Going Full Circle on Ski Trails and in our Lives

After a full week of cross-country ski training with her Bill Koch Team at Bretton Woods, my daughter and I finally had a full day to take a ski together. Lorenzo and Luca were downhill skiing so there was no one else to worry about. Just Valentina and I out to enjoy six inches of fluffy powder on some of the prettiest trails in NE.

After this wonderful day was over I realized that we had a transformational milestone in our skiing together, her personal and physical growth and our relationship.

As headed to the wax room to prep our skis, Valentina not only insisted on prepping her own skis but she decided to teach me a thing or two on the difference between the application of Toko and Swix wax. Swix you criss cross on, Toko you rub on. After years of her having no interest in waxing or taking care of her equipment, I smiled and mentally marked this milestone and said, "Thanks sweetie. Now lets ski!"  We checked the map and I asked her if she wanted to do a long ski around the perimeter of the Bretton Woods. In years past I would have not used the word "long", knowing that would have resulted in a visceral negative reaction but rather would have planned a much shorter ski and try to slyly lengthen the distance cleverly along the way by telling stories, thinking of games and diversions to keep her mentally and physically engaged. Today, for the first time, she simply said, “OK Mom and I am going to give you some coaching, OK?” “Absolutely” I replied thinking of the years I had tried to coach her, “Let’s go!” Milestone number one. My daughter is coaching me!

She sprinted off towards the “Perimeter Trail and on to “Esker” where she started observing my double poling, “You have to use your core more Mom.”  I smiled and said “OK I will honey” and we were off. We stopped on a bridge overlooking a river; she took out her camera and took a picture of ME. Now that’s a real switch I thought. Off to the Dark Forest Trail and then up to Clinton, a gorgeous rolling trail lined with beach and birch trees.  As she climbed gracefully and faster than I, I thought of the many years she would be behind me and I would use every coaxing, encouraging trick I knew only to patiently endure her adorable face in a whining cry bellowing, “How much longer?” or “I hate skiing” or “You always trick me into doing things you want Mom,” and I would wonder if I was indeed imposing cruel and unusual punishment on my small child.  Watching her fly up the hills, now demanding to stay in front of me, I guess it was worth the hour and miles invested.  Milestone number two: My daughter now flies on her own. Ah yes, the days are long but the years are short.

We took a right on the B&M trail, along straight, slightly downhill trail that is perfect for double poling. Since I love to go fast on this section, I got on her side and said, “Let’s race!” We double poled hard at exactly the same speed for several minutes until she started to pass me then she stopped and said, “OK. Stop this is weird.” Milestone number three: My daughter realizes that she can fly past her mother (and mom is not letting her).

We resume gently skiing downhill along the Bridle Path River Trail, we emerge into the open field with the Mt Washington Hotel in full view and my heart filled with joy and satisfaction over the 15 kilometer ski we completed in two hours. 

We take an hour break and the “old” needy Valentina returns by proclaiming she does not want to ski anymore, that she is hungry, tired and that her left foot hurts. She has her chili, I eat my PB&J. She begs for candy; I decline. We have looped back to a “mommy-make-me-happy” place that I recognize but do not bow down to, especially after having experienced the new and matured Valentina.

I head out skiing again. I ask Valentina to come; at first she declines, then she says she will do a short ski. We head out Coronary Hill and left on Wiley’s Way, a lovely trail that zig zags in and out of fields and through a dark forest to The Tunnel Trail where Valentina starts to whine that she is tired and wants to head back. I know she is perfectly fine and that perhaps she is getting bored of all this skiing and that she needs to play a game.  I gladly comply knowing that this will keep her engaged for many more kilometers.  She suggests that we play “I Spy” but after two rounds, she says that this might be hard when everything we spy are either trees or snow. We laugh and I suggest we play 20 questions and she says, “Great, I’ll start!”  The kilometers roll by as we try to guess what animal, plant or human the other one is thinking of.  She stumps me on Bob Hope. I give her hints and she guesses Polar Bear. I guess Frank Sinatra and Minnie Mouse. She stumps me on Paul Newman and the kilometers go by. I remind her that we have made it all the way around again. She says, “ I know, but I didn’t want to complain." Did I just hear that?   Milestone number four: She pushed herself, created a diversion and went along with her mother’s wishes all at the same time. Wow is this day really happening? 

We keep playing 20 questions until we realize that it is already 4:30, the lodge is closing and the rest of our family is waiting.  Valentina insists on leading even though she is now dragging mentally and physically.  Of course I let her and remind her that she in the past week she has skied over 100KM. “ I don’t care” she retorts in a sharp, sassy too familiar way. I smile knowing that in one day we have had a major transformation. Not only did we ski two long 15 KM loops but our rock solid mother-daughter team has gone full circle from child to young woman and back again many times over.  

I would love to hear your favorite mother daughter event or story on how playing outdoors brought you closer.  Please feel free to share you story here

Places We Love to Ride!

Just in time for Valentines Day, we asked our Ciclismo fans what place they love to ride and here is the list

I will start with mine:
Sardinia: Captivating at every curve
Tuscany: Where the Ciclismo Story began
The Dolomites: Magnificent!
Le Marche: Soulful roots of my family tree
Puglia: Playful & bursting with Flavor
Keene, NH: Views of Mt Monadnock take me home
Lofoten, Norway: Leave me here for a month to explore!
Abruzzo: Piano Grande. Fly Me to the Moon

Allyson Jones Wong; Bike Across Italy
Sorano! I loved that breath taking view from our castle hotel room in the misty morning. My husband and I went there on our honeymoon. It was our first trip with Ciclismo.
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/pitigliano.htm

Nathaniel Hefferman: Cape Cod
The Cape Cod Rail Trail - where my wife and I started dating.
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/southeast/ccrt.htm

Bobbie Carlton (Nate's Wife!)
17 years ago -- Cape Cod Rail Trail -- trying to decide if the guy on the bicycle ahead of me was The One. (Note: we've now been married 15 years.)

