Pedaling Toward Personal Goals in 2013

It's Monday, March 25, 2013.

It has been nearly 2 years since my last (and only) Weather on Wheels blog post and I'm well overdue for another post.  So many events (big and small) have occurred for me and I'm safely guessing for you, too, within that 2-year timeframe.  Some of those events are ultimately giving me motivation to return to blogging.  I'm planning on some big riding goals this year and it all has to do with what you'll be reading next.

Reflecting in solitude during a summer sunset at Lake Zorinsky (Omaha, Nebraska).

One of the big events was deciding to leave my home for 9 years at KMTV-TV (CBS-Omaha, NE) as Morning Meteorologist and accepting a new position of Chief Meteorologist for RFD-TV's new startup national network, RURAL TV, that ended up moving me to their broadcast operations based in Nashville, TN.  RFD-TV is the parent national network of smaller, newer networks RURAL TV and FamilyNet, supplying television programming through DISH Network, DirecTV and various cable providers directed at farmers, ranchers and people in rural America as well as airing classic television shows many people remember.

Before a live weather report on RURAL TV during Farm Progress Show 2012 in Boone, Iowa.

Moving was mentally tough since nearly everyone who has been a part of my life live in the Midwest and here I am moving to a new city in a new state for a new job.  This is the first time I've lived in the South and have yet to regularly implement the pronoun "y'all" in my vernacular and acquire the taste of sweet tea.  It's still hard for me today not interacting with many people I still consider friends (and even family) back in the Midwest and I have yet to establish many friendships in a new place called Nashville.  There are some people I just had to let go who gave me opportunities to grow my faith and myself through life's circumstances.  Leaving a place I've called home and truly loved for many years was bittersweet.

March 30, 2012 - Leaving Omaha, Nebraska, a place I've called home for 9 years.

Another big event was losing my mom on the evening of Monday, October 29, 2012.  She passed suddenly from major heart attack at exactly 66 1/2 years in the presence of my dad at home in Kansas City, MO.  You can visit her obituary here published in the Kansas City Star.

Despite my dad's attempt at CPR and all of the efforts of the KCFD rescue squad, she could not have been saved and it was that day God had planned before her birth to call her home.  Her health had been slowly failing from a number of ailments,  beginning with her diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in 1996.  She also had to fight anemia and rheumatoid arthritis.  Her body grew increasingly weak from her immobility and her immobility led to weight gain, which ultimately proved fatal.  I'll write more about her in a future post but if you had a chance to meet her, she would've been the sweetest 4'11" woman you would've ever met on this earth.  I'm so lucky to have her as my mom and my dad was lucky to be married to her for 41 years.  She also served as a registered nurse for 40 years in the emergency room but spent her career serving others.  She will be sorely missed but I'm comforted to know she is resting eternally in peace and will forever be free from any health concerns.

My mom welcoming me with a warm hug as I was walking off the plane in Kansas City on Father's Day Weekend 2012.   That weekend ended up being the last time I saw my mom living.

Some of the events in my life (and the time to reflect on them) have kept me desiring isolation from seemingly everything in life, including people, over the past several months.  This is the 3rd consecutive year I've experienced a dark winter (figuratively speaking) after reflecting on events and changes on this end.  I've reached a point knowing it's not healthy to stay in that mental and physical state serving as a good excuse to return to something I have loved doing... cycling.

One thing I did for myself early this year was set 3 fitness/lifestyle goals:

1. Engage in a kickstart Lenten diet of staying away from fast food, fatty foods (generally speaking, fried foods) and alcohol.
2. Pledge to participate in the 3rd Annual 30 Days of Biking by bicycle commuting to work beginning April 1, instead of driving, and hoping to permanently consider bike commuting to work.
3. Riding across the State of Iowa during RAGBRAI XLI.  (This will be my 3rd time riding across Iowa, previously in 2010 and 2011.)

I'll be going into more detail about these 3 goals over the next 3 days.  The goals are interconnected and are ways for me to also improve my physical and mental health.  They also build up to my 3rd goal of riding across a U.S. state.  I'm hoping to do more state touring rides as my schedule and finances permit in the distant future.

Before I'll be posting further about my goals, something I wish to share and perhaps encourage you is to grab that old, dusty bike and join me in some riding in April for the 3rd Annual 30 Days of Biking!  You don't have to ride far or fast, but just ride.  Even if you only ride a mile a day or spin indoors, that's all you need to do participate and discover how therapeutic riding a bicycle can be.  Visit 30daysofbiking.com to see what the bike buzz is all about!

