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.