This was my first year to participate in anything of this magnitude. Up to this time I had only ridden up to 50 miles, and then only once. I had signed up to ride 75 miles the 25th and 75 miles the 26th. I was starting off in a big way.
Friday 24 September 18:00
I took the day off to pack and prepare. I met up with my friend Jim Frederick and he and I went to the "Spaghetti Dinner" at the Dallas AIDS resource center. While there we got our rider packets and did our final check-in.
At dinner we met quite a diverse group of people, I chatted with a very nice woman with a very shy little girl named Lucy... for the life of me I can not remember her mom's name, but I did see her out on the course... she was doing good, well she was ahead of me anyway.
Jim and I drove to the American Airlines Training and Conference Center in Arlington. We talked allot and I specifically talked of my family, Jim and I were laughing like kids the entire way. He especially liked the story of my cousin who insists that the word "moist" is pornographic. We laughed harder until I couldn't see the road through the tears in my eyes. Getting to the AAT&CC I parked the car and he got us checked into the hotel there on site. We ended the evening chomping at the bit like thoroughbreds at the starting gate. Oh yea, we declared "Moist" the word of the weekend.
Saturday 25 September 06:00
Breakfast at the AAT&CC. It was a light fare inside, fruit and muffins in the big hall... rain and lightning outside. At 07:00 we staged for the ride out. At 07:30 we got some bad news, weather hold until 11:00. then at 11:30 we got real bad news, the ride was canceled for safety reasons, rain and lightning. Much disappointment, but we all understood. Perhaps we jinxed the ride by using the word 'moist' too much. Oh well.
We were all so keyed up for the ride only to have it not happen, the energy had to go somewhere... some went to the bar and waited until it opened at 14:00, others like me took a nap.
At 18:00 they fed us dinner, pasta & salad. Went to bed and hoped that tomorrow would be a better day.
Sunday 26 September 06:00
Breakfast was awesome... eggs, french toast, fruit, sausage/bacon and copious amounts of coffee. We staged up again for a 07:30 ride out, this time we made it minus the promise of a beautiful sunny day. The day started off overcast and quite windy... in a word 'ugly'. Each of the 7 pit-stops were theme based though I only really noticed a couple: Renaissance, Las Vegas, Wedding, 10 yr old birthday party. At each pit-stop you found hydration (water and gatorade), fuel: bananas, peanuts, dill pickles, chips, a Med Station, and a couple massage tables. I began riding with Valerie the infamous "Rider #1", she is a wonderful lady and I was quite honored to have the opportunity to share her ride.
After riding a little over 30 miles it was the lunch time stop where we were fed, yes you guessed it... PASTA! (gotta have that carb load.) I was SO jonsin for a thick grilled chicken breast…
As we sat eating our pasta the wind persisted as our bodies were coming down after the stress of the ride, it began to get chilly... for me as well as a few others it became uncomfortable, thankfully we soon exchanged one discomfort for another as we powered up more hills.
I missed Valerie on the ride out after lunch and began riding with a young man (forgive me if I get this wrong) Aaron, rider #302 I think, I'm guessing that he was maybe 25yrs old wearing a red Lonestar Beer jersey. I learned that he was training to do the Ironman within the next 12 months and with his drive and determination I think he'll nail that goal. Well anyway I was leading out on this narrow country road and missed a turn that wasn't well marked and he just followed me. After about a mile or two I got concerned that we may be off course so we stopped to check the turn sheet... that is when he became our de-facto navigator and he did a wonderful job...
One hill in particular, was thankfully all down with a stop sign half way down. At the stop, one of the LSR road safety crew had taken their spray chalk and wrote "WEEEEE" on the road... so at that point I unofficially officially named it the Weeee hill.... on our decent I clocked my speed at 31.7 mph, that isn't by any means the fastest but it was my fastest.
The last hill before arriving at the AAT&CC was evil and long with me low on everything. I made it, rode the best I could to the crest... I was in the lowest gear I had and was holding steady at 5 miles an hour up the hill with getting over the top the only thing on my mind. My riding partner burned up the hill without me, I didn't care cuz I was ready for it to be over and I was beyond thinking about ego.
Friday 24 September 18:00
I took the day off to pack and prepare. I met up with my friend Jim Frederick and he and I went to the "Spaghetti Dinner" at the Dallas AIDS resource center. While there we got our rider packets and did our final check-in.
At dinner we met quite a diverse group of people, I chatted with a very nice woman with a very shy little girl named Lucy... for the life of me I can not remember her mom's name, but I did see her out on the course... she was doing good, well she was ahead of me anyway.
Jim and I drove to the American Airlines Training and Conference Center in Arlington. We talked allot and I specifically talked of my family, Jim and I were laughing like kids the entire way. He especially liked the story of my cousin who insists that the word "moist" is pornographic. We laughed harder until I couldn't see the road through the tears in my eyes. Getting to the AAT&CC I parked the car and he got us checked into the hotel there on site. We ended the evening chomping at the bit like thoroughbreds at the starting gate. Oh yea, we declared "Moist" the word of the weekend.
