Tri Latta, as mentioned before is the first TnT event I did. 2 years ago, after 5+ months of training, going from not being able to swim 1/5th the required distance, I completed the event with my TnT teammates, many of whom I am still friends with today and my wife Sheila. While there were other events along the way that inspired me to take on and create the 40 in 40 challenge, this clearly was the starting point.
This too was a weekend full of events. I took some commentary/feedback, and broke it into manageable pieces, Part 1: The Lead In, Part 2: Swim to T1, Part 3: Bike to T2, Part 4: Run to Finish
Saturday June 13 Inspiration dinner
While I was busy training for Tahoe, my 34 other teammates and I raised nearly $80,000 for the LLS for this event.
Our honored speaker was Matt Torkildsen. Matt recounted his story about his battle with Leukemia, being diagnosed at 18, a few months before he was to graduate high school and go to college on a basketball scholarship. His life, as so many others, changed drastically that day. Went to the Hutchinson center in WA. Like TnT, Leukemia can create families out of strangers due to the bond that exists and grows stronger with each passing day. When Matt checked into Hutchinson, there were 8 other families there. While there he received a bone marrow transplant, from his brother, and after 100 days "post-transplant", he was able to leave. His family and one other left. The rest had lost their battle with Leukemia. Matt's story is a positive one. One that got better, as when he left, he returned home and married his high school sweetheart.
After the inspiration dinner, Sheila and I went to the Man and Woman of the year fundraising grand finale for the LLS. This is a fundraising competition amongst candidates designated by the LLS and / or nominated by friends and families. While I do not have all the specifics, this year, while a difficult one, had 8 stellar candidates who raised substantial funds to help the fight against blood cancers. I will post more details on this, once I get them.
Sunday June 14 RACE DAY
The race officially stars at 6:30 AM. Sheila and I - as well as Maggie and Dobhen, were up at 4 AM, to get things together and get to the race course. I finished by multiple bag checks the night before. Now, the race course is only 12 miles from our house, but, Sheila offered to volunteer for the event, and I still had to pick up my timing chip (they don't give you those until race day in case you lose it...like THAT would ever happen), get set up in transition, get body marked and chill out a bit.
We arrive in darkness. Not a little darkness, but it is just plain dark. The stars are out, and yet there are a lot of people milling around. I run into John McLean, fellow TnT'er who is also doing Latta today, and is training for a Full IronMan in the fall. John and I did Latta together 2 years ago as well. We set up our stuff in transition, actually John's is already set up, four spaces down from me, apparently he got there REALLY early, and go pick up our chips and go get body marked. Sheila has been assigned body marking as one of her volunteer duties, so I not only got to have her write my numbers on my arms and legs, but I also got a good luck kiss...the volunteer coordinator raised an eyebrow at that one as she was standing right next to us at the time. Sheila limited the good luck kisses to me (I think - either that or she had the most popular body marking line EVER! kidding). Also - was pleasantly surprised to see my Tahoe cycle-mate Cheryl Ryan there - she came up to watch - even though she had to be there by 6 AM..wow. Also saw Laurie Pryor, who did Latta with us 2 years ago as well. It's like a reunion tour :-)
Anywho, so it's all of 5:30 now. An hour + to go.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Race # 10, Tri Latta Sprint Triathlon Sunday June 14 - Back to where it all began
Tri Latta, as mentioned before is the first TnT event I did. 2 years ago, after 5+ months of training, going from not being able to swim 1/5th the required distance, I completed the event with my TnT teammates, many of whom I am still friends with today and my wife Sheila. While there were other events along the way that inspired me to take on and create the 40 in 40 challenge, this clearly was the starting point.
This too was a weekend full of events, so get comfy...
Saturday June 13 Inspiration dinner
While I was busy training for Tahoe, my 34 other teammates and I raised nearly $80,000 for the LLS for this event.
Our honored speaker was Matt Torkildsen. Matt recounted his story about his battle with Leukemia, being diagnosed at 18, a few months before he was to graduate high school and go to college on a basketball scholarship. His life, as so many others, changed drastically that day. Went to the Hutchinson center in WA. Like TnT, Leukemia can create families out of strangers due to the bond that exists and grows stronger with each passing day. When Matt checked into Hutchinson, there were 8 other families there. While there he received a bone marrow transplant, from his brother, and after 100 days "post-transplant", he was able to leave. His family and one other left. The rest had lost their battle with Leukemia. Matt's story is a positive one. One that got better, as when he left, he returned home and married his high school sweetheart.
After the inspiration dinner, Sheila and I went to the Man and Woman of the year fundraising grand finale for the LLS. This is a fundraising competition amongst candidates designated by the LLS and / or nominated by friends and families. While I do not have all the specifics, this year, while a difficult one, had 8 stellar candidates who raised substantial funds to help the fight against blood cancers. I will post more details on this, once I get them.
Sunday June 14 RACE DAY
The race officially stars at 6:30 AM. Sheila and I - as well as Maggie and Dobhen, were up at 4 AM, to get things together and get to the race course. I finished by multiple bag checks the night before. Now, the race course is only 12 miles from our house, but, Sheila offered to volunteer for the event, and I still had to pick up my timing chip (they don't give you those until race day in case you lose it...like THAT would ever happen), get set up in transition, get body marked and chill out a bit.
