Bunny is biking for cancer awareness

A little bruised up…

I haven’t written a nice long post in a while, so I figured it’s time for one! 

I went on a bike ride yesterday. I have been trying to bike every other day. Rain and friends from South Africa visiting have messed with this schedule, but thats okay! I went out this past saturday with a big group of friends and had an amazing time. It was a welcome distraction just because getting ready for school ending and the ride coming up has been a lil stressful. We had a great time.
Anyway, back to my bike ride yesterday. Well, first I want to mention that I bought clipless pedals last week. I wanted to make sure to get them early so I would have plenty of time to practice. And that was a good though on my part. My dad has been using them for years, and the day after I got them, and some beautiful shoes for them (which I love. The shoes are white and kind of sparkly!!) my dad and I went outside to practice.
My neighborhood has a big cul-de-sac, so we went up there to practice. I had the very kind folks at BBW make the clips kind of loose. Keep in mind the term “loose” simply means that I can get my feet out a little more easily. My feet are completely secure, and stuck in the clips when I clip in. This is important to remember for later on in this story. 
So my dad and I practiced. He explained how I should get on, pedal a bit, and then step down and get the clip in. He also had me bike around, take my feet out, put them back in, etc. It was going well, but I was a little nervous. It’s daunting because your feet are literally stuck in place. It is so much more efficient because your upward and downward motions are contributing to your effort on the bike, but it’s scary! I am glad I have a month to practice.
Yesterday on our ride, I was doing great. We bike up and down some hills, I was unclipping and clipping. All was well. I had a little scare right when we left the neighborhood, but it was okay. Then we got on the NCR trail to do some distance. 
We got pretty far, and then I got ahead of my dad. We were doing great and when I cam up to a road intersection, I wanted to take a break. I was a little in the zone/spaced out, and I only unclipped out of my right foot. I guess I was hoping to lean that way, but instead I fell, HARD, on my left side, foot still clipped in. My dad was behind and looked up and saw me falling and shouting. I did a couple things right though. I did NOT throw my arm out to catch me. I probably would have broken my wrist falling from that height, so just falling on my side/hip helped. I also remained (somewhat) calm. It was just scary. My dad came running over and I was just like “omg!” Haha. I felt pretty stupid. Honestly though, it was really good that I did not throw my arm out, because had I broken my wrist, this bike ride would not be happening.

I want to write about this for two reasons. One, because it’s funny. I should have unclipped. I am totally fine, just a HUGE bruise on my left shin, and a bruised hip and ego. Two, I hope that if any 4Kers have not gotten the clipless pedals yet, they absolutely should. For me at least, there is definitely a learning curve. Hopefully that will be my only spill! 

Fundraising Update- 
Up to $4500! This is not evident on my donor page yet because I have checks and cash to give David, but I have reached my minimum thanks to absolutely amazing and supportive family and friends. Hope to get a little above it, but for now, I feel great!! 

Note from my mom’s cousin to my mother.

Jackie-
Tell Bunny we’ll be thinking about her, what a blast! I did a ride from northern Nevada to Cleveland when I graduated so I am a fan of the big post graduation ride. My friend Phil and I made our way across the country rolling out sleeping bags in sage brush and city parks. We were not nearly as focused or altruistic; Bunny’s generation gives me hope. They seem so much more…evolved. Tell everyone hi, I know I will see you soon.

Pete

Tiring week, but bike rides are surprisingly inspiring!

I haven’t written a post in a while and I wanted to update a couple things. 

I have reached $3,460!! Which is amazing!

The one issue I am struggling with is that many people have told me they want to donate, but they are waiting to do so (for a variety of reasons, all of which are a mystery to me.) I really believe I can make my goal, but it is intimidating, especially since I have a lot of other things going on. My parents have helped me and have reached out to some of their distant friends and family. Hopefully in a week I will be able to update this blog and write a really large number!

Anyway, I went on a bike ride today, one last sunday and one last Friday. All three have been hugely enjoyable. I have worn my new Pearl Izumi shorts and my 4K for Cancer training jersey. It is really fun to put on the whole ensemble. It makes me feel like I am wearing warrior uniform! Making time for training has been difficult, but I have been able to cram it in. I am going to try to start doing every other day, which means Friday I will ride, and then since Easter is on Sunday, I will try to go on Saturday!

Fundraising is due in 23 days. 
I need about $1000 more.
Please donate if you are reading this! Thank you! 

Bike Rides

Went for a bike ride friday with Marci and about to go on another one with my dad! Wanted to write about this so my readers and supports know I am training diligently!

