Comments on: Day 1: A day of angels http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/ride-2008/day-1-and-theyre-off Raising funds to find better cancer treatments. Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:09:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: deanna http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/ride-2008/day-1-and-theyre-off/comment-page-1#comment-227 deanna Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:39:46 +0000 http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/?p=35#comment-227 I found your comments, did you find mine? You write really well. A great story to leave your posterity. I found your comments, did you find mine? You write really well. A great story to leave your posterity.

]]> By: Larry http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/ride-2008/day-1-and-theyre-off/comment-page-1#comment-188 Larry Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:24:43 +0000 http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/?p=35#comment-188 Day 3 - what a fun day. I really enjoyed the ride and the passes. Everyones spirits were high and everything was clicking. The start out of Eureka was quite chilly, but the pass we had to climb right out of the shoot took care of that. Except for some cross winds the weather was great and generally the wind was greatly in our favor. We have this thing of getting in each others slip stream and speeding along at 25 or more MPH across a valley floor, down pretty good. It must be quite a sight to see (only to be enjoyed by the occasional car or truck driver - but I suspect they had no idea what was going on - just that we were taking half the road) us stretched out across the road. For me, it was a good feeling to see everyone working together so well. Climbing mountains is more of a personal thing and one just has to dig down deep and do it. I have to admit that Joe is King of the Mountains today. He took two of the five passes, first and last, Mike, Chris and I each got one. But I managed the stage win, by just a hair and after a tremendous effort to close the gap in the last mile or so. It seems everyone is now conspiring to figure out how to keep me from being first to the top and first to finish the day. My hat goes off to Joe. He nearly pulled it off twice today. He caught me in a low gear at the summit of Connor pass (he manipulated me masterfully) an out spun me to the top, I'm a high gear power rider and a fast spin puts me into a tail spin and I go now where. Fortunately, Coleman was not in on the stage win plan for the day. I was back with Coleman and Chris racing across the valley floor at about 25 MPH trying to catch Joe and Mike after coming of Connor Pass. Joe and Mike were some distance up ahead, when Coleman noticed they were pulling away from us and pointed out the end of the day's ride was just up ahead by some mail boxes next to a dirt road coming down the mountain side and suggested if I was going to get the stage victory I better be doing something about it and soon, so I took off with everything I had. It seems the plan was for Mike to get the win, but when they saw me starting to close, Joe was sent of on his own and the chase was on. Joe bonked just before I did and I manged to get to the mailboxes just before he him. Then he tries to convince me that it wasn't the mailboxes that marked the end but an old road (which he had passed just before I caught him) leading to some abandon buildings that marked the end. It was all in good fun and brought spirited conclusion to a great day of riding. Who would have thought that after 5 passes and over 110 miles of riding we would have been racing for the finish line at up to 35 MPH!! Real drama, real effort - but no cameras were ready to record the moment. Day 3 – what a fun day. I really enjoyed the ride and the passes. Everyones spirits were high and everything was clicking. The start out of Eureka was quite chilly, but the pass we had to climb right out of the shoot took care of that. Except for some cross winds the weather was great and generally the wind was greatly in our favor. We have this thing of getting in each others slip stream and speeding along at 25 or more MPH across a valley floor, down pretty good. It must be quite a sight to see (only to be enjoyed by the occasional car or truck driver – but I suspect they had no idea what was going on – just that we were taking half the road) us stretched out across the road. For me, it was a good feeling to see everyone working together so well. Climbing mountains is more of a personal thing and one just has to dig down deep and do it.

I have to admit that Joe is King of the Mountains today. He took two of the five passes, first and last, Mike, Chris and I each got one. But I managed the stage win, by just a hair and after a tremendous effort to close the gap in the last mile or so. It seems everyone is now conspiring to figure out how to keep me from being first to the top and first to finish the day.

My hat goes off to Joe. He nearly pulled it off twice today. He caught me in a low gear at the summit of Connor pass (he manipulated me masterfully) an out spun me to the top, I’m a high gear power rider and a fast spin puts me into a tail spin and I go now where.

