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.

Day 6...Cruising to Newport Beach

Thursday: Today is an easy ride down the coast of 56 miles. We've done a portion of this when we rode from San Diego to Redondo Beach and back covering 200 miles in one weekend. There is a hill in the middle of our ride but compared to what we've seen so far, it's only a bump in the rode. I must of eaten an extra bowl of cereal because at one point I was pacing the group up a portion of that climb at 20 plus MPH.

Someone decorated Greg's bike, one of our ride leaders with a basket before our start this morning. It's looks so cute. He's a big strapping marine but has a huge sense of humor.

We rode along the boardwalk as we headed out of Santa Monica. The sun was just coming up and there wasn't much of a wind. Lots of people out walking, skating or riding the path. We had a pretty good size group as well, well over 20 people. The plan for some of us was to stop at a taco stand we had seen on that Redondo trip. Bryan Black, another group leader, saw it and some of us stopped.

They were just opening up at 11:00. Oh, we didn't hit the road today until 9:30. Didn't want to get to the next hotel too soon.

We all ordered Cokes, water and they brought out chips with salsa. I ordered the shrimp and other had fish tacos and various mex dishes. Good food at great prices. The girl serving us didn't speak any English but that didn't seem to matter. She took a picture with us anyway.

We also passed West Coast Chopper and the home of Jesse James. He wasn't in to customize a bike for us but we did get a picture or two of his shop. I was really looking forward to adding a banana seat to my ride with a cool paint job.

We picked up the pace some in Long Beach, Hunington Beach and other areas where it was open and we had a nice bike lane. But I think everyone was feeling those miles in their legs.

When we stopped for Tacos pretty much everyone had passed us at that point. Scott Kaplan and his group as well. We yelled as they went by the stand but they weren't interested. I did catch up with him at the hotel. Again his family was in hand. He told me later it was a total surprise that his wife and kids would be up yesterday to cheer him on.

One more day. Tomorrow we head out to La Jolla and will arrive in Kellogg Park, which is really La Jolla Shores, at 1:30 PM. I think the plan is for us all to regroup and ride in together.

I'm looking forward to seeing my wife, getting a big kiss from the dogs and sitting in a chair for a few days before getting back on my rig. Pain, yes, but it's a good pain. I've made new friendships, learned more about CAF, and have a huge amount of respect for the Challenged Athletes who rode this entire ride with us. See you in San Diego.

Day 5...86 Miles

Wednesday: Santa Barbara to Santa Monica. Taking a look at today's profile when compared to yesterday and the day before, it was an easy route. Well, at least you would think so. I remember seeing the news last night and the wind direction was NNE. Not exactly in our favor. The wind was in our faces a good chunk of the way.

I lost the group I was with as we weaved our way on and off some bike paths. Thank God for Garmin. It was spot on. When I arrived at the SAG stop I was surprised to see I was the first person but it wasn't long before the group I had been with caught me there. We tried to stay together but the wind was just too strong. I decided to work my own pace.

I took some nice pictures along the way. It was perfect weather to catch some scenery and enjoy the view. Prior to starting I was on the Scott and BR show this morning. Scott was broadcasting from a local radio station. He then jumped on his bike later and rolled down the road. I caught him and his family just as they were heading out of the hotel this evening to meet up with some other family members.

Lunch again was at this spectacular spot along the way. Mile 50 didn't come soon enough with the all the wind we were having. The location made all the difference and I soon forgot about the wind.

I rolled out first but was soon passed. This was a day about pace and recover. The legs still felt heavy. There was plenty of time to stop and snap some shots along the way.

The wind did turn some into our favor at around mile 60 or so just as I headed into some of the little beach towns along the way. So many beautiful little towns. The last 4 or 5 miles was on a bike path which was next to the beach which was next to the ocean. We turned left just after the Santa Monica pier up to our hotel.

Any hotel that leaves a ducky or fish on the tub is my kind of place. I love to take a long hot bath after a ride like today. Everyone needs a little buddy in the tub with them.

