THANKS AND SEE YOU IN 2013!

A giant THANK YOU to all our Sponsors, Vendors, Volunteers and Riders for another fantastic Little Red Riding Hood weekend. We hope you had a great day or weekend in Lewiston - we certainly did! From the music, to the food, to the crazy costumes, the shopping, the ice cream, Famous Bob, Little Red, The Big Bad Wolf and more... it was a groovy, good time! And one more round of applause for our VOLUNTEERS! The most dedicated, hard working group at any event and our Little Red Volunteers top them all. We simply couldn't do this event without each and every one of you.

Congratulations and special words of thanks and praise to all the Huntsman Hometown Heroes who raised over $108,000 for research at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. And many more words of praise and admiration to our many riders who have been touched by cancer and rode triumphantly through it all. We are deeply touched by your commitment to ride and inspired by your determination and spirit.

We are also grateful to the people and local authorities in all the towns along the Little Red route. We would not be able to ride without them welcoming us into their communities.

We appreciate all the words of praise, kudos and thanks that so many of you have sent in and posted on our Facebook page. We have been listening to and taking to heart your concerns and feedback about problems along the route - particularly congestion and rider safety issues.

We will continue to work hard at making improvements to the ride and ALWAYS keep the safety of our riders as our Number One concern.

We are already thinking about Little Red 2013! Plans and artwork are underway, designs are taking shape... What will our theme be for next year? Stay tuned and look for upcoming information on our Facebook page!!!!



Thanks Again and we look forward to seeing you all at next year's Little Red Riding Hood!

Singing The Registration and Merchandise Blues

Yep. We know about the Registration mix ups, the merchandise that hasn't shown up, the incomplete packets, etc... And we are as frustrated as you are. Probably more!

Here's the Scoop -

In our desire to serve you better, avoid long pick up lines and not tax our volunteers, we hired a Fulfilment Company to ship all our Packet Pick Up materials. In addition, for those who paid an additional fee of $10, any additional merchandise they purchased would be shipped as well. For those who didn't pay the additional $10 fee, their additional merchandise could be picked up at the event on Friday night or Saturday morning.

For most of you, this process had gone very smoothly. You've received your registration materials in a timely manner, as well as your merchandise. You are happy and ready to ride.

For some of you - you've received the wrong merchandise, incomplete materials, someone else's registration materials, or no materials at all. You've received no merchandise, or the wrong size, or are missing something from your order.

Clearly, the Fulfilment Company as been less than - fulfilling.

Please know that we are as frustrated as you and are trying in everyway possible to remedy the situation. For those of you with questions and problems that need to be resolved, we have set up the following in Lewiston:

Merchandise Orders

Please go to the Merchandise Packet Pickup Tent  to

• Pick up your order
• Resolve any problems with your Merchandise Order

Registration Packet

Please go to the Registration Problem Resolution Tent to

• Resolve Registration Problems

We are committed to making Little Red a great experience for each and every rider. Our sincere desire is to make this process go as smoothly and quickly for everyone involved so that we can all go out and have a great ride! Please be patient with us and our volunteers as we try to sort through these problems and issues. We have spent many months working hard to make Little Red 2012 our best ever event, so plan for a little extra time if you have registration or merchandise issues that need to be resolved. Just know that we are working very hard to help you have the best experience possible. Have a bit of patience as we work through these issues and figure out solutions - and then have a great Little Red 2012!

HAVE FUN! RIDE SAFELY!

Little Red is just one week away! We are excited and hope that you are too! Here at Little Red, we've been working around the clock to get everything planned down to the last detail to make this the greatest ride ever. However, there is one thing that we cannot plan for, and that is How You Obey the Rules of the Road.

We want every rider to have a FUN and SAFE experience at Little Red. We have done our part to mark the course, plan a safe route for you, put up ample signage, have plenty of SAG and support on the course and have even hired local law enforcement - ALL FOR YOUR SAFETY. But we need each and everyone of YOU to keep this course safe.

Please remember that LITTLE RED IS NOT A RACE. While we enjoy the fun of racing just as much as the next woman, Little Red is not the time or place to try your fastest ever speed on a 100 mile course. There are many (nearly 4000) riders on the course so expect lots of congestion until the first rest stop. BE PATIENT with yourself and with other riders. Those first 10 miles are slow going and packed with cyclists on the road.

