Day 1 - QMDC Ride - S.F. to Santa Cruz - 85 miles

Day 1 started out with a wake-up call at 5:30 AM. Breakfast by 6:00 AM, checking the bike at 7:00 AM, then greetings at 7:30 AM. Below are some shots from the bike staging area.

On the road we ran into some pretty stong headwinds. After our lunch stop, I was dropped by the group of 5 riders I was riding with and struggled for a while until I found my cadence again. Along the way, I was able to get some pretty cool photos and video that I will post when I get home. For now, the photos below will have to suffice.

The last part of the ride was very steep hill right before the hotel. It was pretty grueling climb, but the reward of getting a post-ride massage and food frenzy made it all worth it. Below, JL gets his massage. Bryon and Summer chill. And John and Mari talk about the ride. Today was a good day. Tomorrow, we ride to Big Sur, an 86 mile ride.

Here is a video I put together of Day 1. Enjoy

Off to San Francisco

I am off to San Francisco today. There is a pre-ride event tonight at the Hyatt where the riders will check in and we will get the rest of our gear.


The flight up was pretty uneventful with the exception that I bumped into three other QMDC riders from San Diego. Brian came up and introduced himself, then introduced me to Mitch and James. Mitch and James have done the ride before and for Brian, it was his first time like me. We shared a cab from the airport the hotel which was nice.


After checking in, I made my way down to the registration desk and got my gear. Unfortunately I got the wrong bag and everything was several sizes to large. Luckily, I was able to swith out the items and now everything is good. The gear is top-notch with a hoodie, shirt, windbreaker/vest, armwamers, and leg wamers.


The hotel is comfortable and the service that the QMDC staff, Trek Travel, and Wheels on Wheels provides is impecable. Thank you for everything!

We Did It!

With your help, we were able to raise over $10,000 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). I would like to thank all of my friends for being so generous in their support and donations. To my wife and daughters who have had to sacrifice a lot during the 20-week training program, not to mention all of the time spent fundraising. To my fellow co-workers who so generously donated their time and support, I thank you.

This coming Saturday, October 18, I start the ride for the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge (QMDC) - a 600-mile ride down the California Coast from San Francisco to La Jolla to benefit CAF. I will be riding with other QMDC riders and Challenged Athletes during this epic ride.

Stay tuned for updated ride info from the road.

Finding Ways To Help Others!

After a long wait, the final winner has been declared for the Scott&BR Radio Contest. A huge congratulations goes out to Mike Henderson. Not only did Mike win the contest, but he also raised over $10,000 that he was able to use to help other challenged athletes make their fundraising goals. He gave $4,000 to Nina so that she could participate on the ride too. Mike has a huge heart, is compasionate in what he does, and is one of those rare people you meet that makes you want to do more for others. He truely does help in finding ways to help others.

Congratulations Mike. Well done!

Sunday (Almost) Century Ride

Today we did the Fallbrook Loop starting from Fletcher Cove. The day started a little crisp after a good night's rain. The ground was still a little damp, but not too wet as to cause wheels to slip. It was a smaller group today, with only 12 riders in Group 2 and only about 30 riders overall.

With us in Group 2 was Mike Henderson, one of two radio contestants from the Scott&BR Cycling Team left in the competition who are vying for that one free coveted spot on the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge. Nina is the other radio contestant who is left, and she was riding in Group 4.

Nina showed me a bruise on her thigh that she got riding the other day. Ouch! Evidently a car didn't see her and almost plowed her over. She managed to stay clear of the car, but got caught in between the railroad tracks and fell over. Luckily, she is going to be ok and it didn't stop her from getting out and riding this monster ride today.

During the morning announcements, Kristine Entwistle (QMDC Director) made a sad announcement about a fellow QMDC rider who was training in Arizona. The rider was hit by a car this weekend and was killed. It turns out that the rider was Scott Kaplan's cousin. Kristine was a little choked up because she knew this person and he had ridden in the QMDC before. Our hearts and prayers go out to Scott Kaplan and his cousin's family.

Kristine also asked us to watch out for each other on the road and be safe. We did just that. Since it was a small group today, it was pretty easy to stay together. As a matter of fact, a few times we stopped to wait for other riders only to find that everyone was there already, so we could just keep going. This kept us moving along.

The ride took us up through Del Dios and through Escondido. Since our usual SAG stop wasn't at the top of Del Dios Highway, we opted to stop for a bathroom break at the local community center which consisted of one Port-a-Potty. With 12 riders and only one of these, it made for a pretty long wait. Jeffrey shown is this picture is warning everyone not to go in there because it is scary.

Once we got north of Escondido, we hit the all-too-familiar Circle R Drive. This steep, windy road was no problem for me the last time, but this time was another story. About half way up, my legs started to tire and then I found myself dropping off the back. I couldn't make my legs go any faster; they just plumb gave up on me.

When I got to the SAG stop at the top, I felt a little funny. I had felt this way once before, during the Kitchen Creek ride. I knew that this day was going to suck, but felt I had to keep going. I figured if I didn't feel better by the next stop, I would SAG out and catch a ride back with Dan or Tina. Little did I know that the next SAG stop was over several mountains with lots, and lots, and lots of climbing in between. ^^^^^^ :o

Today we veered right off of Circle R onto W. Lilac road which connected us to Lilac road for some steep climbs. This brought us to the top of Couser Canyon road and some pretty spectacular downhill riding. I must say that I am more of a fan of downhill, then uphill, and today I felt like a kid in a candy store. I had dropped back off the group coming up the hill and waited at the top for Scott Bailey who was also struggling a little. Neither of us had ridden much these past few weeks and it showed. Once Scott reached the top, we started down the other side.

