Tour De Cure 2006

Before I talk about our ride, I just want to say thank you for all of your donations! Rachel and I raised $675.35 for our team (Team Beagles). The American Diabetes Association has already raised $92,500 from this year’s Tour de Cure.

Rachel and I were a bit nervous. The most we had ever ridden is six or seven miles. We were not sure if we would be up for ten miles. But, we were determined to do our best.

Figuring that it would be a warm day, we got dressed in t-shirts and shorts. However, once we went outside we were met with sprinkles. We hurried up, loaded the bikes, and covered them with a tarp. Then, we loaded the rest of the supplies and headed out. Just after we reached the turnpike, I remembered our water bottles. I asked Rachel if she brought them, but she said no. After a few tense moments (we did not want to have to turn around), I found them. They were in the cup holders in the front. I guess I forgot that I brought them out. D’oh!

The closer we got to the event, the more it rained. We stopped at a gas station on the way to see if they sold ponchos, but we were out of luck. We decided to check in, and then deal with the rain later.

The check-in process was relatively painless. We just had to wait in line for a few minutes. They took our paperwork and handed us a shirt and a route map. We went past the registration area to see what was being served for breakfast. But, as we had recently had our breakfast, we opted out. In addition, if we wanted to register for next year, we could pre-register for half the price. But, as this was our first time, we were hesitant. We decided to wait until after the ride.

We went back outside and discovered that it was no longer raining. We unloaded our bikes, put our helmets on, and headed out. We paused at the start/finish line for some pictures before going on the road. The first part of the route was to go around a few city blocks to a nearby park system. The rain had washed away some of the route markings, but we a map at hand (and bicyclists in front of us), we easily found our way.

The route through the park was along a road. As Rachel and I usually ride on a bike path, we were a bit uneasy riding with automobiles. But, there was a minimum amount of traffic. Also, as we found out, there was bike path that nearly paralleled the route. So, some times we were on the bike path. But, most of the time we were on the road.

After about a half hour of riding, we came to an intersection where a volunteer was directing traffic. She pointed out where we could use rest rooms, get drinks and snacks, and rest for a bit. When I asked how far we ridden, she said we were at the five-mile point. Five miles?!? Rachel and I were surprised. The ride was going a lot smoother than we had anticipated. Of course, this route was relatively flat. Our training course, on the other hand, has several hills.

We pulled into the rest area, grabbed a banana, took some photos, and headed back on the road. Thirty minutes later, we arrived at the finish line. We locked our bikes up, changed clothes, and headed back inside for lunch. We also stopped and pre-registered for next year. Although we are a bit sore, we are definitely looking forward to next year.

Tagline for today: “We’ve all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.” - Robert Wilensky