Tally Ho!

Time to board a flight and time to reflect.  Training for the Tour has provided so many unexpected blessings, which I will articulate in a moment, but first some statistics.

First ride February 3 started at 9:27 am, 38 miles, 1,269 of elevation, 3,185 calories burned.  Just about passed out at the end of this ride.  Started a dramatic food intake reduction that week and was literally shaking when I returned from the ride due to lack of food in my system.

22 outside rides later, I rode 1,003 miles, 72.5 hours in the saddle, averaged 13.8 mph, 59,414 feet of climbing, and 78,450 calories burned.

Last ride May 11 ended at 2:50 pm, 71 miles, 5,673 of elevation, 5,414 calories burned.  Hottest day, by far, of my training and the most challenging.   It was tough but felt great once it was done, and with all the weight lost, I look, if I do say so myself, amazing on the roads.  :).

Now the blessings.

Blessing 1:

Donations to date total $21,375!  The initial goal was $5,000.  I do not have a fundraising personality so to raise 4 times what was expected has taught me when I believe in a cause and talk to people about it, I'm not selling the cause, I'm just sharing what I know, and people give as they feel led.  I never expected a donation from any individual because I did not want to put myself in a position of judgment.

That approach can be applied to my Christian faith.  I'm not selling Christ, I'm just telling people what I know, and the person decides if the Christian faith is something they want to explore.  And never, NEVER, judge a person for what they think of Christ and my faith in Him.

Blessing 2:

As of this morning I have lost 105 pounds since I started taking better care of myself on August 7, 2011 with half of that loss happening since the end of January of this year.  Some perspective, the bike box I'm bringing, fully packed, weighs 100 pounds and I have been weighing myself, then grabbing the box and weighing me and the box to gauge the weight of the box.  That box is me, or at least what was hanging on me.  Amazing!  What a blessing to feel how I feel and how sweet I need not worry about sitting in a tight airplane seat for hours on end.  And what a blessing for the person on the plane sitting next to me.

Blessing 3:

My faith is stronger.  You know, faith is like the muscles I've been training.  If I want stronger faith I have to, like my muscles, exercise it.  I don't know what will happen on this trip, but I am 100% confident God has been preparing hearts and minds of people I will encounter, and setting up situations for my faith to be exercised even more, and preparing my heart and mind....and body.  All I have to do is show up and trust Him.

Blessing 4:

My son got an internship at my company because of my blog.  Whoa!  Didn't see that one coming.  I added one fellow-employee to my blog distribution because we sat next to each other at our CEO's retirement party a couple years ago and we learned we are both Christians.  Fast forward to this March and we are together again at a management retreat and just "happen" to meet in the buffet line.  He asked how I came to know Burundi so I told him about my 2007 Burundi trip with my son.  That led to more details about my son graduating college in May, and by the end of breakfast my co-worker was asking if my son might be interested in working in our Costa Mesa office.  It eventually led to a 3 month internship for my son and he starts in June!!  That, my friends, does not happen, if not for this blog.  Thank you Lord!

Blessing 5:

My wife.  Always knew she loves me and supports me but she has gone above and beyond this time sacrificing as much, if not more, than me for this trip.  Those 72.5 hours I've been riding outside she is home holding down the fort.  And those hours don't include rest time and time away from home.  She is my blog editor and has as much to do with the final product as I do.  She has encouraged me on riding days when I was not motivated to ride to get my fanny out there.  She is truly a gift and when I get back I so want to return the favor and make sure to take extra-good care of her.

Blessing 6:

The people God has put in my life helping me prepare.  Friends encouraging me to lose weight, tremendous trainers, fantastic bike shop store employees, and nutritionist.  And just this morning while sitting at Peets Coffee, two pastor friends coming over, one reading scripture as an encouragement and the other praying with me and my wife who joined me today.  What a blessing!  An amazing array of people and personalities that helped me get to where I am today.

