Remember the Ride

Wow, what a week I've had!  I blinked an it was Sunday already.

At the Massachusetts State House after the Ride to Remember

Last Saturday was the Ride to Remember and Sunday was a recovery day.

Went shopping Sunday afternoon and bought this pretty blue glass globe to replace a vase Leia knocked over and broke.  The globe is both unique and pretty.

Went to the Big E on Monday night with Brian and our friend Karen.  Worked late on Tuesday.  Went to the Big E again on Wednesday with my friend Liydia.

100 Years of the Big E

The Wine & Cheese Barn at The Big E feature wineries from across New England.  Wine tasting used to be one of my favorite things to do.  While I do appreciate fine wines. I don't drink like I used to, that's for sure.  

Worked late again on Thursday.  Friday was Friday.  

Got in a good workout Thursday night.  Leg day!!!  

Yesterday we did the Rugged Maniac and blink!  Here we are...Sunday again. 

After the Rugged Maniac
Fun!!!  Making fitness fun is a sure way to find enjoyment on your journey.  What's your passion?  Not sure, get out there and try some things out.  Start a new hobby.  See what you love and do it!

As promised, I want to share with you my experiences doing the Ride to Remember this year.  The day was amazing.  The weather was perfect.  We couldn't have had a better day.  And I'm here to tell you what an amazing difference a year makes.  One year and I'm stronger, more confident, less anxious and a whole lot less wound up about it.

Riding in Boston.  The thrill and excitement are hard to describe.

I'm actually not sure I'm stronger than I was a year ago.  My shoulder injury has set me back tremendously.  I re-injured my shoulder the Tuesday before the Ride to Remember, so I was in pain all day.  As I write this, it is throbbing.  But strength can be measured in other ways, and for that, I am convinced I am stronger.

I was number 56.  They wrote my number on my leg upside down, so it looked like a weird 95 I guess.  Not sure if you can see how big my calves are, but seriously, they are rock solid.  I had to go up a size on my capris this year because the size 4's cut me off at the calf and they were very uncomfortable.  Even the size 6's were tight at the calf, but the size 8's were falling off me at the waist.  

If you are a regular reader, you know I've been experiencing some personal struggles lately.  I am starting to find the sun again, but the pain has marked my training this year.  I have had to reach deep to be able to see my way on my path, to struggle to be able to hear my new voice so I am not drowned by the sea of self doubt that once was my routine.  My trip to Florida at the beginning of September was restorative for me.  I feel like the clouds are finally lifting and I can start to come out of my shell again.  It's not been easy and I'm still poking my head out a little at a time.

I love my Aunt Kelly so much.  She is such a blessing to me!

In July I started a new diet and fitness regimen.  I did really well with it, lost over 10 lbs. and was looking super lean.

Ha!  Ha!  You won't be seeing another bikini picture of my any time soon.

But the nutrition plan was ultra low on the carbs and when I started riding my bike again, I had to throw the diet out the window.  Last year I got very sick not eating enough.  This year, I was not making that mistake again.  And so I ate...as much of pretty much whatever I wanted.  I did not lose any weight, but I didn't gain any either.  The week before the ride, I was on a carbohydrate binge.

Friday's breakfast, lunch and dinner!  Carbs, anyone?
Why do you need so many carbs when you ride?  Carbohydrates provide your body with energy and help you to replace the glycogen it burns when riding your bike.

This was the fourth year of Ride to Remember.  The ride pays homage to the lives of Massachusetts law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.  Remembering their sacrifice is the primary goal.  For all the riders, there is a fitness challenge to meet as well.  When I did it the first time, not only was it a major fitness goal, I also wanted to honor my trainer Mike who died the previous November.  I was filled with self-doubt and my anxiety had me reeling.  This year was different.  It was all about me.  I didn't do it to make anyone else proud.  I didn't have the self-doubt or fear that I struggled with before.  I knew I would be able to do it.  Right up until we got to the State House in Boston, I never doubted it.  I would not say that I was arrogant or prideful, on the contrary, I was humbled to honor the lives of the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice protecting and serving the community.

