Miles to go before I sleep...

Tom got in 4 rides this week, trying to make up for the wet weather last week. We will actually be riding in Death Valley four weeks from yesterday. Thanks to everyone who has donated to our effort so far. We'll be running another list of contributors later this week. If you'd still like to donate, you still can. The easiest way is to click one of the "Donate" links to the left.

This week's ride totals:
9/17 - 36.5 miles; WPT north to Sand Lake and back (Tom)
9/18 - 17 miles; Seven Mile hill to Cannon Trail and back
9/19 - 11.8 miles; running errands on the bike (Tom)
9/21 - 15.6 miles; Courtland, Keis, Blakely, 7 Mile loop (Tom)
Total: 80.9 miles (Tom)
Total: 17 miles (Mary)

A Death Valley Memory

One month from today the West Michigan Ride Team will once again be on top of Zabriski Point as in the above photo from the 2007 ride. October 17 is our training ride day. It's a 10 mile, get reacquainted with your bike, ride from the Furnace Creek Ranch to Zabriski Point and back. The 5 miles there are all up hill, but that makes the 5 miles back all down hill. Then we relax, carb up and get a good nights sleep so we can be ready for the sunrise start on October 18.
In other news, Tom rode the White Pine Trail to Sand Lake and back today, a 36.5 mile round trip.

A rainy week

I think we received more ran this week than in all of July and August combined. The wetness really limited our riding, we only got out once. However the weather people are predicting sunshine for this week so we'll hit it hard.

This week's ride totals:
9/11 - 24.8 miles, Rockford to GR and back
Total: 24.8 miles

Nice ride, except for the flat

We took the White Pine Trail from our house south past the ball park. We then rode the trail thru Riverside Park and picked our way past the construction on Monroe to end up in downtown Grand Rapids. I guess we decided to do a little urban riding tonight. We came home via the west side. It should have been a quick trip back with the nice southerly breeze. But Tom ran over something and got a cut in his brand new red front tire and a punctured tube. Bummer. The good news is that it was almost a 25 mile ride.

Also, photos of Jake's Music Festival have been posted. Click here to go there.

What a show!

Jake's Music Festival was great last night. We had more people in attendance, more bands and made more money than any other year. Thanks to everyone who helped out or attended the show. The final numbers aren't in yet, but it looks like we'll clear between $2,500 and $3,000. Special thanks to our sponsors Frames Unlimited and Magic Hat #9 Beer. We'll be posting the photos soon.

There was also some riding done today. Tom rode the back roads from our house going north and west to the corner of 13 Mile and Alpine. He then headed back east and south on different roads to return home for a 26.5 mile loop.

This week's ride totals:
9/1 - 33 miles, Lake Paw Paw to Benton Harbor and back
9/3 -13 miles, Rockford east loop (Tom)
9/7 - 26.5 miles, home to Alpine & 13 Mile loop (Tom)
Total: 72.5 miles (Tom)
Total: 33 miles (Mary)

One day until Jake's Music Festival

The headline says it all. To see the full schedule of bands please go to www.jakesmusicfestival.blogspot.com. Doors open at 5:30, music from 6:00 to midnight. Tickets will be available at the door, but come early to get a good seat.

1 day until Jake's Music Festival

Quick ride, quick post

Tom got out this morning for quick, but tough ride. 13 miles with several hills. Started east on 7 Mile, which means a very big up hill one mile into the ride. Then went south on Chauncey, east on Cannonsburg and then north on Egypt Valley, for more serious climbing. Finished off by riding west on Belding Road, south on Courtland Dr. and then west (and downhill) on 7 Mile. A nice quick loop before the rain started. Still waiting for that rain.

3 days until Jake's Music Festival

Happy Labor Day

We missed the team ride yesterday because we were out of town visiting our friends Elvin and Susan Hayes at their cottage. So this morning we did a real nice ride from Lake Paw Paw all the way to the Lake Michigan shore north of Benton Harbor and then back through Coloma. It was 33 miles in all on an absolutely beautiful day to be riding. No wind and only a few low rolling hills. We spent the rest of the day tubing on the lake, playing volleyball and enjoying food and drink. A great way to spend a holiday weekend.

5 days until Jake's Music Festival

This week's rides

Not a lot of riding this week, but just enough to keep the legs loose. On Tuesday Tom rode south on the White Pine Trail to past Whitecaps Park and back, for a total of 14 miles. On Thursday we took Ian to soccer practice and did oecause ur usual Algoma area loop. This week was a bit different because Tom was having some flat tire issues and needed to stop at local Rockford bike shop Speed Merchants to get a new rim tape put on. He then rode north as Mary rode south and we met up on 12 Mile Road and continued our ride together.

This week's ride totals:
8/26 - 14 miles; WPT south (Tom)
8/28 - 22.8 miles; Algoma area loop
Total: 36.8 miles (Tom)
Total: 22.8 miles (Mary)

6 days until Jake's Music Festival

Jake's Music Festival is coming soon

Our major fund-raiser to support the ride across Death Valley is coming up on September 6. That will be the 4th annual Jake's Music Festival at Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids. There will be great music including Mid-Life Crisis, Truckstop Cobras, the Waxies and Karisa Wilson among others. For a full line-up go to www.jakesmusicfestival.blogspot.com. You can also hear some of the music at www.myspace.com/jakesmusicfestival. The show starts at 6:00 p.m. and the fun doesn't stop until midnight. There's even going to be a silent auction. So come early and stay late, it's the most fun you can have in Grand Rapids for only $10.

Oh, and Tom rode 14 miles today.

The week that was

This was a very busy week so we didn't get a lot of riding in. We have another small home improvement project going on. Mary took Colleen back to college (Fire up Chips!). And our friend Roy is here from Seattle. We did get a couple of rides in and hope to do better once the boys are back in school and on a regular schedule next week.

This week's ride totals:
8/19 - 14 miles - Algoma loop (Mary)
8/19 - 22.6 miles - Algoma loop to home (Tom)
8/21 - 25.4 miles - WPT to Cedar Springs and back (Tom)

Total: 14 miles (Mary)
Total: 48 miles (Tom)

13 days until Jake's Music Festival

Morning Ride

It was a beautiful Saturday morning, so before it got too hot Tom hopped on his Cannondale and headed for the White Pine Trail. He took the trail all the way to Cedar Springs and back for a 25.4 mile round trip. The best part is it took just over and hour and a half. At that pace he could finish the Death Valley ride in 7 hours. Except DV has more hills, the Jubilee Pass climb and horrible headwinds. Other than that, piece of cake.

14 days until Jake's Music Festival

Rides and flats

Our plan tonight was to take our son Ian to soccer practice and then ride from Algoma Township Park for an hour and half. Unfortunately Tom had his second flat in as many rides. (One on front of the Dog House saloon on the 5 x 55 last Saturday) And this one was only about 2 miles into the ride. We got the tube changes, but that really cut into our ride time. We put in about 14 miles. Then Tom rode home while Mary drove Ian home. That got Tom's mileage up to 22.6 miles.

18 days until Jake's Music Festival.

What a great time

The first 5 x 55 Ride yesterday was a rousing success. We had over 30 riders, some from the West Michigan Ride Team, some friends from the Chicago and Detroit areas, and even some folks from Indiana. It was very cool to see almost three dozen spandex clad cyclists taking over the little town bars on a Saturday afternoon. The Musketawa Trail is thankfully straight and flat, because after the second stop it was obvious that this was going to be a long, potentially wobbly, day. We started the ride at noon and finished about 8:30 p.m. The large group broke into several smaller groups. Some rode faster than others and some stopped longer at the bars. Stop #3 in Muskegon, the Dog House Saloon, was our lunch break and all the riders were there together for at least part of the time. The Ravenna Pub (in Ravenna, of course) was Stop #2 and #4. Fenian's in Conklin, Stop #1 and #5, was probably the overall favorite. For pictures of the event click here. As fellow Death Valley rider Derek Dykstra said "It was way, way, WAY fun." And thanks to Jim "Elvin" Hayes of Chicago for helping to organize the event.

