A tale of three Steves...

A Kelly, a Matt, a Kristin, and 80 or so others who spent their weekend riding in the wind and the rain to support the Moveable Feast.
RIDE FOR THE FEAST 2008 - Day 1 - Rehoboth to Easton
Above is the gang of seven, mostly Steves, who I spent the bulk of the ride taking turns in the wind with [Kristin is the 7th - see here - for another version minus one Steve plus Kristin]. To get to the sofa you have to rewind 95 or so miles to Rehoboth.

As usual the ride rolled out in one large group headed up the coastal highway and I must admit that my recent spill made me want to get out of the pack ASAP. After our first turn onto rt. 24 things start to string out and I began to make my way to the front in search of a less congested spot in the group. By the time we reached the first pit at mile 20 much of this group had taken shape - Kelly, little Steve, Florida Steve, and myself... after that pit we got a bit more organized and began a paceline. About half way to the second pit we passed Joanne (who was volunteering as a sag driver) I broke off to say high and shed my arm warmers - then got a nice workout trying to sprint back onto the group. I reached them just in time for the second pit stop.

After the second pit the brothers eschmacher joined on and we started to get our paceline a little more organized with everyone taking fairly regular pulls on the front - though it did seem for a while that a certain Steve's turn at the front kept coinciding with the towns rather than the windy farms...

Somewhere between the third pit (lunch) and the fourth we picked up Kristin, who Bart, Steve, and I met last year on this ride. Between the third and fifth pit we mostly kept together making a great team effort of covering the miles, sharing the wind, and encouraging each other.

A few miles after the fifth pit Kelly was taking a turn on the front when the rest of us splintered and she opened up a pretty good gap. After a bit I decided this was a good chance to get out of the saddle and sprint to catch up with Kelly. When I reached her we tried to pick up the pace and quickly learned why two person break aways rarely work. We did OK for a mile or so, but it didn't take long to exhaust ourselves - as a two person paceline offers only brief shelter from the wind. Which is when the sofa came into view - remember the sofa...

There on the on the side of the road was the most remarkable orange velvet sofa basking in the sun atop a manicured lawn with a hand lettered sign "FREE" - It seemed obvious to Kelly and I that this would make the perfect pit stop to chill out and regroup. We had just begun to sit down when the gang began to come into view... naturally it also seemed a great photo opportunity...

We made short work of the few miles we had left - finishing roughly 8 hours after leaving Rehoboth - minus the lunch and pits we pedaled for a little over 6 hours.

Today's soundtrack included - Lollipop (thanks to Lolly Pop Lane) and Victoria (thanks to first person I rode this route with two years ago)

Wildlife Highlights included - numerous turkey vultures including one group working over a deer carcass on the side of the road, a pair of shaggy donkeys. a beautiful Clydesdale, and a groundhog

[I'll try to take a stab at day two tomorrow]

100 miles on the day
869 miles to date

Night before the ride

We're settled into our hotel in Rehoboth - signed in for the ride, shared a meal with all the other riders as well as the volunteers who will support us over the next two days.  I forget what a great bunch of people this brings together... always amazing the threads that link us all together - one of the riders who was behind me when I fell in Easton is married to a scientist that Joanne knows from Hopkins and he is here volunteering as well this weekend... a small world.  

I'd like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me this year... including the donations you made to Team Centerstage - we've raised more than both of my previous rides.  From what we heard downstairs it appears that this year is on track to be their biggest ever - with both more riders and more money raised.  It means a great deal to me to have all of your support - especially when I'm facing 20 mph headwinds tomorrow.

I did manage to squeeze in one more commute this week...

15 miles on Thursday

769 miles to date

Back in the Saddle Again

Today was my first day back on the bike - out on the road - since the accident. Just the regular commute with a slight detour down Maryland/Cathedral and across Monument - which added a bit of brick and cobbles for fun.

I'm feeling pretty good - no real pain or stiffness to complain of... did discover a couple things that weren't revealed by my rides in the trainer or for that matter by working on my bike in the workstand.

