My friend and Dallas writer Joanna Cattanach had this poignant essay published today in the Dallas Morning News.

If you don’t follow Joanna’s blog, ChickTalkDallas, you should. Follow her incisive writings here and in the Morning News.

The time has come. The time has come to get my ass back on my bike and participate in Lone Star Ride 2013. After a 2-year hiatus, I signed up for the ride. Funds raised help pay for services for men, women and children with HIV and AIDS in North Texas.

To read more about the ride, click here.

I already know the training is going to kick my ass. Haven’t been riding my bike for about that long, and the other day when I rode a mere 12 miles, I could feel just how out of shape I am. But I’ve needed a good kick in the ass, exercise-wise, and this’ll be it.

Here are some pictures of me at previous rides: