2014 Tour De Cure Las Vegas

The 2014 Las Vegas Tour De Cure was a success.  Thank you to those who donated to this worthy cause.  The goal for the event was to raise $175,000 and I am happy to report that the event blew that number away, raising over $200,000!  Way to go!

OK, I have to come clean though.  I did not ride all 20 miles in the Tour De Cure. Sure it was a tough day with Temperatures hitting the high so far this year - 97 degrees and winds blowing 25 mph with gusts into the 40's. Sure I hadn't ridden as many miles before the event as I should have, but these were minor factors in my not riding all 20 miles.  The main reason was my back started cramping about 10 miles in. It was between my shoulders and up into my neck.  I suspect the culprit was the camelback I was wearing with the extra water in it in response to the heat plus having had to deal with riding on rumble strips for the first several miles of the ride.

Regardless of the reason, I made a promise to those who donated for my ride that I would ride the entire distance or I would match their donations.  Since I didn't make the whole 20 miles, I am making an additional donation of $121 to the ADA.

Now for the ride.  I woke up early and got everything ready to go.  I had the carrier on the car, bike tires inflated and bike loaded on the carrier, water bottles full, gear in the car, all before 7:30 am.  The 20 mile ride wasn't scheduled to start until 9:30 am which meant I didn't need to leave the house until 8:15 or so to get there, get checked in and ready for the start. So once I had everything ready I sat down and waited to go.  I have to admit I was anxious as I knew the temps were going to be hot and the wind was starting to blow.

Finally at 8:00 I couldn't wait any longer.  I kissed my wife good bye and headed out the door.  As I started towards the M casino I thought it might be a good idea to get some fuel in me before the ride so I stopped to pick up a Sausage McMuffin with egg and a large orange juice which I ate and drank on the way to the start.  Even with the stop and the slow service I was still at the M by 8:40.  I decided to make a trip inside to use the restroom instead of using the port a potties by the starting line. For some reason I got a few strange looks as I walked through the casino to the restroom.

Once I had taken care of business I went back to the car and got my gear together and bike off the car.  I installed my frame bag, put my Fat Cyclist water bottle in the holder (I love this from last year 100 MON - thanks Fatty!!!), strapped on the camelback and rode over to check in.

Check in took all of 2 minutes and I got my ride number - 325.  One of the volunteers helped to pin the number on my camelback.  I took my coupon over to the tent to get my event t-shirt which I then took back to the car.  It was 9:10 by this point.  I had some time to kill so I found our team tent (I was part of the BikingLasVegas.com team) and had a seat.  Seems like the other members of the team were doing longer distances as there was no one else there.

Finally they were calling for all of the riders to line up for the 20 mile ride.  One last trip to the rest room and I got into the queue at the start.  We had a wonderful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner for a student adn the Las Vegas School of the Performing Arts, we said "Stop Diabetes!", we sang happy birthday to Chris who is a red rider and celebrating his 12th birthday by riding in the event.  For those unfamiliar with the Red Riders, they are riders who have diabetes, themselves.

It was then time to go.  9:30 on the dot.  With the band playing we headed out of the start area and into the wind.  It took a while for the group to get themselves sorted out.  For the first mile or so I think we were moving at less than 6 or 7 mph. When we made the turn, heading north on Las Vegas Blvd, the riders started stringing out and the speeds started coming up. There were 2 factors helping out speeds at this point - a tail wind and a slight downhill.  I mostly enjoyed the first 5 miles of the ride, pedaling very little and reaching almost 30 mph at one point!  Due to the gravity assist I was able to actually sail by a number of riders.  This left me away from the back of the pack, which I wasn't used to.

Once we reached Pebble and mad the turn to the East, the wind became more of a crosswind and the road leveled out with a few minor ups and down along the way.  My speed slowed down and I started getting passed back, especially since it seemed I ended up stopping at each and every light.  Seems my timing was just off enough to catch every light just as it was turning red.  The other riders then accelerated away from me when we finally got the green light.

It was along here I saw two young women on the sidewalk.  I asked if they needed anything as I approached and they said yes.  I stopped to find they were having issues with a flat tire.  Their CO2 inflator was giving them issues.  I was grateful for my frame bag as I had various items that might come in handy.  One was my own CO2 inflator.  What appeared to be the problem was their inflator was for schraeder valves not the presta valve on the tire. I quickly pulled mine out, put in a cartridge and inflated the tire for them. Unfortunately this was a sort lived solution as the tire immediately started losing air. Apparently there was a sizable puncture in the tube.  She had skinny 26" tires and no other tubes. My spares were entirely the wrong size.