Blessing 7:

My attitude....toward me.  Saturday's ride was scheduled as 100 miles and 7,500 feet of climbing.  It started with a ride up Diablo, 11 miles and 3,500 feet of climbing.  As my friend and I returned to the bottom of Diablo, we, for a variety of reasons decided to cut the ride short and do the ride I described at the beginning of this post.  Had I made the decision not to do the more challenging ride when first started training I would have beat myself up for not doing what I said I would do.  Saturday, however, after changing to an easier route I had this thought, "Enjoy the ride".  That is new for me and I've really learned to not beat myself up, not be so hard on myself, and love me more.

Blessing 8:

You.  The emails and comments I have received over the months have served as great encouragement.  And as I would receive notifications of donations I would just smile and say, "Thanks God!  That's so cool.". Thanks for being a part of this!

There's more but I have to get going.  I will update my blog and/or email while in Burundi as I am able.  Take care.

When a Cold is a Blessing

Last Wednesday I hit my 100 pound goal, and just two days later, I hit my $10,000 donation goal.  Two words, "Praise God".  I don't know how to express my feelings other than to say how thankful I am for all the people that are involved in this journey.  God picked you to be a part of this and I hope that gives you a sense of comfort.

With my employer matching, total funds raised thus far is over $20,500!  Just because the goal has been met though, don't stop giving.  Next Wednesday, May 8th, I will ask my employer for the matching gift.  The cap is $10,000 but I plan to ask for matching the entire amount so there is still a chance your donation could double.  If you've not done so, click here, and give.  Thanks!

With last week's 100 pound weight loss focus I didn't get a chance to update you on my riding.  So here is a two-week recap....

The weekend of April 19, 20, and 21 I rode outside all three days.  A first!  75 flat miles Friday, Mount Diablo summit Saturday, and 50 hilly miles Sunday.  By the end of the weekend I rode 155 miles, climbed 8,200 feet, and burned over 11,000 calories and felt great in the process!  My plan was to replicate the three day ride the following weekend and come Friday April 26th I set out to do just that.

It was a cold morning and I was just starting to feel the onset of a cold.  Not a great combo but I had a schedule to keep and out I went.  My speed was down, my energy was down, and I didn't feel right.  About 15 miles into the ride I got a flat tire with my new puncture-resistant tires.  How nice!  Fixing a flat is no big deal but I used my one and only spare tube, had 60 miles to go (much of it further away from home), and my wife was out of town so it wasn't clear how I would get home should I have a second flat tire.  With all that in mind I made the call to cut the ride short and turned for home.

Now home, I had something I have not had much of since training began, spare time.  Turning my attention to my Tour du Burundi to do list I took advantage of my new-found time and got to work on completing tasks.  What a blessing, if not for my cold, I probably would have continued riding and those Friday tasks would still be on the to do list.  But Saturday would be different, I thought, as Diablo was calling, and I needed a climb.

Waking up Saturday morning I felt horrible, my cold was worse, my throat sore, and my voice sounded like Barry White (Song in video dedicated to my wife).  For the first time in my training I bailed on a ride.  I didn't feel great about it.   My mind was telling me I was quitting but my body was telling me to shut it down.  Shut it down I did because of a silly cold but what a blessing!  A second day of spare time which gave me the opportunity to continue working on my bike carrier which is a project I have worked on for a while but never had an entire day dedicated to it.

Bikes in carriers can be checked like any piece of baggage.  My bike carrier, pictured here, was born from something I found on the web.  I decided to build it because I, first, wanted to minimize the breaking down and rebuilding of my bike which must be done with a traditional carrier.  A second, and very important benefit, is space within the carrier.  As you can see from the pictures, I'm able to bring many supplies.  Simon asked me to bring paper plates and plastic knives and forks to minimize water contamination issues and they all fit nicely in the carrier.  All my bike gear fits too as well as some frisbees and other goodies for the kids.  I'm packing it to the 100 pound max, which explains the wheels to be detached as I'm checking the box.  Say a prayer the dang thing holds together.

