One Family’s Heartfelt Adventure to Conquer the Capital Trail in 8 Weeks
Celebrating a birthday in the midst of a pandemic can be a bit disheartening for anyone, especially when you’re young. Determined to not let quarantine derail her son’s 7th birthday, Molly suggested he choose an outdoor activity to commemorate the special day. The day’s celebration event, a 10-mile round trip adventure on the Capital Trail. This would be their first family visit to the Trail but not their last.
Back in February, Molly had “requested” a set of bikes for her birthday or rather strongly encouraged her family to let her buy them each a bicycle in honor of her special day. They finally relented. She had no idea at the time what a lifeline they would turn out to be. Fast forward a few months to the big “7” birthday bike ride and the Brannan-Jones family was hooked! When Molly later heard about the Capital Quarantine Challenge, she immediately knew this was the perfect social distancing adventure for her family: fresh air, a fun physical activity, and a worthwhile challenge the whole family could experience together.
For the next eight weeks, every Sunday or Saturday afternoon (depending on the weather), they hit the Capital Trail for their 10-mile adventure that included five miles out and back. Armed with snacks and plenty of water, they would pick up where they left off the following week, letting their 7-year old son set the pace. As his endurance grew, the mileage steadily increased until before they knew it, they were completing up to 12 miles weekly.
“We found a freedom in our weekly rides that we were losing everywhere else. For a few hours every week, we could escape from the news, feel the wind in our hair, and pretend that everything was normal.”
MEMORABLE MOMENTS AND CHALLENGES
Everyone loved the weekly cycling adventures, including Molly’s 5-year old daughter. She rode on a trailer bike attached to Molly’s bicycle, which allowed her to participate in the ride while also enabling her to take a break from pedaling when she needed to rest.
One of the most exciting parts for Molly and her family was the ever changing scenery. No ride was ever the same, each route promised something new. They especially loved the beautiful vistas and geographical changes from the city skyline to fields, marshlands, and wooded forests. Not to mention the diversity of the people they encountered on the Trail. People of all ages and abilities, cyclists, walkers, runners, and roller bladders. Each ride offered a new experience.
To add to the excitement, Molly used the mile markers as an incentive to keep everyone motivated and energized!
“Every time we reached a new mile marker we rang our bells in celebration, and it became a game to see who could spot the marker first. For the last dozen or so miles, the number of rings matched the number on the marker (since we were going “backward” on the trail).”
For the Brannan-Jones family, the most difficult challenge hit them right from the start, the dreaded hill heading out of Richmond. At the beginning of their first leg, they also encountered their first and only crash. Molly was impressed with the attention and generous concern her son received from the cyclists nearby who stopped to see if they were alright. Not discouraged in the least, her son jumped back on his bike and off they went to finish the day’s trek. Later that afternoon, they tracked their first week’s progress on a map, a routine they incorporated after each ride.
“When we completed a ride, staggering in the door sweaty and satisfied, the kids would help us fill in our progress on a map of the trail we printed and posted on the fridge.”
The best part of the challenge for Molly was seeing the change in her son, watching him build confidence, learn to overcome challenges, and regain some of the freedom he had lost from COVID-19. Her most memorable moment, witnessing her son, little legs pedaling like crazy, tackling the final hill as he went up and over the Chickahominy River Bridge. A visual reflection of how much he had grown mentally and physically over the last eight weeks, from the first hill out of Richmond and the obstacles it presented to the last hill over the Chickahominy River and how differently her son attacked it with strength and confidence. The entire eight-week, 51.7-mile adventure, is something the Brannan-Jones family will remember and treasure always.
MOLLY’S TIPS AND STRATEGY
Are you looking for a fun challenge for your family this summer? Molly’s shares her simple tips and strategy:
Pack plenty of healthy snacks and water. Hydrate often and take frequent breaks!
Bring a first aid kit. Accidents will happen, especially when riding with children.
Start slow, let the children set the pace. Be mindful of the heat index when planning your start and stopping times.
Plan ahead. Study the route ahead of time, learn where the hills and restrooms are, and have a parking plan. Explain the route to your children so they know what to expect. Talk about what they will see, when your breaks will be, make it a fun adventure but remember to be flexible. Plans can change out on the Trail.
For the longer car rides as you go further from home, bring games and activities to keep the children entertained.
Make sure everyone has a bike, trailer or trailer bike, etc., that they will be comfortable in for the duration of the ride and that you have a way to transport the bicycles if you do not have a bike rack.
Involve everyone by giving each family member a job to do. Even small children can help pack snacks.
Focus on the goal! Print off the map and highlight the sections you have completed. Put the map in a visible spot, like on the fridge, as a reminder of your accomplishments.
Recognize weekly accomplishments with small rewards for each completed section and of course the big one - completing the entire Trail. It doesn’t have to be big, something as simple as stickers or going out for ice-cream. Molly gave everyone in her family a VCTF buff to commemorate their final mile milestone. And of course, everyone in her family was very excited when they received their Cap Trail Quarantine shirts and certificates of achievement in the mail.
Make it fun! Incorporate the mile markers with a fun activity. Ring… ring… ring… when you spot a mile marker ring your bell or take a family picture.
Above all, enjoy the experience! Don’t be in a hurry, be flexible, and enjoy it!
52 miles may seem a bit daunting and unrealistic, especially with small children, but with proper planning and the right mindset it could become one of your most memorable adventures.
Thank you to Molly Brannan for sharing her family’s remarkable and inspirational story with us!