Ride single file or two across. ALWAYS PASS ON THE LEFT and give a little warning when you do, such as, "Coming up on your left!" so that riders know you are there. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER pass on the right. This is a big NO in cycling etiquette and safety.

OBEY ALL TRAFFIC SIGNS. That means you must STOP at a STOP SIGN or STOP LIGHT. Watch out for cars, slow down at railroad crossings, ride with some caution and keep alert.

USE YOUR HAND SIGNALS! Just as when you are driving a car, hand signals are important in letting other riders know if you are slowing or stopping, turning left or right, etc... Communication is the key!

ABOVE ALL, RELAX AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE. The course is beautiful on every single route. The rest stops are packed with food, goodies and helpful volunteers. Remember to thank them! They are your friends, neighbors and family members who are donating their time so that YOU can have a great ride. So please take a moment to say THANK YOU!.

Have a great ride ladies and thank you for making Little Red 2012 a SAFE and FUNtastic experience!!!

OUR TOP 5 INSPIRATIONAL STORIES!

 We asked to be INSPIRED and boy, did YOU DELIVER! Entries poured in from all over, all ages, all walks of life, all kinds of experiences. It was nearly impossible for our committee to decide which 5 stories to choose as our TOP 5. Ultimately, we aimed for five very different challenges these women faced, and the joy and release they each find in cycling. 

Please read their stories and then pull up the LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD FACEBOOK page to vote for your favorite. Help your favorite INSPIRATIONAL HERO win a new bike! How do you vote?? Just look for her name and picture on our FACEBOOK PAGE and 'LIKE' that post. The person who receives the most 'LIKES' on our Facebook page is the lucky winner.

So what are you waiting for? Get comfortable, read on, and prepare to be inspired...


  From Amy Hanson

This is difficult to write, so I'll just start. I am the mother of a mentally ill child. We brought our 10 year old daughter home from a Taiwanese orphanage at 16 months. We were so excited! She was the answer to many prayers. From a very young age we knew something wasn't quite right. She did things all children do but in a different way. She did everything to the extreme. By the time she was in school she was acting out in ways that were constantly getting her in trouble. I was getting calls from teachers daily. J would do anything to get a reaction from people and the best way was to misbehave. She thrived on shock value and learned when she was bleeding, she got the most attention. She self-injured. Every. Day. She was miserable. I was miserable. I had no idea how to help her.

By the time she was 8 life was unbearable and we sought help. She was diagnosed with Severe Reactive Attachment Disorder. We learned many children adopted from orphanages and foster care have this disorder. They weren't given love during crucial brain development as infants. They don't learn to trust adults to care for them. They've known hunger and how it feels to need soothing but not receive it. They learn if they're going to survive it's all up to them. But they are babies. 

When we learned why she was the way she was it helped us have more compassion but it didn't help the problem. By this time she was raging and self-harming every day, most of the day. It affected our entire family and most of all me. Being her primary caregiver I was the most threatening to her need to survive on her own and she took that pain out on me. Loving a child who doesn't know how to love you back can be very lonely.   

About that time I rediscovered my bike that had collected inches of dust. It felt so good to leave my troubles at home and let the wind blow my cares away. They'd be there when I came home, no doubt, but for a short time I could leave them behind.  

J still struggles. She always will. She has a long road ahead but we're looking forward and we are in this with her. Forever. She's worth it.

From Janna Jensen

 

