So I'm currently packing for my new adventure out to Stanford. I decided that blogging is a good distraction from the anxiety I'm feeling at the moment. I was all excited the whole summer and then the day before I'm supposed to leave to head out there I'm feeling a bit nervous and scared, even though I know that it's the right decision and that I'm going to have an awesome time and be alright, it's just those last minute jitters that everyone experiences. One thing is for sure though and that is that I need this new change in my life. Even going out to Boston this summer made me realize that I need a new environment away from Utah and experience something new and exciting. I leave tomorrow (Sept. 13) and I'm driving out to Palo Alto with my Dad and his new wife Kristen. We're taking 2 days to get out there. Check in day for residence halls for new students is Tuesday (15th) and then there's about a week of orientation and then classes start the 21st. At least I'll have a week-ish to get settled in without the stress of school and classes. Stanford is on the quarter system which means that classes go for about 10 weeks instead of the 15 weeks I've been used to in the semster system. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a single room this first year, which will be nice because you never know how people will react to disabilities and things might be a bit awkward if I'm dressing or whatever. But that dorm I'm staying in was remodelled in the 90's and the architects payed special attention to making things more accessible for students with disabilities so basically I'm probably in the most accessible dorm on campus. It's Kimball hall and it's fairly close to the main part of campus. I'm not sure of my exact address yet, but I will let you know as soon as I know. I'm not sure of the classes I'm taking at the moment, I still have to sign up and talk to an advisor for help but I'm pretty sure I'll be taking an intro geology course, hopefully a medical course talking about health care in the US, and probably a language course. Who knows, but I'll hopefully update you as soon as I know, instead of updating you after the semester is already over. Ha ha. At least I'm consitant, right?
Write you soon!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Short and Sweet
I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming.
July 28-Aug 8.
P.s. I'm transferring to Stanford in the fall.
That is all.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Happy New Blog!
Well....where to start?
I finished my fall semester well and am now in my Spring semester which has been the most intense semester that i've had thus far. I declared my major a couple months ago and it is Geology. Technically it's Geoscience with an emphasis in geology but geology is much easier to explaing. I took a 'Geology of National Parks' class last semester that I really enjoyed. My proffessor also told me that I did well and was thrilled to learn that I was interested in majoring in it. He offered a lot of support in my decision telling me that other people in wheelchairs have been able to go on fieldtrips and do fieldwork just fine and the department is willing to make an accomodations. As far as a career goes I want to be a PA (Physician's Assistant) and for that all you need is a bachelor's in anything plus pre-reqs. So I figure that Geology sounds more fun than any of the other majors that are offered and I figured that if I decide not to do the PA thing, then having a science degree still gives me lots of options. I also think it'd be cool to work for a national park and work on the accessibility of things. It could be a fun and challenging job because you'd walk (or roll...hehe) the fine line between nature and construction. You'd want a place to be accessible for wheelchairs but you don't want to slab a bunch of concrete down on a site and ruining the nature of it. So that's my current plan and who knows maybe I could do PA and National Park service together. So to continue on with my spring semester I'm taking Chemistry, Calc II, Intro to Anthropology, and Power Basics. Intro to Anthropology is an online course so I don't have to go to class, but it also means that I procrastinate on all the reading we're supposed to do which makes for a very stressful pre-week to a test. Also, my favorite class this semester is Power Basics which is taught in the Business department. It's one of the only classes taught in the whole US that actually teaches students how to gain power...mainly in a business context, but it can be applied to any situation in life. Basically we learn how to manipulate people...haha, watch out! One of the reasons I like it so much is because the grade is based on attendance to the class. Basically if I show up to class i get an 'A'. Plus the topics that we talk about are pretty interesting and sometimes controvertial as far as the line between what is ethical and moral. A lot of times when people hear the word 'power' they put it in a negative context but really it can be positive as well depending on the situation. I think that's all I have to say about school right now.
Sports! I started skiing again and I'm doing pretty well. I've recently graduated from the bunny hill and now am going on the easy hill...which is very steep in my mind. I had a couple of harsh falls but I recovered okay. Nothing a few aspirins can't fix. Last year I was still tethered to a teacher and now I'm off tether completely and going it on my own. It's been a new adventure for me since I never went downhill skiing before my injury. If I can get someone to take pics I'll have to upload some.
