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“I’ve done this before! I am
ready for everything. They can’t surprise me.”
What a load of hooey those thoughts were before
leaving Seattle on my fourth Team in Training
event. This time to Lake Tahoe to participate in
America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride, a 100 mile jaunt
around Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada! First
off, I had never ridden more than 76 miles on a
bike. Second, can you ever be ready for
everything? You’d have to have a saddle bag as big
as a house. And finally, even the simplest thing
may surprise me when put in a place that constantly
reminds me of my mom, my friends and about the
struggles that people face every day with Leukemia,
Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s and all cancers! |
We arrived in Tahoe City about 5:30 on
Friday, 36 hours before the race, oops, ride. I was
constantly reminded that it’s a ride not a race. Which when
you think about it, is how you are forced to deal with
Leukemia, there’s no fast way to get through it so, I guess
I’m a little wiser for having been on a ride. We had a fun
dinner together and got ready for our group training ride on
Saturday. When I arrived at the hotel, I had the best email
on my phone. Tina had videoed the girls wishing me luck and
telling me they loved me, I ran downstairs to show everyone
who would watch.
There are hills around Lake Tahoe, if
you’ve never been, and the elevation starts at about 6,000
feet higher than Brier, so I was gasping for breath. Then I
broke a spoke, but that’s another three pagesJ
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After the ride we got ready for
the Pasta Party. They always do such a great job of
getting you pumped up and “on mission” for your
event. They welcomed the chapters, they talked
about how much money we had raised, over 8 million
dollars by the wayJ,
and then they announced the names of these insane
people who have completed a Team in Training
Triathlon, a Team in Training Marathon, and were
about to complete a Team in Training Cycle Century,
they call this the Triple Crown. When they read my
name I got goose bumps. My eyes welled up. |
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I am proud to say that I have
done this. I am very proud to say that my mom has
been with me in every event. Just like she was on
my back to get to swim practice every morning at
5:30, she’s been on my back at every triathlon,
marathon and now cycle century. I wear a picture on
my shirt, along with the names of your friends and
family who have dealt with or are dealing with
cancer. |
After the Pasta Party we headed to our
rooms to make final preparations for our 6:15 am start.
The alarm was hardly needed, as the
adrenaline woke me several times during the night. I headed
down to the meeting area and marveled at all the purple
jerseys. As I walked out the door of the hotel, I yelled,
“GO!” And easily 50 people yelled back, “Team!” Team in
Training was in full force ready to conquer this course and
change lives!
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The first few miles were
uneventful. Frustrating because we moved so slowly
through traffic, but probably good for us, because
we would have sprinted out and lost our legs on the
first hill which starts at mile 10, and goes up 500
feet through switchbacks. I loved those
switchbacks. We had great legs, and the view was
amazing. I even stopped and took a picture on the
downhill… and I don’t stop when I'm going downhill.
We were flying through small towns around Lake
Tahoe. Meeks Bay, a large town at over 9,000, in
the lower elevations at 5,899 feet, then towns with
elevations 25-30 times their population: Tahoe
Vista, population 200, elevation, 6,232; Tahoe
Pines, population 255, elevation 6,256. |
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We whipped past Squaw Valley site of
the 1960 Winter Olympics; I slowed to take a picture of the
flame! We passed Alpine Meadows Road… I remember having
white coffee cups that said, “Alpine Meadows,” from when I
was a kid. The rest stops were great. Good food, all sorts
of people patting your back; giving you “atta-boys,” and
ceaseless encouragement. At mile fifty I was feeling good.
At mile 70 we had our lunch stop, I wanted to press on, but
coaches are coaches for a reason. We ate and had a
leisurely rest stop, and then we left King’s Beach,
California (elevation 6,350). When my odometer read 77
miles, I announced to the group that this was officially,
the longest ride of my life (and the lives of two of my
ride-mates). Jim Brown, whose wife Maritza is an honored
teammate, rode past me and simply said, “Your mom’s proud of
you, Sean.” I couldn’t even say thank you. My eyes welled
up, I lost all my breath, and I was reminded of the uphill
battle that my mom fought so bravely to try and beat
leukemia, to maintain her cautious optimism, only to succumb
to this awful disease. I know that Jim’s mom is proud of
him for doing all that he has done. Jim is also a Triple
Crown winner, having completed his at about 58 years young.
Regaining my breath was important,
because next was SPOONER; a word that TNT Cyclists love to
hate. Spooner is a relentless eight mile climb that takes
you from less than 2,300 feet above sea level to 7,044
feet. It is a brutal climb. And I heard mom yelling, “Go
Sean.” I imagined my friend Erika with her Friday night
pill ritual. 17 pills. A little over two pills a mile. If
I am riding to honor Erika, I have to be able to handle at
least that. So, off I went. The team tends to separate on
hills like Spooner, and this was no different. So there I
was, alone with my thoughts and the vision of Erika and her
daughter Halee bopping along in front of me, chasing their
dog Emma up the hill. I averaged about 6 and a half miles
an hour up that hill, and don’t tell anyone, but I kind of
enjoyed it. The downside was fun too, but very windy. I
was only able to hit 34 miles an hour; normally I would have
approached 50.
After Spooner, we worked to keep the
group together so we could cross the line as a team.
Rounding the last turn into the hotel parking lot, I was so
enthused. I raised my arms, and pedaled across the finish
line. We’d been on the road for 8 hours and 45 minutes,
we’d ridden for 6 hours and 50 minutes (on a little, poorly
padded seat). You had helped my by allowing me to honor 37
people, and raised over $5,300.
I went to the hotel, showered and was
in the lobby when someone said, “We’re going to see Maritza
finish.” Maritza was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s in 1988 and
2000, and has celebrated 5 years in remission. She is a
pillar of strength and tenacity. What she lacks in speed
she makes up in smile. As I waited for Maritza to finish I
saw many Seattle friends and teammates cross the line.
Elizabeth and Priscilla, and Heather, Maureen and Diane in
honor of Matt. I know Matt was smiling at his mom from
heaven. Ken, who fought those hills more than we’ll ever
know, but did it with a verse in his sleeve and a smile on
his face. And finally Maritza, as she crossed we cheered a
thunderous roar and all ran to give her a hug and thank her
for showing us that this disease is NOT a death sentence,
but can be the sentence that starts your story!
I truly don’t know where my story will
go next year. My girls are getting older and it may be time
for them to be in the spotlight. To enjoy their daddy on
the weekends, but know that if I return I will do so with
memories and excitement aimed at honoring my mom and your
friends and family. This is not about me; it’s about the
opportunity to make a difference, one mile at a time!
Thank you for your support!
Sean |