This week's ride totals:
8/12 - 16 miles; Algoma Park to Sparta and back
8/16 - 55 miles; The 5 x 55 Ride
Total: 71 miles (Tom and Mary)

Saturday Fun Ride

The 5 x 55 is a completely FLAT ride and only half the distance of a century. Plus there are adult beverages along the way. We will be assembling at the eastern end of the Musketawa Trail near Marne. Click here for a link to the trail web site and then click on the MAPS link. Assemble time is 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 16. Roll out is 12 noon. The sun sets at 8:46 p.m. so we want to start on time. Now you may be asking yourself "Eight and a half hours to do a 55 mile flat ride? What's up with that?" Well, on the way out we will be stopping at Fenian's Irish Pub in Conklin and the Ravenna Pub in Ravenna. The turnaround point is the Dog House Tavern in Muskegon. On the way back we hit the Ravenna Pub and Fenian's again. So bring some cash for food and drink. You may also want to bring a lock. Remember this is a self supported ride. No SAG, no massages, no women with hillbilly teeth. (There's a story there) But it will be big fun. Use the comment area to let us know if you plan on coming. This is NOT an official JDRF event, so feel free to pass the word to other friends and riders.
See you Saturday.

Skipping a week

We didn't do a Sunday night update last week because we were off the grid. After the team ride at Ann O'Conner's last week we left for vacation in North Carolina. We rented a cabin up in the Smokey Mountains. No internet access until we got to Asheville on Friday. There we hooked up with the portion of West Michigan Ride Team that was doing the Asheville ride. There were 24 riders and probably another dozen volunteers and supporters. West Michigan was well represented at the ride. We had the second best fundraiser, Nick Dunn; the top recruiter, Coach Mike Clark; and five people who completed their first century ride. It was a very cool weekend and we shot lots of photos and videos which will be posted soon.
So this update is actually for last week since this was a no-ride week for us. This week will be big though, with the 5x55 coming up on Saturday.

This week's ride totals:
7/29 - 15.6 miles; Algoma-14 Mile area
7/31 - 23.1 miles; Rockford-Sparta airport loop
8/3 - 45 miles; Pullman, Fennville, Saugatuck loop

Total: 83.7 miles (Tom & Mary)

A good week

We had two good rides this week with a great one scheduled for tomorrow. Tuesday we dropped Ian off at soccer practice at Algoma Field and rode from there. We headed west out 14 Mile Road and rode around the farmland in that area. A little over 15 miles in about an hour and 15 minutes.
Then on Thursday Cindy Aley from our team joined us for a 23 mile ride. We left from our house and rode north to Rockford, then west on 12 Mile out to Division. We went by the Sparta Airport and came home via 9 Mile and Post Road.
Tomorrow is one of the best team rides of the year. We leave early from Ann O'Conner's house in Pullman and then when we finish we have a big pool party with all the riders and their families. It promises to be a great finish to a great week.

Thanks to our donors

We would like to take a moment to thank the many people who have already donated to our 4th annual Ride to Cure Diabetes.

Michelle Bassett
Chris Behrens
Jack Clark
Dawn Dempsey
Jim & Connie Hennip
Tim Jackson
Mary Ellen Koziol
Marc & Jane Longstreet
Dennis & Kim Moline
Janice Piereson
My-anne Muir
Mike & Jean Oele
Don & Janet Rutgers
Steve & Karen Salyer
George & Tina Schmutz
Chris & Collette Smiley
Henry & Mary Stoklas
Kim Summers
Hank & Mary Weiten

Sunday night update

We had a good team ride today hosted by Scott and Linda "It's all downhill from here" Poeder. We left from their house in the Caledonia area, traveled past the Steelcase pyramid, then through Middleville and Alaska. It was a 52 mile, very hilly loop on a beautiful, if challenging, day. We had 18 of our fellow team mates there. The half of our team that is riding in Asheville N.C. is just a bit less than 2 weeks from their ride. The Death Valley part of the team has almost 10 weeks of training left.

This week's ride totals:
7/22 - 17.1 miles, WPT north (Tom)
7/24 - 16.6 miles, Cannon Trail to Townsend Park and back (Tom)
7/27 - 52.6 miles, Caledonia, Middleville Alaska loop (Tom)
Total: 86.3 miles (Tom)

4000

This is a Tom only report, as Mary is in Branson, Missouri with her mother and sister-in-law.
Tonight I did a little 16 miles ride and the odometer on my bike went over 4000 miles. I got my Cannondale just before the 2005 Death Valley Ride. So in a couple months less than three years I've logged 4000 miles, 4 century rides, dozens of rides over 50 miles, and had one crash that left a scar on my butt and broke my camera. And to think I didn't get serious about cycling until I was in my late 40's.
Also, we want to thank XS Energy Drinks for agreeing to be a West Michigan Ride Team sponsor again this year.

Team photo

Here are 17 members of this year's West Michigan Ride Team sporting our new "Pancreas Pink" team jerseys. This was right before yesterday team ride in Montague.

Big weekend

Yesterday we helped out at the JDRF Ride Team booth at the Holland Hundred. Before our shift started we got in 31 miles in a constant rain. Sometimes drizzling, sometimes pouring, but always raining. We rode from Holland to Saugatuck and back. Then we were giving away free Popsicles and helping sell tickets to our post-ride party at New Holland Brewery. It went pretty well for a first time event.
Today we traveled to Montague for a team ride and did a great route designed by fellow team member Derek Dykstra. We started at Nicole Nellis' grand parents house just north of White Lake. We rode past Stony Lake and over to New Era before returning to a pool party and cook-out. It was a 46 mile ride with plenty of hills and even a little wind to keep things interesting.

This week's ride totals:
7/14 - 12 miles; WPT south (Tom)
7/19 - 31 miles; Holland to Saugatuck and back
7/20 - 46 miles; Montague, New Era loop

Total: 89 miles - Tom
Total: 77 miles - Mary

Some people just don't get it

This photo of this year's Tour De France is from Reuters News Service. Apparently this rider didn't get the memo about using a ROAD bike.

Sunday Night, BABY!!!!

It's time for another training update. We had a good week, especially Wednesday when we checked out the Muskegon end of the Musketawa Trail. The Ashville part of our team is doing their ride in just 5 weeks. The Death Valley contingent has a little more training time but we are doing pretty good miles already.

This week's ride totals:
7/8 - 20 miles; Rockford and west loop (Tom)
7/9 - 30.3 miles; Muskegon to Ravenna and back

Total: 50.3 miles - Tom
Total: 30.3 miles - Mary

The 5 x 55 Ride is Coming Soon

This was an idea spawned by a ride on the Musketawa Trail with our friends Elvin and Susan Hayes last summer.
The 5 x 55 Ride takes place Saturday, August 16. We'll ride the Musketawa from Marne to Muskegon, that's the 55, as in miles. The 5 is the number of bar stops along the way. We'll be stopping for a cool beverage at Fenien's Irish Pub in Conklin, the Ravenna Pub, and the Dog House in Muskegon on the way out and then revisitng Ravenna Pub and Fenien's on the way back.
The Musketawa Trail is flat and crosses mostly country roads. The bars are small town quaint and the beer will be cold. We are expecting 20 to 50 riders for this self supported event. In other words, don't plan on a SAG wagon and bring your own cash for food and drinks.
This is a fun ride, not a fund-raiser. However, we are selling t-shirts at http://www.cafepress.com/rideteam and a portion of the proceeds go to support the West Michigan JDRF Ride Team.
So come on down and have a good time on what promises to be a very fun ride. Drop us an email if you'd like more info or plan on attending.

It's not the heat, it's the humidity

Tom went out for a hard ride tonight. Took the hilly route from our house to downtown Rockford. Then rode the WPT to 13 mile. Took that west to Algoma and then south to 10 Mile and a jog to Herrington, which is a very twisty turny rolly kind of road. Ended up on Pine Island just north of Post Road and headed home. A little over 20 miles. When I wasn't working on hills I was trying to keep my speed in the 18 to 20 MPH range. Trying to get faster and stronger to battle the winds out in DV.

Happy (Summer) Holidays

What a great weekend. Beautiful weather, lots of get togethers and cook outs with friends and family, and even some bike riding. Today we were at our friends Susan and Elvin Hayes' cottage on Lake Paw Paw. We did an 18 mile loop, more or less around the lake.

