Padded cycling shorts, foldable tire tubes, CO2, custom fit road bike, sunscreen, headband…and more. If you like buying “gear” and “gadgets” you’ll love road biking!  Not only that, but the health benefits of cycling on a regular basis include greater cardiovascular strength and strong leg muscles.

Always ready to try a new sport, especially that I’m now “of a certain age”, you must know my bike riding track record is no more than what it was when I was six years old…down to the penny candy store and back.  Yet,  once I found out that not all people with leukemia are as fortunate as my newly-diagnosed dad,  I figured…the worse that can happen is that I am humiliated on my first hill and have to jump in the sag wagon, a version of a van taxi on a mountain.

The “give it a try” was instigated also by my sister, Kara.  Her reasoning was that we can’t cure dad’s chronic myelogenous leukemia,  but we can help find a cure or at least advance medical research.  Because thankfully, he was one of the lucky ones.  CML can be treated these days with a drug called Gleevec but that’s only been made possible because of fundraising championed and organized by patient advocacy and fundraising organizations like the  Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

So, we decided to do a Century together around Lake Tahoe…”America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride”.

We trained for over 14 weeks to strengthen our legs, lungs and heart for this “century” ride.   The bottom line is that I learned so much from the coaches support, knowledge and experience with endurance training – as well as from their unrelenting attitude that we bikers were the engine behind the research – and the thousands of other novice, intermediate and advanced bikers who decide they can make a difference by fundraising money for this ride.

With the $4,500 I raised by reaching out to receptive and generous friends and donors,  LLS paid for my roundtrip airline ticket to Lake Tahoe, as well as two nights hotel.  The real gift is this: they also provided me with top rate bike coaching for the 14 weeks that we trained for this event.  Since I live in Connecticut,  our training rides consisted of  riding 25-65 mile routes on early Saturday mornings from March through May.

It’s really true what the coaches say “if you can bike the routes we plan for you…you’ll be prepared for Tahoe!”.

Together, my husband, Julien,  my sister, Kara, and I rode the hilling, windy, hot and oxygen-light terrain with 2,000 other LLS bikers on June 6th starting from near the Embassy Suites Hotel.   In total, just the three of us raised 13,000.00 for LLS – a mere drop in the bucket for research purposes, but, the collective LLS riders  in Tahoe raised over $6 million!  More than 75% of money raised goes to drug research and patient care for the many types of blood cancers for which there is STILL no cure.

Does this interest you at all?

I would recommend charity bike riding to mid-life women and am looking to establish a group women nationally – with the LLS as our coaches and supporters. Their superb organizational and coaching skills are unsurpassed and their dedication to finding a cure is contagious!

The benefits?

The benefits included getting stronger legs and a stronger cardiovascular system.  The biggest benefit for me was knowing with every ride that I was giving hope to a cure for the millions of patients and future-patients with blood cancers.  I get a knot in my throat when I think about the stories of patients.  And, I am grateful that bikers, years ago,  were able to fundraise so – today, my dad can just pop a pill to manage his condition.

I also have a myriad of new friends who shared an adventure with a common and elusive goal.

Kelley’s well care tip:

“how not to feel old..on a bike!“

Sharon, our first featured guest, will talk about her journey from devastated parent to, dare we say, “genius?” A former college chaplain who took the life-altering news of her children’s rare genetic condition and created a movement to improve health outcomes for people suffering from genetic diseases, she is a stunning example of how one Real Woman can make a difference.

Sharon’s joined by fellow guest Barbara Grufferman, author of the acclaimed The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health. Money and More. Recently featured on “The Today Show” and in Huffington Post, The Best of Everything…. is the essential handbook to being a healthy and strong woman “of a certain age.”  It combines practical girlfriend-to-girlfriend advice from Barbara, a self-described “very inquisitive woman over 50,” and professional expertise from leading authorities in women’s health, nutrition, exercise, makeup, hair, fashion, finance, organization and sex.

Seriously, this book is one-stop shopping for those of us looking to feel and be our best!

In addition to featured guests, Real Women on Health! continues to bring listeners “Inside the Beltway” news from Robin Strongin, a Washington DC public affairs leader and creator of Disruptive Women on Health, an online platform for provocative ideas, thoughts, and solutions in the health arena.

RWoH! wants to hear your answer to the question: what are your tips for being a fabulous woman over 50?  Tune in Wednesday night and tell us what you think by calling 203-845-3044, or email us at  talktous@realwomenonhealth.com.  This is your big chance – we’ll be giving away a copy of Barbara’s book to a random caller.

