Day 7; Ventura to LA

Day 7; Ventura to LA

This is it. The last day.  I am excited!  I have been on the best vacation ever!!  And now off to finish the journey.  I wake up next to Jose, a great way to start my day.  So as not to wake him at 545 AM, I quietly get into cycling gear and head out to my bike.  I grab a bite to eat at breakfast, call Romi (she is still not even out of her tent :)) and read the days news.  I wanted to leave camp as soon as the route opened in order to get to LA sooner than later since I had people there waiting for me (granted, they were still asleep in the hotel I was out, but still, their trip was 1.5 hours.  Mine was going to be at least 6). When I get to the bike area, there are a hundred or so other cyclists gearing up to leave.  And a sea of eggs.  Annually, and traditionally, the Chicken Lady, whom I’ve mentioned before, puts out chicken eggs on every cyclists seat overnight.  Super cool and I was excited to get my egg and read the note from her.

Waking up, at the bikes, Chicken Lady leaves her signature eggs on every cyclists seat.  I have an orange egg. The message inside reads, "May the reason you commited to ride this week be a song of hope for all the world to sing forever. ♥ Love, Chicken Lady, ALC11"  There is also a life saver candy inside that has a note saying "You are a true lifesaver"

Rows of bikes, early in the morning, all with an egg on it :0) Thanks Chicken Lady!!

Gorgeous day for a ride.  There are only two rest stops today and lunch.  The eagerness to finish the ride is hard to resist.  I am ready to cross the finish line.  I make quick use of the pit stops, enjoying the sights and sounds and views the coastal ride provides.  You can smell the salt air hit your nose.  It is desolate in the sense that it is the coast and hills.  Along the way I meet pig lady team captain, who you saw her car on the entire route as she is there to cheer on her team, and then condom man, a quirky guy who cheers us on every day in a different outfit.  There was one neat area where the sand from the beach was swept along the hillside and caused sand dunes.  It was so awesome in that the elements to do this were fierce and relentless, but it was so quiet and peaceful. 

Creepy viagra, condom man.  A staple of ALC.  Had to get a pic with him.

A pic for my sister.  There was a pig team.  Told her that that was the best team name and I neded a pic to send to my sister, a fellow pig lover.

More great views.  Though desolete looking, a nice ride right on the ocean.

We ride through Malibu and past Cher’s house, where a rider each year waves flags from her driveway entrance and cheers us up the big hill right before her house.  And then I get to see Ellen!  My best friend, she stopped in Malibu with her husband and mom to cheer me on from the side of the road.  Though our visit is brief so I don’t go into muscle shock from not moving, it was great to see them and have them tell me how proud they were of me.  They also had a sign to cheer me and Team San Diego on!

Lunch.  I  see a few other Team San Diego riders.  We eat lunch and discuss if we should ride out.  Well, Team San Diego wants to ride in as a Team.  What??  I was perplexed by this.  Through all our training, it was meet up, safety speech ride out, everyone disperses quickly due to riding ability, and then leave when you get to your car.  There were no big meet up events, nights out, picnics, etc.  So I never really felt like a team.  I met and got along great with a lot of them, and am now friends with some of them.  But to call us a team, it never got to that level with me.  We were acquaintances riding together whom I made friends with some along the way.  I thought it odd to call us a team on the last day of the ride. I call my friends who were going to meet me in Ventura.  They said they were at least an hour and a half away.  I was only a half hour away.  So I opted to wait for Team San Diego to ride in. 

Getting all of us together and ride out took some logistical planning, but we have some vocal people on our team, so they were able to wrangle us all together.  We finish out through Malibu.  My goodness, this was scary.  Traffic was backed up and it was a slow line of cyclists.  Cars abounded and we had to be uber cautious of our actions, as well as all the cars and other cyclists.  We go slow and we make it out of this congestion in one piece.

The wife and I!

What is up with the wet crotch look??

Nessa and I!!!!

 We meet up again as a Team outside a coffee house.  We are a mile out and ready to cross the finish line.  I have my ride wife by my side and we are ready to do this.  Luckily for me, David, my friend and his sister pass us in their SAG truck.  They pull over just ahead of us to cheer us on.  That meant the world to me :)  The actual finish line is a row of barricades with supporters cheering you on from the sidelines.  It is hard to find anyone, but so many people want to give you a high five.  So we rode, Team San Diego, through the barricades, pumping our fists and cheering and high fiving supporters.  Towards the balloon finish line, I spot Team Ricky, supporting me and cheering me in!  Yay!!!!  I felt so proud.  I felt like an athlete; a hero.  I felt the love bubble drowning me in its sea of love and happiness.  I stop right next to Suzi.  With tears in our eyes, from one of my best emotional supporter TRL’s, we hug.  The most genuine and heartfelt hug :)  Then Team Ricky comes running in and cheering for me.  Hugs abound and some of the best boyfriend kisses to date!  Tears and sweat combine as I feel my friends and boyfriends love upon me.  It was incredible.  Also, a nice slap in the ass from Jose was the best congratulations I could ask for! :)

We take celebratory pics, store the bikes and hug all around us.  I introduce and show off my friends to my new family. 

