24 Hours of Booty: Part 1 of 3
I wasn’t going to do it. I wasn’t going to ride my new Trek 7300 for 24 hours. I told my wife she was crazy if she thought she was going to ride. We had just gotten into biking earlier this year, my wife for the first time. For me, it had been many years since I rode. The 24 Hours of Booty event seemed so out of reach physically. It still does even now when I think about it.
The day approached when my wife had to pick up her event package. She asked if I wanted to come along with her. I told her I would, as it was an opportunity to look around and shop at one of the larger cycling stores in our area. The day arrived. We drove over.
On the drive over, I was still thinking she was nuts to do the event. The weather forecast was not good. Rain. She told me about other riders on Twitter talking about the weather… how to prepare… what to wear… Crazy I thought. Ride a bike in the rain for 24 hours?
The mission? Conduct 24-hour cycling events to raise awareness, funds, and support for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and local cancer organizations. Life saving work, a great cause, and a wonderful organization.
My wife and I got to the store. I still wasn’t going to ride. When we walked in, however, something changed for me. I started to think about my mother. She battled cancer for over five years before it took her a few weeks before her 50th birthday. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer and then bone cancer.
Seeing the 24 Hours of Booty table in the store and the people there to pick up their event package, I thought about my mother and all her struggles with cancer. I thought of her long battle. I thought of her being totally bedridden at the end. I thought about her life on liquid morphine.
It was then that I knew I had to ride. It didn’t matter to me that I might not be able to ride very long or log a lot of miles. It didn’t matter that I didn’t think I was conditioned enough to ride. It didn’t matter that, unlike my wife, I hadn’t been seeking sponsors for the event. I did matter that I make an effort. And so…I walked over to the table with my wife and registered.
continued...
The day approached when my wife had to pick up her event package. She asked if I wanted to come along with her. I told her I would, as it was an opportunity to look around and shop at one of the larger cycling stores in our area. The day arrived. We drove over.
On the drive over, I was still thinking she was nuts to do the event. The weather forecast was not good. Rain. She told me about other riders on Twitter talking about the weather… how to prepare… what to wear… Crazy I thought. Ride a bike in the rain for 24 hours?
The mission? Conduct 24-hour cycling events to raise awareness, funds, and support for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and local cancer organizations. Life saving work, a great cause, and a wonderful organization.
My wife and I got to the store. I still wasn’t going to ride. When we walked in, however, something changed for me. I started to think about my mother. She battled cancer for over five years before it took her a few weeks before her 50th birthday. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer and then bone cancer.
Seeing the 24 Hours of Booty table in the store and the people there to pick up their event package, I thought about my mother and all her struggles with cancer. I thought of her long battle. I thought of her being totally bedridden at the end. I thought about her life on liquid morphine.
It was then that I knew I had to ride. It didn’t matter to me that I might not be able to ride very long or log a lot of miles. It didn’t matter that I didn’t think I was conditioned enough to ride. It didn’t matter that, unlike my wife, I hadn’t been seeking sponsors for the event. I did matter that I make an effort. And so…I walked over to the table with my wife and registered.
continued...
For more information:
24 HOURS OF BOOTY
338 S. Sharon-Amity Road
P.O. Box 270
Charlotte, N.C. 28211
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Phone: 704-365-4417
Toll-free: 877-365-4417
Fax: 704-365-4418
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E-mail: info@24hoursofbooty.org
Web: www.24hoursofbooty.org