Our speaker this evening was, I think, Scout, a young Asian girl who was adopted at the age of 7 from China. She had lived a very hard life the first 7 years in this Asian orphanage after loosing her leg at the age of 1. It brought tears to my eyes because I am also adopted. I don't thank my parents often enough for bringing myself and my brother into their lives.

Two more days of living large on the road. Short ride of 50 miles tomorrow and we are planning a late start of 9:30 or so. I'm going to ride with the Kap (Scott Kaplan). I think I owe him a draft.

Day 4, Long day in the Saddle

Tuesday: I awoke this morning feeling a bit chipper. I wasn't fully recovered from the 114 miles but I had a solid night of sleep. After a breakfast of scrabbled eggs, bagel, fruit and a waffle I was pretty sure the tank was topped off.

I headed down to drop off my bags and check in with Kristine before taking off. There was Gilberto one of the many challenged athletes riding this with us. He is a strong dud. If he can make it...I can too.

The wind seemed to be in our favor this morning as I looked up to see it waving in a southern direction. But I also knew that our route would take us east at times today. At points we were being hit side ways from that wind which slowed the group pace from 23 plus MPH down to 15 if we were lucky.

There was flat early on near a cow paster. Some of the guys were making cow noises which attracted a few of beasts. They came right up to the fence line and continued to mew at us while we fixed the flat.

I decided early on that today would be a day to reflect on my own so at about mile 20 or so I dropped off the group to ride within my limits. I knew it would be a long day and pushing hard early on would only make it that much more difficult later. In the end I was about number 10 across the finish which surprised me.

As I rode along admiring the view I passed fields and wineries on some beautiful back roads. It was peaceful and had very little traffic. I reflected on how I got to this event, the radio contest and all the new people I have met along the way. What a lucky life I have. I also took a moment to think about my father who passed away last year. He and my mom have instilled in myself and my brother and sister the values we have. That is the greatest gift parents can give their children.

I pulled into our lunch stop at....what else a winery. What a beautiful location to have a bite to eat. White table cloth, fancy sandwiches and a mechanic to ensure my bike was running right. (mine needed a little oil on the chain) I took my fill of food and water and then hit the road again. It was only mile 60 and I had 60 more to go.

The rest of the day I hooked up with groups on and off but again I didn't make any hard efforts to hang on. I passed thru Solvang and in an instant it was gone. Not a very big town.

We had to get onto the 101 for a fair amount of miles but there was plenty of room for cycling. At one point JJ and a Garmin guy passed me on the down hill putting in some serious speed.

The last 20 miles seemed to go on for ever but were flat and fast with the tail wind. I kept looking down counting off the 10th of mile markers. Once I rolled in all I could think of was getting to my room. Unfortunately my room key didn't work and I had to head back out to get a new one.

Once I had some food into me my spirit and attitude changed. It's hard to put enough calories into yourself in order to ride these types of distances. But in reality I'm having the time of my life. Would I do it all again...in a heart beat. I need to thank my wife Crystal, CAF, Scott Kaplan of the Scott and BR show and so many others.

3rd Day of Riding

Monday: So what happened to Sunday. Unfortunately the lodge we stayed at up in Big Sur did not have internet access via wireless, 10baseT or phone line. It was even difficult to get a mobile phone connection but...the view and the place was well worth it. Evergreen trees, birds singing and a little cabins.

I roomed with Todd Northup. We even had a fire to warm up our cute cabin during the night. But it was butt cold the next morning. It's been a while since I've put on arm and knee warmers, a scull cap and long fingered gloves.

The climb out of Big Sur started at the front entrance for about 3 1/2 miles. of up Ouch...we were warm the top. The rest was just spectacular. A lot of climbing all the way to the lunch stop but again...spectacular.

We stopped along the way but tried to make them short. With 114 miles it was going to be a long day. At one point Scott Kaplan, Todd Northup and I were on the front and the photographer pulled up to get a shot of us. I need to get that picture.

People start at different times depending on their average speed for the day. We would catch up to groups all along the route. This one is of David on his hand cycle. This guy flies down the hills.

Lunch was at the Hearst Castle Boat Launch. What a view. It was peaceful, the sun had come out, and I was with my friends. We had put in some hard fast miles once we got over the hills up to this point averaging 25 to 30 MPH.

