Option A. Find a bathroom Option B. Shit my pants

This is a little story for my fellow crohnies. As some of you may know I have crohns disease. You can Google it, but pretty much if we were playing Oregon Trail, I would be the one dying of dysentery first. You get the idea. If you don’t know what Oregon Trail is, then you had a deprived childhood.

It had been kind of a long day and I needed to get some exercise. I was going to go biking, but I have had a cold and sometimes I push it too hard on the bike, so I decided to run instead. I don’t really love running, so I was unconcerned that I would attempt to push it too hard. I mean let’s be serious here. Anyways, about 3 miles out I got that little feeling like “oh hey, I might need to hit up a bathroom sometime in the nearish future.” For normal people this is not generally an issue. For a person with crohns this is a more time sensitive concern. 

I hit my turn around point and was feeling pretty good. The stomach was a little rumbly, but I was confident I would make it the 3 miles back to my house. After about a half mile I started to view bushes and hedges as possible shitting locations. I quickly realized that the remainder of this run was probably not going to happen without some sort of uncomfortable situation. I was fairly certain there was a park at the next path, road intersection and started to pray that there may be bathroom facilities there. That was still a half mile away though and I was seriously questioning that I could make it that far. I continued to jog until the park was in view and there did appear to be a bathroom facility of sorts. It was less than a quarter mile away, but at that point I had gone into self talk, deep breathing mode. One step at a time. You can do this. It’s not that far. You are NOT going to shit your pants right here!

I finally made it there. As I reached for the door, panic swept over me and for a split second I freaked out. What if the door is locked?  Closed after six? Some sick joke the universe was about to play on me to kill all my hopes and dreams of simply using a toilet instead of a bush or my shorts. The panic was also brought on by the fact that I had about 3 seconds before all hell would break loose in front of families playing baseball. To say I was relieved when the door was indeed unlocked would be a vast understatement.

I had made it! Life was good! Possible pants shitting situation had been averted. Though this all took place in maybe a 10 minute time lapse, I promise you it felt like an hour. So next time you are out running or biking and your feeling kind of tired or unmotivated, just be happy you don't also feel the need to shit your pants. 

Car Free = Care Free

Last week was national bike to work week  and I decided I was going to ride my bike to work every day. After the first day, I decided I was going to go completely car free for the week. It was not an ideal week to do this. I had nightly rehearsals for a dance recital, volleyball games to get to, friends to meet with, errands to run and a not so short commute to work.

I could have easily decided I just didn't have time to ride my bike everywhere. There was just too much going on and I needed to work in the evenings. Then I realized there is always going to be too much going on.  If I didn’t make the time, it was never going to happen. The decision was made and I somehow managed to get everywhere I needed to be by bike. 

As the week rolled to a close I came up with 10 things that made going by bike pretty sweet. 

1. I could eat way more without becoming a total blimp
2. Saved me all sorts of money on gas 
3. Took care of working out for the day.
4. I slept way better
5. I was surprisingly more productive
6. I got to eat more. I realize I already said that, but I kind of love eating so I am going to go ahead and count it twice.
7. I learned all the back roads. So, on those days when I must drive and there is a major traffic jam, I now know the super secret  back roads to get around it. Plus I never had to worry about parking! 
8. I got to be outside and enjoy the beautiful weather on a bike with friends 
9. I GOT TO RIDE MY BIKE EVERY DAY!
10. Way less drama and stress  

Aside from all the obvious reasons for riding a bike, the one that I wasn't expecting was for life to actually get less stressful.  A large chunk of my time was going towards commuting and I simply ran out of time for drama. If there was something bothering me I had a solid ride coming up to work through it. Amazing how a few miles on the bike clears the head and whatever may have been eating away at me became less significant.  

There are endless reasons I could give as to why riding a bike to get around is better. I could come up with a counter to almost every excuse there is. All, but the not enough time excuse. All the convincing in the world isn't going to work,  until you decide to make the time for it. Life is never going to slow down. "I'm to busy." and "I don't have enough time."  will always be excuses to not do something. Unless YOU MAKE the time, it’s never going to happen. 

How many things in your life are you not doing because you don’t have time? How many people are you neglecting because there is just too much going on right now? Seasons end, people move on, and eventually you are actually out of time. So stop now! Decide who or what is important to you and make time for it, because eventually it will be too late, your time will be up and you may have missed out on something really amazing. 