Bball. I started playing games and I have to say that I am once again in love with the sport. Playing again brings happiness to my soul, but now I just need to get a fancy bball 
chair so I can dominate! I actually applied for grant from the Challenged Athlete's Foundation which gives people money for sport's equipment every year. It's about a 95% acceptance rate for whatever equipment you ask for. Considering the chair I want is about $3,000 it will be great if I get accepted. One of the big differences in the sport's chairs is that the wheels are cambered giving the chair a wider base for better stability, control, and turnability. Right now I've been playing in my regular chair, which when pushing feels like a tank compared to the sports chairs which are lighter as well. And no, Nike, Reebok, and Adidas don't make sports chairs Brian. Right now I'm playing with middle school kids and we play on an 8 foot hoop. There is only one other wheelchair basketcall team at the same level that we are playing in so we play the same team from another town in all the games we play. Right now it's a good start to help develop my skills and get my feet wet in wheelchair basketball but it's become very apparent that I have a lot more experience knowledge of the game than the rest of the kids. Now I just have to transfer my skills and knowledge into a wheelchair game and I'll be playing the competive women's league in no time. I also need to lift weights and get more muscle on me. I think that'd it'd be way cool to go to the Paralympics someday. My dad also took pictures of one of the games that I will try and upload soon once he gives me his camera so I can downloas all the pics.
chair so I can dominate! I actually applied for grant from the Challenged Athlete's Foundation which gives people money for sport's equipment every year. It's about a 95% acceptance rate for whatever equipment you ask for. Considering the chair I want is about $3,000 it will be great if I get accepted. One of the big differences in the sport's chairs is that the wheels are cambered giving the chair a wider base for better stability, control, and turnability. Right now I've been playing in my regular chair, which when pushing feels like a tank compared to the sports chairs which are lighter as well. And no, Nike, Reebok, and Adidas don't make sports chairs Brian. Right now I'm playing with middle school kids and we play on an 8 foot hoop. There is only one other wheelchair basketcall team at the same level that we are playing in so we play the same team from another town in all the games we play. Right now it's a good start to help develop my skills and get my feet wet in wheelchair basketball but it's become very apparent that I have a lot more experience knowledge of the game than the rest of the kids. Now I just have to transfer my skills and knowledge into a wheelchair game and I'll be playing the competive women's league in no time. I also need to lift weights and get more muscle on me. I think that'd it'd be way cool to go to the Paralympics someday. My dad also took pictures of one of the games that I will try and upload soon once he gives me his camera so I can downloas all the pics.Cycling. We are also still cycling and are training for the SLC Marathon coming up in April. I have a goal not to crash this year which I feel is very reasonable. Plus when I finish I'll look like a hotrod because I'll have shaved 2 hours off my time from last year! Right now we are just cycling indoors because of all the snow and the coldness but in a couple weeks I'm sure we'll be outside.
In other news, my dad is engaged and is getting married April 11th. I'm one of two bridesmaids and we bought my green dress and green heels. I'm sure you can imagine this all.
That's all I have for now! Thanks for reading!
Also! I'm planning on a trip out to Boston this summer and I'm trying to make arrangements to stay with people because I don't want to pay lots of money for a motel, but it's been kinda interesting to try to find people who don't live 3 flights of stairs up (sorry Ellen) and who have big enough bathrooms for me to get in. If anyone knows or has suggestions let me know. We have about 6 months to plan. I think I'll be out end of July beginning of August sometime. I'm really excited to get out there again because I miss it so.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Fall Semester
I decided that the reason I don't blog as often as I should is because I want Ellen Patton to get a good nights rest. If I blogged everyday she would be up all night reading my blogs. I can't just sit by and let her get bags under her eyes. It's for the best. For her sake and all our sakes. That is why I must resort to my usual 3 month updates.
So, It's my fall break so I really have no excuse to sit down for 10 mins and update you.
