This is Thursday, June 2, 2011. 2 days to go until America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride (AMBBR). My wonderful team is spilling into Tahoe. Some are running a relay beginning tomorrow morning (Friday) and then will cycle 100 miles on Sunday. My friend from Texas is arriving tomorrow and a friend and her family from Boise are arriving on Saturday. These two friends are going to “chase” me around the lake on Sunday.
I’m currently in an old hotel room listening to a saxophone play a jazzy happy birthday to someone downstairs. The walls are paper-thin. The floors are not on the level, and in some places I walk downhill after walking up. My room until tomorrow is one of 8 in a hotel with 37 rooms that has a private bath. The bathroom has a claw foot tub and toilet, but no sink. The sink is on the other side of the hotel room. No counter, just a corner sink with two faucets; hot and cold. There is a radiator sitting in front of one of the 6-foot tall windows, and at night, the pipe next to the radiator clinks. I hear trains go by every-so-often. Last night, I slept with my head sandwiched between two pillows. I think tonight, I’ll start with earplugs.
When I arrived yesterday, I got in to my hotel just as the snow started falling. I watched as the flakes got bigger, and the snow accumulated on the nearby roofs and trees. Today, I woke up to a little bit of snow, tiny flakes. But that didn’t last long. Pretty soon, there was a patch of blue sky here and there, and before long grey was the minority. As I am typing this, the sky appears to be clear. Forecast for Sunday is 40% chance of rain and a high of 53°F. I’m hoping for sun and 60’s-but regardless of the weather, the ride will be good; so long as I remember the WHY of this ride.
WHY: raising funds to find a cure for blood cancers. Did you know that to date, Team in Training has raised over $750 million dollars to go towards research and helping cancer patients? 75% + of what is raised through TNT goes directly towards the cause. AMAZING! It’s not too late to donate.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/ambbr11/jkdowner
I am riding in memory of Phyllis Keeton and Isaiah Rodriguez.
I am also riding in honor of Randall Price.
Thank you!
Julie
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