Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Last training ride of the year...
Today's Potluck ride was the last training ride of the season in Northern California. 25 riders came out to Ride, then Eat. Another dozen or so showed up around noon to help eat.
We had to make everyone eat seconds and thirds because there was waaaay too much food, not to mention desserts! AND we also had birthday cake and song for Bob Katz who celebrated his 29th birthday with us today. :-)
I've posted the photos on picasaweb (you should be able to see the photos at left)
Great Day and Great Season everyone!! We'll see you on DAY ZERO!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Wahoo!!! 25,000 miles and counting....
Today I did a little Renegade Ride from Mike's Bikes around Tiburon. A short one with Matt, Gary, Yoichi, David, Jamison & Marie... right about mile 4 my Bike Odometer hit the 25,000 mile mark!
What's more amazing than hitting 25,000 miles in 5 years (I'm sure lots of people have much more mileage---- I'm just the only one who celebrates every 1,000 miles...) is that my computer battery has not died in the last 5 years, enabling me to closely watch my annual mileage! Weird I know, but really it has not died yet. And now that I've said that I'm sure it will die on next weeks ride.
So Matt took this picture of me... notice that we are conveniently in front of the Maserati & Ferrari dealerships in Corte Madera.
25,000 miles with 545 miles to go!
What's more amazing than hitting 25,000 miles in 5 years (I'm sure lots of people have much more mileage---- I'm just the only one who celebrates every 1,000 miles...) is that my computer battery has not died in the last 5 years, enabling me to closely watch my annual mileage! Weird I know, but really it has not died yet. And now that I've said that I'm sure it will die on next weeks ride.So Matt took this picture of me... notice that we are conveniently in front of the Maserati & Ferrari dealerships in Corte Madera.
25,000 miles with 545 miles to go!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Final Friday Ride- ALC 7
This past Friday was our final Friday training ride for ALC 7. The ride was from the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge to Pt. Reyes Station for lunch and then a loop back. Here are the 28 of us getting ready to ride:
Amazingly enough, after a night of howling winds the morning dawned pretty calm. A wee bit chilly but nothing that we couldn't handle.
Our friend and former ALC rider and TRL - Golden Gate Bridge Sgt. Daniel Gomez came by to say hello and wish us a good ride. (You wondered why we had an "in" with the Bridge, huh?) Last year Daniel was our regular TRL on our Friday rides. Here's Daniel with two of our riders- Em & Michael:
We made our way down the Ft. Baker bike path and into Sausalito with a quick stop at the public restrooms. From there it was over Camino Alto and on to Fairfax for a stop at the Coffee Roasters... We were a pretty quick bunch, I had warned folks not to linger too long at the stops- with the exception of lunch- because we didn't want to get caught in the nasty pre-holiday weekend traffic, especially since we were going to be crossing White's Hill in the afternoon on the way back. Quick stop in Nicasio and then on to Olema Hill. The weather was great, a little breezy but nice. We all made quick work of the Olema Hill and met in Pt. Reyes for lunch, sitting in front of the Bovine Bakery.
After lunch it was back thru Nicasio. I rode with Emily, Michael, Maynor & Tyler. Once we got to Nicasio, I remembered to check Tyler's back tire... while we were climbing Olema I noticed it was getting a little flat looking. Sure enough is back tire was quite low, probably had a small leak. We decided to pump it up using my bike frame pump- The Road Morph- which is a great bike frame pump that actually has a gauge that works!
We got Tyler all set and headed back to Fairfax-- no issues for anyone over White's Hill, yay!
Once back in Fairfax, we caffeined up with some iced coffees. I waited for the sweep to arrive, which happened pretty quickly and I soon took over as sweep back to Sausalito and then to the Bridge! 72 miles... mild weather, good company and good food. Nice way to end a season!
Amazingly enough, after a night of howling winds the morning dawned pretty calm. A wee bit chilly but nothing that we couldn't handle.Our friend and former ALC rider and TRL - Golden Gate Bridge Sgt. Daniel Gomez came by to say hello and wish us a good ride. (You wondered why we had an "in" with the Bridge, huh?) Last year Daniel was our regular TRL on our Friday rides. Here's Daniel with two of our riders- Em & Michael:
We made our way down the Ft. Baker bike path and into Sausalito with a quick stop at the public restrooms. From there it was over Camino Alto and on to Fairfax for a stop at the Coffee Roasters... We were a pretty quick bunch, I had warned folks not to linger too long at the stops- with the exception of lunch- because we didn't want to get caught in the nasty pre-holiday weekend traffic, especially since we were going to be crossing White's Hill in the afternoon on the way back. Quick stop in Nicasio and then on to Olema Hill. The weather was great, a little breezy but nice. We all made quick work of the Olema Hill and met in Pt. Reyes for lunch, sitting in front of the Bovine Bakery.
After lunch it was back thru Nicasio. I rode with Emily, Michael, Maynor & Tyler. Once we got to Nicasio, I remembered to check Tyler's back tire... while we were climbing Olema I noticed it was getting a little flat looking. Sure enough is back tire was quite low, probably had a small leak. We decided to pump it up using my bike frame pump- The Road Morph- which is a great bike frame pump that actually has a gauge that works!
We got Tyler all set and headed back to Fairfax-- no issues for anyone over White's Hill, yay!
Once back in Fairfax, we caffeined up with some iced coffees. I waited for the sweep to arrive, which happened pretty quickly and I soon took over as sweep back to Sausalito and then to the Bridge! 72 miles... mild weather, good company and good food. Nice way to end a season!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
My final TRL email....
Hey TRLs!
So this is it for me! After Monday's Potluck ride, I'm a rider just like everyone else!! WAHOOO!!! now I can go back to my old crazy, loud, cranky self! :-)
Many of you are hosting celebration rides this weekend, and or after work get togethers next week to calm pre-jitters (Chicago!)
Thanks for doing that! Its a nice way to end the season, socialize a bit more with riders and get to calm their fears one last time.
Many of you will hear this throughout the week of the ride, and at the Safety Video as well, so this is the last thing I'd like you to message out to your groups this week:
"The Code of Conduct and the Safety Speech information you've gotten in the past weeks are in place, as you all know, to keep us all safe (and alive) during the week of the ride. That's the priority for us. Second to that, the reason is so that we can preserve the future of the AIDS Lifecycle ride and continue to produce this event. Consider it "keeping the future of the ride safe" as well.
Think of it this way:
Just One Rider, can upset One Town, and that town can decline One Permit next year, jeopardizing the future of the Ride.