This week's ride totals:
6/30 - 16.4 miles; Rockford via the WPT (Tom)
7/1 - 27.9 miles; Loop east and north of Rockford
7/6 - 18 miles; Lake Paw Paw loop

Total: 62.3 miles - Tom
Total: 45.9 miles - Mary

On a more somber note, one of our son Jake's friends, Jay Gephart, passed away this week. Jay graduated from Rockford High School this past May and on Wednesday night was struck by a car while riding his moped. Please remember Jay's family in your prayers. And say a prayer for all the cyclists who have been killed or injured while riding.
Thanks.

Back in the saddle

No ride report this past Sunday because there was no riding done last week. This week we are making up for it. Tom rode Monday and we both rode, along with teammates Cindy alley and Chris Radford, on Tuesday. The four of us did a nice loop from our house up past Our Lady of Consolation church, out 11 Mile and back down Ramsdell. almost 28 miles. We are hoping to get some more miles in over the long holiday weekend.

Checking in from Tampa

This post has nothing to do with bike riding. Tom is blogging from Tampa today. I'm in the middle of a week long event. It has been quite hot down here, in the 90's. It really makes you appreciate the lack of humidity in Death Valley. Yesterday it was 93 degrees with about 110% humidity. How I long for the dry air of the desert. Of course there are beaches here and that's a plus. Mary arrives tonight and we're going to spend some time on the beach during my down time. Next week it's back on the bike.

A Busy Week

Lots going on at work this week as Tom is getting ready for two big events and a bunch of small ones. We got some riding in, just didn't have time to write about it. On Wednesday Tom took some extra clothes to Ian who was staying overnight at a friend's house. A little 10 mile ride that also saved some gas for the car. On Friday we took Jake and Ian up to Rockford for ice cream and rode out mountain bikes. That meant we could ride on the very cool Rouge River Trail, which isn't paved. Then today we did a team ride from Ada Park to Wabasis Lake and back. After riding our mountain bikes yesterday it felt like we were floating today. A good week this week, although next week Tom is out of town on one of those events so we probably won't get a lot of miles in.

This week's ride totals:
6/18 - 10.7 miles; home to Rockford and back (Tom)
6/20 - 10 miles; to Rockford for ice cream
6/21 - 44.2 miles; Ada Park to Wabasis lake loop

Total: 64.9 miles (Tom)
Total: 54.2 miles (Mary)

Happy Father's Day

Tom spent the day around the house, spending time with the kids, and this evening we went for a ride south on the White Pine Trail, thru Riverside Park and ended up at the 6th Street dam in downtown Grand Rapids. Almost 22 miles for the round trip. On Thursday Tom rode the trail north from Rockford to Sand Lake and back. Nice weather this week so we got a fair amount of riding in.

This week's ride totals:
6/10 - 20.2 miles; WPT north to Rockford
6/12 - 27.2 miles; WPT Rockford to Sand Lake (Tom)
6/15 - 21.9 miles; WPT south to Grand Rapids

Total: 69.3 miles -Tom
Total: 42.1 miles - Mary

Tuesday Night Blues

No, we aren't sad. The headline refers to the fact that the Rogue River Blues Series started back up last night. We did this a few times last year. We ride from our house north on the White Pine Trail to Rockford, watch a little of the free concert right by the dam in downtown Rockford and then ride further north on the trail before heading home. We did a little over 20 miles yesterday.

A Wet Week

Friday was the boys last day of school, so Tom told them that he would buy ice cream at Rocky's in Rockford to anyone who rode their bike up there. Jake decided to hang out with friends but Ian and Colleen went on the ride. It was hot and sunny when they started. By the time they arrived in Rockford however the storm clouds had blown in and the rain had begun. Luckily the intrepid trio found a dry spot in the Rotary Pavilion. They enjoyed ice cream waiting for the rain to subside. About the time they finished the skies brightened and the rain slowed so they headed back down the White Pine Trail for home. That's when the real rain started. It came down in the proverbial buckets. Tom, Colleen and Ian were all drenched. But it was a warm rain and they laughed about being soaked all the way home. So they got in 12 miles, a little ice cream and a great memory. Quite a way to celebrate the last day of school.

This week's ride totals:
6/4 - 18 miles; WPT south to Riverside Park (Tom)
6/6 - 12 miles, WPT north to Rockford (Tom)

Total: 30 miles (Tom)

Mary, on yesterday's team ride, acting sassy!

A Great Team Ride

Today was a superlative day to ride. Not only did we have 28 of our fellow JDRF Ride Team members along for the fun, but the post ride bash was the now traditional Mike Clark Fajita Fiesta. After 44 miles the Mexican spread laid out by our coach tasted mighty good. MC lives in Holland and the ride originated from his place. We rode through Fennville, Douglas and Saugatuck on what is known as the Hutchins Lake Loop. It was big fun and we really feel like we are in mid-season form already and it's only June 1st.

This week's ride totals:
5/26 - 31.9 miles; Lake Paw Paw to Sister Lakes loop
5/29 - 10.2 miles; WPT south (Tom)
6/1 - 44 miles; Hutchins Lake Loop

Total: 86.1 miles - Tom
Total: 75.9 miles - Mary

The Memorial Day edition of the update

This week's update is late because we spent most of the weekend in Canton, Michigan at a soccer tournament with our son Ian. His team won the championship. Then we spent some time at our friends Susan and Elvin's cottage on Lake Paw Paw. We did get some riding in to go with all the driving and watching (soccer that is). On Sunday we rode on a little trail that follows I-275 in Novi. Despite having the highway on one side there was a nice natural area on our other side. So natural, in fact, that Tom was attacked by a red winged blackbird. It swooped down and pecked the top of his helmet, then made a second pass and went for his neck. It's amazing how fast you can ride when you need to get away from something. The entire ride was just short on 11 miles.
Today we rode with Susan and Elvin from their cottage to Sister Lakes and back. It was a beautiful morning for a ride and we put on 30 miles through the rolling countryside of Berrien county. However, since it's Monday, those miles will be reflected in next week's update.

This week's ride totals:
5/25 - 10.9 Miles; I-275 trail Novi

Total: 10.9 miles

Five months to Death Valley

That's right, 5 months from today, October 18, we will be riding across Death Valley once again. That will make four years in a row. Speaking of riding we got a lot in this week. We hosted the team ride today so Tom went out earlier in the week to check out the route. On Tuesday he road the first half which went west out 7 Mile to Blakely to 9 Mile to Young to 12 Mile. Then on Friday he did the finishing half which was basically 12 Mile to North Division to 9 Mile to Baumhoff to 8 Mile back to Division back to 9 Mile and then home via Post Drive and Rouge River. There were a few other turns in there, but those were the major roads. Almost 40 miles. And just to mix up the training Tom took out his mountain bike on Thursday and did a little four mile loop through Rouge River Park. That makes for an over 80 mile week. A lot of miles for this early in the season.

This week's ride totals:
5/13 - 17.5 miles, western loop (Tom)
5/15 - 4 miles, mountain bike trail (Tom)
5/16 - 20 miles, eastern loop (Tom)
5/18 - 39.9 miles, described above

Total: 81.4 miles (Tom)
Total: 39.9 miles (Mary)

Why do we do this?

Yesterday was a reminder of why we put ourselves through the pain and suffering of riding 105 miles in a single day through the desert of Death Valley.

Tuesday morning started like any other school day, the boys get up, take showers, eat breakfast and are out the door for school by 7:00 a.m. Except yesterday Jake said he didn't feel well and then proceeded to throw up. He tested his blood sugar and was over 400 with small keytones. He had changed his site the night before so we wondered if he hit a bad spot. After giving himself some insulin with his pump he checked his blood sugar an hour later and it was 340. The numbers were going the right direction, so that meant his site was okay. After another hour he was down to 240. He kept monitoring his blood sugar and adjusting his insulin dose all morning and eventually got his blood sugar down to 120 around noon. He then finally went to school.

Luckily Jake doesn't have these episodes often. The frustrating thing is that there seemed to be no reason for this. His site was fine, he had given himself the proper amount of insulin, he wasn't sick. And then BAM, out of the blue, he goes really high. Even though he handled the situation well it served as another reminder of how tenuous the life of a diabetic can be. Do everything right and still have complications.

This is why we ride. To find a cure for diabetes. Things around home can go along "normally" for months, then all of a sudden we get a sobering dose of reality. Jake's life has been drastically affected by this disease, as have the lives of millions of others. So we will ride. We will fund raise. We will find a cure for diabetes.

