Final Ride...and the Gift

Saturday Morning: I had all the best intentions to get something posted yesterday after arriving in San Diego at 1:30 but the rest of the day was filled with activities that didn't stop until after 10 last night. When I hit the pillow I was out like a light.

That morning I was with a group that left later than most because we figured we would make up some time with speed and there was plans to connect with Scott Kaplan along the way. My legs where just burning every time we hit a hill and there was an acceleration. Todd had to give me a push at one time. He was on fire though. It was like someone gave him a new pair of legs last night. His comment was..."I wish it was a new butt". We all have some sore spots on the tail end after 7 days of saddle time.

We stopped outside the Marine base and waited for Scott K. for 20 minutes. Finally we connect via the phone only to find out he was on the other side. Great...now I know we are going to hit the ground fast and we did. The group was myself, John Welch, Bryan Black, Todd Northup, and Pat. It was painfully fast ride because we needed to arrive in La Jolla by 1:00 PM. Kaplan connected with us just south of Carlsbad. He had turned and was coming back in our direction. We also picked up some others along the way. The paced slowed some, thank God.

We were instructed to stop just North of La Jolla shores and regroup. Jim Penseyres was there along with a lot of other Challenged Athletes. Jim at one point took over the pilot position on a tandem when the pilot, guy in front, had to stop during a unbelievable windy day. The guy, 73 years of age, on the back, the stoker, is blind. Now doesn't that sound the beginning of a joke...A one legged cyclists and a blind man riding a tandem down the coast...? Jim is a very special person. He has completed RAAM, Ride Across America, 4 different times. We talked about that in the first few days when we had a chance to ride together. RAAM was an idea I had just before starting this journey. More to come on that in the future.

David Lee was another amazing Hand Cyclist who rode the entire course from San Fran to San Diego. Hand Cyclists don't climb super fast but they do descend like a race car. David loves the ladies.

The regular riders rode into Kellogg Park first and then lined up for Scott Kaplan and his cousins wife who rode the last few miles with us in honor of her husband who was killed in a car accident a few weeks ago while training for this event. Very, very emotional.

The next group to come down our line of bikes was the challenged athletes who accompanied us on this journey. I had tears running down my cheeks as we helped push one the riders, Anthony Smith, up Torrey Pines, a very long climb, just a half hour prior. It was felt good to help someone not only financially but physically. Anthony had really no use of his right side leg and his right arm which is a stump that he attaches a type of hook to that slides onto his specially made handle bars. Oh, and he just started riding in Sept.

Crystal, my loving and very supportive wife, took off work to cheer me on when we arrived. What a woman. She helped load the car with my stuff and along with another one of the out of town riders, Colleen, who was showering at our place before dinner that evening. She was going to stay with us but at the last moment decided to add a few more days to her visit in order to watch the tri on Sunday. Mike and Lisa Jennings offered to put her up so no sense in staying at our place and then move again the next day.

Dinner was at Qualcomm. We met a lot of people coming into town for the tri event. Many were part of relay teams; a swimmer, a cyclists, and a runner. After some refreshments and great food we went into the theater for CAF awards and video. Crystal heard Scout talk, along with Ruddy and other Challenged Athletes. There were a lot of wet eyes in there.

I was interviewed at the end of the ride down at the park for a clip that will be on The Scott and BR web page in the next week or so. I was trying to explain that the chance to be a part of this event was a gift. The radio contest opened the door and lead me down the path to fund raising and training for the ride. It's a gift that I am now responsible for and have to use and pass along to others. I have no idea what the future will hold but I have learned that opportunities like this make you a better person on so many levels. My compassion is higher, my love is deeper, and I'm drinking up this nectar of life. CAF...Thank you for this Gift.