The fall semester is going well. The only real complaint I have is that my calculus teacher speaks with an accent and writes in cursive so sometimes it is hard to understand her which is frustrating when you want to be as clear as you can when explaining math concepts, but I think I'm doing well in her class. Also my film class is from 6-10 at night once a week. We talk about some film concept, watch a movie, and then talk about the movie. Sometimes it is hard after a long day to stay awake after the movie at 9 pm. I'm also thinking about maybe transferring the Stanford University. Their campus is a lot flatter and has less snow than the U...besides the fact that it's an awesome school. The application is due in March, so I have some time to decide.
I am still handcycling at least twice a week. I was actually supposed to go up to Yellowstone to cycle a bike tour this past weekend but it was supposed to snow and be very cold so it ended up being cancelled. I was disappointed but was glad that I didn't go up and cycle through 3 feet of snow...considering I'm about 3 feet off the ground when I'm in my cycle.
I also started playing wheelchair basketball which is very exciting. I'm playing with a bunch of middle school/barely high school kids which makes me laugh when everyone's parents comes to pick them up and I just hop into my car. But it is really fun and good to start out at a younger age level so that I can work on my skills and the best part is that the hoop is 2 ft lower, so it's at 8 feet instead of 10. That'll help me work on my shooting skills. It was funny the first time I got a ball in my hand to shoot, it felt so natural and of course I naturally went to shoot and use my legs but it was like I was stuck. I figured out that I need to use a lot of wrist and follow through to help the ball get lift to get in the basket. I've gone a couple of times and each time I feel like I'm improving. I can now make a layup that feels as close to natural as before my injury. We also work on pick and rolls, which sometimes gets really crowded underneath the basket with a bunch of chairs in the way. But it's really fun and I'm loving it.
Also a bit of news about my Dad. He just got engaged and is planning to get married sometime in April.
So, It's my fall break so I really have no excuse to sit down for 10 mins and update you.
The fall semester is going well. The only real complaint I have is that my calculus teacher speaks with an accent and writes in cursive so sometimes it is hard to understand her which is frustrating when you want to be as clear as you can when explaining math concepts, but I think I'm doing well in her class. Also my film class is from 6-10 at night once a week. We talk about some film concept, watch a movie, and then talk about the movie. Sometimes it is hard after a long day to stay awake after the movie at 9 pm. I'm also thinking about maybe transferring the Stanford University. Their campus is a lot flatter and has less snow than the U...besides the fact that it's an awesome school. The application is due in March, so I have some time to decide.
I am still handcycling at least twice a week. I was actually supposed to go up to Yellowstone to cycle a bike tour this past weekend but it was supposed to snow and be very cold so it ended up being cancelled. I was disappointed but was glad that I didn't go up and cycle through 3 feet of snow...considering I'm about 3 feet off the ground when I'm in my cycle.
I also started playing wheelchair basketball which is very exciting. I'm playing with a bunch of middle school/barely high school kids which makes me laugh when everyone's parents comes to pick them up and I just hop into my car. But it is really fun and good to start out at a younger age level so that I can work on my skills and the best part is that the hoop is 2 ft lower, so it's at 8 feet instead of 10. That'll help me work on my shooting skills. It was funny the first time I got a ball in my hand to shoot, it felt so natural and of course I naturally went to shoot and use my legs but it was like I was stuck. I figured out that I need to use a lot of wrist and follow through to help the ball get lift to get in the basket. I've gone a couple of times and each time I feel like I'm improving. I can now make a layup that feels as close to natural as before my injury. We also work on pick and rolls, which sometimes gets really crowded underneath the basket with a bunch of chairs in the way. But it's really fun and I'm loving it.
Also a bit of news about my Dad. He just got engaged and is planning to get married sometime in April.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Delayed Summer Update (Sorry)
Well Everyone, thanks to Brian calling me and getting mad that I don't blog enough, I finally am updating my blog.
This summer I'm taking an architecture class which is a design studio, so basically I make little buildings and spatial structures out of cardboard. So far it is a lot of work which is a little off putting if I want to major in it because I'll have a bunch of other classes that I will have to do on top of playing with cardboard. I'm liking the class here and there but all in all it is very interesting and is a good experience. If I do end up majoring in it, I would want to work with architects designing new buildings and work with the accessibility and the ADA aspect of things. But the way it's looking now, I'll have to do at least a Masters in architecture to be hired by anyone. The thought of having no social life and sleeping under my work bench for 4 years isn't sounding too appealing at the moment. But I am planning on looking into some other majors in the fall. I'm going to take an Intro to Film, National Park Geology, The Universe, and Calculus. My other two ideas for majors are Film Studies and Geology. If neither of those work out I'm going back to the drawing board.
