"Goin' Nowhere Fast!"

Okay..........maybe not all that fast. Still, the 2008 Ultimate Cycling Challenge is in the rearview mirror as of 8:00pm Sunday night and 'twas a hoot! (Some background.......in 'ought-six a group of local do-gooders got together around the idea that teams of bleary-eyed fools on trainers or spin-bikes for 24 hours would be a good way to raise money and awareness for the Lance Armstrong Foundation....whoever he is). I assembled a JDRF team in '07 and in accordance w/ my standard "too much is barely enough" manta decided that we oughta have 3 teams this year. So....we gathered up the forces and entered a shop team, a Macatawa Cycling Club squad and the JDRF team. All together we had 33 riders affiliated w/ one or more of the teams and forgive me a sec while I do a Public Call Out of the worthy:
Skip "Edward" Schott (VCC)
Ross Schueller (MCC / JDRF)
Aaron Dowling (VCC)
Randy Bultman (VCC / MCC)
Chad "McLovin" Pierce (VCC)
Dave Blandford (VCC)
Jim "JD" Stone (VCC)
Dan Ensing (VCC / MCC)
Jeff Wert (VCC)
Brian "Tenacious B" Bowe (VCC)
Kelly "KP" Slagh (VCC / Velo Valeo Vixens)
Joe Schmeider (JDRF)
Kevin Owens (JDRF)
Derek "DiD" Dykstra (JDRF)
Peggy Essenburg (JDRF / Herman Miller)
Scott Thompson (JDRF)
Linda Thompson-Poeder (JDRF)
Jack Clark (JDRF)
Katie Clark (JDRF)
Steve Clark (JDRF)
Sarah Bentley (JDRF)
Ted Bentley (JDRF)
Rob Andro (JDRF)
Steve Coombs (MCC)
John Wood (MCC)
Kirk Walters (MCC)
John Jasker (MCC)
Glenn Busse (MCC)
Krisanne Chapin (MCC)
John Paris (MCC)
Marshall Michmerhuizen (MCC)
Scott Chapin (MCC) oh..........................and me. I rode for 4 teams actually, all three of the ones we put together and then I filled in for a missing rider on Jessica's Valeo Personal Training Team too, since I'm a client of hers.

Thanks to these fine folks and everyone on the other 40 teams that were there nearly $40K was raised to fight cancer.

Cool, huh?

It was kind of a long day for this boy.................between getting there early-ish to set-up (thanks Jess-n-Mike!), riding 9 of the 24 hours, staying around between shifts to help out, switch bikes and be general Rah-Rah Guy and then tearing down it was a full 40 hour pull between gettin' outta the sack on Friday morning and hittin' it again on Saturday night. (Rumours that I dozed off while on the bike during that last l-o-n-g hours are just that..........rumours!) Nice to know I can still do that if I have to, I guess, but I don't think I wanna make a habit of it.

After a good night's sleep it was the JDRF Team Kick-Off party on Sunday Afternoon. The 2008 season is almost here for sure and I can not wait. It was great to see past and future team mates bonding over snacks, cookies and such!

There's still time for you to join us......we have room (at the moment) for a few folks on both Rides! (Asheville is Aug 8-10, Death Valley is Oct 16-19.) If you're interested contact me or go to www.jdrfwestmichigan.com/rideblog

So..............approaching the end of Feb always gets me fired up. That means that dry roads and open trails aren't that far away. Oh sure..............we're in for plenty o' winter yet and there will no doubt be one of those ultra-annoying "I thought we were done with this crap dammit!" late March storms but still..................just like my favorite-ever fortune cookie said "We're almost there".

Hang in there. I will if you will.

Mark Saturday 3/1 on your social calendar.............we're gonna have a 10th B-Day bash for the shop! Details soon!

Later...............................MC Hammered