Thursday, September 30, 2010

Day 6 - Oceano to Buellton (near Solvang)



Today we rode 73 miles with a total climbing of 3000 feet. It was another warm day ad the temperatures hit the 100s again. We left camp and rode an extra 6 miles to get the best cinnamon rolls in town - called Old West Cinnamon Rolls in Pismo Beach. They were incredible as always!! We'll post a picture or two for you to see!!

Today was the day we went inland through farm and wine country - Guadalupe, Santa Maria, Los Olivos, etc. It was a day of incredible smells - lettuce, strawberries, other vegetables... We saw quite a few of the farm workers picking their ware for the day and realized how tough of a day this is. We only have to ride through it and when we get back home, we pick the fruit/vegetables we want from an air conditioned store. Do we stop to think how it got there? Do we stop to thank those that went through all the labor to put it on the shelves for us! As I was riding, I was thanking them for all they do and how appreciative I am of their labor.

Ride-wise, it was harder because of the heat but not too tough with the climbing. We averaged almost 14mph on this ride. There was a point as we were going thru the fields that 8 of us were drafting at about 20 mph. We looked like the green train (we were wearing green) as we went by. All in all, it was a tough day, but a good one. The showers were a welcome treat!

Onto Ventura tomorrow (through Santa Barbara and onto 101)...

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Day 5 - San Simeon to Oceano



Today we rode from San Simeon (Hearst Castle) to Oceano. It was a total of 63 with very little climbing today, compared to yesterday. We got to relax our legs a little after all that climbing to get into San Simeon. We went through some cute beach towns on our way - Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay, then inland to SLO and then back to the ocean at Pismo Beach and finally to Oceano. It was a nice relaxing day, but it was still hot in San Luis Obispo. My favorite part of the ride was the downhill heading into SLO where it was like a mini-roller coaster ride (long and smooth). The other part was celebrating our 26th anniversary together.

On to Buellton (near Solvang) tomorrow. We are hoping for some cooler weather ;-)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Day 4 - Big Sur to San Simeon




Did we tell you that Dwight will be getting a new bike? ;-)

Today was a tough day!!! We had alot of climbing (5300 feet) over 65 miles! This is similar to the training rides we do with Jerry Kruse, our NorCal trainer (but it was still tough)!

We continued to ride along Hwy 1 down the coast and listened to the ocean beat against the rocks. This ride started out with a 2 mile climb right from the campsite. It felt like we were on a rollercoaster all day - up and down, up and down. You know the best part about hills - after you climb them, there is always a downhill waiting for you. At about mile 40, we started a 3.7 mile climb, followed by a 2 mile downhill, followed by another mile climb, followed by another 2 mile gradual downhil. It was worth it!

Today was another hot day - it went over 100 again along the coast. I can imagine how hot it was inland. One of the nice parts, us that you get 15 miles of rollers at the end with a slight tailwind AND we get to see hundreds of sea lions beached right outside San Simeon!

The night ended with Annie (one if our teammates) singing on the Pier. What a voice...

Tomorrow - San Simeon to Oceano (past SLO)

Day 3 - Monterey to Big Sur

This ride was a total of 49 miles and we spent time touring the Monterey Wharf, 17 mile drive (just gorgeous), Scenic Drive in Carmel! It was a very warm day with temperatures over 100 so we had to stay hydrated. From Carmel, we rode (climbed) 26 miles to Big Sur where you see the most gorgeous coastline in the world (pictures to follow). We stopped at River Inn where we soaked our feet and enjoyed the time there relaxing after a long ride. Today's ride was 49 miles with 3400 feet of climbing.

Dwight enjoyed the bike rental, but is also checking out other people's bikes - carbon, here he comes ;-)

Tomorrow, onto San Simeon....

Day 2 - Santa Cruz to Monterey


We are trying to update the blog daily, but we are having some Internet problems. We will update as much as we can.

We rode from Santa Cruz to Monterey, which was a total of 60 miles with 3000 feet of climbing today. It was a beautiful scenic ride down the coast. We toured the Santa Cruz lighthouse, Natural Bridges and the Whart in Santa Cruz. We also visited Capitola and listened to a folk group singing on the pier. We had 2 favorite spots to stop and eat at - The Farm (near Cabrillo College) where got Iced Mocha Chai and at Phil's Seafood in Moss Landing where we got the clam chowder and crab salad. Hmm, Hmm, Good!!

The team is getting alot of questions about the SpongeBob on our bikes. This gives us an opportunity to share our story of her. It was beautiful weather and an easy, relaxed day compared to Day 1 (except for the steep climb up into camp).

On another note, I took my bike in to have mechanic look at the 'creaking' when I pedaled. They found that the frame was broken under the seat post. Luckily, they have spares and I'll be riding one tomorrow. The good news is that Dwight will get a new bike!! He had over 10,500 miles on this one.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Arthritis Ride - Day 1 - San Francisco to Santa Cruz

Wow! What an incredible day!! Serena was amazing - that girl is a natural cyclist - 'On Your Left'.

Today we rode 91 miles with 5000 feet of climbing as we rode from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. The temperature was perfect and the scenery was even better down the coastline. There wasn't any fog as we rode across the Golden Gate bridge and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. We just had to be careful as we went around the bridge towers with oncoming cyclists. From there it was down the coastline and enjoying the ocean and breeze to Santa Cruz. What a nice tailwind ;-) for the last 40 miles.

We had special visitors in camp as Cherie and Cheryl Cole came to visit us and bring a huge football SpongeBob!


Santa Cruz to Monterey tomorrow - Mocha Chai and Chocolate Eclairs ;-)

Friday, September 24, 2010

Tomorrow is the DAY!

Well, tomorrow (Saturday) is almost here when we start the ride down the coast in memory of Christiana! We are very excited to be riding in support of the Arthritis Foundation and to help bring a cure to this disease and other rheumatic diseases. We thank everyone for all of their support (physical training, financial donations, prayers, thoughts, etc).

Continue to follow the blog as we post our updates on here:
Day 1 - San Francisco to Santa Cruz
Day 2 - Santa Cruz to Monterey
Day 3 - Monterey to Big Sur
Day 4 - Big Sur to San Simeon
Day 5 - San Simeon to Oceano
Day 6 - Oceano to Buellton
Day 7 - Buellton to Ventura
Day 8 - Ventura to LA (Santa Monica)

See you on the road! Look for the Spongebob!!!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

We are 3 days away!!

Hi all,

Well, I can't believe it is almost here.... We've been training for months in preparation to cycle down the beautiful coast of California from SF to LA. This coming Saturday, 9/25, we start on our journey as we remember Christiana, raise money for the Arthritis Foundation and enjoy God's beauty along the coast (all at the same time)! We are doing this again in memory of our daughter, Christiana, who is ALWAYS with us. This will be Dwight's 4th year and will be Maria's 2nd year.

Continue to check back on this blog as we post our daily ride updates and the experiences of the day. With modern technology, you'll also experience pictures and possibly a video or 2.

We were interviewed by the SF Examiner. Click here for a copy of the article...


Personal Best: Couple to bike coast in memory of daughter | San Francisco Examiner


http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/Personal-Best-Couple-to-bike-coast-in-memory-of-daughter-103162624.html

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