For the first 28 years of my life I was overweight and there were always reasons for it: I had lupus so I couldn’t be out in the sun, my family was all genetically predisposed to be overweight (we were big boned), and, finally, when I was 18, I ballooned.  I gained sixty more pounds over a four month period when I was put on a new medication.  My doctor told me I needed to eat less and work out more.  And so I did.  I started eating around 500 calories a day and trying gym after gym looking for success.  I never found it.
In fact, it wasn’t until two months before my 28th birthday that I actually lost a single pound.  After ten years of pleading my doctor finally changed my prescription.  Within a month of being off the medication I had lost 20 pounds.  It was amazing.  I had toes.  I had a neck.  I had ankles. And, at last, I had hope.
With the initial weight loss I became motivated to loss it all and to get into that magical area on the weight chart that wasn’t labeled “Morbidly Obese.”  I joined a gym and I set out to become healthy.  I tried it all: ellipticals, rowing, BodyPump, Body Combat.  I kept losing weight but I still looked like a blob in the mirror.  One day I passed the spin class.  I was really intimidated.  Everyone looked amazing and they were drenched in sweat.  I decided I would go to the class the next day and stay for the first 10 minutes.  I lasted the full hour and it was REALLY hard.  I remember leaving, getting into my car, and sobbing because I couldn’t believe how much I hurt.  I felt muscles I never knew I had and  I could barely walk for a week.  But I knew if it hurt that much, it must be worth doing.  I signed up for a pass and started taking classes on a regular basis.  Each time I was amazed at how much further I could push my body and it didn’t take long before that blob in the mirror began to take shape.  My muscles became leaner and more defined.  When summer came I bought my first bike ever and I hit the streets.  Today I go for a ride every weekend of at least 60 miles and I never get bored.
The more success I've had, the more I want to learn about improving my health in alternative terms to what had been drilled into me my whole life.  I learned that I could eat more than 500 calories a day and still lose weight.  I learned that being at a healthy weight isn’t a number on a scale.  I learned that there is nothing I can’t do if I set my mind to it.
Since losing half my body weight, I have gotten cancer three times, in three different parts of my body.  I think the mental and physical benefits of a healthy lifestyle allowed me to overcome it each time, making me stronger.
I see biking as that thing that changed my life.  I want to help others to discover the benefits of biking, to challenge them to be the best versions of themselves.

By  Jane Nicholson

WHY I RIDE???

 I am a 64 year old widow.  I have been an enthusiastic bike rider my entire adult life.  In my twenties, I had the chance to take three  summer/6-week long bike trips to Germany with a small group of my German language students (usually 10) and my husband.  I think my husband is the real reason those trips ever happened.  He had a confidence and curiosity that propelled us all.  As a teenager in the 60’s John had worked as a bike mechanic and had owned one of the first 10 speed bicycles in the city of Lawrence, KS.  On those trips we stayed in youth hostels, cycled the back roads, and covered about 50-70 miles/day.  I truly think those trips changed ALL of us.  We returned home stronger, more confident, and with an incredible European adventure under our belts!

John and I rode often together after those early European cycling trips.  He was a very active, fit 59 year old man who never smoked a cigarette in his life, but was diagnosed with lung cancer the summer of 2008.  The diagnosis was devastating, but he was amazing throughout the 2 years of grueling treatments.  Depending on the season, he got on his bike and continued to ride or strapped on his skis and logged many trail miles during radiation and several different rounds of chemotherapy.  The power of exercising in Utah’s beautiful nature was profound.  It always helped both of us to face whatever challenges had come or were coming.

I first rode the LRRH   the summer of 2008, two “innocent” months before we knew about his lung cancer.  It was a good, fun ride and I probably would have done it again.  But after his diagnosis, it became so important to me.  I rode it 2 times when he was able to cheer me on, and then last year after his death.

Last year I rode briefly with several of the Huntsman nurses we had met in the chemotherapy lab.  Sometimes nurses in that setting don’t know what has happened to a patient who has simply stopped coming – moved, died, found a different treatment center…?? It felt good to complete the story for them and I think they felt better knowing what had happened.

I love riding in the LRRH – I feel John is with me.  The experience strengthens me in every way!!!

