This week at work something happened. Nothing monumental. This "something" happens four times a year. Not sure why this time was so impactful but it kind of made me a little depressed. What was it?
The office network told me my password was going to expire in 13 days. You are probably all thinking, "that's it? his password is expiring?" Yep, that's it. Normally, all it means is I haven't changed my PW in 90 days and now I will have to create a new one which I hope not to forget for the next few days.
This time it is different. This PW reset is special, unique. It means we have been home from POP's Ride for 90 days....three months. This made me question what have I accomplished in the last three months. At first I would say not much. I have no motivation. I have no desire. I have no drive. I feel as though I am going through the motions - get up, go to work, maybe go hiking, go see a movie, eat and sleep. These all seem so insignificant so without purpose.
There were two high points of the last three months - my sister got married and Shannon and I rode in the Colorado Copper Triangle. Tracy, Joshua, Julia and Jillian - welcome to the family. We all look forward to many fun times and good laughs in the future.
The Copper Triangle was....well....a challenge. They may want to change the name to the Copper Triangle Challenge - 78 miles, 5,800 feet of elevation gain and 3,000 of your closest PD friends. Good Times. Shannon and I were honored to meet Lauren, Ally and Cindy our friends at DPF. They have been very supportive of us throughout Our Ride and we appreciate all of their encouragement.
Back to the 90 day thing, I feel as though we should have accomplished more or should be further along in planning our next crazy idea. I do not like waiting to learn what we will do next. I want to know now. Patience may be a virtue......my Dad's PD is not granting us the luxury to be patient.
Shannon has started to plan what we hope will be the annual, Phoenix ride. Me, I have made a few contacts on my idea of selling burritos to 50,000 race fans. I also have an idea for the next cross country ride. Maybe it will happen in 2013 if I can secure enough vacation time.
Until the next update - Pray for those with PD and their caregivers. Pray for the amazing research that is happening - you wouldn't believe some of what they have found. Pray for those who were a part of Our Ride - that the experience was life changing and that they don't let the change just fade.
POP's Ride will continue.........
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Ride Statistics
As you can imagine, Shannon, Kyle and I have been asked a lot of questions about The Ride. There are the basics - Was it what you expected? Would you do it again? Did your butt hurt? What did you think about all that time? Anything you would do different? What is your best memory? What was your worst moment? What was most unexpected? What most disappointed you? The questions go on and on and all are good and some are very difficult to answer. Keep asking us about The Ride as it makes us think and remember all of the good times and amazing things that happened.
Here are some statistics only an accountant would probably track:
Here are some statistics only an accountant would probably track:
- Fuel (gas and diesel) used: 1,276 gallons
- Packages of Oreo's, various flavors: 15
- Bags of Ice: 85
- Jars of Peanut Butter: 3 Large
- Loaves of Bread: about 20
- Gatorade/Pho-ade: 3 1/2 Large Containers
- Bike Accidents: 3 - Shannon rear ended Kyle on Day 1, Kyle caught a wheel on Day 8 and Shane caught a wheel on Day 42. These are the only times Riders and Bikes hit pavement.
- Flat Tires: 21 - Bikes 20, Flex 1
- Total Miles Traveled: Approximately 20,000 - Total of all miles traveled by bike, RV and Flex
- # of Ride Days: 33
- Estimated # of Hours on the Bike for SKS: 843 - assuming about 9 hours per day.
- # of Rest Days: 9, We rode about 30 miles on a scheduled rest day so it became a ride day. This was the only time we did not complete the planned miles per our schedule.
- # of Relay Days: 1, May 18. The wind was incredible so we made the smart decision and each rode 20 miles....except for The Cannon who rode 40 (20 miles solo and 20 miles as rider support).
- # of Unscheduled, Individual Rider Rest Days: 4 - We knew this could happen but it didn't make the days off, or the decision to take the days off, any easier. Looking back, we know we made the right decisions.
- Unexpected Signs of Support: 2 - Lockhart, TX and El Paso, TX. Seriously, there were signs (and people) cheering us on. Way Cool!!!!!!
- Road Kill Count: We stopped counting. Unfortunately, we couldn't stop smelling.
