Day 21 - sea lions and sun

Carmel Valley to somewhere near San Simeon

Mileage - 70

Elevation Gain - 5,400

Yes, we climbed a lot.  I think this is the most gain we have had in a single day.  Today we were riding fast until about lunch.  By lunch we had finished 30+ miles.  Pops and Shannon were on the tandem and Carl was resting.  We were on the 1 all day and most of it without a nice shoulder.  So far, most of the drivers have been very respectful and only a few have buzzed us.

Dad and Shannon called it a day about 3.  Keith and I kept going until 4.  I wanted to to hit 5,000 feet of gain...unfortunately, there was no good place to stop until we hit the 5,400 mark.  The last hill was brutal but Keith and I summited and then said - donedee.  

We are staying with Mona's sister, Trish, tonight and tomorrow.  She  made a great dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and a salad.  I probably ate too much chicken but I was hungry and still don't feel full.  Guess I burned a lot of calories today. 

We are about 35 miles from the Coast in Paso Robles so we are thinking we will just ride through the vineyards around Paso tomorrow.  We will still put in our 50-60 miles as usual but we thought we would see some new scenery.  Carl asked if I had checked with Corporate to make sure this change was OK and we confirmed they agree this is OK and a good idea.  We will use this as a quasi-recovery ride.   

Well, that's about it.  Good night all.

Day 20 - Riding through the land of plenty

Day 20 - ride from Santa Cruz to Carmel Highlands

Mileage - 44.0
Elevation Gain -  1205

Today was a great day to ride.  Dad and Shannon pulled the Tandem down and rode strong.  We covered a ton of miles before lunch.  We rode through a lot of strawberry and artichoke fields today.  The views of the fields and the ocean were incredible.  The strawberry fields were as large as Kansas wheat fields.  The workers were out picking the berries.  I can't imagine how sore their backs must get bending over all day.  ugh.

We rode along Highway 1 for many miles on a bike path.  Nice path and no cars - excellent!  While on the path, a chipmunk was taunting Carl by running in front of his front tire.  Carl almost got the 'munks tail but the little critter ducked into a drainage tube.  Luck little 'munk!

Tonight we said so long to Nathaniel.  He was one of our SAG drivers for the last week and did an incredible job.  At one point during the week I asked him how it was going....and he said, "I miss the pine trees."  He also mentioned he wasn't a fan of all the traffic....neither am I.  Thanks Nate Dog for being willing to tackle the tough job of SAG driver and never complaining.  You did great and will be missed.

Below are some pictures from today.

The three pics are flowers where we are staying tonight.  This barn is incredible and we are very blessed to be staying the night here.

Here is an outside pic of the barn

And the inside of the barn

A really cool house I saw today.  It was on a hill, in the middle of a field.  I'm guessing they had an incredible 360 degree view.

Pops and Shannon in the Artichoke Capital of the Universe

Day 19 - bridges and birds

today we rode from Mill Valley to Santa Cruz...ish

Miles:  52.04
Elevation Gain:  2,829

Nathaniel's Aunt Victoria joined us for about 15 miles today. She guided us to and across the Golden Gate Bridge and then through the Presidio and through some neighborhoods.  This was after she and her husband Grant cooked us dinner and hosted us for the the evening.  It was great to get to know them and we greatly appreciated their hospitality.

During the night, a limb from a 100+ year old Catalpa Tree.  The tree was rotting from the inside out and the limb fell on a Volvo.  The city crews had it cleaned up and the street open within a couple of hours.

Victoria left after she joined us all for lunch on the beach and then we just rolled down the coast.

The roads were good today and no other surprises.  Mona and Nathaniel did great navigating through the City as I know they were worried about losing us or each other.  They did great and were both very relieved to be done with today.

Saturday, tomorrow, is Nathaniel's last day with us.  His week has flown by and he will be missed.


Some cavemen living below the Cliff House Restaurant, south of the GGB on the coast.

Some cool houses in SF.

Carl Ames posing for his glamour shot.

Sign on the GGB.

This guy continues to amaze me.  Thanks Dad for being a great example of dedication, perseverance and a father.

Day 18 - all that and a bag of chips

Mileage 56.74
Elevation Gain 2,992

This morning we started from the hamlet of Bodega, about 1/2 mile off Highway 1 and about 15 miles south of where we ended in Jenner the day before.  We spent the night in a hotel just off Highway 101, about 35 miles off route.  A Carl connection arranged for the lodging and we are grateful for their generosity!

This morning was a lot of rolling hills through pastures and a few dairies.  Definitely not what I expected in Northern Cal and within 75 miles of San Francisco.

We met our Canadian friends again along the route.  This time they were pedaling and not pushing their bikes up the hills.  This has been an ongoing joke on their side the last few days.  They had seen us drive by at night and said, "we are always pushing our bikes when they pass."  Well, today we got to meet them and ride with them some.  Their names are Rob and Judy and they are definitely a fun couple.  Hopefully we get to see them again as we all ride south.  Its always nice to meet friends along the way.