We arrive in darkness. Not a little darkness, but it is just plain dark. The stars are out, and yet there are a lot of people milling around. I run into John McLean, fellow TnT'er who is also doing Latta today, and is training for a Full IronMan in the fall. John and I did Latta together 2 years ago as well. We set up our stuff in transition, actually John's is already set up, four spaces down from me, apparently he got there REALLY early, and go pick up our chips and go get body marked. Sheila has been assigned body marking as one of her volunteer duties, so I not only got to have her write my numbers on my arms and legs, but I also got a good luck kiss...the volunteer coordinator raised an eyebrow at that one as she was standing right next to us at the time. Sheila limited the good luck kisses to me (I think - either that or she had the most popular body marking line EVER! kidding). Also - was pleasantly surprised to see my Tahoe cycle-mate Cheryl Ryan there - she came up to watch - even though she had to be there by 6 AM..wow. Also saw Laurie Pryor, who did Latta with us 2 years ago as well. It's like a reunion tour :-)
Anywho, so it's all of 5:30 now. An hour + to go.
Break out the iPod, drink some more water, stretch a bit...pass the time. Sun comes up. The day is turning into a spectacular day to go for a swim, a bike ride and a run...with some wardrobe changes in between.
I decide it is time to go check out the lake....
As I approach the lake, there are several young kids who will be doing the race, seemingly a bit anxious about the swim "you can't see the bottom", " wait, there are fish in there"...I calmly reassure them that the sharks sleep in on Sundays..nice of me - no?
So - unlike the previous Tri - which was a pool swim - they send the swimmers off in waves. On this day, it is men, in two groups alphabetically (A-L then M-Z) , then women in two groups, alphabetically, then the mens and womens "master" categories, which are racers 40 years and older, then relay teams.
Wave one goes off at 6:30 AM, wearing white swim caps...they're the white caps and they're churning up the water, appropriate. I missed this little tid bit but heard about it from another blog, apparently there was a water snake sliding through the water - right behind the first wave of swimmers. Nice.
I am in wave two - John is right there beside me - always friendly and making jokes, nervous energy or just who he is? It's just who he is..he's not nervous.
So at 6:34 - the horn sounds and off we go.
So - my impromptu, self designed open water swim (OWS)the other day was a good idea. The water is murky, warm, and I probably would have had a harder time settling in if I hadn't done it - and yet...I still have this dysfunction about OWS...I swear my legs are dragging behind me, not kicking...I didn't try and breathe with my face in the water this time, but still...sheesh.
So we head outwards, out towards the turn buoy (regular marker buoys are usually orange cylinders, turn buoys are usually a different shape, such as a triangle/cone, or a different color) and I notice - guys from the first wave are headed right towards me.
See when you swim in open water, there are no lane markers to tell you your going straight-ish...so you're supposed to "sight" every couple of strokes to make sure you're headed in the right direction. Sighting is when you pop your head up and look forward to find the next buoy and adjust accordingly.
It appeared that the first few guys in the first wave were sighting off the wrong buoy and headed back the way we came, or were going - depending on where you were in the swim. And - one wrong turn, and a little follow the leader, and you have a half dozen guys off course.
I try to wave them in the right direction but they blow past me...someone will get them turned around as there are course marshalls on the swim - in kayaks and motor boats in the event of a missed turn, or swimmer in trouble...
I make it to the turn and head back in towards shore - five words I love to say to myself as I am swimming...head back in towards shore... pass one buoy, then the next, then the last one. I almost get run over by some guy going hell bent for leather directly across my "bow" headed out towards the open lake - parallel towards shore - try to tell him "You're going the wrong way"...but a face full of foot and some lake water and it's lost...All I can think of at this point is of course, Planes, Trains and Automobiles...maybe his response was "How does he know where I'm going, yeah, right - ahh he's drunk"...but in fact I did know where he wanted to go...
Make it out of the swim - to the cheers of our coaches, friends, other spectators and head up the hill to transition quick smile for the camera and I get to the bike.
Now - one adage we are told time and again, and one I live by is "nothing new on race day" that means, don't wear brand new shoes, don't eat food you haven't eaten while training, don't decide to not wear socks while riding...and don't try to use different gadgets on your watch that you've not used previously on race day..
I violated this rule and fidgeted with my watch...for probably 30 - 40 seconds. Waste of time - but I came to my senses eventually and hit the road.
Clean mount (you have to get on the bike at or just past the "mount" line) and away we go. Knowing the bike course is always very helpful - so one can make sure they are in the right gears and pushing it appropriately for hills, flats, downhills, sharp turns etc. It helped knowing the course Sunday - I had a great ride and was really enjoying it - then as I shifted around mile 12...dropped my chain (I KNOW Cat - can you believe it?). The chain popped off the small ring, and while I can usually pick it back up in mid pedal stroke...it was too far off. So - I dismount and put it back on...grumble, grumble, grumble...and get going again. 5 more miles
Make the final turn into Latta and head for the transition and a 5K run.
As I near the dismount line, I recall the race 2 years ago...I had fun then - and am having just as much fun this year. Knowing that I will have completed 10 races out of the 40. Knowing I am making a difference - and hearing the coaches, friends, Sheila cheering...gave me goosebumps.
Dismount, I do not fall over, or trip over myself, or crash into anyone...which is good. Jog into transition, presto change-o into my running shoes, put on my running number (it's the same as the rest of the numbers, just more visible for ID when you cross the finish line, and if you don't have it - it is a two minute penalty...and one more thing to worry about in transition) ditch the bike helmet and gloves and I'm off.