Fortunately, Coleman was not in on the stage win plan for the day. I was back with Coleman and Chris racing across the valley floor at about 25 MPH trying to catch Joe and Mike after coming of Connor Pass. Joe and Mike were some distance up ahead, when Coleman noticed they were pulling away from us and pointed out the end of the day’s ride was just up ahead by some mail boxes next to a dirt road coming down the mountain side and suggested if I was going to get the stage victory I better be doing something about it and soon, so I took off with everything I had. It seems the plan was for Mike to get the win, but when they saw me starting to close, Joe was sent of on his own and the chase was on. Joe bonked just before I did and I manged to get to the mailboxes just before he him. Then he tries to convince me that it wasn’t the mailboxes that marked the end but an old road (which he had passed just before I caught him) leading to some abandon buildings that marked the end.

It was all in good fun and brought spirited conclusion to a great day of riding. Who would have thought that after 5 passes and over 110 miles of riding we would have been racing for the finish line at up to 35 MPH!! Real drama, real effort – but no cameras were ready to record the moment.

]]> By: Larry http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/ride-2008/day-1-and-theyre-off/comment-page-1#comment-187 Larry Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:33:17 +0000 http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/?p=35#comment-187 GPS Stats: Wed - 113 miles, 5691 ft climbing, 6 hrs. 10 mins in the saddle. 18.2 avg MPH. Now I know that Jeff will argue with these numbers until the cows come home. After all we did 5 passes today and only 4 yesterday. But it is what it is! We all agreed that yesterday was harder than today. GPS Stats:
Wed – 113 miles, 5691 ft climbing, 6 hrs. 10 mins in the saddle. 18.2 avg MPH.

Now I know that Jeff will argue with these numbers until the cows come home. After all we did 5 passes today and only 4 yesterday. But it is what it is! We all agreed that yesterday was harder than today.

]]> By: Larry http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/ride-2008/day-1-and-theyre-off/comment-page-1#comment-144 Larry Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:27:40 +0000 http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/?p=35#comment-144 GPS Stats: Monday 136 miles, 5100 ft climbing, 7 hrs. 37 mins in the saddle. 17.6 avg MPH Tuesday 130 miles, 6350 ft climbing, 7 hrs. 3 mins in the saddle. 18.2 avg MPH GPS Stats:
Monday 136 miles, 5100 ft climbing, 7 hrs. 37 mins in the saddle. 17.6 avg MPH

Tuesday 130 miles, 6350 ft climbing, 7 hrs. 3 mins in the saddle. 18.2 avg MPH

]]> By: Larry http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/ride-2008/day-1-and-theyre-off/comment-page-1#comment-142 Larry Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:15:00 +0000 http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/?p=35#comment-142 How sad it was to see Jeff have to leave the group last night to go attend to his son in the hospital back home in Utah. Our numbers are now down to 5, but what a dedicated and committed 5 as we are now riding to defeat cancer, and bring Josh home from the hospital in good health. What and inspiring group to ride with. There is no professional rider in the world with more will power than I saw today from everyone. No pass was too high, no wind gale too strong, no bum too sore, and no legs too tired to keep anyone from Eureka! (I will say, however, that Colemen claims to have found a fresh pair of legs along the road and put them on. This I would agree with as I had to put in an all out effort over about three miles to close the gap before we got to Eureka.) I am humbled and honored to be riding with such great men. And the man to watch is Chris. He rides stronger every mile and was at my side going into Eureka. How sad it was to see Jeff have to leave the group last night to go attend to his son in the hospital back home in Utah. Our numbers are now down to 5, but what a dedicated and committed 5 as we are now riding to defeat cancer, and bring Josh home from the hospital in good health. What and inspiring group to ride with. There is no professional rider in the world with more will power than I saw today from everyone. No pass was too high, no wind gale too strong, no bum too sore, and no legs too tired to keep anyone from Eureka!

(I will say, however, that Colemen claims to have found a fresh pair of legs along the road and put them on. This I would agree with as I had to put in an all out effort over about three miles to close the gap before we got to Eureka.)

I am humbled and honored to be riding with such great men.

And the man to watch is Chris. He rides stronger every mile and was at my side going into Eureka.

]]> By: Ann http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/ride-2008/day-1-and-theyre-off/comment-page-1#comment-125 Ann Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:53:50 +0000 http://www.ikickedcancersbutt.org/?p=35#comment-125 Go, boys, go! Go, boys, go!

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