Please think of this daily on the Ride in June, when you consider running a stop sign, riding 2 or more abreast or even pacelining with your team some afternoon when you are all tired (thus blocking traffic). One Rider, One Town, One Permit.
Let's correct each other too when needed, in a nice way of course. Remind each other "One Rider, One Town, One Permit" and we'll preserve our Safety and the future of AIDS Lifecycle."
This has been quite the Training Ride Season. We set out to do some different things in some different areas and I think we had some great successes. I hope you think so too.
It was a little weird going from Volunteer to part time Staff (did you notice I had to tone it down a lot? :-) but in the long run I think we accomplished some goals. If I remember correctly just about everyone said they wanted to TRL so that they could "give back", and "help new riders get through the hard times easier than I did" I hope that you feel you accomplished that goal this season as well.
I'm not sure what my future is as Training Ride Coordinator, but I do want to let you know that this season has been a BLAST for me! I also invite you to email Susan with any (and I mean ANY) comments you have on the Training Ride Program -yes including comments on me- this year, as well as suggestions for next year. I'm hoping to get a survey out to you all in the next week or two, but you know there's this ride coming up that I'm doing in a week or so ....
In addition to the VERY BIG THANKS to ALL of you, I'd like to offer a Huge Thank You to the following Bay Area TRLs who went a bit beyond the average Call of Duty...
Mary Vencill- East Bay CAT 1 Series Ride Facilitator. Mary started her Ride Series back on December 8th and ran consecutively for 23 weeks! She took the very very East Bay newbie riders under her wing and set them up for success! Thanks to Mary and her weekly crew for keeping it together for the entire 23 weeks.
Ben Armstrong- SF CAT 2 Series Ride Facilitator. Once again had the highest attendance of any training rides. Ben also maintains a great CAT 2 Series website for his folks (www.catseries.com) with great ongoing commentary!!
Mark Smith- East Bay CAT 2 Series Ride Facilitator. Known as the TRL who will make you ride every hill twice! Thanks to Mark and his weekly crew for pulling it together every Sunday and making sure that EVERYONE got back safely.... even if it WAS at dusk...and that last person was sooo rude to the sweep...
Randy Files- South Bay CAT 2 Series Ride Facilitator. Randy headed up a crew for a ride every Sunday morning... sometimes after working a very busy graveyard shift the previous Saturday night!! Randy took his riders over every hill in the South Bay, and then some... even taking them to San Gregorio so that they'd know what its like to ride to the beach and back.
Chris Thomas- Peninsula CAT 3 Distance Training Series. Chris proved that you don't have to ride at 15mph+ to be a CAT 3 rider and still succeed. One of the best compliments we received from riders was that Chris' mileage on his route sheets were ALWAYS right on target. (how do you do that??). Chris also lead the only "Double Metric Plus" ride this season, and it was a rousing success.... yes there are some riders out there who LIKE to ride over 125 miles..... crazy as we, I mean they, are!
Geoff Schneider- SF CAT 3 Series Rides. Following Ben's routes, Geoff was able to offer faster riders a chance to ride out later and at a faster pace. Many riders have thanked us for offering up more CAT 3 rides this season (I got one thank you from a Rider today, in fact).
Kurt Schade- SF CAT 1 Series Rides. As usual, Saint Kurt offered up the most entertainment for his newbie CAT 1 riders and he now has a cult following. Have you noticed that? They all followed him to the "Bride of CAT 2" Series when the CAT 1 rides were over.... whether he was leading or not! Kurt definitely gets the prize for the "most patient and most entertaining" TRL.
Justin Cox & Emmy Starr- These two "Freshman" TRLs- took the lead in Facilitating the "Bride of CAT 2 Series" (with a bit of help from Kurt too!). Both Justin & Emmy are brand new TRLs and graciously said "yes" when we asked if they would take over the Bride Series. You guys get the "FANTASTIC NEWBIE TRL" award for stepping up to the plate and hitting a home run!
Deyon Jonson-- For thinking "OUTSIDE THE BOX" and offering up something NEW for riders to try-- climbing hills without having to worry about a lot of traffic! Deyon's Hill Climbing Clinics had to be one of the most sought after classes once word got out about her course. Thank you for sticking with it-- even with rain cancellations!
and finally-our "out of the immediate area" Ride Leaders:
Eric Drake- Training Ride Leader in SANTA CRUZ. Eric took it upon himself to start leading regular rides all over Santa Cruz for our huge group of riders in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. With help from some of you, Eric ( who is also a new daddy) spent hours in the saddle riding with our newbie Santa Cruz riders and also has a great following. Thank you Eric for stepping up to the plate- even though you are the only official TRL in Santa Cruz- and getting rides on the calendar!
Ronnie Campanelli, Jeanne Reed, Matt Millspaugh and Jimmy Castro-- All alone out in North San Juan/Sacramento areas. For getting some rides out on the calendar in your areas with as much regularity as possible. Next year we hope to offer even more rides out that way, now that we know how many ALC riders are actually out there!
The "girls" in Sonoma- Robin Abramson, Karen Cooper, Loree Angel, Mary Ford--- Matthew Duran and John Hershey. Thanks for trying new stuff and getting folks out to ride in Sonoma and Napa Counties!! (next year John- Bodega Bay with no fog, I'm sure we can do manage it some day!!!) Yes, we really DO have riders in a town called Sebastopol...
Our Out of State TRLs- from Las Vegas, Portland and Seattle to Delaware & New York, Chicago to Phoenix & Denver-- thank you all for getting rides out whenever you could. This was an unusually long wet season for many of you but you still braved the weather (or taught a weekly spin class) to get your groups together for a ride. Thank you for your dedication in getting at least one ride on the calendar this season. Its not always easy when you are the only one out in your area to lead.... thanks for all you have done!!
OH, Don't forget we will be wearing TRL jerseys/Vests or BUHC's (your choice!) on Day 2.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!
Now, let's Ride!! -jb
Sunday, May 18, 2008
130 miles in one day...
No really, 130 miles. Somehow I how got from Mountain View out to Livermore (Altamont Pass) and back in 8.5 hours of riding time.... but I think like 12 hours actually out on the road.
I met with Chris' CAT 3 riders at 6am on Saturday morning. 6am and I am wearing a tank top and feeling perfect, not too cool not too warm. Goes to show you how hot it was really going to be!