I head towards the woods along the trail...I see Coach Steve AKA Scuba Steve, Kevin and Cheryl as I leave transition, then Sandra, Sheila, Stacey as I make the turn into the woods. Nice trail run - although a bit harder course than a couple years ago. There is this one kid, a young boy of probably 9 or 10...maybe older but its hard to tell because he is running so fast and getting FURTHER and FURTHER away from me...holy cow. How does he run that fast? His legs are half the length of mine. He looks like Speedy Gonzales...eepah, eepah, andale, andale...
Anywho - back to the run - we make our way out and back, and I come back to where I saw Sheila and company...climb the last little hill and turn towards the finish.
Make the last turn and pick it up a bit. I know my run was slower than I would have liked, but in reality - the competition is to raise awareness of blood cancers, the ongoing research and much needed support, not my overall time in an event, or segment of an event....but I am competitive by nature. So - note to self.
At the end of the day - all 35 TnT'ers finished all with smiles on their faces. We accomplished something pretty great that day - and will continue to work towards even greater things. Setup Events as always - did an awesome job with this race. The TnT coaches did an amazing job training us all for the event. The TnT Team - did and continues to do amazing things, raising awareness, funds and support for the battle the LLS takes on each day.
Thank you all for your support thus far. Keep the comments coming. I look forward to hearing from you.
1:40:35
10 down 30 to go, with over $7,000 raised and recorded thus far
This too was a weekend full of events, so get comfy...
Saturday June 13 Inspiration dinner
While I was busy training for Tahoe, my 34 other teammates and I raised nearly $80,000 for the LLS for this event.
Our honored speaker was Matt Torkildsen. Matt recounted his story about his battle with Leukemia, being diagnosed at 18, a few months before he was to graduate high school and go to college on a basketball scholarship. His life, as so many others, changed drastically that day. Went to the Hutchinson center in WA. Like TnT, Leukemia can create families out of strangers due to the bond that exists and grows stronger with each passing day. When Matt checked into Hutchinson, there were 8 other families there. While there he received a bone marrow transplant, from his brother, and after 100 days "post-transplant", he was able to leave. His family and one other left. The rest had lost their battle with Leukemia. Matt's story is a positive one. One that got better, as when he left, he returned home and married his high school sweetheart.
After the inspiration dinner, Sheila and I went to the Man and Woman of the year fundraising grand finale for the LLS. This is a fundraising competition amongst candidates designated by the LLS and / or nominated by friends and families. While I do not have all the specifics, this year, while a difficult one, had 8 stellar candidates who raised substantial funds to help the fight against blood cancers. I will post more details on this, once I get them.
Sunday June 14 RACE DAY
The race officially stars at 6:30 AM. Sheila and I - as well as Maggie and Dobhen, were up at 4 AM, to get things together and get to the race course. I finished by multiple bag checks the night before. Now, the race course is only 12 miles from our house, but, Sheila offered to volunteer for the event, and I still had to pick up my timing chip (they don't give you those until race day in case you lose it...like THAT would ever happen), get set up in transition, get body marked and chill out a bit.
We arrive in darkness. Not a little darkness, but it is just plain dark. The stars are out, and yet there are a lot of people milling around. I run into John McLean, fellow TnT'er who is also doing Latta today, and is training for a Full IronMan in the fall. John and I did Latta together 2 years ago as well. We set up our stuff in transition, actually John's is already set up, four spaces down from me, apparently he got there REALLY early, and go pick up our chips and go get body marked. Sheila has been assigned body marking as one of her volunteer duties, so I not only got to have her write my numbers on my arms and legs, but I also got a good luck kiss...the volunteer coordinator raised an eyebrow at that one as she was standing right next to us at the time. Sheila limited the good luck kisses to me (I think - either that or she had the most popular body marking line EVER! kidding). Also - was pleasantly surprised to see my Tahoe cycle-mate Cheryl Ryan there - she came up to watch - even though she had to be there by 6 AM..wow. Also saw Laurie Pryor, who did Latta with us 2 years ago as well. It's like a reunion tour :-)
Anywho, so it's all of 5:30 now. An hour + to go.
Break out the iPod, drink some more water, stretch a bit...pass the time. Sun comes up. The day is turning into a spectacular day to go for a swim, a bike ride and a run...with some wardrobe changes in between.
I decide it is time to go check out the lake....
As I approach the lake, there are several young kids who will be doing the race, seemingly a bit anxious about the swim "you can't see the bottom", " wait, there are fish in there"...I calmly reassure them that the sharks sleep in on Sundays..nice of me - no?
So - unlike the previous Tri - which was a pool swim - they send the swimmers off in waves. On this day, it is men, in two groups alphabetically (A-L then M-Z) , then women in two groups, alphabetically, then the mens and womens "master" categories, which are racers 40 years and older, then relay teams.
Wave one goes off at 6:30 AM, wearing white swim caps...they're the white caps and they're churning up the water, appropriate. I missed this little tid bit but heard about it from another blog, apparently there was a water snake sliding through the water - right behind the first wave of swimmers. Nice.
I am in wave two - John is right there beside me - always friendly and making jokes, nervous energy or just who he is? It's just who he is..he's not nervous.
So at 6:34 - the horn sounds and off we go.
So - my impromptu, self designed open water swim (OWS)the other day was a good idea. The water is murky, warm, and I probably would have had a harder time settling in if I hadn't done it - and yet...I still have this dysfunction about OWS...I swear my legs are dragging behind me, not kicking...I didn't try and breathe with my face in the water this time, but still...sheesh.