Susan Cassidy: Martha's Vineyard
Easy -- a ride with my husband on the Vineyard, out to Gay Head. Got caught in a brief cloudburst so we took refuge at and got a great snack at a farmer's market in (I think) West Tisbury. It was a great day, simply awesome ride, and I loved introducing my husband to biking on the Vineyard.
http://www.mvy.com/CWT/External/WCPages/WCDirectory/BikingOnTheVineyardDirectory.aspx?Category=bicycle&Adkeyword=bicycle&EntityID=0

Julia Kropp
My top five lifetime rides:
5. Sonoma Wine Country Loop
4. Ride Around Lake Tahoe
3. Best Buddies Ride Down California Highway One
2. Biking Across the Golden Gate Bridge to Tiburon ... See More
1. Ciclismo Classico's Bike Across Italy (the whole thing- it's gorgeous!)

Rich Poliak
To be honest virtually anywhere in Italy! There are several rides and places that come to mind where Cath and I have great memories:
Bike across Italy - we did it twice, 94' and 00'.
Giro D'Italia we did that one twice as well, 96' and 01'- the climb from Norcia to Piano Grande for a great picnic of formaggi e salumi con tartufi! I'm hungry now....
SR222 from Firenze to Greve and then to Siena. Wow!
Riding through the Crete outside of Pienza...
Riding in Puglia especially all the Trulli around Alberobello.
I can go on and on...

Kimberly Kapner
On the top of the wall in Lucca with my hubby. And through beautiful English countryside and towns stopping for pub lunches and tea (same companion).

Rob Jones: Paris
Let's see...late night ride around the glass Pyramid at the Louvre! Lit from below...street musician playing a saxophone...beautiful summer evening.

Alyson Fletcher
So hard to decide! Montreal was quite nice - over the bridges, to the islands, to the tippy top of Mont Royal and all the museums and sites in between. They even have bike stoplights! & Separated and protected bike lanes! Other competitors:
1. Vancouver - biked around the entire city peninsula. Almost all coastal, with vistas to the beaches, ... See Moreoceans, forests, and mountains. (How awesome is Canada??!)
2. The Finger lakes: Biked around the finger lakes in western new york during the Musselman Tri - cool breezes, vinyards, farm animals, and mennonites trotting alongside on horse and buggies. So cute!

Giovanni Massa
Along the Danubium from Wien to Praga

Michael Stechow
Hard to pick one best, but in no particular order:
Montenegro - Kotor to Cetinje and back
Macedonia - Ohrid and Prespa lakes ride
Greece - loop around Sithonia peninsula
France - Mont Ventoux, my tandem partner was so proud...

Thorey Jonsson Goldstein: Puglia
http://www.ciclismoclassico.com/trip_finder/view_trip/128/easy_pedaling_puglia
Biking in the Puglia region with my husband on a tandem. Spectacular! And then of course riding up to the Marroon Bells in Aspen.

John Dancy: Bike Across Italy
1. The climb from Fossombrone up through the Cesane forest to Urbino - i made a lifelong friend on that trip, thanks Ciclismo!
2. Mountain biking the Resurrection Pass Trail, Kenai Wilderness Preserve, Alaska - 40 Epic Miles
3. Tossa De Mar to Sant Feliude Guixols, not a long ride, but spectacular twists and turns along the Mediterranean in Spain's Gold Coast, near Girona
4. My favorite loop at home in Loudoun County, VA, along Snickersville Turnpike, which alway reminds of the farm country in Tuscany. Bellisimo!

Craftsbury Marathon: What we loved and learned from sub zero skiing

When we walked to breakfast the SWIX thermometer said 15 Below Zero.  Breathing in felt crispy as the moisture in our nose and on our face quickly froze.  This was my 10 year-old daughter and my second Craftsbury Marathon and despite the cold we were both very excited to ski our best and have fun. The moon the night before had been the brightest all year, the sun was bright and beautiful blue skies told me this was going to be a great day.

At the common dining room where we have had many wonderful hearty meals and delightful conversations over the 11 years we have been staying at Craftsbury, we met a woman who recognized my Ciclismo Classico wind jacket and said that she dreamed of taking one of our bicycle tours with her friends. She also shared that she has been involved with the repurchase project of Windblown Cross Country Ski Area, a project that I have pledged my interest in with a "$250. Yes Count me in" vote of approval. Another serendipitous meeting of the mind experience that comes out of just doing what you love.


Layering would be tough today. How many layers do you wear when it is below zero? We knew we would warm up a lot while skiing but it was still tricky.  We both ended up putting on several thin wicking layers and our jackets.

The night before we had our TOKO friends put on the magical mix of green klister bind and several layers of highly buffled mint green wax but while we had Wax Peace of Mind, we had them rub in a couple more layers of Blue.