After the ride, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker spoke to us.  For once, a public official didn't say something to put police officers down, rather he actually gave a meaningful tribute to thank law enforcement officers for putting their lines on the line every time they go to work.  That's the reality.  He is standing by the memorial, which you can't see because of all the people.  But it holds the names of fallen Massachusetts police officers.  It truly is remarkable.

I will do it again next year.  I am hoping to inspire and motivate more people to join us.  It is a cause worth riding for and a challenge worth meeting.  If you think you can't do it, just tell yourself, "If Tracey could do it, so can I."  Two years ago, I walked with a limp.  My knee was in constant pain.  I pushed myself to work through the physical limitations and trained hard to do the ride.  I bought a good bike, but not one that was out of my means.  I rode two - three times per week and made sure I was training for both hills and distance.  This year was different because I knew what to do.  I knew I had it in me.  You can too, if you want.  Just dig deep and believe.  You are stronger than  you think you are!

This!
This view makes it all worth while.  The hours of training.  The year long anticipation that leads up to this moment when you ride by the Citgo sign near Fenway and you know you've done what you set out to do.  You have accomplished the unimaginable.   There is nothing like it.

See more pictures here:  Oh, What a Day!

Read about last year's ride here:  The Girl Picked Last

Coming soon:  Body Beautiful

Questions for you (answer in the comment section below):
What's your favorite outdoor activity?  Why do you like it so much?  Who do you do it with?

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Oh What a Day!

Yesterday was the Ride to Remember 2016

We left Springfield, MA at about 7:00 a.m.  It was 102 miles to the Massachusetts State House, arriving shortly after 5:00 p.m.  We had a couple breaks during the day, so our actual riding time was  a little over eight hours.

I will write more about this year's experience, but I wanted to give you a peak at our day.

Dad came down to send us off.  I really appreciated him being there.

A sea of blue...this is where we started.

We had six rest stops along the way, where we were able to hydrate, get some nutrition and...

Use the restroom.  At Boston College, the only rest rooms available were the ones on the Peter Pan buses that came with us.  I had to go soooo bad.  Yikes!

Our ride was great all day!  Seriously, I had plenty of energy.  I felt good.  But the last few miles were the most exhilarating.  Look at the Prudential building off in the distance!  So awesome!

Boston Strong!  That's right!

The finish line of the Boston Marathon.

My riding buddy, Joe.  He and my husband did the ride together the first year.
Brian did it last year and said, "This is not for me."  So Joe & I rode together all day.  It was a good great ride.

We did it!!!  We made it!  And I felt great.

There is so much to say about the day and I promise to write more and tell you about this year's experience.  This morning I am exhausted.  My shoulder was in excruciating pain last night.  It's sore today, but I feel better.  I Stay tuned...

Body Beautiful

I'm working on a post about body image, and I'm hoping you'll give me some feedback for the post.  Please answer the survey above, or check it out here:  What Would You Change?   You can email me your answers if you like.

Questions for you (answer in the comment section below):
Have you ever dreamed the impossible and made that dream come true?  What was your dream?  How did you make it happen?
Or
Do you have a dream that really means a lot to you to accomplish?  What's keeping you from making it happen?

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Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

What are Little Girls Made Of?

According to the nursery rhyme, it's sugar and spice and everything nice.  And THAT was definitely the case for me before I started my journey towards fitness.  Yes, give me sugar and throw in a little spice and I was in LOVE.

But in the fall, especially now, it's Pumpkin Spice that I LOVE!

It's really a problem...

I bought ALL of this pumpkin spice stuff at different times.
The Pumpkin Caramel tea by Tea Guys is my FAVORITE!!!
And YES, I did eat that pumpkin donut!

When I got serious about watching my nutrition, I started eating Greek Yogurt and a LOT of it.  It's higher in protein and satisfies my sweet tooth or need for ice cream when I'm in a pinch.  I eat one for my morning snack every day.  I can't resist.  Oikos Triple Zero is my favorite!  It has only 130 calories and 15 grams of protein.  That's a lot!

But, for the Pumpkin Spice Season, I stocked up on pumpkin Greek yogurt.  Yes, I've officially made pumpkin spice its own season!

