"Dropped on the hills" by my daughter

We are back from the Hazon NY ride and we had an amazing, inspiring, fabulous time. I will write a few posts about it over the next couple of weeks. The photo is of Hannah and I at around 8.30am on Monday morning as we prepare to cross the Bear Mountain Bridge from New York into New Jersey.

The headline for me is how wonderfully Hannah did. Before this event, Hannah had ridden about 40 miles in total, with a maximum single-day ride of 14 miles. Over this weekend Hannah rode around 70 miles, and I did a little over 100... wow! I just bought my bike on July 3rd, and Hannah got hers August 3rd.

There were so many high points, but on the afternoon of the first day, as we push up three miles of hills, Hannah dropped me, twice. I hadn't heard the word used in this way before. I was told, gleefully, that it means she left me in her dust. She just muscled her way up those hills without stopping or wavering, while I puffed up behind her. There were three stretches, with some flat and downs in between. She and I (and Nigel, with whom we were riding) rode the first stretch together. Then on the second stretch she just kept going with Nigel as I slowed down. This happened on the third stretch as well. I have never felt more proud of my daughter than at the top of those hills and at the end of that day. What a remarkable young woman, with such inspiring grit, determination and poise.

At the end of two days I was completely exhausted, emotionally and physically, but also on a wonderful high. Hannah and I have a date with the Hazon ride for next Labor Day weekend... the venture cyclist rides on!

While you can, and if you haven't, please go ahead and sponsor Hannah or me for the Hazon 2006 New York Bike ride.

Technorati: cycling dropped hazon