A quick report

We didn't get a lot of riding in this week. Between cold weather and kid duties the riding took a back seat, which is hard to do on a bike. Tom got out yesterday and did a quick 15 miles on the White Pine Trail. Check out our team photo site for pictures from some of our recent team rides.

This week's ride totals:
5/10 - 15.5 miles; WPT north (Tom)

Total: 15.5 miles -Tom

Another Sunday night...

Michigan weather in the spring is quite unpredictable. After a couple weeks of great weather in early April things turned ugly in the later part of the month. However, improvements are coming and today was a glorious day. The temperature was in the mid 60's with sunny skies and a light breeze. A great day for a ride. So ride we did, 34 miles in fact, with out West Michigan Ride Team. Today's training ride left from Townsend Park and traveled through Rockford and then past Wabasis Lake. We had a good group of 14 cyclists and just had a fantastic time. It's interesting how we are doing more mileage earlier in the year with each passing season. Four years ago a spring ride would have been 12 to 15 miles on a rail trail. Now they are 30 plus out on the road with hills and everything.

This weeks ride totals:
4/30 - 13.2 miles; WPT south (Tom)
5/4 - 34.4 miles; Townsend Park, Rockford, Wabasis Lake

Total: 47.6 miles - Tom
Total: 34.4 miles - Mary

It's Sunday Night, do you know where your update is?

We had a great team ride today. 17 members of the West Michigan Ride Team started out at Johnson Park in Grand Rapids and completed a 27 mile loop. The route took us down Butterworth and out Fennesy toward Grand Valley. We crossed M-45 and then turned back east on Leonard and road thru the little village of Tallmadge. South on 8th Avenue and then east on O'Brien before hooking up with Butterworth again and returning to the park. It was very warm today. Quite summer like. It's been a strange spring in Michigan. We either have winter or summer weather. The good news is, the summer type weather lets us ride more.

This week's ride totals:
4/15 - 17 miles; White Pine Trail (WPT) north (Tom)
4/20 - 27.5 miles; Johnson Park loop

Total: 44.5 miles - Tom
Total: 27.5 miles - Mary

Spring is springing

The weather is getting better everyday. Tom went out for a ride at lunch yesterday and put in 17 miles. We have a team ride coming up this Sunday at Johnson Park. Friday night we will be manning an information table about the ride at the Wealthy Theatre. And planning is under way for Jake's Music Festival. This year's event is September 6, also at Wealthy Theatre. There are also new links on the left for donating to the ride and new pictures on the team photo site.
The season is cranking up. Come back often for more news.

The Second Sunday Night Update of 2008

Today was our first team ride of the season. It was a beautiful day and we had a great turnout. We had 23 people who started at Ada Park for a flat out and back down Grand River Drive. That's a third of our team! It's even more impressive when you realize that a quarter of our team lives more than 120 miles away. (Chicago is Way-West Michigan.) It was great to put on the spandex and get out with all our riding buddies. Six months to Death Valley.

This weeks ride totals:
4/6- 23 miles; Ada Park, Grand River Dr.

The First Sunday Night Update of 2008

With apologies to our friends who ride all winter we finally got out for a ride this week. Well at least Tom did. It was sunny and 50 degrees on Friday so Tom pumped up the tires on his road bike and headed out for a ten mile lunchtime jaunt. Rode to Belmont and around the neighborhood, just to make sure the bike and body still worked. Both did.
We also officially signed up for this year's Death Valley Ride, which will take place on October 18. Stay tuned for more on our fourth excursion to the desert.

This week's ride totals:
3/14 - 10 miles; Belmont area (Tom)

Stats and Groveling

We started this blog in July of 2005 to track our training for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Ride for the Cure in Death Valley. Since then we have done three rides and this blog has been visited by over 3000 people. Those people came from 42 different countries, 47 states and Washington D.C. The question is why, after 3 1/2 years, have we had no visitors from Kentucky, Mississippi or Vermont? Those are all nice places and we're pretty sure they ride bicycles there. So this is the groveling part. In order to say we've had visitors from every state in the union we are humbly asking for hits from Kentucky, Mississippi and Vermont.
You see, it's February here in Michigan, which means we have 2 feet of snow on the ground and temperatures that flirt with the single digits. There is no riding, so we amuse ourselves with internet stats. Spring can not come to soon.

New stuff added to the blog

We made a couple of additions over on the left side of this page. First, we added a link to YouTube so you can view this year's ride video. Eventually the embedded video we have posted will rotate off the first screen and we wanted to make sure that people would still be able to watch it. So find the "Ride photos & videos" heading and click on "2007 Ride Video".
Second, we added a link to a web site that will help us raise money for the cause and get us all healthier at the same time. The Health Zone offers products like XS Energy Drink (team sponsor), protein bars, and supplements. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the JDRF West Michigan Ride Team. So look for the "Stay Healthy" heading on the left and click on the Health Zone link.
As always, thanks for your continuing support of the cause.

Winter reflection

There are some of our fellow cyclists who brave the elements and ride in all types of weather. But currently it is 11 degrees and snowing here in West Michigan. Only the insane (and I mean that in a good way) would be out riding today. We are not completely fair weather cyclists. We've had our days of 50 degree temps and rain, not to mention 100 degrees and 40 MPH winds. But for the most part our winter exercise does not involve getting on a bike and heading outdoors. Mary walks and Tom plays basketball and works out at the gym. The whole indoor trainer thing is too much like work (and it's boring). Once the weather breaks we'll be back out there on the roadies getting ready for our fourth ride in Death Valley. Yes, we are in the process of forming the 2008 team and we have committed to ride in DV once again. Remember that "insane" comment from earlier in this post? Yeah, that's us.

What do cyclists do in the winter?

They shop, of course.

We went to Chicago over the weekend and hooked up with fellow Death Valley rider and Chicago resident Nicole Nellis. This is a shot of Mary and Nicole looking at the big tree in the Walnut Room at Macy's. We had a great time bopping around downtown in the middle of a blizzard. We went to the Kriskindle Market on Daley Plaza, shopped on the Miracle Mile and checked out Millennium Park.

This is our group reflected in a giant silver sculpture called "The Bean" by the locals. We had hoped to have Rob Andro join us, but he ended up having to work. It was great meeting up with part of the "western" West Michigan team. We are looking forward to trading in the winter jackets for spandex as soon as possible.

New photo link

Over on the left side of this page you will find a Flickr badge. This links to our 2007 ride photos. Once you are into the Flickr website you can also look back through the photostream to see pictures from 2006 and 2005.
And... we are starting to plan for the 2008 ride. More details coming soon.

Ride team video is on-line

We have posted the 2007 West Michigan Ride Team video to YouTube. You can follow this link or just watch it here. The video encapsulates the whole year including training rides, fund raising and the Death Valley and Whitefish rides.

A cool ride

Tom got out on his bike for the first time since returning from Death Valley. It was sunny, windy, and relatively warm (57 degrees) yesterday, so a ride on the White Pine Trail was in order. It was just a quick 12 miles during lunch but it felt good to be outside riding again. Now the last time we rode it was sunny, real windy, and very warm (104 degrees).
We had a end of the season party over at New Holland Brewery on Tuesday night. It was great seeing all our teammates again. We also kicked off the 2008 ride season. There were several new people at the party that we are recruiting to ride with us next year. Oh, and the (almost) final total for money raised by the West Michigan Ride Team is $250,000. Thanks to everyone who contributed and watch this space for more news about next year's ride.

This Year's Ride Totals

Well, that headline looks pretty final. That's not to say we won't get some more riding in this year, but with temperatures in the 30's and 40's and snow in the forecast it might be awhile before we do any outdoor riding. We know we have team mates who ride year round. They are better men and women than we are.
So the final numbers for the 2007 JDRF Ride training season are:
Tom: 1,683 miles
Mary: 1,187 miles

More thoughts on the ride

After we returned from Death Valley our team was swapping emails about the ride. We are reposting here the one that Tom sent out on Wednesday

I’ve been looking at photos, watching videos and reading emails this morning and I am amazed at what this team has accomplished in three short years. Our first year, 2005, we had 14 riders in Death Valley and 12 more in Ashville. We were all “newbies”. We had no idea about the Death Valley terrain or the route. “Jubilee Pass is how high?” We didn’t know about posters on the room doors or identifying markings on our helmets. And why do we need a “supply” stop in Parhrump? Today we are the rock stars of the Valley. The un-official coolest team at the ride. My sides hurt all weekend. Sometimes from the riding, but more often from the laughs we shared around the pool and dinner. I will take away many memories from this ride that will last the rest of my life.