- Total # of Riders who joined us (Shannon, Kyle & Shane) along the route: 22 - Yes, this includes the likes of Dad, Mom, Kerri, Kurt, Carl, Cole, Isaac, Casey, Jake, Keith, Kyle #2, Jordan, Justin, Jordan A, Theresa and a few others.
- Pictures Taken: A Lot
- Jars of Assos Chamois Cream: 6. Some of this cream disappered in the middle of two Knights.
- # of People who helped on The Ride: 11 scheduled, 5 unscheduled but much appreciated!
- # of People on Planning Team: 9, excluding riders
- # of People Benefited: Countless
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Ride - Back to Phoenix......and Beyond
Well, we have been back on Phoenix a week and life is getting back to "normal". Not sure that is a good thing and definitely not something I want. More on that later.
The Ride Back To Phoenix
After breakfast at Ricky's in San Diego - I do recommend eating there next time you are in San Diego. It is on Hotel Circle by the Comfort Inn. Whenever you have 20 or so people for breakfast, it should be fun. Then we headed back to the hotel to load while Dad, Shannon, Cole and Kurt's Crew headed to Sea World for the Day.
Thanks to Jerry for driving the Mother Ship home and Melinda for driving the Flex home. As a result, I was able to sit in the passenger seat of the Ship and doze in and out for about six hours.
I have spent the last week unloading, cleaning and reloading the Ship. We have also been trying to clean up the garage and the inside of the house....both are a disaster. It is almost like moving into a new house with boxes and stuff everywhere and not quite sure where to put everything.
What's Next?
I have been asked this question a lot lately. What I want and what the Big Guy has planned are probably two different things. I want Kyle, Shannon and I to get invited to Letterman so we can tell our story and draw grassroots attention to PD. I want a job dedicated to raising money for PD and spreading the word about how to live a great life with PD. I want....something more productive than working for "the man" who shows very little appreciation for my contribution to his increased wealth or what is important to me. I know these may be career limiting statements but they are the truth. The Man says we are to have courage - well, there you go - COURAGE.
Do Shannon and I have plans for the next adventure? Not yet but we have talked and have some ideas. Some are probably larger dreams than riding across the country but hey, I never thought that would have happened two years ago. Shannon, Kyle and Shane (SKS) have talked about riding motorcycles coast to coast. Anyone know someone at CAN-AM that can help make that a reality? We would also need some help with paid vacation time but I have faith if it is meant to be, we will be riding motorcycles before 2015.
I believe a great fundraising opportunity is breakfast at PIR for the next NASCAR race. Anyone in for helping make this dream a reality?
What I Learned
I learned I have an incredibly large number of amazing friends and family. People who are willing to make time in their lives for my crazy ideas and dreams. People who want nothing in return but to be involved. Not sure why I have been blessed with all of these incredible people in my life as I'm pretty sure I have not earned it. To everyone who helped plan, volunteer, support, pray and make Our Ride a reality and Success - Thank You. Our Ride - includes You! A special thanks to Sarah Worley and Leesa Ames for the support they provided their husbands and Team POP's. We would not have been successful without your support of Kyle and Carl. Also, Thanks to Mom and Dad. Your dedication to your children's dreams is incredible and life would have been much harder without your support.
I learned my Dad's disease has impacted me in ways I didn't realize. I have been expecting my Dad to function as he did 30 years ago. Be sharp as a tack. Have quick answers to my questions. Help me solve problems around the house quickly and without hesitation. I expect him to remember what we talked about yesterday. Unfortunately, these expectations are not reasonable. Parkinson's and age are responsible for the decline in his abilities. My expectations (or needs) have resulted in me not always treating Dad with respect. For this, I apologize. I will adjust my expectations to be more reasonable.
I learned there are still a lot of good people in the United States. People who are willing to support people they do not know who are taking on crazy adventures. From the Shell Station Clerk in San Diego who provided free coffee to the owner of a B&B in Burton, TX who didn't charge us to stay at his place, to pastor's of churches willing to lend us their suburban or cook us meals in their own homes. Incredible experiences we will not soon forget.
