Monday May 7^th – Friday May 11^th

I would like to thank everyone who has visited my blog and all of those who have helped and posted encouragement. It certainly has meant a lot to me! Also want to apologize for not posting more until now, but have been trying to get things in order for the ride including the Blog layout. In some ways, the preparation for this is a lot harder and time consuming than the doing. That thought reminds me of a quote that is something like “The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare”.

I thought that I’d give all of you an idea the pre-ride week, it was extremely stressful for a number of reasons some of which stemmed from my procrastination.

One thing that one doesn’t realize about this type of travel and event is that the logistics are extremely difficult. WE only get to carry 30 pounds of “luggage” plus what we carry on the bike. That means not bringing more than 3 changes of regular cloths, 3 changes of cycling cloths, plus personal items and electronic devices, medicine etc. We travel light

Monday May 7^th – This was my last real day of “training”. I actually was tapering for the ride and only rode 43 miles that day I Also needed to get my bike over to Big Shark for some final additions and adjustments. The greatest effort though was getting the Blog launched. I had bought some software and was struggling with it. Andi and Kitt came over to help me get through it . I think we must have spent 4 or 5 hours trying to figure out the best way to lay it out and how to make it work. Many, many thanks to Andi!!!

Tuesday May 8^th – Kitt’s comment upon walking into my living the prior evening was “Boy, you have a mess.” That “mess” was all of the stuff that I needed to pack plus my usual high level of organized disorganization.  I also went over to Big Shark to retrieve my bike, get a final fitting. Dave also graciously helped me pack up my bike. There was a concert going on next store and parking was “far away”.  A LOT of final preparations and went to bed exhausted for second night in a row.

Wednesday May 9^th– Got up early, had a little to eat and packed the final items in my bags. Taxi showed up on time and I got to airport with plenty of time. Now you have to know that I have had very bad experiences traveling with a bike and that was my number one concern. Would the bike get there with me, would it be damaged, how will I get it to the motel? Most of this went off without a hitch. We arrived in LA ahead of schedule. My biggest frustration was that somehow my bike chain managed to get in a position that wasn’t right. It took me a lot longer to put on 2 wheels, a seat and the aero bars than normal. There was a lot of grease

on me.  I did manage about 40 laps around the motel and I was getting really strange looks but that is ok – I am used to it. The first person who I meet in person is Chet, who is the Green Beret who has allowed me to piggy back on his Wounded Warrior Project campaign. Chet is 70, in great shape, owns his own business and is one hell of a nice guy.  We wound up taking a short ride down to the beach. First impressions of LA – it is a lot cooler than I expected, a lot hillier but the people are really friendly. I can’t say how many times folks stopped to give directions often unsolicited and always with a smile.

Thursday  May 10th– a lot more of the rider begin to roll in. We have folks from Canada, the United Kingdom and all over the USA. I am the only one from Missouri though. I can say that these are a very accomplished group of professional, very down-to-earth and all very active physically. Also met Tracey, the owner of Crossroads. She has this down the crossing down to a science and certainly knows her stuff. Most of the time was spent talking to the other riders, comparing notes and I also took my bike box for shipment back to STL.

Friday  – May 11^th Nick, Chet and I rode our bikes down to Venice Beach to see the sights and have lunch. We went slow and took in the scenery. Nick is from England and races thoroughbred horses (as a hobby). Great sense of humor! Most of the talk has been about the men shaving their legs. Chet and I shaved our legs but most of the other guys aren’t budging. Some of the gals said they are going to let their grow…… Chet said that he has a new found respect for the ladies as this was his first “smooth look” and it took a lot longer than he thought…..

My yellow cycling shoes seem to be the source of humor for many of the riders and Tracey even said that I don’t need a flag on my bike but she put one on anyway.  We all have these flags on the back of our bikes that make dismounting and mounting a lot more difficult.

Most of the discussion centers around who our prospective roommates will be and the desert. The temperatures outside of LA and over the next few days will probably be in the high 90’s and over. Most of us have not trained in much heat. Tomorrow is the introduction meeting and we will be one day away from riding!