At the starting line. I kept asking myself:  Warmer Hat? Glove liner? More energy drink? Carrying too much food? What about that wax? By the time I could circle back with that thought the cow bells rung and we were off dashing down the track sharing the 12KM loop with hundreds of the nation's best skiers as well as passionate amateurs like Valentina and I.  Lesson Number 1. Be Ready.  The best skiers and likely winners most certainly were

By KM 3, our hands were frozen but we also had one too many layer on and were carrying too much stuff (camera's snacks, etc). Since the next check point was not for 8KM we would have to do our best feeling a bit hot and overloaded.

Althought it was a bit slippery, the course was beautiful, just the right flow of flats, ups, downs and rolling. There were lots of fast skiers too so while we could look ahead, we had TRACK yelled at us throughout the race ( a request to get out of your track and let the faster skier behind you have the track). Personally I like the on your left command in cycling a bit better

At KM 4 we took off some layers and got a bit more wax since we were slipping. We skied off with Valentina always in the lead!  At KM 6 Volunteers shouted out HEED ( a performance drink)and GOO which most just grabbed and whizzed by. We stopped,  enjoyed 2 cups of Heed and Valentina has her first try of sticky GOO. Here we met up with Ciclismo Classico alumni Caroline Mock who had won our FREE Ciclismo Classico Spot in the Marathon.

Off we went again. At KM 7 we had a more serious problem. Valentina had gotten GOO in her glove and when she took it off and then put it back on, the glove lining remained inside out and she could not put the glove back on.  We struggled for ten minutes but the glove was rendered useless. I gave her my glove and then tried to figure out how I would ski 5KM in sub zero temps without a glove. I managed a combination of pulling my sleeve over my hand, skiing one handed and mind over matter until we got back to the center and I could switch out gloves. Lesson Number 2: Watch the Goo, bring extra gloves and Mind over Matter is more powerful than you think (at least until real frostbite hits).

By halfway through the race, we both got everything right. Layers were good, extra weight was off, bellies had the right mix of food and water, wax was the best it would be for the icy conditions. We were off to ski the remaining 12K faster than the first 12K.  I tried to savor every kilometer, enjoying rolling track on pristine farmland, curvy descents through birch groves and appreciating that my own strength was making it happen. Certainly I could train more but I was also feeling enormously proud of my daughter who was skiing beautifully,  confidently and without complaints---by next year just might be flying ahead of me so I had better start training now. I could not ask for more. Near the end she said "pretty soon we will be in a nice warm hotel mom," but I responded that I kind of liked it right now, right here! Valentina beat me over the finish line and cheered me on as I double poled one last time on the 2010 Craftsbury Marathon. We finished the course strong and with two very large smiles. Lesson Number 3: The Stars do align more often than we think. We are blessed

At the awards banquet after the race, we discovered that Valentina had come in first for her age group. It was a nice surprise, she won her hand made bowl but the satisfaction was still in completing this event together and that it hopefully will continue to be a mother daughter tradition for many years to come (or at least as long as I can keep up with her). Lesson number 4: Have fun, love what you do. The reward will come.

As a final treat: As one of the GOLD sponsors of the event, Ciclismo Classico donated a trip to the raffle. As Valentina read the number, a young man walked up to claim the 6 DAY Piedmont Biking Tour. I congratulated him and he said to the crowd that he would give it to his mother, the same woman who I had met at breakfast who was dreaming of the tour. I love when that happens! Lesson Number 5: Share the dream and be nice to your mother! 

Seth is My New Year's Resolution Hero!

Just in time for procrastination arrives another nugget of wisdom from my favorite business author, Seth Godin. I read and ponder on his daily posts and share them readily with my colleagues and friends. He always makes me think and his new book hopefully will inspired me to finish my list and focus on some big goals that will make a difference in my life and the world.  Thank you Seth!


This is a guest post from best-selling author and top blogger Seth Godin, author of the new book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?.


Why is it so difficult to ship?
Ship as in get it out the door. Ship as in make a difference at work. Ship as in contribute your art and vision and expertise and passion to the project you’re working on.