I have learned my heart is not in a successful career - as defined by the world. It is in making the world a better place. Not sure exactly what this means as far as my future my I pray for the wisdom to recognize the opportunities and the patience to wait for them.
Yes, I have struggled some getting back into the swing of things. My mind is still on the bike somewhere else in the U.S. wondering what else we can do to bring more attention to PD and help make those impacted with it have a better life.
In August, SKS have been invited to ride in the Colorado Copper Triangle where we will help spread the word about PD and Davis Phinney's Foundation. Yep, we travel as a party of three riders - three friends.
Stay tuned to find out what is in store next for Team POP's. All I know, is Our Ride isn't over. We are just waiting to see what the next route will be.
Until then - Ride Safe, Ride Smart and Ride with Passion.
The Ride Back To Phoenix
After breakfast at Ricky's in San Diego - I do recommend eating there next time you are in San Diego. It is on Hotel Circle by the Comfort Inn. Whenever you have 20 or so people for breakfast, it should be fun. Then we headed back to the hotel to load while Dad, Shannon, Cole and Kurt's Crew headed to Sea World for the Day.
Thanks to Jerry for driving the Mother Ship home and Melinda for driving the Flex home. As a result, I was able to sit in the passenger seat of the Ship and doze in and out for about six hours.
I have spent the last week unloading, cleaning and reloading the Ship. We have also been trying to clean up the garage and the inside of the house....both are a disaster. It is almost like moving into a new house with boxes and stuff everywhere and not quite sure where to put everything.
What's Next?
I have been asked this question a lot lately. What I want and what the Big Guy has planned are probably two different things. I want Kyle, Shannon and I to get invited to Letterman so we can tell our story and draw grassroots attention to PD. I want a job dedicated to raising money for PD and spreading the word about how to live a great life with PD. I want....something more productive than working for "the man" who shows very little appreciation for my contribution to his increased wealth or what is important to me. I know these may be career limiting statements but they are the truth. The Man says we are to have courage - well, there you go - COURAGE.
Do Shannon and I have plans for the next adventure? Not yet but we have talked and have some ideas. Some are probably larger dreams than riding across the country but hey, I never thought that would have happened two years ago. Shannon, Kyle and Shane (SKS) have talked about riding motorcycles coast to coast. Anyone know someone at CAN-AM that can help make that a reality? We would also need some help with paid vacation time but I have faith if it is meant to be, we will be riding motorcycles before 2015.
I believe a great fundraising opportunity is breakfast at PIR for the next NASCAR race. Anyone in for helping make this dream a reality?
What I Learned
I learned I have an incredibly large number of amazing friends and family. People who are willing to make time in their lives for my crazy ideas and dreams. People who want nothing in return but to be involved. Not sure why I have been blessed with all of these incredible people in my life as I'm pretty sure I have not earned it. To everyone who helped plan, volunteer, support, pray and make Our Ride a reality and Success - Thank You. Our Ride - includes You! A special thanks to Sarah Worley and Leesa Ames for the support they provided their husbands and Team POP's. We would not have been successful without your support of Kyle and Carl. Also, Thanks to Mom and Dad. Your dedication to your children's dreams is incredible and life would have been much harder without your support.
I learned my Dad's disease has impacted me in ways I didn't realize. I have been expecting my Dad to function as he did 30 years ago. Be sharp as a tack. Have quick answers to my questions. Help me solve problems around the house quickly and without hesitation. I expect him to remember what we talked about yesterday. Unfortunately, these expectations are not reasonable. Parkinson's and age are responsible for the decline in his abilities. My expectations (or needs) have resulted in me not always treating Dad with respect. For this, I apologize. I will adjust my expectations to be more reasonable.
I learned there are still a lot of good people in the United States. People who are willing to support people they do not know who are taking on crazy adventures. From the Shell Station Clerk in San Diego who provided free coffee to the owner of a B&B in Burton, TX who didn't charge us to stay at his place, to pastor's of churches willing to lend us their suburban or cook us meals in their own homes. Incredible experiences we will not soon forget.
I have learned my heart is not in a successful career - as defined by the world. It is in making the world a better place. Not sure exactly what this means as far as my future my I pray for the wisdom to recognize the opportunities and the patience to wait for them.
