adventure daily.
At some point last summer, probably on one of our early morning pre-chemo rides, I asked Whitney if she would have any interest in taking a bike trip with me in the spring. It was a hopeful thought, optimism that I'd be in remission and have regained enough fitness by then to be able to …
I didn't feel like riding when I rolled out of bed. I'd stayed up a little too late the night before watching a movie. Too late these days is 10 pm --- ideally I am in bed at 8:30, listening to a podcast until I fall asleep, which usually happens quickly. Over the past few …
If you missed them, catch Part 1 here and Part 2 here! I forced myself out of my sleeping bag as morning's first light was creeping in the tiny window of the RV. A conversation ensued in my head: I am so tired... I should sleep a while longer... I need it... This is your …
Catch Part 1 here if you missed it! Sleep didn't come easily. After my first race lap, my adrenaline was skyrocketing, but I wanted to try to get some amount of rest before I'd have to head back out for lap two sometime between 3 and 5 am. There were still a few teammates who …
The sun was just setting as I began my first lap, casting shades of orange across the sky and bathing the desert in a beautiful warm light. I was excited to finally be on my bike after an afternoon of waiting for my teammates to complete their laps, and I was gunning to see just …
I looked up from pushing my bike to see the jumble of rocks continuing as far as I could see. I'd try to ride for a bit, challenging myself to see how far I could make it before needing to dab, but the rocks would often win. Sometimes though, I'd have a good run, cleaning …
I have a special place in my heart for this bike. I will never get rid of it. Evan built this bike for me shortly after I started mountain biking again in 2013, with a small frame that had been sitting around the shop where he worked at the time and a lot of random …
Riding my bike is my best attempt to defy my weaknesses. This thought popped into my head one morning earlier this summer as I was enjoying a solo "ride before the ride" on the Allegrippis Trails. Later, I'd be meeting up with some friends for what I knew would be a pretty casual roll, so …
I woke up at 5:30 simply so that I would be awake long enough that I'd want to eat before leaving the house. The thought of eating right after waking up is repulsive. I'm going to go ride my bike for a while today. 36 miles to be exact, mostly on trail. Rocky trail. I'm …
When I am mentally tired and not functioning properly, a good ride can set it all straight again. Riding bikes is like a reset button for my brain and my soul. And no matter how many other things I “should” be doing, I never, ever regret going on that ride. Read the full version of …
helena kotala 