By Sara Aird

Sometimes a pain exists in your heart that isn’t easily recognized and more often than not goes unnoticed, but still requires healing in order to live a truly satisfying life. Two years ago, I watched my little brother cross the finish line of the Wasatch 100 Endurance Run and felt inspired to do something great that was just for me. I was feeling depleted and depressed, despite having many great blessings in my life, and knew I need to make some big changes. I started out running and trained for a 10K. My body totally rejected this form of exercise; I was diagnosed with ischemic bowel and told to find something else. At the time it felt devastating, but it led me to my bike and thus my rescuer. My amazing husband got online and bought me my first real road bike, and I got into counseling to begin a long journey to make sense of a lot of pain that was holding me down. Things usually get harder before they get easier and this experience for me has proven no different, except that during it all I have felt like cycling has acted like a healer. When I first started counseling, I would go out on rides and as soon as my feet hit the pedals it was like something inside me would just let go. My rides would be so emotional, full of tears, yet somehow it felt like the ride was restoring me and making me capable to move forward. Cheesy, I know, but the truth. I like to call my bike my therapist even though I already have one. Something about being on the bike makes me feel like everything is going to work out and be okay. I feel so renewed after I ride. I feel like I belong on bike! I know that a lot of people say it but…my bike is saving my life! It’s making me whole-hearted again! It continues to be a process. I am just glad to have a bike for the journey.  

By Deanna Byck

Riding is PERSONAL! No really, I know everyone says that, but for me, I ride my bike because I CAN – literally and figuratively. I wish I could be one of those stories where I’ve lost 20 miraculous pounds over the last year, or somehow reduced the size of my thighs. But this is not that kind of a story.

My story begins with years of struggling through exercise and a lot of bone pain throughout. I didn’t actually get my first “adult” bike until I was 46 years old. As soon as I bought it, I tore my ACL, MCL and Meniscus that same week (skiing, not biking) and was pretty much out for the summer. I was recovering from 3 sets of surgeries and generally feeling profound fatigue and constant leg pain in both legs. I was rapidly loosing all energy to rehab and knew the problem was way beyond the ligaments in my left leg.

It was through the MRI on my knee prior to surgery that my radiologist found abnormal marrow in my long bones – mine was red and diseased and of course not producing healthy cells. Everything was “stuck”.

Though a bone marrow biopsy, I found out I had an EXTREMELY rare genetic disorder called Gaucher’s Disease (pronounced Go-Shays). Gaucher’s can be variable, ranging from few outward symptoms to severe disability and death.

More importantly -- although it cannot be cured -- there is a treatment consisting of an infusion (IV Therapy) to deliver drug for a couple of hours every other week. I call it my bi-weekly “tune up” where I am forced to spend some quiet time. This treatment is life long.

As I began treatment 2 years ago, I also began to ride my bike again. It’s truly the one thing that gets me out and increases my energy. All the studies show that exercising out in nature has so many remarkable beneficial effects. Even though I have done Little Red in years past, last year was my greatest year of getting out to ride either alone or with my girlfriends. I dream about riding while I’m getting treatments. I constantly bug my girlfriends to go out for a quickie, and I take time to ride for myself. Riding has become as important a treatment for me as the drug that keeps me alive. And my friends agree! I’ve had several of my friends buy bikes so they can ride with me!!

My treatment will be life-long, but so will my love of riding. Last year capped off an incredible first year of all women rides – each one was very personal for me as a small victory --each ride was a new milestone. And believe me, my fat thighs LOVE it, too!!

Behind The Scenes At Little Red

A small ARMY of volunteers is behind each and every Little Red Event every year. Starting early in the Fall, plans get under way for next year's Event. A theme is chosen, the jersey and artwork are designed and we get rolling.

The Little Red Committee starts meeting in full at the beginning of the year. Little Red takes hundreds of volunteers and a combined total of thousands of hours to plan and execute! Planning, planning and more planning are the name of the game. Every last detail is discussed - both large and small. "How can we make this ride safer? Is there an adequate water supply for this Rest Stop? Are the train tracks at this crossing too dangerous? Should we alter the course to make the ride safer and more enjoyable? How many pounds of strawberries should we buy for breakfast on Saturday morning? Do we have enough volunteers for the 6AM slot? on and on and on. What went wrong last year? How can we improve? Our goal is ALWAYS a SAFE & FUN ride for everyone.

On Little Red weekend, we start very early on Friday morning. Most members live in the Salt Lake area and start by heading up in cars or trucks, loaded with food, supplies, and gear. We load 3 or 4 giant trucks every year and drive them up to Lewiston. At the same time, many local businesses in the Logan area are hurridly delivering many other items we need. Little Red tries as much as possible to support local businesses in the Logan Area.  Hooray!!! Coffee, bagels, sandwiches, tents, tables, chairs, port-a-potties, and more... all come from the Logan area.