Angela and I.  She is a beast (in a good way).  Homegirl can ride like no other.  Super rad as hell too!

OK. So it was more like 495 miles, but nonetheless, here is the celebratory pic!

Finished!

Jose and I ♥

I am part of a bigger family now.  I am an ALC veteran. I am a hero, and I accept that.  That was the hardest thing to accept.  But I am a hero.  We line up for the closing ceremonies.  We raised, 12.6 Million dollars!!!!  How awesome.  They recap the ride with pictures and videos.  Lori Jean and others talk.  Team Ricky like the event and feel closer to what ALC is and closer to this cause.  Danny gets a sunburn. 

We take a celebratory dinner at El Cholo.  So good!!  I was soooo hungry (hello, I burned 3500-4500 calories a day) and had a couple drinks.  We talked about the ride and about each other.  We celebrated my accomplishment, our friendship and our mini love bubble at that table.  I celebrated a buzz, two cocktails after no drinking for a week and all that calories burned, it didn’t take much :)

We go home.  Jose and I together, in one car, just the two of us.  We pass by this place on the coast where weeks earlier I cried over Ricardo.  Jose was playing a song that day that was similar to the style of music that Ricardo used for his choreography.  It made me miss him that day.  I was so happy this day though.  I had my buddy, my mentor Ricardo looking over me at that moment.  He was proud of me, I felt it.  I placed my hand on Jose’s leg. The love was emanating from my hand to him and vice versa.  I was at peace, present, and filled to the brim with love.  That night, I got to spend the night in his arms. ♥

"Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

Franklin P. Jones (1887-1929)

I have finished peddling.

Day 6; Lompoc to Ventura

Day 6; Lompoc to Ventura

I love David's truck.  I took these two photos today, earlier on in the day.  At some point in the seven days, each and everyone of us could relate in some manner to a quote from Seuss.  So today, though not particular to day 6, I took the photos of my favorite quotes to remind me that they both hold so true to the entire ALC journey.

Great start to day 6.  I wake up at 5:30ish and am off by 6:30.  Romi is with me, ish.  We catch up with each other.  It was a beautiful day and great start to the day.  I am full of energy.  I get to see my man today!  He is just 83.3 miles away.

It is a gorgeous ride through the mountains.  Nice gentle uphills with great little downhills.  Perfect weather.  Coming out of Lompoc, there was a significant uphill to start the morning.  There was also a small little steep hill which I will now dub my quadbuster.  After 5 days in the saddle, it is the small steep hills that kill you. But at the crest, you have beautiful views to the left and down.  As much as I want to speed forward to see my friends and Jose who I know are waiting for me in Ventura, I take the time to really take in the views.

Also at the top, a girl who comments on every rider and how much they suck at riding (she even yelled at me two days ago, she didn't hear me call out on your left and told me I was a dangerous rider) as she chats it up with other riders about unsafe riding as she herself swerves right and left.  I pass her, and I loudly call out on your left.  The other rider is over her :)  I only bring it up because even in a love bubble, there are the annoying ones :)

Start of the day, long hill. Had to pull over to undress and pull layers off.  I heated up quickly.

Romi and I caught up with each other on the uphill.  We stop at the top to take pictures.

The Tardis and I at the top of the hill.

The amazing views of mountains (which I love my mountains, or rather large California hills), is quick and over with suddenly as we cruise towards the beach on nice downhills.  Most scariest moment of the ride (2nd being the rain day and almost being hit by a semi) was today.  I am coasting down highway 101 on the shoulder going roughly 40 mph.  There is a very very slow person riding her breaks taking up the center of the shoulder.  This is OK. The shoulder can accommodate 3 bikes, barely.  Mind you there are cars and semis going 65+mph on the highway to your left.  I appreciate that the center slow biker may be scared and going slow, but pull over to the right so faster people can pass you.  I come up quick on her, and there is a biker going equally slow just behind her.  I yell out on your left as I prep to pass both of them.  Out of nowhere, the guy behind the slow girl also pulls out to the left to pass her.  I make a very very quick snap judgement call.  I have three options, keep passing on the left and more than likely get struck by a car, slam on my breaks and go over the handlebars, or pass on the right which could scare the other riders and still result tin injury to one or all three of us.  I also process that I made a promise to someone that I would come home safe and in one piece.  I opted to pass on the right.  This whole thought process occurred in about 1 second.  I go to the right, shout SHIT! SHIT! ON YOUR RIGHT ON YOUR RIGHT!  and I pass.  and I survived.  That was the scariest moment where I envisioned really bad things happening to me.