I took a break from building the carrier around 6 pm Saturday thinking I would grab a quick bite to eat and get back to the carrier.  I sat down on the couch after dinner, well honestly, during dinner, and that was it.  There would be no getting off the couch Saturday night and I decided right then to sleep in Sunday, skip church, and not ride Sunday.  Again, Sunday presented more new-found time and more time to work on the carrier.  It was a full day of work and planning because I had to determine what items would go where within the carrier and what extra bracing I might need to add to minimize shifting during the flight and baggage handling.

By Sunday's end, actually it was early Monday morning, the carrier was 90% complete and as I write this it is 99% complete.  Where would I have been on the bike carrier, an essential component of the trip, if I didn't have two-plus days like I did last weekend to work on it?  Can't say for sure, but it would not be anywhere close to being done.  This coming weekend is booked with other activities, so no progress would have been made, which leaves the weekend before I go to wrap up the carrier.  That would have been extremely stressful.

But that stress has been avoided and because of my cold my bike carrier is virtually done.  Who knew a cold could be such a blessing?

Two words, "Praise God".  Even in our suffering there can be joy.  Having the bike carrier done eliminates the last big pre-trip hurdle and I feel joy swelling in me as I write this sentence.

Thanks for reading this.  Always a pleasure having you along.

The Hundred Pound Rose

The Hundred Pound Rose

The 100th pound is shed!

A church I attended years ago encouraged people to pray over a situation in their life that would require a miracle to resolve.  Each person would take a rose, pictured here, and return it to the church when the miracle occurs.  The rose I took is in the mail, heading back to the church from which it was taken, and I wrote this poem celebrating the miracle that has occurred in my life.

It represents a miraculous prayer

A prayer rose held for a decade

"Lord help me lose weight and get in shape"

But neither happened

Not because You're unfaithful to me

But me to you

Today, however, the rose blossoms

One hundred pounds lighter

On my knees, head bowed, I humbly return

The hundred pound rose

Back to the church which challenged me to pray

A miraculous prayer

My burden lifted by Your grace

All praise, glory, and honor to You, my Father

God of Israel

Thank You for Your faithfulness

Thank You for encouraging friends

Thank You for inspiring trainers

Thank You most of all for a supportive wife

Thank You for blessing me in so many ways

Now Lord, with a healthy body, I ask this question

What would You have me do for Your Kingdom?

Lord, I am Your servant and

I am willing to accept whatever You want for my life

I SURRENDER TO YOUR WILL AND WAYS

A Good Sign

Before getting into the past week I’m asking, for those of you who do such a thing, for you to start praying for Simon’s health.  Simon is the person organizing the Tour du Burundi and he has been suffering from fatigue for the past four weeks.  Normally I would make a joke here about Simon making it up to get out of riding but this is serious stuff and he needs big-time prayer support.  Thanks.

Now the week and what a great week it was!  Contributions jumped up to $6,375 this week, $12,750 when factoring in my employer's matching contribution.  Just $3,625 of your contributions away from the $20,000 goal.  It will happen and it's so exciting to think about the positive impact that kind of money will have on the Gitega International Academy and the students.  A big thanks to the anonymous donor out there.  Would love to thank you personally but you know who you are and I appreciate your donation very much.

This weekend's riding had one goal in mind: replicate riding Day 1 and 2 in Burundi.  From Simon's description of the route and one of the rider's elevation chart, Day 1 is a flat 75 mile ride and Day 2 is a Mount Diablo-like climb, and that's what I set out to do.

A flat 75 mile ride means I head east, good old Altamont-lined-with-windmills Road.  This is the "Drafting Jesus" road.  Riding east is a pleasure and I look for signs of the ferocity of the wind I will face when I turn around at Mountain House Bar.  My clearest indication was a tarp that was stuck on a barbed-wire fence.  That puppy was snapping in the wind like no other and my deep philosophical thought at that moment, "yikes!".

Well let me tell you, the tarp did not lie.  Turning around and heading west.....ho-chi-mama!  Nasty, brutal wind and I was immediately in my easiest gear on a road with a slight upgrade but nothing that would normally require that low of a gear.   Took me an hour to ride 8 miles.  It normally takes a half an hour.  I even had to pedal on the downhills just to keep moving.  Typically, when I reach a motorcycle dirt track just outside the canyon I’ve just been through the wind dies down and things get back to normal.  Not this day.

