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)

New twist on an old route

A Tom only ride tonight. I followed the course of the White Pine Trail north to Rockford, but spent very little time on the trail. Started by heading up the Chilsdale hill and then following Childsdale all the way to downtown. I buzzed through the Rockford streets and hooked up with the WPT north of the dam. I got off the trail where it crosses Summit and took Summit to Russell Road. There I turned south on the WPT and blasted for home. 19.6 miles in about an hour and 20 minutes.

The Monday Night Update

This being a holiday weekend and all I was nowhere near my computer Sunday night, so the update happens on Monday instead. Tuesday was a quick, Tom only, ride on the WPT. But today we visited our friends Elvin and Susan Hayes at their cottage on Lake Paw Paw and did some riding with them. We rode from the lake, through some beautiful farmland, all the way to South Haven. We stopped at a bluff overlooking the beach and Lake Michigan. Lots of sailboats out this morning. Then we headed back to the cottage. A little over 34 miles round trip.
So this week's numbers are skewed a bit with the holiday making it an eight day week, but we only rode twice.
This week's ride totals:
5/22 - 15 miles; WPT north (Tom only)
5/28 - 34.3 miles; Lake Paw Paw to South Haven and back
Total: 34.3 miles - Mary
Total: 49.3 miles - Tom

Nearing the end...

of the basement project, that is. We will be so glad when that's done (probably right after Memorial Day). We've been very busy with work, and when not working we are working on the basement office. That leaves little time for riding. Tom did get out on Tuesday for a quick 15 miles on the White Pine Trail. We hope to do some biking this weekend at our friend's cottage on Lake Paw Paw. Depends on whether the weather cooperates.

The weekend warrior report

Between several work projects and the basement project at home riding has only taken place on the weekend. This is temporary thankfully, so as we move through the summer things should get better -riding-wise.
Saturday -Tom alone (sniff)
Rode out Post Road to Pine Island Road and took that south to West River Drive near Comstock Park. Hopped on the White Pine Trail heading north to return home. A quick 14 miles between soccer games and dinner.
Sunday - Tom and Mary (yeah)
We rode from our current home in Rockford, south on the White Pine Trail, through the west side of Grand Rapids to our old home on Scott Street. It was neat to see the first house we owned again, we even talked to the current owner (A very nice young lady). A tree we planted as a seedling when Collen was born 19 years ago is now over 25 feet tall. We had a couple of big hill climbs to get up to our old house, but it was worth it. We then retraced our route to get home, logging 28 miles in all.

This week's ride totals:
5/19 - 14.1. miles; Post to Pine Island to WPT loop
5/20 - 28.3 miles: Rockford house to old GR house and back
Total: 42.4 miles (Tom)
Total: 28.3 miles (Mary)

Riding the WPT

While the White Pine Trail is relatively flat and the part that runs through Rockford is ALWAYS crowded it is still a great place to get a quick training ride in. It's about two miles of rolling hills to get to the trail from our house. Depending a which route we take we can have a small, gradual climb (taking Rouge River Drive) a short steep climb followed by an extended easy climb (Packer Rd.) or a very intense hill experience (Childsdale Rd. to House Rd.). This makes up for the flatness of the trail.
Tom was out on the trail on his own this week. Wednesday was south to the Whitecaps ballpark and then home. Today was north to Russell Road and then home. Still no paving north of Russell yet. But the DOT said it would happen this spring. We'll see.

This week's ride totals:
5/9 - 13.8 miles; WPT south
5/13 - 20 miles; WPT north
Total: 33.8 miles (Tom only)

A Death Valley Memory

The starting line at 6:30 a.m. The sun will come up in 20 minutes. There is a 20 MPH wind blowing. It will be a tail wind on the way to Jubilee Pass and a head wind on the way back. The winds will also gust to 30 MPH. We will be back at this spot in 11 hours. The sun will have already set.