1- I seem to have torn the palm open on my left hand glove in the crash - which is fascinating as I only had cuts on the fingertips of that hand and my right hand is much worse off, but that glove looks fine.

2- I have some clicking noise to sort out in the rear dérailleur when on the big ring... can't seem to recreate it when I'm not riding, but need to sort it our before the ride on Saturday.

I was worried of course that I'd be a little tentative, but that doesn't seem to be the case - we'll see how I do back in a pack of other riders this weekend.

Today's soundtrack - Gene Autry's 'Back in the Saddle Again' of course and The Four Seasons 1962 hit 'Big Girls Don't Cry'
17.5 miles on the day
754 miles to date

Not really about the bike - Gala for CENTERSTAGE

This week as I've been recuperating from my little crash I've also been helping to put together our gala fund raiser at work. The picture above is a shot of my major contribution to this years decor - a mobile of paper lanterns in our hoistway. More pics are posted on my flickr site - Gala 2008.

Went to the doctor on Wednesday - she seemed to feel that my minor bits of road rash were clean and heeling nicely. She also felt that since I've had no more headaches or other symptoms there is little to worry about in terms any lingering head injury issues... with that she cleared me to start riding again - at first on the trainer - which I've been doing.

Went to Steve's today to try and wring out my bike's injuries. We bent back the derailluer hanger pretty easily and trued up the wheels. Otherwise it seems to be running well - THANKS STEVE!. We had hoped to fit in a little shakedown ride - but the rain intervened.

Still hoping to get back on the road some this week in advance of the ride on Saturday.

A Weekend in Easton

Sat/Sun 3 & 4 May 08

Saturday was supposed to be my third year doing a 75 mile training ride out of Easton, but I didn't quite finish it. Contrary to weather reports from earlier in the week it was a gorgeous day. We had a huge group of folks training for the Ride for the Feast, as well as a large contingent loosely affiliated to Team JA - who I spent most weekends last summer riding with...

We headed out of the parking lot and made our way towards Oxford. It is hard to believe how much this area has changed in just three years - new shopping centers and tons of houses dot the landscape...

our first major highlight is the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry; This tiny craft holds about three cars plus this day 20 bikes for a short trip across the Tred Avon River - and claims to be the oldest privately operated ferry service in the country. It always makes a fun break and distraction from the ride.

From there we headed into St. Michaels for a quick break at a coffee shop before riding out to the tip of Tilghman Island. We fought a strong head wind along this stretch by forming a nice paceline of 9 or so riders... we then circled back to town for lunch before starting the final leg of our trip back to Easton.

About 8 miles out of town we turned onto some tiny farm roads - giving us our first real break from the traffic... this was also our first chance to stop riding single file and be a bit more social - which may have proved to by my undoing.

Somewhere around mile 64 or so a moment of inattention on my part caused me to touch wheels with the rider in front of me. Before I new it I was lying in the road with a half a dozen riders trying desperately not to run me over. Thankfully they were paying attention and managed to avoid me. In the end I think perhaps three of us wound up in the road, but I seemed to be the worst for the wear.

The gang was quick to settle me down and keep me from trying to get back up. It was clear immediately that my ride for the day was over - and after a few minutes it also became clear that I might be well served by a visit to the ER.

The highlights (and low-lights) from here included;

- Aesha taking control and taking my hand when I hit the deck - I won't soon forget her calm voice telling me to keep still and making sure I was well enough to get up off the ground - then discovering she had suffered her own fair share of road rash.

- Discovering the long tear in Steve's wheel that resulted from his heroic braking effort that surely saved my ribcage...

- The ER doc (who used to ride)asking me when my last big fall was (at least 5000 miles ago) to which he responded - "so you were due"

- Kelly and Bart pushing their faces into the window while the ER doc was telling me he thought I needed a Cat scan - and then Bart promising to make me carrot cake muffins.