Visit 30daysofbiking.com for the scoop and to join me, along with people worldwide!

Setting and engaging in attainable goals is my way of "pedaling forward" in life and getting closer to opportunities that God has set forth for me to discover, including new places and people.

More posts coming soon, so stay tuned and get on your bike!  ;-)

Time to take my training wheels off!

I've acquired so many cycling friends online via Twitter (my handle is @CThongklin) and in 'real life' who have inspired me in so many ways into the person and rider I am today!  Many of those Tweeps (Twitter 'peeps') have existing blogs and have documented their journey on their bike, no matter how casual or serious of a rider they are.  Thinking about it, this would be the natural next step for me to post my passion, my journey on my own bike and also information or education about cycling to hopefully inspire someone to hop on a bike and see how it transforms their lives!  Bicycling has completely transformed me internally and externally from the sedentary person I used to be.

C.T. -- Cycling addict, meteorologist and musician

I'll elaborate more on a future post about how I got seriously started into cycling but it simply began in 2004 when I was heavier and had a physical showing that my health was going the wrong way.  Because of cycling, my journey of faith with God, my family and friends... I'm so grateful to be in the place where I'm at now in life going through some pretty rough times and learning a lot about life and myself, becoming the happier and healthier person I am today!

My goal is to have a place for people to not only follow my journey on the bike, but to also have a new online home to learn about profession of meteorology that I work in!  I've learned so much about weather and how it affects everyone.  I know many are interested in weather and this is the place for me to share that passion that I had since I was a kid, too!  This medium will give me an opportunity share some of my knowledge as to why things happen in the world of weather.

Lastly, I happen to be a musician.  23 years ago, I started playing the violin in public school through an instrumental music program offered.  I pretty much stuck with it because it was different and fun, since no one in my family plays instruments or even sings!  I became classically trained and nearly minored in music in college after playing grew on me.  Although I enjoy listening to and performing classical music, I really enjoy playing bluegrass and American folk music.  I have tried a bit of Dave Matthews, too, but don't worry...I'll never replace Boyd Tinsley!  I'll post some performances or share some playing tips on this blog, too!

Standing in front of the cycling peloton bench at Hargleroads Park in Omaha, NE

I'll directly credit two people for inspiring me to take this next step to create a blog:

The first is Krissy.  I met Krissy back in 2009 through her sister, Karla, who is a hairstylist that works with my stylist, Jen.  Karla recommended that I befriend her sister who is into cycling.  Shortly after a couple conversations and ultimately a ride, I found out how serious she is into the same hobby I come to love!  Hard to find someone that has the same level of passion about the hobby that has such a niche!

Krissy and I on a ride stopping at Two Rivers State Recreation Area west of Omaha in November 2009.  As you can see, Krissy ISN'T a Husker fan!

If you get a chance to know her, she's just an all around cool and very witty gal but loves to share her enthusiasm and encourage others to get into cycling after it has changed her life.  She was inspired by her dad and grandpa and her 'hero', Lance Armstrong, to get into cycling.  You can read more about Krissy and her journey by reading her blog at this link.  Since we share so much in common and is so much fun to be around with, we've become one of my many best friends and a riding partner that I enjoy spending time with!

The second person to inspire me is a newer friend, Darryl.  I started following Darryl on Twitter (@lovingthebike) last year.  Darryl created and maintains his blog called Loving The Bike.  Although he's currently based out of Austin, TX, his purpose is to get people interested in cycling and sharing some practical and also fun tips for people getting on a bike!

Last month, Darryl was part of a nationwide contest called '30 Days of Biking'.  It's a grassroots campaign that started up in 2010 in the Twin Cities to simply challenge cyclists to integrate more bicycling into their daily lifestyle.  It didn't matter how casual or serious the rider was but the idea was to simply encourage people to ride more, to better health, save money on gas and to have fun!  Although Darryl didn't formulate the '30 Days of Biking' concept, he took on the challenge for teams by BicycleRadio.com's Sean Mellor.  Darryl took this challenge for fun and to see how many people would compete with BicycleRadio.com's team ... so he formed Team Loving The Bike, of course!  Darryl ended up corralling many cyclists on Twitter and ended up growing a sizeable group of people from not only the U.S. but internationally, including U.K. and Australia!  I didn't find out about this 'contest' until after April 1st, but I participated anyway riding 469 miles!

I'm getting off topic, but Darryl inspired me to ride more simply through his efforts to corral people online and from his wonderfully written blog on cycling!