So we head outwards, out towards the turn buoy (regular marker buoys are usually orange cylinders, turn buoys are usually a different shape, such as a triangle/cone, or a different color) and I notice - guys from the first wave are headed right towards me.
See when you swim in open water, there are no lane markers to tell you your going straight-ish...so you're supposed to "sight" every couple of strokes to make sure you're headed in the right direction. Sighting is when you pop your head up and look forward to find the next buoy and adjust accordingly.
It appeared that the first few guys in the first wave were sighting off the wrong buoy and headed back the way we came, or were going - depending on where you were in the swim. And - one wrong turn, and a little follow the leader, and you have a half dozen guys off course.
I try to wave them in the right direction but they blow past me...someone will get them turned around as there are course marshalls on the swim - in kayaks and motor boats in the event of a missed turn, or swimmer in trouble...
I make it to the turn and head back in towards shore - five words I love to say to myself as I am swimming...head back in towards shore... pass one buoy, then the next, then the last one. I almost get run over by some guy going hell bent for leather directly across my "bow" headed out towards the open lake - parallel towards shore - try to tell him "You're going the wrong way"...but a face full of foot and some lake water and it's lost...All I can think of at this point is of course, Planes, Trains and Automobiles...maybe his response was "How does he know where I'm going, yeah, right - ahh he's drunk"...but in fact I did know where he wanted to go...
Make it out of the swim - to the cheers of our coaches, friends, other spectators and head up the hill to transition quick smile for the camera and I get to the bike.
Now - one adage we are told time and again, and one I live by is "nothing new on race day" that means, don't wear brand new shoes, don't eat food you haven't eaten while training, don't decide to not wear socks while riding...and don't try to use different gadgets on your watch that you've not used previously on race day..
I violated this rule and fidgeted with my watch...for probably 30 - 40 seconds. Waste of time - but I came to my senses eventually and hit the road.
Clean mount (you have to get on the bike at or just past the "mount" line) and away we go. Knowing the bike course is always very helpful - so one can make sure they are in the right gears and pushing it appropriately for hills, flats, downhills, sharp turns etc. It helped knowing the course Sunday - I had a great ride and was really enjoying it - then as I shifted around mile 12...dropped my chain (I KNOW Cat - can you believe it?). The chain popped off the small ring, and while I can usually pick it back up in mid pedal stroke...it was too far off. So - I dismount and put it back on...grumble, grumble, grumble...and get going again. 5 more miles
Make the final turn into Latta and head for the transition and a 5K run.
As I near the dismount line, I recall the race 2 years ago...I had fun then - and am having just as much fun this year. Knowing that I will have completed 10 races out of the 40. Knowing I am making a difference - and hearing the coaches, friends, Sheila cheering...gave me goosebumps.
Dismount, I do not fall over, or trip over myself, or crash into anyone...which is good. Jog into transition, presto change-o into my running shoes, put on my running number (it's the same as the rest of the numbers, just more visible for ID when you cross the finish line, and if you don't have it - it is a two minute penalty...and one more thing to worry about in transition) ditch the bike helmet and gloves and I'm off.
I head towards the woods along the trail...I see Coach Steve AKA Scuba Steve, Kevin and Cheryl as I leave transition, then Sandra, Sheila, Stacey as I make the turn into the woods. Nice trail run - although a bit harder course than a couple years ago. There is this one kid, a young boy of probably 9 or 10...maybe older but its hard to tell because he is running so fast and getting FURTHER and FURTHER away from me...holy cow. How does he run that fast? His legs are half the length of mine. He looks like Speedy Gonzales...eepah, eepah, andale, andale...
Anywho - back to the run - we make our way out and back, and I come back to where I saw Sheila and company...climb the last little hill and turn towards the finish.
Make the last turn and pick it up a bit. I know my run was slower than I would have liked, but in reality - the competition is to raise awareness of blood cancers, the ongoing research and much needed support, not my overall time in an event, or segment of an event....but I am competitive by nature. So - note to self.
At the end of the day - all 35 TnT'ers finished all with smiles on their faces. We accomplished something pretty great that day - and will continue to work towards even greater things. Setup Events as always - did an awesome job with this race. The TnT coaches did an amazing job training us all for the event. The TnT Team - did and continues to do amazing things, raising awareness, funds and support for the battle the LLS takes on each day.
Thank you all for your support thus far. Keep the comments coming. I look forward to hearing from you.
1:40:35
10 down 30 to go, with over $7,000 raised and recorded thus far
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Race #10 - coming up - Tri Latta Sunday June 14
Here comes another Triathlon! This one holds special memories for me as it was my first ever Tri, and it was also with TnT two years ago. Half mile swim, 17 mile bike and 5K (3.1 miles) run. I will no doubt quadruple check my bag - although I have already started packing it - before hand.
For this event two years ago, our honored patient hero was Liza Bourg, whose father continues to race for TnT - in fact - he just did Fletcher Flyer (another century ride, here in NC) last weekend - and did the Statesville Sprint Tri (Race 7) with me in May. He's an awesome guy and his wife and daughter are amazing as well. Liza got to be an extra in an American Girl movie (the Kit Kittridge movie) as part of the Make A Wish Foundation. She - like so many of the honored patient heroes is such an incredible girl. Full of life, spirit and energy. I'll be thinking of her and all our honored patients during the race. Our honored patient hero for this event is Doug Wagner, who was also our hero for Tahoe. Doug is a great guy - 5 years cancer free, who competes in these events with us. I believe he is thinking about doing the Disney Marathon with us in January - which will be about event 25 or 30...we shall see.
