Cancer VICTORY Tour!!! Day 1

They came by train, car and caravan, thirty two riders, ready for the challenge of the Mid-Valley Bicycle Club's Loop Tour 2011, "View of the Lakes". 

I how ever was there to celebrate life, mine.

This is my "Cancer Victory Tour" 

We converged at the fair grounds, in Klamath Falls, riders off loading some of their gear to the Tour Sag's before we headed out, meandering along the bike path, as we wove our way out of town, to the west side of Klamath Lake.

 

Meeting up with the Sag.

,

A once beautiful resort - Lake Shore Inn

All along this side of the lake were fragrant lilacs and rhododendrons in bloom. Oh, just breath in, did you get a whiff? Ah....

A group of riders heading around the lake.

 

Klamath Lake

One of many sailboats on the lake.

As we start climbing, leaving the lake behind, we're greeted by the towering pines as we head to the summit of Doak mountain elevation 4776.

 Smile, we made it up the first summit!

Wahoo!

Our first town, Fort Klamath, after a scenic ride through rich, green pasture land, dotted with  herds of cattle. Birds singing their songs as they preached on fence post along the way.

After grabing an ice cream bar, I spent some time visiting with this couple who were spending the day  traveling the back roads around the area on motorcycles. They had just left the park where we will be camping tonight and said it was a beautiful, well maintained campground.

We chatted about Fort Klamath and it's history. They asked if we had seen the original fort, or that the post office had been established in 1879.  The Fort grounds are now a museum and the only evidence remaining, flag pole, parade ground and the graves of 4 Modoc Indian leaders along with a replica of the fort guard house. We hadn't, but I found a link with the history of the Fort  and some photos.

Not far down the road we encountered an organic grocery, brakes on, u-turn, for a quick stop. It seems others had the same idea. How refreshing to find a great little food market on our way to camp. A few items purchased, and we're ready to push on.

Across the street from the market stood this large, strange building. Old hotel, boarding house? we could only guess. I wish there had been more time to explore, I could see some great photo possibilities. 

A headwind greeted us as we started out for Kimball SRA but as we turned toward camp tailwind.....

We get tents set up, sleeping bags laid out, next is dinner.

Candis and Joellen happy campers.

Ruthie fixing strawberries for our group meeting tonight.

After dinner we took a walk up to the headwaters of the Wood River. The water, cold and clear, flows out from under the rocks.

We couldn't stay long the skitters were hungry .... Time for bug spray!

Group meeting to go over any changes in route, problems and then introductions and how many loop tour we have done.  We had brand new 1st timers and old timers with 28. I fell in the middle with 14. We have a fun group, tour will be a blast as always.

Time for strawberries and Ruthie's homemade cookies!  Oh Ya!

Over the Hill

A few weeks ago, I took a little ride over the hill to Philomath. I added panniers for some extra weight and biked the twenty-five miles up and over the mountain.  I made a pit stop at Yew Wood Nursery for a quick rest before the hill and the owner offered me some ice cold water and filled my water bottle. I never turn down water. We had a quick chat and up the hill I went.

I pulled over at the summit sign and snapped a picture.

The day was sunny, the air still a bit cool perfect for riding. I put on my long sleeve shirt and headed down the hill as I reach the first corner it was apparent I would need a second layer, so added the wind breaker and off I went, as I dropped down the other side it became very dark, then the rain started, pelting  hail, yes, a down pour. I thought about stopping and waiting it out, under a tree, but decided to keep moving trying to stay warm. It finally let up as I reached Philomath.  Stopped at D-Q to dry out, then headed on over to Linda's.







 Remembering back many moon's ago, climbing up to the summit   and having to stop at every shady spot and rest, this time I couldn't wait till I got to a  sunny spots and only had to stop once for water.    Yahoo!  What a difference losing 40 pounds can make.  Still working on my stamina and lung power, and hope the knees hold out.

How did they do it ?

I have not pedaled my bike in three days,  I've been working arms, back, legs, butt and parts I didn't even know I had. For the last three days, I've been grubbing weeds and grass out of my garden.

I want to know how the early pioneers ever survived ....This is bloody #&%@)  hard work getting food to the table!   They made it look easy on "Little House on the Prairie".

Last year at this time  I was heavy into my cancer treatment and could barely walk to the garden, so not much got done no weeding, tilling or planting happened. With our wonderful wet spring weather here in Oregon,  the grass and weeds flourished, the sun came out for a day, they grew some more. Now, I have a jungle and it's June.

The Jungle

So, I  grub, removing all the grass, putting in raised beds with screen in the bottom to keep the moles from eating everything I plant. I may have it done in a couple of years if I don't keel over first.

Three full loads

The Dirt Sifter - great for the arms

Large Garden - I should be in great shape

 Gardening counts as training.   I'm going back to pedaling ..... much easier and a lot more fun!

In Training

I'm in transition from cancer patient to cancer survivor. Let me tell you this is a long process, mentally and physically. When I finished treatment I expected my body to be  back to it's old self in no time. Wrong thinking, I don't have my old body, I'm working with a brand new one. Surgery, radiation and chemo killed off cells, now replaced by new ones and it takes time for your body to rebuild. Some things, like growing back the nerve sheaths in your hands and feet take longer than say growing your hair back.  So that brings me to why I'm in training ....  Loop Tour.

Now you ask, just what is a loop tour? Will I'm going to spend 9 days, on a fully loaded bike, pedaling 405.8  miles around Oregon. Starting in Klamath falls, camping every night, eating tons of good food, meeting awesome people and then ending up back in K-Falls, a loop.
  
 This is my cancer victory ride!

I've been training.....starting back in April a merger 5 miles to start, had to walk some of the hills just to get home, worked  up to a  trek to Alsea Falls, with my biking bud Linda.

 

We had a beautiful day of riding, lots of hills to climb and  nice descents, meandering  under a canopy of maple trees. We had the park to ourselves as we stopped  for a snack and enjoyed the quite solitude. 
 
 I'm up to 20 miles round trip Yahoo!   (Still had to walk that last hill to home)


Oh ... can I count pulling weeds and manually grubbing grass out of my garden upper body training? 

More adventures to come.....

Pin Cushion

You live with cancer everyday, even when they tell you, you're good to go, we got it, you're cancer free. Not a day goes by that I don't question what goes in my mouth, did I exercise enough, did I sit to much, I'm I getting enough vitamin D. Where is my stress level....cool as a cucumber, I sure hope so. I'm also reminded every three months when my arm becomes a pin cushion giving blood. One, two how many do they need? I'm tested for CBC, CMP, CEA, and the big one CA125 my cancer maker. I get a comprehensive metabolic check, complete blood count red, white, new baby's, Oh that's why I'm so tired. They check my liver function and so far my tests have come back good.  I'm still working on those white cells ... those little immune fighters.

 Once you have experienced cancer, made it through the treatment, you are then faced with learning to live your life without fear.  Fear that the cancer will return, fear that your not doing enough to keep yourself healthy. The more you fear the more underlying stress appears. So how do we deal with these changes?  Stress is the big one here, It is the most important part of recovery. Reduce it with what ever works. Meditate, yoga, exercise, eat fresh healthy foods, keep a positive attitude and have fun ...remember when you were 10 not a care in the world! Oh Yea!


 I'll see the Doc in a week and get the results of my blood tests....nothing to worry about, life is good, ride your bike.

Baby Gets A Haircut!

Wow, What a Ride!