Image via Wikipedia

Regular readers of this blog (and of Leo’s life-changing book) have seen first hand what happens when you force the distractions out of your life and focus on what needs to be completed instead. What he has taught us is that when you focus your efforts and energies on things that matter and cut out the stalling and distractions, amazing things happen. It’s absolutely astonishing how much we can accomplish (and insanely disappointing how few people do).
What separates the few who ship from the masses who stumble, stall and ultimately surrender?
The resistance.
Steven Pressfield first wrote about the resistance a few years ago. The resistance is that little voice in the back of your head, the one that tells you that it will never work, the one that insists you check your email one last time, the one that worries that people will laugh at you.
The resistance loves committees and it hates a mission. The resistance creates fear and uncertainty, and it will do almost anything to keep you from being noticed. There’s a biological underpinning to the resistance–your amygdala. The amygdala is the pre-historic portion of your brain, located near the brain stem. It’s responsible for fear and anger and revenge and sex and survival. When the amygdala is aroused, when it feels threatened, when there’s a sense that people might actually laugh at you, it takes over. It rises up in rage and fear and shuts you down.
And so the resistance kicks in. The resistance goes to meetings and plays devil’s advocate (I didn’t know the devil needed an advocate.)
The resistance finds excuses, it makes tasks needlessly complex (or oversimplifies so much that you fail). The resistance uses phrases like, “see, I told you it would never work.” The resistance demands that you study the issue more, or grab a Diet Coke, or go visit those friends who are in from out of town and you won’t be able to see them unless you go right now. The resistance invented yak shaving. The resistance is also responsible for giving you an even better idea just before you finish this one… in fact, the resistance will do anything it can to prevent you from shipping.
Why do little companies get so much more out the door than big ones? Because big companies have committees, groups of people designed to protect the status quo, to prevent failure, to avoid catastrophe. The committee is made up of humans, each of whom is battling her own version of the resistance. “If this ships, my boss will see it, and I might get fired.” “If this ships, a kid might use it, cut of his finger and I might get in trouble.” “If this ships, people are going to think it was my idea, and there’s a chance, just a chance, they might hate it.” Most of all, “if this ships, people might laugh at me.” And so the committee shoots for the lowest common denominator of safety, a product or service or idea that arouses no one’s lizard brain. Which means mediocre. Or late. Or both.
The iPod came from two people, Steve and Jonathan. The Zune came from 250. Which product would you rather own?
The resistance sabotaged my work for years. It pushed me to focus on average topics, delivered in a blameless way, because that felt safer.
So, when others were starting search engines or revolutionizing the online world, I was busy creating sort of ordinary books for sort of ordinary editors who were looking for the next small thing. And no one scolded me for doing this. No one looked at my sort of average work and called me out on it, because they were fighting the very same resistance as I was. It’s surprisingly easy to get through life and make a career out of being average… the resistance would prefer it if you did.
The resistance is powerful, so powerful that all the shortcuts, time savers and focusing tools are powerless in its path. Now you know its name. Now you know how it sneaks in under the radar and sounds quite sensible as it undermines your work and compromises your vision. When the resistance appears, you must call it out. Call it by name. Recognize it for what it is and then defeat it. You will defeat it not by rationalization or even a calm discussion. You will defeat it with single-minded effort, effort so deep and dedicated that it might exhaust you.
Unfortunately, the web is filled with tips and tricks and lists that appear to help you in your quest to shut up the lizard, to defeat the resistance. I say unfortunately because these lists are calm, practical and ultimately ineffective. They are polite in the face of a nefarious enemy, they are rational in the face of screaming insecurity. None of them are working for you because you may not be serious about actually defeating the resistance. It’s fun to procrastinate and comforting to dissemble, because not shipping doesn’t arouse the lizard brain. It’s safe.


Seth Godin is the author of a new book called Linchpin. It’s about recognizing, defeating and ultimately destroying the resistance on the path to doing work that matters. Read more about the book.

Cycling as a Means to Reach Your 2010 New Year's Resolutions

Dear Cycling Friends,

I love the New Year! It is such a great time to wipe the slate clean and start things anew. There is no better time to commit to carpe diem than January!

So many of us make New Year's resolutions but often we lose sight of them. I think the success of your resolutions comes in visualizing the result and by making the goals clear, specific, measurable, realistic and connected to a passion that will get you there. 

Cycling is such a wonderful sport and is a great theme around which your resolutions can revolve. Cycling can inspire every area of our lives: health, travel, family, diet, learning, friends, and even spirituality. Imagine the possibilities if this theme could help you have the best year of your life?

Inspired by our Ciclismo Classico guests, here's my top ten list of cycling-themed resolutions that can help 2010 be the best ever! I've included sample measurable goals as well.

1. Improve overall health & fitness: Ride your bike regularly.  Goal: Set a specific mileage goal for 2010.
2. Enjoy quality time with family: Get your whole family on bikes.  Goal: Take five biking outings with your kids.
3. Connect deeply with old or new friends: Plan your next bicycle tour reunion.  Goal: Call our office and work with our travel consultants to pick two or three Ciclismo tours that you think your friends would like and ask them to join you.
4. Travel more: Take two bicycling vacations this year.  Goal: Plan your dates and dreamy destination by February 1.
5. Make healthy cuisine a habit and lifestyle.  Goal: Get a blender and learn to make healthy smoothies every day for your whole family.
6. Have more fun: Don't take cycling too seriously.  Goal: At least once a month, plan a ride that has nothing to do with speed or distance.
7. Connect and give back to your community and our world.  Goal: Sign up for one charity ride and raise more than the minimum.
8. Learn something new: Learn to fix your bike, lead a bike tour, bicycle through history.  Goal: Take a language or cooking class.
9. Save more money: Save gas money, bike more miles (at least locally) than you drive.  Goal: Start today! Use your bike or feet to do at least one errand per week.  Increase by one errand every month.  By the end of the year, make one day a no-car day.
10. More life balance and spirituality: Cycling as meditation in motion.  Goal: Clip your favorite spiritual passage or poem into your map holder and reflect on it as you ride.
    

If you need help coming up with - and achieving - resolutions this year, check out Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project. It's a wonderful set of resources, including a best-selling book, a blog, and lots of other stuff!

Interested in a "tool box" that will help you fulfill your New Year's Resolutions (which hopefully include more cycling, delicious dinners w/friends, learning something new & lots of wonderful travels)? Check out Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project Blog, toolbox & book that is #2 on the NYT Best Seller List

What are your cycling-themed resolutions? I wish you and your loved ones a most happy, healthy, fun, and cycling-filled 2010!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2009 Toasting a Tapestry of Travel, Good Times and Two-Wheeled Tales

We’ve been blessed with a wonderful, healthy year filled with travel, kid’s extra-curricular events & fun times with friends, family & our super-talented Ciclismo team. We’ll celebrate a great year with an 8-day trip to San Francisco!
January: Quebec, Hot Yoga & the Craftbury Marathon: Skied over 120 km of beautifully groomed trails of Mt Sainte Anne, did some downhill and enjoyed the sparkling lights & cobblestone streets for New Year’s Eve in Quebec City. Annual Boston Bike Meeting concludes that the city is becoming more bike-friendly! Ciclismo welcomes Davide from Italy for our annual CC retreat. I tackle stiff joints w/ Hot Yoga. Valentina & I complete the Craftsbury Marathon eating & skiing our way along 25KM of fresh track in Northern VT.

