BikeRide

I know this report is a little late, but I rode the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Seattle on June 20th.  I had flown out to Seattle from Connecticut to do the ride with some of my college buddies while we also celebrated a 20 year reunion of our Whitworth College Cycling Team.

The weekend started Friday night with meeting my college buddies at the Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond to hang out,and watch some racing.  Dave drove up from the Portland area, while Paul flew out from Minnesota.  Russ, and Gordon both live in the Seattle area.

Dave, sporting our old college team jersey catching up at Marymoor

On Saturday we had planned to meet up for a ride in the south end to ride out to Enumclaw and the Black Diamond Bakery (one of my favorite places to stop while on a ride when I lived in the area). Russ showed up for the ride, but forgot his cycling shoes (something any long time cyclist has done at least once), so instead of the original plan we followed Russ to his house in Redmond, and ended up riding north to Bothell, then back along Lake Washington to Kirland followed by a BBQ (also known as a cook out to my Connecticut friends).

Riding along Lake Washington on our College Reunion Ride

After lunch we headed into Seattle to pick our registration packets for the LIVESTRONG Challenge.  The whole set up for the ride at the Seattle Center was impressive.  Since we had signed up as a member of Team Fatty, and because Team Fatty was the winning fund raising team we had scored invitations to the LIVESTRONG sponsor and funraiser appreciation dinner on Saturday Night.

Hanging out with Lance at Packet Pickup

The dinner was a great experience.  It was inspirational to hear from some of the top individual fundraisers, and also hear Lance’s BFF “College” and LIVESTRONG CEO Doug Ullman talk about the work the foundation is doing.

LIVESTRONG CEO Doug Ullman

For Sunday, the LIVESTRONG ride started bright and early, so I drove into Seattle with Gordon, and met up with Dave, Paul, and Russ.  We didn’t have much time to get ready, and got to the start line just as Dave Towle was announcing the start.

The Start

It was fun heading through downtown Seattle and across the I-90 bridge express lanes in a huge pack of riders.  Around Mercer Island I saw some familiar faces including an old cycling teammate, Craig Undem, who now runs Cycle University in West Seattle.  It was fun catching up with him.

Once we got the Bellevue, then climbed to Newcastle and May Valley road the rain started coming down.  I hadn’t ridden in rain like this for a while, and some riders were really not prepared for the rain and semi cold temperatures.

We had intended to to the full 100 mile route, but when we got to the 70 mile turn off it was just too tempting to cut the ride short since we cold, soaking wet, and it didn’t look like the rain would let up any time soon.

The climb up to the Montreux neighborhood in Issaquah was super steep, and very challenging, so I don’t feel like I missed out on much by not doing the entire 100 miles.

The end of the ride rounded the south end of Lake Washington then back through the city to finish at the Seattle Center. It was pretty interesting doing a large organized ride in a more urban / suburban setting, and I have to say the route going back through downtown Seattle was a little scary dodging buses, and nearly getting doored by a parked car.

Overall participating in the LIVESRTONG Challenge was a great experience and I want to  thank those who donated to support me in the LIVESTRONG Challenge.  The fight against cancer has a special meaning to me since I lost my dad to cancer when I was just 20 years old.  I’d love to do one of the other LIVESTRONG Challenge ride in another city in the future.

This summer I am looking forward to riding the 2010 LIVESTRONG Challenge in Seattle.  I’ve signed up for the event and will be flying out from Connecticut to meet up with some of my old college buddies. We are doing a 20 year reunion of our collegiate cycling team from Whitworth College.

I’m pictured center in this 1988 photo of my collegiate cycling team. There is no way I’ll fit into my old jersey!

This event will have a special meaning for me.  It was two weeks before heading back to school for my junior year at Whitworth in 1988 that my dad lost his fight with Multiple myeloma (blood plasma cancer).  In 1988 the treatment for this type of cancer was not very successful, and he didn’t have much of a chance.  This is why I think it is so important to support organizations like LIVESTRONG.

I may never have gotten bit as hard by the cycling bug had it not been for my dad, who I was somehow able to talk into helping lead our church youth group on a week long bicycle tour in the Canadian Rockies when I was 12 years old.  Just about every summer during my teenage years we would do a week long bicycle tour somewhere in the pacific northwest, and he was a big supporter when I wanted to get into bike racing as well.

So friends, if you can help by making a donation to LIVESTRONG through my ride fund-raising page, any support would be greatly appreciated!  If you are a fan of the Fat Cyclist Blog, I’ve joined up with Team Fatty so your donations through my page will go toward the overall LIVESTRONG Challenge fund-raising count of Team Fatty as well.

Thanks,

Brent