Admittedly - the swim makes me nervous. I KNOW I can cover the distance - not quickly - but I know I can. I have this really weird habit in open water of apparently thinking I have gills and can breathe with my face / head in the water. Doesn't work well. The only thing I have connected it to is the swim cap. We have to wear swim caps to ID which wave we're in, they're different colors. Of course - most swims in pools, I don't wear one - no hair to clog the drain...and I swear because of that, I don't feel the water on my head, get nervous and wind up swallowing some lake water...yummy.
To remedy this, I did my own open water swim last night in the lake behind our community - which is not only the lake we'll be swimming in - but also the drinking water for Charlotte. So in order to prepare for the breathing underwater I wore my swim cap as well as during my past two pool swims...both went - ha ha - swimmmingly.
Race starts at 6:30 AM on Sunday. When (note not IF) all goes well, I should be done a little after 8 AM.
More later - thank you everyone for your support! GO TEAM!
For this event two years ago, our honored patient hero was Liza Bourg, whose father continues to race for TnT - in fact - he just did Fletcher Flyer (another century ride, here in NC) last weekend - and did the Statesville Sprint Tri (Race 7) with me in May. He's an awesome guy and his wife and daughter are amazing as well. Liza got to be an extra in an American Girl movie (the Kit Kittridge movie) as part of the Make A Wish Foundation. She - like so many of the honored patient heroes is such an incredible girl. Full of life, spirit and energy. I'll be thinking of her and all our honored patients during the race. Our honored patient hero for this event is Doug Wagner, who was also our hero for Tahoe. Doug is a great guy - 5 years cancer free, who competes in these events with us. I believe he is thinking about doing the Disney Marathon with us in January - which will be about event 25 or 30...we shall see.
Admittedly - the swim makes me nervous. I KNOW I can cover the distance - not quickly - but I know I can. I have this really weird habit in open water of apparently thinking I have gills and can breathe with my face / head in the water. Doesn't work well. The only thing I have connected it to is the swim cap. We have to wear swim caps to ID which wave we're in, they're different colors. Of course - most swims in pools, I don't wear one - no hair to clog the drain...and I swear because of that, I don't feel the water on my head, get nervous and wind up swallowing some lake water...yummy.
To remedy this, I did my own open water swim last night in the lake behind our community - which is not only the lake we'll be swimming in - but also the drinking water for Charlotte. So in order to prepare for the breathing underwater I wore my swim cap as well as during my past two pool swims...both went - ha ha - swimmmingly.
Race starts at 6:30 AM on Sunday. When (note not IF) all goes well, I should be done a little after 8 AM.
More later - thank you everyone for your support! GO TEAM!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Race/event # 9, Tahoe Century Ride Sunday June 7 - inspiring doesn't begin to cover it
The weekend was
Terrific
Awe inspiring
Happy
Outstanding
Emotional...
Additionally, it was moving, spectacular, awesome (like totally dude - bringing back the eighties - just without my mullet). I have struggled to put everything that transpired into a brief summation, but can't seem to whittle it down - so I am going with my usual rambling free form.
The recap:
I saw some of the most incredible scenery which paled in comparison to the nearly 1,700 TnT riders who set out on this journey from 6AM - 7 AM on Sunday. Some riders were still coming in 12+ hours later. They were all truly inspiring, amazing and wonderful. TnT raised over $6.8 million through THIS EVENT ALONE! I made some new friends and acquaintences during the weekends events and through the help, support, belief, generosity and hospitality of a friend and colleague from Bank of America we raised nearly $2,000!!! All in all the ride took 6:10:02. Avg speed 16 mph. I burned 6288 calories. I'd do it again right now if I could. During the time I was out there, riding, resting and refueling (a total of approximately 7 hours) nearly 100 people were diagnosed with a blood cancer.
Here are the details.
Friday June 5 - TAHOE MINUS 2: This was travel west day. Go WEST young-ish man, with Sheila along side me, we headed out. It is so reassuring having Sheila with me when I travel (or any time) as she negotiates travel like a skilled surgeon performs a delicate operation. 8 AM flight, out of Charlotte, connect, with a brief jog through San Diego airport as we had a 20 minute window to catch our next flight. Make the flight and get to San Fran. Go from the airport to my friend Iris's house. Where she has graciously, generously, amazingly organized a fundraising party for me, inviting numerous friends. It is such an honor to have that level of support. Under normal circumstances, it was amazing, given her hectic work related travel schedule - well above and beyond. I get to meet several of Iris and Patrick's good friends. Some were former TnT members, some running partners with Iris and Patrick - who ran the Honolulu marathon several years in a row with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation...all great folks. All wishing me well on Sunday and for the next year. I was asked to say a few words, which was a bit terrifying. Sure get up in front of 50 folks you don't know and tell them about the 40 in 40. For those that don't know it - I am not a fan of "the spotlight". However, I did get up and speak. I will admit, as I spoke, and discussed the reasons behind the 40 in 40, the support of my loving and patient wife, I got a little choked up. Sometimes doing things, you lose a little sight or perspective about the reasons. However, talking about it, recalling honor patients I've had the priviledge to meet, friends and family members who have been touched by Leukemia, it brings it back home and drives me. A classmate from Emory (MBA) was able to attend, even with a bit of a late/last minute invite. Thanks Mike for making the trip out. The party was a success as we raised nearly $2,000 !!!! A gracious and humble thank you goes out to all those that attended and were so incredibly supportive and fun. You all have made my life and this experience that much richer.