February: Skiing Galore, Nana turns 95, Valentina is 3rd in NE! Toasted our 2nd Women’s Ski Day w/ Root Beer & Local Brew. Dinner w/the Hefferon clan to celebrate Nana’s 95th; Go for at least 100 Nana! With Mt Washington as our backdrop, we skied downhill & x-country though 20" of fresh powder. Glades, terrain parks, moguls, jumps, trails like snow tunnels = 3 cute, cooperative kids filled with chocolate & covered with snow. Got Trolls? At the troll-themed Bill Koche Festival, even the fastest skiers wore big troll Ears & lederhosen. Valentina skied really fast &
 finished 3rd in NE; Luca steam rolled the lollipop race and finished 2nd & with big smile!


March: Bikers in DC, Lorenzo turns 12! With my new GREEN Bike Friday, I attend the 9th annual Bike Summit in DC & go to “the hill" with Mass constituents to ask for support for cycling initiatives; final stop is Senator Kennedy's office where we’re awestruck by famous photographs of his incredible life. At the St. Patty's Parade in South Boston, ya Gotta love guys with green hair & kilts, loud bands, bagpipes & the cycling Murrays. What does my turning-12 year-old covet? Big Burgers, Newbury comics, hanging out at Harvard Square & an afternoon of fun & games in the Middlesex Fells with his pals. Hardy Elementary School folks gather to enjoy Slushy slopes & icy margarita at the Sunapee Slush Bowl.


April: Pierced Ears & Pancakes for Patriots Day Runners: Valentina goes from agony to ecstasy getting her ears pierced for her 10th B-day, then a mom-daughter manicure & pedicure & lunch at The Town Diner. Patriots Day Weekend is BIG in Boston: Kids run 2.7 miles & I stuff’em w/pancakes before the Arlington Parade. Monday: awake @ 5 AM to see the Lexington Revolutionary First Battle Reenactment at The Fortmanns then to the Boston Marathon to cover Heartbreak Hill w/chalk hearts & cheers. Off to Chicago to see cus’ John & Nina Hefferon & attend SVN conference. Transportation issues launch a culture clash in Arlington where the Mass Ave corridor project, which will make E. Arlington more bike & walk friendly, causes rumbling, resistance & anti cycling sentiment including a flier: Why bike lanes are a bad idea. :((


May: Bike to School Victories, Birthday Biking & Frog Catching Galore: After a 6-year "bike to school ban", Principal D’Amico supports our Bike to School pilot. For Mother’s Day I treat myself to a concert by Cherish the Ladies, an all-women's Irish band. Big Happy Birthday Dinner for Mauro! For Bike Week, Ciclismo hosted a bike breakfast, led a ride to Concord & I pedaled to Boston for Mayor Menino's Bike Week Kick Off. Send in the Frogs! Outfitted w/ nets, plastic jars & rubber boots I took Luca frog catching but only managed to catch one little guy we named Luigi. Took a Lilac ride in honor of my Mom’s B-day; she would have turned 75. Everything about May reminds me of her: lilacs, sparkling green fields & the soft wind all whisper her name. Off to the Tyler Place Family resort in VT: 7 days of activities & some of the finest cycling & eating we do all year. I celebrate my b-day cycling, kayaking w/Mauro, bullfrog catching & fishing w/Luca, Valentina & my dad—The grand finale champagne cruise & dinner on the shores of Lake Champlain.


June: Lorenzo the Graduate, Valentina the Fork, A Sad Good-Bye to Susan: With a plethora of activities & a final graduation ceremony, Lorenzo says good-bye to the Hardy Elementary School looking mighty handsome in his blue Hawaiian shirt. I sang in my 2nd Mystic Chorale Concert "It's Alive". Valentina blossoms as a Fork in WCT Beauty & The Beast. 90+ kids walked/biked over 1200 miles during the Hardy School’s first Bike/Walk to school month. Rode 100 miles in the B2B (Harpoon Brewery Boston to Harpoon Brewery Vermont) w/managing director Andrew Conway while our super CC team fed over 300 riders at the last water stop. The passing of Susan Herman from pancreatic cancer left us deeply saddened. Her creations as a parent, teacher, leader, volunteer & scholar profoundly inspired so many! I knew her best as cofounder of Interlocken, where I began my life and “career” as a bike tour guide


July: On the Road to Italy, Denmark & Norway: In Copenhagen we biked 27 km along an incredible network of bike lanes & visit Legoland (Luca-heaven!) A wonder for the eyes, the theme park’s 45 million blocks are arranged to resemble famous landmarks, exotic animals, & famous cities. Our Norway excursion starts in Bergen where we take a train to Finse @ 1222 meters. We ride the spectacular Rallarvegen dirt & snow-covered road 20KM downhill to Vatnhalsen. Awestruck by thundering waterfalls & vast views, Lorenzo invents his facebook-famous move called “the funk” (see pictures), an all body thumbs UP to places we love. Toured Sognefiorden Fjord by speeding rib boat then another train to 800m where we biked to Voss. Grand finale: cycling & playing on the magnificently lush & lovely Lofoten Islands where the gulls always sing & the sun never sets. This gorgeous place soars to the top of my favorite biking places. We visit a Viking museum, eat fresh cinnamon rolls, stay in a fisherman’s hut & catch a 10-pound cod near the Maelstrom, the strongest current in the world! We bring July to a warm close in Calabria with snorkeling, feasts and fun with Mauro’s wonderful family

