KATY TRAIL

HOW DID THIS ALL START....

 

My 60th‑Birthday Year: The 40 Frenzie!

• I wanted big goals for my 60th:

  • Ride 120 miles (twice my age)

  • Scared to admit side‑goal: 4,000 miles

  • And a new idea: 1-40 every month = a 12‑pack

• January reality check: cold temps + only 7 girls hitting 40. → I opened it up to “12‑pack anytime this year.”

• Because I love alliteration, 40‑40s sounded amazing… and terrifying.

  • 40 big rides in 52 weeks?

  • I kept that secret until July… when I realized I already had 20.

  • Suddenly: doable.

The 40 Frenzy Begins

• The girls discovered their inner competitors.

• They started sneaking in 40s any way possible:

• Riding 24–25 miles… then saying “What the heck, I’ll finish a 40.”

• Riding in heat, rain, humidity — whatever it took.

• Going home and figuring out the last 10 miles just to get credit.

• Screenshots rolled in. Pride rolled in.

• It became a movement

The Math Got Wild

• To chase 4,000 miles, I needed 120 miles/week.

• So 40s became 80s.

• Then the anniversary party got set for Nov 13… → Meaning 12 months of goals had to fit into 10.5 months.

• Ask me anything — the answer was 40.

• I ate, slept, breathed, and dreamed 40s.

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The Summer of Sweat

• Hottest summer in years.

• 40 miles = 4 hours → riding past 10 AM in 95° was impossible.

• New protocol: 5:40 AM starts (because… alliteration).

• We rode 20 consecutive 5:40 rides, three times a week for 2.5 months.

• Always two loop options: 20 or 40, so everyone could join.

• Even husbands jumped in and caught the fever
   

A Record‑Breaking Season

• Past challenges (Pittman Climb 2021, Kisker & Pittman 2022) were great… But nothing compares to this year.

• Group goal: 444 combined 40s — smashed mid‑year.

• Projection: 777 combined 40s by season’s end.

• We’ll see who wins the guessing game.
   

My 60th? Nailed it!

Best shape of my life. Happiest I’ve ever been. And absolutely baffled — in the best way — by this crazy, joyful, competitive, unstoppable season.

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