Aristotle said "One recognizes the quality of one’s own character and one’s own life by seeing it reflected, as in a mirror, in one’s friends". Iris and Patrick have clearly some of the most wonderful, generous, funny, supportive friends! Appropriately so!
Saturday June 6, TAHOE MINUS ONE: Travel to Tahoe. Sheila and I hop in the car and get on the road around 7:30 AM. As we make our way northward, the clouds begin to build. All reports have been of cold drizzly rain in and around Tahoe....what happened to 30 percent chance of rain? This seems like 100 percent....hmmm. As we cross Donner Pass, I think, hmmm will I have to eat someone on my bike ride...let's hope not.
1:30 PM. Get to the hotel and check in. Get settled a bit and go get my bike from Sandra. Thanks Sandra for picking it up for me. Get it to the room and put the pedals back on, and attack fixing the brakes. Yeah, this is easy and oh so tidy a job. 5 minutes in and I am covered in a mix of worn brake pad, road grit and grease. (See the "I am not a bike mechanic" post below). But I prevail and get the pads on and installed. Now to test them and the rest of my handiwork out.
The rest of the team rode in the AM led by coach Mark, and they got about 20 miles in. Me, hoping for a little less rain and a few more degrees (I.e. Warmer), got more rain and about the same mid-60's. Lovely. The adage "That which does not kill you makes you stronger" is flitting about my brain... So I call Mark and he's up for ANOTHER ride. Okey doke...whacko. :-) - but I am eternally grateful for the ride along and support. He already did this and thawed out once...
Note to self - and others: When you are soaking wet after 3 miles of riding....it is officially raining. Despite the rain, we had a good, fast ride, about 18 miles though because I wimped out and didn't feel like climbing up Ski Run Rd...soaking wet, chilled to the bone, and moderately grumpy...
Took me 30 - 45 minutes to be able to actually feel my toes again. And then to try and get my stuff dry in approximately 12 hours....hmmm
Inspiration dinner:
The kick off dinner for the ride was absolutely PACKED! And - they broke us into 3 groups. Everyone was in good spirits, looking forward to and hoping for nice weather tomorrow. Our Honored speaker is a young gentleman Matt from the Central Texas team. This young man battled Leukemia numerous times over his life and was riding on Sunday. He was honest, humble, funny (hilarious actually), and truly brought the event and our emotions to the forefront. He inspired us all. To perservere, to do more, to live life. This is where we found out about the fact that there were nearly 1700 of us TnT'ers riding and we raised $6.8 MILLION. A great endeavor, a wonderful event - but it also helped me realize, there is so much more to do for LLS.
After the dinner, we head back to sack out, do one or two, or more bike and gear checks and try to sleep. Even though we're on the west coast, 5:00 AM will come quickly. We get some words of advice, and caution from our coaches - all of it heeded - of course it was...
Sunday June 7, TAHOE RIDE DAY BABY: No rain - clouds, someone said it was in the upper 30's but it felt much warmer, at least mid 40's. We head out a bit ahead of our allotted time, but it is a great way to start. The Western North Carolina Team is in the front of our time wave, and we ride together for the first few miles. We start getting stretched out a bit, some going faster, others getting their "bike legs". We pass the Renassaince Festival grounds, where we were warned not to yell anything obnoxious - but unfortunately, I could not resist with a little Monty Python as we rode through..." We are no longer the Knights who say NI, we are now the Knights who say Icky Icky Icky Za Ping, Za Poing..." Cheryl thought it was humorous..so did I. We pass the checkpoint where they screen for bandits, or illegal riders, and begin our climb up to Emerald Bay. As we near thr top, there they are switchbacks galore, OK 2, as we climbed to the top of big hill #1 Emerald bay. As we get to the top and look to our right, the sun is peeking out, the clouds are beginning to burn off and it is absolutely stunning. Then on the back side of that hill - I hit 43 mph. Woo freakin hoo! Thank god I got my new rear brakes installed. And properly.
Side note of sorts - One of the norms for rides like these, each team has a doo-dad attached to their helmet to help their support teams ID them out of the sea of purple and green. Here is a brief recap of some of the more memorable and funny:
Western North Carolina (us) green star with WNC.
Nation's Capital "spire" from the Capitol building for the DC team
Peach for Georgia
Can of SPAM for Minnesota (?)
Plastic wine glass for the Napa, CA team
Plastic crab for Maryland
Styrofoam bowl with chowder written on it for MA, ME, NH
Coors light can for the CO Rockies (not the baseball) team
Black pipe cleaner twisted into a spring-like shape with plastic cows, farmers, barns, cars, trucks, etc attached to it for Oklahoma
A fuzzy monkey with its butt poised over a beer can for Kansas (cans ass)
Rubber cow for california (happy cows)
Penguins for Pittsburgh
Red flag with Red Wings emblem on it for Michigan - they and Pittsburgh remained civil :-)
Texas flag for all Texas teams, whose team member as mentioned above was our honored and truly inspirational speaker, recovering from several bouts with Leukemia. As mentioned - he rode Sunday and kicked some serious butt...saw him at mile 70. He shook my hand, I almost cried.