- the ER nurse asking us if we were all from the 'Western Shore' - a phrase I rarely hear, but that never fails to conjure up that New Yorker cartoon of the US - only in this case all of the US would be depicted at the 'Western Shore' except of course Delmarva

- Kelly and Steve breaking the news about my bike to me gently... there's still hope but it seems like it may have faired worse than I did.

- the first of my two CAT scans - they tell you to sit still then the little table jumps around like one of those quarter rides in front of the grocery store.

- defnite low-light- having the ER doc tell me there was something questionable on the CAT scan and they wanted me to admit me for observation.

- The third attempt at putting in my IV that resulted in my greatest blood loss of the whole experience as I bled out all over the towel, TV remote and who know what else...

- The ER nurse who eventually secured permission to give me water and brought me this 32 oz container (pictured below) and said "don't ask what we measure in this, but I figured giving you an 8 oz cup would be a bit of a joke. - the mixture of frustration and excitement when it was suggested that I might have to be medi-vac-d to another hospital for the lack of a doctor who was willing to admit me - I've always loved a helicopter ride.

- the excellent Strawberry shake that Steve brought me from the DQ

- having the admitting doc mistake Steve for my dad - subsequent experience with him leads me to believe that was a comment on the child that fell off his bike and not on how old Steve may have looked...

- The excellent Pad Thai that Joanne showed up with... from Easton - who knew

- Kelly txt-ing me to let me know how much fun my car is to drive - and to ask how I was doing.

- the nurse tech how woke me abruptly at 6 am by rolling me over and sticking a thermometer in my mouth in one motion all while screaming 'mr pearl' - she then scolded me not to roll out of bed while she stormed out of the door.

- the diabolical contraption posing as a chair that Joanne had to spend the night in

- watching Tour De Georgia coverage from my hospital bed

- having the Neurologist tell me how crazy he thought cyclists were for riding through St. Michaels.

- over-hearing the nurse receiving the results of my second CAT scan and repeating "It's negative" - and interpreting that to mean there was nothing in my head - less funny was waiting four more hours to have the doctor release me...

- my co-workers who were shocked to see me alive today, because I was so sparse in my description to my assistant that she told them I was hit by a car and therefore wouldn't be in on Monday.

- The Strawberry Rhubarb crumble that Joanne made me on Monday night which I'm having leftovers of while I type this...

60+ miles on the day
675 to date

47 Hours in Berkeley

Headed out to California (briefly) for a meeting of LORT theater managers...
the meeting was at the Claremont Resort in the Berkley Hills
OK so the hotel doesn't quite sit so alone these days, but it still an amazing view - this shot below is a photo I took from the room our meeting was held in, but it was a but hazy - so I photoshop-ed it a bit to make it look more like the post card above. In reality there was a pretty great view of the bay, San Francisco, and even the Golden Gate... which made it pretty hard to pay attention to the proceedings...
On out first night we took in Figaro at Berkeley Rep - which was an interesting mix of theater and opera with quite a bit of projections thrown in for good measure. This was the first production by Theatre de Jeune Lune for me - I've been wanting to see them for about 15 years now - ever since my friend Mike told me about them. I was really intrigued by what I saw, but we were both too tired to stay for the second act and snuck out at intermission.

While I was hearing about the collective bargaining agreements - Joanne managed to get in some hiking in the hills and visit some friends. I played hookey from the meeting Thursday night and took in a visit to the Berkeley Sauna with her and dinner at the Great Wall with our friend Mark - which just about makes up my must do list for a visit to Berkeley.

New Shoes and where have all the flowers gone

Tuesday 29 April 08

Commuted to work today on the Poprad with my new shoes and pedals; Not so good for commuting - very slippery on the crosswalks, but I think the show/pedal combo will be much better than what I have been using for the longer weekend rides.

Not much to say about todays ride other than the all the tulips are gone from Sherwood Gardens...squeezed in three laps around the lake at Druid Hill on the way in and went straight home to pack for the trip to Berkeley.

23 miles for the day
675 miles to date