With no one ahead of me, I was able to rip through the twist and turns with barley a touch to my breaks. There were a few turns that required some quick braking, but not enough to stop the screaming descent. I had a smile on my face the whole way down and kept thinking that I could ride this all day long. Unfortunately, we soon found ourselves on relatively flat ground, but then another downhill section appeared that was just as good as the first.

Scott and I finally caught up to the rest of the group who had mistakenly thought there were only 10 riders in the group, which on the hills there usually were. :) Scott and I soon found ourselves dropped off the back again as the hills started rearing up through Sleeping Indian Road. After some rolling hills, we found ourselves looking on an awesome sight. We could see the whole valley below us with the ocean in the distance. At this point we knew we were almost home. Or at least close to home - but still 30 miles away.

The last part of Sleeping Indian Rd. was an extremely steep descent that got me up to 46 MPH. Now that was fun. We finally caught up with the rest of the group who had almost sent out a search party to find us. We turned right onto N River Rd. and wound up at the last SAG stop just a few miles away. We were greeted by a group of skater kids who were taking a break from a hard day of grinding.

At this point in the ride, I was totally cooked. I kicked off my shoes to get some circulation back in my feet and downed two PB&J sandwiches, some pretzels, raisins, licorice, half a coke, and a bottle of water. After refilling, we soon were off again and on our way to the Oceanside bike path.
Luckily, the tempo was pretty mellow on the bike path and we all enjoyed a nice talk with each other during the 7 mile ride to the coast. Once again, we stopped to regroup at the end of the path only to find that everyone was already there, so off we went.

The ride south was pretty mellow too. I started feeling better and soon found some reserve strength left in the engine. I figured if I pushed a little extra on the hills, I could stay with the group and not get dropped. On one hill, I guess I pushed a little too hard and the next thing I knew I was way ahead of the group. How did that happen? Pat Jak gave me the Oscar for best supporting role in a drama. He said that it was a great performance I gave earlier back on the hills saying I was tired. I would like to take this time to thank the Academy for this award... :)

At the beginning of the ride, we all joked around about riding a few extra miles at the end of the ride to go from a 96+ mile ride to a full 100 mile century. At the end of the ride however, no one was joking and we were all glad to get off our bikes a few miles short of a century. Besides, we will have plenty of chances to ride over 100 miles a day during the QMDC 600 mile ride starting October 18. I for one, can wait until then.

Double Century = Double The Fun

What an incredible ride we had this weekend up to Redondo Beach and back. For those of you who went, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. It started out with a cool, slightly overcast day but turned into a beautiful sunny day with a slight off-shore breeze.

Group 1 combined with Group 2 and about 20 of us rode the 102 miles up the coast with breathtaking views and serious headwinds. We started out the ride with several flats - ok to get those out of the way. Then it was up the coast for some pretty fun riding. The group pretty much stayed together the whole way. Some of us split through Camp Pendleton, but then we hooked on to Bryan Black's wheel and he pulled us back to the group. Thanks Bryon.
Just past San Clemente, we hooked up with Giberto, a challenged athlete that has a missing leg. It was impressive to see him pedal and keep up with even the strongest riders on the hills. We then proceeded through all the beach town communities up the coast with rolling hills and beautiful views of the ocean.

Past Long Beach, we headed through a industrial area complete with factories, smokestacks, and warehouses. We stopped at a taco stand to wait for some riders and decided we should probably just keep moving along. This brought us to a series of three bridges that I swear felt like they were drawbridges raising up while we were riding over them. They seemed to go up and up and then once you got to the top, the wind hit you smack in the face and slowed you down to a crawl.

About 15 miles just this side of Redondo, we made a left turn and stopped at a 7-11 for a quick water fill up. This was much needed since the next five miles were a stair step hill climb that seemed to go on forever. The pace was keep pretty high, but we all managed to stay together. Once we got to the top, however, we were treated with a pretty fast descent into Redondo Beach.

Once we got to the hotel, tacos and drinks were waiting for us. They mentioned this at the start of the ride and for the last 25 miles I thought of nothing else. It is amazing how you will push your body if you know there is a taco waiting on the other end.

A few of us gathered at the hotel pool and jaccuzi and hung out for a while. Anish, one seriously strong rider and I went in seach of a stretch of beach along the boardwalk and went swimming in the ocean. The waves weren't that big, but they were just fine for some body surfing.

Around 6 PM, we all met in the hotel lobby before walking over to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I sat with Mike Henderson and his lovely wife Crystal at dinner and had a pleasant conversation. Mike and I are throwing a Silent Auction and Sushi fundraising party on Monday, September 29 at the Southwestern Yacht Club. It allowed us a chance to talk about the event and what still needs to be done.

Bed came early for most of us because after all, we still had over 100 miles to ride the next morning.

Morning came all too soon and we found ourselves having breakfast with the other riders at the hotel restaurant. Mike MacGregor, Nina, Mike Henderson, and I all sat together and chatted a little. After getting our fill of food, coffee, and filling our water bottles, we were off again.

We started off with 9 Group Leaders in our group, so it was suggested that a few of them ride with Group 3 and 4. The first few hills were a wake up call to the legs, but we all knew that those 5 miles of up hill the day before would now be 5 miles of down hill today. We managed to catch almost every green light coming down the hill, then made our way through industrial world (it was here one rider pointed out Jesse James' West Coast Choppers building), over the three drawbridges, and into Long Beach.

The ride south of Long Beach was pretty windy, but that didn't stop us from cranking along, with a lot of pulls by Anish and Bryon. With those two out front, no one else really needs to pull, but we all took our turns regardless. We then found ourselves passing the rolling hills of the many beach communities along the route and pushed pretty hard south of San Clemente Beach just before Camp Pendleton. It was here that we stopped at the SAG Wagon with sandwhiches, soda, and even brownies that were made by John Welch's wife. They were awesome.

