About 20 years ago North Stake did a bike trip for the young men spanning 500 miles. They would be driven up to Salt Lake from where they would ride their bikes home. My Dad as a 16 y/o went on this trip! 5 years ago they did this very trip again, this time around my Dad was one of the leaders that got to ride with the boys. This past week was the third time this trip was taken. This time around my younger brother was on the bike, my Dad was support truck and my Momma was part of the cooking crew!
My parents headed up to Salt Lake on Friday to make sure things were in order for the boys who go there Saturday. First came the day of rest then Monday they started riding! We were worried about my brother making it the whole way. For those who know my family you know that all 3 of us kids have CF. Having CF has never stopped any of us from trying something new, but he had to train and plan alot more for this ride then the other boys. He trained with Boyd (one of the leaders, who is also my Dad's best friend, a relative and has done this ride 3 times now) 2-3 times a week and also did the long weekend rides with all the other boys. My mom working with out CF team to make sure he had all the salt and carbs he needed to have the energy and power to make this ride. His first long weekend ride he passed out towards then end from then on every Friday night we had pasta and the week before the ride we made dinners that would help him "carb load". Unfortunately even when you plan everything out there is always those things that aren't in your control. One of those things is the mean Mr. Cold Virus! A few days before the ride my brother was stuffy, had a sore throat and coughing. He did extra treatments and went on the trip as planned. Sunday night he was given a blessing and every night before bed I said a prayer that he would have the strength to make the ride the next morning. Guess what?! He rode all 500 miles!! He even made the longest day with the highest hill. I couldn't of been more proud of him! There ride coming in didn't go as planned. They were back in Nevada so it was HOT, there was a 30 mph headwind which slows them down drastically, and my poor brother was losing more salt then he could consume, but he pushed through and made it. 2 hours later then planned all 80 boys, support trucks and their leaders rode (drove for the trucks) into the church parking lot that was filled with signs, balloons and loved ones to congratulate them! 500 miles, 5 days, only one bad crash between bikers, and too many flat tires to count and those boys have completed a ride that has changed their lives! I am so proud of all of them. Oh and to top it off since Sam started training for this ride his lung function has gone up 15%!
My parents headed up to Salt Lake on Friday to make sure things were in order for the boys who go there Saturday. First came the day of rest then Monday they started riding! We were worried about my brother making it the whole way. For those who know my family you know that all 3 of us kids have CF. Having CF has never stopped any of us from trying something new, but he had to train and plan alot more for this ride then the other boys. He trained with Boyd (one of the leaders, who is also my Dad's best friend, a relative and has done this ride 3 times now) 2-3 times a week and also did the long weekend rides with all the other boys. My mom working with out CF team to make sure he had all the salt and carbs he needed to have the energy and power to make this ride. His first long weekend ride he passed out towards then end from then on every Friday night we had pasta and the week before the ride we made dinners that would help him "carb load". Unfortunately even when you plan everything out there is always those things that aren't in your control. One of those things is the mean Mr. Cold Virus! A few days before the ride my brother was stuffy, had a sore throat and coughing. He did extra treatments and went on the trip as planned. Sunday night he was given a blessing and every night before bed I said a prayer that he would have the strength to make the ride the next morning. Guess what?! He rode all 500 miles!! He even made the longest day with the highest hill. I couldn't of been more proud of him! There ride coming in didn't go as planned. They were back in Nevada so it was HOT, there was a 30 mph headwind which slows them down drastically, and my poor brother was losing more salt then he could consume, but he pushed through and made it. 2 hours later then planned all 80 boys, support trucks and their leaders rode (drove for the trucks) into the church parking lot that was filled with signs, balloons and loved ones to congratulate them! 500 miles, 5 days, only one bad crash between bikers, and too many flat tires to count and those boys have completed a ride that has changed their lives! I am so proud of all of them. Oh and to top it off since Sam started training for this ride his lung function has gone up 15%!
Take that CF! Sam just kicked your butt.
A sip of Mom's Pepsi!
Between the helmet, salt and sweat his hair wasn't going anywhere.
So, I clicked over to your blog from Jenny Livingston's because I noticed your comment about having to take a medical withdrawal from school. I had to do the same thing in my second year of college, so I just wanted to shout out and say you're not alone! After my deferred semester I'd hoped to be able to go back full-time, but was never able to get back to full-time and recently took a medical withdrawal from school altogether for the forseeable future. CF can really suck, huh?
ReplyDeleteHey Cindy! CF really can suck. I'm starting back up this Fall I am hoping that all these IV's, hospitals and surgeries I had over had the summer will get me through another year. I'm sorry you haven't been able to go back to school, it's one of the worst feelings having to quit something, but as long as you are doing what's right for your body then that's what needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!!! For me it was sort of a long process, and by the time I ended up withdrawing, I KNEW it was right and I was ready for it. I also got married in the middle of everything, which added the responsibilities of being a wife and keeping a house running to my plate. I'm pretty at peace now with what happened, but I was SO upset at first when I had to defer that semester! It really tore me up. I guess I had never thought I would be one of "those" people who has to defer for medical reasons!
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