Missing Pink!

What a phenomenal start to the memorial race weekend girls. I’ve enjoyed hearing about the road race on Friday night and the legendary Snake Alley on Saturday, but it really makes me feel like I’m “Missing Pink”. I decided Friday afternoon that I was too buried with work and family commitments, to try and partake in the festivities this weekend with the ladies in Pink. Reading about it just isn’t the same as being there with you and I probably should have said, “to heck with it” and went!!!

I think back to last year when we were all just starting to learn about cycling, envisioning a team of our own and wondering where it would take us. Now, we are there and I am so proud to be part of a team that looks out for one another, encourages others to excel and take their cycling dreams to whatever level they like!!! I made the decision not to go this weekend, but I was never made to feel like it was a wrong decision. That is what is great about my team and why I am “Missing Pink”!!!

I met with my Chiropractor Saturday morning to try and relieve a migraine that I had since Friday. Fortunately, it was very successful, so I decided that I would head out at the first break of sunshine about 4:00 pm to get in a 2 hour ride. I started down Westown Pkwy to 63rd Street, Hwy 28 to Park Avenue and then the Great Western Trail head to Orilla/Norwalk and through the south side (my old stopping grounds) and Hwy 28 and back home. It was a pretty relaxing 2 hour ride until I started down 50th Street south on my way home, about where Prairie Life fitness club is, and some young wiper snapper decided that he had something to say to me about riding on the road instead of the trail. I decided that I wasn’t going to put up with his belligerent comments and said a few choice words to him and gave him a thumbs up or I guess it was a middle finger up to let him know I didn’t appreciate his comments. At that point in my ride I was “Missing Pink”!

I guess it just doesn’t feel the same without my teammates there to practice rotations, chatting about the days stresses or just seeing the smiles as we gracefully flip off those belligerent a_ _ whips that drive by. I wish I could hear and see the smiles on your faces this weekend as you all cross the finish line at Snake Alley and the other races that bring each of us closer together as a team. Way to go girls!!!! I was cheering for you from a far and I know that you will represent women in cycling well!!!
- Dalena