It was Mike Henderson's B-Day today and someone made him a sign wishing him well on his 49th B-day. Mike's goal is to live to 110, so he is not even half way there yet. Mike is no stranger to back to back long rides on the weekends. He helps out with Trek's Saturday rides and usually puts in between 125 - 175 miles on any given weekend alone. He has an incredible heart and is a great guy. Happy Birthday Mike!

It was at this SAG stop we met up with some of the riders that didn't make it up with us on Saturday. They rode up in the morning from Solana Beach and were going to ride the rest of the way back with us. It was nice to see some familiar faces, including Scott Bailey and Nancy.

I was chatting with Scott through the campground when all of the sudden several riders blew past and if I didn't jump on, I knew that it would be a long ride back to Solana Beach. I managed to hook on to the back and held on through Camp Pendleton. About six of us managed to keep a pretty constant paceline of 22 mph through Camp Pendleton and came out the other side completely wiped out. However, that didn't stop Bryon and Anish from picking it up a notch and leaving us all behind.

I had a little left in me and managed to catch back up to them only to get dropped again, only to catch up again, and get dropped. The last time I caught up with them, I flatted and had to stop to fix it. By the time it was fixed, almost the entire Group 1/2 riders caught up to us and we all headed into the home stretch. Once the last hill was in sight, everyone sprinted to the finish. It was fun to watch.

Once we rolled into the parking lot, we were greeted by Kristine, Kris, and Deb Hoffman. It was a nice welcoming committee and we all patted the other riders on the back for a job well done and for completing (for most of us) our first back to back century rides. I feel that this weekend helped everyone bond together a little bit closer. We all know now that we can do 20o miles in two days and feel that come mid October, we will be ready to ride 600 miles in 7 days.

Well done everyone!

The Fantastic Four

What a shocker this morning. Scott Kaplan had the remaining six radio contestants into the studio to play pyramid, a game often played on the radio show. It started with Scott announcing that Nina had the immunity pump, so she was safe today. He then pulled one name from a hat and that person would also get immunity today. Scott pulled Mike Henderson's name, so he too was safe.

Now this is where the game of pyramid started. Carl and Scott were one team and Brent and Momo were the other team. After two rounds, the game was a tie, so on to a tiebreaker they went. In the end, the team of Carl and Scott won, which got Brent and Momo kicked off of the Scott&BR Cycling Team.

Brent has been actively fundraising since early on, so I think that he will make it through to ride in October. Momo received a scholorship to help her start her fundraising and is actively fundraising now. Both deserve to ride in October and I think both will.

That leaves Nina, Mike, Carl, and Scott now vieing for that coveted spot of the grand prize winner of the free spot on the QMDC ride in October.

Stay tuned...

Sunday Recovery Ride and R&R

Sunday's ride was a quick recovery ride up to Oceanside Pier and back again. Everyone was in a good mood and some were glad for the short ride, including The Six who were having their big fund-raiser at Bondi later that afternoon.

For those that attended the event, it was a lot of fun. Bondi is a restaurant/bar with an Australian theme to it. The food was good and the beer was cold. Everyone I talked to afterwards had a good time. They even had a singles auction that was a blast to watch. Thanks for the entertainment!

And then, there were The Six!

As I got up today, I kept thinking that I would dodge another bullet and not get eliminated. Then, my phone rang, my heart sank, and I answered the phone. As I waited for Scott and BR to announce this weeks cut, I kept thinking, maybe it isn't me, maybe it is someone else and they are just toying with me like they did with Nina last week. Then Scott announced the contestant that would be cut from the Scott and BR cycling team, and it indeed was me.

At first, I was a little disappointed, and then I realized how far I have come over the past few months and realized that it is more than just a contest to me. Anyone can get lucky and win, but to truly work for something is what I thrive at. I could have not started fundraising and simply tried to win this contest. I could have not spread the word about CAF, QMDC, and xx1090, but I felt I had to. Something deep down inside of me has been driving me ever since I had surgery back in April to remove an adenoma hyper parathyroid.

It was at the beginning of the year that I was diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism. It was a fluke that it was discovered. I was taking a personal health assessment (PHA) that my company, Healthyroads, had on it's website and one of the questions asked what your cholesterol was. I realized I had not had my cholesterol checked in 5 years, probably more. I made a visit to the doctor in January, and the results came back that my cholesterol was excellent and I was in perfect health, but my calcium levels were high and that I need to come back in for more tests.

Those tests all came back positive for hyperparathyroidism. Luckily, these things are rarely, if at all, cancerous. However, they are still a cause for concern because they eventually can lead to osteoporosis. The symptoms are "bones, moans, pains, and groans." After being diagnosed, I realized that I have probably had this condition for at least 5 year or more, the same amount of time that I have been in constant pain. I had always attributed my pain to riding. So it suddenly occurred to me that I could actually feel better as a result of having the adenoma removed. It would be nice to wake up in the morning and not already be in pain, or go to sleep without pain, or just sitting at my desk without pain.

About a month and a half after the surgery, I started feeling a lot better. I wasn't always in pain anymore. I had started riding my bike again and was soon riding several hours at a time and to and from work a few days a week. However, I was looking for a challenge. Something to push me to train harder, ride a little further, push myself up the hill a little faster. It was about this time that I learned about the Scott&BR Radio Contest. I decided to enter the contest on the last day and figured I probably wouldn't even get asked to be part of the 30 initial radio contestants. But I received an e-mail stating that I was one of the 30 that would compete for a coveted spot on the QMDC ride in October.

At the kick-off event the following Wednesday evening at the TREK store in Kearny Mesa, I was stunned at how much energy was in the room and how passionate the people were about this great cause. I made my mind up right then and there that I needed to do more than simply compete in a radio contest. I had to make a difference, and by fundraising and raising awareness of who CAF was and why their mission was so important to challenged athletes, I felt that it was just the right thing to do. I was feeling better than I had ever felt in over 5 years, so now it was my turn to give back. And what better way to do it than by supporting CAF in it's mission.