Yes, I have struggled some getting back into the swing of things. My mind is still on the bike somewhere else in the U.S. wondering what else we can do to bring more attention to PD and help make those impacted with it have a better life.
In August, SKS have been invited to ride in the Colorado Copper Triangle where we will help spread the word about PD and Davis Phinney's Foundation. Yep, we travel as a party of three riders - three friends.
Stay tuned to find out what is in store next for Team POP's. All I know, is Our Ride isn't over. We are just waiting to see what the next route will be.
Until then - Ride Safe, Ride Smart and Ride with Passion.
Monday, May 23, 2011
May 21 - The Final Ride Day
I cannot believe it is here already....our Final day. Today, at noon, we will be in San Diego on the beach. Incredible.
One last time, Karen and Jim made us breakfast and the whole crew was there and we had a good time. At 8 AM, the riders were all on their bikes and Dad prayed for us - just as he has done every day he was with us. He also gave every rider a hug. Except for the one week Dad was in Phoenix, we never started a day without him praying and getting a hug. Nice.
The Riders were - Kyle, Shannon, Shane, Kurt, Kerri and Jordan Ames. Jordan rode the last day as Carl was not allowed to ride, per the Dr. It was great to have Jordan along. We talked about our Dad's and their symptoms.
We started the day with a tour of Alpine and then a roll down a long hill with a lot of road construction. Kerri wasn't comfortable with the downhills so she rode in the Flex with Sarah, Rachel and Carl until we were about 10 miles from the end. We all agreed at the beginning, you don't ride on any road unless you are comfortable with the conditions. Better safe than sorry.
We continued our tour of the small towns leading us to the beach. We rode through some nice neighborhoods off the normal tourist path. We had one big hill which gave everyone a good morning workout.
At 10 miles from the end, Shannon and Mom got on the tandem, Dad got on Shannon's bike, and Kerri got back on the bike and two fellow Vons employees - Rex and Dan. The final 10 miles were a little more challenging than the first 25ish. We were now riding on busier roads and we had Mom and Dad on bikes. A lot more focus and caution was required.
I rode in the back and kept on the lookout for hazards and traffic so Dad could enjoy the ride and experience. All was going well until about 7 miles from the finish. The road had a lot of cracks in the shoulder and I was not focusing on my own path as much as I should have been. My front wheel went into a crack and I was going down. I grabbed at a pole to slow my descent but that didn’t stop me. I broke the mount on my GPS, bent my shift levers in a little and bent my front wheel out of true a little. I shook this off, checked the bike to make sure it would still roll and then headed in.
At about one mile from the finish, Carl surprised us all by riding his three wheeler in with us. He had a couple of different horns on his bike and one of them scared a couple of female joggers pretty good. They jumped and we all laughed.
About two blocks from the end, Cole, Isaac and Nathaniel joined the crew and rode with us onto the beach where we were greeted by about 25ish family and friends. Good Times. We had done it - ridden 3,100 miles without injury or accident. Awesome.
After hugs and congratulator high fives we walked our bikes to the shore and dipped our front wheels in the Pacific. Success. Carl, Cole and Isaac also dipped their wheels. In fact, Carl rode his bike into the water.
More pictures, hugs and tears.
A group from Vons was there holding a sign to welcome us to San Diego. Pretty humbling to have co-workers you have never met leave work to welcome you to their town and celebrate success with you and your friends and family. Thanks to all of you for being there to welcome and offer your congratulations. Very cool and much appreciated.
After about 30 minutes, the video crew hired by Safeway interviewed me and Dad. Then Shannon, Kyle and I got on our bikes and they shot some footage of us riding around San Diego. We upset a lot of drivers and the video crew didn’t seem bothered by all of the honking, comments and wild driving but those of us on the bikes were a tad nervous. All ended well and we arrived back at the Mother Ship ok, hungry and ready for a shower.
We learned the place where we were to have our party that night did not allow anyone under 21 in and the party had been moved to the house where Keith and Doris Barr were staying. Rachel and Mona went to the Vons store for food while we went to clean up.
The change of venue was a blessing. The house was incredible and the food was awesome. It was nice to be in a relaxing location, near the beach where we could talk at normal tones and not feel rushed.
