Here at runladylike.com, Fridays are about sharing the inspiring stories of fit people who motivate all of us to be better tomorrow than we were yesterday. My Friday FITspiration series profiles runners, triathletes and casual exercisers who are making choices every day to be as healthy as they can be – in both huge ways and through simple, small victories.

I had just charged up a hill on my road bike. I was a little tired but feeling strong. Suddenly, my friend Barbara came whizzing past me on the descent. I could not for the life of me figure out how she was going so much faster than me on the downhill. After the ride, I remember her telling me, “You are strong on the uphills, but you need to learn how to ride those downhills.” That was in 2012 while training for my first half Ironman.

Barbara was inspirational and instrumental that year. She shared guidance on what to expect for my first half Ironman. She helped organize a ride of the course several weeks before the race. She was there at the pre-race lunch helping chase away race-weekend jitters. And as for giving out cycling advice, she’s more than qualified. She’s an Ironman-finisher, has completed numerous triathlons and just finished a 2,500-mile bike ride from Florida to Maine (oh, how my crotch hurts just thinking about that!). And thanks to Barbara, I eventually learned how to conquer the downhill ride.

So would you believe it if I told you Barbara once weighed 100 pounds more than she does today and didn’t become an endurance athlete until after the age of 50?

Believe it.

Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Barbara Blackford who recently started Fitter After 50, a Website not only to document her cross-country cycling adventure but to help inspire and remind everyone that as we age, our dreams can and should keep growing.

rUnladylike: You recently completed a 2,500-mile bike ride from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Bangor, Maine. What inspired you to take on this challenge?

Barbara: At a conference in Colorado Springs in 2007, Paul Washington, a corporate officer at Time Warner, told me about his cross country biking trip when he was a young college graduate. I was just beginning my fitness journey. This was before I had run a marathon or participated in a triathlon. I had started biking but hadn’t gone much beyond riding short distances on our local rail to trail path. Hearing his story, I marveled at how he could possibly climb the Rockies, weighted down with his gear! I had a hard time imagining ever being that fit, but that conversation planted the seed.

As I became fitter, I discovered I really liked biking. I love the wind in my face and seeing the world from a bike. In 2010, I completed my first half Ironman triathlon and left the next day for a week biking in the south of France.  I loved it! From that day on, the seed became a plan. I WOULD bike cross country.

I researched bike tours and found a group that seemed to make the most sense to me – Woman Tours. The average daily mileage was lower than on most other organized tour, many of which average more than 80 miles a day. In 2013, I tried a Woman Tours bike trip in the Texas hill country and decided they would be the group. Last year, they announced their first Atlantic Coast tour. I signed up!

rUnladylike: What were the greatest lessons you learned from this journey?

Barbara:

1. Stuff happens. You can’t control it. Let it go and enjoy the ride. It comes natural to me to try to control, or at least understand and prepare for, everything I can. How far am I riding? What conditions will I encounter? But try as I might, I really couldn’t. Route maps had errors. Traffic patterns changed. Weather. Hills.  I could get uptight and upset, or let it go and let the ride unfold. I got better and better at letting go as the trip went on.
2. Improve your daily life by being more mindful and present. Some days, we just stuck our heads down and rode, focused on getting to our destination. But when I did that, I felt I was missing the point of the journey. So I focused on spending the first 10 to 20 miles every day noticing everything around me. The fragrance of flowers. The sound of birds, the spinning wheels – or occasionally – total silence. The trees, the sky, the water.
3. Keep the TV and media on very low volume. I did not watch TV at all during the trip. I loved it! Every day, people are drawn through the media to what they perceive as “bad stuff” happening in the world. Often, the bad stuff didn’t happen or has an explanation they are not aware of. And almost always, the situation is not as bad as perceived, nor does it have a solution we can influence. Change your focus. Look for the good and wonderful things about your life and others. Dwell there, not in a stew of negativity.

rUnladylike: What kept you motivated to keep going when you wanted to quit? Do you have a favorite mantra or quote you love?