A great big shout out to my fellow WNC TnT'ers who rode in Tahoe with me, Cat Reid, Cheryl Ryan and Toby Gordon from Greensboro. Also riding this weekend was the "Fletcher Flyer" team riding in Asheville. They kicked some butt as well.
So - out to Truckee - that name cracks me up for some reason...Truckee, is there a Caree and Vanee and Motorcycle-ee? I could have used a motorcycle. Truckee was about the halfway point. One item that was a must have at this stop was the boiled new potatoes...sprinkle a little salt and mm mm mm nom, nom, nom...good eatin clark. I hop back on the bike after catching up with Toby, Mike, Jay (Cat's husband) and Sheila - get a see you in 30 miles, good luck kiss or two from her - and awaaaaay we go. Took it realitvely easy over the bike path back to Tahoe City - it's narrow, and bumpy - and an opportunity to spin a bit versus hammering in the big ring.
King's Beach - lunch break and last break before the climb up to Spooner Lake - our highest elevation and longest climb yet - even higher - much higer than training - but it's hard to replicate elevation like that unless you have it in your backyard. This is where I saw Matt. Between seeing Matt and the awesome support and love from Sheila - I took on Spooner like I owned it...well kind of.
Off I went, in search of Spooner. Made it to the bottom of Spooner faster than I thought, even with the "single file or the cops will give you a $50 ticket if they catch you" warning through Incline Village. So - up and up, and up we go. My bike, an Orbea, has what is called a compact crank, slightly fewer teeth on the sprockets on the front rings, which I have convinced myself, is one of the reasons I do hills well. It seems to be much more efficient - for me anyways - and really helped me kick some Spooner ass.
As I crest the next to last hill, I jokingly ask some spectators, "does this thing have a top?" One woman responds..."you're almost there".
Now - note to spectators - do NOT say that unless it is true...as one guy passed me he said - "no we're not, we've got 4 more miles to go"...I almost turned around to find the woman who said that - but I did not.
Spooner was about 7 miles of climbing, culminating at the highest elevation of 7,076 feet (according to my garmin - thank you garmin). If I was halfway or less - god help her. Not really...However, I did notice, hmm, it is getting a bit warm - well of course it is - it's 1 PM +/-, so I begin with the interesting process of unzipping my jacket and jersey, loosening gloves, and drinking a lot of water as I am trying to climb. I pass several folks along the way up - which is reassuring for me...go compact crank go...
As I see the "Spooner Lake" sign on the right, I realize, I am in fact there, not almost, I am there! Holy cow. There is a rest stop at the top, with ironically enough, the first BIG "First Aid" sign posted out front that I've seen all day. Most other stops have the First Aid in the stop - this was a welcome sight - and thankfully, besides some advil for a weirded out left leg, not much of a need for me. Now some downhills, and some moderate climbs - to the finish...15 miles to go!
We get on US 50 headed back to the finish. US 50 is a great road, well maintained - but the engineers who designed the stormwater grates on the road need some assistance in their planning. Some of the grates run perpendicular to the traffic, others, only a few thankfully run parallel - and are slightly wider than the average road bike tire - which if hit going 30+ miles downhill would bring one to an immediate and dangerous stop. With the help of fellow riders - we point out road hazards, such as roadkill, bumps, holes, storm grates etc with hand signals and verbal commands, and most of us make it unscathed. Apparently two folks had run ins with the grates - no one was seriously injured from what I know - but still - it makes you think...and slow down a bit.
All this time, as you pass a cyclist - it is common road etiquette to say "on your left" - or if being passed - thanking them for letting you know. With thousands of riders - this took place all day long... I was a bit hoarse at this point - but still managed to let out a Woo Hoo as we passed through a tunnel as we shot down US 50...it was not the loudest woo hoo I've ever let out - but still - fun - and it echoed.
As we caught our first glimpse of the resort and ultimate finish line, I realized that while I was a bit tired, I was energized. The amazing riders, the support, the volunteers, the coaches, family and friends that were out there on this day - all working towards a common goal...to wipe out blood cancers. We made a dent..but there is so much more to be done. So over the course of my ride, my Team in Training ride, nearly 100 people, man, woman or child were diagnosed with a blood cancer. The money raised goes a long ways, but truly we need more help.
As I turned towards the finish area, I unzipped my jacket again, and began riding hands off the hooks, or handlebars, getting spectators to make some NOISE!!! GO TEAM! I rode across the finish line with Toby. It was truly spectacular. Hundreds of folks waiting there, cheering us in. It didn't matter if it took you 5 hours, or 50...
With all of our teammates in, and seeing the multitudes of riders, family, friends, coaches and support staff, we relished the accomplishment. 100 miles! Of course we couldn't have done it without our coaches, Mike and Mark, who coaxed us along and lied to us periodically to get us up and over hills and out on the courses. We never could have done this without you.
Also, but no less importantly, a big thank you to Sandra Clancy who was our TnT point person all weekend. She helped us gather our bikes, our contact info, kept us on time and on track.
A heartfelt and loving thank you to all the teammates, those who rode with us, those who rode at Fletcher, my wife Sheila for supporting me in this endeavor, and to all of you for your generous support, kind words and belief.
I hope you enjoyed this recap. as I recall other items to note, I will be sure to post them here - I thank you for your support, friendship, teamwork and belief in what we are doing. While the 40 in 40 is primarily about me raising awareness of the LLS Mission and Team in Training, raising $40,000 and doing a few races - it is a team, a family that makes it truly realizable and amazing.
Thank you all.