Over these past few months, I have met some great people, have learned a little more about myself, and know I have grown as a human being. It is not just about me anymore. I am part of a greater cause and look forward to continuing to spread the word about CAF and to hopefully fundraise the full $10,000 by October 5 so I can participate in this great ride down the California Coast come mid-October.

If you would like to help CAF and its mission, please click on the link below that will take you to a Blog page about a Silent Auction I am putting together with another QMDC/XX1090 Radio Contestant (Mike Henderson). You may purchase tickets online or if you can't attend, hopefully you can donate to this great cause. All proceeds from the event will go to CAF.

http://www.sushi4caf.blogspot.com/

Sunday Training Ride - Del Dios Circle R Loop

Our 14th week of training started out with the Immunity Challenge for the Scott&BR Show contestants. Six out of the seven remaining contestants were present today and eagerly awaiting the next challenge which was a quiz. This quiz was different, however, in that it asked questions about each of the QMDC Group Ride Leaders. Some were pretty easy, but others were hard. We all gave it our best shot, but it was no match for Nina who got the most answers correct and thus earned this week’s Immunity Pump. Nina won the Immunity Challenge the last time around too, but had to give it away to someone. Karma is a wonderful thing and we got to see it happen today. Nice going Nina!

The ride today was the Del Dios 395 Circle R loop. It started out with the usual low cadence and a chance to get caught up with what others did over the past week. We soon found ourselves riding on familiar territory and for the most part, the ride progressed nicely to the first SAG stop at the top of Del Dios Highway. Tina was there with her warm smile, H20 sprayer, and peanut butter sandwiches. Thanks Tina!

We then rode north to a hill we haven’t ridden before. As we made a right onto Circle R Drive, the Group 2 Ride Leaders Pat, John, and Kevin warned us that this hill is steep, but even after the steep parts it keeps on going, and going so to pedal through it. Pat promised that we would enjoy it. One of our usual ride leaders, Bryon Black, was not able to join us this week. He was competing in a team time-trial on Fiesta Island. A big shout out to Bryon who was missed on this ride and who came in second in the team time trial on Saturday, and fourth overall in the Cat4/5 on Sunday. Congratulations Bryon!

The hill promised a good challenge and I would say it definitely delivered. We all made it up without incident except for me. I had a pretty good tempo working up the hill and whenever I got to a flat area, I would shift to my big ring in front and then back down to my small ring once the hill started again. It was on the last part of the final climb that I shifted from big to small and the chain dropped on me. Everyone waved as they went by and I finally managed to climb the remaining 50 feet over the top and another 50 feet to the SAG stop.

We were half way through our break when a small group of riders approached us and asked for help. One of the ladies had her cleat come off of her shoe because the bolts loosened and her cleat was stuck in her pedal. Thinking fast, Dan aka “The Man” whipped out his tool and re-shoed her in record time. After many thanks, the group was on their way riding again.

After leaving the SAG stop, we were warned that this would be the last SAG. We all topped our bottles off and proceeded down the road. We stayed on W. Lilac Rd. over the next few miles and were rewarded by a nice downhill with lots of twists and turns. At the end it was Pat Jak leading the way with Kevin (a former radio contestant) and myself attacking each other. But we were not match for Pat as he pulled away at the end.

Once we regrouped, we rode together pretty much the rest of the way home. I must say that Group 2 is looking pretty solid. We have had a chance to ride with each other for 14 weeks and it shows. It will be a big advantage once we ride down the coast in October knowing the riders you are with and how they ride.

Once we got to the Oceanside Bike Path, we were rewarded with a surprise SAG stop. Tina and Brent Reman aka “Cowboy” set up some water and food for us at a picnic bench just at the start of the bike path. It was a welcome sight and many thanks to Tina, Brent, and Brent’s son who provided the unexpected stop. It was very appreciated by all of the riders.

While we were riding along the coast, we were passed by a motorcycle club. There were hundreds of bikes, including scooters, who were riding two by two down the coast. The ride was the Forgotten Warrior Run POW/MIIA Day Recognition in honor of our 22 servicemen still missing in Vietnam. There were all sorts of choppers, fatboys, Harley's, Vespas, and even a poodle sticking out of the back of one of the scooters.

We then were passed by a classic car club that had some pretty remarkable cars. Hot rods, cruisers, coupes and other cars with lots of horsepower were zooming by us. It was a rare treat.

The rest of the ride went pretty smooth as we ourselves zipped down the coast. Once we rolled into the parking lot, a few of us stayed a while and talked while waiting for the other groups to roll in. It gave Mike H. and me an opportunity to chat a little about our Sushi Silent Auction that we are pulling together. It also allowed us to get to know each other a little better, because after all, we will soon be seeing each other every day for seven straight days come mid-October. By then, we should pretty much know each other very well.

It's coming together!

Please join me in raising the awareness. Donate today by clicking the link below.

http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.

Hack and Slash

That is the sound effect that Scott Kaplan cues up when cutting another rider from the team. Today there were two riders let go. The first on the line was Sam Degan. Sam recently broke his hand and was not able to ride for a few weeks with the rest of the group. That didn't stop Sam from stepping up and helping out with SAG support on those weeks he didn't ride. I thought it showed a lot of dedication to come out knowing you couldn't ride but to offer your support to the team. Thanks Sam.

The other rider to get let go was Kevin Heil. Kevin was a two-time recipient of the Immunity Pump Challenge which may have caused him being voted off the team by the other radio contestants. Was he considered a threat? We may never know. The ballots are locked up tighter than the Oscar winners.

Congratulations to the remaining riders and contestants on the Scott&BR Show cycling team.