We headed out 'round 6:45 or so, 35 riders and only about half of them planning to do the full 130 miles. The rest took the 88 mile route and got back in as early as 2pm. We had 6 rest stops (all Starbucks Coffee shops) and a vehicle SAG so I felt like hey maybe I could actually do this. Really I only wanted to get 100 miles in the saddle so in the back of my mind I figured at mile 100 I'd hop in the car with Bill. Turns out I was feeling pretty good after all.
So lets see, we headed over the Dumbarton then thru Union City to Niles and then up Niles Canyon to Sunol. It was there I figured out who was doing the 88 miles (Dylan, you whimp!) and who was really hardcore (John and Wly of course!) So we headed on out Foothill and on toward Livermore where the temps at 9am were already in the 90's. Luckily there was a steady breeze that cooled the sweat that was pouring off my face-- so it wasn't oppressively hot. We stopped at the Quiznos on Las Positas for lunch (a cobb salad for me) before heading up toward Altamont Pass. It wasn't so bad, just windy. Chris had us only go up to the Summit Garage then head back down the hill... which was blowing headwinds directly toward me. I plugged in and pedaled hard.. so hard that I missed a turn and headed about 1/2 mile in the wrong direction before I looked down at my mileage and figured I had missed a turn.... right about then I turned around and heard Mary (a TRL) calling my name ... chasing me down to tell me I missed the turn. (thanks Mary! that was a little embarrassing... LOL!)
After that I caught up to the others and stopped at another Starbucks on Foothill (Pleasanton, I think) and had this lovely green tea, lemonade slushy thing. It was close to 100 degrees at this point and we still had Norris Canyon to climb. I headed out shortly after Mary, Richard, Jose, Julia, Dave and Larry- it took me a little bit of time to catch up but by the time I got to 580 I had Mary, Richard and Julia in sight. From there we rode together to Bollinger Canyon and then Norris Canyon. Norris Canyon road is sunny on the way to the top, so it was hot, dry and a slow ascent for me. Near the top I came upon Dave who literally almost stopped in his tracks at the top until I yelled-- "pull up, pull! pull!" talking about pedaling. We forget when we climb that not only should we be pushing down on our pedals, but we are connected to them and have some hamstring strength left that we could be using. I'm sure I annoyed Dave, who was pretty much out of breath. We hit a false summit (damn that!) but soon got to the top where Larry was waiting for us with of course, his camera. :-)I met with Chris' CAT 3 riders at 6am on Saturday morning. 6am and I am wearing a tank top and feeling perfect, not too cool not too warm. Goes to show you how hot it was really going to be!
We headed out 'round 6:45 or so, 35 riders and only about half of them planning to do the full 130 miles. The rest took the 88 mile route and got back in as early as 2pm. We had 6 rest stops (all Starbucks Coffee shops) and a vehicle SAG so I felt like hey maybe I could actually do this. Really I only wanted to get 100 miles in the saddle so in the back of my mind I figured at mile 100 I'd hop in the car with Bill. Turns out I was feeling pretty good after all.
So lets see, we headed over the Dumbarton then thru Union City to Niles and then up Niles Canyon to Sunol. It was there I figured out who was doing the 88 miles (Dylan, you whimp!) and who was really hardcore (John and Wly of course!) So we headed on out Foothill and on toward Livermore where the temps at 9am were already in the 90's. Luckily there was a steady breeze that cooled the sweat that was pouring off my face-- so it wasn't oppressively hot. We stopped at the Quiznos on Las Positas for lunch (a cobb salad for me) before heading up toward Altamont Pass. It wasn't so bad, just windy. Chris had us only go up to the Summit Garage then head back down the hill... which was blowing headwinds directly toward me. I plugged in and pedaled hard.. so hard that I missed a turn and headed about 1/2 mile in the wrong direction before I looked down at my mileage and figured I had missed a turn.... right about then I turned around and heard Mary (a TRL) calling my name ... chasing me down to tell me I missed the turn. (thanks Mary! that was a little embarrassing... LOL!)
Dave and I "high five-ing" at the top of Norris (I think he was tired of me by then, lol!)After that it was a nice long descent back across 580 and into yet another Starbucks in Hayward. It was there that I decided on a Mocha Frappuccino and some petite vanilla scones.. figuring I could use the caffeine and sugar for the long ride thru Hayward and into Fremont. I was right.
Dave,Mary,Richard, Bill, Julia, Me, Jose, Dave & Larry at RS 5.After riding out with Julia, Mary, Jose and Richard we hopped on Mission Blvd in Hayward for the 9 mile stint into Fremont. About 4 miles into it, Julia got a flat. Her first ever (pretty good considering how many miles she'd done in training thus far). So we all stopped and I got to give her my best lesson in changing a flat. Since it was later and hotter in the day, I simply did my instructions but did the actual changing myself, explaining it all as we went along. Soon John and David caught up to us and David had fun taking pictures of our tire changing seminar.
130 miles!! I can't remember the last time I road that many miles... ok the double metric of the wine country century one year with Charlie, but I think that was the last time. I felt pretty good- 8.5 riding hours and an average of 15.1 mph. Not bad, but I don't think I'll be riding that many miles in the heat any time soon. Major bike hangover today, and I forgot to put sunscreen on my back so got a gnarly sunburn-ouch!
Tib Loop on Thursday, 74 mile Pt Reyes ride on Friday and then a leisurely Potluck on Monday, Memorial Day. Then this show is on the road!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Things to definitely remember to pack....
Most of them are on the packing list (see Packing Guidelines) but I'll reiterate here just so you don't think you can do without.....
1)Therma rest type pad... the thickest one you can buy. I used to swear by air mattresses, they are very very comfy EXCEPT when you get a small hole in them from folding them up over and over each day. ALC 4 I awoke 2 days in a row to find my air mattress as flat as a pancake (my back was not happy). Luckily one of my friends partner was traveling down the route with us in a car so he was able to stop by a Target and buy me a new one. Ever since then its been the REI brand version of the 3" thick (or is it 4"?) thermarest pad. It's perfect, self inflates and will inflate even a bit more if you blow more air into it before you go to sleep. Plus they're not as heavy as the plastic air mattress (which your gear truck Roadie will appreciate).
2)A ground tarp-- for UNDER your tent. If you have gnarly hay fever like Michael and I, you'll want a layer between your tent and the grass we will be sleeping on. Otherwise, you'll wake up with nice puffy allergy eyes... well ok they might be puffy anyway, but at least they won't itch!
3) 2 More pairs of cycling gloves besides the ones you already have! One pair will last you all week, but just think about how many times you'll be rubbing the snot out from under your nose in those 7 days.... get the picture?