Besides taking a class I am also working part time in an animal research lab up at the University of Utah Hospital. They work with sheep and lambs and study pre-mature lung development in babies born too early. I mostly cut slides of sheep lung to be studied under a microscope. I know it sounds grosser than it actually is. But it pays well and I can go in whenever I want for however long I want, which is good because the architecture class takes a lot of time.
Let's see...other updates....OH!
I took my first plane ride via wheelchair a couple weeks ago. I went to Las Vegas with my Dad and we met up with my Auntie Laura who lives in Canada. She was down there for a conferance and we decided to meet her there and hang out with her. It was very fun! We went to a production of Cirque du Soleil and it was the Beatles' LOVE. Basically trapeze artists dancing to Beatles' songs. It was awesome. We also went to Spamalot, the Broadway version of Monty Python starring John O'Hurley who is most famous for being Elaine's boss in Seinfeld. All in all it was a fun trip. The plane trip was a new experience as well and it was only an hour away from SLC so that was nice. But now I know what to expect as far as travelling
on a plane goes. Me and my dad are also planning to take a plane ride to California at the end of August to go see a band called 'YES'. It will be a longer ride but it's just the next step to flying around the world....or to Boston.
Yes I did watch the NBA Finals with excitement, especially watching the Lakers get slaughtered in game 6. Good stuff. I was definately missing Boston and wanted to be out there so badly. Luckily Brian sent me a T-shirt so I can show my pride out here in Utah.
Some other recent stuff that I did was go on a river trip for the 4th of July weekend. It was 2 days with a company called SPLORE. SPLORE caters to people with all different kinds of disabilities, where as TRAILS, another organization that I do recreational stuff with as well, is geared towards people with specific Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI). So there was one other person who had SCI besides me on the trip. I decided to go it alone or at least without my dad on the trip, not only to get a much needed break from him but also to see if I could do the trip by myself with only help from the SPLORE people. It was a great experience and was of course very fun. We went down the Colorado river near Moab, UT. I was pretty bummed that my friend, who is river guiding with SPLORE this summer, couldn't make it on the trip because she has Mono. But it was still fun.
I think that's all I have for you for now.
Hopefully I will write to you in less than 4 months. Ha!
This summer I'm taking an architecture class which is a design studio, so basically I make little buildings and spatial structures out of cardboard. So far it is a lot of work which is a little off putting if I want to major in it because I'll have a bunch of other classes that I will have to do on top of playing with cardboard. I'm liking the class here and there but all in all it is very interesting and is a good experience. If I do end up majoring in it, I would want to work with architects designing new buildings and work with the accessibility and the ADA aspect of things. But the way it's looking now, I'll have to do at least a Masters in architecture to be hired by anyone. The thought of having no social life and sleeping under my work bench for 4 years isn't sounding too appealing at the moment. But I am planning on looking into some other majors in the fall. I'm going to take an Intro to Film, National Park Geology, The Universe, and Calculus. My other two ideas for majors are Film Studies and Geology. If neither of those work out I'm going back to the drawing board.
Besides taking a class I am also working part time in an animal research lab up at the University of Utah Hospital. They work with sheep and lambs and study pre-mature lung development in babies born too early. I mostly cut slides of sheep lung to be studied under a microscope. I know it sounds grosser than it actually is. But it pays well and I can go in whenever I want for however long I want, which is good because the architecture class takes a lot of time.
Let's see...other updates....OH!
