5 Questions With: Lynn Smythe

Posted January 19, 2009, 10:29 am in Cycling


She's cycling for a cause, and not only changing the world -- changing her own life for the better! When we met Lynn Smythe on Twitter, we were hooked on her stories of travel, family, friends and most of all -- fun! See what The Bike Diva says about heroes, having fun, and staying active.


What motivates you to keep on riding?

I ride because I can. The majority of the cycling events I participate in benefit either a local or national non-profit charity organization. I have done events for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Mother's Against Drunk Driving, Police Athletic League and more. I don't have cancer, I don't have to go through radiation treatments or chemotherapy, so I ride because I can. Getting up at 5:30 in the morning, to ride 50 miles on my bike, or go for an 11 mile run, is no big deal.


How do you push yourself on "lazy" days, or days where the weather isn't cooperating?

I'm lucky to live in SE Florida, where the weather is beautiful year round. Unless there is a severe thunder storm, or hurricane watch in effect, I still go out and train. I even train in the rain, as long as there is no thunder or lightening associated with the storm. Charity cycling events aren't canceled on account of rain, so doing a bit of biking in the rain is always a good idea. But now I walk over the metal grates on the top of draw bridges, I've had more than one close call trying to bike over the metal grates in the rain -- slip, sliding away -- NOT fun!


Why is it important to you to give back; to make a difference in someone else's life?

I see too many friends and family member's of friends struggling with various diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and various forms of cancer. I'm not independently wealthy, so I can't throw large gobs of cash at charity organizations. But I can volunteer my time, to train for athletic events, while raising money for various non-profit charities.

My husband and I are about to start our fourth season with the Palm Beach Team in Training cycle team. TNT is the main fundraising program of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My husband, Rob, is one of the cycle team coaches, and I am a two time cycle team mentor. This year we will be training the cycle team for the Tahoe century ride, AKA America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride. This is a 100 mile road bike ride which travels around Lake Tahoe, at elevations ranging from 6,000 to 7,044 feet!


What are your goals for the future? Where do you see yourself in 5 years, in 10 years, and beyond?

My goal is to keep participating in charity athletic events, such as 1/2 marathons and century bike rides, for as long as I can. When our kids get a bit older, my husband and I are interested in doing a few multi day events, such as the Bike Florida Capitol Tour.

I am a freelance writer, specializing in cycling, running, multisport, fitness and nutrition articles, so at this point there is really no distinction between my professional career and my personal life. Besides writing for my Bike Diva blog, I also write for other sites such as Charity Mile. I hope to start the Diva Blog Network in the near future. I have already purchased 8 additional domain names with that goal in mind.


I hope to have Run Diva online by the this time next month. Last year, after a 18 year hiatus, I added running back into my workout routine. For some reason I got the bug to do a marathon, before I got too much older. On December 7, 2008 I competed in my first half marathon at the Marathon of the Palm Beaches. On January 25, I will be doing the 1/2 at ING Miami. And on January 31, I'll be running the 5K at the Komen Race for the Cure in West Palm Beach. I also plan on doing a few duathlons this year: run-bike-run, so I recently purchased my USAT racing license with that goal in mind.

I'm probably one of the few people that actually look forward to getting older. I can't wait until I'm old enough to start competing in the Senior Olympics - SWEET!


Is there someone in your life that you consider a hero?

I have multiple heroes. I can't choose just one, so here are my top selections.

Ted & Martha Labbe. Two years ago, our Team in Training cycle team had a couple join the team that rode a heavy, tandem bicycle. Ted and Martha, were part of the team that trained and participated in the El Tour de Tucson, a 109 mile road bike ride which took place in Tucson, Arizona on November 17, 2007. The elevation for this ride ranged between  2,500 and 3,500 feet, and included 2 dry river bed crossings, where cyclists had to get off and carry their bikes across the rocky, sandy surface. Ted and Martha were 63 and 73 years old at the time -- AWESOME!

Shannon Cash. Shannon was also a member of our Team in Training cycle team that went to Tucson. He was 63 years old when he completed his first century ride. He joined Team in Training to honor his sister, who was currently battling leukemia. Shannon's wife, son and daughter flew out to Arizona with us to cheer us on during the El Tour de Tucson ride. Shortly after getting back from Tucson, Shannon's daughter was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. A month later, his sister lost her battle with leukemia. His daughter passed away a few months later, at 15 years old. Despite all the crap going on in his personal life, Shannon was one of the first people to sign up for the next Team in Training century ride -- YOU ROCK SHANNON!!!


How are you Growing Bolder -- smashing stereotypes about what we can do as we get older?

I turned 45 years old last November. I used to say that I was too old to participate in any kind of athletic events. Then I started meeting people that were older than me, who were very active in all kinds of endurance athletic events. Now, at 45 years old, I consider myself to be a spring chicken, with lots of years of cycling and running in my future.

When I first started cycling, at 40 years old, I said I would never go clipless. Now, the first thing I tell new cyclists, looking to improve their speed and efficency, is to get a set of road bike shoes and switch to a clipless pedal system. I also used to say that I would never ever, never race my bike. My husband and I purchased our USA Cycling racing licenses last year. We participated in a few local time trials, and I won 4 medals in my age group, in 2008. I hope to keep participating in time trials, and maybe even add in a few criterium races this year. Here is a link to my probably over ambitious 2009 racing schedule: http://bikediva.net/bike-diva-races/.

I started contacting a few companies last year, who have offered to sponsor me with my racing efforts. I even had one company, Action Wipes, contact me on Twitter, and now they sponsor me. This year I am being sponsored by Action Wipes, Sock Guy, Fluid, MotorTabs, Rudy Project, Vetta and GoPro. Here is a link to my racing page on the SponsorHouse site: http://www.loopd.com/Members/bikediva/Default.aspx.

Want to learn more about The Bike Diva?

Her blog: Bike Diva -- http://bikediva.net
Her Team in Training fundraising page -- http://pages.teamintraining.org/pb/ambbr09/lsmythe

To see past articles in our 5 Questions With series, click here.

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