AND speaking of gloves!- when you pull into a rest stop, take your gloves OFF, stick them in your back pocket and THEN go get some food. Don't put your food in contact with your gloves...for the same gross snotty nose reasons. DON'T wear your gloves into the porta pottie, and then go grab a banana or orange from one of the rest stop roadies and start eating. TAKE THE GLOVES OFF! We always have a nasty case of intestinal "problems"each year, due to people not taking those nasty gloves off when they use the restroom, and then going to eat food with the gloves on. GROSS, I know, so don't get sick!!
4) A Headlamp (not a hand held flashlight). Much easier to see what you're in for as you enter the porta pottie in the middle of the night, also easier to USE the porta pottie when both hands are free and your not balancing a flashlight on your lap! And oh yes please DO NOT LET THE PORTA POTTIE DOORS SLAM SHUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Close them quietly behind you. :-)
5) A couple of large (like the 33 gal size) garbage bags. You can put your bag into it at night so that the dew won't make the outside of the bag all wet. They fold flat if you do it right so they won't take alot of space in your bag.
6) A small "loofah" type sponge to really get the road grime off of your legs in the shower.
7) A small backpack or tote bag to carry your stuff to/from the showers... don't forget a camping towel too! (the quick drying ones... the regular cotton ones won't dry out in time before you pack it!)
8) Shoes or Sandals for walking around in camp (I wear Keen clogs, but Crocs work well too!)
9) A fleece jacket/pullover, warm socks, and a hat (beanie/knit type). It does get cold when the sun goes away.... and when you're up before the sun is. Ugh!
10) 3 or 4 Large Binder Clips (y'know the black ones they have a work?)- great to use as clothes pins and they're much sturdier. There will be some stuff you will want to hang on your tent (like that camp towel)
11) (if you wear them) SPARE CONTACT LENSES!! and of course your eyeglasses.
12) Sunscreen! Don't rely on the rest stops to provide it, they'll have some but are usually out by the middle of the week. Kinesis makes a great alcohol free spray on sunscreen that I used today (98 degrees in Sausalito!) and the Sports Basement carries it.
13) Medical stuff (prescriptions, allergy medicines, inhalers.... ) I'm sure you're saying "DUH" but believe me people (both HIV+ and HIV neg) have forgotten some IMPORTANT drugs in the past and have had to pay for the mistake. I also bring Tylenol PM (one tablet only to fall asleep and yet not be groggy in the morning), it helps with any muscle soreness the next day as well.
Ok... I think that's it for now, I'm sure I'll think of more in the next 2 weeks but here's a start.
Now go relax. :-)
1)Therma rest type pad... the thickest one you can buy. I used to swear by air mattresses, they are very very comfy EXCEPT when you get a small hole in them from folding them up over and over each day. ALC 4 I awoke 2 days in a row to find my air mattress as flat as a pancake (my back was not happy). Luckily one of my friends partner was traveling down the route with us in a car so he was able to stop by a Target and buy me a new one. Ever since then its been the REI brand version of the 3" thick (or is it 4"?) thermarest pad. It's perfect, self inflates and will inflate even a bit more if you blow more air into it before you go to sleep. Plus they're not as heavy as the plastic air mattress (which your gear truck Roadie will appreciate).
2)A ground tarp-- for UNDER your tent. If you have gnarly hay fever like Michael and I, you'll want a layer between your tent and the grass we will be sleeping on. Otherwise, you'll wake up with nice puffy allergy eyes... well ok they might be puffy anyway, but at least they won't itch!
3) 2 More pairs of cycling gloves besides the ones you already have! One pair will last you all week, but just think about how many times you'll be rubbing the snot out from under your nose in those 7 days.... get the picture?
AND speaking of gloves!- when you pull into a rest stop, take your gloves OFF, stick them in your back pocket and THEN go get some food. Don't put your food in contact with your gloves...for the same gross snotty nose reasons. DON'T wear your gloves into the porta pottie, and then go grab a banana or orange from one of the rest stop roadies and start eating. TAKE THE GLOVES OFF! We always have a nasty case of intestinal "problems"each year, due to people not taking those nasty gloves off when they use the restroom, and then going to eat food with the gloves on. GROSS, I know, so don't get sick!!
4) A Headlamp (not a hand held flashlight). Much easier to see what you're in for as you enter the porta pottie in the middle of the night, also easier to USE the porta pottie when both hands are free and your not balancing a flashlight on your lap! And oh yes please DO NOT LET THE PORTA POTTIE DOORS SLAM SHUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Close them quietly behind you. :-)
5) A couple of large (like the 33 gal size) garbage bags. You can put your bag into it at night so that the dew won't make the outside of the bag all wet. They fold flat if you do it right so they won't take alot of space in your bag.
6) A small "loofah" type sponge to really get the road grime off of your legs in the shower.
7) A small backpack or tote bag to carry your stuff to/from the showers... don't forget a camping towel too! (the quick drying ones... the regular cotton ones won't dry out in time before you pack it!)
8) Shoes or Sandals for walking around in camp (I wear Keen clogs, but Crocs work well too!)
9) A fleece jacket/pullover, warm socks, and a hat (beanie/knit type). It does get cold when the sun goes away.... and when you're up before the sun is. Ugh!
10) 3 or 4 Large Binder Clips (y'know the black ones they have a work?)- great to use as clothes pins and they're much sturdier. There will be some stuff you will want to hang on your tent (like that camp towel)
11) (if you wear them) SPARE CONTACT LENSES!! and of course your eyeglasses.
12) Sunscreen! Don't rely on the rest stops to provide it, they'll have some but are usually out by the middle of the week. Kinesis makes a great alcohol free spray on sunscreen that I used today (98 degrees in Sausalito!) and the Sports Basement carries it.
13) Medical stuff (prescriptions, allergy medicines, inhalers.... ) I'm sure you're saying "DUH" but believe me people (both HIV+ and HIV neg) have forgotten some IMPORTANT drugs in the past and have had to pay for the mistake. I also bring Tylenol PM (one tablet only to fall asleep and yet not be groggy in the morning), it helps with any muscle soreness the next day as well.
Ok... I think that's it for now, I'm sure I'll think of more in the next 2 weeks but here's a start.
Now go relax. :-)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
12,000 feet in 2 days
Oh yeah I forgot-- last Friday we rode to the top of Mt. Tam. The TOP, the East Peak!
About 25 of us headed out from Mike's Bike's for a ride first to Alpine Dam, then up to Ridgecrest, then on the 7 sisters and finally the East Peak.