August: PMC Italy rolls again. KHS Reunion. Family Camps & Boys to Men: Our 300-mile PMC journey across Italy ends with 80 miles, 4000 ft climbing, 90 degrees & is fueled by bananas at Bagnoregio Civita, Hot Focaccia at Lago Bolsena, Gelato at Pitigliano, fresh pasta in the Maremma & a seafood feast with super guides Massimo & Marcello. I raise over $8000! Mauro & I dance the night away at my Keene High School Reunion where I’m reminded and reenact my foolish & crazy antics. Family Camps (times two) proves that I am officially an incurable camper: a week at Camp Common Ground in Vermont then to Southern NH for our 8th year w/our favorite folks at Windsor Mountain. Got BOYS? Lorenzo completes a Rites of Passage Weekend with Boys to Men, a mentoring program where positive qualities such as integrity, courage, respect, passion & leadership are modeled by more than 40 adult male staff. He is now a journeyman. We’re proud!


September: Middle School for Lorenzo, Guinea Pigs x three, Missing Mom: After years of my kids begging for a dog, I opted to start with 3 guinea pigs who chirp their way to our hearts. Labor Day ride with Dad & barbecue plus SMORES w/the cute Neutra clan. The 1st day of school in Arlington! Schedules: Check! Lunch stuff stocked: Check! New phone for Lorenzo: Check! Mom checking out? Check! Hoop Dream filmaker & SVN friend Fredrick Marx treat us to a private viewing of “The Journey from Zanskar”, A film by in which he chronicles the passage of a small band of children delivered by two Dalai Lama-dispatched monks. The end of this month marks five years since my mom’s passing. We miss her SO!


October: Life in a Sling, Adventure Travel Summit, Pumpkins and Phantoms in the House. After much procrastination, I have rotator cuff surgery; ice, my sling & my PT Merlin (the magician) are my best friends. Too bad I had to put housework on hold for (at least) a month. The Keene Pumpkin fest w/over 30,000-lit pumpkins filling the streets is a fall highlight. From Keene, Andrew Conway & I head to The Adventure Travel Summit in Quebec where we mingle & learned much from fellow adventure travel folk. For a very special Halloween Treat, we watched Lorenzo star as the detective in Phantom of the Opera at the Watertown Children's Theatre. We love Halloween: Road trips to Salem Witch Town, decoration, carving & costume craziness. The Big Night: 8 streets, hangin’ with goules on porches & way too much candy.


November: Ciclismo Open House, Stars on Stage, Luca’s 7th Birthday, Sales Rock for Turkey Day: We launch November with a jam-packed Ciclismo Open House & ended the month on Ciclismo High as exceed our sign up goals. Luca & Valentina perform in “Good Man Charlie Brown” at Watertown Children's Theatre. Valentina stars as Patty with dozens of lines and a couple of solos. Do you have any idea what it’s like living with a STAR? She sings & dances all over the house; she is the reincarnation of my mother, the woman who dreamt of Broadway her whole life. Wish you could see her mom! Luca’s B-day celebration lasts all week and culminates with him doing a Jungle Improv Show at Kidstock.


December: Facebook Reunions & Cool Connections, PMC Boogie. Jingle Visions: The PMC Check Presentation Party was a blast & handed 30,384,000 million to the Dana Farber. 65 costumed riders pedal & sing on the The 13th Annual Jingle Ride. We attract new riders including A Biking Drummer Boy who kept the beat & biked at the same time. By year’s end our Ciclismo Fan Page has reached our goal of 2000 fans & provided our CC team w/a fun and insightful way to better connect & converse with our expanding Ciclismo Community. On a personal note (and for naysayers who don’t “believe”) Facebook has better connected us w/our guests, reunited me w/ many old pals & relatives like the “kids” from my 1984 Interlocken Crossroads tour, my mother’s Italian cousins & new cycling folks around the world. I hear that even Santa is on Facebook these days. It’s been enlightening, fun and interesting following (and chiming into) your lives, ideas, passions & day-to-day rhythms. Thanks for sharing! Thanks for listening. If you’re not already, won’t you be my (facebook) friend?

Have a safe and peaceful holiday & a great New Year. Please Come visit! We always have pasta, bikes and vino on hand!

Your fans,
Mauro, Lauren, Jim, Lorenzo, Valentina and Luca

Luca's 7th Birthday

Now we are six just turned to now we are seven. Our little red-headed boy Luca Dante Rugiero turned seven today and we are celebrating in every way we can. This morning we all ran to his room, shook the blob of blankets and sang him happy birthday twice. For breakfast he could have whatever he wanted so he chose his favorite oatmeal. Next I ordered his favorite cupcakes from Cafe Quebrada, brought them to his class and read Happy Birthday to You my favorite birthday book by Doctor Suess. The actual book was given to me on my 7th birthday many many moons ago. This did not seem to impress the class as much as I thought it would. My dear mother held on tight to a few of my childhood books including Are You My Mother, Why the Sun Was Late and Green Eggs and Ham. 

What I remember and still adore about this book (and the concept of birthdays in general) is that the birthday boy could (and should) do, have and (mostly) eat whatever he wants.