Cycling West: headwind.  Cycling South: headwind.  Cycling North: headwind.  Cycling East: well who cares because I was done with my westerly riding early that day.  So yes, wind can blow in three directions at the same time, at least it felt like it.  So I did 77 miles Saturday and I got a much better workout than I expected because of all the wind.  Yes, I get to ride into the wind and I should be thankful I'm not riding in snow.  In fact, I am.  I just like to whine from time to time.

So with Saturday under my belt I went out Sunday to climb Diablo.  In my mind it was to the top or failure.  I had to prove to myself that I could do back to back riding of this nature or risk doubt that I would ever get in shape to tackle the entirety of the Tour du Burundi.

Sunday was a beautiful day and nowhere near the wind of Saturday.  So beautiful that I left my leg warmers at home, wore a short-sleeved jersey, and stuffed my jacket in my back pocket just in case it was cold at the top and I wanted it for my descent.

I tried this very same Saturday-Sunday combo two weeks ago and only made it to the Junction so I knew what my legs might feel like this Sunday.  Well I'm  pleased to report I felt much better as I rode up to the Junction and after a short water break I started out on the last 4.5 miles of the ascent not knowing how my legs would react.

There are clear goals over the last 4.5 miles.  2.5 miles up and you’re at the Juniper vista point and only 2 miles to go but a steep grade ahead.  1 more mile and you hit Devil's Elbow, a 180 degree turn and significant because the grade decreases at that point and you know you will make it....almost.  The last 300 feet is a 17% grade that I have never been able to ride up.

I made it to Juniper and I made it to Devil's Elbow but stopped at the last 300 feet.....by design.  The last thing I need to do at this stage of my training is attempt that last climb and fall over because I'm going so slow and re-injure my separated shoulder.  At the top I was greeted by this view.  I was hoping you could see San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance but I have to say I took the picture and I can’t even see them.  Well, you get the point.  I was at the top!!

This ride was a huge psychological lift for me!!!  Knowing I can do rides like this back to back gives me great confidence for Day 1 and 2 in Burundi.

You know what else would be a huge psychological lift?  Seeing the last $3,625 donated over the next two weeks to reach the $20,000 goal.  It's like we are at the Juniper vista point of fund raising.  We have a mile of steep incline to go but it gets easier after that.  Let's get through the last training and fundraising together and set our sights on doing the Tour and giving $20,000 to the Gitega International Academy!

And quickly, a weight-loss update.  I'm down 3 pounds this week and just 3 away from reaching another goal: 100 pounds shed from this frame of mine!

Thanks for reading this!

Inspiration from Across the Pond. Twice.

Rode to the Junction Saturday morning.  Left the house around 7 am and enjoyed a very peaceful ride.  That time in the morning there are few cars on the road, especially once on the mountain.  Also, when I hit 1000 feet I was riding in the clouds.  Sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes not so good.  This time it was the former as the clouds actually made it warmer than the temperature at the base of the mountain.  It was great but couldn't go to the summit as we had plans to celebrate my mom’s 89th birthday and I couldn't be late for the party.

Sunday departures are usually around 11 am.  After church.  My wife and I had to take care of something so my departure was delayed.  The morning weather started out nice but by the time we left church clouds had rolled in and it looked like rain.  I had Redwood Road in mind, 48 miles and 2500 feet of climbing but I didn't want to go because of the weather.  Then I thought about one of my fellow riders, Paul, training in England.  It’s been an unusually cold spring where he lives, but not only is he riding in cold temperatures, he is riding in snow.  Check out the picture he sent.  When I thought of what he does to train I got on my bike and started riding.  He is truly an inspiration to pansy-boy Burundi Dave.

About half way into the ride I was feeling pretty good and as I approached a fork in the road, right toward home or left up a hill and about 8 additional miles more than I planned when I set out, I thought of Paul riding in the snow.  I went left and said out loud, "This one is for you Paul".  So I did 56 miles Sunday and around 3000 feet of climbing and am very grateful to have a rider on the other side of the world with enough drive to inspire me.  So good!

