What I Think About When I Think About Cycling**

**apologies to Haruki Murakami for paraphrasing the title of his wonderful book, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

Yesterday I got back on the horse, so to speak. My wounds sufficiently healed, I saddled up my road bike and hit the road for a 30 mile ride. Have you heard the expression "just like riding a bike"? It means that once you've mastered a skill, you never forget how to do that again. That's exactly what this ride felt like. I wasn't nervous, but I will admit to being a little tentative at first. After a couple of miles, I relaxed and settled into my ride, even pushing my pace on the straightaways. I do love to go fast!

Once I got off the road and onto the forest preserve bike path, I had plenty of time to think. I heard all the birds singing and enjoyed the beauty of all the nature around me. I was so happy to be back on the bike. I also had some random thoughts about cycling.

Forward is a Pace

Thanks to everyone who let me have my pity party last Sunday. Your comments and support meant a lot to me and helped me work through my frustration. I'm still trying to figure out how to approach my training and maybe I never will, but for now, I'm working on recovery--both from my bike crash and also from what seems to be an increase in RA symptoms. I'm sure it's all related. Right now the only thing I can count on is the unpredictability of this disease!

Moving on...

Runfessions: MAYhem

Is it really the last Friday of May? Wow, this month just flew by for me. It's been a busy, crazy month but that doesn't mean I don't have time to runfess! Marcia has opened the runfessional and I've got a few things to share.

Speaking of Marcia, I runfess that I blatantly stole the title of my post from her. I couldn't find any better word to describe this truly unbelievably chaotic month. Let's get right to it.

The Universe Speaks: What's This Runner to Do?

"The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you." ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

It's been a rough couple of weeks. Last month, I published a post called All Aboard the Hot Mess Express and I feel like I'm still riding the rails. Even running, which is my go-to when I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed, isn't serving me well.

But what does a runner do when the going gets tough?

Book Review: Run Forever by Amby Burfoot

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Run Forever from Corner Street Publishing in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Somewhat overshadowed by the amazing performance of the women's' runners at this year's Boston Marathon was legendary runner Amby Burfoot's 50th anniversary of his 1968 Boston win. He finished in 4:53:22, a time that was about twice as slow as his winning time of 2:22:17. Considering that he is now 70 years old, that finish time would be remarkable under any circumstances! But when you think about how many DNFs there were at this year's race and the horrible conditions the runners had to endure, his finish is all the more remarkable. Amby recaps the race on his blog.

I'm pretty sure that Amby's years of experience and knowledge of running came in handy that day. In his new book, Run Forever, Amby shares his running wisdom with us! After 55 years and 100,000 miles of running, he wanted to help motivate runners who want to stay fit and active for life. For this review, Amby shares some of his thoughts about running and why he wrote the book.

9 Tips for Traveling Light Without Feeling That You've Left Something At Home

Disclaimer: I received clothing from prAna in exchange for this blog post and my honest opinion. It's easy to be positive about prAna clothing!

I just love summer and what's more fun than a trip out of town? With airlines becoming increasingly restrictive about carry-on luggage, travelers really have to pack light or risk having to check a bag. I recently took an overnight trip to a half marathon in Alabama and booked a "basic economy" flight on United. While the ticket was inexpensive, I was restricted to what was basically a tote bag which had to fit under the seat in front of me. I researched the bag size and found lots of options online if I wanted to purchase one that met the requirements. Fortunately, I had a small duffle bag which fit the size restrictions and carefully selected which items I needed to bring.

I take weekend trips fairly often and have become pretty good at packing. Here are some tips for traveling light without feeling like you've left something at home!

I Crashed My Bike

This post contains an affiliate link.

Monday was a beautiful day. I woke up to sunny skies and planned to ride my bike to work after lunch. I took my yoga mat outside to do my weekly yoga class and settled onto my mat.

Then my phone rang. Mama drama again. I rolled up my yoga mat and spent a couple of hours dealing with that situation. I called work and let them know that I couldn't come in.

I was anxious, shook up, angry...and then...