Sunday Training Ride

Today we had an unusual immunity challenge (immunity pump pictured below) for the Scott&BR Show radio contestants. Things got serious right away when Jim handed out 3x5 cards and had us write the names of two riders who we thought should get cut from the team. Ouch! The smiles faded from everyone's faces as soon as we realized Jim wasn't joking. Everyone was stunned, silence ensued, and we reluctantly handed in our cards to Jim.

Today it finally hit home to all of us that this is a contest and anything may be thrown our way. How do you vote off two riders from a group of nine? Do you choose who you think will be kicked off? Or do you choose someone who you think will win? Tune into the XX1090 Scott&BR Show this Tuesday morning between 6:30 am and 7:30 am to hear Scott Kaplan announce who the two riders are.

We then proceeded with the morning announcements of which there were many. We have a double century ride coming up that will be from San Diego to Redondo Beach for an overnight stay on Saturday night, and then we head back to San Diego on Sunday morning. This should be an interesting test of stamina as we all push our bodies for 200 miles.

There were also a few announcements about some fundraising events and silent auctions that are taking place in a few weeks (listed below).

• Sushi for CAF Silent Auction
• Spirit of the Athlete Auction
• Exceptional Athletes, Exceptional People

The ride today was supposed to be an 80+ mile out and back to San Clemente with an optional 20 mile addition. Instead, it was decided to just do the San Clemente ride and keep the SAG stops quick and easy. Heading up the coast, the tempo was pretty steady, but not too fast. At least until we hit Camp Pendleton, then Bryon Black dropped the hammer and off we went, or at least most of us. I was unlucky enough to not notice the surge and it was too late by the time a few of us discovered we were out of luck.

Mike and Lisa Jennings, Agit, Deb, Deeanna, I and a few others put our heads down and started a pace line to try and catch up with Bryon's train. Just when we thought we could catch them after a steep but short hill, it looked like the main group was even farther ahead. That was some serious pace line we did, but it wasn't enough to catch up. Later I discovered that Bryon has two time trial races next week at Fiesta Island and is in training for it. I would say that he is ready.

The first SAG stop was at the end of Camp Pendleton and I saw the familiar face of Tina Perez. Tina had the peanut butter sandwiches already made and it was great not to have to wipe peanut butter off of my gloves from trying to spread it on the bread with a knife. Thanks Tina.

We then proceeded through the beach parking lot and maintained a pretty moderate pace all the way up to the start of San Clemente. The last few miles are through a residential neighborhood with lots of turns and stop signs. The half-way point was 7-11 where we all rehydrated and refueled. Mike H. took a snapshot of me after polishing off my banana. I felt pretty good at this point and assumed the way back would be just as pleasant. Boy was I wrong.

After getting back through the neighborhood's turns and stop signs, we found ourselves back on the Old Pacific Highway bike path. It was here that Bryon dropped the hammer again and off we went, well some of that it is. I tried to keep up but just couldn't and soon found myself halfway between Bryon's group of riders and the rest of the pack. It was windy, I was alone, and man did my legs feel tired. I managed to regroup with the other riders and we caught up to Bryon's group just past the entrance to the beach campground.

The only reason we managed to catch up was because one of the riders, Deeanna, went down in a patch of sand. Fortunately, she was unscathed except for her tire which had a large hole in it. Luckily, one of the other riders had a tire boot and we were soon on our way again. Bryon dropped another hammer all the way down Old Pacific Highway where we stopped at the SAG wagon again. This time, the stop was even shorter and we soon found ourselves in Camp Pendleton. Bryon promised that we wasn't going to pull anymore and was done. Yeah, right.

Bryon must have had one more in him because this time he decimated the pack and I soon found myself in familiar territory all alone with just the wind in my face. It was about this time Andrew pulled up beside me and we pace lined each other to the end of Pendleton. We caught up with Bryon who had let the others go ahead of him so he could make sure everyone stayed together and got through Camp Pendleton ok, which we did.

Everyone was cooked by this time and the last 15 miles or so back to the parking lot seemed like an eternity. Luckily, no more hammers were dropped and we all made it back in as one group. Today was a tough ride, but we all needed to be pushed a little. In a few weeks we have two long rides back to back and after today, I know we will all be ready for it.

It's coming together!

Please join me in raising the awareness. Donate today by clicking the link below.

http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.

Torrey Pines vs Torrey Pines HS

Both Mike Henderson (another radio contestant) and I spoke several times this week and always ended our conversation with "see you at Torrey Pines High School" for our Thursday evening training ride. At least that is where we thought we were supposed to meet. You see, we have both been moving a mile a minute with our regular work, not to mention family, fundraising, and planning our Sushi Silent Auction to benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). So when we got it in our heads that we were meeting at Torrey Pines High School, it never dawned on us to see if it was Torrey Pines hill repeats instead.

After realizing no one else was going to come to us, we decided to ride our bikes over to Torrey Pines State Reserve and meet up with the rest of the group. When we got to the bottom of the hill, we hooked up with Kayvon (QMDC Chair) and got instructions from Bryon Black (QMDC Group Leader) who was acting like airport traffic control directing riders on which hill to climb (inside or outside), which gear to use, and how hard to push. It was nice to have this instruction, otherwise I wouldn't get the full benefit of the workout. Thanks Bryon.

Mike and I headed up the hill where we saw Momo (fellow XX1090 radio contestant and immunity pump winner at last Sunday's ride) already heading down the hill with a group of two other QMDC riders. Momo always has a smile on her face, has a great attitude that is infectious, and is a joy to be around. Mike and I hollared and waved and continued on up the hill. After coming down, we headed back up the outside hill again, then up the inside hill for some tempo work. Since we had to ride back to Torrey Pines High School, we cut the hill work short and started back.

This gave Mike and I some time to discuss our Sushi Silent Auction plans and brainstorm ways to raise awareness for CAF and QMDC. I must say, that I am having fun raising awareness and promoting this event. I have met some incredible people along the way and it just makes me want to do everything I can to pitch in and help.