Saturday 25 September 06:00
Breakfast at the AAT&CC. It was a light fare inside, fruit and muffins in the big hall... rain and lightning outside. At 07:00 we staged for the ride out. At 07:30 we got some bad news, weather hold until 11:00. then at 11:30 we got real bad news, the ride was canceled for safety reasons, rain and lightning. Much disappointment, but we all understood. Perhaps we jinxed the ride by using the word 'moist' too much. Oh well.
We were all so keyed up for the ride only to have it not happen, the energy had to go somewhere... some went to the bar and waited until it opened at 14:00, others like me took a nap.
At 18:00 they fed us dinner, pasta & salad. Went to bed and hoped that tomorrow would be a better day.
Sunday 26 September 06:00
Breakfast was awesome... eggs, french toast, fruit, sausage/bacon and copious amounts of coffee. We staged up again for a 07:30 ride out, this time we made it minus the promise of a beautiful sunny day. The day started off overcast and quite windy... in a word 'ugly'. Each of the 7 pit-stops were theme based though I only really noticed a couple: Renaissance, Las Vegas, Wedding, 10 yr old birthday party. At each pit-stop you found hydration (water and gatorade), fuel: bananas, peanuts, dill pickles, chips, a Med Station, and a couple massage tables. I began riding with Valerie the infamous "Rider #1", she is a wonderful lady and I was quite honored to have the opportunity to share her ride.
After riding a little over 30 miles it was the lunch time stop where we were fed, yes you guessed it... PASTA! (gotta have that carb load.) I was SO jonsin for a thick grilled chicken breast…
As we sat eating our pasta the wind persisted as our bodies were coming down after the stress of the ride, it began to get chilly... for me as well as a few others it became uncomfortable, thankfully we soon exchanged one discomfort for another as we powered up more hills.
I missed Valerie on the ride out after lunch and began riding with a young man (forgive me if I get this wrong) Aaron, rider #302 I think, I'm guessing that he was maybe 25yrs old wearing a red Lonestar Beer jersey. I learned that he was training to do the Ironman within the next 12 months and with his drive and determination I think he'll nail that goal. Well anyway I was leading out on this narrow country road and missed a turn that wasn't well marked and he just followed me. After about a mile or two I got concerned that we may be off course so we stopped to check the turn sheet... that is when he became our de-facto navigator and he did a wonderful job...
One hill in particular, was thankfully all down with a stop sign half way down. At the stop, one of the LSR road safety crew had taken their spray chalk and wrote "WEEEEE" on the road... so at that point I unofficially officially named it the Weeee hill.... on our decent I clocked my speed at 31.7 mph, that isn't by any means the fastest but it was my fastest.
The last hill before arriving at the AAT&CC was evil and long with me low on everything. I made it, rode the best I could to the crest... I was in the lowest gear I had and was holding steady at 5 miles an hour up the hill with getting over the top the only thing on my mind. My riding partner burned up the hill without me, I didn't care cuz I was ready for it to be over and I was beyond thinking about ego.
At the "Holding" area the ride was complete sans the pomp and circumstance where I ran into my last riding partner, rider #302... he introduced me to his mother and his girlfriend, and said "Can you believe this guy is 48?" LOL umm thanks I think... his mom mumbled something like "he's my age" I smirked and excused myself to find water and food. I was still feeling a little shaky and a little under hydrated, since I was one of the last to arrive all I could get was water and gatorade.
At this stop I met my first riding buddy, rider #1, she asked how I was doing and I could only give her the thumbs-up and told her that I couldn't talk at the moment cuz if I did I would break down into tears. She assured me with meeting the personal challenge, and the ride in general emotions were running high with everyone. "Just do it, have a real good cry." Valerie told me and hugged my shoulders. Valerie, you are awesome and I am privileged.
I next ran into an old friend, Brett, who is by far the biggest flirt in the known world. He hugged my shoulder and asked me how I was... I about lost it again. I saw in his eyes that he understood, he smiled at me and let me off the hook. Thanks Brett.
I guess I have gotten in touch with my heart these last few years... I have never been this easy to rattle emotionally.
We all were gathered up to stage back up to do the official ride-in ride... it was only a block or so away. This staged ride-in was mainly for our supporters to congratulate us all as a group and then the LSR organizers to acknowledge all the donors, committee, sponsors, etc... We parked our bikes and all found an empty chair, this part I was most happy to do... I was beat!
So after the "And now a word from our sponsor" speech, rider#1, Valerie took the mic and read a poem that she had written... we were told that it was a tradition, and a very good tradition it is.
The Turtle Creek Chorale was next. My friend Jim who is a member of the Chorale, HIV+ and afflicted with a neurological condition that I'd never heard of, spoke the lyrics a verse at a time before the Chorale sang them. This was the "Riderless Bicycle" ceremony symbolizing fallen riders and the many people taken by AIDS. As the Choral sang, members of the national group identified as the "POZ Peddlers" escorted this bike to the stage... as they completed their solemn procession, a large flock of what I suspect were white geese flew over head. Yea I lost it for a bit.
And with that dramatic finish, LSR 2010 was complete. For me, it was just a beginning.
Humbly,
Steve Riedisser
Rider #363
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