Carmen’s incredible enthusiasm for every part of the experience.

John Jasker riding up to the top of Jubilee twice to help other riders on our team achieve their goals.

Sean and Rob and Ted’s four letter shout outs.

The dorm party on Saturday night.

Our little pace line on the way back from Ashford Mills. Patti, Nicole, Carmen, Melanie and I. Plus the guys we picked up along the way, Micah from Israel and the kid whose name I forgot.

Helmet stars? A great idea. Bunny ears and a tail? It looked good on Rob.

Did I mention that Melanie Williamson is a monster climber?

Seeing Mark and Terry Hereen on Friday night and then out on the road on Saturday. And in Vegas on Sunday and Monday. Thanks for all the rides.

Underwater photography by Kevin Owens.

Sitting around for hours in the hot tub at the Flamingo in Vegas, discussing the ride.

The convenience store lunch on Friday with Katie, Steve and Nicole.

The crash and my interesting scar.

Dave the Ninja.

Finishing the ride in a sandstorm. Is that what normal people do on a Saturday night?

Turning 50 surrounded by some of the most positive people I have ever met in my life.

And to the two people who made this whole weekend possible, Coach Mike and Cruise Director Mary. While we were having fun before the ride they were working behind the scenes to make sure everything went off without a hitch. Thanks to them and Linda Clark and Sophie, our West Michigan support team.

One last thought. With 98 miles completed I was done. The wind was too strong. It was too hot. My body had nothing left. There were other riders on our team, much stronger than me, who had already sagged in. I looked up to see another long climb on the stretch between Badwater and the turn for Furnace Creek. I was done. I then looked down at the little card that had been on my handlebars since the start. One quote caught my eye. “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” At that point I looked at the photo of my son and said, “Well Jake, I’ve got no more energy, I guess we’ll have to use a double dose of persistence.” And our little pace line crossed the finish line together. Thanks to everyone who participated. You are all rock stars in my book. And if we can conquer the ride in Death Valley, I have no doubt that we can also conquer diabetes.

Ride On.

Tom

More Ride News

Those of us who rode in Death Valley have been sharing emails and photos this week. It's great to relive those great memories. Obviously that doesn't include the winds and heat. Our team is great. Not only great cyclists, but great people as well. Our bikes arrived back on the Gainey Transportation truck this morning. We had half a dozen people show up early to help unload. We are already starting to plan for next year.
Here's a photo of us at the top of Jubilee Pass. We are smiling because we think we've accomplished the hardest part of the ride. The winds haven't started yet and the temperature is still below 90.For more photos from us and the rest of the team click on the new link to the left under the 2007 Ride Photos headline. Or click here.

Photos from the 2007 Ride

The West Michigan Ride Team on Friday morning, just before the training ride up to Zabriski Point.

Dust storm at sunset. The end of the 2007 Death Valley Ride.

Tom and Mary, very happy to have completed another adventure.

We are home

This year's Death Valley Ride was incredible. We just got home after three fantastic days in DV and a couple of birthday celebration days in Las Vegas. There will be several more posts over the next couple of days with all the details and many photos. But first here are the basics.
We fought a head wind on the way back from Jubilee Pass again this year. This time it was a sustained 30 MPH with gusts to 40. The last 5 miles were ridden in a sandstorm! It was also hotter than last year. The temperature peaked at 3:40 in the afternoon at 104 degrees. The heat and the wind took their toll on Mary as she completed 88 miles of the route. Tom rode the entire 105, but it took 11 hours. Many people on our team and Death Valley ride veterans from other teams said it was the hardest thing they have ever done. More on that later...

This week's ride totals:
10/19 - 10 miles; Tune up ride to Zabriske Point and back
10/20 - 88 miles; Death Valley Ride to Cure Diabetes (Mary)
10/20 - 105 miles; Death Valley Ride to Cure Diabetes (Tom)
Total: 98 miles (Mary)
Total: 115 miles (Tom)

Bye bye

Tomorrow is fly away day. We board our flight at 8:30 Thursday morning, change planes in Chicago, pick up a rental car in Las Vegas, and arrive in Death Valley about 2:00 PDT. That is providing the big midwest storm doesn't mess up our plans. Right now there is rain in the forecast for Death Valley on Saturday. Rain?!? In Death Valley?!? The last time it rained there there were floods and roads got washed away. Then there were flowers.
This is probably the last post until we return. But then we'll have lots to talk about and tons of cool photos.

Here's a memory from 2006.

Just days away

We have been training since March. We have logged hundreds, probably over 1000, miles. The air has turned cold in Michigan. Our bikes are gone! It must be time to head to Death Valley.
On Thursday morning, 36 people from the West Michigan Bike Team will board airplanes and fly to Las Vegas. From there we will catch shuttle buses out to the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley. On Friday morning there will be a 10 mile, get reacquainted with your bike seat ride. On Saturday we will pedal 105 miles across Death Valley for JDRF. On Sunday, we sleep by the pool in Las Vegas. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this worthy cause. We'll have more reports on the actual ride in the days ahead.

This week's ride totals:
10/8 - 37 miles; WPT north to Sand Lake (Mary)
10/8 - 32.7 miles; WPT north to Cedar Springs (Tom)
Total: 37 miles - Mary
Total: 32.7 miles - Tom

Riding the trail

We both rode the White Pine Trail yesterday, but at separate time. Mary took off in the 86 degree heat around lunch time and rode all the way to Sand Lake. The new paving has added eight miles to the WPT. Of course it does go all the way to Cadillac, but after Sand Lake the trail becomes dirt. Mary did the paved portion and logged 37 miles. Later in the day Tom rode to Cedar Springs on the trail, putting in 32.6 miles. The additional paving will allow us to put in some great training miles next year, as this ride season is just about done. Our bikes leave for Death Valley tomorrow and the weather has turned colder. We might get out for a short mountain bike ride between now and the 18th, but the next time we'll be on the roadies will be in Death Valley, California.

Two weeks to DV-Day

Yesterday was our final team ride of the season. In two weeks we will be pedaling across Death Valley. And the temperatures yesterday were quite Death Valley-like. It was over 85 degrees at ride time as 12 of the West Michigan team headed out from Sue and Pete Dow's house. The Dow's treated us to several hills on our way out to Wabasis Lake. But hills and heat are what we need. We broke away from the group at the lake to take care of kid duties, but then hooked back up post-ride at the Dow's for chili and beer. Yum.

This week's ride totals:
10/4 - 15.6 miles; WPT north (Tom)
10/4 - 8 miles; WPT south (Mary)
10/6 - 31.4 miles; Forest Hills to Wabasis Lake to home
Total: 47 miles (Tom)
Total: 39.4 miles (Mary)

80 degrees in October???

We have been having some beautiful weather here in Michigan so far this fall. It's been in the 70's or 80's every day. Although it is getting into the 40's at night. Tom and Mary both went on separate rides today. With the sun setting so much earlier now it's tough to get in long rides during the week. Tom took the White Pine Trail north to 12 Mile Road for a 15.6 mile round trip. Just before nightfall Mary took the WPT south for a quick 8 miler. The good news is our rear ends felt no effects after getting back on the bike after the century ride on Sunday. Coach Mike would call that "good saddle fitness."
Two weeks from today we head out to Death Valley!

Apple Cider Century photos

Our group about to start at 7:45 a.m. Eddie, Bill, Elvin, Clark, Tom, Mary, Chan, and Susan.

Susan and Mary spinning thru the quiet streets of New Buffalo, almost half-way to the 100.

Here we are at the end of the ride. One century done, looking forward to the next one in Death Valley.