We had a tail wind for the last 40 miles which really help and a Garmin Chipolte rider, Timmy, on the front as well. That ensured the pace was kept up for the remaining miles. I was a hurting puppy though. Those speeds require a lot of calories to hang on even in the pack. I need to eat more.

We put out these day bags which are picked up in the morning and we can transfer things into them at the rest stop. I always think it's funny to see a leg with a shoe on it at the stop.

The hotel tonight is right on the water and the massage tents where set up in the sun which was much warmer than last night. Again, CAF has put together a first class event that will go unmatched in my mind. After a hard day in the saddle it's nice to arrive and have someone had you a room key along with a cold beer.

Team Garmin was interviewed at our dinner this evening. 3 cyclists and one of the mechanics where on stage. Scott Kaplan drilled them some and then they fielded questions from the audience.

I'm looking forward to tomorrows 120 mile ride.

San Fran to Santa Cruz 87 miles

Saturday: It's the first day of riding after a wonderful evening the night before. CAF does a fantastic job with this event. Check in was a breeze. We picked up another bag of stuff, arm and knee warmers, light jacket, huge sweatshirt, T-shirt and a day bag. We received instruction on where we needed to be and at what times during the trip. You should have seen the room of bikes. Wheels on Wheels does a great job with keep bikes safe and secure.

We also met many of the 11 challenged athletes we will be riding with this week. Some I knew from San Diego but others were new names and faces. A few were a part of Operation Rebound which is for disabled Vets.

Scott Kaplan got up and talked about the XX1090 Radio Contest, how it started, the process and that I was the winner. It was a very good story and again I was moved by his words. He also spoke about his cousin who recently passed away in while training for this event when he was hit by a car while on his bike in AZ. This will be a hard ride for Scott.

As promised I have taken pictures and video (having problems uploading video at this time). We started just outside our hotel at Fisherman's Wharf. Lots of people, lots of photos and you could feel the tension in the air. Lets ride!!!

Here's a picture of Todd (left) and me (right) at the start as we get ready for this epic ride.

The weather was overcast but it certainly didn't damper our spirits. We had a police escort thru town as we headed up to the old military post. I was plenty warm after the first climb. A few hours later the sun was out but not hot.

The scenery...gorgeous. Here's a few shots of what we saw most of the day. Gilberto had a flat but no tube or pump so I stopped to give him a hand.

I saw Scott K. at the start and then we caught up again with each other at the Lunch stop. He was looking very strong for guy who hasn't put in as many miles as I have. Is he that much young than I...?
We had many opportunities for pacelining. The wind was really hitting us hard in the face. But on the flats we were averaging 18 to 22 MPH even so.

With three SAG stops and lunch we had more than enough to keep us going. Here's an example of what they lay out for us at the SAG stop to snack on.

As we came in to Santa Cruz we had been told and given a course outline with graph showing climbs so we all knew that there was one at the end up to the hotel. It wasn't long but...it was steep. However, the reward was worth it. We picked up our room key, signed up for a massage, grabbed some food and sat back and talked about the day with the gang.

I'm looking forward to tomorrows ride. Should be fun and beatiful and it just keeps getting better every day.

Quote from Zig Ziglar

Tuesday: I awoke around 4:00 AM this morning after a night of tossing and turning. It wasn't so much nervousness as it was anxiousness that interrupted my sleep. The minutes wouldn't go by fast enough as they flashed across my alarm clock.

Before going to bed last night I went out into the back yard to reflect on what might happen on the Scott and BR show the next morning. With my feet in the cold water of our little pool and Butternut beside me we stared up at the moon which was full and large on this clear night. There was nothing to say, no more to accomplish, what was done has been done. Peace, there was a sense of peace.

Nina and I met at the back door of the studio. It didn't surprise me that we were the first to arrive. Soon Jeffery Essakow, Kristine Entwistle and Jim Carbaugh arrived. We were escorted to the studio by Mike one of the radio techs.
Scott and BR where already in full swing with the show. It was about 6:20 at this point. After some intros they had myself and Nina sit at the microphones for some short interviews. It's hard to go back in my mind now and remember everything that happened. Before leaving I asked the techs if they could send me a copy of the show for myself and my family back in Ohio.