Sean
9 down, 31 to go
Monday, June 8, 2009
What a ride!
That refers not only to the Tahoe Ride on Sunday, but the entire weekend. Great friends, new acquaintences, awesome teammates, coaches and support! Will post actual details about the entire weekend but wanted to share this one little tidbit
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Tahoe - Here We Come!
Here it is, Tahoe minus 3 days...and I am admittedly a bit nervous. Excited as well as everyone I have spoken to that has done the ride said it is spectacular, and this will be my first ever Century Ride. I know I have stuck to my training regimen, well, most of it, and have done the necessary rides. It is the unknown, the "other 20-25 miles" seeing as I've ridden about 75 in one "sitting" will I have the right fuel, will I be smart enough not to try and go out too hard, with all the excitement, will I get my brakes installed properly? Who will show up on "ride day"? There is the one variable that really sits out there for every event, regardless of distance or discipline. Each day when one gets to the starting line, there is always the unknown about who will show up - despite all the training, fueling, preparations. I'm betting on the Sean who is ready yet nervous about the event. Let's hope he shows up. If the other one shows, the completely unprepared, yet inappropriately calm Sean...it will be a long and painful day. I'll be grumpy afterwards. :-)
I know I will be with a great group of folks - thousands of TnT folks riding 100 miles around Lake Tahoe, beginning from 6 AM they send us out in waves by team - the Western NC team gets to kick things off at 6:40 - whew, an extra 40 minutes! They're sending over 60 TnT teams out over the course of those 40 minutes. It will be quite the sea of purple and green and quite a sight to see! The unfortunate aspect of that is that there are so many of us riding, to benefit and honor all those who are battling blood cancers, or who have battled and lost.
From Western NC, I'll have the privilege of riding with Cheryl Ryan (our mentor), Cat Reid, Mark Born (coach) and Toby (from the Asheville area - I believe) and supported by Mike Feretti, our coach who took a nasty fall after getting sideswiped during the ride portion of a Half IronMan and destroyed his collarbone, Sandra Clancy, coordinator and planner extraordinaire, and of course - my wonderful wife who is joining me out there...the best support team member I could ask for.
Will provide an update as soon as I can. Go TEAM!
I know I will be with a great group of folks - thousands of TnT folks riding 100 miles around Lake Tahoe, beginning from 6 AM they send us out in waves by team - the Western NC team gets to kick things off at 6:40 - whew, an extra 40 minutes! They're sending over 60 TnT teams out over the course of those 40 minutes. It will be quite the sea of purple and green and quite a sight to see! The unfortunate aspect of that is that there are so many of us riding, to benefit and honor all those who are battling blood cancers, or who have battled and lost.
From Western NC, I'll have the privilege of riding with Cheryl Ryan (our mentor), Cat Reid, Mark Born (coach) and Toby (from the Asheville area - I believe) and supported by Mike Feretti, our coach who took a nasty fall after getting sideswiped during the ride portion of a Half IronMan and destroyed his collarbone, Sandra Clancy, coordinator and planner extraordinaire, and of course - my wonderful wife who is joining me out there...the best support team member I could ask for.
Will provide an update as soon as I can. Go TEAM!
Monday, June 1, 2009
I am not a bike mechanic, nor do I play one on TV, nor should I
OK - so with the drive to VT and back and the hilly (to say the least) rides two weeks in a row, my bike needed some TLC. I couldn't get it in to the bike shop in time to get it tuned up to prep it for shipping it out to Tahoe for the ride this coming weekend....so I figured, I have several books, some tools, determination.
So cleaning the chain and the derailleurs (the things that shift the chain on the cassette (in the back) and the rings (in the front)) was easy - I do that every time I ride. Adjusting the tension so it would stop dropping my chain - you know when the chain pops off the rings as you shift from the big gear to the small gear and vice versa took a bit more attention to detail. You turn that screw an 1/16th of an inch too much or too little...good lord. I was covered in grease by the time I got it in a better place.
Now the brakes. My rear brakes are shot. They are approximately 1/4 the thickness they would be if new. Apparently I am a little tentative going downhills at an ever accelerating speed -on rain covered, somewhat unfamiliar roads and my rear brakes show that. Took me three trips to bike shops to get the brake pads I needed. Unfortunately, the bike is somewhere between here and Lake Tahoe in CA - so I get to do some last minute bike repairs Saturday - the day before the ride...not like I'll need brakes on the ride in Tahoe. Yeah right.
Will provide updates - on my brakes and the ride - when we return.
So cleaning the chain and the derailleurs (the things that shift the chain on the cassette (in the back) and the rings (in the front)) was easy - I do that every time I ride. Adjusting the tension so it would stop dropping my chain - you know when the chain pops off the rings as you shift from the big gear to the small gear and vice versa took a bit more attention to detail. You turn that screw an 1/16th of an inch too much or too little...good lord. I was covered in grease by the time I got it in a better place.
Now the brakes. My rear brakes are shot. They are approximately 1/4 the thickness they would be if new. Apparently I am a little tentative going downhills at an ever accelerating speed -on rain covered, somewhat unfamiliar roads and my rear brakes show that. Took me three trips to bike shops to get the brake pads I needed. Unfortunately, the bike is somewhere between here and Lake Tahoe in CA - so I get to do some last minute bike repairs Saturday - the day before the ride...not like I'll need brakes on the ride in Tahoe. Yeah right.
Will provide updates - on my brakes and the ride - when we return.
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