Alright, confession. I am on a boring bike path and recording these notes while cycling.  I know I know.  Isn't that just as dangerous.  Yes.  However, I am listening today to my dictation as I say pause and stop recording for stop signs, call out hazards on the road, and say stopping recording so moto wont yell at me.  So I ride and take voice notes, but do so safely and only put myself at risk of falling off my bike at 10 MPH.

We are at a stop as we wait to pass a bridge that CHP needs to close a lane.  So Darth and I do a photo shoot.

OK. So I am at the coast.  It is great.  It is beautiful. Flat and easy route. Gorgeous day. We come up to RS 1 and Romi and I take a few pics. I like riding the coast, it is nice to have the ocean to your right and the hills to you left.  Completely gorgeous. Zen like moments.  Some moments solo and wonderful. Quiet. However, it is very familiar since I have been training on the coast for the past 9 months.

Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle, yeah!

The rest of today were views like this. Minus the small jaunt inland past Oprah's house :)

The same team who were the elves and chickens.  They were so much fun! I will miss them.

Darth, Tardis and I take our last millage sign pic.

At lunch stop, I am by myself.  I sit and eat my wonderful lunch (I think I was only one of few who enjoyed the lunch selections) and make friends with veteran riders.  I realize at this moment, I am riding to see my friends.  I miss them.  I miss those that have supported me on this journey and given me unconditional love and support as I trained.  They are in Ventura.  Jose is in Ventura.  It hits me hard.  I get to see Jose today! Romi comes along and she is doing good.  She still has knee pain.  She tells me to go. She sees it in my eyes, she knows I am like a kid on Christmas waiting to see whats under the tree.  She tells me to go get Jose and ride safe.  On my way out, I see Suzi and Carin.  Suzi also sees something is different with me.  She sees it in my heart. She knows I have a destination to peddle to.  She tells me, stop talking to me.  Go. Go see Jose.  She knows what I am feeling and she shoos me off.  I peddle on.

I was coasting at 16 or so MPH prior to lunch.  I increase my speed to roughly 20+ MPH.  It is so easy to peddle when your muscles are sore when you have a destination to get to.  And that destination is pretty damn awesome ♥

Oprah!  Oprah!  Where are you??  We ride through Oprah's hometown.  I call out her name, and get odd looks, as I try to scout her out.  She does not respond.  Oh well.  I am at the front of the pack.  So there are not really a lot of other cyclists around.  So far, I have been surrounded by cyclists as I was in the middle of the pack.  But now at the front, I am solo.  At one stretch, for four miles, I never saw another cyclist. And we were on surface streets.  Lots of right and left turns.  So at one pint, not seeing anyone and being solo for the first time, I actually contemplate if I am lost!  I wasn't, I found other cyclists. But how weird a feeling that was.  At least if I was lost it was in a fancy schamancy Oprah type town :)  Great ride and fun to look at the nice houses, or were they mansions? ;)

Rest stop 3. Tony on the right between the blue guys.

Now granted, today was now completely a Jose day.  I missed him.  He and I talked every day.  He is such a support on this journey and on the ride.  I really am eager to see him and hold him close.  But, I must stop at Paradise Pit.  The city folk of Santa Barbra set up an ice cream stand, unaffiliated with ALC, to serve ice cream sundaes to riders.  They have fancy porta potties, masseuses, and ice cream!  I briefly see David, but am solo.

I talked to a supporter at Paradise Pit.  She cheered on the riders as they came into Paradise Pit.  She says, "thank you for riding." "Of course" I say.  I tell her why I ride.  I thank her for cheering us on and how much that helps, especially when you are so sore and tired.  She says "I have to."  "Why", I ask.  "Because you are saving my life."  Woah.  What does she mean.  Turns out she uses the LA Gay and Lesbian Center for medical support and a resource.  Straight woman, she admits to having sex unprotected with a man, and that one instance, she became HIV positive.  She knows the LA Gay and Lesbian center will provide her the needed support and medical support.  I finally am putting a face to the ride.  This just became so real.  She said that because of us, she is alive and healthy so she must cheer us on.  How could she not, she says.  This ride was just put into major perspective.  I hug her.  I thank her again.  As I peddle off, I wonder am I am hero like I have been told.  Yes, but being a hero is mighty small and oh so grand in the scheme of things.  I am just a man doing something good for my fellow human kind.  Now, having a destination to peddle to also took on a bigger meaning.  I need to tell Jose I love you.