We then went back to the hotel for a dip in the hot tub and a good night’s sleep.
Stay Tuned – my next blog will recap The Ride, my feelings and what the future may hold.
One last time, Karen and Jim made us breakfast and the whole crew was there and we had a good time. At 8 AM, the riders were all on their bikes and Dad prayed for us - just as he has done every day he was with us. He also gave every rider a hug. Except for the one week Dad was in Phoenix, we never started a day without him praying and getting a hug. Nice.
The Riders were - Kyle, Shannon, Shane, Kurt, Kerri and Jordan Ames. Jordan rode the last day as Carl was not allowed to ride, per the Dr. It was great to have Jordan along. We talked about our Dad's and their symptoms.
We started the day with a tour of Alpine and then a roll down a long hill with a lot of road construction. Kerri wasn't comfortable with the downhills so she rode in the Flex with Sarah, Rachel and Carl until we were about 10 miles from the end. We all agreed at the beginning, you don't ride on any road unless you are comfortable with the conditions. Better safe than sorry.
We continued our tour of the small towns leading us to the beach. We rode through some nice neighborhoods off the normal tourist path. We had one big hill which gave everyone a good morning workout.
At 10 miles from the end, Shannon and Mom got on the tandem, Dad got on Shannon's bike, and Kerri got back on the bike and two fellow Vons employees - Rex and Dan. The final 10 miles were a little more challenging than the first 25ish. We were now riding on busier roads and we had Mom and Dad on bikes. A lot more focus and caution was required.
I rode in the back and kept on the lookout for hazards and traffic so Dad could enjoy the ride and experience. All was going well until about 7 miles from the finish. The road had a lot of cracks in the shoulder and I was not focusing on my own path as much as I should have been. My front wheel went into a crack and I was going down. I grabbed at a pole to slow my descent but that didn’t stop me. I broke the mount on my GPS, bent my shift levers in a little and bent my front wheel out of true a little. I shook this off, checked the bike to make sure it would still roll and then headed in.
At about one mile from the finish, Carl surprised us all by riding his three wheeler in with us. He had a couple of different horns on his bike and one of them scared a couple of female joggers pretty good. They jumped and we all laughed.
About two blocks from the end, Cole, Isaac and Nathaniel joined the crew and rode with us onto the beach where we were greeted by about 25ish family and friends. Good Times. We had done it - ridden 3,100 miles without injury or accident. Awesome.
After hugs and congratulator high fives we walked our bikes to the shore and dipped our front wheels in the Pacific. Success. Carl, Cole and Isaac also dipped their wheels. In fact, Carl rode his bike into the water.
More pictures, hugs and tears.
A group from Vons was there holding a sign to welcome us to San Diego. Pretty humbling to have co-workers you have never met leave work to welcome you to their town and celebrate success with you and your friends and family. Thanks to all of you for being there to welcome and offer your congratulations. Very cool and much appreciated.
After about 30 minutes, the video crew hired by Safeway interviewed me and Dad. Then Shannon, Kyle and I got on our bikes and they shot some footage of us riding around San Diego. We upset a lot of drivers and the video crew didn’t seem bothered by all of the honking, comments and wild driving but those of us on the bikes were a tad nervous. All ended well and we arrived back at the Mother Ship ok, hungry and ready for a shower.
We learned the place where we were to have our party that night did not allow anyone under 21 in and the party had been moved to the house where Keith and Doris Barr were staying. Rachel and Mona went to the Vons store for food while we went to clean up.
The change of venue was a blessing. The house was incredible and the food was awesome. It was nice to be in a relaxing location, near the beach where we could talk at normal tones and not feel rushed.
We then went back to the hotel for a dip in the hot tub and a good night’s sleep.
Stay Tuned – my next blog will recap The Ride, my feelings and what the future may hold.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
May 20 - Rest Day
Hello All.
Today...we rested and it was awesome! Thank you to the Church of the Willows for letting us use your facilities. We slept in and then had a great breakfast prepared by Jim and Karen Holmquist - Kyle's in-laws.