Real Women on Health! is broadcast live on 1350 WSTC/1400 WNLK Fairfield County’s News Talk station from 8 pm to 9 pm EST and available via streaming at http://wstcwnlk.com/.  It can also be uploaded as a podcast on-demand after our live show.

Self-acceptance and self-esteem are closely related…and arises as you learn that you are perfect with all your  accomplishments, victories, and … vices.  Self-acceptance is as essential to one’s well-being as water is to a blooming flower.   Have you ever re-framed your “inadequacies”  and lack of self-acceptance into a humor and candor….where laughter has a place in healing and well-being?

Move over Candace Bushnell… and meet Amy Cohen, a New York Times Best-selling author of “The Late Bloomer Revolution”.   Amy says it well here, “I like to think of myself as a late bloomer, one who will, however, late come into bloom.   Although when, and if, I bloom remain a mystery.   I wish I knew how to speak a foreign language fluently.  I wish I knew how to cook a simple roast chicken, or that I had read the Idiot whose main character sounds like someone I can relate to.

By 35, Amy learned to ride the bike of her life.    Click here to take the Late Bloomer’s Quiz and join “The Late Bloomer’s Revolution”.    And, try your guess on our last question of the Late Bloomer’s Quiz here to talk with us.

Speaking of living life on our terms…learn what’s going on “inside the beltway” and take control of your healthcare with our radio show’s Washington, DC correspondant, Robin Strongin.   A true woman’s advocate with the connections to make it happen, she reveals the knowledge that will empower us women to become our own best health and wellness advocates.

Robin is the founder of Disruptive Women in Healthcare, a thriving blogging community of high powered women who are driving innovation in healthcare with thought-provoking ideas and commentary on the nation’s challenges.   This week,  she’s disrupting the status quo with a grasp on why you can’t take clinical trial information at face value…what you need to ask your doctor to stay in control of your health and well-being.

Join Kelley, Cassie, Robin and Amy on Real Women on Health! live talk radio this Wednesday, May 5th at 8 pm – 9 pm EST on your computer at www.wstcwnlk.com streaming live or, if you live near Fairfield County, Connecticut  listen “on the AM dial” at 1350/1400.

Our show is sponsored by Zestra, essential arousal oils, a patented blend of botannicals that is clinically proven to improve desire, arousal and satisfaction for 70% of women.  Check this out and use promo code ZPASS5 at check out!

Have you heard about Jenny Sanford’s new book “Staying True”?

Just recently, Jenny Sanford talks to the women on “The View”. Open communication can create opportunities for healing and understanding – even in the most difficult of situations. Jenny Sanford’s release of her new book highlights her journey in coming to terms with her husband’s affair with his mistress from Argentina. And, her ability not to be a “victim” turns out to be inspiring for many women.

Yet, many women have opinions about how Jenny Sanford got married in the first place as Mark wanted to get rid of the word “fidelity” in their vows.

What’s your opinion on this? Should she have married him despite his inability to say that he would be faithful in his marriage. As Jenny says, everyone has doubts about getting married:))

Better yet, what would you have done?

I asked one of our Real Women on Health! experts, Janis Spring, PhD, that same question as she is the author of the best-selling “After the Affair”. Janis said, “I haven’t read Jenny Sanford’s new book, but on the question, should you marry someone who wants to delete the idea of fidelity from your vows?”, I’d start with wanting to know the meaning of that partner’s objection. It may mean tons; it may mean little. After all, most people enter marriage swearing fidelity, but, often, end up having affairs. Other people question whether they can promise fidelity but stay true to their partner. I’d say, verbal promises and commitments provide no guarantee of fidelity but, while the wedding bells are still ringing, if one partner has serious doubts about the likelihood he’d/she’d stay faithful, I’d say the other partner who values fidelity should have as much discomfort with their willingness to tie the knot.”

Dr. Spring is a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology, a recipient of the Connecticut Psychological Association’s Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Practice of Psychology, and has served as a clinical supervisor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University. She received her B.A. from Brandeis University, magna cum laude, her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Connecticut, and her post-graduate training from Aaron Beck, M.D., at the Center for Cognitive Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. In private practice for more than three decades, Dr. Spring is known for the richness and originality of her clinical skills and trains hundreds of therapists each year. She is a popular media guest on programs such as NPR, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper 360, and the CBS Early Show, and she presents regularly at such public venues as The Smithsonian Institute, Harvard’s Continuing Education Conferences, Smith College School of Social Work, and Kripalu Institute. She and her husband live in Westport, Connecticut, and have four sons.