Barbara: Each week I rode for a charity that affects the life of someone I know. In one of the toughest weeks with lots of hill climbing and cold rain, I was riding in honor of Andrew Powell. He is coming back from severe spinal cord injuries after being hit by a car while riding his bike. I just thought of him and the others I rode for and what they would do. And I knew the answer – they would not quit.

In terms of a mantra, I told myself to “Just keep pedaling.”  I listened to a podcast with the producer of a movie called Desert Runners about a group of runners undertaking the most difficult series of ultramarathons in the world’s largest deserts. In making the film, Jenifer Steinman sought to understand what made some people succeed and others not.  “The thing I really learned was that the difference between the people who made it and the people who didn’t make it had nothing at all to do with fitness. It had purely to do with the belief that they thought they were going to make it.” And a relentless thought – just keep moving forward.

rUnladylike: Let’s have a little fun. Tell us about the highlights of your 2,500-mile bike ride in one sentence each.

How long did it take? 57 days

What was the most beautiful thing you saw? The sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain – one of the first places in the U.S. that sees the sunrise each morning. We began our ride at 3:30 a.m. to be sure we made it to the top in plenty of time. We were not disappointed! {Note from rUnladylike: I just saw the sunrise on top of Cadillac Mountain last week and can attest it is AMAZING!}

What was the strangest thing you saw? At the Southport ferry station in North Carolina there was a baby snake in the grout of the brick on the building!

What was the most unladylike thing you did? In the cold rain in Connecticut, I was soaked to the bone and shivering. When I reached the SAG car, I stood in the middle of the road and stripped off my rain jacket and top and put on dry clothes!

What state did you enjoy the most? We saw lots of beauty in the 14 states we traveled through. If I have to pick one, it would be Maine. Woods, hills, sea, rivers and quaint towns. Connecticut might have made the top choice, but the weather we encountered made it hard to appreciate a lot of beautiful areas.

What were you most looking forward to doing when you were finished? Being able to wake up and enjoy a leisurely breakfast without feeling rushed to eat, finish packing and ride. Since I returned home, I’ve had one of my signature smoothies for breakfast every morning!

What was the best thing you ate? LOBSTAH!

Would you do it again and why? Absolutely! The beauty, the sense of accomplishment and the camaraderie with the awesome women who shared the journey made it a wonderful experience.

rUnladylike: After turning 50, you accomplished some amazing things, including running 28 marathons and finishing an Ironman. Boom! On your blog Fitter After 50, you write about having an active, adventurous, fun and meaningful life after 50. What advice would you give people over 50 as they strive to reach new fitness goals?

Barbara:

1. Find something you enjoy.

2. Find fitness friends.

3. Start small.

4. Be consistent.

5. Start from where you are and be patient.

6. Make a plan.

7. Make the commitment real.

8. Set yourself up for success.

9. Challenge yourself.

10. Strength train whether you like it or not.

11. Forgive yourself when you fall short.

rUnladylike: What is the fitness goal you most want to conquer next?

Barbara: First, I want to top 5,000 miles of cycling for the year. With this trip as a base, what better time to meet a big volume goal!

Second, I am working to get back into running shape. I plan to complete a marathon in all 50 states. To do that, I need to re-learn to run so I can complete a marathon this fall and several more next year. (I ran seven miles TOTAL while I was on the trip!)

Finally, get back in my groove of including Pilates and strength training in my weekly routine.

In terms of dreams – things that are percolating but are not yet a plan include: run a 50-miler, Bike going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Bike the remaining three segments of the perimeter of the U.S. Run the Pike’s Peak Marathon. Run the Western States 100. Do another Ironman.

How can people get in touch with you?

Website: Fitterafter50.com
E-mail: Barbara@fitterafter50.com
Facebook: @fitterafter50
Instagram: Fitterafter50
Twitter: @fitterafter50
Google Plus: @fitterafter50

***

Do you know someone with an inspiring story that should be featured on Friday FITspiration? If so, email runladylike@gmail.com.

What inspires you most about Barbara’s story? How have your fitness goals changed as you’ve aged? Would you ever bike across the country?