I've tried them all.  The Dannon Light & Fit tastes a little too "diet" to me.  I think they put artificial sweeteners in it.  Not crazy about it.   The Chobani flavors are good, but my favorite is the Oikos Pumpkin Pie.  It tastes like creamy pumpkin pie filling.  It's DELICIOUS!  

In other news, my son is practicing to get his license.  He's 18 and he really should already have it.  I'm not sure who is afraid to let go, me or him.

It's definitely me!

Saturday, I will be participating in my second Ride to Remember, which is a 106 mile bike ride from downtown Springfield, MA to Boston, MA.  The ride is meant to honor the lives of fallen police officers.  This year, we are riding to honor Massachusetts State Trooper Thomas Clardy and Auburn Police Officer Ronald Terentino, Jr.  Both of these officers gave their lives in the line of duty this year.

Ride to Remember 2015

I got my nails done just for the ride.  Kate did a great job!

I know I wrote recently about how much I love this time of year, but it's true.

Check out the mums I bought today.  They aren't quite fully bloomed yet, but they will be so pretty if I remember to water them.  I want to get a variety of colors.  These were the only ones I could distinguish at the market.  The others were all closed up.  I think the purple and orange ones are my favorite.

What are little boys made of?

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails.

I'm working on a post about body image, and I'm hoping you'll give me some feedback for the post.  Please answer the survey above, or check it out here:  What Would You Change?   You can email me your answers if you like.

Questions for you (answer in the comment section below):
What's your favorite Pumpkin Spice flavored or scented thing?  
Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie?

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Where have I been?

This past month has been a whirlwind.

My "diet" went completely out the window.

My bike was in the shop and the puppy ate my helmet, so I took an unexpected 3 week break from riding.  Almost gave up completely on doing this years' Ride To Remember.  I just didn't see the point. Why bother? You can't do this ride if you aren't training for it.

Ride to Remember, 2015

I finally finished the master schedule at work, which was excruciating and mentally consuming. I never want to do it again. I become everyone's worst enemy because they don't like the schedule, they don't like how it came out, there is this, that or the other problem. I have seriously had it.  School starts tomorrow, can you tell I am frustrated??

During our Faculty Meeting on Thursday, the other counselors and I were sitting on the floor in the auditorium working on our students' schedules.  I am sooo over it!

I had exactly two days off this summer. Two.

If you count the 4th of July, I had three days off.
During my long weekend "vacation", we went up to Little Allum Pond and spent the afternoon relaxing on the water with some friends.

Not being a quitter, I started training for the Ride to Remember three weeks ago, and resolved to stick to my 3 x week goal.  So far, so good. I feel STRONG and am enjoying riding more than I remember. In fact, I love it.  (I loved it before, but sometimes you forget how much.)

Rode for almost 70 miles last Saturday with over 4K of climbing.  Had an amazing time!  This is me at the top of Mt. Skinner.

Removing all dietary restrictions (not that I really had any, but...) and eating whatever I want  (when I'm hungry) has given me a lot more energy to ride this year. I feel like my "care free" food attitude has made a big difference in my energy level.

Did the Southwick Rail Trail a couple weeks ago.

Why haven't I been keeping up the blog?

I hinted to you that I've been going through something personal this year and it has really taken a toll on me emotionally.  I haven't been going to the gym as much as I am used to either because I'm in such a rut that I can only focus on one thing at a time. Right now, it's riding.

Sooooo hot!!!  First ride out withe my new gears and new helmet.  Talk about sweat!!!

Sleep was escaping me, and often still does. But the sheer exhaustion from riding my bike 100-125 miles per week has made sleep much easier.

I am largely in survival mode right now, makes it very difficult to write motivational blog entries.  Practicing what I preach during tough times is an internal struggle.  I can't give up. I know that.

Here are some truths I need to remind myself of daily....

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
1 Chronicles 16:11

The Ride to Remember 2015 is in a little less than three weeks.  I am actually looking forward to it!  In a few minutes, I'm going out for a ride.  Maybe I will be able to shake off some of the stress from getting ready for school to start tomorrow!