Kyle and I then headed into Alpine to look for a laundry and we got distracted at the Firehouse Barber Shop so I got a little trim. A little more of a trim than I was wanting. I asked for a little off the back and more off the top and ended up with a little off the top and a lot off the back...oh well. They say it will grow back but each year less does.
Kyle had to run back to the Church as Nathaniel needed a new diaper so after my "trim" I started walking back. What a cool little town, Alpine is. I think I could live there. In the mountains and only 35 miles from the beach. All I need is a job and a lot of cash to buy a house. :)
Mom and Sis did the laundry. Well, Sis did the laundry while Mom got her nails done. This was probably some much needed relaxation for Mom as I'm pretty sure she has been worried about our safety for six weeks. For the last week, Mom drove SAG and she mentioned it was a little stressful but she did an awesome job. Thanks Mom for being willing to do whatever was needed to help make Our Dream a success.
Dad and Jim washed the Flex and the Mothership and they both were gleaming in the sunlight and ready to shine for the last leg into San Diego. Thanks for always making sure the crew was looking its best.
In the afternoon Carl called a few times with random questions. He always keeps us on our toes and we love having him involved. They were on their way to Alpine so Jordan could ride the final leg in honor of his Dad and we were excited to have him join us. They got into town about 6:30 and met us for dinner at Gaetano's for an incredible meal.
Jerry, Carole and Emily Hogg arrived in the afternoon also and hung out with us at the Church until it was time for dinner. As usual, they helped us by helping drive a few people to dinner.
Whoa, wait a minute. I think I forgot something about yesterday. On our way into Alpine, Sarah (Kyle's Lovely Wife), her sister Melissa and the boyz (Isaac and Nathaniel) passed us and kept stopping to cheer us on into town. I'm sure this was a great boost for Kyle to have his family near and it is always a boost for Shannon and I to hear - "Go Uncle Shane and Shannon" from Isaac. What an honor to be called their Uncles (adopted Uncles).
Ok, back to Saturday. We left the Church at about 5:30 to head for dinner. We had reserved a spot for 20 people but how cool is it that we needed more seats! Dad's cousin Loraine and her husband Henry from Denver flew in to be there as we finished. INCREDIBLE! They are an awesome couple and we always have fun with them. Karen Holmquist's brother and wife also drove down to meet us for dinner and brought a few friends. Carl and Jordan arrived and I think the final total was about 27 people. We had a great dinner, Thanks Pastor Chuck for recommending the restaurant. We were not disappointed with the food or service. The staff at Gaetano's was pleasant and very accommodating to a group our size.
After dinner we headed back to the Church and found we could not get back into the Fellowship Hall for some sleep as the Hispanic congregation was still having their service. No problem, Pastor Chuck gave us the keys to the youth center and we slept there.
A little story about Pastor Chuck. I had a problem unlocking the door to the nursery earlier in the day. Of course, he unlocked the door with no problems. That night when he handed me the key to the Youth Center, he asked if I needed some help unlocking this door. You gotta love it when you meet a man 24 hours earlier and then he feels comfortable enough with the group to start joking with you the next day. To me, that shows we had a great group of people on The Ride and were blessed to meet such great people. Definitely a God Thing!
I am amazed The Ride is almost over. We have traveled just over 3,000 miles and the culmination of 18 months of planning, training and stress is almost complete.
Stay tuned to learn how the final 35 miles looked through my eyes. Thanks for your continued support and prayers.
Shane
Today...we rested and it was awesome! Thank you to the Church of the Willows for letting us use your facilities. We slept in and then had a great breakfast prepared by Jim and Karen Holmquist - Kyle's in-laws.
Kyle and I then headed into Alpine to look for a laundry and we got distracted at the Firehouse Barber Shop so I got a little trim. A little more of a trim than I was wanting. I asked for a little off the back and more off the top and ended up with a little off the top and a lot off the back...oh well. They say it will grow back but each year less does.