Make Time. Ride Bikes. Live Well 

It's Kind Of a Funny Story

We all encounter crazy things in life. Some we see coming miles away and others catch us completely off guard. In this particular case I was not prepared in any way for what was about to happen to me. It had a very lasting effect on me and I now have a mild anxiety attack any time anything gets near my ears.You will completely understand why soon.

I had been pretty stressed and decided a quick little mountain bike ride would be the perfect cure. I was half way through the ride when I felt something on my ear. Mind you, I was in motion on my bike and this whole scenario should not be possible. Anyways, like any normal human being I brushed my ear.  Whatever it was did not want to leave the vicinity of my ear and I brushed at it again. This was a mistake. It prompted the foreign predator to crawl inside my ear. The bike ride came to a halt as every fiber in my being began to freak out and I could now hear wings inside my head.The self calming talk kicked in immediately. “Don’t worry its probably a lady bug, or a fly, or a moth, or any other random insect with wings. Little kids stick crap in their ears all the time and they are fine. I will just go to the hospital and they will remove said invader and all will be fine.”  As I began to accept the situation and calm myself down, I was dropped to my knees by the most searing pain I have ever experienced.

All forms of calm were gone. Whatever was in my ear was a deadly bug that was trying to eat it’s way to my brain. My hearing would be lost, it was going to eat my brain, I was going to pass out and die right there on the trail. I was positive that all of these things were true. This also leads me to believe I have seen too many horror movies, but anyways. There was no hope of bringing the bike with me as each instance of searing pain crippled me and was complimented with what were later described as blood curdling screams. In the midst of the screams, and sobs, and pain I was somehow able to call my boss to come take me to the hospital. My work place has a trail system, which I was riding, thus why I called my boss. 

While all this was going on a fellow rider had heard my cries and found me crawling to the trail head. I swore on everything there was something in my ear. He checked my ear and tried to reason with me that there was nothing there. So, now I was not only in the worst pain of my life I was also insane, perfect. I think the pure terror in my eyes finally convinced him otherwise. He came up with the wonderful plan to use my Gatorade to drown the flesh eating mutant in my ear. I was thinking the situation really couldn’t get much worse; when another rider came up on the trail and to my ultimate dismay, it was the president of my company. Completely shaken, with a bug slowly dying in my ear the president of the company grabbed my bike and escorted me from the trails. Not the ideal way to meet the president, but at least it was memorable. 

Upon arrival to the hospital it was confirmed that it was not a flesh eating mutant bug in my ear, but a wasp. For all intents and purposes, they are one in the same to me now.  I had been stung somewhere between 20 and 30 times in my ear canal and ear drum. The nurses tried to flush it out with water and were completely unsuccessful. After 2 hours of what could be considered some sick form of prison torture, I started to faint. I  accepted that this wasp and I were now one and it was not coming out of my ear ever. I wouldn’t let the nurses come near me and gave up. Then one of the geniuses announces “Oh. Well we have an ear nose throat doctor in the hospital. Would u like to go see him?”  Why yes. Why yes I would. Why in the hell didn’t you mention that 2 hours ago!?!?! 

The ENT Doc took one look and informed me "Well this is really really going to hurt, but don't move, if the wasp breaks when I am extracting it, you'll need surgery."  Well that's just super. He wasn't kidding, it hurt like hell. Thankfully, three hours after the little mutant crawled in there, my ear was finally wasp free. So the next time you are having a really bad day, just remember there could be a wasp in your ear.

How do you take your coffee?

I realized this blog is titled bikes travel coffee and all I have really talked about is bikes, so today is about coffee. Though, I am not going to lie, I wrote this in my head today whilst on a mountain bike ride.

Anyways back to that delicious black liquid that fuels my every day!

I think I was destined to be a coffee lover from a young age. My mom and I lived with my grandparents and they would give me a little cup of coffee after she left for work.  I have no idea why they thought giving caffeine to a 4 year old was a good idea, but who am I to judge. Maybe it was some evil plot against my mom; either way I loved my Grandpa like there was no tomorrow. There aren't words that could ever explain how much he meant to me. He was by far, one of my favorite people in the entire world. He towered over me at 6’5. He was at every dance recital, praised every report card and was an endless fountain of knowledge and advice.

We moved out when I was 5 and I didn’t really drink coffee again until I was in high school. I got a job at a local bakery and worked at 5am on Saturday mornings. After work I would head to dance for 3 or 4 hours.  Between working 2 jobs, dancing 5 days a week, school and a social life I never slept; which meant I drank a lot of coffee. I would dump so much cream and sugar in there, that I don’t even know if it could really be considered coffee anymore.

