wander this week and see what you find. Take your time and really enjoy the details of the wonders around you.

Below are a few more photos from the wandering.

Monkey Space – Smith Rock

Halfway up Zion with Eric – Smith Rock

Smith Rock

Eric on the true top of Monkey Face – Smith Rock

Joshua Tree Sunset

PV Pit campground sunrise – Bishop, CA

Buttermilk Boulders, Bishop, CA

Happy Boulders – Bishop, CA

Elephant seals and seagulls

Elephant Seals

Sunset in Bakersfield, CA

Joshua Tree Sunset

Joshua Tree Sunset

Malibu Creek

Lower Gorge – Smith Rock

In college a fellow climber once told me about the three types of fun. Over time I have come to realize that this wasn’t something that he came up with. It’s actually a pretty common perspective on fun in the climbing world. Since I’m missing a little of my engineering world I decided to put it in a chart.

I thoroughly enjoy type 2 fun. I enjoy pushing the limits and trying to figure out the problem on the wall. I alluded to it in the last blog, but I think that most climbers share this desire to get stronger and work on harder projects. There is a great sense of accomplishment when I strain and struggle, but then make it to the top. I think of the challenge as having 2 major aspects; a physical aspect and a mental aspect.

There’s the pure strength aspect of the climbing. I climbed at a wall in Red Rocks Canyon, NV called the Sweet Pain Wall. The name kind of sums it up. This wall was very overhung, but had lots of big holds. I spent most of a day climbing there and spent the next 4 days in sweet pain. There were muscles throughout my core and back that I didn’t know I had; but it hurt so good. That is a feeling I love. It’s not an injured hurt, but a soreness of having worked really hard and of muscles getting stronger.

There is also a mental aspect to the challenge. As a short climber I often have to figure out a slightly different way to make it to the next hold. Sometimes I have to use a super high foot, or a little tiny ‘in between hold’, but usually there is a way to make it to the top. My engineering type of problem solving enjoys that there is a lot of physics relating to leverage that plays into making the next move. In order to climb harder longer, it is necessary to climb smarter and more efficiently. There are many tricks and techniques to use less brute force, and almost dance up the wall. It is amazing to watch really good climbers because they make crazy hard routes look easy and fun.

I try to stick with the type 1 and type 2 fun, but I have to admit that there are times when I try something that’s a couple steps too hard and moves into type 3 fun. It’s good to struggle to get stronger, but fun is always my prime climbing goal.

I don’t enjoy the pain for pain, but I do like getting stronger. I don’t love heights, but I do trust the rope systems. I don’t not thriving on adrenaline and risk, but I do like pushing myself to the limits. I think that people assume these are part of why I climb, but in reality they are all things I do my best to minimize.

For clarity, a lot of climbers do thrive on the adrenaline and risk. They feel as though they can do more when they’re pushing those limits. They enjoy maintaining a calm clear head through a “risky” move. I put risky in quotations because it can mean something different for everyone. For me, this head game is just a required part of improving my climbing.   It’s all about appraising the “risk” of the situation and deciding whether it’s a “risk” worth taking. I’m pretty conservative, one partner even told me that I should turn off my engineering brain. I told him; “Nope, that’s the part that keeps me alive.” This is a logic that continues beyond climbing. I’m always appraising risk be it take a left turn through traffic, hopping on a bicycle, or using a pocket knife. We are always making these decisions whether we realize it or not.

Trout Creek

McKenzie Pass Oregon

Smith Rock Sunset

Tunnel Falls – Columbia River Gorge

Tunnel Falls – Columbia River Gorge

Sunrise on Larch Mountian

Sunrise on Larch Mountain

My selfie on Larch Mountian

Columbia River Gorge

Columbia River Gorge Waterfall

Multnomah Falls – Columbia River Gorege

Since starting the blog I have wanted to explain why I love climbing so much. It’s hard to explain because it doesn’t serve a function, it is a lot of work, and I often end up with sore muscles scrapes and bruises. The next few post are my attempt at an explanation.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about climbing is the community. It is not an activity very easily or safely accomplished alone. It places you in a situation where you are depending on someone and they are depending up on you. Beyond that, I may be biased, but I think climbers are cool people.

I’m a pretty strong introvert, but when I’m with climbers at a crag I am instantly more relaxed. I am terrible at small talk and clam up around new people, unless they are climbers. It’s like we instantly have a bond in the fact that we are choosing to challenge our physical strength out in nature by literally climbing up a wall. For practical purposes it’s a pointless venture, but yet it gives me joy. For the past month I’ve been staying at the Smith Rock campground. Since I’ve been here there has not been a day when I wanted to climb but couldn’t find a partner. On the contrary, last week I struggled to take a rest day because there were so many good people and good climbs waiting.