When I got home, I had a nice surprise waiting for me. It was a notice from my QMDC sponsor page that a friend of mine (Ricky) just donated $500 with a corporate match of and additional $500. Ricky is my best friend from college and has a heart of gold. He is the one that suggested I start a Blog about my experience with the QMDC, CAF, and XX1090 Scott&BR Show. Thanks Ricky. I love you bro.

This now raises my total money collected to $4075. My goal is to make it to the full $10,000 by the October 5th deadline. August 31 is the deadline for the first $5,000, so I still have a ways to go to make my first deadline. Everyone is giving this all they have and we all want everyone to succeed and raise the total $1,000,000 for CAF.

It's coming together!

Please join me in raising the awareness. Donate today by clicking the link below.
http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.

We Are Now Down To Nine

As I snuck out of the bedroom to listen to the Scott&BR Show this morning, I couldn't help but wonder if I was next to be cut. I am sure all of us remaining 10 riders were on the edge of our seats this morning as the announcement came on who was being cut today.

Momo had the immunity pump, so she was safe this week. But the other nine riders, including Nina who gave the immunity pump to Momo (see Sunday Ride Recap blog post below) were open to being cut. Scott Kaplan of the Scott&BR Morning Show had everyone going, including Nina, when he said that he had very bad news for her. Nina was relieved however, when Scott later revealed that the person being cut from the team was Matt.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except Matt. Scott called Matt on the phone to make the announcement. Matt is a Group 1 rider and is a seriously strong rider and can climb a hill like a goat. I got to know Matt during a few rides in the beginning when he rode with Group 2. Matt has a great sense of humor and is always willing to give tips on riding skills and techniques and has helped several riders elevate their riding over these past several weeks.

Matt, we are all sorry to see you cut from the team, but glad that you will still be around to ride with us.

Right now, no one knows what the judges are looking for when they cut someone from the team. We all have our theories, but in the end, we are all just guessing.

Good luck to all of the remaining contestants on the Scott&BR Cycling Team.

Sunday Morning Ride Recap

Ok, this is going to be a quick recap because I was not able to make this week's Sunday training ride. I was in Sedona Arizona most of the week on a "guys only" mountain biking/hiking adventure. It was good cross training, but I am ready to get back on my road bike and do some long pulls.

I do have to give a shout out to Mike and Lisa Jennings who told me to visit Absolute Bikes when I got into town. Not only where they knowledgeable about the trails in Sedona and Flagstaff, but they were extremely friendly and even gave me a Red Rock Pass while I was there so I didn't have to buy one. Thanks Mike and Lisa for the great tip.

For a recap of Sunday's ride and immunity pump challenge, please visit Mike Henderson's Blog.

Stay tuned for more information on the CAF Sushi Silent Auction coming September 29, 2008 from 6 pm to 9 pm. More details to follow.

Help me support CAF by clicking on the link below.

http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.

And Then, There Were Ten

We are now down to 10 riders in the XX1090 Scott and BR Show radio contest. This week's rider that was cut from the team hits close to home for me. Kris McDaniel works at American Specialty Health, Inc., the same company that I work for. Even though we are in seperate areas of the company, I have worked with Kris on many occassions and can tell you that he is an outstanding guy. It is hard to see him go, but I know he is fundraising for QMDC/CAF and I am sure that we will see him still on the training rides and eventually in October on the ride down from San Francisco to San Diego.

Kris, take care and we will see you soon.

Sunday's Training (Recovery Ride)

This week was recovery, and we were all very happy for it. We are going to ramp up in distance and endurance again soon, so it is these rides that I value the most when you can spend some time chatting with fellow riders and learning more about them. It is making us grow closer as a group.

We had another immunity pump challenge contest in the form of a quiz. This week, it was an Olympics-themed quiz with one question. "What are the 4 cycling events in the Olympics?"

That's easy right? Road, Time Trial, Track, and other :)

The actual answer was Road, Track, Mtn. Biking, and BMX

Scott Bailey (who also won last week's immunity challenge) won this week. Congratulations Scott. Scott works for Qualcomm, is a very strong rider, and is a fantastic guy. He is always positive, upbeat, and you will usually find him heading to the front of the group towards the end of the ride with lots of energy.

The ride was cut a little short this week, but no one seemed to mind. In fact, it was nice to stay a little after the ride and chat with fellow riders Mike H., Deeanna, and Dan Plummer of WOW. Mike H. and I are planning a Sushi Silent Auction and we needed to discuss some details. Deeanna and some other QMDC riders are putting together their own fundraiser and Deeanna gave us some good tips that she has learned along the way. Thanks Deeanna.

The Sushi Silent Auction will be held Sept 29th from 6-9 PM at the Southwestern Yacht Club. Mike H. and I are working with a good cycling friend of his, Lan Tran. Lan is very energetic and has a heart of gold. More to follow on the Sushi4CAF Silent Auction event including a list of some of the silent auction items and sponsors.

CAF Fundraising Update

These past few weeks, I have been busy with more fundraising efforts in the form of a raffle and selling nachos at work. The raffle last week included a pair of Chargers tickets to the Monday night football game against Seattle, another pair of Chargers tickets to the Dallas game last Saturday, some gift cards, and a hair styling certificate.

Then this week, a few of my fellow co-workers decided to sell nachos to our staff and donate the proceeds to CAF. I am very fortunate to work with such great individuals and a company that fosters creativity and innovation.

Next week I hope to have another raffle and perhaps sell some other food item at work. We'll see what happens. It is easy to come up with the ideas, but a lot of work to pull everything together.

Help me support CAF by clicking on the link below.

http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.

Tuesday Morning Cut

We are now down to 11 riders who have all been putting in a lot of hours training, listening to the Scott&BR Show, fundraising, and helping to raise awareness for the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge and Challenged Athletes Foundation. I am sure this week was a tough one for the judges.