We hit Lewiston sometime around 10AM and start setting up. Everything has to be brought in, delivered, unloaded, unpacked, assembled, sorted, etc.. Its takes many hours to get the area ready for our big night, with decorations, food, a stage for the performers, music, vendors and such. And should we mention again that LITTLE RED IS AN ALL VOLUNTEER EFFORT????

Below are a few pics that we've scrounged up with some of our key behind the scenes players. Be sure to thank any and every Little Red Volunteer that you can find during the weekend. They've been working hard and its nice to know that their efforts are TRULY APPRECIATED.

GETTING THE TRUCKS LOADED AND READY

OUR FOOD DIRECTOR AND CREW PICKING UP SOME SUPPLIES

IN LEWISTON, UNLOADING AND SORTING THE FOOD TRUCKS

GETTING MATERIALS AND GOODS FOR REGISTRATION SORTED

OUR DYNAMIC DUO, LYNDA & PENNY, DECORATING LEWISTON

OUR HARD WORKING VOLUNTEERS AT PACKET PICK UP

REGISTRATION...ALWAYS A BIT OF A NIGHTMARE

THE LITTLE RED BOUTIQUE LOOKS SET UP AND READY TO GO

AT LEWISTON, GETTING READY FOR A SOUND CHECK WITH OUR MASTER OF CEREMONIES

ANNOUNCING OUR 'YOU INSPIRE US' BIKE CONTEST!

Our Little Red Riders truly inspire us every year. We receive many stories of beautiful, courageous women who have overcome enormous obstacles in their lives to ride, train and be a part of LRRH. Last year we introduced an Inspirational Story Contest, with a grand prize of a beautiful new bike. And this year we are doing the same. First things first. Check out the BEAUTIFUL bike we are giving to this year's winner:

Yep. It's a FUN-tastic bike and it will be awarded to one VERY LUCKY winner.

OK. Now for the nitty gritty details!

Now through May 11th ,

submit a photo of yourself (preferably with your bicycle) and tell us why you ride!

Inspire us! Intrigue us! Excite us! Thrill us! Make us Laugh, Make us Cry!

The Top 5 Entries will be posted on our Little Red FACEBOOK page and winners will be determined by the most number of 'LIKES' an entry receives. It's that simple. 

1) You MUST be a registered rider for LRRH 2012 to enter this contest.
2) Send us your story, in 400 words or less (that's just a paragraph or two), describing how cycling has changed your life.
3) Submit your story to:  its4littleredridinghood@gmail.com by May 11.
4) The Top 5 inspirational stories will be determined by our committee and then posted on the Little Red Facebook page by Monday, May 14.
5) A 'LIKE' for your story on our FACEBOOK page counts as a vote. Voting ends May 25th.
6) The winner will be announced and contacted.
7) Your story will be read at LRRH and your new bike presented to you! And did we mention how SPLENDILICIOUS this bike is???

Now, in case you've been wondering what kind of stories we are looking for, below you can read the TOP 5 entries from last year's contest.

Then, get writing. Send us your stories.

Mail them to

its4littleredridinghood@gmail.com

and remember to send a picture of yourself too!

THE TOP 5 INSPIRATIONAL STORIES FROM 2011

 BY KRIS BATES

As the old song goes “There’s a dark and a troubled side of life, but there’s a bright and a sunny side too”…

Cycling has kept me on the sunny side.

My first hand me down red tricycle was the best to weave up and down the

driveway on. That is when I learned to smile with the wind in my hair. 

I was the little girl with training wheels until I was 9 years old.  When the

training wheels completely wore out someone finally removed them and surprise… I could ride.  Self esteem boost and instant freedom.

In junior high I rode a used stingray bike with a sparkling blue banana seat

and a 3 foot tall metal sissy bar.  Ugly, but it got me where I needed to go and it was a bargain.

In high school I would ride to school on an old 10 speed when riding to school was not cool.  I learned that boys who like outdoorsy but girly girls were the kind of boys I liked.

