Day 4...

So many things today, but no time before bedtime. Spent most time this evening preparing my red dress. More on this tomorrow and next week, with photographic bounty....

Day 3: quadbuster

What is usually the hottest day on the ride was a sunny mild day that made these 80 miles feel like a breeze after yesterday's 110. I rode out with Jon today and spent with him most of the day, through a glorious stretch towards pit stop 1, right before the toughest climb on the ride, renamed Quadbuster. A beautiful ride inland followed the time spent on top of the hill cheering fellow riders up next to Ginger Brewlay, who always is atop the toughest climb to cheer riders. She even had a close encounter with Leeroy Peachy, a conservative trucker from oklahoma that ended with his picture taken with ginger. Lunch stop was in Bradley, population 120. This is the biggest event of the year for this community and it truly touched their lives, even helping the town financially and beyond.

Somewhere on the way between king city and santa maria something changes on the ride and we turn into a community. The fellowship, the stories, the sorrows being shared, form a strange bond that many feel compelled to renew, year afyer year. Tonight's celebrations included the acknowledgment of the Positive Pedllers, and really set the tone and intensity for the days that separate us from LA. Now that the ride is turned again into being that wonderful group of individuals trying to positively affect the world we can spend time reflecting on the lives that this disease has touched, many with a face, riding alongside with you through the beautiful countryside of California. And if we continue riding, talking and teaching about the disease, and raising money to fight it, maybe on day soon we won't have to ride this ride anymore.

Day 2: too tired for words...

It was a glorious day, from the ride out of santa cruz, the ugly mug, the artichoke stop, the cofee shop in salinas, 30+ miles of glorious tail winds and the river swim. 110 miles later I'm tired and sleepy. Hopefully tomorrow's post will be longer and with some more intresting content. If you want, you can visit my rider page on the aidslifecycle website to send me your thoughts and messages while i'm on the ride. I look forward to them every night...

Day 1: veterans day

So many familiar things today. From an ungodly early rise time, to getting eady in the dark and silence for the first time in seven consecutive days, everything took a sort of familiar feeling. At only a few minutes past 5 i was up and heading to the cow palace, such an unglamorous place for such a extraordinary event. In the dark and cold Matt and I said our goodbyes to David who hd agreed to drive us, delivered our gear and rolled in for opening ceremonies. It felt remarkably familiar, many friendly faces and many lines and remarks heard the yea before, and yet my feelings were very different than the year past. But those exact feelings i could recognize them in the eyes of the many hundreds of people who were doing this ride for the first time. I ride with a very different spirit this year: i know what to expect and how to make best use of my time and effort, i understand the real reasons for doing this ride much better. Now my life is much more touched by hiv than it was ever before. I have several positive friends and while i cannot claim to understand their struggle i recognize the positive effect that my sincere affection has on them. I am thankful to this ride for letting me see this and look forward to helping to make it as successful as it can be.

Now to ride itself. A cold ride, 90 miles, although more like 95 judging from everyone's bikecomputers. Half moon bay was still under heavy construction so the route took us on a different, tougher course. About 6000 feet of climbing, rising to 2100 feet of elevtion at the top of skyline drive. The weather gods were partially with us though since - despite how nasty, cold and foggy that part of skyline drive can be, the climb turned out to be warm and sunny, with gorgeous sights and scenery.

A few spots here and there were a little too cold, and thank god for my new insanely warm lobster-claw mitten biking gloves, but all in all the day was a good day and we arrived in camp tired, but happy. I'll say something tomorrow about life in camp, but it was good to see again so many familiar faces. It's going to be an awesome ride!

Tomorrow is the longest day, with 110 miles of riding through the countrysides all the way to king city. And on the way, artichokes, glorious tail winds, and river swimming....

Time for bed.

A new ride begins

And here we are. In less than 6 hours a new lifecycle is about to begin. The excitement is hard to contain but the need of sleeping in anticipation of tomorrow's climbs will probably prevail and help me fal asleep. There is so much going on these days that I hardly begin this ride with an empty mind, but this ride has a way of taking you away from everything and everyone else other than this amazing community. There are too many things on my mind and only seven days to let those thoughts flow on this blog. For those who helped me raise themoney for this wonderful cause, for those who will follow this adventure alongside with me through my recounts, i say thank you. I will be thinking of you all every pedal stroke of the way.

And there, now the only thing separating me from camp 1 are 90 miles and 9000 feet of climbing!