I took my first plane ride via wheelchair a couple weeks ago. I went to Las Vegas with my Dad and we met up with my Auntie Laura who lives in Canada. She was down there for a conferance and we decided to meet her there and hang out with her. It was very fun! We went to a production of Cirque du Soleil and it was the Beatles' LOVE. Basically trapeze artists dancing to Beatles' songs. It was awesome. We also went to Spamalot, the Broadway version of Monty Python starring John O'Hurley who is most famous for being Elaine's boss in Seinfeld. All in all it was a fun trip. The plane trip was a new experience as well and it was only an hour away from SLC so that was nice. But now I know what to expect as far as travelling
on a plane goes. Me and my dad are also planning to take a plane ride to California at the end of August to go see a band called 'YES'. It will be a longer ride but it's just the next step to flying around the world....or to Boston.Yes I did watch the NBA Finals with excitement, especially watching the Lakers get slaughtered in game 6. Good stuff. I was definately missing Boston and wanted to be out there so badly. Luckily Brian sent me a T-shirt so I can show my pride out here in Utah.
Some other recent stuff that I did was go on a river trip for the 4th of July weekend. It was 2 days with a company called SPLORE. SPLORE caters to people with all different kinds of disabilities, where as TRAILS, another organization that I do recreational stuff with as well, is geared towards people with specific Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI). So there was one other person who had SCI besides me on the trip. I decided to go it alone or at least without my dad on the trip, not only to get a much needed break from him but also to see if I could do the trip by myself with only help from the SPLORE people. It was a great experience and was of course very fun. We went down the Colorado river near Moab, UT. I was pretty bummed that my friend, who is river guiding with SPLORE this summer, couldn't make it on the trip because she has Mono. But it was still fun.
I think that's all I have for you for now.
Hopefully I will write to you in less than 4 months. Ha!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
My Marathon Story
So my crazy marathon odeal....
Things started out just fine. I woke up at 4:30 am to get to the starting line. Quarter of the way there I forgot my helmet, but no biggie, we went back home to get it (which ended up being a good thing). We got there just in time for me to hop in my bike, do the necessary adjustments, and head to the starting line. We lined up 5 mins before all the runners to make sure we didn't run them over at the start. There was a gospel choir singing to help inspire and wake us up, then it was 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO! And we're off! Things started smoothly. The crew I trained with made sure to tell us to take the first turn cautiously because it can be tricky...so I did! The next couple miles went right along, until! I headed down 21st S. towards 23rd E. 21st South is a major hill which I was coasting down maybe 30 or 40 mph....scary I know. What I didn't realize was that I had to make a sharp turn at the end of the hill. Now the handcycles don't turn very easily, so when I started to turn I ended up riding on 2 wheels, basically close to tipping over and sliding the rest of the way down the hill. So i correct it and start riding on the other 2 wheels. I finally get back to the center, but I'm still going too fast and I still need a lot of room to turn. Basically I couldn't stop and I ended up running straight into the curb in front of me, which popped the tire and bent my rim badly. This was in the first 3 miles of the race too! At this point Brian Sweeney was calling me to wish me luck on the Marathon...a couple hours too late, but I guess it's the thought that counts (haha, Brian). 
So I called one of the therapist guys who was riding on a bike to make sure the cycling team was alright, and he came down and pulled me off the curb and onto the grass. At this point I was crying because my Marathon hopes were pretty much dashed and I felt like I was letting everyone down. My Dad was called and he came up to get me back into my wheelchair and take the busted bike. He was with his buddy Steve Johnston, who is the father of one of my good friends as well. So we get into the car and start driving around, calling bike shops frantically to see if they will be able to fix my wheel. Yet, it is 7:30-8 am in the morning and not shops are open. The other problem is that the wheel/rim I need is 23" which isn't a standard bike rim and usually someone in my postition would have to custom order it from a shop that has these wheels in store. Anyways, we end up driving up into the Avenues where Steve lived because there's a bike shop down the road from him and he knows the owner. So we called up Tim from Wild Rose bike shops and he had just got up for the day. So he came down to see what he could do. Miraculously he had a very thin mountain bike tire that was the perfect size to fix my problem. So 2 hours after my crash I was back on course. My Dad and Steve dropped my off at the exact location that I crashed...but at this point the roads were open to traffic and there were cars everywhere. My Dad and Steve (i'm gonna call them the pit crew from now on) followed behind me with the hazard blinkers to make sure cars didn't run me over, and we started following the Marathon course. At this time also we called up the therapist guy, Rob, 