I married my best friend and had 2 beautiful daughters. We purchased our first bike trailer and I would pull the little ones.  Pulling the youngest with an 85 pound family dog by her side or her favorite doll while she napped built my fitness level.  People would smile as they passed which kept me on the sunny side.

Other things I learned from cycling…

When your thyroid is irradiated cycling will help you lose the 50 pounds you need to lose.

When diagnosed with heart problems climb those hills and make that muscle even stronger.

When diagnosed with skin cancer cycling is good for the mind and sunscreen is an awesome product. 

When you are a patient at Huntsman Cancer Clinic for possible lymphoma don’t give up hope.  After several months of all results leaning towards lymphoma I recovered.  When you have energy get on that bike and ride because you can.

My first century was LRRH in my mid 40’s.  At the finish I called to tell my

husband I finished and burst into tears.  Just one year after being a patient

at Huntsman Cancer Clinic I rode 100 miles for their charity.  Immense

gratitude!

Now in my 50’s …

I ride my used bicycle to work each day I can.  Last year from March to

November I only drove my car to work twice.

I use that old bike trailer that toted kids and dogs to tote groceries now.

I cycle 11 miles to spin class, spin, then hitch a ride home with my hubby.

I ride centuries with those 2 little girls I toted in the trailer.

Whenever I am able to cycle I do. 

Whether we ride a short or long distance or our life has been troubled or

sunny, cycling can help keep us on the sunny side.

Best wishes to all riders and let’s be grateful we are able to ride!

Keep on the sunny side.

 BY DAWN CHRISTENSEN

This story is not easy for me to tell. Even these few words have caused tears to stream down my face.  Two years, 3 months and 5 days ago (January 18^th, 09) my only daughter died at age 9 in a sledding accident. Patia (Pay-sha) was my baby girl. She was and still is so precious to me. I would love to just go on and on about her but since there is a 500 word limit I had better tell how cycling and physical activity in general have been the one thing that allowed me to survive this. 

Just 5 months after her death my best friend invited me to ride the LLRH (09). She had been biking for about a year but I had never been on a road bike and I had not ridden any other bike for several years. At that time I was agreeing to anything just to get through my day. It was a struggle just to get out of bed every morning. I felt like everything about me and everyone around me had changed. I was in a downhill spiral and had no idea how to stop. I knew one of the owners of Racer Cycle in Provo; I asked her if I could rent a bike from them. She was so gracious and offered to let me borrow a bike of hers. A few weeks before LLRH I took it for the first ride, I was hooked. I got on that bike and there was no one but me and my thoughts. I peddled with all my might and worked out so much frustration. I let go of anger and hurt I had been bottling up inside. It was a truly amazing, life changing or should I say life saving experience. I rode over 17 miles that first ride I could not believe I was able to ride that distance. When I completed my ride I felt renewed. A few weeks later I rode the 38 mile leg of LLRH and loved it. I had to give the bike back of course, but from that point on I stayed active, walking nightly, attending yoga and kick boxing classes. I just craved the peace and uplifted feeling I got from that first ride. It made me feel alive and in control of emotion again, if only for little while. I had to wait an entire year before I purchased a bike of my own. Since that time I have ridden as much as I can, l love to ride more than anything else. 

Since Patia death I have been actively involved in starting The Compassionate Friends Chapter in Utah County. The Compassionate Friends assist families to find a positive resolution to grief following the death of a child of any age.  We held the first annual Patia Lynn Christensen 5K last August. There is still a huge void in my life but through cycling I have found happiness again.

BY KATHI HENNEBRY

The accident, April 2006: It happened so suddenly that I wasn’t even sure what had happened, other than I was thrown backward some 6 feet, striking the back of my head on the ground. I knew something was wrong. What felt like being thrown from a car, was actually a collision between my Seagway (motorized scooter), and another rider who’d lost control of his machine.  It was the moment that changed everything. I sustained a concussion and serious neck injury, which affected my balance. 

Recovery from a head injury is always complicated, with no defined answers as to when you might get back to normal, which is never what you were before such an injury. Yet, if you have desire and want something bad enough, you can find the drive within you to succeed.  Question is, how bad do you want it, and are you willing to do the work to make your dreams come true.