I know that not everyone gets the same joy from climbing that I do, however I think there are similar communities all over. I’ve been amazed to learn about all of the “niche” activities that people participate in. I recently experienced a little of the road biking world on Ragbrai, I experienced the running world during my marathon training. There are also communities of ultimate frisbee players, hikers, quilters, glass artists, farmers, nutritionists, scrap bookers, high pointers, and more. The list is endless.

As a Christian, I feel like my niche provides a venue of non-believers among whom I can try to live like Jesus. My hope is that along the way friends will see that I live my life a little differently than our culture and ask why. As much as I have a passion for climbing, it will never define who I am or the way I live, Christ will always fill that role.

What is your niche? What gets you excited? What makes you feel most alive? I hope that you can come up with an answer to that question quickly. If not, I challenge you to find your niche.

Battle of Little Bighorn NM

Our crew (minus Jeff) on top of Monkey face photo by Jeffry Walker

Climbing Monkey Face
Photo by Jeffry Walker

Monkey face in the shadow at Smith Rock

Smith Rock

Smith Rock

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Newberry National Volcanic Monument – Lava Cave

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Steelhead Falls, Oregon

Smith Rock – High Liners

Alicia and I on Where ever you may roam

Smith Rock

Smith Rock

Painted Hills, Oregon

I am officially on the road again, and I’m starting over with a new knowledgebase.  I can no longer claim to be medically illiterate.  The new knowledgebase is from spending 10 days in Flagstaff, AZ taking a wilderness first responder course (WFR). It was a fantastic way to venture back into the world of travel. I had become fairly comfortable with my consistent spot in my sisters basement, but this little adventure reminded me why I started this trip in the first place. It was great to be meeting new “outdoorsy” people again and seeing a new areas. It reminded me how many fantastic places and people there are in God’s creation. I also completed the intent of the class, learning about how to handle medical emergencies in the wilderness.

I entered the class very naïve. They said that no prerequisites were required and I took that seriously.  I did not take Anatomy in high school, never took a health class, and had never been CPR trained.  Frankly, I was concerned that all of the jargon would throw me for a loop, and I would be spending all of my free time memorizing.  Fortunately for me the course was application focused.  What surprised me was that it walked a fine line between empowering and disenfranchising.  I mean there was a huge focus on patient assessments and evacuation guidelines.  I can now splint a broken bone using only my gear, clean and pack wounds, and complete a focused spine assessment; but nearly every situation ended with figuring out how to get people to a doctor.  There were many scenarios where we could make people more comfortable, but ultimately what was most critical was whether they could be evacuated to more resources fast enough.  In the wilderness resources are so limited that our capability to help is also limited.  That being said, I’m still very glad that I took the course because I can now much more effectively assess a situation and know how to help.

One of the instructors stressed to us that the very first thing we needed to do was stop, take a deep breath, and open a can of calm.  Frankly, this didn’t do much to change my mindset.  I still felt nervous and rushed during our scenarios. After a night scenario I was lying in bed and realized that a can of calm just isn’t right for me.  My calm comes from my faith, so what I need to do is say a prayer.  Now when I come across a situation I will say a short prayer for the patient’s health and for wisdom to help them.  This is much more effective to calm me.

The pictures below are from the trip to AZ and back.

Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park

Sinks Canyon, WY

Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area, CO

Canyonlands National Park, UT

Humphrey Peak, Highest Point in AZ

Humphreys Peak Hike, AZ

Locket Meadows, AZ

Sunset Crater National Monument, AZ

Wupatki National Monument, AZ

Navajo National Monument, AZ

Near Colorado Springs, CO

Ragbrai

Finished!! Ankle deep in the Mississippi

Healing is nearly complete and adventures are beginning again!! The last week of July I had the opportunity to fulfill a bucket list item. I biked across Iowa from the Missouri to the Mississippi River as a part of RAGBRAI (Registers Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). When I was in elementary I sat with my cousins at a juice stand in their front yard and watched all the bikes pass by. Since then the idea of participating has been in the back of my mind. Over the years I considered it at times, but I’m not a biker and was never willing to take a full week of vacation. This year my state of unemployment and knee surgery made the timing perfect.

Six weeks before the event I was cleared for start biking. A week later I picked up my bike from storage, eased into riding for a couple weeks, then hit it hard for a couple weeks. Things fell perfectly into place as a spot opened on my friend’s team two nights before the start.

I showed up at the event completely naïve. I had never biked the distance of the first day, didn’t know how to use all of my gears, had never biked in a crowd, or biked on big hills. Yet for some reason this sounded like a good idea. The team shared with me the basics safety instructions like what to yell to show my intentions. I rode the first day with my high school friend, taking in the crowds, and wondering if this really was a good idea.

Day two she had another friend join, so I found myself biking with some new friends. They showed me the best places to eat, how to bike faster, and even allowed me to draft behind them when we were traveling into a tough wind. They carried me through a 5 mile windy stretch.