Melancholy is a beautiful word, but not a good feeling

I have been feeling VERY melancholy the last week. I think part of it has to do with the fact that the week before (my spring break) was so insanely busy doing something every second, that this week I am having a hard time getting motivated. I worked on homework all day today, but that homework is due tomorrow. That’s not me. I am normally the girl who gets stuff done way ahead of time. I do not like to leave stuff till the last minute. I enjoy taking my time, and working hard on something so that I am pleased with it. This is not an attitude for everyone, but it works for me. 

I think I have a lot on my plate right now with school, graduating and the bike ride, but the biggest thing on my mind is what comes after the bike ride. What does come after the bike ride? I don’t know. I am working on one thing right now (way too soon to talk/comment about) but it might not happen, and I need a lot of time to think about it. I feel like I haven’t had a day to think in a while. I have always enjoyed occasional solo lunches. I like to sit, write in my journal (MOLESKIN, the best) and just think and be by myself. It really helps if my waiter is cute. Especially the cute one at Nordstrom Cafe that I genuinely believe makes sure my sweet tea is the best and sweetest, and the bread rolls are only the freshest from the oven and he gave me his business card! But I don’t know. 

Anyway, back to my thought of next fall. It will be crazy not to be in school. This is my fifth year of being an undergrad (which I HATE, but my friends are super supportive), but I feel like I need to have everything figured out by then, like exactly what I am going to be doing and where and why. It’s kind of funny. At a lecture a couple weeks ago, a guy named Mark Randall spoke and said that when he was a senior, his professor asked him about what he was doing after graduation. He said he wanted to move to Santa Fe (he had never been!) because he heard it was beautiful. I laughed to myself, because I have a fantasy of moving to Santa Fe! That was the big plan for next fall, and it is definitely getting pushed back because of finances, but maybe it will get pushed back further. I don’t know. 

So I am going to make a list of my ULTRA-FANTASY JOBS so that I can ease my mind-

-Personal taste-tester for Giada De Laurentiis (to make sure her food taste good!)
-Painter living in a pueblo (the ones with the little corner fireplaces in every room) outside of Santa Fe
-Owning/Managing my own design firm, whose clients are chosen based on their political and ethical standing (I have this fantasy of the perfect client, whose beliefs, morals and ethics are similar to mine!) 
- being an art teacher on the Cheyenne River Reservation. (Those little ones stuck with me. And I want to teach them art and design! and I want to help market all the beautiful jewelry that the adults made!)
- Opening an art gallery that has branches in Los Angeles, Santa Fe, New York, and Berlin. The work shown will exclusively be work that has a social/political message or tone. I don’t have to agree with it. I just want to show people’s opinions in visual way.
-working at Kate Spade or J.Crew. I just love everything from those stores. Or Anthropologie.
-going to law school. Still on the radar for me. Could or could not happen, but definitely need a year to figure that out/study for LSATs.

I think I want to do anything and everything.
But I have narrowed it down a little bit. 
If you read my fantasy job list, it gets progressively more challenging on the way down. :)

My parents just keep saying “Bunny, you can do whatever you want.”
Now to figure out what I want and how to get it. 

2 weeks and $680 later

Spring break is over and it is almost April. I feel like it was just winter break! Graduation is 58 days away, and the bike ride begins in 61! That’s two months away! I have a portfolio review in a month and will literally not be having a life for a while. That’s okay though. I can sleep/hang out/party in AUGUST and forevermore after that. 

Spring break was amazing. I went to South Dakota to volunteer on a reservation (again!) and it was so much fun. A group of us from Towson went to the Cheyenne River Reservation and worked with a teen/kids’ center. We were pretty busy all day and had a really fantastic time. The group of people from Towson was so amazing. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone and it was really cool to mingle with new people outside my typical social network (the art building.) It was really neat to play with the kids and interact with them. The kids on the reservation are obsessed with basketball. There was a tournament Friday night, and a lot of the kids were really good. 

I am up to $3225 and I know of a few people who plan on donating but have not yet. I am hoping to use the month of April to get my fundraising up to the minimum required and then harass people to donate more in the beginning of May.

Tomorrow

Hopefully this time tomorrow, my dad and i will be going on our epic bike ride. We plan to bike on the NCR trail from Monkton Road to Hanover junction. It will be a long ride, but I need to start doing those in order to prepare! I think we are going to get lunch at a little family owned restaurant in PA too. Hopefully I won’t be too full and will be able to bike back!! I also hope the weather will be sunny. 

I am also taking a bike maintenance workshop at Towson tomorrow. I am so excited! Towson University offers these free educational clinics, and I really want to become a master at knowing how my bike works, and how I can fix it if I need to! 

http://www.towson.edu/campusrec/ap-clinics.htm

http://www.johncarterphoto.com/ncrr/virtualmap.html

Fundraising-up to $2545!