Do Tough!

This is the title of Maria Parker’s inspiring book. Maria is an extremely talented ultra-endurance athlete. I first found out about her more than 10 years ago when she started setting ultra cycling records on her Cruzbike recumbent (she has four World Ultramarathon Cycling Association records for 100 miles, 200 miles, 12 hours, and 24 hours).

Back then I owned Cruzbike’s quest model. These are unusual bikes, invented by the brilliant Australian mechanical engineer John Tolhurst. Maria and her husband Jim are the owners of Cruzbike. The bikes have front-wheel drive, and the pedals pivot with the handlebars, which takes some getting used to. You have to counter the tendency of the pedal stroke to steer the bike by pulling back on the handlebars. But once you get used to it they are a blast. Experienced riders can ride with no hands and steer with their feet. I never got that good, but really enjoyed the bike. Unfortunately, I had accumulated too many bikes at some point so I sold that one.

Maria rode the top-of-the-line Cruzbike Vendetta on her record attempts (it is what she is shown riding on the book cover).

The book chronicles Maria’s 2013 ride in the Race Across America (RAAM), in which she was the first female finisher. But it is much more than that. Maria was motivated to do the race when her beloved sister Jenny was diagnosed with brain cancer. Maria wanted to raise money for brain cancer research, for which she also founded the foundation 3000 Miles to a Cure. Jenny was fighting the disease while Maria trained for and competed in RAAM, and it eventually took her life. So the other part of the “do tough” story is the moving account of Jenny’s brave struggle. The book chronicles both these stories in an interwoven fashion, and gives good advice to all of us on how to “do tough” in our challenges in life, both chosen and unchosen. This is a very moving and highly recommended book.