Today we also met a couple of ladies from Montreal who are also riding south.  Finally, we met a touring group.  They were on a 13 day adventure and were riding about 20-30 miles a day and riding 10 of the 13 days.  I had a nice conversation with one of the guides about what we are doing and have done.  When it was time for me to catch up with the rest of our team, I rode past one of the ladies in the tour group and she said, "Thanks for sharing, it is a really neat story."

Tonight we are staying with Victoria and Grant in Mill Valley.  They have a beautiful place in Mill Valley, about 7 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge.  Tomorrow we cross that icon of America.

Today, let's learn a little about bike derailleurs.  Each bike has two - one in the front and one in the back.  These work best when not under extreme pressure or force.  Ideally, one anticipates the uphill and begins shifting into the appropriate gear.  Opposite would hold for a downhill speed run when you want to let the "thing buck boys."  If you don't shift correctly, you will either Chain Suck or Chain Puke.  Suck is when the chain comes off the front chain ring towards the bike.  Puke is when the chain comes off towards the right pedal or away from the chain ring.  As our Ride continues and the bikes become more fatigued - we are experiencing more sucks and pukes.  Just like in life, you should prepare for the future (some anyhow) - when riding a bike, you should look at the road ahead and make sure you are in the correct gear.  Sucking and Puking aren't cool.

Well, time to chillax some and get my bed ready.  I think I will sleep under the stars tonight on our Hosts veranda.

Good Night all.

Eight more days until Mom rejoins our team.  We are ready to see her smile and hear her laugh again as she pushes Shannon while riding stoker on the Tandem.

Days 15, 16 & 17

Hello All,

Sorry I haven't been current on my blogs - it has been a much more hectic ride with no rest days than our ride in 2011.  Lately, by the time we get done riding, get to our hosts, clean and eat I am in a state of coma and don't feel like sharing.  So, you get three days at once tonight.

Day 15
miles - 54.5
elevation gain - about 1,990 feet

Day 16
Miles - about 32
elevation gain - not sure, i forgot to write it down before I cleared it for Day 17.  duh

Day 17
miles 52.63
elevation gain 3,342

Day 15 we ended in Fort Bragg and stayed at the Grace Community Church.  Fort Bragg basically rolls up the roads at 8pm.  So, the pastor of the church called his wife and said, "I'm bringing home 7 guests for dinner."  Pastor Greg, his wife Val and their son Joel made us a great meal of enchiladas.  They live on a bluff with views of a lighthouse and the ocean.  Not sure I would ever go to work if I lived there.  If you are ever in Way Northern Cal - Mendocino County - you need to stop at Fort Bragg.  It is a cool little town that sure could use our tourist dollars.

Day 16 we ended in Elk.  Our hosts had expected us to have camp gear, which we didn't have, so we drove to Point Arena and found a hotel.  This was another blessing in disguise.  The hotel had affordable rooms available - including a hot shower and a great breakfast - so we stayed there.  Had some more fish and chips and clam chowder for dinner followed by a whale siting, a sunset and some ice cream.  The couple who were running the place were very nice and helpful.

Day 17 we ended in Jenner - ahead of our 4:30 cutoff.  Our lodging was about 30 miles away so we got some chocolate milk and hit the road.  Today we had an incredible view the whole way along the coast.  We had a nice tailwind that pushed up the hills.  Mom would not have liked today's miles as they were on a curvy, up and down hilly road.  I thought they were awesome.

Shannon, Mona and Carl just got back from doing laundry so Shannon said he was not blogging tonight.  You will have to wait for his insights and humor.

I was asked today about chamois cream - what it is and what types we are using.  Cycling shorts have a chamois in the buttocks region which serves two purposes (or so I think) - padding and sweat absorption (aka a "big sweat diaper).  Yes, it feels like a diaper and is uncomfortable to walk in.

Just like a baby's butt - ours are sensitive....especially after about 50 miles or consecutive days on the bikes.  To help combat chaffing and saddle sores, some wonderful chemists have created chamois cream and some marketing geniuses have named these products creatively.  The names include Butt Butt'r, Assos, Dznuts and Hammer Seat Saver.  Now you are probably laughing about the names but this is no joking matter.  A sore butt makes for very long miles and days on the bike.  As you ride more, you experience some bruising, soreness and eventually callouses are created.  You still need to use chamois cream if you want to enjoy your ride.

One comment about Hammer Seat Saver - Hammer started as an athletic nutrition company.  They make two lines of nutritional products to be used before, during and after exercise.  So when I saw they also made chamois cream - I was little surprised and thought - guess it makes sense for a nutrition company to want to be vertically integrated (think about it).

