Tomorrow's the day...

It's finally here. 20 weeks later, 17 pounds lighter, more than 1200 miles of training, countless flat tires, someone breaking their collarbone, another rider getting a concussion, me hurting my IT band, Joy's naked swim in La Jolla to raise money, and meeting some really great people along the way.... the QMDC ride down the coast is here. We'll be starting on Saturday, the 17th, from the Hyatt in San Francisco, at Fisherman's Wharf.




I haven't really been updating this blog, but since the ride up Palomar Mountain, the training has been going pretty well. We did a ride through Elfin Forest on Harmony Grove Rd. Beautifully paved road with a nice downward rolling hills. We also did back to back centuries from San Diego to Palos Verdes. The first 100 miles were no problem, and the last 94 miles were great too. On the last 6 miles, my right knee starting hurting quite a bit. And lo and behold, I was down and out. We did enjoy our stay at the Terranea resort though in PV... pretty hotel, but a tad overpriced.

Since the centuries, I've been taking it easy and trying to rest my leg. It turns out I overused my IT band, which is common amongst runners and cyclists. Lots of aleve, stretching, and rest slowly made my leg feel better, but it's still not 100% there. We'll see what happens =)

(That's me on the right side of this picture stretching out on the way back to San Diego... I subconsciously knew the pain was coming.)

Our last training was a short 40 miler around Carmel Valley. It was a nice celebratory ride to cap off the 20 weeks of training we have all done together. Fred, a challenged athlete, had some nice words to say to the group. How his life changed in an instant when he was hit by a car. And then how his life changed in another instant when he starting being supported by CAF and could compete in a triathlon. It was a humble reminder why we all are doing what we are.

So here I am. The night before I leave for SF to meet the other 99 riders and the awesome QMDC/CAF support team. Am I nervous? Yup. Am I wondering if I'll finish? Yup. Am I excited to do this ride and push myself further than ever while supporting CAF? Absolutely!

I'll try to update this blog daily and hopefully you can see our location and come out and cheer for us as we ride by where you are. Go CAF!! Go QMDC riders!!

And lastly, here's one last look at the immunity pump. An item that helped the radio contestant's through their journey. But in the end, it was the Radio Team's efforts and passion for QMDC and CAF that 7 riders are joining us on the ride down the coast, including the winner, Adam Beck, who will be next year's Radio Team ride leader. Congratulations to the Radio Team again!!