And then.... after a restful Saturday, I rode to the Top of Mt. Diablo! Donald said with the two days of climbing, we did over 12,000 feet of climbing (according to his Garmin).
No wonder I've been tired all week.
$2k in 24 hours!
Ok I did see "the Secret", and every once in awhile I do "picture it already here".... but sometimes I just forget to focus. I'm also a pretty skeptical person, so I don't focus very often.
I had been just under my goal of $5,000 for the last two weeks... so I figured what the heck I'd do "the secret" thing... just picture an extra $1,000 in my ALC account. What the heck, I'm just "picturing it", nothing more... putting out in the Universe can't hurt, right?
OMG it worked! I got a donation for $1k online, and then another check for $1k in the mail today!
Thank you A.C. and ADMI, Inc. for your generous donations... and the annual support of AIDS Lifecycle.
"The Secret"..... I know it sounds hokey, but it can't hurt to try!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
"Hug a TRL! "
A TRL or "Training Ride Leader" is a person who has gone thru the trauma and the drama of what you are about to embark upon, remembers it well and wants to help you get through it all.
Really. That's about it.
We remember the fear of the unknown, the fear of falling, the fear of knowing no one and the fear of the fear.
Julie, Donald, Ronnie, Annette
Erin, L.A.
Kurt, Bob Katz & AnnetteSo the next time you see your TRLs... give them a hug and say "Thank You".
They are all volunteers who have spent hundreds of hours in the saddle since October of 2007. Keeping you safe, managing their patience, and protecting the future of the Ride.
They have managed to avoid showing you when they are cranky (ok well most of them have), and they have managed to prove to you that you can ride a bike... even over a mountain. They have managed to believe in you, even when they didn't know you and even when you didn't believe in yourself.
They are a force to be reckoned with....
Code of Conduct (aka Safety)
Think about this for a minute.
One little town somewhere in the middle of nowhere, can get pissed at any one of us--- blowing a stop sign, riding two or more abreast or blocking their way to work by pace-lining... with just one angry town, permits can be declined and the Ride for AIDS effectively TERMINATED. There just aren't that many ways to get to L.A without taking the freeway, and we are using most of them.
So please think about this when you decide to ride side by side with someone, blow a stop sign or block traffic with your team one morning while riding out of camp during the week of June 1.
Its not just about YOU and YOUR safety... but the safety of the future of AIDS Lifecycle.
This Ride means a lot to all of us, and to our many friends and family members who fight this disease every day. You may not know anyone HIV+ but by the end of the week you will meet many, as well as many who have been affected by this horrible disease.
So- Don't Blow it for the Rest of Us who may need the money and awareness that the ride brings.
One little town somewhere in the middle of nowhere, can get pissed at any one of us--- blowing a stop sign, riding two or more abreast or blocking their way to work by pace-lining... with just one angry town, permits can be declined and the Ride for AIDS effectively TERMINATED. There just aren't that many ways to get to L.A without taking the freeway, and we are using most of them.
So please think about this when you decide to ride side by side with someone, blow a stop sign or block traffic with your team one morning while riding out of camp during the week of June 1.
Its not just about YOU and YOUR safety... but the safety of the future of AIDS Lifecycle.
This Ride means a lot to all of us, and to our many friends and family members who fight this disease every day. You may not know anyone HIV+ but by the end of the week you will meet many, as well as many who have been affected by this horrible disease.
So- Don't Blow it for the Rest of Us who may need the money and awareness that the ride brings.
And speaking of Red Dress Day...
Quite a few of us are planning to wear this for red dress day:
If you'd like to join in on the fun, you can get one at Spirit of Halloween they also come in "Plus" Sizes, for you "bigger girls"(aka BOYS) ....
If you'd like to join in on the fun, you can get one at Spirit of Halloween they also come in "Plus" Sizes, for you "bigger girls"(aka BOYS) ....
Themes...
Unofficially, these are the things we usually do/see/wear...
Day One--- Usually "team jersey" day. If you are on a team, think about all wearing your jerseys on ride out!
Day Two- TRL jersey day (ALL the TRLs try to wear their jerseys, vests or BUHC's to celebrate their hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours given this season), skinny dipping in the river below the green bridge, and a visit from the Cookie Lady!
Day 3- Your choice... this is the day we climb Quadbuster, and have lunch in Bradley.... also the day we ride on the shoulder of Hwy 101--- NO PASSING!!
Day 4- "Evil Twins" day... we climb the evil twins, and some of us (lots of us) wear the same jersey. Each year its different, this year we've chosen the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) jersey... you can see it HERE (be aware they run small!!). We ride thru Cayucos (coffee!) and Pismo Beach (cinnamon rolls!! yum!)... after the cinnamon rolls we climb a nasty one! (hint: you'll need the sugar)
Day 5- "Dress In Red" or "Red Dress" day. We all try to wear red so we look like a big long red ribbon as we ride the hills of the day... shortest day-- very hilly!! Wear red-- something red, anything red or you will DEFINITELY feel left out. I made that mistake my first year (ALC2)
Day 6- Your choice... we ride thru Santa Barbara, stop at "Paradise Pit", an unofficial rest stop with Ice Cream! (also a "cliff bar free zone"). Lots of riding along the coast. Camping in Ventura (an In & Out across the street!) and the Candlelight Vigil after sunset.
Day 7- Incentive Jersey or ALC "Souvenir" Jersey.... We ride the PCH for most of the day-- lots of traffic!! Keep your wits about you, ride very defensively... you want to make it to closing ceremonies! Everyone off the route by 3pm.... closing ceremonies at 4.
thats all I can think of for now....
Day One--- Usually "team jersey" day. If you are on a team, think about all wearing your jerseys on ride out!
Day Two- TRL jersey day (ALL the TRLs try to wear their jerseys, vests or BUHC's to celebrate their hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours given this season), skinny dipping in the river below the green bridge, and a visit from the Cookie Lady!
Day 3- Your choice... this is the day we climb Quadbuster, and have lunch in Bradley.... also the day we ride on the shoulder of Hwy 101--- NO PASSING!!
Day 4- "Evil Twins" day... we climb the evil twins, and some of us (lots of us) wear the same jersey. Each year its different, this year we've chosen the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) jersey... you can see it HERE (be aware they run small!!). We ride thru Cayucos (coffee!) and Pismo Beach (cinnamon rolls!! yum!)... after the cinnamon rolls we climb a nasty one! (hint: you'll need the sugar)
Day 5- "Dress In Red" or "Red Dress" day. We all try to wear red so we look like a big long red ribbon as we ride the hills of the day... shortest day-- very hilly!! Wear red-- something red, anything red or you will DEFINITELY feel left out. I made that mistake my first year (ALC2)
Day 6- Your choice... we ride thru Santa Barbara, stop at "Paradise Pit", an unofficial rest stop with Ice Cream! (also a "cliff bar free zone"). Lots of riding along the coast. Camping in Ventura (an In & Out across the street!) and the Candlelight Vigil after sunset.
