Wish me luck!! I'm off to cycle in the CA Death Ride tomorrow!!

[Shine]

I know, it's a scary name. :scared: Amazingly, over the past 25+ yrs this ride has been happening, it's become so popular it actually sells out and you can only get in through a lottery!! I had to score my ticket thru craigslist from somebody who bailed, due to an injury.

Get this: 2,800 cyclists, 130 miles, 5 mountain passes, 16,000 ft of climbing....all in ONE DAY!!!
Here is a map of the ride, itself, for your amusement:
http://www.deathride.com/course/map.php

It's gonna be hot and there's less oxygen, cycling at altitude. It's not a race, but it's gonna take us all day to do it. We're starting at 4:30 am, which means getting up at 3:30am. I know, we must be insane. :crazy: I've never done it before, but I've been training all season and I'm as ready as I can be. I'm going up with five other friends who are also doing it, so don't worry, we'll all look out for each other.

Please send along your prayers and good ju ju for Safety, Protection, Endurance and Strength that I can complete all 5 passes and be successful in this huge endeavor.

I'm tellin' ya, loungers, what's gonna get me through this ride are: water, food, Cytomax (sports/carb drink), prayers, sheer will power, physical strength, caffeine and Advil....not necessarily in that order, LOL! :hi:

[malta blue]

1. You go GIRL!

Have a great time, stay hydrated and enjoy the scenery...

Let us know how it went

:loveya:

[Shine]

11. Thanks, malta blue

:hug: I want to respond, personally, to as many as I can before I leave for the 6 hr ride up there, in a 1/2 hr. As if my life weren't hectic enough, I'm flying outa SF for two weeks back east on Monday am with the kids, so I had to get both myself and them fully packed and ready to go for that trip BEFORE I could leave town for this one. I leave today, ride all day tomorrow, return home on Sunday and fly out of SF early Monday morning. Whew!! Good thing I'm an excellent list-maker! :D

I'll definitely plan on touching base with everyone later and letting y'all know how it went. I doubt I'll be online much until we get back on the 29th.

Until then, keep the lounge fires burnin', babe! Thanks so much, again, for your support and friendship. It means a lot, trust me. :hug: :loveya:

[malta blue]

15. Wow - that is some amazing multi tasking...

:loveya: :hug: :pals:

We will miss you while you are gone....where out east are you going?

[Shine]

21. VA to visit with my Dad for a week, then to WI for a huge family reunion

one of my cousins has a 220 acre farm in rural WI and she's offered up her land for us all to congregate on for a week. We'll have about 35 of us, once we're all together. Should be fun.

xoxo! Catch up with you next month...:loveya:

[underpants]

2. WOW!

that puts the Comrades marathon to shame

http://www.comrades.com/UserFiles/route%20map.pdf


Good Luck

[Shine]

12. Hey, that run looks pretty impressive, too!

Hope your training is going well for you, underpants. Keep up the great work. As you know, anything is possible with the proper training! :thumbsup:

Thanks for your good wishes, too. It means a lot to me. :hug:

:hi:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

3. Good luck, Shine!

I'm exhausted just reading about what you have to go through. :rofl: :hi:

[Shine]

13. Thanks, Starbucks Anarchist

I've been resting up all week, in anticipation of tomorrow's ride. :hi:

[Gormy Cuss]

4. Have a great ride!

Five friends and a few thousand fellow cyclists will help you get through it too:hi:
I 'll be thinking of you when I'm on my usual little bike ride tomorrow --elevation gain: 300 ft.
:+

[Shine]

14. Thanks, Gormy Cuss!

I really appreciate your good thoughts comin' my way. Good luck with your big 300 footer tomorrow! :D

:hi:

[skygazer]

5. You're going to complete it with flying colors if I know you

You're a star. I'll be thinking about you out there and sending along all my good vibes. Have a great time! :pals: :loveya:

[Shine]

16. Thank you, skygazer.

:hug: :loveya: Your love and support mean more to me than I can say. :hi:

[MissMillie]

6. I bow to your superior bad-assness!

:notworthy:

good luck w/ this. I'm sure the sense of accomplishment will be overwhelming.

[Shine]

18. Thanks, MM!

I've been visualizing Success and that sense of accomplishment for a while now.

I've had people tell me that 90% of doing a major endurance ride like this is mental. :D I agree with them.

:hi:

[wildhorses]

7. best of luck shine!! wo0t!!

:applause:

[Shine]

19. Thanks, wildhorses!!

I'm pretty stoked, mostly. :bounce: Nervous, excited, nervous, excited, nervous....but mostly excited.

:D :hi:

[DS1]

8. I think I would keep going North on 89 and jump in Lake Tahoe

and those mountains look really steep! :D

[Shine]

22. LOL! Yup, they're steep

I live in the SC mtns, so I'm used to cycling on steep grades and truly, there's nothing on this ride that is as steep as what we have, locally. What concerns me the most isn't the climbing itself or even the amount of it....it's doing it at altitude, where there's less oxygen and a noticeable difference.

Thanks for your good wishes, DS1! :hi:

[seemunkee]

9. Good luck

I was watching the movie Running on the Sun about the Badwater ultramarathon and thinking of your ride. At least you have a bike.

Pace yourself and ride your own ride. I know you'll make it.

I'll be out of town this weekend. If you start a thread on your return please PM me the link.

[Shine]

23. Thanks, seemunkee

I'm leaving town myself outa state on Monday for two weeks, so I probably won't have time to check in with y'all until early August. Busy, busy, busy!

:hi: I'll catch up with you later, OK? :pals:

[Wetzelbill]

10. Good luck!

That's great, good for you. I'll sit on my couch and eat a few extra donuts in your honor, haha. :)

[Shine]

24. chuckle, chuckle...

hey, that's great. I need all the carbo-loading I can get, even vicariously. :hi:

Thanks for your good wishes, Wetzelbill! :hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. Good luck, my dear Shine!

Not that you need it, sweetie!

You are made of sturdy stuff indeed..........

Have a blast!

:bounce: :bounce:

[Shine]

25. Yes, I'm a hardy gal, but I can definitely use all the good ju ju I can get!

This ride will be one of the toughest I've ever done. Truly, it's the pinnacle of cycling, in terms of endurance events.

I'm excited by the challenge, though, and feeling confident and uplifted by all the support and love from good friends, like you! :hug: :loveya: :pals: Thanks for your friendship, Peggy.

It means so much to me.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

29. Our friendship is a two-way street, sweetie....

Yours means so much to me as well.......:pals: :loveya: :hug:

[AllegroRondo]

20. Awesome!

give em hell!

[Shine]

26. Thanks AllegroRondo!

:hug: :hi:
I plan to do my best and be successful.

[Guava Jelly]

27. Good luck

I am sure you will do quite well :toast: :D

[cwydro]

28. Good luck!

Sounds like a great day!

[In_The_Wind]

30. Good luck, good vibes ~~~~~~~~~

[soleft]

31. Good luck!

[flamingyouth]

32. Have a great and safe ride!

Sending prayers and good vibes, Shine! :hug::loveya:

[hippywife]

33. Kicking this back up with

good vibes for a dear friend! She's a couple of hours into this right now. I hope she maintains and stays safe for the entire run!

Go, Shine!