While they thanked me for stopping, I was unable to get them back on the road. Fortunately at that point on of the safety riders rolled up on their motorcycle and called back to the command center to get them assistance. They thanked me and I was back n my way. It was about 2 1/2 miles to the rest stop from this point.  I was now in the position I was used to - basically riding by myself near the back.  I passed 2 more riders, both taking care of flats.  I asked if they needed any help, but they said they didn't.  I kept going.

I was a mile from the rest stop when my back started getting tight.  I had been feeling some extra strain in my arms and neck from the position of the camelback, but didn't think much of it.  Just as I hit the overpass across the 215, my back got really tight and started to hurt.  I stopped and try to stretch it out.  It seemed to help and after a minute or so I started again.

I had no momentum so decided to drop to my small ring on the little climb up to the rest area I could see ahead.  I shifted and immediately dropped my chain.  I stopped and bent down to fix it and my back started cramping again.  I got the chain on and managed to get into the rest stop.  The great volunteers helped me make it with their cheering and enthusiasm. The volunteers were from Target.  Thank you!

They took my bike, offered me cold drinks, fruit, etc.  I grabbed a chair and had a seat, trying to ease my back and neck.  While it did loosen up some, I knew I was done.  I texted my wife that I was at the rest area, but wasn't going to go any further.  She wrote back Good Job - you did what you could.  She is always so supportive of my efforts - thank you dear!!!

As I sat there in the rest area, there were other riders who had arrived before me and they were acknowledging that it was hot and they were done as well. We talked to the volunteers who made a call to the command center requesting a SAG vehicle to pick us up.

One of the riders I had passed who had a flat came in and had to change his tube a second time.  He also needed to adjust his rear brakes as they ended up being too tight after he changed his tire.  Fortunately I was able to oblige with my multi-tool from the frame pack.  He got his brakes adjusted and was ready to go in a few short minutes.

As we waited, a few more stragglers came in that were behind us. One of them was a 6 year old girl who was a Red Rider.  I'm sad to say I cannot remember her name. most of the riders fueled up and took off. There were 5 of us in the rest stop who were looking for a SAG ride back to the start.  3 of the other riders were Red Riders, one being the 6 year old girl and another her older brother.  Eventually the SAG vehicle arrived and the 5 of us loaded up our bikes and 3 riders got in the bed, while myself and the 6 year old got into the cab.  I had tried getting in the bed, but was overruled.  We then headed back towards the starting line.

As we rode the young lady and I got to talking.  It was a 30 minute ride or so and we talked about many things.  I found out she had been diagnosed about a year earlier with diabetes, that she was turning seven in a month and that she had been camping the previous week in California. She said she needed some biking shorts and biking gloves.  I suggested that those might be a good suggestion for her birthday.  She agreed.

We talked about many other things as well on the way back.  In the back were her older broth and her step-dad.  Her older brother at 12 was also a Red Rider.  She said her step-dad rides all the time and he stopped because she did.  I have to say I was very impressed with that young lady.  I wish I could remember her name.

On the ride back in the SAG vehicle we passed several other riders who were stopped at the side of the road.  We stopped and talked to some of them.  All were waiting on a SAG ride.  Unfortunately we had no more room in the vehicle.  Finally we determined that we needed to get back and not keep stopping unless the riders looked hurt or in need of emergency aid.   We passed several more riders, but none seemed to need emergency assistance.

The driver said that they were down a couple of vehicles this year because there were a couple of other events going on this weekend, the biggest of which was the Susan G Komen walk for the cure. There were also fewer radios.  We called the base on his cell to let them know there were other riders in need of assistance, but the connection kept cutting out. We eventually got the message through.

Finally we were back near the finish line.  We unloaded the bikes and all 5 of use rode over the line to the finish area while the driver headed back out to get more riders.

There was cheering and clapping as I rode in, but I felt like a bit of a fraud.  Sure I was successful in raising awareness and money for the cause, but I hadn't accomplished my goals.

I met my wife and daughter in the finish area and they congratulated me on doing what I did.  Thank you!  I love you!