My first ride back on a bike came a year later. I rode only 20 feet before I felt tippy and had to stop.  My heart sank as I realized I still couldn’t ride. Discouraged because progress was slow, and longing for the days when I used to ride whenever I wanted, made me realize how much I loved biking. That feeling of freedom, the wind in your face, and the sun on your back, suddenly wasn’t a part of my life anymore, and I missed it. I wanted it back. 

I decided to dedicate myself to a long-term rehabilitation to get back the mechanics I was missing. Though it wasn’t easy, I committed myself to at least try. When I began to notice changes, even as small as they were, I gained courage to work harder.  

Over time, I learned that sometimes what we want doesn’t always happen within our timeframe, rather some undefined timeline driven by a power greater than our own. I learned to have patience in myself, and trust that the work I was going would pay off. It did.

Two years later, after that dreadful 20 footer ride, I was able to ride for a mile. You’d think I’d just learned to ride a bike again. Just like when I tried those first wobbly strokes while my Dad pushed me along, I began shouting that I did it. I was back.

Last year, I rode my first Century ride. I think I said “hello, how ya’ doing” to almost every rider I came across. I was so happy to riding that I wanted to share it with everyone. Gratitude reached deep into my soul that day as I thought “what if” I’d given in to injury. “What if”, I’d given up hope? It’s the journey of our lives that drives us to pedal to destinations unknown, to experience the open road, and know that you can get there one pedal stroke at a time. Bikers have passion for riding, and I’m proud to be one of them.

 BY LORI HANSON   

I weigh 400 lbs which deters me from riding a standard bike because of the excessive weight on top of little wedgie of a seat. Running – ya, right. Walking – not fun enough. Swimming – my skin hates chlorine.

Last year I went to the LRRH, but as moral support for a friend. I sat in the car and watched others push themselves and having fun being part of something great. Sitting there it didn’t take long for me to decide I had to do something and I couldn’t use my weight as an excuse.

This began my research where I found my perfect solution, the TerraTrike Rover. I did everything I could to buy that trike and get riding. A couple of months later I rode the Idaho Falls (Quarter) Century. By mile 18 I thought I couldn’t go further, but I finished and I never felt better about myself.  It is now easy for me to pretend I’m not exercising because riding is FUN !

You will see me at the LRRH Ride, not just this year, but from here on out. I’ll be the one laying back in my recumbent trike, pedaling hard and having fun. I won’t be the first to finish, but I will finish.

If I didn’t ride my trike, what else could I do?

My BIG FINISH!

BY PAMELA VINEYARD BOUCHER

“Cancer made me stronger and more determined than ever not to merely survive, but to flourish and thrive and to truly live life.”

In my life, it actually IS about the bike… When I first battled ovarian cancer in 1999, cycling was the driving force behind my return to a stronger, healthy body and a positive outlook on the future. By 2004, I had trained exhaustively and won a place on the USAF Cycling Team and the chance to ride across the state of Iowa in the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). I completed the nearly 500 mile journey with the team in 7 days. RAGBRAI tests a cyclist’s endurance and spirit; the rider faces the elements, thousands of other cyclists, and ice cold showers at the end of the day. I loved the ride so much that I signed up again the next year to do it all over again! In 2006, following a recurrence of cancer and the nightmare of surgery and chemotherapy, my passion for cycling motivated me to get back on the bike. During the months of chemo, while I was weak and listless, my bike waited patiently in the corner. No conditions, no ultimatums, just quietly waiting for the day when the sun would shine and we would test my strength and gradually build my endurance. The first five-mile ride was exhausting, but I gradually regained my strength and enjoyed regular training rides of up to 65 miles. Six weeks after completing chemo, I was on the road in Cache Valley riding Little Red Riding Hood. Another six weeks later, I found myself back in Iowa, riding alongside Lance Armstrong as he enjoyed RAGBRAI one year after winning his last Tour de France. I even beat Lance on the road to some of the pass-through and overnight towns! I completed every inch of the 444 mile, Missouri to Mississippi River ride, less than 4 months after finishing chemotherapy. At the end of RAGBRAI 2006, I received an Inspiration Award from the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for my determination to complete the ride and inspire others to do the same. In 2009, cancer struck for a third time. The battled raged on, and again, my beautiful blue Trek faithfully watched and waited for the day that we’d enjoy the road.  Looking back, not even 6 surgeries and 9 rounds of chemo could stop my bike and me from participating in our favorites rides. We have ridden nearly every Little Red Riding Hood ride since 1997. Family, friends, and co-workers have been inspired to take up cycling, proving that a commitment to positive thinking and a passion for cycling enabled me to rewrite the challenges of life and turn them into steppingstones for beautiful adventures.