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

To close, here's a message I got this morning from my dear friend Amy:

"God knows and wants us to lean into him...be very vulnerable...but it's the safest place to be."

Advice to live by...

Question for you...Answer in the comment section below.

Are you excited about "Back to School?"
What fun / exciting things did you do this summer?

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Riding For Her Life

The school district where I work published this article in the Springfield Educator.
It was released today.

The article is hard to read from this image.  Here is the body of the text:

By Cyrus Moulton

from The Winter 2015-16 Springfield Educator 

She initially thought completing a 100- mile plus bike ride was “a pipe dream.” But two years later, 80 pounds lighter and with support from students and staff at Springfield’s High School of Commerce, Tracey Coleman not only cycled 100-plus miles, but chronicled on a blog how she made that pipe dream come true in hopes of inspiring others. 

“The biggest thing preventing people from exercising, the thing that probably deters them the most, is they don’t see progress right away so they give up, or they have an obstacle that comes up, that prevents them with sticking to it, and give up,” said Coleman, a guidance counselor at Commerce. “So I write a lot about that— about nutrition and fitness, but mostly about motivation and sticking with your goals.” 

But it took a while for Coleman to see the rewards of sticking with her fitness goals. A self-professed bookworm growing up, Coleman “didn’t do sports in high school; I wasn’t good at them, didn’t like them, and as an adult I didn’t do them either.” 

She became heavy as an adult—or, as a student who recently saw an older picture of Coleman called it, “‘mad chubby”—and was bothered by arthritis that often crippled her with pain and prevented her from repetitive, high intensity activity, Coleman recalled. 

But in September 2013, Coleman’s husband Brian participated in the Springfield Police Department’s first Ride to Remember, a 106-mile bike trek from Springfield to Boston in memory of officers killed in the line of duty. 

That January, Coleman decided that this time—the heaviest she had ever been at 238 pounds—she was going to stick with her regular New Year’s Resolution of losing weight and eating healthier. So she began working out with a trainer. She did a Rugged Maniac obstacle course in September 2014 with her husband, and then thought that she might want to do the Ride to Remember. 

But that November, her trainer—a 24- year-old, healthy young man—suddenly got sick and died. 

“I was devastated,” Coleman said. “He was 24 when he died, and I was 45 and just wasn’t taking my life and health seriously.” 

So she kicked her training into high gear, working out six days a week with a new trainer and focusing on flexibility. It helped her deal with both the emotional pain from the loss and the physical pain of her arthritis. Her surgeon canceled an operation to help her arthritis and Coleman got a bike, joined training rides with a group from the local bike shop, and started pedaling to get ready for this September’s Ride To Remember. 

“It was threateningly scary to think ‘how am I going to do this, it’s going to be 100 miles, and really hilly,’” Coleman recalled. 

But she had support not just at the gym and bike shop, but at Commerce. 

Many kids participating in a dress-down day wore blue to support a fundraiser for the Ride to Remember. About a week before the ride, students made ribbons to sell, and helped Coleman sell t-shirts downtown to raise money for the event. The day before the ride, colleagues decorated Coleman’s office with messages of support, including many pictures of Wonder Woman in reference to Coleman’s nickname at the gym. 

And the pipe dream became reality. 

“It was really a proud moment to finish it and do it, and do it with my husband and show the support for the police department and the fallen officers,” Coleman said. “I was blessed by the outpouring of the love I got.” 

Plus, the reality wasn’t that scary. “It wasn’t too hard for me because I had done so much training,” Coleman admitted.

 So now it’s on to the next challenge: maintaining her weight and fitness (Coleman currently weighs 145 pounds) and inspiring and helping others by sharing her story through her blog “Tracey’s Getting Fit.” 

“We’ve all been trying to become healthier,” said Erica Lebel, a fellow guidance counselor at Commerce who credited Coleman with helped tone up her arms for her wedding. “We would make lunches for each other sometimes, we would go out to eat and make sure there were healthy things for her and us to eat.” 