It was about this time, I turned 16 and got my first car. An '89 convertible Lebaron, white with a black top and light blue leather interior.  I know what you’re thinking. you're totally jealous! Try to hold back. The first week I had my car I couldn’t wait to show my Grandpa. A year earlier he had been diagnosed with cancer and was weaker than I had ever seen him. Regardless, he taught me how to check the oil and emphasized that I never let the gas get below a quarter tank. We chatted car details and caught up over a cup of coffee.  As I dumped cream and sugar in mine he informed that “There is only one way to drink coffee kid, and that is to drink it black.” 

He passed away a week later. It was the last time I saw him and I have been drinking my coffee black ever since. As with all of his advice it was completely correct. I now know, that until you drink coffee black you can never really understand what a good cup of coffee is, nor can you appreciate it.

I think it relates to more than just coffee. You can’t really enjoy anything in life until you remove the sugar coat and all the other crap. At first it might be a bit bitter, but then you realize there is so much more to enjoy in the very base of it all. You finally realize that all the other stuff just ruins it. 

So, How do you take your coffee?

-in memory of Daniel Antuna

My Relationship with my Bike

They say falling in love is one of the most incredible and intense feelings; and I would have to say I fully agree. Every spring I fall in love. I really can’t help myself, especially after the painful breakup that happens every winter. I can feel it coming. Days get shorter, temps drop and I spend less and less time with my bike.  Soon the day comes that my mountain bike is stowed away for the winter. We break up and the dry spell begins. If I’m lucky I may get a random hook up over the winter on a vacation to a sunny place, but it will only last a few days and I am back home longing for better times when I could bike every day.  

Then one day the snow starts to melt, the ground starts to dry and there is hope that maybe soon the dry spell will be broken. Then it happens. The trails open. All day all I can think about is that first ride and nothing else seems to matter. Every muscle screams and the lungs burn, but my bike and I have been reunited. All I think about is the next ride and all I want to do is ride every waking hour of the day. All other activities are completed more efficiently to make more time for my bike.  

I ride until I can’t think anymore, until the entire world disappears, until all that is left is me, my bike and the trail and I fall in love over and over and over again. 

Happy Valentine's Day

What a great day! I know a lot of people get down on Valentine’s Day because it’s a hallmark holiday, or because they have a significant other and have to buy them something, or don’t have a significant other and are choosing to wallow that they are alone today. The list goes on and on. The thing is, we should all be telling all the amazing people in our lives that we love them every day and what better day to do that than today!

Now to celebrate, a few amazing people in my life that also happen to be blessed enough to be born today!

The first is a friend of mine from college that just recently, and quite randomly, came back into my life. To tell you the truth I don’t know him all that well, but the one thing I remember about him is that he was always happy and smiling. You can’t have enough positive people in your life. I am so glad that he crossed my path again! Happy Birthday Mark!

Next is the remarkable Marco. It is thanks to Marco that this blog actually exists. It’s also thanks to him that I am still around and healthy. He saved my life when I was a freshman in college, but that’s another story for another day. Marco has more life in him than all my other friends combine. He is absolutely incredible and a daily inspiration to me. I am truly blessed to have him in my life. Happy Birthday Marco!  

Lastly is my wonderful Mother. She is the pillar of strength in my life. Through thick and thin, she supports my siblings and me. She taught us to never stop chasing our dreams and she is my one true hero. Thanks mom and Happy Birthday.

Today, I celebrate all the wonderful people in my life! I love you all. Now go out and tell all the people you care about how amazing they are. It’s free. It will make them feel good. It will make you feel good, and like I said there is no better day to do that than today!

With love

-Jen

P.S. I personally have a hot date with my bike tonight. I am going to run new cables and housing. Maybe even true the wheels. I love my bike and it loves me. 

What's your Truth

There are a lot of things in life I am unsure of, but one thing that is always true is biking. Good day, bad day, rain or shine, a bike ride is always going to make the day better. When I need the world to disappear, I find peace on my mountain bike. One of my co-workers put it best “You can’t worry about your problems when you are worried about not hitting a tree.” When I need to sort out the questions of life I find peace on my road bike. Nothing like miles and miles of open road to clear the head. Riding with friends or solo, biking is the one thing about myself that I know is true. 


I don’t ride so people will like me more. I don’t care what speed I average or what stunts I did or didn’t ride. I don’t have to be anyone or feel any certain way when I am on my bike.  I ride because its who I am. It’s the one thing that stays true when everything else stops making sense. 


What’s your one true thing?