24 Hours of Booty

COLUMBIA, MARYLAND

First the name. The "Booty Loop" is an area in Charlotte, NC in the Myers Park neighborhood where a number of fit people, runners and cyclists, go to exercise. Or maybe look at booty.

A fundraiser for cancer, the 24 Hours of Booty started some 10 years with loops around the neighborhood. Someone else can check my facts but this is pretty close.

Five years ago it came to Columbia, Maryland, then Atlanta (or maybe that was before Columbia) and this year, Indianapolis. Again, check my facts.

Each event is a 24 hour event and benefits the national beneficiary - the Lance Armstrong Foundation (Livestrong). Each also benefits a local charity. For Columbia it is the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

Credit: Mark Ricks

I was asked to ride for Team BootyStrong by Bryan McMillan. And so I accepted the invitation. 

My legs

Arriving at registration, I made a "Memory bib" for Jake the Hero Grecco and asked a volunteer to write his name on my legs. I then took my position at the front of the group as survivors were asked to come up front to lead out the Survivor Lap.

Bryan McMillan honored Jake too

There was a DJ who introduced Basil Lyberg, Executive Director of 24 Hours who gave short remarks. After the National Anthem, we were off.

Credit: Mark Ricks

I hadn't been on this 2.1 mile loop before and had no idea where we were going but followed one or two guys in front. After 1.5 miles and a slight downhill I could see the Start/Finish which had a half mile uphill "climb," about a 4% grade. Here I took off just enough to be the first to complete the first lap. And then I rode.

Bootyville

I soon started catching people -- lapping them -- and almost immediately I saw Kevin Barnett, one of the Team San Francisco riders. Kevin and I rode together for a while but eventually I accidentally pulled away. But then I caught my Pedal Pal, Patrick Sheridan.

Kevin Barnett

Patrick or Kevin and I, rode together most of the day. I also rode with Liz Kaplan, a 2011 alum of Team Seattle.

I had decided I would do 20 mile loops, 10 laps, and keep fresh. I stopped at 20, 40, and 60 miles. At 80 miles I pulled over for dinner then turned on the front light that I had borrowed to ride at night. For the next 10 laps I rode with Kelsey Jones, a cancer survivor.

Kelsey Jones. Credit: Mark Ricks

I also surpassed the 5,000 mile mark for the year, the earliest that I have ever hit 5,000 miles. Well, it was only the second time, and that was two years ago in late November.

Credit: Mark Ricks

After 120 miles, just before midnight, the light went out and so I pulled off and went to the midnight pizza party. With no front light, I called it a night and checked into my hotel (even though it was a primarily a camping event).

Night riding at Bootyville

And I'm glad I did. A storm came through and the course was closed for safety. After a short night's sleep and the morning storm I came back and discovered my friends had left. But I found another friend and we rode for 25 miles. Then lunch. Then another 22 miles.

Although there were few people left at 2:00 p.m. I thought it was appropriate that I ride the last lap as well as the first. And we swept up any riders on course so that eight of us finished together. In a storm.

I was first and I was last.

Just as we finished the sky opened up and it was a matter of getting to the car safely.

After the 24 Hours I got home and signed up to do it again next year -- this time riding for Jake's Snazzy Pistols.

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Mount Shasta Century

MOUNT SHASTA, CALIFORNIA

Mount Shasta is a long way from San Francisco. Who knew?

I came here for the Mount Shasta Summit Century. Having done four centuries in four days less than two weeks ago, I wasn't worried about my fitness. I was, however, worried about my bike. I was on a borrowed bike - a steel Trek touring bike with bar-end shifters and 32cc tires. A flat one (tire) at that. 

Grand Depart - 6:30 a.m.

That was not the best bike for climbing. Heavy and sluggish, I struggled with it the first 25 miles. And those were rollers.

Spillway at Lake Siskiyou

Deron Cutright and Tamy Quiqley had set me up with the bike for which I am thankful. I never look a gift bike in the mouth. I may make fun of it in a blog for all to see but I will never look it in the mouth.

The day started cool, low 60s, and with a few rain drops but not enough to say it was raining. It would warm up considerably throughout the day.

Lake Siskiyou

The first rest stop was in Weed, California, always a good place for some jokes. Up until then the road was best described as rollers although there was a six-mile descent - never a good thing at the beginning of a long ride. Those are best saved as rewards at the end.

Weed, California

Climbing back to the City of Mount Shasta, the first real climb began. The scenery was gorgeous. We were in a forest with each pedal stroke climbing higher amongst the rocks and trees. Behind me was a great view of Mount Shasta which I would see on the six mile descent after we turned around.