Kevin Davenport has been eliminated. Kevin is a seriously strong rider, has a great attitude, and I am sure we will continue to see him out on the training rides and perhaps even on the ride in October. We all wish you well Kevin.

None of the radio contestants have any idea on how the judges are basing their decisions. I think that adds to the excitement and mystery of the competition.

For a list of the final 11 riders still in the competition, visit the Scott&BR Show.

Coors Light, Lollipops, and Second Base?

This week found everyone ready to tackle the 11th week of training and pass the half-way point to the big ride in October. The day started off with a challenge with Jim Crowley distributing a quiz to the Scott&BR Show radio contestants. Scott Bailey (pictured right) had the most answers correct and received the Immunity Pump for this week. Congratulations Scott! Kevin Heil had the pump last week and cleverly added a bicycle water bottle holder with a can of Coors Light. Coors Light is a sponsor of the Scott&BR Show and is a fitting touch to have as part of the Immunity Pump. Nice going Kevin.

During the morning introductions, Kristine Entwistle announced one of the riders, David Lee, that we will be riding with in October from San Francisco to San Diego. David is also competing in the handcycling event at the Paralympics in Beijing in a few weeks. We all wish him good luck and look forward to seeing him compete in Beijing.

After the morning introductions were finished, we all split off in our separate groups and then we were off. Today's ride was titled "Oceanside Ranger Lollipop" because that is what the route looks like - a big lollipop. The route takes you up north to Oceanside, then east along the bike path and finally out towards northern Escondido. You then do a large circle and come back to the same bike path towards Oceanside, then back down the coast to Solana Beach. The ride was 85 miles and is the last of our long rides for this build-up phase. Next week will be a recovery week, with a 40 mile ride on Sunday.

The weather promised hot conditions and we were not disappointed. It could have been a lot worse however, because temperatures the day before reached 98 degrees and in several places reached over 100 degrees in Poway and Escondido. It was still hot, but there was a slight breeze and it was a little cooler than the day before. Thank goodness.

After heading north up the coast, the Group 2 riders found ourselves on the San Luis Ray Bike Path heading east. Early in the morning this path is pretty deserted and we found ourselves pretty much all alone with the exception of a few cyclists. Later on in the day, this path gets a lot of use by other cyclists, runners, joggers, hikers, baby strollers, dogs, and just about anything else that rolls on wheels. The QMDC Group Leaders (Bryon and John) split us up into two groups to keep us safer as we rode along the bike path. We soon found ourselves sailing along smoothly at a comfortable 20 mph and covered the 7+ miles of bike path in no time at all.

After exiting the bike path, we soon found ourselves riding up a dirt hill and doing a little bit of cyclocross. I am not sure what the name of the road was, but it was a nice steady hill and soon had us coming down a pretty steep fast descent. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the hill wasn't that long and we had to turn right at the bottom of the hill after stopping at a stop sign. This brought us to Olive Hill Road, a nice winding road through the oak trees. After crossing an intersection, we arrived at our first (and third) SAG stop. This is the start of the lollipop loop and we would end up back here after another 20+ miles of hill work.

Tina Perez was providing the SAG at this stop and what a welcome relief it was to see her again. I first met Tina, a volunteer for the QMDC and CAF, during the Kitchen Creek ride a few weeks ago. She has a great attitude and is really friendly. Today, Tina greeted everyone with a warm smile, lots of food, and a cool H20 sprayer. It is pretty nice eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while getting sprayed with cold water after being in the saddle for 30+ miles. I actually didn't want to leave. But this was only the first stop and we had a lot of riding to do.

After leaving the SAG wagon, we headed up W. Lilac Rd, a grueling 4.5 mile climb that comes out at Old Highway 395. After regrouping at the top, we headed down 395 at about 40 mph. That was fun. It was then pretty flat until we hit another hill, turned left, then rode up more hills, and finally, made it to the top of another hill. This brought us to CR S13 (Reche Rd) and we regrouped again. Then it was left towards Live Oak Park a hundred or so yards to the second SAG wagon where Dan of WOW had the water on tap, the goo handy, and the shade welcome. Thanks Dan.

Our group got much larger because there were some Group 1 riders who I think took some wrong turns here and there and wound up at the SAG stop about the same time we did. We all took off together and rode through the oak tree-lined, winding roads. It was pretty amazing and offered everyone a lot of shade during the hottest part of the day. After being promised no more climbing, we turned right onto Reche road again and proceeded to climb - again. It wasn't too bad though and we soon found ourselves cooking along down Green Canyon Rd which had a lot of riders sprinting for the lead. It was a blast. Everyone was pushing each other to come and take the lead and we all traded off.

We soon found our way back to the SAG wagon (stops 1 and 3) again where Tina was still spraying people down with her H20 sprayer. We were all pretty tired at this point. It was at this SAG stop that a rider suddenly realized what Tina's shirt meant (“Save Second Base”). This got a few chuckles from the riders. All in all, it was a pretty short stay as we had to head back towards Oceanside and then south. This stretch of ride is not too difficult, but when you have already been on the bike for several hours and 50+ miles, it can seem like an eternity. Since our group had grown in size, Bryon and John split us up into three groups on the bike path this time. I was up near the front, so I went along with Bryon, Mike H., and Jeffrey Essakow.

Bryon took the lead pull and soon had us sailing along. When it came to be my turn to pull, I suddenly realized how strong the headwind was that Bryon was battling when he was pulling. I was hit in the face with a pretty strong wind and couldn't keep the pace that Bryon had set for very long and soon found my way to the back again. After another few pulls in the front by other riders, I soon found myself in back of Jeffrey and he was pulling. We reached about 22 mph into the headwind and all I could think about was come on Jeffrey, just a little bit farther. Please don't let me pull in this headwind, please. :) Well, Jeffrey did an awesome job pulling us into Oceanside.

