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Della Marshall and her husband both like to travel, but since neither of them is the sedentary type, bus tours and cruises usually aren't options when they're considering a trip.
Instead, they're apt to grab their two Trek racing bicycles and head out for places near and far where they can explore at a slower pace while enjoying the great outdoors.
"We enjoy cycling so much that it's become an opportunity to take what we do on a daily basis for exercise and plan an event around it," said Della, a clinical social worker and counselor at the USC Counseling and Human Development Center.
Last summer the couple (her husband, John Marshall, is a Columbia investor) spent two weeks bicycling the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia, following similar trips in Hawaii, Spain, Florida, and New Mexico. They're tentatively mulling over a return to Spain next summer to watch part of the Tour de France and cycle some of the tour's routes.
"We love being outside, and we love being with nature," said Della, who works with the counseling center's sexual health and violence prevention program. "We enjoy doing things together, the trips are fun, and it takes some of the stress out of our jobs. When we get home we have a sense of peace."
Della began cycling about 10 years ago after leaving competitive running when her hips started bothering her. She rode with Columbia bike teams before meeting her husband while cycling. Not long thereafter, they took up long-range riding.
Their first bike trip was in northern Spain after they'd been riding for a year and a half. When they vacationed on the island of Hawaii, they rode the cycling portion of the Ironman Triathlon, which Della described as a grueling 112-mile jaunt against the wind.
Both have ridden in two challenging 100-mile rides from Lenoir, N.C., to the top of Grandfather Mountain, and from Spartanburg to the top of North Carolina's Mt. Mitchell. They've also gone on weekend rides to Charleston from Columbia and various stretches of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Turning 50 became the impetus to travel the entire length of the 469-mile Blue Ridge from Waynesboro, Va., to Cherokee, N.C., during 12 days that averaged 50 miles per day while climbing 52,000 feet. One-way truck rentals enabled the two to transport their bicycles to the starting point of the trip from Columbia and from the end of the parkway back home.
The trip's success hinged on careful planning, including stopovers to avoid becoming overextended, packing light, and scheduling sightseeing days when they could rest. They only carried enough supplies and equipment to last them for specified distances by pre-positioning boxes of food and supplies at overnight stops in country inns and bed and breakfasts.
"We love the mountains and the history of the parkway," said Della, adding that "I don't think there's anyplace else in the country quite like it. No commercial traffic is allowed, the speed limit is 45 miles per hour and everyone is very friendly. It's also a scenic route so people are respectful of the speed limit and cyclists on the road."
Riding the entire distance of the parkway after having been on it for several shorter trips was also a unique experience, said Della, though bicycling anywhere is something they always enjoy.
"It doesn't really matter where you are," she said. "It's just something to be outdoors and seeing a different part of the country."
11/02
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