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You are here: Home / Sidesaddle Blog / 4,000 MILES LATER.

4,000 MILES LATER.

April 16, 2021 By Colin D. 8 Comments

Contributed by Terry Friend, Karen Marshall.


Cycling through a year of pandemic

We’re here.  We’ve still got two wheels.  We learned how to find joy and freedom on our bikes during a wild ride called 2020.  The year brought us together as a planet in ways that we will never forget.  For me the metaphor of climbing a gap applies: an uphill battle, a sweet ride down. 

I started the year with a plan for a RAID ride: to cycle the spine of the Pyrenees in France from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.  8 rides, 495 miles, 14 cols and a few feet of climbing with a group of close friends.  Like all of yours, my plans were dashed, and a new reality set in as Covid took hold of our planet.  It unified us in a common experience we could never predict: separation from our families and parents, a virus that took the lives of too many, racial inequity that tore us apart, jobs lost, relationships broken, hunger, loneliness and uncertainty. And a new accessory called masks.

Someplace in that climb called Covid, we found that two pedals were a safe place to be.

In late March of 2020, I converted my dashed RAID dreams to a 3000-mile goal for the season.  April gap rides in Vermont are chilly!  I relied on my every woman must have Terry winter tights and insulated jerseys.  As lockdown set in, my Covid release was 130 miles a week on my bike.  With my two closest friends we rode “in our bubble” all summer exploring endless dirt roads we had never travelled before…on gravel bikes.  We never left Vermont but experienced a whole new world of beautiful farms and pastures, sunsets and even a portage around a crumbled bridge. We stopped and took pictures…posting and sharing on Strava.  It was our way to stay connected with friends in a year of distance and disconnect.

Karen Marshall paused to note her mileage at the top of a steep climb, when she hit a total of 3,000 miles for 2020.

On July 18th I put my Terry Tour de France kit on, today was the day to cross the 3000-mile mark. Fittingly, I achieved it at 37.08 miles into that ride at the top of a Middlebury gap climb.  On the sweet ride down through curves and landscape that had inspired Robert Frost to write poems such as “The Road Not Taken,” I moved my goal up to 3500 miles.  The next 500 miles included the virtual Kelly Brush Ride, an annual century event raising funds to support people with spinal cord injuries with adaptive equipment to live active lives (www.kellybrushfoundation.org).   In a year of reinventing how we did everything, KBF smashed its fundraising goal- a strong testament to cyclists across the country who took part.

I crossed my next milestone on a gnarly 4th class gravel grinder in October.  With insulated Terry tights back on, we encountered 50 miles of dirt, mud, water, rocks and navigated our way through forests.   With snow and winter setting in, 4000 miles called. I felt a strong drive to beat 2020, to have one defining victory in a year called terrible.   I kept riding – often on my own – but stopped to take in the scenes along the way.   Christmas Eve was a balmy day in Vermont, my two wheels called, and I crossed the 4000-mile finish line.   

The year behind us was an uphill climb in every way we could never imagine. But we had two wheels and cycling was freedom, fresh air, exercise, and solace.  We united in our experiences as moms, daughters, grandmothers, partners, and friends to take care of one another.

4000 miles later. We’re here.  It’s a new season.  Hope and our bikes beckon.  Maybe you discovered cycling in the last year, maybe you shared it with kids or grandkids, maybe you cried one day out on the road.  Maybe you found hope, health, and happiness on two wheels.  Maybe you’ll ride your bike to get vaccinated! 

However you do it, ride in Terry.  It’s gear made for us. Women who fight the uphill battle and enjoy the sweet ride down.

#terryfaerie #rideladiesride

Karen Marshall – #terryfaerie – is a healthcare management consultant living in Vermont, enjoying road cycling, gravel grinding, skiing, skinning, sailing and her two adult kids.

Filed Under: Sidesaddle Blog Tagged With: COVID-19


Comments

  1. Terry Stekly says

    April 18, 2021 at 2:13 pm

    So inspirational! I loved this.

    Reply
    • Terry Faerie says

      April 19, 2021 at 7:54 pm

      Whenever we jump in the saddle and ride down the road, the path, the bike lane, the dirt and gravel we all inspire someone to be healthy! Spread the inspiration! Hope you have a great season.
      P.S. Did you see the Terry summer preview? Now THAT is inspiration!!!

      Reply
  2. Nina S. says

    April 18, 2021 at 5:17 pm

    Your article and your photos are exquisite. Thank you for bringing some light to all of us.

    Reply
    • Terry Faerie says

      April 19, 2021 at 8:05 pm

      Vermont is like that :)!!! One of my favorite experiences of every bike ride is being part of the landscape around us. Being on two wheels reminds us how fortunate we are to be healthy and outside. Have a great season! – Terry Faerie

      Reply
  3. Nancy says

    April 18, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    Biking through Covid with girl friends has been a great outcome of this year. We have become stronger bikers, made great memories, and stronger friendships!

    Reply
    • Terry faerie says

      April 19, 2021 at 7:59 pm

      Amen! Say that again. I’m thrilled that so many women found cycling in the past year. I share great times with my bestie who is featured with me in these photos. A few years back i wrote about having our own “kits” to ride in, gear made for us! hope the #terryfaerie comes your way with gear this season!

      Reply
  4. Sonia Laing says

    April 19, 2021 at 3:40 pm

    Riding in small groups in 2020 quickly became my sense of normalcy! It was the one thing Covid couldn’t take from me. I had multiple skin cancer surgeries, but somehow found a way to always get back on my bike! My Terry Solei jerseys are my mainstay as are my Terry shorts! Here’s to happy healthy riding in 2021 with lofty goals!!

    Reply
  5. Terry Faerie says

    April 19, 2021 at 8:01 pm

    Keep it rolling Sonia! and keep the UV protection on 🙂 Cycling brings health in our heads, our bodies, hearts and minds. Let’s all make sure to invite friends along this season!

    Reply

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