Among my kids friends, I am known for throwing my kids pretty special birthdays and I say why NOT or as Dr Seuss says: "If we didn't have birthdays, you wouldn't be you. If you'd never been born, well then what would you do?" At our house we decorate the house, write Happy Birthday in the windows for all to see.  For everyone's birthday, there is even the gold birthday chair, all painted and decorated with glass pieces. There is always the intimate family gathering so tonight we are taking Luca to dinner where he can eat whatever he wants and then there is the party with friends on Saturday and a sleepover with his cousins. This year Luca has invited his friends to perform in a Kidstock play that stars HIM!   The theme: JUNGLE!  Luca's part, his ultimate fantasy animal: The Lion!  In our house, a birthday is not just a day, it is a week-long celebration. And I say, why not. Take me back 7 years ago and I remember the excitement to see Luca emerge and the glow I felt for the weeks following so why not let him relive that feeling. Why not take one day and remind your children how incredibly special they are?

PS Not a bad thing to wish on ourselves every year either!

Happy Birthday Luca!
We'll eat you up, we LOVE YOU SO



Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who is you-er than you!
Shout loud, " I am lucky to be what I am!
Thank goodness I'm not just a clam or a ham
Or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam!
I am what I am! That's a great thing to be!
If I say so myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

Networking, Learning and Blue Marbles at the Adventure Travel Summit

After a 10 hour drive from Boston, Andrew and I finally arrived at the Fairmont Richelieu in Charlevoix Quebec, Canada. Crowded around the bar unwinding from a long day of traveling were many fellow adventure travel folk reconnecting over tall Canadian beer

On day one we joined other adventure delegates for a hike up to 6000 meters to the summit of Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes yesterday. The trail was long but easy which eased my one armed status. At our lake break we learned about a cool company based out of New Zealand called ZORB. They essentially send people downhills in big plastic globes. We hung out at the gorgeously clear summit with Timo Shaw of Country Walkers, Kathy Dragon of Dragon Path and Peter Grubb of ROW adventures. The views of the Saint Lawrence River and the surrounding mountains were spectacular.

Later that night at dinner we were immersed in photos, history and culture of the Charlevoix region. We heard from Daniel Gauthier, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil and the president and CEO of Group Le Massif.  He shared his vision for the region, a large scale recreational project called the Massif de Charlevoix, involving ski resorts, a destination train, signature lodging, spas and much more. The project slated for completion by 2013, spans over a territory of 120 sq KM, where creativity and freedom prevail in a concept that is furthest from artificial.

Days 2-4 have been filled with visionary speakers and engaging learning sessions. Most intriguing included Astrophysicist Hubert Reeves who gave us (some very scary) insights into how humans might remain here on a radically changing earth in livable, sustainable conditions. His message. Don't be optimistic or pessimistic--Be determined to make a difference. Jeff Dossett, CEO of Adventurelink.com shared his midlife epiphany in which he began climbing mountains leading to his being the 3rd Canadian in history to comlete the "Seven Summits".  Jeff Greenwald of EthicalTraveler.org discussed what we can do to promote goodwill and ease cross-cultural tensions.

My personal favorite speaker was Dr. Wallace Nichols from the California Academy of Sciences ( he also recognized my sling as he had similar shoulder surgery as I).   His life long love of turtles and the sea led him to passionately promote his r/evolution that is helping save the planet and is making a difference He promotes a simple concept treasure and fall in love with nature (again and again). His simple and powerful form of social media? He handed out a blue marble to all the attendees ( symbolizing our "big blue marble" earth) and asked us to share the marble in the next 24 hours.  It's a simple idea: commit a random act of ocean kindness by sharing a blue marble forward with someone doing good things for our blue planet and tell them to do the same.

Other highlights:
• A slide show and presentation about Chile by Jon Bowermaster, contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure
• Having dinner with my adventure travel buddies Dan Austin and Paul Lehman of Austin&Lehman Adventures. 
• A engaging talk about branding via compelling storytelling by Edward Wachtman and Sheree Johnson
• Meeting and learning from industry folk &  travel writers:
Judith Fein (she had me do a poem about a tour!) www.YourLifeisaTrip.com
Everett Potter who has written lots about Ciclismo over the years and has a great travel blog
Caren Osten Gerzberg she writes about travel, education, and women's issues for a variety of publications. Her articles also include features, profiles and essays, and she is the co-founder and editor of a blog, Drinking Diaries, about women and drinking.  (She and her three kids will hopefully be joining us on a tour)
Ellen Barone ( A travel writer, photographer, Ciclismo Classico Sicily alumni and facebook friend). She will hopefully join us in Lofoten Islands
Fran Farrell ( formal publisher of Men's Journal and National Geographic Traveler and all around super nice guy whose family joined us on the Greece Islands
Kathy Dragon. Ms Social Media. I covet her networking savvy, industry knowledge and new IPhone.

Some of the most interesting new adventure folk that I met included:
Don Mankin a travel writer who is writing a book about how travel is transformational
Craig Horrocks CEO of ZORB. You just gotta click on this to believe it.
George Asquith  President of The Great River Journey.  A delux river journey on the YUKON

LA Chancy of DNA Travel. Geneaology combined with travel

In addition to the people connections at every lunch, dinner and cocktail we were hosted the by following delightful destinations
Canada Keep Exploring
Chile Always Surprising
Innovation Norway
Brasil Sensational
Mexico Time to Go
The Alps
Ecuador: Life at it purist
The Yukon Larger than Life
and the host for next year's Summit (and where we will have a new 2011 cycling tour)
Scotland

In the hallways, at the round tables, over dinner and at the bar until the wee hours of the night I met many smart, well connected, interesting and visionary summit delegates. I thank you sharing, your entertaining conversations and your adventurous spirits

As usual I am pumped up and ready to use and share what I have learned with my team, guests and guides

Please share YOUR favorite moments and experiences at this event!