Well, it is passed my bedtime.  I have a bunch of pictures trapped on my phone which I will at some point enter into a blog.

Tomorrow we ride to the Golden Gate Bridge....how cool is that!  On Friday we cross this historic bridge....I never thought I would be doing this.  Not sure why I am so blessed to have this opportunity.  I do not take this lightly and trust our efforts are encouraging those impacted by PD to carry on and those impacted with other health challenges to stay the course and continue living life.

Good night all.


PS - Mom, Dad is doing ok.
Leisa - Carl is doing fine.  He has a new nickname we will share with you when we see you next week.

Both are sleeping through the night and not waking up early. :)  They are incredibly determined (stubborn) individuals.

Day 13 & 14 - Sun, Fun and Hills

Day 13 - Brookings to Trinidad
Mileage - 67.13
Elevation Gain - 3,520

Day 14 - Trinidad to Del Rio
Mileage - 58.04
Elevation Gain - 1,601

I guess you could say Day 14 was a recovery day since the mileage and elevation gain were much less than Day 13.  Wasn't planned that way but it sure was nice to have an easier day.  In addition, we experienced our first long-term and significant tailwind.

For the last few days I have been thinking about how Dad and Carl (The Guys going forward) ride.  A "normal" or healthy cyclist will ride at a fairly consistent pace - whether uphill or on a flat road - going faster on flats than on a hill.  The guys don't ride this "normal" way so we are not able to pull them along or block the wind.  Pulling is similar to drafting in racing.  Cyclist A is in the front breaking the wind.  Cyclist B rides 12-24" behind A and uses significantly less energy to go the same speed.  Ideally, this allows both cyclists to cover more ground.

They Guys aren't able to draft efficiently as their pace is inconsistent.  Why?  I don't know but I do believe it is PD related.  They ride at a pace which is comfortable to them.  One prefers to turn a big, or hard, gear as it feels better on his legs.  He will do this even if he is heading uphill or into a headwind.  The other one will ride at a consistent pedal cadence.  His cadence is very consistent whether uphill or on flats.  Again this makes it a challenge to pull him along as he doesn't push a harder gear on the flats.  Not sure if any of this is making sense or not but because of how they ride, we are not able to help them in windy conditions.  Riding at their rythym or pace can be challenging for us.....and at times frustrating.  Especially downhill when I want to coast faster but can't because I need to stick with them.  

Their riding styles/patterns make it a challenge for Shannon and I to ride in front of them so we end up riding behind them....which means we are drafting off them!  Completely the opposite of what should be happening.

Well, enough rambling about what it is like to ride with The Guys.  They are determined, powerful machines - both physically and mentally.  In many ways, they are way more powerful than I can dream of being.  I can't even imagine how fast and far they could ride if they were healthy.  All I know is - Parkinson's Can't Hold 'em and I am glad to experience this with them.

A few pics...

Dad at the top of the hill that was 14% grade.  His first successful steep hill ascent - and he was all smiles.

Just a cool old truck

Some cows Carl, Dad and I were trying to help break out.

Cematary in Ferndale.  It is on a hill and was incredible to see.

 

Day 12 - puttin' miles on the shelves

Port Orford to Brookings

Mileage - 57.20

Elevation Gain - 2,637

Today was a challenging day.  We are just under half way through this adventure - I am both physically and emotionally tired.  Unfortunately, this is not always filtered out when talking to others on the team and for this I apologize.  When you are used to living alone and now live with 6-9 people - you get no down time.  No time to relax and recover.  Most people will not understand this challenge but I know I am not alone in this need for some quiet time.

This morning I was kind of in my own world, riding a little ways behind Carl, and had a reality check.  Up to this point, I have been focused on making sure we finished the miles each day.  Thinking making the mileage goal/plan meant we were successful.  This morning I realized making the mileage goal is irrelevant.  Giving Dad and Carl the opportunity to ride as many miles as they can go is what is important.  It is important for them personally and for all those who have PD.  As a result, we have changed our riding plans.  We ride with Dad and Carl, at their pace, until we have covered the miles or 4:30pm. 

If the miles aren’t done – who cares!  What is important, is for this team to show that PD is not a life ending disease but rather one which provides for new opportunities never thought of before.  Ten years ago, Dad and Carl would have never dreamed of cycling around town let alone down the West Coast of the US.  Now, they are showing everyone PD doesn’t stop you, it just forces you to turn a corner.  From there, it is your responsibility to take the next step.

Today is also the last day for Jerry Hogg and Duane Stutzman as our SAG drivers.  Tomorrow morning they leave for home.  Tonight their replacements arrived – Nathaniel Patton and Mona Amaro.  Keith Barr also arrived to ride with us for the next two weeks as we ride through California.

It is pouring outside as I write this.  I sure hope it gets it out of its system by morning.

A cool rocky beach

Shannon pondering life.  What you can't see is the 50' drop off behind him.