Team Peters - SoundSage

I finished the Mid South 50 mile ride. To say it was hard is a vast understatement. It was rainy, muddy, and cold. Everything I’m told it usually is. So yes, it was hard. It was also surreal, exciting, and completely badass. I had a lot of firsts on the ride. My first event, first real group ride, first time riding in the rain, the first time in real mud, and the first time I crossed a finish line with Chris Peters.

Some of that is less surprising when you consider I just started riding bikes a year ago. Chris had just moved in and would take George and Ainsley on rides around the neighborhood. He quickly realized that Evie hadn't yet learned how to ride a bike. After getting her on board to try, he prepped her tiny bicycle for the test. He taught her in about 10 minutes, and he won the first little piece of her heart that day. Shortly after, I made a comment about wishing I could ride bikes with them around the neighborhood. I’m 5’1 on a good day, so finding a bike that fits is a bit of a challenge. In no time at all, there was a borrowed bike in the garage. Now I had to actually follow through. 😬

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Chris helping Evie on her first ride.

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George shared his bike with Evie.

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She rode 2 miles to her school on her new bicycle.

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Kara's first ride around Boomer Lake.

The first ride was just around the neighborhood. It was fun, but it was work. We put in some time and effort to build up my strength and confidence on the bike. I stayed with it because it was honestly fun, and I loved the time with everyone. I also enjoyed solo rides. A little me time was a good outlet for me. Seeing my strength build in the following months was a welcome outcome. It let me go faster, further, and for more extended periods. I saw changes in myself and got really into tracking my rides to see the stats.

But it was never about exercise. Chris did a lot of things perfectly right as he dropped the breadcrumbs for me, but most notably, he made it solely about our experiences together, and that was the primary key. His acceptance of me as I am has always been an enormous comfort.

We started with rides around the neighborhood and around Boomer Lake. Soon I was ready for my own bike, and I wanted an ebike after watching him fall in love with his. We settled on my Aventon, and we were ready for adventure. I think everything sounds better when you call it an adventure. We started riding our bikes to brunch and to picnics at theta pond. Mimosas and bikes. 👌 I found having a destination, or a planned stopped was a big factor for me. Not being a typical cyclist, I wanted a more touring experience, and Chris was on board. He was very supportive from the beginning and genuinely enjoyed seeing me happy. Chris also liked finding me all the right bike pieces, any little thing that would make the ride more enjoyable. He still spends some time watching me on each trip to make sure everything is working for me. I have a tendency to accept things as-is, and he has a tendency to fix things, so I benefit a lot from him. 😊 I also introduced some of my own ideas, including better snacks, wine, and camping, which all went over well.

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While we were lying in bed one evening, Chris asked if I would consider The Mid South gravel ride. I said, “Sure if I can ride my ebike.” Luckily the 50-mile course isn’t a race like the 100-mile, so we were set.

I’m still not sure I ever really thought I’d do it, but March 14th arrived, and I was committed. I had done some long rides, and I had even completed a 50-mile ride just a month or so before, which was fantastic and a real high for me. It was a beautiful day, with beautiful weather and delightful company. Buuuttttt, it turns out that did not prepare me for the Muddy Mid South. It did, however, give me enough confidence to go for it with Chris by my side.

The morning finally came. I was dressed head to toe in baggy rain gear, some of which I fought, but man was I thankful for Chris not giving me an option. Sometimes he really does know better, but don’t tell him. 🤫 Setting the course conditions and weather aside, I was overwhelmed by the number of people, and we changed our plan from starting in the front to lining up at the back. We started behind the pack, and before leaving downtown, we stopped for coffee to let the rain die down, also a perfect decision.

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Mid South 2020 was the hardest athletic event I have ever done. The conditions were daunting, and the roads were grueling. I was amazed at myself and my ability to push through. Turned out, I was stronger than I thought, and I was grateful for every training ride. Every time I thought I couldn’t get through that section or I couldn’t get up that hill, I just kept pedaling. I am immensely proud of that ride, but the pieces that made it great were that we together, and we did it our own way. We took our time. We stopped for wine breaks, which was basically my treat to keep going. 🍷 Proper motivation helps. Chris scraped a lot of mud that day, and I don’t exactly know how my bike made it through some of that gnarly stuff. We ran out of battery in the last 2 miles and crossed the finish line on empty tanks, but full of emotion. I felt on top of the world, with Brett Stevens screaming for us as we turned the final corner. Crossing that finishing wasn’t like anything else I have ever felt. I wouldn’t trade a single second of it, especially the moment Chris and I crossing that finish line together. He is a lot of things in our biking adventures and in this life. He is my biking concierge, my mechanic, my support, the one I want to share all my joys with, and, most of all, my partner. ⚡️ 🚲 🖤

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