18 October 2012

C4L Thank You

On Sunday, 7 October 2012 I biked 30 miles for the 2nd Annual Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Cycle for Life Ride. It was very rewarding to have raised funds towards curing Cystic Fibrosis and to have taken part in the fun ride. (Click here to view my original post for this ride and the fund-raising.)

First of all, a huge THANK YOU to all who donated to the cause. Together we raised $53,000! Your support is truly appreciated, and goes towards ending Cystic Fibrosis. = ) Thank you.

Looking back, it was really one of the best events I've ever participated in: the weather couldn't have been more perfect, the ride was administered with efficiency and friendliness, I was one of the first females to finish (second, I believe), I got to ride with folks from Orange Cycle (my most favorite bike shop ever) at two different points, and I received a massage and Tijuana Flats taco afterwards! The only downer of the day was that my bike computer's sensor wasn't working. Good thing I captured the ride with Strava!

 




Here I am before the start of the ride. Look at that pretty sun shining through!

                           

My favorite aspects of the ride:

(1) Riding in a pack. This was my first event where it was strictly cycling. It was a lot of fun to ride in a pack and draft and get used to biking in close proximity to other bikers.

(2) Drafting and pulling with a girl from Orange Cycle. Towards the end of the ride I caught up to a friendly girl from Orange Cycle. I could tell that we were on the same level of effort, so I asked if I could hop on her wheel (draft). She was cool with that, so I recovered from the exertion of catching up to her. Shortly after that I offered to pull; by then we were closing in on the finish. We pushed hard and it was a great pull. We finished the race together, and I think we were the first females to finish. Here is a picture of me and Orange Cycle Girl (sorry that she's in my shadow...):

                           

Here is a shot of me enjoying some Gatorade on my second pass by the fuel station (approximately 20 miles into the ride). Volunteers from a nearby church donated baked goods, energy snacks, and drinks and manned this station. They were all cheering us on and very nice. = )


For more fun photos from the ride, click here to view the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Cycle for Life's Facebook photo album.

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