Day 7- Incentive Jersey or ALC "Souvenir" Jersey.... We ride the PCH for most of the day-- lots of traffic!! Keep your wits about you, ride very defensively... you want to make it to closing ceremonies! Everyone off the route by 3pm.... closing ceremonies at 4.
thats all I can think of for now....
Monday, May 12, 2008
Day Zero... what to expect.
If you've come to one of our official "Meet & Greet" meetings that have been held all over Northern California (yes even Sac!) then you know already what I'm about to talk about. What happens each day of the Ride....
Day Zero- Orientation Day at the Cow Palace. If you are a social butterfly, come early to stand in lines and chit chat with everyone (it's fun!). If you're not a social butterfly, come around Noon and the lines might not be as bad.... be sure to get there by 2pm and no later or there's a chance (depending on what you still have left to turn in) you won't GET through all the lines. Bring your printed "E-Ticket", and your bike-drop the bike off at Bike Parking and proceed to the Safety Video.
There are TWO rooms the Safety Videos will be shown in- one starts at 10 am and goes every 1/2 hour, the other starts at 10:30 am and goes every half hour.
Waiting for the Safety Video to start...
IF YOU'RE LUCKY- you'll get in to the one that I will be "hosting" (introducing) and you'll get to hear all my schmucky Cow jokes... ok no not really, I don't have any Cow Palace jokes...yet.
Then, when you're done with the Safety Video, be SURE to get the safety video bracelet put on your wrist before you leave the room. You will not be able to register if you do not have the bracelet on... and yes you will leave it on for the remainder of the week, so don't cut it off that evening when you go to take a shower.
After the Safety Video, you'll take your E-ticket and your PHOTO ID (required!!) to registration. note: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR MEDICAL WAIVER ON FILE, your E ticket will state that and you will have to fill one out before proceeding to registration... same goes for if you have not yet raised your Minimum $2500.
Once those things are taken care of (do it in advance!!!) then you can proceed to Registration. In your registration packet will be your helmet number and your bike number. DON'T LOSE THESE!!! you will be placing them on your bike (and helmet, at home) soon after. You will also receive ANOTHER BRACELET, to go with your safety video bracelet. Both stay on your wrist all week!
Waiting in the registration line...
After registration, the last thing you will need to do is to be assigned a tent. Even if you are planning to stay in hotels all week, you must be assigned a tent with a tentmate. If you haven't already gotten a tentmate, go to the Tentmater website and you might find one there! Tentmater was originally designed by former ALC rider Dave Kim, and he generously just resets the website each year for folks to use. It is self editing, so be sure to de-activate your posting once you get a tentmate!
Once you and your tentmate are assigned a tent, you will be given a chip that lists a letter and number that corresponds to your place on the tent grid... in each camp they mark out all of the lettered areas and stick little signs in each place to mark where your tent should be. For instance, if your tent chip says "H-22" then you are in section H, and in space #22. The Letter corresponds to the Gear Truck your stuff will be on all week... in this case, your gear truck would be "Gear Truck H". get it? good... its really easy, and don't worry you can ask ANYONE and they will help you out!!
After all of that official stuff, you are now officially registered!! Go pack to bike parking, locate your bike and put your bike number on your top tube. This number MUST be visible at all times (even in bike parking each night!!). (When you get home, put your helmet number on the LEFT SIDE of your helmet)
After that it's time to go SHOPPING!! at the camp store.... so oh, don't forget to bring cash or a checkbook or a credit card. All of the newest ALC 7 schwag will be there for purchase... do it now (Day Zero) because usually they sell out of stuff pretty quick! It will be available for purchase in the camp store during the week, but there's no guarantee that your size will still be there by Day 2 even!
After all that, you're done! Go get some lunch! Or stick around and meet those folks you've been chatting with on the Discussion Forum all year!
Day Zero- Orientation Day at the Cow Palace. If you are a social butterfly, come early to stand in lines and chit chat with everyone (it's fun!). If you're not a social butterfly, come around Noon and the lines might not be as bad.... be sure to get there by 2pm and no later or there's a chance (depending on what you still have left to turn in) you won't GET through all the lines. Bring your printed "E-Ticket", and your bike-drop the bike off at Bike Parking and proceed to the Safety Video.
There are TWO rooms the Safety Videos will be shown in- one starts at 10 am and goes every 1/2 hour, the other starts at 10:30 am and goes every half hour.
Waiting for the Safety Video to start...Then, when you're done with the Safety Video, be SURE to get the safety video bracelet put on your wrist before you leave the room. You will not be able to register if you do not have the bracelet on... and yes you will leave it on for the remainder of the week, so don't cut it off that evening when you go to take a shower.
After the Safety Video, you'll take your E-ticket and your PHOTO ID (required!!) to registration. note: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR MEDICAL WAIVER ON FILE, your E ticket will state that and you will have to fill one out before proceeding to registration... same goes for if you have not yet raised your Minimum $2500.
Once those things are taken care of (do it in advance!!!) then you can proceed to Registration. In your registration packet will be your helmet number and your bike number. DON'T LOSE THESE!!! you will be placing them on your bike (and helmet, at home) soon after. You will also receive ANOTHER BRACELET, to go with your safety video bracelet. Both stay on your wrist all week!
Waiting in the registration line...Once you and your tentmate are assigned a tent, you will be given a chip that lists a letter and number that corresponds to your place on the tent grid... in each camp they mark out all of the lettered areas and stick little signs in each place to mark where your tent should be. For instance, if your tent chip says "H-22" then you are in section H, and in space #22. The Letter corresponds to the Gear Truck your stuff will be on all week... in this case, your gear truck would be "Gear Truck H". get it? good... its really easy, and don't worry you can ask ANYONE and they will help you out!!
After all of that official stuff, you are now officially registered!! Go pack to bike parking, locate your bike and put your bike number on your top tube. This number MUST be visible at all times (even in bike parking each night!!). (When you get home, put your helmet number on the LEFT SIDE of your helmet)
After that it's time to go SHOPPING!! at the camp store.... so oh, don't forget to bring cash or a checkbook or a credit card. All of the newest ALC 7 schwag will be there for purchase... do it now (Day Zero) because usually they sell out of stuff pretty quick! It will be available for purchase in the camp store during the week, but there's no guarantee that your size will still be there by Day 2 even!
