DOTR

Followers. I went to day on the ride.  YAY!!!!  I didn't think I would make it.  Initially, a few of us from Team San Diego were going to go and I was excited.  But then, closer to the event, only  three of us were going.  And the other two had rides up to LA already! So what was I going to do??  The ride starts at 7.  Get up at 330 to be there in time?  Spend yet more money on a hotel for a ride?  I debated and debated.  And then I said, well I will ask my friend if I can stay with her mom in Malibu.  The mom said yes!  I am going to day on the ride.  I worked a short day on Friday and left San Diego at 415 for the rainy solo drive up to LA.  Traffic sucked but it was a good ride up there.  I listened to some music that made me cry, thanks ReConsolation. Drove along the coast to my destination.  Such a beautiful peaceful drive.  And at the house, a friendly dog greeting me, home cooked food, and wonderful conversations! Thanks friends mom!

 View from the house I stayed at 

 Next morning I woke up bright and early at 5 to go to DOTR! Just like the ride from what I hear, it was cold and windy.  But I turned on some uplifting tunes and made my way back down the coast to Santa Monica for Day on the Ride!  I got there and met up with Doug and Romi.  After some early pictures and some stretching providing by Doreen (the woman who has rode every mile of every ride) we are off. 

Day on the Ride 2012 by vazguy at Garmin Connect - Player

Morning safety speech and stretching

Doug, I and Romi

So the first couple of miles were constant start and stop of riders.  I heard a lot of comments like this is just like the ride.  It kinda sucked.  I was bored.  The energy was great, but to wait through two stoplights in a row at the same intersection all because the other riders are so many that you have to wait was no fun.  But after some time and some spreading out, it got better.  The first few miles were cold and uneventful.  It was fun with the energy of the group and the celebration atmosphere, but mostly it was cold!  We arrive at rest stop 1.  At rest stop one, though I didn't take a pic, was the chicken lady.  A woman who dresses up each day in costumes and is a staple of the ride.  We were fed snacks and water, pee stop and then, oh wait, here comes the hills!

My lord, this hill sucked.  We went through Rancho PalosVerdes and that was a hill.  I honestly didn't think I would make it.  It was tough.  1200 feet in 7 miles. The climb was intense and I was alone.  There were other riders, but Romi and Doug took off.  I did follow a motivational guy though.  In shorts, all tattooed out, super friendly and taking the hill like no challenge.  He motivated me indirectly to stop whining and do the ride.  However, I did do legs with Manny earlier in the week, of which I regretted riding up the hill, but it was hard.  The views were awesome though!  And the houses were gorgeous.  This place is basically a big ass hill on the coast of California.  So up and UP and UP we went!  This was the first time my legs cramped on me while riding, totally sucked.  But what goes up must come down!  So at the top of the hill was rest stop 2.  It was nice, a quick rest stop to pee, drink, snack (I love food!) and regroup with my ALCSD friends.  And we are off downhill.  Again, remarkable views of the coast.  But the headwinds were so strong and SUCKED!!!!  The fact that you had to peddle to go downhill defeats physics, but that was how strong the headwind was.  But we survived and got back down to the coast.  And now followers, for the peaceful moment.  We rode right along the coast headed for our lunch destination.  It was calm and peaceful, saw the Trump International Golf Course. Rode with friends, new ALC peeps, and just had a moment of quiet.  What was cool, was that along this portion of the route, people stopped me.  "Hey what are you doing?"  These were other riders or cars.  And we told them our story.  And every single person said that was awesome and congratulations!  It was cool to be in the midst of strangers and told to keep up the good work and your doing an amazing thing.  Such an awesome feeling!

Lunch stop.  So hungry.  It was a beautiful park near the coast.  It was still pretty damn cold but it wasn't terrible.  Met some new people and had a fun time just sitting.  But the muscles were cramping up!  Jersey Mikes sub downed, pee, few pics and we're off again.

Lunch stop (notice all the bikes just on the ground!)

"Hey Romi, only 10 miles till the next rest stop"  Hmmm, why would that be??  Oh, so we can get back up that big ass hill again!  Good grief, this was not fun.  My legs (specifically my left hamstring and calf) were not having fun with this at all.  Romi and Doug are off.  But no, not this time.  I am going to keep up with Romi.  If she can blast up a hill, then she will be my motivation to keep up with her.  And I did!  This hill followers, never ended.  800 feet in 5 miles. To be quite honest, I was ready to give up and be swept by SAG.  I was just so beat and in pain.  But I didn't and I was damn proud when I reached that crest of the hill!  Romi was just cycling, but she really did keep me motivated to not slow down so thanks to her for that!  At least this hill was some beautiful "country side" of LA.  There were horses and all.  And when we got to rest stop three, they had a country theme!  Lots of fun.  And I learned a lesson to use an antibacterial wipe to clean your hands then purell!  Who knew.  Oh yeah, and remove your gloves before eating :)

So now downhill.  This was a great curvy downhill that was fun.  I took it slow, thanks to some sound advice from friends who have been telling me I may be taking the cyling part a little too careless by trying to take pictures while riding.  So I went at a fast, but safe pace, and am glad I did.  Did you know you can't hear a Prius come up behind you.  Yeah, green living is great, but scares the crap out of you when they pull up next to you and you never heard them coming.  We get to the beach again.  And now we take a 10ish mile long beach path.  OK, followers, here I did take pics while riding.  BUT, if I ate shit, it would be me and the sand.  And I only took them when there was no risk to other cyclists or pedestrians.  Check them out!

Doug ahead of me on Manhattan Beach, I think....

Near the LAX. We are right on the ocean.

Remember those headwinds.  Yeah, it was so windy that the sand covered the bike path.  Twice, we had to dismount and walk our bikes!  Crazy windy, but the left side of my body got a nice exfoliation from all the blowing sand!

Me, on the beach (not while riding!)

Well followers, where is the Zen?  I usually get a Zen moment.  It came just after the self pic of me.  Here is what happened.  Doug and the group we were with took off.  They were blazing down the bike path.  I was in incredible pain in my left leg.  And by incredible, it wasn't that I couldn't ride, it was just a never ending cramp.  I was done.  I was ten ish miles from the end of this 77 mile ride.  The hills were brutal. The wind was relentless.  I just wanted to stop.  I now could not see any ALC rider ahead or behind me.  I am OK with solo riding, but I was alone, tired and frustrated (including occasional yells out loud when the wind would strike or my leg would seize).  So I just let it go.  This was my moment, I was on the beach, riding a bike, in pain.  THIS, this was my moment.  I could not do anything to change it.  Welcome dad into my thoughts.  I thought of how he must have been when he was alone in the woods waiting to be rescued with a broken leg.  He told me that he accepted the pain and recognized this was his moment and he had to live in that moment.  So I did just that.  And you know what, I hit Zen.  I was at peace.  The pain was there, but knowing that in your moment, nothing can change so to accept it, is such a huge weight off your shoulder.  It became easier to peddle just accepting my reality.  So Dad, thanks for getting me through that moment on the beach.  You are an inspiration (for what happened the rest of your story) and if you can survive your moment, this will be easy peasy.  You are my hero. :) 

I got to a last pit stop and cried.  No, not from the pain, because I got salt in my eye!  Romi met up with me there, which I was happy for.  I was glad I would get to cross the finish line with a friend,  So we rode on and we crossed that finish line to a few cheering ALC supporters.  It was great.  And the ride was well worth it!  Thanks DOTR and ALC for the great event!  I am stoked for the ride in 42 days!!

Two pics of me and Doug before rest stop 1 (taken by photographers on the route)



Till next time.

Keep peddling!