Out of the thirty-five or so eager souls who had risen at the crack of dawn to practice for the Shamrock Du, the first two whom I met are also working mothers. I met Jamie and Karen, who both have young children, before we took off for our 13mile ride to preview the race course.  We all agree that this is a gift to ourselves and from our understanding husbands who remained home with our toddlers. During the ride I was thankful to be accompanied by a competitive master’s male cyclist. I will be looking for Jamie, Karen and Brad next Sunday before, during and after the race.  Please cheer for us if you happen to live near the race course! If you happen to have personal goals that include competitive athletics, just be aware that you may need to find this sisterhood and brotherhood early in the morning. Here I am after the race with Karen, another teacher-runner-mom. What an awesome day!