The Best Week Ever

Today we completed our first non-JDRF century ride! We rode in the Apple Cider Century in Three Oaks with our friends Elvin and Susan Hayes from Chicago. We actually had a group of eight who started the ride together. We quickly split into three groups, a fast group that did the full 100, a slower group that did 75 and Mary and Tom, who did the 100. This is our third time at the ACC. Two years ago we rode a metric century (62 miles), last year we did the 75 mile route, and this year we completed the full century. There were almost 5000 riders there, including our JDRF team mates Rick Blackmar and Lynn Elker. We heard from Lynn that the Schmeider men were riding, but we didn't see them. It was a great day to ride. We started a little before 8:00 a.m. in 55 degree weather. We finished about 5:00 p.m. in 80 degree weather. Did we mention there was also a 20 MPH wind out of the south? Or that a large portion of the ride is in Indiana? And since Indiana is south of Michigan that meant several miles of going straight into the wind. Sometimes uphill and in the sun at the same time. Very Death Valley like, except for the trees.

This week's ride totals:
9/24 - 15 miles; WPT south (Tom)
9/27 - 11.7 miles; WPT north (Tom)
9/30 - 100 miles; Apple Cider Century
Total: 126.7 miles (Tom)
Total: 100 miles (Mary)

More Donor Thanks

This Saturday will mark three weeks out from the ride. We'd like to take a moment and thank some of our recent donors.

Brent & Jennifer Deuel
Roy Dodman
Jim & Connie Hennip
Mary Ellen Koziol
Marc & Jane Longstreet
Dennis & Kim Moline
Greg & Gail Raap
David & Jennifer Shane
Kim Summers
Bill & Ginger Young
Home Care Services - Lynette Dykhouse
Stonecrest Productions - Dave Mackenzie
XCEL Chemical - Laryy & Amy Hewitt

It's Apple Pickin' Time

Yesterday we did a long ride thru the apple orchards in the Fruit Ridge Road area. We actually made it all the way out to 40th Street in Ottawa County. We went out Post Road to 9 Mile and headed west then went south on Stage Rd. to 8 Mile and took that to 40th. Then we rode north to 10 Mile and turned east to start heading home. We fought a pretty stiff head wind while going west. In fact the first 24 miles took two hours, and the last 17 miles took one hour. What a difference a tail wind makes. Next weekend is the Apple Cider Century and this year we will be trying for the full 100 miles.

This weeks ride totals:
9/18 - 30.7 miles; WPT north (Tom)
9/20 - 18.5 miles; eastern loop (Tom)
9/20 - 11.1 miles; WPT south (Mary)
9/22 - 41.4 miles; western apple orchard loop
Total: 90.6 miles (Tom)
Total: 52.5 miles (Mary)

A word from one of our sponsors.

XS Energy Drinks has donated hundreds of cases of energy drink and water for our ride team to use as a fund raiser. If you are interested in purchasing some please let us know. 100% of the proceeds go to fund our ride team.

Thanks to XS and thanks to you for your support!

One month to go

It's hard to believe that after training since March, we are only one month from riding in Death Valley. We noticed the high temperature there today was only 87. I don't think we'll get that lucky. Heat we can take, we're just hoping for less wind than last year. The training is going well. Tom rode north on the WPT all the way to Cedar Springs but then had to turn east when large road making machines blocked his path. It seems they are putting the final top coat on the trail. Today Tom took the eastern loop (lots of hills) from the house and Mary rode the WPT south to Whitecaps ballpark. Next weekend we will be riding in the Apple Cider century and our goal is to go the full 100 miles.

The White Pine Trail

The WPT is becoming the bike riders highway thru west Michigan. On Thursday Tom rode from our house all the way to Cedar Springs. The trail is now paved to Sand Lake. It's not "officially" open, but you just have to ignore a couple of "Trail Closed" signs. On Sunday the trip went south all the way to downtown Grand Rapids. A one way ride from GR to Sand Lake would cover approximately 26 miles. Now if we can just find a way to limit the strollers and skaters in Rockford we can really fly. :)

This week's ride totals:
9/13 - 25.2 miles; WPT north to Cedar Springs (Tom)
9/16 - 22.7 miles; WPT south to GR (Tom)
Total: 47.9 miles (Tom)

Why we do this

Today provided a great reminder of why we go through all the training and suffer through century rides in deserts and over mountains. This afternoon there was a small get together in Holland for the riders who completed the Whitefish ride. Since Mary had been out there as a volunteer we were invited as well. There was good food, great pictures and wonderful stories. Near the end of the party Dawn Wilson, a Herman Miller employee and brand new JDRF rider, gave a short speech. It seems that Dawn got a little emotional when she crossed the finish line. Now Dawn is one tough rider. She has been kicking it in through training and in Whitefish. So when the tears flowed on the finish line it surprised most everyone. Today she explained, " I finally figured out what this was all about. I thought I was just going out there to do a cool bike ride. But then I found out that (fellow rider) Jake Clark is diabetic. And I kept looking at the picture that had been attached to my bike of this little girl. It hit me that she has diabetes and that's why we're here. This ride changed my life." Dawn may have cried at the finish line, but she had everyone in the room crying today.

We have a great group of riders on the West Michigan team. Half of us have done the ride and the other half go soon. These rides continue to change lives, not just of the riders, but of the kids afflicted with diabetes. Thanks Dawn, for making that point so clear today.

This week's ride totals:
9/3 - 16.4 miles; WPT north (Tom)
9/5 - 13.7 miles; WPT south
9/9 - 23.5 miles; Tunnel Park to Kirk Park (Ottawa County) and back
Total: 37.2 miles (Mary)
Total: 53.6 miles (Tom)

This week's roundup

We had a great ride yesterday. We rode from our house to Tom's parents house just north of Lowell. We took Cannonsburg Road thru Parnell and past Murray Lake to Lincoln Lake Road. It was a 36 mile round trip on a beautiful late summer day. We are now seven weeks away from riding across Death Valley.

This week's ride totals:
8/28 - 14 miles; WPT south (Tom)
8/31 - 16.7 miles; WPT north (Tom)
9/1 - 36 miles; Cannonsburg Rd. to Lincoln Lake Rd.
Total: 66.7 miles (Tom)
Total: 36 miles (Mary)

Michigan, Montana and points in-between

A crazy busy week. Mary took Colleen back to Central Michigan University on Thursday and then was supposed to fly to Montana to support the 20 West Michigan riders participating in the Whitefish Ride to Cure Diabetes. Because of the storms that rolled thru the midwest that day she ended up driving to Chicago early Friday morning and catching a flight to Missoula, Montana. The ride out there went great and the West Michigan folks had a fantastic time. We'll be posting photos here and at the team blog site later.
Tom stayed in Michigan, putting in many work hours but also setting up the JDRF goodie tent at the Rockford Criterium on Saturday. Today he got out for a ride and actually made it up to Sand Lake and rode on 3 miles of newly paved WPT. Yeah! At long last the paving project is underway. When finished in September we will be able to do a 36 mile round trip on the trail from our front door. Because the trail isn't completely paved yet Tom had to do some regular roads and the ride ended up being 41 miles.

This week's ride totals:
8/21 - 16.4 miles; Post, 9 Mile, Division, WPT loop
8/26 - 41 miles; WPT paved sections north (Tom)
Total: 16.4 miles -Mary
Total: 57.4 miles -Tom

Riding between raindrops

We are making up for our dry summer this week. Lots of rain every day. We did get out right after work yesterday for a quick ride. Took Post Road out to Pine Island and then west on 9 Mile. We turned south at Division and rode that all the way to Comstock Park. Hopped on the WPT and headed home. An easy 16.4 miles before dinner.
Tomorrow Mary leaves with half our team for the ride in Whitefish, Montana. She won't be riding, she's there to help with logistics. We have 20 riders in Whitefish this month, another five there in September and about 37 of us in Death Valley in October. Altogether we'll raise nearly a quarter of a million dollars for diabetes research. Woo hoo!

Busy week

This week was crazy busy. Tom had a big event that went all week long so he was only able to get out Monday morning and Friday afternoon. On Friday he rode down to the JDRF offices via Grand River Drive and rode home with Mary. Today was supposed to be the annual West Michigan Ride Team ride and pool party. But it got cancelled because of rain. We haven't had any rain in a month and so on the day we plan a pool party the state gets dumped on. Oh well, at least the lawn is a better shade of brown.

