2010 Ride to the River – OMG!

I just got out of the hot tub, where I was soaking my weary legs after riding two days and 160 miles as part of the 2010 Ride to the River. I promise that this blog will not be my usual wordfest – I’m really tired, and just want to record a few things before heading off to the land of nod. Yesterday I did the century, which was my first in two years and one I did in my fastest time ever. Today I did 60 miles at a slightly slower pace, and waited at the last rest stop to collect some of my Velo Valero team members, which I led to the finish line in the San Antonio Alamodome. This was a lot of time in the saddle for a Wheely, and I feel it…

But before I call it a day, let me share two things with you.

On Sunday, as we rode East on 1346, and would occasionally see the skyline of San Antonio off in the distance, my heartbeat began to increase and the adrenaline began to flow. San Antonio is where I’ve lived the longest in my life – almost a quarter century – and it is the place I call home. To see the Tower of the Americans and the Alamodome get larger as we approached, knowing that’s where the finish line was – in the heart of our great city and my hometown – this was a special experience. From about 20 miles away, it looked like the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz shimmering in the distance – a place of magic and potential and new beginnings. And, as we passed the AT&T Center (home of so many great memories I have of the Spurs championship seasons), and then down the Commerce Street into the heart of downtown, the experience only become more intense. …I was on the committee that changed the route for the Bike to the Beach into the Ride to the River, and this was the way I imagined the end of Day 2 would be. Last year we didn’t get to experience this because Day 2 was rained out, but today more than made up for it. Thank you Tony and Cindy and everyone else from the MS Society for having the courage to change the route. We have all the elements to make this one of the premiere destination rides in the country, and I promise over the next few years, it will grow into this!

…The second experience was sharing parts of the ride with my father-in-law Stan. At age 72, he rode 50 miles on Saturday, and did all of the 60 miles on Sunday. After I got to the Alamodome on Sunday, I showered and waited for a call from my mother-in-law on his position. At around 12:40 she told me he was less than 5 miles away. I hopped back on my bike, and along with Velo Valero Team Captain Andrea Shull, we pedaled out to the intersection of Cherry and Commerce and waited for Stan to arrive. When he appeared, we pedaled next to him, and rode the last mile together – up to Durango, one last climb on the bridge over the railroad tracks, and then coasting into the Alamodome together. One of his first comments when he got off his bike was, “I need a beer.” Fortunately, the Alamodome concessions were open, and I was able to get him an overpriced ($7) but worth-every-penny Bud Light. Sharing a meal and beer with him in the dome, as we sat and watched other riders finishing the course, was everything I imagined it to be and more.

See ya’ on the road! If you’re not cyclist, what are you waiting for? The next Ride to the River is just a year away, and you have plenty of time to get ready!!

Crossing the finish line in the dome with Andrea and Stan