Part of what made the ride more significant for me this year is that my wife was just diagnosed with diabetes on Friday. Right now she is at the lowest reading to be diagnosed with this disease and we know that through diet and weight loss we can beat it, but this added one more reason to why I ride.  I also ride for my mother, my Aunts, and friends who have this disease.

So I didn't make the distance, but I did have a great experience and will be back again next year and hopefully my wife and daughter and maybe my grand kids, will be joining us.

Eat better.

Move more.

Get on your bikes and RIDE!

October Wrap Up

I have been remiss about posting here of late.  Here it is the 5th of November and I have yet to wrap up and summarize what I did in October.  Truth be told I have been avoiding it just a bit as I did not come close to accomplishing what I had intended for the month of October.

The truth is I only got in 8 rides during the month for a total of 84.45 miles.  Nowhere near my goal of 22+ rides and 300 miles.  I'm strangely Ok with that though.  Its not that I just didn't want to ride, its more that life got in the way.  Again, I'm OK with that.  I just need to work a little more on my organization and make sure that I continue to ride and not let the downward mileage trend continue.

I do plan on riding more this month than last, but I will not put a specific number to it at this time.  One thing to my advantage is the BIKE:MS Challenge which I am riding this coming weekend.  My goal is to ride the 30 mile course on both days.  I look forward to the camaraderie and sharing of a common experience. I also look forward to riding with Juan again of the Tour De Cure ride back in April.  He said he is riding the 30 mile route on Saturday as well.

Look for a write up next week.

Get On Your Bikes and RIDE!!!!!

August Challenge Wrap Up.

Its been a long month but I am happy to report I made the challenge of riding every day in August.  Surprisingly the last 2 days were among the hardest to get in as the weather wasn't very cooperative.

I am happy to report that I pedalled a total of 220.2 miles over the month.  That gives me an average ride length of 7.1 miles.  My longest ride was 12.5 miles on the 27th and the shortest was .48 miles on the 18th in the rain.

Looking ahead to the month of September I plan on challenging myself, but with an overall mileage goal and not with a daily riding goal.  My goal for the month is to better my August total by riding 240 miles.

Hope you are able to get ob your bikes and ride!!!!!

HOT HOT HOT!!!

OK, to set the record straight, my original intention was to get up early and do a nice long ride this morning.  Staying up to 3:30 in the morning, really put a damper on those plans.  The reason for wanting to get n early start is the heat.  Let's face it, Las Vegas, in the middle of summer, is hot.  At 12:00 today were were already at 99 degrees.

So, I decided instead of a long ride, I decided to try out a couple of segments I had found on Strava which are close to my house.  Neither was very long - one was 1.3 miles and the other was .3 miles.  Add to that my normal one mile loop and I had 3 segments I wanted to work into a quick ride.

I'm here to say that I made it and I didn't die, but it was very hot.  The total ride was just under 6 miles in 26 minutes, but it was worth a ride 2 or 3 times that length on a cooler day.

It took close to an hour too cool off once I was back in the A/C.

It was a tough ride, but I'm glad I did it.

it's 4:00 AM...

and I just got out of bed.  My alarm went off to let me know my time for sleeping was done and now I had to make good on my commitment to get back to doing what I need to do.  In the dark I find my cycling clothes and get dressed by feel.  I head downstairs and grab my Garmin Forerunner, take a long drink of water and get my last stick of gum from the pack.  You might wonder why I would get a stick of gum.  Well its pretty dry here in the desert southwest and a friend of mine (thanks Mary!) told me how chewing a stick of gum can keep your mouth from going as dry as the desert while you are working out.

I head into the garage and pump up my tires to the recommended max of 83 PSI, grab my helmet and gloves, switch on my Garmin and open the garage door.  I roll out to the end of the driveway where I turn on my head and taillight, put on my helmet, slip my hands into my gloves and get ready to go.  I notice that while its not exactly cool, its not baking hot either  A check of the temp shows its 79 degrees.

I mount my bike, hit start on my Garmin and off I go.  My goal for the morning is just to put in some relatively easy miles to ease back into the regular riding routine.  The first lap around my 1 mile loop is uneventful aside from the number of cars driving on the street.  Normally I'll see 2 or 3 cars in an entire morning ride.  This morning, everyone seems to be up trying to beat the heat as there were 5 cars in my first lap.  Not a lot by any means, but each is its own cause for concern as I know they aren't expecting anyone riding at this time of day.