So Paul, I thank you for your inspiring training and I dedicate Sunday's ride to you.

Also inspiring are those of you that have given your hard earned money to support the Tour du Burundi and the Gitega International Academy.  Thank you so much!  Those of you that are waiting to donate, wait no longer.  I leave for Burundi in just over a month and it's time to take full advantage of my employer's offer to match every dollar contributed up to $10,000.  There is free money just waiting to be donated but I need your help to take full advantage of it.  And remember, your donation is tax deductible.

Weighed in today and lost another two pounds.  Just six from my goal of one hundred pounds lost.  So close!

Thanks so much for reading this and being part of a wonderful adventure!

And please, grab your credit card and let your dollars go twice as far!!

Drafting Jesus

Had to tighten my bike helmet's chinstrap before last weekend's ride, so one of two things is happening: either I'm using less hair gel, highly unlikely, or one of my chins has gone missing.  Pretty sure it's the latter.

Saturday's ride was designed with one thought in mind: Day 1 of riding in Burundi.  Simon told us it was a flat 122 kilometers (75 miles) riding south along Lake Tanganyika, so I was looking to do a similar ride sans Burundi's heat and humidity.  Rides like that mean one thing: Eastward on Altamont Pass Road.  This is the same road my riding buddy took a fall on and broke his collar bone and it's the same road that's flanked by windmills and the wind typically blows east.  BTW my riding buddy is on the mend and hopes to join me on some rides before I depart for Burundi, which, is less than six weeks away!  Looking forward to having him back and healthy!!

So I'm cruising on Altamont Pass Road, feeling no wind, and that means only one thing.  The wind is at my back.  I started looking for clues to back up my hypothesis.  Clue 1: rounding a corner the first set of windmills came into view and all of them were facing me, pointed into the wind, and they were cranked up.  Clue 2:  the cyclists coming toward me were riding in tight single file lines, a technique called drafting, where the lead rider takes the brunt of the wind which lightens the burden for the riders that follow.  It really works and let me tell you when you've done your pull at the front and drop to the back of the line you take a huge inhale and can pedal easier because the other riders are literally pulling you along.  Clue 3:  about half way to the turnaround point, the Mountain House Bar, an approaching cyclist yells out these words of encouragement, "I hope you're not coming back this way".  My thought, I might as well enjoy these last few miles because I was, indeed, ‘coming back this way’.

After a few minutes of rest in the Mountain House Bar parking lot, pictured here, it was time to head back on Altamont Pass Road and find out just how bad this headwind really is.  Having never been inside the Mountain House Bar I'm not sure of the clientele, but I can tell you I was there one Saturday morning on a ride and the Hells Angels were there preparing for an event.  Also there, across the parking lot, bail bondsman trucks.  Hmmm, what might that mean?

Leaving the parking lot, one thing was clear, the wind was an issue, a big issue, and I was riding alone with no one to draft.  Turning around and leaving the parking lot is like flipping a switch on the wind machine.  Amazing!  As I started out I could hear the cyclist’s words in my head, "I hope you're not coming back this way, way, way....".  Well I am, am, am because it is the only way back and I want to get back, so I make myself as small as possible, find a comfortable gear, and start grinding.

This is a six mile stretch with an elevation gain of about 500 feet.  Nothing big but the incline seems magnified because of the wind.  I start thinking about the parallels between life and riding a bicycle.  On my way out to the Mountain House Bar, wind at my back, life was great!  When the wind is at your back in life, enjoy the ride.  Be thankful for who you are, how you were created with unique gifts and talents that benefit you and those around you, should you choose to use your gifts to their fullest potential.

When riding into a headwind I want a riding partner whom I can draft.  It doesn't make the wind go away, it just lightens the burden.  As a Christian, I have a riding partner, more of an advocate I'd say, in the person of Jesus.  He's there whether the wind is at my back or I'm facing one of life's headwinds.  I can choose to go it alone when life is challenging or I can listen to Jesus when the wind is whipping and he says something like, "Dave, why don't you let me pull out in front of you, let me lead, and you draft me?  I know the best path for your life.  Will you follow me?". Always the gentleman, He always asks, never demands.

