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Jenny: Inspired by the work being done by Pelotonia and the dedication of the riders and community, I joined the ride for the first time in 2017 with the 50 mile ride to New Albany. In 2018, I signed on for 100 miles. And in 2019, I did my first 2-day ride with 135 total miles.

 

When 2020 came, I signed up for the 2-day 200 miles... but... a pandemic changed everything. I still completed the 200 miles but it was on a trail in Granville, Ohio, solo. The spirit of Pelotonia looked different but the goal remained the same.

 

A very positive thing that came from 2020, though, was the adaptability of the movement. #mypelotonia was created which allowed us to have individual challenges in lieu of the ride itself.

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One of #mypelotonia challenges in 2020 was to run 40 miles for my 40th birthday. In a little over 24 hours, I ran those miles and dedicated each one to a cancer angel, fighter or survivor. It was an amazing experience and one I plan on completing again this year (except with 41 miles... because, well, I guess that's how aging goes...). In the midst of this, though, at the time of writing this, I am just shy of a 700-day running streak. I have run at least 1 mile every day for 700 days. Yes, even on the days I rode 100 miles in Pelotonia :) The running streak, is what inspired these challenges. I have picked up some joiners along the way... my husband is on day 588, and even my daughter is on day 70 of her own. 

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Harper: At 8 years old, Harper had been a spectator for Pelotonia her entire life. She was well-versed in the energy of the weekend and loved every moment. So when she learned to ride her bike, the first thing she asked was "Can I do Pelotonia now?" Thankfully, because of #mypelotonia, she could! She joined our team- The Reason Riders. What started out as a goal to ride 30 miles in August and raise $250, turned into 100 miles and $1,355 in just 27 days! And she is ready for more this year!

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As mentioned earlier, she has also started her own running streak- as of the day writing this, she's on day 64. 

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Find out more about how you can start your own streak and the challenges here.

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