Kyle had to run back to the Church as Nathaniel needed a new diaper so after my "trim" I started walking back. What a cool little town, Alpine is. I think I could live there. In the mountains and only 35 miles from the beach. All I need is a job and a lot of cash to buy a house. :)
Mom and Sis did the laundry. Well, Sis did the laundry while Mom got her nails done. This was probably some much needed relaxation for Mom as I'm pretty sure she has been worried about our safety for six weeks. For the last week, Mom drove SAG and she mentioned it was a little stressful but she did an awesome job. Thanks Mom for being willing to do whatever was needed to help make Our Dream a success.
Dad and Jim washed the Flex and the Mothership and they both were gleaming in the sunlight and ready to shine for the last leg into San Diego. Thanks for always making sure the crew was looking its best.
In the afternoon Carl called a few times with random questions. He always keeps us on our toes and we love having him involved. They were on their way to Alpine so Jordan could ride the final leg in honor of his Dad and we were excited to have him join us. They got into town about 6:30 and met us for dinner at Gaetano's for an incredible meal.
Jerry, Carole and Emily Hogg arrived in the afternoon also and hung out with us at the Church until it was time for dinner. As usual, they helped us by helping drive a few people to dinner.
Whoa, wait a minute. I think I forgot something about yesterday. On our way into Alpine, Sarah (Kyle's Lovely Wife), her sister Melissa and the boyz (Isaac and Nathaniel) passed us and kept stopping to cheer us on into town. I'm sure this was a great boost for Kyle to have his family near and it is always a boost for Shannon and I to hear - "Go Uncle Shane and Shannon" from Isaac. What an honor to be called their Uncles (adopted Uncles).
Ok, back to Saturday. We left the Church at about 5:30 to head for dinner. We had reserved a spot for 20 people but how cool is it that we needed more seats! Dad's cousin Loraine and her husband Henry from Denver flew in to be there as we finished. INCREDIBLE! They are an awesome couple and we always have fun with them. Karen Holmquist's brother and wife also drove down to meet us for dinner and brought a few friends. Carl and Jordan arrived and I think the final total was about 27 people. We had a great dinner, Thanks Pastor Chuck for recommending the restaurant. We were not disappointed with the food or service. The staff at Gaetano's was pleasant and very accommodating to a group our size.
After dinner we headed back to the Church and found we could not get back into the Fellowship Hall for some sleep as the Hispanic congregation was still having their service. No problem, Pastor Chuck gave us the keys to the youth center and we slept there.
A little story about Pastor Chuck. I had a problem unlocking the door to the nursery earlier in the day. Of course, he unlocked the door with no problems. That night when he handed me the key to the Youth Center, he asked if I needed some help unlocking this door. You gotta love it when you meet a man 24 hours earlier and then he feels comfortable enough with the group to start joking with you the next day. To me, that shows we had a great group of people on The Ride and were blessed to meet such great people. Definitely a God Thing!
I am amazed The Ride is almost over. We have traveled just over 3,000 miles and the culmination of 18 months of planning, training and stress is almost complete.
Stay tuned to learn how the final 35 miles looked through my eyes. Thanks for your continued support and prayers.
Shane
Friday, May 20, 2011
May 19 - The Hill
We left El Centro this morning at our normal time, 7AM and headed west on Evan Hewes. The road was not particularly smooth. It was more of an obstacle course for bikers. The road must get a lot of farm and semi traffic. Either that or the State of California has chosen to forget about this piece of asphalt.
The road goes through Plaster City. As you are approaching this “city”, you will probably be reminded of The Wizard of Oz and Emerald City. From a distance, the structures look like Emerald City and some are green. When you get closer you realize it is a gypsum plant and they are manufacturing drywall there. I never really saw any houses around. Plaster City is a very large off-highway vehicle (OHV) playground.
Kerri rode with us until we got to I-8. She wanted to ride 30 miles but the wind picked up, the Interstate appeared and her legs said, “you over worked us yesterday!” She still rode about 24 miles and overall has done really well keeping up with us.
We rode onto I-8 and started our ascent. I’m not really sure how many miles it took us to reach 4,000 feet but I do know the wind was trying to push us back down the hill the whole time. We crossed a couple of bridges and I have decided I do not like bridges that cross deep gorges when I am on the bike. Especially when cars and trucks are passing close to me at nearly the speed of sound!
