Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Couch Potato Alert!!

I've been reading Jill's blog "Up In Alaska" for months and, along with her excellent writing and fabulous photos, I've been awed at her passion for cycling in the wilds of Alaska.

She's leaving tomorrow for a ride that will cover 360 miles in 48 hours (sleeping at night), with a route that crosses the coastal ranges of Alaska inland into the Yukon, tracing some of the routes taken by those in the Klondike Gold rush of 1898. Tourist guides also call this route the Golden Circle. If you have a minute, read her blog today about her plans and preparations.

Yeah, she's young, she's healthy, she's fit, she eats turkey jerky, she rides 50 or 100 miles before work in the afternoon, but my God! I think I'm doing phenomenally well if I haul my ass 10 miles around the neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon bike ride. I can't imagine....

I can't decide if I envy her lifestyle or if I think she's a little bit nuts -- or both. No, I have to be honest -- it's envy. I wish I had discovered early on the joy and benefits of sports activities, instead of waiting until my knees were shot and other joints too rusty to be cajoled into strenuous exercise. There's definitely a moral here somewhere...

Can you imagine telling someone you rode 360 miles in 48 hours? What incredible memories she's stacking up for her rocking-chair days.

Best of luck, Jill... have FUN!

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