Climb up W. A. Barr Rd

After the descent we immediately began the climb to Crystal Lake. This was a climb which took us to more than a mile high. Strangely enough, the 14 minutes down, at 30 mph, seemed longer than the hour climb up the mountain.

Mt Shasta from W.A. Barr Rd

After 72 miles the sweetest was yet to come. On the cue sheet it appeared to be a 13 mile climb up to 7800'. However, I was out of time. Having stayed on East Coast time, and knowing it would be another 2 1/2 hours to climb and descend, I knew I didn't leave myself enough time to safely drive back to the San Francisco airport.

My legs felt good. My lungs felt good. My bike? Not so good. My body clock? Awful.

Tamy Quiqley on W.A. Barr Rd.

Had I been on my own bike I think I would have foolishly taken the time and made the climb. Foolish because Mount Shasta is a long way from San Francisco and I had a flight to catch. I briefly even had a reservation for a red eye which I would not have made.

Railroad Tracks in City of Mount Shasta

Given those circumstances, I called it a day. I had to get on the road. As it was, I did not get to my airport hotel until midnight and I had a 6:00 a.m. flight -- and return the rental car at 4:00 a.m.

I am very satisfied with the 72 miles. There was a time when I first started that I had to prove myself I could finish. Today I knew I could finish, even on the "Family Truckster" borrowed bike. I just didn't have time. I doubt that I get to try this one again but would love to -- on my own bike and with more time before my flight home.

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Marin County

MILL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Rodrigo Garcia and I met at the Mill Valley Community Center parking lot and rode up to Scout Hall where the 4K for Cancer group was staying. Upon arriving we asked if anyone wanted to go for a 40 mile tour of Marin Co. Only Peter Bai was willing to go with us.

It was cool if not cold. I wasn't prepared for it expecting to ride in 90 degree weather each day. I should have remembered Mark Twain stating "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Thankfully, I had brought along my base layer jacket which I would wear.

(Or maybe Mark Twain didn't say it. See SanFranciscoHistory.)

We rolled through the communities of Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Ross, and Fairfax; Rodrigo being the perfect host pointing out tidbits of information. When we turned to ride up to Alpine Dam we all stopped and removed the outer wear we had on. Just a few miles north made all the difference in temperature. Thankfully, Peter had a bag on the back of his bike where he could stow my jacket.

I had rented a Trek 1.2 from Summit Bikes in San Rafael. It wasn't set up for climbing, at least for my climbing, and I soon knew it. I followed Rodrigo's wheel and at times it seems he was pedaling twice as fast although we were going the same speed. He was spinning. I was mashing.

It was a very relaxing climb. The weather was perfect. The views were gorgeous. And the company was superb! And we stopped to take pictures. It really was a great day on the bike.

Peter Bai, Photographer

After having ridden about 25 miles Peter asked how far we were planning to ride. I told him 40 miles and he said "I thought you said four miles." We laughed at him. A lot. He explained that he thought it would be four that turned into 10 so he never said a word. Now he was on the hook for 40.

The Pacific Ocean is under all that fog

After Alpine Dam we climbed up to Mt. Tam (Tamalpais) and that wasn't so bad. Until we reached the summit or plateau. Then began a stretch known as the "Seven Sisters" and even Rodrigo thought there were more hills than seven. It was gorgeous here but the road dropped in maniac undulations, each climb taking a bigger toll on me.

To our right was the Pacific Ocean but all we could see were clouds of fog below us. It was like flying above the clouds. Reaching the main intersection we could continue to Mt. Tam State Park or start our descent. Here Peter would extract his revenge. When Rodrigo asked if we should descend or go to the State Park, Peter said "let's ride."

Peter Bai

I was hoping the road was simply a summit road but it wasn't. More climbing. It featured some crazy sections of 18% grade. We were rewarded with a view of San Francisco - covered by fog. Couldn't see a thing other than the tower on Pacific Heights sticking through the clouds.

We turned and headed back, mindful that we also had some screaming descents on the way to the park. We had to climb out of here before descending.

Once back to the intersection where it was still warm, we stopped and followed Rodrigo's direction to put our warm clothes back on. That was backwards in that usually most mountains are cool and the valleys are warm, Mt. Tam was warm because it was above the clouds and fog. Once we started the descent it got cold. The closer we got to Mill Valley the colder it got. The winds blew in from off the ocean making handling the bikes tricky.

Overlooking Mill Valley

I was disappointed I couldn't go faster on that Trek - but I made it. Back at Scout Hall, we celebrated by going to In-N-Out Burger - a perfect way to end the day.

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