LITTLE RED TRAINING RIDES WITH THE BONNEVILLE CYCLING CLUB!

Little Red 2012  is less than 10 weeks away! Having you been riding yet?? We hope so and we hope you've been training and enjoying Utah's beautiful spring weather. The Bonneville Cycling Club, which presents Little Red each year, has been busy filling the spring calendar with riding opportunities for all levels of riders. We invite you to join us, ride with us, join our club! We are a group of cycling enthusiasts who ride for the pure joy and pleasure of riding.

The BCC extends a warm and open invitation to all riders and especially to those training for Little Red. We've got plenty of rides to help you fill your training schedule. From 10 miles to 100, we can find a ride that fits your needs. You do not have to be a member to ride with us, so try us out. We're sure you'll have a good time and a great ride.

Below, we've highlighted some rides that are particularly suited to those new to biking, new to the road and in need of a little road riding TLC. Come out and ride with us!! Check out our website at www.bccutah.org. Look for the Ride Calendar. It's packed full of riding opportunities. Then ride with us. Make new friends, get comfortable riding with a group, learn the rules of the road, GET READY FOR LITTLE RED!

Some Highlights for Newer Riders include: 

Every Monday at 6pm our Bike Skills Series has a short class followed by an easy ride of 10-15 miles. This series is lead by our very own fantastic BCC President, Mary Margaret Williams. This is a great way for new riders to learn some basic skillls.  During the month of April ever important topics such as, "Tools for the Road, Traffic and the Law, Changing a Tire, Gearing & Brakes, and Group Riding" will be discussed.

Tuesdays at 06:00 PM BCC club member Julia Roebuck and BCC President, Mary Margaret Williams will be taking turns hosting the Centerville Cruise. This is a 27 mile flat evening cruise north through Foxboro to Centerville and back. Or for a shorter option you can  turn around at the Maverik for 14 miles. 

Wednesdays look at our April calendar for the Meet-N-Ride. Lead by BCC member Carol Landgraf, this 11 mile ride is geared toward introducing new people to the Bonneville Cycling Club (BCC), or to bicycling as a regular activity. Join us for a slow paced ride, traveling a loop of mostly flat terrain in the scenic Murray-Holladay area. We will re-group periodically at stop lights to make sure nobody gets left behind!

Thursdays look for the Cotton Bottom rides, led by BCC members Janice Mosby and Pascale de Rozario. We'll start this 15 mile ride either from Sugarhouse Park, or from the Garfield School (which is a few blocks north of Sugarhouse Park) - check the calendar for each week's starting point. This ride will take us through urban neighborhoods to the Cotton Bottom and back. Mainly flat, with some mild hills

This is just a sampling of rides that the BCC sponsors and hosts every day. Check the BCC Calendar at (www.bccutah.org) for a full list of all our rides. You'll find all the information you need, including a description fof the ride, contact information for the ride leader, the time/date/location, etc..In addition, check out our rating system for all rides. Our rating system will help you decide which rides are right for YOU. A brief description of our rating system follows, but you can find further information at our website, www.bccutah.org

Pace:

A: 18 to 22 mph average speed. "Training rides". Mostly pace line.
B: 15 to 18 mph average speed. Brisk paced rides. Experienced riders. 
C: 13 to 15 mph average speed. Moderate, Social rides.
D: 10 to 13 mph average speed. Leisurely, easy rides. Basic riders
O: Open paced ride. Ride at your own pace. 


Terrain:
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1: Mt Everest –the hardest climbs you can think of around here

2: Mountains –most of the canyons and passes in Utah

3: Hilly – the benches or foothills

4: Mild Hills – the rollers and grades that occur in the valleys

5: Flat – the valley floors

LOVE, PEACE & RIDE