“Reinvention…Restoration…Relaxation..or Get Real!

Upcoming on-line radio show this Wednesday, February 3rd at 8:30 pm EST

The women-to-women on-line radio show will be dynamic conversation to help women de-code the meaning of Reinvention for their own personal and professional lives. The outcome of the show will be greater insights into how women can access and embrace their true self in attaining personal wellbeing.

We realize that women have many different ways of thinking about Reinvention…and we’re going to explore them all!

Join us live and online for our next RealWomen on Health! online health salon and radio show with Suzanne Douglas Harris, MBA, Personal and Professional Life Coach and Susan James, Co-Founder, Self-Discovery Group, LLC in a dynamic conversation with Kelley Connors, MPH, Women’s Wellness Coach and Cassie Holm, Women’s Advocate and Communications Strategist.

Suzanne brings a distinctive blend of expertise, solid experience and personal empathy, especially around career and life changes.  Susan brings a mastery of cutting edge techniques that put her at the forefront in the field of human consciousness evolution and “true self” facilitator of leaders around the world.   They’ll be the catalyst for you to explore “reinvention” in your own life.

Just dial in on Wednesday, February 3rd at 8:30 pm EST to www.blogtalkradio.com/realwomenonhealth. If you have not registered yet, please do so and you’ll receive a link that will allow you to listen through your computer. If you would rather use a phone to listen, just dial (646) 929-2625 and you’ll be connected to our conversation. You can choose to listen or talk!

Welcome to our on-line radio show and women’s health and wellness community where we give women the platform to share their voice, experience and professional expertise with women “like us”.

Our host and founder, Kelley Connors, is a women’s wellness coach and women’s health advocate who brings real women together with experts on health to create new conversations that are educational, inspirational and fun.   Cassie, the show’s co-host,  is a communications strategist who’s worked on the front lines of women’s health, diabetes, sexual health, breast cancer and more.  She adds commentary from the latest published women’s health research to help fuel the conversation, supporting women’s desires for credible information.

Together, they aim to transform the women’s health conversation to one that inspires not just “talk” but “action”.   We’re all about women becoming more proactive – no matter their health challenges.

OUR TOPICS: Our topics range from prevention to treatment, wellness to reinvention and re-vitalization.  There’s no topic that’s taboo and no topic we won’t consider important from a women’s perspective.  We’re here to bridge the gap between your life and your health and to encourage and support women in being their own best health and wellness advocates.  While the topics are health-oriented, Kelley, Cassie and their real women guests bring charisma, personality and pizzaz to create a fun, light atmosphere so women feel comfortable to share their stories.

HOW WE DO IT: Real Women on Health! is in tune with who the experts and advocates in areas of women’s health that women tell us are important to them, like sexuality and intimacy, cancer survivorship, environmental health, skin care, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and other chronic conditions that affect women in ways that are not easy to discuss in a healthcare setting.

HOW WE’RE DIFFERENT: Most important to women is privacy.  We know where women prefer to remain anonymous in describing their issues and we respect their privacy.  That’s why we use both the telephone and the computer to create our live conversations – and women can, indeed remain completely “nameless” on our calls.  Also, we have content partnerships with the nation’s leading health organization, HealthyWomen, which grants us access to leading healthcare professionals and researchers who are on the front lines of women’s health issues – both treating women as patients and leading research trials that impact women’s health and healthcare.

So, we bring in healthcare experts that are world re-known and locally re-known to add credibility to our “candid conversations” among women.

Finally, we wrap up our conversations with a re-cap of action steps and post a call to action with resources on our blog.  So, if you miss a show, you can find out more on our blog on a page called Well-Care Tips.

Interested in joining us?

Here’s how you can participate in the community:

1.  Find out about our on-line radio shows first!   SIMPLY LISTEN RIGHT NOW THROUGH YOUR COMPUTER!

2.  Share Your Story: e-mail me kelley@kc-health.com and tell me about yourself and your health and wellness experience. Let’s discuss how you want to share your story with other women.

3. Receive Our Updates on Events and Stories:  email me at kelley@kc-health.com to receive our monthly Real Women on Health! updates, radio shows and events.

4.  Be an Expert or Advocate:  email me if you’re a women’s health advocacy group leader who would like to express your point of view on our show.   Or if you’re a researcher or healthcare professional,  you’re invited to share your expertise with others to spark dialogue and inspire action!