When I accept His offer and tuck in behind him, the wind doesn't necessarily die down but my burden is always lifted as Jesus is there for me, cutting though the wind.  Like riding outside, I physically take a deep breath of relief when I choose to draft Jesus.  I wish I could state that I follow Jesus 100% of the time, always following His path for my life, but that would not be a true statement.  The good news, whether I follow his path or not, is He loves me just the same.  It's the unconditional love He has for me I spoke of in an earlier post.

His unconditional love is what gives me hope when I choose a path that is not consistent with his plan.  And hope is a good thing.  Sometimes it’s the best of things.  When I don't follow Him he waits.  When I fall, he picks me up, dusts me off, and generally asks something like, "Did you learn anything?".  And then I feel His loving hug.

Won't go any deeper than that but to say Jesus is available to you too regardless of the path you've been on.  Maybe it's time to draft Jesus and let him lead.  I know He loves you unconditionally and wants you to give your burdens over to him.  I pray for you all that time to make a decision like that.

Back to the ride….So I survived the wind tunnel known as Altamont Pass Road and by the time I got home I ended up doing 77 miles!  A good day indeed!

Went out Sunday morning with the intent of climbing to Diablo’s summit.  The only other time I rode Diablo on Easter Sunday was about 10 years ago and when I made it to the summit I was alone.  I’m looking north when I turned around and there is a guy there standing outside his beat up old car.  I did not hear him pull up and my first thought was, “I’m a dead man”.  He was looking out over the valley and said, “This is my church”.  My next thought, “Okay this guy is either an angel or I’m a dead man”.  He walked over to me, handed me a tulip and said, “Pray for someone”.  I turned around and the guy was gone.  I know, strange, but if you want strange, sometime I’ll tell you about the wild stuff I’ve seen in Africa.

So I’m standing on Diablo’s summit with my bicycle, tulip in hand.  I wrap the stem around my brake cables and head home where I put the flower in a vase.  It lasted 3 weeks and was perfect the entire time.  I have no idea who that guy was and I wish I could tell you what it means but I haven’t a clue.  Maybe I need Joseph from the Old Testament to come back and interpret for me.

Riding this past Easter morning I had no such experience but I did learn my thighs aren’t ready for 77 miles one day and the Diablo Summit the next but I did make it to the Junction without stopping which is an improvement over last week so I’m calling it a victory.  Also, yesterday marked day 5 in a row of some sort of cycling.  Three days indoors and two outdoors.  I’ve never done that before so I’m pretty pleased overall.

Also pleasing was yesterday’s weigh-in. Happy to report I dropped 4 pounds last week bringing my total to 92.  Just 8 from the big enchilada!!

Why do I keep referencing food?  Oy vey!

Thanks for your continued interest and have a great week!

70 Is the New 55

Before jumping into last weekend's riding I want to acknowledge one of the Tour du Burundi riders who had to bow out of the ride last week for family reasons.  He is putting his family first and I support his decision 100% but I will miss him on the Tour.  Please pray for him and his family as you feel led.

With his departure, the only other rider from the states, I'm left riding with a bunch of boys from across the pond.  This concerns me.  Don't get me wrong, based on the email banter they all seem like great lads but after hanging with them for two weeks  how will their Britishness rub off on me?  I mean, will I have the urge to change my name to Burundi Nigel?  "Nigel Caruthers here with your latest post from Burundi."  “Say Simon, old boy, be a dear and hand me my iPad.”  Will I be unable to write pithy comments unless I'm wearing an ascot and smoking jacket?  Am I being too stereotypical?

On to the rides, the second weekend of riding both Saturday and Sunday.  I felt so good after last weekend that I wanted to test myself and do a longer ride with more climbing and checking my ride archives I found a 55 miler that seemed to fit the bill.  Off I went Saturday morning to do some of the Redwood Road ride plus a climb up Grizzly Peak.

