At that point my path
was clear and I quickly found a deal
on a riding course through Groupon for
$94 – a big thank you to Iron Buffalo
Motorcycle Training! A friend and I
decided to take the class together
and with significant anxiety, I started
my training class on October 13th. I
was scared that I wouldn’t
be capable of operating
the bike and that I might
not be able to go through
with my plan, but my
instructor talked me down
and convinced me that he
could teach me to ride. At
mid-point on the first day of
class I was hooked. I got
to the test and had a very
uncomfortable exchange
with a fellow student right
before I was to proceed
with the last part of the
exam. She was my age, a
parent herself and asked me
how old my children were.
When I said 8 and 10 she shot me
an accusing look and said, “You
shouldn’t be riding!” She totally
psyched me out and pissed me
off! I passed the test and went to
my friend and told him what
happened. I fired out that
what she did was wrong
and asked, “When am I
supposed to start living my
life?” She wasn’t the first
person to attempt to scare
me with their fear, but in
time I would learn that their
path was not mine.
loved the challenge of riding, but had
yet to find the comfort and connection
I knew was possible with my bike. I
discovered that vulnerability and
freedom were the perfect combination
for a challenge which would bring me
out of my comfort zone while also
offering potential for growth.
This new hobby had all the
ingredients of a great love affair.
The night I turned 49, after my
party guests had left, I sat at
my kitchen table and sobbed
because my life felt completely
stalled.
My youngest child
was going to have surgery and
waiting for the appointment to
come had me completely gripped
– the process to determine the
necessity of the surgery was long
and the conclusion was that it was
a good choice despite his issues
with anesthesia. I didn’t like it,
didn’t want to put him through it
and also didn’t want to obstruct
what could possibly offer him a long
term benefit. So, the next morning I got on my
bike and took a ride. When I returned I texted
a close friend who had encouraged me in my
riding and asked if he wanted to go
for a ride. I had not felt at ease on
mountain roads and he was a very
patient teacher who made me feel
safe in challenging situations – he
was on board! We rode up and
down Coal Creek Canyon in the
rain the following week and after
the ride, I told him about the plan
I was hatching. I asked him lots
of questions – he was the most
experienced rider I’d ever met
and was quite willing to share
what he knew. He thought my
goal was possible.
It was still a long process
of dropping the bike, falling
off it and regaining my riding
confidence before I wanted
to attempt going somewhere
outside my county alone. I
www.thunderroadscolorado.com
When I first floated the idea that
I wanted to ride to Yellowstone
May 2015
Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 25