We had lunch at exit 77 which is pretty near the top of the hill. Then crossed over onto Old HWY 80. This is a nice road with good shoulders through some neat little towns. It is also very near the Mexican border. We could see the very expensive border fence we bought. I was a little surprised we didn’t see more Border Patrol agents on this stretch but then again, I guess with that fancy fence they don’t need to patrol that section as much.
I took a break for about 10 miles at about mile 56. My back was starting to hurt some. At mile 66 I got back on the bike and rode up the second climb to 4,000 feet and then the crazy descent into Alpine. Thank You CA Dept of Roads for laying such a nice, smooth shoulder. The grates over the drains should be perpendicular to the road instead of parallel with the road though. This sure would make it safer for us cyclists.
Mom drove SAG and commented how tiring it was. She explained it was tiring because you need to always be looking for the riders to make sure they are all ok, making sure they all get what they need and watching as you get on and off the highway. She’s right; the SAG gig is a lot of mental work and can be tiring. Thanks Mom and Dad for being our SAG crew this week. You did great.
We finished the day at 6pm, an 11 hour day. We finished at the Alpine Church of the Willows. The Pastor here, Chuck, invited us to his home for some hot tub time, a shower and a great dinner. They have a beautiful place on a hill overlooking the valley. Thanks for your hospitality and support of Our Ride.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Podracing with Bikes May 18
This morning we left Blythe, CA and the plan was to complete the 106ish miles as a relay team. We made this decision last night as this is our longest day this week and the forecast was for wind. The forecast held, it was windy.
Kurt started the day and had the best 20 miles of anyone. It was relatively calm and very flat.
Next up was Kerri. Shannon rode with her for safety. When they started riding is when we got into the rolling hills. Kerri kept going and rode her full 20 miles.
By the end of Kerri’s ride the wind was starting to pick up so since I was staged at the RV, I left a little early. SAG stayed with Kerri until she was finished and then caught up with me about four miles later. I finished the rolling hills and then the terrain flattened out quite a bit. I was rolling pretty good at about 12mph and then got behind tailings from an open pit mine and the wind disappeared for a mile or so. As a result, I was able to ride at about 20-25mph with minimal effort.
Then, the pile of mine tailings ended and I turned a corner and my speed plummeted…..along with my morale. I had just completed 13.4 miles in about 50 minutes with an average speed of 15mph. For the next 6.6 miles I probably averaged about 8ish mph and it took me about an hour. By the end of my 20 miles my average speed had dropped to about 12.5 mph.
As I was finishing, I saw Kyle pull away. He by far had the worst 20 mile leg of the day as he had to ride for several miles in the blowing sand of the Imperial Sand Dunes in Glamis, CA. V-8 powered through the challenge. You’ll have to read his blog to learn more about the experience. I was in the RV waiting at the end of his 20 mile leg and my description of his experience wouldn’t do it justice.
Shannon then took over and completed the last 20ish miles of the day. The Cannon rode like a Greyhound dog chasing the rabbit around the race track. The winds grew stronger and he stood firm like an oak.
We saw fields of onions and a lot of hay fields. We saw farmers baling hay using pickups to pull the balers instead of tractors. They were flying around the fields at a pretty good clip. It was pretty cool to watch. The looked at us as though we were crazy. We also stopped for a few minutes to watch them harvest onions. One tractor was cutting the tops off the plant and another was pulling a machine to extract the onion from the ground and load them into a semi- trailer. Across the road were onions which were harvested and placed in bags throughout the field. We are not sure what the difference is between the two onions but obviously there was a difference between the two types of onions.We all agreed Kyle’s idea to ride a relay today was the correct decision. Tomorrow we ride 88 miles to Alpine, CA. We will have hills. Then we will have a rest day.
Although today was only 20 miles, it was a psychological challenge for me. I hope we are over that hurdle and tomorrow will be much better. The winds are forecasted to be only 10-20 mph so that is reasonable.
Again, we have limited internet tonight so I will try to upload pictures to FB tomorrow.
POP’s Ride has only three days left. I am excited for the end but also sad that we are almost done. I am anxious about what the future holds. I know what I would like to happen but it is up to the Big Guy as to what he has planned. I will be patiently waiting for the next adventure.
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