Preparing For the Ride
You know, in last weeks article on the upcoming ride across Iowa that my Brother and I are preparing for, the article ended with the following quote in reference to the fact that a great many counties across which we will be riding will be recovering from the recent flooding all across Iowa, my Brother made the following statement: "They (the people of Iowa) need something like this to bring them out of the funk that they're in."
[For the entire article, click http://http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.bike09jul09,0,545294.story?page=1]
It's a great statement. The devastation across a great deal of the state of Iowa is horrific. However, the irony here is that last year, as my Brother and I prepared to ride across the state for the first time, WE needed an event like RAGBRAI to bring US out of the funk that WE were in. After losing Lisa Kae Brown, our lovely, brilliant and beautiful Sister, both Jeff and I had both slid into this funk or depression. I didnt want to do much else beyond work and come home. I didnt go out. I didnt exercise. I wanted to just stare at a television screen and not think about anything. Selfish, I know. Sure there were times I allowed myself to emerge from the seclusion in order to spend time with family at birthday parties or to hear my Niece Caitlin's band do a gig somewhere in Maryland. But ultimately, my favorite past time was to sulk.
RAGBRAI gave me the chance to emerge from that funk and depression and gave me a focus I needed desperately. It got me back on my bike, pedaling away. Letting the emotional pain evaporate with my sweat and muscle aches. It was tremendously cathartic! So this year, we are not only riding for the three members of my family that have battled cancer over the past three years...we are riding also for those in Iowa who are dealing with their own funk.
If you are interested in supporting me on this ride, here is a link to my Lance Armstrong Foundation Fund Raising Page:
Sean: http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2008/ragbrai2008sbrown
Remember to always LIVESTRONG!
Sean Brown
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