The morning of the rally I was a bundle of nerves. At the time, I wasn't nearly as worried about riding as I was meeting new people. Like so many, covid molded me into an introvert and this was the first group event I would be attending in years. Despite my social anxiety, I actually had a false sense of ability when it came to the ride (this would prove humbling later). I figured 'Hey! I ride a bike full time in Tucson, I've GOT this!', but in 10 hours I would be riding in the dark, bonking hard and struggling to pedal. Luckily, my passion for Coca-Cola, chicken tenders and newly formed friendships would be just enough to get me to Mel's Diner, in San Manuel. Once we arrived, I knew I was out of gas. We wouldn't be making it to Peppersauce Campground; the first "snag" in my plans. Part of me felt like a failure and the other part of me was too tired to care. After asking to sleep behind Mel's and getting the go ahead, we wheeled our bikes out back and setup camp in near silence. Everyone's exhaustion was palpable, but so was the sense of gratitude for a place to stay. I fell asleep that evening reflecting on my day, thankful for the new friends I had already made and excited for the experiences that were yet to come.
Did I really know what I was signing up for when I applied for the rally? Yes and no. Yes, because I live Southern AZ and ride a bike. No, because my experience on a bike is limited to daily commuting and the occasional road/mtn/gravel bike ride. I also never expected to be chosen for the rally, since things like that don't generally happen to me. Once I received my acceptance email, the preparation began. A new bike was purchased, bags were selected and plans were made. The ride was hosted by Komoot, a route planning app. also gifted us all premium subscriptions to use during the ride. After two Zoom calls on how to route plan, what to bring and how to pack your bike, I felt pretty prepared for the trip. All in all, there were about 65 women who would be departing Tucson the morning of November 9th. Since women were coming from all over the world, we communicated through WhatsApp. I tried to be active in the group; answering questions about local matters, general conversation etc. While discussing day to day planning within the group chat, I noticed another person active within the chat with the same goals as me! I messaged Andy separately and we immediately hit it off. We made plans to meet for coffee the day before the rally and my level of stoke was instantly fanned. In the days leading up to the rally, we swapped tires, took a trip to Target (thanks, Terese!) and took a trial run around the Eastside. I was ready, but nervous. In the week leading up to the rally, I developed an eye twitch that was made worse by discussion of the ride and the impending election. I really hoped it would go away, but part of me was afraid it was here to stay. With everything going on in the world, let alone my life, I needed the rally, but I still wasn't capable of understanding how much significance it would hold in my life.
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so very proud of you, still!! looking forward to reading about all your adventures!