Team Charlie A-Gamed It

Just a quick post to say "Wow! What a ride." Most of us on Team Charlie had no idea we'd be able to do what turned out to be a 70.8 mile ride. But let's send a big shout-out to Laura G., Jim M., the "mighty beluga" and all our amazing team supporters and Memory Ride volunteers who made the whole thing so superfantastic. Every mile was worth it because it looks like we raised over $10,000 and we still ask friends and loved ones to consider making a donation to Team Charlie. You still have time to donate!

Looks like we got photos to sort through and such, so it may take a few days to get a full report up here. But meanwhiles, I got more pics up on crackbook if'n ya wanna take a gander.

Ride Day!!!

We are ready, people!!! Just check out our Team Charlie terry cloth wrist bands. Thanks to everyone who supported our team, and look out for a slew of post-ride posts soon!

Oh lordy....

Well, looking at the weekend's forecast and after reading all of the comments about St. Christopher (who, according to Gery & Ellie, is the patron saint of carrying your bike over a bridge that's out), I decided to see if there were any steps we could take, pietisically speaking, to ensure somewhat more favorable conditions for the Big Day.

Here's what I found: Saint Medard, patron saint against bad weather. Basically, the story is that he was a rich French teenager in the 6th century. One day a buddy of his lost his horse, so Medard gave him one of his father's finest horses. Immediately afterward, it started to downpour and while everyone else was drenched (including the buddy and the horse), a giant eagle came up and spread its wings over Medard, keeping him entirely dry. From the versions of the story that I read it wasn't entirely clear as to exactly how much trouble Medard got in with his father for giving away his finest horse... but, hey, at least he wasn't wet, right?

Last training ride

Just a quick entry before we head up to Beantown...

Woke up this morning at 5:15am to the sound of water dripping into my office (inches away from my internet router, mind you). I thought the morning was going to be wash out and was bummed not to be able to get one last quick ride in before we leave. We've been ramping down our training regimen but still I hadn't been on my bike since Monday. Luckily, the skies cleared by about 9am and we were able to get out for a short ride.

I can't believe we're really going to do this thing! All this time it hasn't quite seemed real but here we come... GO TEAM CHARLIE!!

(This picture isn't actually from today. I have short hair now. And I don't actually have devil horns - thanks Nancy!)

So, I've probably biked more than anyone else...

So, yah, I've um biked, like, 7000 miles... so... I'm a really good biker. I'm probably better than a lot of other people... so...

I did a ride today.. and it was, like, 200 miles ... and I averaged 65mph... so I just think I'm a little more experienced at riding bikes than any of you...

Peace and Love

!#@%*$@#!!!!

Shot bloks? Swearing? Sucking wind? Hating people? Having my chain jump off the chain ring, fixing it and then having to start up again on a really steep hill and hating myself for being horrible? Been there. Done that!

Time to move on and try something new. How about a 65.8 mile ride to Carlisle via route 225 and back via route 4 through Chelmsford and Billerica (home ada Mikeys) averaging 14.9 mph?!! Not that there wasn't a lot of the former activities along the way, 'cuz there was plenty o' that, indeed. I also indulged in a pitstop at a dunkin donits on rt. 40 where a guy asked me about what I was up to, where i was coming from and where i was headed. I ended up telling him all about Team Charlie and he left me with best wishes to relay to all of you for a great ride on Saturday.

A word about hills, though. This ride yesterday had plenty of them. big ones, little ones, steep ones and gradual ones. But I realized looking at the profile of my ride that the biggest hill of all of them is the first five miles of the minuteman. I know, it sounds wierd, but from Arlington to Lexington is about a 280 foot gain, what some people call "false flats". And even though other hills climb as high in a fraction of the distance, it still requires a significant effort. So I thought about how to use this information to help me physically and mentally face those later, steeper hills. And my trick was to use my gears to maintain a good turnover or "cadence" and keep my legs warm and moving the whole 65.8 miles, not coasting everytime I needed a rest, only to have to rebuild the strength to start moving again. Worry about keeping moving, I told myself, not speed or time or hills. Bizarrely, I had a much easier time climbing, a better attitude, enjoyed everything about the ride more and made amazing time. Even one of the hills that seemed endless, was still manageable because I just geared all the way down and slogged it out with the mantra, "just keep moving your legs, marge!"

So, why not take a ride on my hot air baloon? The hot air baloon of my mind!