After all that, you're done! Go get some lunch! Or stick around and meet those folks you've been chatting with on the Discussion Forum all year!
Monday, May 05, 2008
Jonathan Pon Memorial 2 Day ride
This weekend I rode with the Pos Peds and other ALC riders on the Jonathan Pon weekend ride. It is a 70+ ride (each day!) out to the Russian River and back, with a bit o' camping in between.
Saturday night Ronnie stayed at our house since he lives too far away, and was scheduled to be one of the 14 TRLs on the ride.
We got up around 4:45, intending to leave the house around 5:45 to make it to the meet site at 6am. At 5:20 I got a call from Kari saying that Hillary could not get to the ALC van at the office since her entrance badge was not working for some reason--- talk about panic!-- so Kari asked if I could bring along some ride waivers and accident report forms. Sure ! I have about 50 pre-printed for TRLs so I just brought along what I had. I had also printed up 150 route sheets, for each day so I was keeper of the paperwork this morning.
Ronnie and I got there a little after 6am, and from there I proceeded to unpack my bike and get ready for ride out. We had planned to stretch starting at 6:50, so I had a bit of time to say hi to folks and prep the bike. My hubby Mike was planning to come up to the River and camp with us so I didn't have to worry about trucking my sleeping bag, pad, tent and bag out to the start to put on the gear truck. Mike was also bringing along our portable fire pit and wood so we'd have a nice hang out spot around the fire Saturday night.
I had Michael, Mark and Matt lead stretching, I reviewed the route and did the safety speech with a little help from Gabo's cute little dog...
In between those things I asked folks to take a minute-- take a deep breath and remember why we ride. I personally ride for those whom I miss dearly, and also for those Pos Pedalers who were standing within our midst. I can't imagine doing this ride without any of them with us, its just waaay too much fun! I also asked people to meet the person next to them, and to also say "thank you for riding". I hope that they remember to say this to others during the week in June. Its an important thing to remember.
We rode out promptly at 7:40. I had given Matt D. and Donald first sweep duty, meeting Mark O and I at the top of White's Hill where we would assume sweep duty until Walnut Park, our lunch spot. I rode along with Tom Yetter, since we sort of ride at the same pace. On the way up Camino Alto, I came upon my first flat tire victim. While I usually use the time to teach and explain how to change a flat, since it was still early in the ride I basically did the change, quickly explaining as I went. We were done in about 5 minutes, just as Donald and Matt came upon us.
Turns out the guy ended up getting 4 more flats that day!! ugh!
I rode like the wind, didn't stop in Fairfax but headed up to the top of White's Hill. Mark soon met up with me and we proceeded to wait and ring cow bells for riders. Funny, there were also about 2 or 3 club rides going on so we just rang our bells for everyone. Soon, the Saturday "Bride of Cat 2" ride was coming up the hill too-- while we were still waiting for our sweeps! It was fun seeing our other riders and cheering them up the hill too.
Soon the sweeps passed off to us and Mark and I proceeded down the hill. Our strategy was to stay far enough behind the last person, so as not to pressure them nor engage in conversation with them so they can keep pedaling!! Too often I sweep folks and engage in conversation only to have them slow down their pedaling. We had too far to go today to have that happen, so Mark and I spent the day catching up on gossip.... of course!
Soon we were at the Cheese Factory, then up and down Red Hill into Petaluma and our stop at Walnut Park for lunch, where we handed off sweep duties (and strategy) to Kerwin and Matt Martin. (There were 3 Matts who were TRLs on this ride! ) Once we were at lunch, who should we run into but the famous Ginger Brewlay, who was visiting us from Southern Cal!! What a treat!
Mark and I headed out to Bodega Ave and eventually Valley Ford Road which is always stinky and windy and today was no exception. The nice thing about sweeping the first half of the ride is that you are forced to ride slowly, thus saving your energy for that crappy headwind! Soon we were in Valley Ford at the Valley Ford store where I bought homemade beef jerky (it's awesome!) and I talked Mark into buying a pound of smoked salmon and crackers so we'd have some great appetizer food before dinner. He was able to put the package in one of the coolers that the Sag truck had and we were off! Off to where else, but Wildflour Bakery where we stopped and had iced coffee and a little bit of their baked goodies. From there we left Michael and Annette, who were now waiting to take over sweep duty from Kerwin and Matt.
Mark and I got into camp 'round 4:30? I think- Mike was there setting up tents with Donald and after helping them out I walked over to the showers. Ah that was nice getting the saltiness off of me!
Soon we all gathered at the picnic tables, while they set out hummus w/ pita, and veggies for appetizers. Mark and I set out the smoked salmon and crackers and invited folks to join us. Not too far afterward, dinner was served. It was fantastic! Thanks to Jerry & Carol (two ALC riders who ride a tandem!- no they didn't ride with us this weekend, just fed us) for a great dinner and breakfast on Sunday.
After dinner we were treated to entertainment by Mark Growden who came with his accordian AND his banjo. We all hung out around the fire pit, laughing and listening to Mark sing.
Soon it was 10pm and I was ready to hit the hay. I put my earplugs in, took one tylenol pm, kissed mike good night and passed out.
Sunday I awoke without alarm clock at about 5am and decided I was wide awake so headed over to the bathroom to wash up and put my contacts in. Ahhh a clean face! I was ready for coffee now, so I headed over to the kitchen. The coffee was not quite ready yet so I helped Carol by washing some blueberries and when she came over with a cup o' peets I was very happy. Soon after I headed back to the tent to put cycling gear on, then helped Mike take down the tent. Breakfast was soon ready so we went over for yummy quiche and fruit and lots of other food. After everyone had eaten and broken down camp we met for a quick review of the route, a double warning about White's Hill and then we were off!
Mike and I at breakfast...
Unfortunately for me, at about mile 12 just about into Bodega Bay, I started feeling my rear wheel start to vibrate and soon it was making some squealing noises. I asked Donald to ride behind me to see what it might be and when it started vibrating again, he said he could not see anything wrong. We had already opened both front and rear brakes and yet the vibrations were still happening... very scary. So as much as I hated to (and boy was I pissed!), I flagged down the next sag car and had Leon pick me up. It would appear that it was a problem with my rear hub (basically the middle of the rear wheel), so Leon took me all the way back to Sausalito and I was able to take it to Mike's Bikes. With any luck I'll get it back on Wednesday.