This week's ride totals:
8/13 - 21 miles; Courtland, Meyers Lake, 13 miles, WPT (Tom)
8/17 - 22 miles; Grand River Dr. (Tom)
8/17 - 11 miles; Grand River Dr. (Mary)
Total: 43 miles (Tom)
Total: 11 miles (Mary)

Fundraising week

We didn't get a lot of miles in this week because we were getting ready for Jake's Music Festival. This is a major fundraiser for us and it took place last night. We're still counting money, but it looks like we made over $2,000. Since we each have to raise $4,000 in order to ride in Death Valley, last night's concert took us a long way toward our goal.

This week's ride totals:
8/8 - 23 miles; WPT north (Tom)
8/10 - 21 miles; WPT south (Tom)
Total: 44 miles (Tom)

Jake's Music Festival THIS Saturday

Head on down to the Wealthy Street Theatre in Grand Rapids this Saturday night for the best concert of the summer. The show starts at 6:00 p.m. and features local acts FLEDfive, Craic Wisely, Common Shiner, Creolization, Los Cobras and Bad Dolly. Tickets are only $10 and all proceeds go to support the West Michigan Ride Team. See you there.

Is that a hill?

We had a great team ride today. 15 riders in all, evenly mixed between Whitefish and Death Valley participants. We left from Joe Schmeider's house and headed east from Knapp from Grand River. We then did several north and south streets as we went through Parnell, Murray Lake, and Fallasburg Park. Then it was back via Bailey and the hills of Honey Creek. A couple more north/south jogs and we climbed Joe's long driveway to finish the 48 mile ride. Our total climbing was 1,221 feet. Thankfully Mike Clark did not call this a "rolling hills" route. These were big hills but good training. The Whitefish folks do their JDRF ride in 3 weeks.

This week's ride totals:
8/2 - 14 miles; WPT Coit loop (Tom)
8/3 - 14.5 miles; WPT north (Tom)
8/5 - 48.5 miles; Schmeider's hill route (see above)

Total: 48.5 miles - Mary
Total: 77 miles - Tom

Death Valley style heat

It has been very hot this week. Temperatures in the 90's all week with Tuesday topping out at 97. Unlike Death Valley this is not a dry heat. It's humid and very uncomfortable. So today Tom took off early in the morning to get a ride in. South on the WPT, east on North Park, North on Coit, over the Grand River on the Jupiter bridge and then home. A 14 mile loop. Not a big ride, but there was work to do today.

Another big week

We both got out and rode 4 times this week, with Tom doing his second 100+ mile week in a row. Remember, in Death Valley we are doing 105 miles in one day. Still, it feels great to be getting some big miles in and we have almost 3 months until we head out to the desert.
On a separate note, Tom seems to have come down with DID disease, named for fellow rider Derek Dykstra. He had two flats on Friday and another one today. We've thinking about seeing if we can get a team bulk discount on tubes.

This week's ride totals:
7/23 - 20 miles; WPT north (Tom)
7/24 - 11 miles; Cascade to home (Mary)
7/25 - 11 miles; Cascade to home again (Mary)
7/25 - 24.7 miles; Western farmland loop (Tom)
7/27 - 37.3 miles; Musketawa Trail
7/29 - 28 miles; Wabasis Lake and back (Tom)
7/29 - 32 miles; Wabasis Lake and back (Mary)
Total: 110 miles - Tom
Total: 91.3 miles - Mary

Muskatawa Trail

We had a great ride yesterday. Our friends, Susan and Jim Hayes came up from Chicago and we rode 37 miles on the Muskatawa Trail. That's another converted rail line that runs between Marne and Muskegon. Lots of cornfields out there but you do travel thru the little towns of Ravenna and Conklin. In Conklin we stopped at Fenian's Irish Pub and had a pint (or maybe two). We also got an idea for a fun ride. Coming soon The Five By Fifty. Watch this space for details.

It's just a little bunny rabbit

One of the weirdest biking experiences ever befell Tom on his 20 mile ride yesterday. He was hit by a rabbit. Not your tiny little hopper munching on carrots, oh no, this guy was big. I could hear him crashing through the brush to my right as I was on the WPT. Now we have rabbits and chipmunks and birds cut in front of us all the time on the trail. We've even scared up some deer. But this rabbit misjudged his and my speed. Instead off cutting in front of me, he jumped and hit me in the right calf, then passed through the open frame of the bike and hit my left knee. He fell to the ground where he got bonked by a pedal. Somehow I didn't fall and when I looked back he was hopping away, although more slowly. No blood on either of us so we moved along. I wonder what kind of story he's telling his friends?

Holland Hundred

At the start of the Holland Hundred in our new jerseys provided by West Michigan Ride Team sponsor XS Energy Drink.

Tom and Mary cruising along Lake Michigan on our way to completing a metric century ride at the Holland Hundred.

Saturday was a perfect day for riding. Cool in the morning, warm with a light breeze in the afternoon. A great day to knock out 67 miles, also known as a 100 kilometers. We took part in the Holland Hundred and rode east from Holland for about 15 miles then headed back west and stopped for a pancake breakfast at the 28 miles mark. We then turned south for Fennville, headed west to the lakeshore, and north to Saugatuck. We crossed the Kalamazoo River on the chain ferry and then had a short ride back to Holland. We saw lots of out JDRF Ride team mates, including Joe and John Schmeider, Linda and Don Milanowski, Rod and Diane Stevens and John Jasker. There were more there but with 1300 riders it's difficult to meet up with everyone. Coach Mike, Ted Bently and the crew from VeloCity did a great job helping organize the ride. A great way to cap off a big ride week.

This week's ride totals:
7/16 - 20 miles; WPT south (Tom)
7/17 - 20 miles; WPT north
7/18 - 30 miles; Townsend Park, Gratten, home loop (Mary)
7/19 - 12 miles; Rocky's for ice cream with Ian (Tom)
7/21 - 67 miles; Holland Hundred
Total: 119 miles (Tom)
Total: 117 miles (Mary)

Photos from trail riding

Mary riding through an area we like to call "Children of the Corn" in Manistee National Forest.


Doesn't this look like it could be an ad for Specialized trail bikes?


Tom heading back to the campsite. All done for the day.

Bikes and blues

This is getting to be a habit. On Tuesday night we rode the WPT up to Rockford to listen to the Rouge River Blues series. Last night featured the Jimmy Stagger Band. We watched the first set and then continued our ride north to where the pavement ends and turned around to head for home. We did 20 miles in all at an average speed of 14.8 MPH.
On Monday Tom did the southern WPT, riding through Riverside Park all the way to Ann Street in Grand Rapids and then home. Another 20 miler.

Mixed week

We were camping up in Manistee National Forest from Thursday thru Sunday, so we did trail riding this weekend. Not lots of miles but lots of sand and gravel and little hills and bumps and one fall for Tom. It was fun being on the trail bikes again and we did one great 5.7 mile loop on Saturday on some old fire roads. We even surprised some back country campers. The best part is Jake and Ian rode with us.

This week's ride totals:
7/9 - 25 miles; WPT south to Grand Rapids and back (Mary)
7/10 - 21 miles; WPT north from North Park to Rockford and home (Tom)
7/12-7/14 - 12 miles; Trail riding in Manistee national Forest
Total: 37 miles (Mary)
Total: 35 miles (Tom)

Dang, it's hot outside!

The weather finally broke this morning but we had 90 degree temperatures this week to give us lots of practice for Death Valley. Mary rode on Monday in the early evening and put in 25 very sweaty miles by heading south on the WPT and then bopping around on some city streets in northern Grand Rapids. Tom rode early in the morning on Tuesday. After dropping off the van for service he headed north on the WPT, starting at the trail head on North Park, and rode north all the way to 12 Mile before turning around and heading home. 21 miles with the heat creeping into the mid-80's. This weekend we will be doing some dirt trail riding so we'll be pulling the trail bikes down from the garage rafters. We'll report on that on Sunday.

A hot week

It was very warm in Michigan this week, but it gets us ready for riding in Death Valley.