I do remember talking about the fund raiser with Todd and that I had over $12,000 in funds. Nina talked about her job in the Navy as a welder. For some reason I still don't see that but she strikes me a person, a lot like my wife, who will take on those kinds of jobs that often are associated with men only.

I'm an emotional kind of guy and those feelings where starting to bubble up as we came closer and closer to hearing who the winner would be. Scott let us know that a request of a vote had been sent out to the remaining radio contestants and count produced a tie.

Scott pulled out an envelope opened it, passed it to BR who looked at it and then passed it back. He hesitated for what seemed like an hour and then...made an announcement. "Mike Henderson is the Winner". Even as I write this I feel the goosebumps on my skin and that cool sensation running around my body. What do you say, what do you do, how do your prepare for something like this?

Scott talked about that last year someone called in at the end and offered up another $5000 to ensure both radio contestants would go on the ride. I had been thinking long and hard about what I would do with the $12K I had raised and knew that part needed to go to the Challenged Athletes who had not raised enough as yet to go. I quickly spoke to Kristine and she let me know that things would be OK there so I told Scott I would donate $4000 from my funds to Nina so she could go. He announced it on the air and Nina started to cry. We hugged and I started to cry too. (I'm just a big baby)

It's hard to sum up in 22 minutes of air time what this experience has been all about or why in the end I was the winner. In my mind it could have been anyone in our group of 30 but for some reason the stars aligned for me.

In the parking lot I called my mom, my wife, my brother, and my sister. My sister in law had hooked up a phone to the Internet for my mom to hear the broadcast back in Ohio. I took a few minutes and thanked my dad who had passed away last year because without the values he and mom had instilled in our family this would not have been possible.

When I returned to my home office there where hundreds of phone calls and emails of congratulations but one that really stuck out from my wife.

"You can get everything you want in life, if you are just willing to help enough other people get what they want". Zig Ziglar

The helmet cam and regular cameras will be with me and rolling on this trip down the coast. My plan is to daily update the blog with clips and notes along the way. If you've been reading this blog then you have been on the journey as well.

Thanks to all the friends and family who have been a part of this with me. It took a village to get here and it would not be possible without your help.

The Question...?

Sunday: Today was full of questions. This was the last ride before we start our journey down the coast from San Francisco to San Diego. But the question from just about everyone I met today was about the radio contest. Questions like...have they made the announcement, when will they tell you, are you nervous, etc.

Scott Kaplan of the Scott and BR Show, is back in town and I was glad to hear his voice this past Friday morning. A lot is riding on his shoulders right now with this contest and the ride. I'm hoping he's ready for 600 miles but am more than willing to lend a wheel when needed.

Speaking of wheels, I decided to not run the ZIPP 404 set on my Trek Madone frame during this event. With such a deep dish to them Dan Plummer of Wheels on Wheels and some of the ride leaders made the suggestion to leave them at home. Those East and East shore winds will make me work as it hits those wheels from the side which will act like sails.

We had a nice showing of the original radio contestants today. Kevin, Kevin, Steve, Todd, Carl, Mike, Scott, Nina, Momo, Brent and myself where there. We broke into our separate groups for the ride up the coast today. Lots of hugs and smiles. Ant-Artic Mike had this cool looking skin suite on but his comment was it was a bit too thin this mornings for temperatures of below 50. Yes, that's cold for California.

Floyd Landis was present this morning to wish us all a fair well and safe riding up the coast. His words of wisdom where to ride hard the first 3 or 4 days so that we are tired out by the time we reach our last leg of our journey so we won't beat him up too much. He plans to connect with our group on Oct 24th.

There are still a few people who have not completely raised the required $10,000 for this event. So many are close but if the dollars aren't in the account it's the responsibility of the individual rider to cover it.

For me the contest is now about winning so I can use the $10,000 plus I have raised to help others make this ride. Everyone has worked hard and deserves to go. We'll just have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday to hear.