The Potential of Human Power

Although I am not a big gym enthusiast (usually a couple of months of weights in the dead of winter is enough for me) whenever I do go I watch all of the bouncing, pounding, speeding bodies on spin and step machines and fantasize--there should be a way to harness the energy of the hundreds of people that work out all day long. Frankly I always felt a bit guilty burning all that energy that goes no where. At least when I commute or take a spin through the countryside, my efforts are helping reduce carbon or at least fuel my spirit! All that human power seems so wasted on calorie burning and muscle building...

In the current issues of Bicycling Magazine and Momentum: The Magazine for Self-Propelled People, I was thrilled to read about the tapping of human energy..an idea, if it works and spreads has incredible potential. This idea is alive and spinning with several clever and visionary inventors who are developing and sharing ways that we can capture and use precious and potent pedal to convert otherwise wasted energy into productive renewable energy that, in the case of healthclubs, can ultimately can feeds back into the building’s electrical system. In the Bicycling article entitled High-Voltage workouts we learn about Hudson Harr's company that makes devices to produce pedal powered electricity out of a gym's existing equipment.

ReRev™, is retrofitting gym equipment to make alternative energy in a safe, fun, carbon-neutral and healthy manner. The kinetic motion of aerobic exercise is captured in an efficient and cost effective way to convert otherwise wasted energy into productive renewable energy that feeds back into the building’s electrical system

At a simpler, individual use level there are pedal machines that can be used to power simple machines like blenders, washing machines, saws, metal grinders and many household small machines

The Momentum article, Bike to the Future showcases Maya Pedal is a non-governmental organization located in San Andrés Itzapa, Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Maya Pedal was born in1997, working with a group of Canadians from the organization PEDAL. Following a vision for sustainable development in Guatemala, they became constituted under local control as Asociación Maya Pedal in 2001. They recycle used bicycles to build pedal-powered machines, bicimáquinas, which support and help facilitate the work of small-scale, self-sustainable projects. Through this work they hope to contribute to the conservation of the environment, the health or the Guatemalan people, and the productivity of the local economy.

Look for Ciclismo Classico to be supporting organizations like this one

In the book, The Human-Powered Home brings you the answers. It’s a compendium of information on pedal-powered, treadled, and hand-cranked devices for use in and around the home. It includes a brief history of such devices, from Archimedes’ screw to electricity-generating boots. It describes the physiology and physics behind human power and reveals how many watts one person can practically generate. It also includes plans for building your own devices, such as a pedal-powered blender and electricity generator. But most inspiring, it tells the stories of inventors from around the world and their ingenious contraption.

OK time to replace a few electricity sucking gadgets around our house!

Want to start your human powered machines collection

How about a Fender Blender?

http://rockthebike.com/node/1618

Great for events and schools...show those kids ( and teachers) how nutrition, health, saving energy and fun BLENDS together

A pedal desk?

http://mae.ucdavis.edu/~biosport/jkm/ped_desk.htm

A Most Perfect Day: Apple Picking and the Discovery Museum of Acton

The years are long but the days are short. Thoughts like this have inspired me to take my kids out of school and have a one-on-one special learning/fun day with them. Today was Luca's lucky day! On this first day of October, we drove out to Acton for a perfectly pair of outdoor- indoor activities: Apple Picking at Honey Pot Farm followed by an afternoon at the Discovery Museum in Acton. Both are about separated by 6 miles of gorgeous country road, which on a lovely fall day like today, was an added bonus to our outing

Our day started at Honey Pot Hill Farm, one of the most popular apple picking farms in the Boston are. Seems like we just missed Jennifer Gardner and her the two Afflect babes who were here on Tuesday cus the place was still abuzz. It is a farm like so many others. A few farm animals, a tractor, a maze and lots of expensive pumpkins. It was packed with school groups wanting to feed the goats who seemed to have OD'ed on .25 feed. We headed to the Macintosh and Cortland section of the orchard, munched on a couple apples and quickly filled our $22 bag before heading back to the farmstore. Sure it's pricey and pretty commercialized but in my view it is always nice to support whatever local food economies we can. I bought some local preserves, a delicious gallon of fresh, cold cider and a couple of their plain doughnuts, one of their specialties. After some begging Luca got a carmel apple then we were off to the Discovery Museum!

This tiny museum is one of my all time favorites in the Boston Area. It is basically two museums in one: One is an enormous playhouse for babes and toddlers cleverly built into the rooms of an old home and another more hands-on- science center for kids from 6-12. We spent three non-stop hours in the discovery center taking on every exhibit starting with the woodshop where I got into banging a few nails and trying to create a guinea pig house. Everything is hands-on it is easy to follow one's curiosity from station to station. My son's favorite room was the one were you could experiment with sounds and home-made musical instruments. Another was playing mini basket ball with a hair blower and ping pong balls. At other stations we dabbled with probability, fog, tornados, crystals, water currents, gears, texture, electronics, sound waves, optical illusions, magnets, the concept of one million and the always entertaining mirror room that gave us hilarious warped views of our bodies. We laughed until we cried there! If you live in the area and have not been here yet, you must go!

He and I had a truly wonderful today. Sorry about playing hooky but I promise we learned a lot and did some great bonding and healthy eating along the way. Can't let school get in the way of learning! On the way home we got ourselves some pumpkins and called it an amazing fall day! Thanks for the memories Luca