Coleman said her fitness journey has also helped her be a better guidance counselor. She said she is able to relate better with students who worry about body image, she is more empathetic, and she is more willing to open up and share her feelings with students. 

“I can tell them at the least that I am human and that I have been through my own things,” said Coleman. “That I am a human, and I can persevere.” 

My thoughts???

Obviously I knew they were doing the article.  They interviewed me, I sent them some pictures for the article and they took my photo at school.  But seeing it in print really brings tears to my eyes.  This has been a long journey for me.  Thinking back on it is very emotional.  Thank you for  following my blog, for your encouragement.  I am blessed beyond words.

After the Ride to Remember, September 19, 2015 

Beautiful Day by  U2

It's a beautiful day.  

Sky falls, you feel like it's a beautiful day.  

Don't let it get away.  

You're on the road.  

But you've got not destination.  

It's a beautiful day.

Question for you: 

(Answer in the comment section below.)

What one thing are you most proud of accomplishing?

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Three things I learned

It's Tuesday.  It's been three days since the Ride to Remember.  

Before I start, make sure to read these posts if you missed any of them:

Wonder Women Fitness for Life
Ride to Remember posts (these tell the story about the Ride to Remember):
Feeling Loved
Sneak Peek
The Girl Picked Last

Since I am really tired, but I can't sleep, I thought I'd share with you three things I learned on the road to accomplish my goals.  I shared these with my Wonder Women Facebook group, and I thought I'd share them with you.

Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:3

1. Set your fitness goals for yourself and no one else. Others will let you down if you hinge the goal on them.  

I did this for me and no one else.  I had a lot of people I wanted to do it for, but the bottom line is that I did it for me.

2. Believe in yourself. You have more strength than you realize.  I shouldn't have, but I doubted myself every step of the way.  

3. Set your goal, do what you can to train for it, and know you have given it your all. When the day comes and you accomplish your goal. All the training will have paid off.  

I averaged between 60 - 100 (or more) miles per week this summer, training for the Ride to Remember.  I made sure to include climbing in almost every ride.  All my training paid off!

I've probably learned more but these three ring true today.  

To sum it up...

Dream it.  

Set a plan to accomplish it.

This is on the wall in the gym where I work out.  I had to take a picture of it.  It rings true for so many things, whether it's fitness, work, school work, or relationships.  If it's important, you'll make it happen.  If not, ...

Work towards it.

Achieve it.

You are a star!!!


Here's a REALLY cool YouTube video of this year's ride by Jeff Jo (I think I saw myself a couple of times in this, but it's hard to tell):

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Sneak peek

I did it!!!

If you did not have a chance to read it yet, make sure you check out what my school did for me on Friday:  Feeling Loved.  It's a quick vlog / photo blog of how they showered me with love!

Yesterday was the big day! What I've been working towards all year. We spent the night at my husband's family's house in Nahant, so I'll write more in a separate post. (Maria took such good care of us and Dave just brought me a coffee from Dunkin Donuts. I love them!!!)

Here is a sneak peak of our day:

Oh, what an adventure we had getting the bikes down there! My car battery died and we had to put the bikes on Brian's truck. Got down there and realized we forgot our water bottles. Thank God for Mitch, who came back with them just in time.  I was Number 59. 

You can't begin to imagine the feeling. There were over 300 riders, all dressed in matching  blue Ride to Remember shirts.  As it was a unity ride, we stayed together as a group the entire ride, a constant sea of blue. We had police escorts the entire ride. People came out to cheer for us the entire ride. It meant so much. 

Brian and I at the first rest stop. I took full advantage of every rest stop along the way.  Restroom first! (I gotta go, now!) And lots of water, Gatorade and nutrition. There was all different kinds of food. I enjoyed a little something at every stop.

It really was an amazing day. I felt strong all day.  My legs were strong, my energy was good. Towards the end, my arms, wrists and elbows were sore, probably from holding my handlebars so much and so tight all day.  With that many riders, all close together, we were on our brakes a lot.  There were several rider crashes. (Fortunately not me.) 

Regrouping.

I'll write part two in a separate post. This is just a sneak peek.

You MUST check out this YouTube video of this year's ride:

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