By this time, I was really spent and it was a relief to stop and wait for the other two groups of riders. After downing a goo packet, and drinking a lot of water, we were off south and we pretty much stayed together as a group the entire way back. Some of the riders had some trouble with cramps and the group split into two with less than 1 mile to go. After we rolled into the parking lot back in Solana Beach, I took a couple quick self-snap shots of me with fellow radio contestants and QMDC fundraisers, Mike H. and Scott B. My family was waiting for me back home to start our camping vacation, so I had to get out of there pretty fast and wasn't able to stay for very long.

Below is a video I put together of some footage taken on this week’s ride. Enjoy!

Tuesday's Cut

This week, it was Greg Ramos who was cut from the Scott&BR Cycling Team.

Sorry to see you go Greg.

Training Week 9 – Only 11 Weeks to Go!

Sunday’s ride found us out along the coast again. And what a beautiful day it was. This is why we live where we do and pay the high cost of living. It was a picture-perfect day for the 82 mile ride up to San Clemente and back.

There was a pretty good turn out today for the ride. Some people that couldn’t make it last week during the Kitchen Creek ride for various reasons were able to make it for today’s ride. It was good to have them back. This resulted in pretty much all of the groups being pretty big. I decided to ride at my level again and stick with Group 2. I’ve suffered enough at the hand of Group 1 and wish them the best, but from here on out, it’s Group 2 for me. At least until I get overconfident again and try Group 1 J.

We started the morning out with another immunity challenge. As I started wracking my brain for the answers to Scott and BR trivia, I realized we were in luck. Today was a different challenge that required the contestants to guess the amount of total calories of Power Gels that were crammed into a large jar. We were allowed to see how many calories were in each packet, but we had to guess the number of packets in the jar and then figure out the total calories the jar contained.

Even though math is my forte, at 6:45am in the morning I find that my brain can only absorb data and not process data. I guessed that there were 150 packets in the jar, then proceeded to do the math and multiplied 150 packets x 110 calories. I came up with 6,500 calories and handed it in to Scott, the QMDC group leader and substitute for Jim during this week’s challenge. I felt that I had a pretty good shot at winning the challenge. After all, I am great with math.

On the way over to the morning announcements I realized my folly. I quickly double checked the math in my head and realized that I had made a huge mistake. I forgot to add on the one at the end. Instead of 6,500 it was 16,500. When Scott announced the winner, he said that there were a total of 155 packets in the jar and that the total calories were 17,505. I had missed it by 1,005 calories or 5 packets. Oh well, better luck next time. Maybe the next challenge will be another track stand.

Congratulations to Kevin Heil who won the immunity challenge this week. Well done. This is Kevin’s second round of having control of the idol. He added on the top hat during his last weekly reign as Immunity Pump winner and I have no doubt next week we will see something just as good. Since I had the pump last week, I had the opportunity to add my touch to it which was in the form of a cape with the Scott & BR logo on the back along with the QMDC and CAF logos. I must say that it turned out better than I had expected and this Immunity Pump has taken on a life of its own.

Immediately after the announcements, we soon headed out in our respective groups and rolled north up the coast for a change. Typically, we head south and then east on our rides, but this week we went north and it was an odd, but great feeling. North is where San Francisco is, the starting point for our 600 mile, 7 day event in October. Everyone could feel that this was a turning point in our training and after last week’s Kitchen Creek ride, we were all looking forward to riding along the coast on relatively flat terrain.

Since we were such a large group, they decided to give us three QMDC group leaders (Pat, Kevin, and Lisa) during this ride. At first it was just Pat, and I think they soon realized that it would be pretty tough for one leader to keep the lot of us all in line. I am sure he would have done a remarkable job, but seemed releived to get the extra help. The group leaders kept us all in line and pretty much on track the entire ride. With the exception of a few of us missing a light and getting split up at the beginning, we all pretty much stayed together as a group the entire way.

I have to hand it to all of the QMDC Group Leaders, they work their tails off and often have to back track and pick up the stragglers to make sure everyone stays together and gets back safe. They not only lead by example of fitness, but also lead by patience and integrity. Thanks again to all of the QMDC Group Leaders for keeping us all safe and getting us back home at the end of the ride.

The scenery along the coast was spectacular and at times I wanted to stop and watch the surfers ride the waves in. The air was cool with a slight breeze and made for a great day of riding. When we got almost to the half way point, we all decided to turn around early and bypass riding through a residential neighborhood with lots of stop signs. We rode through this section during the Southern trip from Anaheim a few weeks ago and you don’t really get much out of it other than stopping, and starting, then stopping again, the starting again through about a dozen or so stop signs.

On the way back, I decided to try and ride ahead to the restroom at the San Onofre State Beach. I told Kevin what I was doing and that I would hook up with the group at the SAG stop. Well, I misjudged the distance to the restroom because after a while of being out in front all alone and expending all of my energy, the group rolled up next to me. Oh well. Better luck next time. Luckily, a few others had to stop too.

We soon found ourselves back at Camp Pendleton and fighting a head wind. I don’t know how I wound up out front, but it was a struggle to keep up the pulling. It felt good though and I soon got into a good rhythm. Dee joined me at one point, as did Andrew. Once we got to Oceanside, it was pretty much cruise control the rest of the way. I drifted to the back and cruised home with Debbie. We were able to chat a little about her upcoming auction and I told her that I would post it on my blog when she has the information ready.

At the end of the ride I dug my chocolate milk (good tip Carl) out of Mike Jennings’ cooler and chugged it down. It went real good with Mike Henderson’s chocolate chip cookies and CAF-decorated cookies. Mmmmm. I had to take off pretty quick since my wife is consulting on a project and usually works weekends. I realize that I have not thanked my wife, Britt, on my Blog for being so supportive of my goal to raise awareness for CAF, QMDC, and challenged athletes everywhere.

I love you, Britt.