Day three was probably my favorite day. Four of us had our tents packed up and were on our bikes at 5:15am with the goal of riding 100 miles. We started early and biked hard, only really stopping for food and water. It felt like we were cruising past people all day. We rode the extra loop and made it to the end town the earliest of any day I rode. It was absolutely fantastic, except that I crashed after we hit town. I’m not sure if it was a mental relaxation upon completion or improper nutrition, but I was useless for about 3 hours. After some downtime, a bus shower, and food I was back to my normal self again.

The remaining days included a lot of costumes and laughs, fast riding with groups, pedaling slowly by myself observing. It included encouragement from friends, a flat tire (requiring rescue from teammates), learning about town histories, pausing at beer gardens, and dipping my tire in the Mississippi. I rode with different people each day, and each one showed me how to experience Ragbrai differently.

Before this adventure I didn’t understand why people would ride it year after year. I assumed that I would ride it once check it off the list and be done. I learned that Ragbrai is not really about the bike riding at all. Most people can go out and sit on a bike all day pedaling from town to town if they really want to. What makes Ragbrai special is the experiences along the way. There are and endless number of things to pay attention to, people to meet, and things to try along the way. Each year these are entirely different since the route changes, the towns change, the weather changes, and the riders change. I highly recommend hitting the road either for a part or the entirety of Ragbrai if you have the opportunity. As of now I don’t know whether I will ride it again, but it is a definite possibility.

A typical breakfast

Pirate Day

Sunglass malfunction, thanks Lori for finding my lost lens…

Riding 100 miles was a “Wheely Big Deal”

Patches and overall odometer reading

To my loyal blog readers,

Sorry I disappeared for the last couple months, I didn’t write because I didn’t feel like I had a lot to say, but here’s a recap.

Knee surgery went well; from a knee perspective I was continually waiting on a timeline for the go ahead to do more activities. It never hurt too bad and has just required patience. The worst part was a side effect, through walking peg-legged I messed up my back. This caused me much more pain and concern than any of the knee troubles. The only positive I could find in the back trouble is that it forced me to be still, otherwise I would have been super anxious to be active much earlier. Most importantly, both are nearly entirely healed at this point.

I never expected to spend so much of my unemployed time living in my sister’s basement healing, but this had a positive side as well. I have been able to build better relationships with my niece and nephews than I ever would have otherwise. It has been fantastic to get closer to them and watch them grow and learn. I’d like to publicly thank my sister and brother in-law for allowing me to stay for so long.

I also traded vehicles. I’m not really sure if it is an upgrade or downgrade, but I am now the proud owner of a soccer mom style minivan. This is a move I never would have made in the midst of travels, but it is going to be much more spacious. My parents even built me a bed with storage underneath, hung my crash pad, and helped update my curtains. After I get fully settled in I’ll include some pictures of my new “studio apartment on wheels”.

Mid way through recovery I was asked once whether I was really upset or angry that I was sidelined for so long. I thought for a minute, but the answer sincerely was no. My knee is something that will heal completely. This definitely wasn’t in my plan, but I didn’t have a specific plan. I will be back on the road soon, and I think my overall mindset about how to set out is improved as a result of the delay. I’ve taken time to think about how to travel better. I still don’t know where this journey is leading, but I’m still keeping God in charge.

Sincerely,

Kristi

Picture credits to my 3 year old nephew.

Proverbs 19:9  “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

Romans 8:28  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I have thought a lot about how to write this next post, failed to come up with anything profound, but still wanted to share my journey.  Right now I have less of as clue as to what’s next than at any other point in my journey.  All I know for sure is that my steps are quite small for the near future.

In mid January I had my car repacked and was ready to hit the road again. My first planned stop was at my little brothers in the middle of Iowa.  He invited to play a noon hour pick-up basketball game with my little brother.  I think it’s really great that they get away from the office to exercise and have some fun over lunch, so I was honored to be invited.  They are great guys, and it was lots of fun, but my game ended about 10min before everyone else when I stopped short and heard 3 pops in my knee.  The guys helped me off the court, and it proceeded to swell profusely, but I didn’t think much of it.  I rarely get hurt, and I didn’t know how God could use an injury, so I thought it had to be something minor.

After 2 weeks I thought it was healed enough that I could head south again. It was still weak, but seemed to be moving in the right direction. I was anxious for warmer weather, could maneuver within my car/home, and could do some straight forward hikes.  Before leaving I decided to go to my chiropractor to see if he’d recommend some exercises to help it heal faster.  He burst my bubble by highly recommending that I see a surgeon, and implying that I lacked an ACL.  The MRI confirmed this and I had surgery last Monday.

The surgery went well and now I have a new ACL and a repaired meniscus.  Now, I am at my parents house with a gigantic brace on my leg, hobbling around on crutches, feeling better than expected. This is not at all what I imagined for the next adventure, but all I can do is follow the new path.  I don’t know what is coming next but I am still fully trusting that God will use this twist.