Delicious Tan Lines

Today’s flavor of Gary’s Arm Tan Line is:  NEOPOLITAN.  Enjoy Vanilla, Strawberry, and….Strawberrier..

 

So first, here’s an update from yesterday’s post.  Its very important.  I told my friend Jennifer Diamond that I talked about her yesterday on my blog about the way she expressed her “support.”  She responded with “NOW EVERYONE ON THE INTERNET THINKS I’M MEAN!!!”  That is, technically not true.  Jennifer Diamond is a lovely lady who is very kind.  She just tells it like it is, being from New England and all..In fact, the things she said yesterday really helped me get thorugh my day today, I AM better at shifting and really there isn’t much of a reason to stop peddaling.

So that’s the theme today, and that’s what has been running through my head all day
yesterday and all day today.  Support.   It might sound corny, but its true. This is my frist time on AIDS/LifeCycle and I wasn’t sure what to expect, honestly I was expecting
a lot of “extreme sport cycling ego” and a sort of “too bad you can’t make it at the end of the day, sucker.” Then today things really started clicking in my head.  There’s a lot of time to think on the road, and I’m sort of observing and participating at the same time.

Today was the infamous “Quadbuster” hill day, which is constantly talked about, its about a mile climb and is notoriously steep.  After a cold morning, the sun broke out and temperatures rose right before hitting the hill.  The going was especially slow for me, but there was the sound of other riders, the roadies cheering us on, the sound of cowbells from supporters filling my ears.  Also, my fellow riders passing me on the left with a “see you at the top!” or a “looking good!” and a simple “you can do this” made me keep working.

I fell for the first time today, my chain slipped and I was going too slow to clip out of my peddals, BAM.  I hit pavement.  My first thought was “I’m going to hate myself if I make anyone else fall.”  Luckily no one did, and I was able to clear the road with a few bruises and a scraped hand.  Then about 100 people asked me if I was okay.  Which I was.   I took time out to get myself un-frazzled and rather than just sit there, I thought (since there were people doing this the day before and it was much appreciated by me) to start giving out free pushes.  I clapped and cheered and yelled out “WHO WANTS A PUSH!?” and then those that did got a push and run up the hill from yours truly.  I received a push up a steep incline from a roadie the previous day, and it helped me get up that hill, and then today I decided to return the favor.  I actually found that it was more fun than riding.

Here’s a look at the steep hill.  It was hot, too.

Then at the top, the roadies and the other cyclists were all there when I rolled in cheering and waving and high-fiving, etc.  And it made me pedal faster. What I’ve noticed here on Day #3 is that the first-day jitters for me, and for anyone else who had them are gone, people are getting to know each other, and acting down right neighborly.  I said to Jennifer after dinner tonight, “can you belive how NICE everyone is being to each other?”  She agreed.  I have never heard “please” and “thank you” said so much in my life.  People here are helping each other out wherever they can, on the road, setting up tents, getting their luggage.  People are TALKING to each other, laughing with each other, because well, we’re all here, we all have AT LEAST one thing in common to talk about during the day ( “how is your ride?” )  to get the conversation going.  I am truly amazed.  When cylclists come home the roadies and other cyclists are there cheering each other on.  When the last rider arrives with all the sweep vehicles and our road support staff, no matter where you are in camp, people start making noise and applauding.

We are all supporting each other, moving this community of over 2000 people from San Francisco to Los Angeles.  Scott Campbell from Positive Peddlers tonight at dinner said “wouldn’t it be great if the entire world was like this for one week as well?”

Given the context of WHY we’re all riding, I think all the analogies that you can take out of what I’ve written above are clear.  We’re all in this together.  Each rider has a pin that was given to them at Orientation Day that says "We Are All Living With AIDS."

There are about 100 cyclists and roadies already signed up for next year.  I’m one of them.

Goodnight from Paso Robles, California.

Days Remaining: 4
Miles To Los Angeles: 284
Legs:  I've got them.  And I know how to use them.

Comments

[Dave]

You're making my fat ass want to sign up and train for next year.

Stop that.

[Leah]

Gary Cotti, you rock my world.