I get into a pretty good rhythm for the first 3 or 4 laps, but I notice that my left knee is starting to hurt.  Not sure what that's about but I keep on going.  At lap 5 I realize that only riding 10 miles in the last 6 weeks has taken a toll on my endurance and my legs are starting to feel it.  I keep pushing, knowing that I'm not breaking any speed records but also knowing that all of the effort will make me stronger.

On lap 6 my hands are tingling on the bars.  This is where I really start to understand how regular riding does condition your body.  Laps 7 and 8 were my slowest and were work, but not insurmountable  I decided a nice 8 mile ride was a good place to start on rolled into the driveway at the end of the 8th lap.  Looking at my Garmin, I had travelled 8.28 miles in 37 minutes for a 13.3 mph pace. Not Bad.

This is the restart of getting myself into a better place physically.

Keep on riding!

Wonderful, unremarkable ride

Got on my steed and headed out on Blue Diamond towards Red Rock. Noticed right away how awesome my ride felt.  The new tires and wheels gave a smooth and stable ride.  The gatorskins had noticeably less rolling resistence.

Funny but it was a great ride primarily because nothing remarkable happened.  The winds were in the 10 MPH neighborhood the sun was shining and temps in the low 70's.

The above picture shows the road looking towards Red Rock by Blue Diamond.

Yesterday I did a quick 10 laps around the block as a test to gauge what the 100 Miles Of Nowhere was going to take.  The 10 laps netted 4.71 miles which means it will be 212 laps to hit the 100 miles on June 1.

Before that, though I have the Tour De Cure coming up on Saturday.  30 miles with 1960 feet of climbing.  It will be a challenge, but I'll do it.  Join me in fighting Diabetes by making a donation on my page.

Thank you.

Some times you just have to do it

This is something I have to remember.  Often lately I find myself thinking about riding, about how I should head out towards Red Rock canyon and put in some miles.  Of course I usually have these thoughts while not in a position to actually go out and ride.  I have these thoughts while I'm working away at my desk in the office, or while getting ready for bed in the evenings, but rarely do I think this when I have the time and opportunity to actually ride.

Yesterday was an exception.  It was President's Day and since where I work treats this as a holiday I was sitting at home and it occurred to me, as I am reading cycling journals on CrazyGuyOnABike.com, that I shouldn't be thinking about riding, I should be riding.  Reading how Bill Saint Onge rode the northern reaches of Quebec and Labrador last summer, or how the Genner Family is touring all of South America as a family, have really inspired me to, in the words of Freddy Mercury "Get on my bike and ride!" So I got into my riding gear, threw a Powerade into the bottle holder and headed out.  There was a light breeze and the temp were close to 60 degrees a beautiful day for a ride.

I took the long way out to Blue Diamond road and then started uphill towards Red Rock Canyon.  It was a work out, let me tell you.Only saw one or two other cyclists on Blue Diamond Road, but once I got to Highway 159 and made the turn towards Red Rock Canyon that changed.  Many other cyclists were out enjoying the weather.

I crossed the cattle guard and headed toward the gypsum mine and the steeper climb there.  Of course i decided to drop into my middle ring and dropped my chain.  It reminded me that I've had issues with the front derailleur since they replace the crank for me last year.  I just can't seem to get it adjusted right. I suspect the rings are slightly closer together than the Suntour were and that is why the index shifting is off.  Going to have to take it and see if a professional can improve things for me.

Anyway I got the chain back on in short order and made it past the mine and continued on past Blue Diamond itself.  Just as I approached the road into Blue Diamond a group of about 20 riders come out and headed towards Red Rock Canyon in front of me.  It took only a couple of minutes for them to disappear ahead of me.

At just over 10 miles into the ride I stopped.  It appeared that the road headed slightly down hill ahead of me and I decided that the downhill would be nice, but the uphill coming back would be a bit more work than I was ready for, so I made the decision to head back home.

Now the advantage to my route is that it is pretty much up hill all the way out until I turn around, which makes it downhill all the way home.  This is the pay off for all of the hard work.  I rode 10.28 miles in 1:13 to get to the turn around point.  I made it the 8.3 miles back home in just 31 minutes.  It might have been quicker were it not for the headwind of about 10 miles an hour.

Here is the map of my ride:

Once I got home I thought about the ride and how much I enjoyed being out there.