Darth and I stop for a pier pic!

At rest stop 4, the boys of RS4 bring it again in their colorful outfits and outrageous photo ops.  So I must take a photo!  I am rider 220 into RS4.  There are 2000 riders behind me.  I am clipping along.  I am tired and sore, but the tired/soreness is not even an issue as I peddle.  I increased my average speed for the whole 6 days of riding from 14.5 mph average to 14.8 mph average (that is pretty significant for only 40 miles).  This is how fast I am riding today. This is how much I need to get to my destination. Tony and I meet up one last time.  He also kicks me out of RS4 and tells me to peddle on.  I have something worth peddling to and I need to go see him, he says.  He gets it.  His husband and daughter are also ahead, so he knows the need to peddle on.

Darth and two other warriors.

Darth, Tardis and I.

Um, yeah. The picture explains itself.

It is amazing followers how easy it is to peddle when you have a destination.  I pull up into Ventura.  About 1 mile out, I start crying.  I couldn't help it.  Granted, it had only been a week since I last saw Jose.  But this journey was a lot, and having him to talk to daily and be such a support, I couldn't wait to see him.  I needed to see him.  I pull up to Ventura.  I hear cowbells, and I see a bright blue shirt.  It is Jose.  I stop my bike just shy of him.  I break down (I even am tearing up now). There, in front of me, the love of my life. Cheering hard for me.  I hug and kiss him.  I muttered I love you through sobs.  He is soo proud of me. I am ecstatic. To be honest, it was a blur. I was in the arms of my man, and the love was there, and that was a wonderful moment.  I will remember that moment forever. And baaahhh, Danny, Kira and Nicole!  Yay!!  I hug them.  My friends, my supporters, all there to say congrats!  I am in the arms and love bubble of my friends and boyfriend. It was beautiful. It was an amazing moment of love with my friends and boy friend.  I was an emotional mess, but full of happy emotions!!

Yummy beer. Uh Danny, why you photo bombing my pic.

We walk to the hotel.  Danny, Nicole and Kira trip over themselves checking out my bum and legs :)  Seriously, they did! I princess it this night, opting to stay in a hotel.  I take a wonderful shower and spend some time with Jose, just talking and holding each other.  Baaahhhh, wonderful.  So wonderful. We go to dine at the hotel. Sebastian and Byron meet up with us.  We all go through camp and I give them a mini tour.  You can see they are impressed with the logisitics of ALC and what all ALC has to provide (medical tent, massage tent, dining tent, dedication tent, merch, showers, logistics, support, the rows and rows of tents, etc.) We head over to the dining tent so we all can see what I go through and also to hear the speakers.  My friends get a small taste of what I have been doing for 5 previous days.  They get to experience Lori Jean :)  They get a new appreciation of what this is, and they get a taste of the love bubble.  They show a vidoe in support of the roadies.  My back, from the media massage is in the video.  My back is famous!!!!

After the speakers, we go to a candle light vigil on the beach.  I opted to just be with Jose.  The emotions I am feeling are too great and I needed some private time with him for this vigil.  Not a word is said from anyone.  No speakers. Just a silent vigil.  All 2000+ of us get a candle and head to the beach.  It takes a good while for us all to get there.  It is silent.  Then, we all raise our candles. Then slowly, we head to the water.  I was a good mess of tears right now.  Not for Ricardo, but for everyone I met on the ride.  I cried for those who held signs on the side of street for the memory of their loved ones.  I cried for the lady I met today.  I cried for all the supporters.  I realize I cannot forget anyone whom has passed or is living with this disease. I cried because HIV exsists.  I cry because it is not over, people are still getting this disease and unfortunately, dying from it.  It was emotional.  Then as Jose and I went to the water to extinguish the candle, I almost couldn't do it.  Now I thought of Ricardo.  And I didn't want to extinguish the flame.  Would that be extinguishing him??  I just wanted to hold that flame close and feel its warmth.  This candle took on a greater meaning of warmth, love and memory.  But with Jose by my side, I put it out. We walked back to the hotel, hand in hand, and went to bed.  

An exhausting day.  Full of emotions.  I am blissful, at peace and happy.  I am surrounded by friends, boyfriend, love bubble and wonderful memories.  Tomorrow is the last day.  I must go to sleep (in a king size bed :)) so I can wake early.  Sweet dreams Jose.

Till next time
Keep peddling