This Week's Ride Totals:
7/3 - 24.7 miles; WPT and east
7/5 - 25.5 miles; eastern Rockford loop (Tom)
7/6 - 8.8 miles; Apline ave to WPT and home (Mary)
7/7 - 13 miles; WPT to Rockford and back (Tom)
Total: 63.2 miles (Tom)
Total: 33.5 miles (Mary)

Separate Rides

Tom went out yesterday and did a 25.5 mile loop. Started east on 7 Mile, north on Blakely, then east on 9 Mile all the way to East Rockford Middle School. Then turned north and ended up on Ramsdell and 11 Mile and turned for home. The problem in that neck of the woods is many streets don't go through or turn to dirt. After picking his way around Tom finally headed south on Shaner, west on 10 Mile then south on Courtland, rode past Rockford High School and home.

Mary took the van in for service this morning over on Alpine Avenue and rode her bike home. She went Alpine to Turner to North Park and then took the WPT north to home. 8.8 miles and think of the gas she saved.

Happy 4th

We had a nice ride on Tuesday afternoon. Everyone seemed to be getting ready for the holiday so the White Pine Trail was pretty empty. We rode to the end of the pavement and then turned west, crossing 131 on Indian Trails Rd, then taking Edgerton south to 13 Mile. Going east on 13 Mile hooked us back up with the WPT for the quick buzz home. Almost 25 miles in all.

July First Team Ride Photos

Our Chicago pal and fellow Death Valley rider Nicole.

Somewhere on the backroads between Holland and Fennville.

Post-ride fajita fandango at Coach Mike's house.

A very good week

Wednesday was a 20 mile ride for Tom, out to Townsend Park, north to Bostwick Lake and then home via 10 Mile, along few jogs here and there. Kept up a 16 MPH pace over the entire ride. On Friday Tom did his infamous hill training route, 5 hill climbs in 10 miles. Hit 38 MPH going down hill on House Street.
Today was our team ride from Coach Mike's house in Holland. We did a 44 mile loop that took us through Fennville and Saugatuck. The best part was a group of about 20 of us riding right through downtown Saugatuck. Did we get some looks from the tourists. We had about 30 riders altogether, almost half our team. It was by far the best team ride showing we've had. Probably because of the fajitas Mike made upon our return. We'll be posting photos of all the fun later in the week.

This week's ride totals:
6/27 - 20 miles; Townsend park, Bostwick Lake loop (Tom)
6/29 - 10 miles; Hill training (Tom)
7/1 - 44 miles; Holland, Fennville, Saugatuck loop

Total: 44 miles (Mary)
Total: 74 miles (Tom)

Donor Thank You's part 2

We would like to send out our sincere thanks to the following people who have contributed to help us find a cure to diabetes.
Chris Behrens
Jim & Mary Clinthorne
Robin Duvall
Steve & Stacy Farr
June Hennip
Jim & Connie Hennip
Mike & Jean Oele
Joe & Dena Reetz
and all the people that ate at the Corner Bar on June 18th.

Jake's Music Festival

This is an advance notice for the most fun fundraiser of the summer. Jake's Music Festival takes place on Saturday, August 11 at the Wealthy Street Theatre in Grand Rapids. There will be five great bands and the cost is only $10. For more info check out www.jakesmusicfestival.blogspot.com or www.myspace.com/jakesmusicfestival.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...

We didn't make the team ride today because we were out of town . We were visiting our friends, the Hayes', at their cottage on Lake Paw Paw. As we do when we visit we brought our bikes and did a tour through the vineyards and orchards of southwestern Michigan. Really don't know where we rode thanks to the odd street naming system in Allegan County. Let's say one is riding down County Road (CR) 387. You cross CR 681, the next road you cross is CR 272. Therefore the next road you cross will be ???? CR 597, of course. I mean, aren't there any dead Presidents they could name these roads after? Or at least number them in some kind of logical order? Regardless, it was a beautiful morning for a ride and we traveled through 33 miles of gently rolling hills. Then we spent the afternoon boating and swimming.

This week's ride totals:
6/19 - 17.5 miles: WPT to Rogue River Blues
6/22 - 15.5 miles; WPT south to the ballpark (Tom)
6/24 - 33 miles; loop east of Lake Paw Paw

Total: 50.5 miles (Mary)
Total: 66 miles (Tom)

Yummy dogs again

We had a nice turnout at the Corner Bar on Monday for our Dogs for Dollars fundraiser. We made some money for the ride team and had some good food too. We may have even recruited another rider (our waiter).
Yesterday we were in downtown Rockford again. This time we rode in and enjoyed a little of the Rogue River Blues concert. Put in 17 and 1/2 miles on the WPT last night. We do love these long summer nights with the late sunset. We can actually get a ride in after dinner.

Team Ride and Update

We had a great team ride today. 14 riders left from our house in Rockford and completed a 36 mile loop that took us all the way into Ottawa County. We started off by crossing the Rogue River on Packer Road and then headed across 131 on Post Road. We took 9 Mile west through orchards and farmland. We made a few jogs and ended up on 8th Avenue just inside the Ottawa County line. We headed home along 6 Mile and then rode through Belmont to get home. The traditional post-ride chips and salsa feast was enjoyed on our patio. Lots more training rides over the next few weeks. The Whitefish riders will be heading out at the end of August. Those of going to Death Valley have until October to train.

This week's ride totals:
6/12 - 15.6 miles; WPT to Rockford and back (Tom)
6/13 - 13 miles; WPT to Rockford and back (Mary)
6/15 - 20 miles; WPT south to Riverside Park and back (Tom)
6/17 - 36.8 miles; western loop with the team

Total: 72.4 miles (Tom)
Total: 49.8 miles (Mary)

Blues and bikes

Tuesday night Tom and our 16 year old son Jake (the guy we do all this for) rode up the WPT to Rockford to take in the opening night of the Rogue River Blues Series. Tom was on his roadie and Jake on his off-roadie. Together they did 15.6 miles and got to hear some good blues music. So if you are looking for a nice ride, head to Rockford on a Tuesday night this summer, check out the tunes for a bit and then ride home.

This afternoon Mary and our other son, 12 year old Ian, rode to Rockford for Corner Bar hotdogs, a stop at the library and ice cream. The WPT sure makes it convenient to bop up to Rockford for a quick bite. We can hardly wait until it's paved to Sand Lake.

A good week

We both got three days of riding in this week, but only one was together. On Monday we rode the WPT to Rockford for lunch at the Corner Bar (See you there on June 18). On Wednesday Mary rode with Sarah and they did 30 miles out in the Ada/Cascade area. Tom rode alone for 14 miles. On Friday Mary rode from Grandville to Rockford via Kent trails, through downtown Grand Rapids and then the WPT. 20 miles that day. Tom rode on Sunday and logged 35 miles, checking out a western loop that we will use for the team ride next Sunday. Tom took Post Road out to 9 Mile and ended up in Ottawa County. The return trip was via 6 Mile Road. Lots of orchards and farm land. And several "rolling" hills.

This Weeks Ride Totals:
6/4 - 12 miles; Rockford for hot dogs
6/6 - 30 miles; Cascade/Ada/Lowell (Mary)
6/6 - 14 miles; WPT south (Tom)
6/8 - 20 miles; Grandville to Rockford (Mary)
6/10 - 35 miles; western farmland loop (Tom)
Total: 62 miles (Mary)
Total: 61 miles (Tom)

Take a look at where we are going

Mary and Tom went their separate ways for rides tonight. Mary rode with Sarah Andro and they did the Cascade to Lowell loop down Grand River Ave. 30 miles in all. Tom rode alone and only did 14 miles, south on the WPT to the ballpark and back. We found this great route map of Death Valley on the JDRF ride web site. Who said the desert was flat? Check out the elevation gain. (Click on the map to see a larger image.)

Mmmm... hot dogs

So yesterday were both home at lunch time so we rode up to Rockford and had lunch at the Corner Bar. A little over 12 miles and three hot dogs. Speaking of the Corner we are holding our next food related fundraiser there on Monday, June 18th. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. a portion of the price of every meal goes to the JDRF West Michigan Ride Team. So print the coupon below and come to Rockford on the 18th for good food and help promote a good cause. You'll also get a chance to meet several members of the Ride Team. Because if there one thing we love more than riding it's eating.

Another update

Not much to report this week. Only one ride for Tom and none for Mary. Between rain, home improvement projects, soccer and Sarah's wedding shower this weekend was a washout for riding. We do have a yummy fundraiser coming up in a couple of weeks, more on that later.

This week's ride totals:
5/31 - 19.6 miles; Rockford via Childsdale and Summit
Total: 19.6 miles (Tom)