to meet back up with me and ride along side. I figured that if we rode fast enough I would be able to catch up to the straglers and hit the course where it would still be closed. I ended up riding on the side of the road and in the gravel and dirt for about half of the marathon course, but that was the sacrifice I was willing to make in order to just FINISH the marathon. I passed by the road where the Hoffmires live and wasn't too surprised to see they weren't there, although they would've been there to see me if I hadn't crashed. At this point also the wind was terrible and I was going very slow. I was able to start catching up to the clean up crew picking up the porta-potties and water stations, and an official car saw us and radio-inned my race number to tell the crews to wait for me. Slowly yet surely I was able to catch up to the last runners on Van Winkle, and by that time I had caught up to the road closures. Some of the guys that I had trained with were saying the Van Winkle is about where they hit the wall of energy and it felt like they couldn't do anymore. For me at that point, it boosted my energy because I knew that I would be able to finish. Rob, the therapist riding with me, told me I was going about 20 mph on Van Winkle. Slowly and surely I weaved in and out of the runners and ended up finishing. My time was about 4 hours 45 mins, which included the race for a new tire. Because I was the only women handcyclist, I won my division and won $500 because of it. Next year I plan on not crashing and figure I can shave 2 and 1/2 hours off my time, which will feel pretty sweet. At the end of the race I had my whole team waiting for me and cheering me to the finish. I also had a bunch of friends who supported me as well. It was a wild ride, and I apologize for those of you who didn't see me, but I promise next time I will be more cautious. Here's some pics of the wild adventure!!!
So I called one of the therapist guys who was riding on a bike to make sure the cycling team was alright, and he came down and pulled me off the curb and onto the grass. At this point I was crying because my Marathon hopes were pretty much dashed and I felt like I was letting everyone down. My Dad was called and he came up to get me back into my wheelchair and take the busted bike. He was with his buddy Steve Johnston, who is the father of one of my good friends as well. So we get into the car and start driving around, calling bike shops frantically to see if they will be able to fix my wheel. Yet, it is 7:30-8 am in the morning and not shops are open. The other problem is that the wheel/rim I need is 23" which isn't a standard bike rim and usually someone in my postition would have to custom order it from a shop that has these wheels in store. Anyways, we end up driving up into the Avenues where Steve lived because there's a bike shop down the road from him and he knows the owner. So we called up Tim from Wild Rose bike shops and he had just got up for the day. So he came down to see what he could do. Miraculously he had a very thin mountain bike tire that was the perfect size to fix my problem. So 2 hours after my crash I was back on course. My Dad and Steve dropped my off at the exact location that I crashed...but at this point the roads were open to traffic and there were cars everywhere. My Dad and Steve (i'm gonna call them the pit crew from now on) followed behind me with the hazard blinkers to make sure cars didn't run me over, and we started following the Marathon course. At this time also we called up the therapist guy, Rob, 
to meet back up with me and ride along side. I figured that if we rode fast enough I would be able to catch up to the straglers and hit the course where it would still be closed. I ended up riding on the side of the road and in the gravel and dirt for about half of the marathon course, but that was the sacrifice I was willing to make in order to just FINISH the marathon. I passed by the road where the Hoffmires live and wasn't too surprised to see they weren't there, although they would've been there to see me if I hadn't crashed. At this point also the wind was terrible and I was going very slow. I was able to start catching up to the clean up crew picking up the porta-potties and water stations, and an official car saw us and radio-inned my race number to tell the crews to wait for me. Slowly yet surely I was able to catch up to the last runners on Van Winkle, and by that time I had caught up to the road closures. Some of the guys that I had trained with were saying the Van Winkle is about where they hit the wall of energy and it felt like they couldn't do anymore. For me at that point, it boosted my energy because I knew that I would be able to finish. Rob, the therapist riding with me, told me I was going about 20 mph on Van Winkle. Slowly and surely I weaved in and out of the runners and ended up finishing. My time was about 4 hours 45 mins, which included the race for a new tire. Because I was the only women handcyclist, I won my division and won $500 because of it. Next year I plan on not crashing and figure I can shave 2 and 1/2 hours off my time, which will feel pretty sweet. At the end of the race I had my whole team waiting for me and cheering me to the finish. I also had a bunch of friends who supported me as well. It was a wild ride, and I apologize for those of you who didn't see me, but I promise next time I will be more cautious. Here's some pics of the wild adventure!!!
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