Monday, May 24, 2010

The Jonathan Pon Memorial Ride- May 1&2

I can not even begin to express in words how amazing this weekend was for me & Dave! This was a fully supported two day ride put on by the Positive Pedalers in memory of their founder and friend, Jonathan Pon.
We met up in Sausalito around 6AM. These are some of the wonderful ride leaders, many who are Positive Pedalers. The woman in the blue bandana, is Julie Brown and she gave us all red bandanas with the H.E.R.O. (HIV Endeavor for Reaching Out) Creed on them:
So sweet! I'm not sure you can read it. It says: 
I have risen before dawn in this fight against AIDS-
I've rallied family, friends, and strangers to support me in this fight-
I've spent mornings, afternoons, and weekends training for those who can't-
I have spent hundreds of dollars on equipment, clothing, and energy bars- 
I have learned hand signals, how to clip in, and the importance of stopping at every stop sign- 
I have yelled "car up!,""car back!," and "On your left!" approximately one million times-
I've raised thousands of dollars to support the well being of someone else's life- 
I have learned that if I don't talk about HIV, to prevent it from spreading, who will?- 
I will stand in line with my closest friends for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and to use the bathroom- 
I will ride side by side with them for the same cause- 
I will spend a week sleeping in a tent, eating in a tent, and showering in a truck- 
I will make over two thousand new and interesting friends while raising awareness of HIV/AIDS- 
I will laugh out loud and cry with them- 
I will dedicate a week of my life to improve someone else's- 
I will do things my body did not think I could do- 
I will boldly show the world how strongly I believe in this cause- 
I will ride my bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise awareness and money in the fight against HIV/AIDS- 
I am a California AIDS/Lifecyclist- 
I am a HERO.

We shaved some time off the SF part of our ride and headed through Fairfax, and over Camino Alto- where we saw wild turkeys and deer jumped out in front of us- and then past cows in Nicasio.
Old St. Mary's Church is so cute!
At the top of some hill in Lucas Valley (I think) overlooking a farm and windmills.
mile 35- lunch!
The good eater- I'm not bonking today!
This was in the Point Reyes/Petaluma area
We were so excited it was flatter after lunch but the headwinds were insane. Dave is making a funny face because of the wind. But look at the cute goats!
My magical rainbow unicorn socks carried me all the way to Cassini Ranch in Duncan's Mills/Russian River area. I was the last one in, but I made it! The bottom of my socks say better than horses!
72.22 miles- check.
We set up our AIDS/Lifecycle tent, which is quite spacious actually.
Today on AIDS/Lifecycle cribs...
I pretended I was at the Hotel San Jose when I showered. What's up, Erin & Chuck?!?!
Traumeel is one of my good friends (homeopathic anti-inflammatory.) The big pill is carrying Traumeel tablets.
Lady Gaga- one of the SAG vehicles
Super friendly guy watching over the animals at Cassini Ranch.
They were right across from our tent sites. So cute!
AMAZING dinner!
There was music & merriment but I think we were asleep by 8:30PM
Oh yeeeeah! These foam rollers are heavenly.
Get in line! A super nice PT heard me complain about my knee and fixed me for free with her magic tape. Everyone was ridiculously nice!
Stretching party! The woman w/the blond hair is Laura, awesome training ride leader!

Buz, one of the ride leaders. He is hilarious! 
(my poor eyes are so puffed from the wind & allergies)
Yummy breakfast. The vegetarian food they had was delish!
Warming up. It was so *cold* in the morning!
Just biking along Hwy 1 
{scary at times! but not bad since it was like 7-9AM}
Wish you were here!
Taking over Valley Ford Market. There was a lot of Lady Gaga.
I think this was Charles, Gabriel, and Bob. Testosterone, you gotz it.
Another rest stop with my super awesome & extremely supportive co-worker, Albie. He works for the Stonewall Project, providing counseling to gay men who use speed. 

TA-DA! Back in Sausalito. Thanks Poz Peds! We couldn't have done it without you!
Yay! Our new friend Mineska (pretty sure I'm butchering that spelling.) 
She was the PT who fixed my knee with her magic tape- Thank you!
Phew! 2 days, 150 miles. That was a great weekend. One of my favorite parts was going through Samuel P Taylor Park. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been! Redwood groves get me every time!
This was my magic knee tape. 


Not sure why this is sideways, but anyway- that is the max speed Dave did on this ride: 40.8 miles per hour-- which makes me nauseated! Yes, he always passes me on downhills. Ugh!  

Thank you for checking out our blog and supporting our AIDS/Lifecycle fundraising! Your support means so much to us!

2 comments:

  1. Not to be vapid on a great post about a great feat, but when did your hair get so long! It looks really good! haha xoxo p

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  2. ha! thanks! maybe its the whole grain carbs? or maybe redirecting haircut funding into padded shorts & butt balm?

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