The route change from the Redwood Road ride is the point where Redwood meets Pinehurst.  Last post I told you it was at this point I traditionally rest but I continued on up Pinehurst and toward home.  Last Saturday I didn't turn right on Pinehurst, I continued on Redwood which is a 2 mile incline to Skyline Boulevard.  This stretch of Redwood is uncomfortable as the grade increases the closer you get to Skyline.  There are horse stables near the top and I'm always very happy to smell horses as I know I'm getting closer to Skyline.

Taking a break where Redwood meets Skyline, still smelling horses, and over 30 miles into what I thought was a 55 mile ride, I realized, if I were to complete my intended route, the ride would be significantly longer than I planned.  I knew I had a bailout point a few miles up the road so I continued to that decision point.

So there I am, a right turn down a hill would make it a 55 mile ride, straight (my planned route) would add probably 10 miles.  At that moment I thought I heard God's voice prompting me to the longer route but then I realized I had stopped near a parked car and the woman inside was on her cell phone.  Nonetheless, I chose the longer ride because I would have felt like a wimp doing anything less.

This stretch takes the rider up a road called Grizzly Peak.  Note the word "peak".  Lots more climbing but with rewards like these views.  Not sure if you can see through the haze but that's San Francisco on the left and the Golden Gate Bridge on the right.  It's a really beautiful ride that leads to Tilden Park and Wildcat Canyon Road and ultimately to a rest stop at Peet’s Coffee.  50 miles into the ride, still a good distance from home, and facing yet another decision.  Parenthetically, when it comes to Peet’s Coffee, I’m like a moth to a light.  I have to stop. 

My fuel on my rides is cheese sticks (protein), this gel-like stuff in a little pouch (carbohydrates), electrolyte pills (think Gatorade without the sugar and liquid), and water.  Combining all that with the pills I take for my knees, the fish oil I take for Omega 3's, ibuprofen, and a variety of other vitamins and supplements, there's a sad truth I need to face.  I'm doping.  Mind you, this puts me in good company.  Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds come to mind.  But back to the decision I faced while resting at Peet’s.

I had one cheese stick left, I needed the protein, but this was a five-hour-old cheese stick that had been warming nicely in a bag attached to the underside of my bicycle seat.  Add to that, at an earlier rest stop I discovered two cheese sticks buried in the back of that same bag that had been there for untold weeks.  Man, just writing that makes my stomach turn.

So staring at my last, warm, limp, cheese stick I'm thinking, "Do I feel lucky?" I needed it.  I ate it and hopped on my bike wanting to get home as soon as possible because I had no idea if the cheese stick I just consumed would have a positive or negative effect.

The last what I thought would be 15 miles turned out to be 20 miles which meant the original plan of a 55 miler turned into 70!  That’s 70 plus 3900 feet of climbing!!  As I returned home I was certain I was not going out Sunday.  Sunday arrived and out I went for a ride up Mount Diablo, well, as far as my thighs would take me.

Leaving the house Sunday I was surprised I was even riding and Diablo seemed like a good test.  Starting at the base of Diablo it became clear that the summit was not happening today.  Every switchback was a call to stop as my thighs were burning from the prior day's ride.  Eventually, I made it to the Junction, and called it a day.  It was a beautiful day, indeed, and the first time this year I broke out the short-sleeved jersey.  By the end of the weekend, the two rides totaled 90 miles, 6,100 feet of climbing, over 7,100 calories burned, and a distain of cheese sticks.

All of that effort resulted in about 3 more pounds of weight loss bringing the total to 88 pounds and now within spitting distance of the 100 pound goal.  And speaking of goals, I'm determined to raise $20,000 for the school.  Need about $7,000 more in donations plus my employer's matching to make it.  I feel, like the 12 pounds, $7,000 is a forgone conclusion.  It is within spitting distance as well.  If you're thinking of giving, grab your credit card now and get it done.  And please pay in dollars not cheese sticks.

Remember, you don’t have to donate, you get to donate.

Happy Easter!!