Anyhow, since I was supposed to sweep the last leg of the ride from Fairfax back to Sausalito, after dropping off my bike I drove home, got into "civilian clothes" and drove back toward Pt. Reyes where the group was having lunch. After that I basically followed the group on the road back to Fairfax where I stopped at Scoop for organic ice cream while waiting for the last riders to come by. Eventually they all got there, rested for a bit and then headed out on the last 10 miles to Sausalito. People were tired (and a little cranky), but got in to Sausalito a little before 6pm. NO major incidents or accidents!! yay!
Saturday night Ronnie stayed at our house since he lives too far away, and was scheduled to be one of the 14 TRLs on the ride.
We got up around 4:45, intending to leave the house around 5:45 to make it to the meet site at 6am. At 5:20 I got a call from Kari saying that Hillary could not get to the ALC van at the office since her entrance badge was not working for some reason--- talk about panic!-- so Kari asked if I could bring along some ride waivers and accident report forms. Sure ! I have about 50 pre-printed for TRLs so I just brought along what I had. I had also printed up 150 route sheets, for each day so I was keeper of the paperwork this morning.
Ronnie and I got there a little after 6am, and from there I proceeded to unpack my bike and get ready for ride out. We had planned to stretch starting at 6:50, so I had a bit of time to say hi to folks and prep the bike. My hubby Mike was planning to come up to the River and camp with us so I didn't have to worry about trucking my sleeping bag, pad, tent and bag out to the start to put on the gear truck. Mike was also bringing along our portable fire pit and wood so we'd have a nice hang out spot around the fire Saturday night.
I had Michael, Mark and Matt lead stretching, I reviewed the route and did the safety speech with a little help from Gabo's cute little dog...
In between those things I asked folks to take a minute-- take a deep breath and remember why we ride. I personally ride for those whom I miss dearly, and also for those Pos Pedalers who were standing within our midst. I can't imagine doing this ride without any of them with us, its just waaay too much fun! I also asked people to meet the person next to them, and to also say "thank you for riding". I hope that they remember to say this to others during the week in June. Its an important thing to remember.
We rode out promptly at 7:40. I had given Matt D. and Donald first sweep duty, meeting Mark O and I at the top of White's Hill where we would assume sweep duty until Walnut Park, our lunch spot. I rode along with Tom Yetter, since we sort of ride at the same pace. On the way up Camino Alto, I came upon my first flat tire victim. While I usually use the time to teach and explain how to change a flat, since it was still early in the ride I basically did the change, quickly explaining as I went. We were done in about 5 minutes, just as Donald and Matt came upon us.
Turns out the guy ended up getting 4 more flats that day!! ugh!
I rode like the wind, didn't stop in Fairfax but headed up to the top of White's Hill. Mark soon met up with me and we proceeded to wait and ring cow bells for riders. Funny, there were also about 2 or 3 club rides going on so we just rang our bells for everyone. Soon, the Saturday "Bride of Cat 2" ride was coming up the hill too-- while we were still waiting for our sweeps! It was fun seeing our other riders and cheering them up the hill too.
Soon the sweeps passed off to us and Mark and I proceeded down the hill. Our strategy was to stay far enough behind the last person, so as not to pressure them nor engage in conversation with them so they can keep pedaling!! Too often I sweep folks and engage in conversation only to have them slow down their pedaling. We had too far to go today to have that happen, so Mark and I spent the day catching up on gossip.... of course!
Soon we were at the Cheese Factory, then up and down Red Hill into Petaluma and our stop at Walnut Park for lunch, where we handed off sweep duties (and strategy) to Kerwin and Matt Martin. (There were 3 Matts who were TRLs on this ride! ) Once we were at lunch, who should we run into but the famous Ginger Brewlay, who was visiting us from Southern Cal!! What a treat!
Mark and I headed out to Bodega Ave and eventually Valley Ford Road which is always stinky and windy and today was no exception. The nice thing about sweeping the first half of the ride is that you are forced to ride slowly, thus saving your energy for that crappy headwind! Soon we were in Valley Ford at the Valley Ford store where I bought homemade beef jerky (it's awesome!) and I talked Mark into buying a pound of smoked salmon and crackers so we'd have some great appetizer food before dinner. He was able to put the package in one of the coolers that the Sag truck had and we were off! Off to where else, but Wildflour Bakery where we stopped and had iced coffee and a little bit of their baked goodies. From there we left Michael and Annette, who were now waiting to take over sweep duty from Kerwin and Matt.
Mark and I got into camp 'round 4:30? I think- Mike was there setting up tents with Donald and after helping them out I walked over to the showers. Ah that was nice getting the saltiness off of me!
Soon we all gathered at the picnic tables, while they set out hummus w/ pita, and veggies for appetizers. Mark and I set out the smoked salmon and crackers and invited folks to join us. Not too far afterward, dinner was served. It was fantastic! Thanks to Jerry & Carol (two ALC riders who ride a tandem!- no they didn't ride with us this weekend, just fed us) for a great dinner and breakfast on Sunday.
After dinner we were treated to entertainment by Mark Growden who came with his accordian AND his banjo. We all hung out around the fire pit, laughing and listening to Mark sing.
Soon it was 10pm and I was ready to hit the hay. I put my earplugs in, took one tylenol pm, kissed mike good night and passed out.
Sunday I awoke without alarm clock at about 5am and decided I was wide awake so headed over to the bathroom to wash up and put my contacts in. Ahhh a clean face! I was ready for coffee now, so I headed over to the kitchen. The coffee was not quite ready yet so I helped Carol by washing some blueberries and when she came over with a cup o' peets I was very happy. Soon after I headed back to the tent to put cycling gear on, then helped Mike take down the tent. Breakfast was soon ready so we went over for yummy quiche and fruit and lots of other food. After everyone had eaten and broken down camp we met for a quick review of the route, a double warning about White's Hill and then we were off!
Mike and I at breakfast...Anyhow, since I was supposed to sweep the last leg of the ride from Fairfax back to Sausalito, after dropping off my bike I drove home, got into "civilian clothes" and drove back toward Pt. Reyes where the group was having lunch. After that I basically followed the group on the road back to Fairfax where I stopped at Scoop for organic ice cream while waiting for the last riders to come by. Eventually they all got there, rested for a bit and then headed out on the last 10 miles to Sausalito. People were tired (and a little cranky), but got in to Sausalito a little before 6pm. NO major incidents or accidents!! yay!
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