A Good Week

At least it was a good week for this early in the season. Mary rode with Sara Andro on Wednesday. They went north on the White Pine Trail and then came home via the Childsdale hill. Mary said she wanted to get better at hills and there's only one way to do that. On Thursday Tom went east from the house out 7 Mile Rd. and did a loop up Courtland, over on Belding Rd. to Blakely then south back to 7 Mile. He ended the ride with a cruise past Rockford High School. Today Tom went west out Post Road to 9 Mile then north on Division to 13 Mile then south on the WPT finishing with the Childsdale hill.
A shout out to ace bike mechanic Ted Bentley of Velo-City. Tom was having rear tire blowout problems so Ted gave the bike the once over. He suggested new skinnier tires.
"They'll make you fast", said Ted.
"Fast?" asked Tom.
"Okay. Faster." said Ted.
And truth be told, they did! Those Michelin Speediums indeed made Tom speedy. A good 3-5 MPH faster on similar routes. And they handle better then the tires that came with the Cannondale. But truthfully Tom thinks that replacing the silver stem with a new black one is what really made him faster.

This week's ride totals:
5/2 - 11.6 miles; WPT north (Mary)
5/3 - 11.4 miles: Eastern loop (Tom)
5/6 - 23 miles; Western loop (Tom)

Totals: 11.6 miles (Mary)
Totals: 34.4 miles (Tom)

The First Donor Thank-Yous of 2007

Many people contribute to the success of the Death Valley Ride. Some of those are riders and some are support personnel. But the vast majority are our donors. At this time we'd like to thank our first group of donors to the 2007 ride. Check back often to see if your name has been listed.

Chris & Paula Briggs
Tim & Gloria Buist
Dinah Waldsmith Dittman
Lynn Elker
Kevin Owens
Laurence & Colleen Pierson
John & Rosie Scheidel
Smiley Family Dentistry
Henry & MariJane Wieten

Boom Boom Boom

That's the sound of Tom's rear tire this past week. Last Sunday he had a very loud blowout while riding with Ted and Sara. Saturday the tube blew while the bike was sitting in the garage. After changing the tire yet again (I'm starting to get good at this, darn it) Tom had another blowout 5 miles down the road. Obviously there is an issue to deal with. So while our favorite bike mechanic, Ted Bently of VeloCity, is giving the black beast the once over, Tom will be "strength training" on his mountain bike.
Mary had a much better week. On Saturday she drove to her Mom's house in Grandville. She then biked home following Kent trails, cutting across the west side of Grand Rapids to Riverside Park and then hooking up with the south end of the White Pine Trail. Almost 20 miles in all. On Sunday she reversed the trip and drove home. So we have different mileage totals again this week.

This weeks ride totals:
4/28 - 19.7 miles; Grandville to Rockford (Mary)
4/28 - 10 miles; WPT and Rouge River nature trail (Tom)
4/29 - 19.7 miles; Rockford to Grandville (Mary)
4/29 - 5 miles; around the neighborhood with son Ian (Tom)

Total: 39.4 miles (Mary)
Total: 15 miles (Tom)

It's Sunday night, you know what that means

The weather in Michigan finally warmed up. After a down right frigid spring the sun returned this week, with temperatures climbing into the high 70's this weekend. On Thursday we took a quick pre-dinner jaunt up the White Pine Trail through Rockford. It was a mostly wonderful ride except for the teenage stunt riders and skate boarders who seem to have issues with sharing the trail. Note to self, avoid the WPT through Rockford after school hours on weekdays.

Today we hooked up with Sara Andro and Ted Bently, fellow Death Valley riders, and rode from the Ada/Cascade area out to Lowell and back, almost 30 miles round trip. It was a great ride, even with the massive blowout on Tom's rear tire while descending the first of several hills. Thanks for the help in changing that tire, Ted! This was our longest ride of the season so far. We are putting in more mileage earlier this year than last. Seems like I wrote that same thing in this blog about a year ago.

Finally, if you'd like to donate to the cause it's super easy this year. We have set a family goal of $8,000. To donate to Tom's ride click on the "Donate to Tom" link on the left. To donate to Mary's ride click the "Donate to Mary" link. Then just follow the simple instructions. As much as we enjoy riding our bikes on a beautiful day like today, our primary reason for being out there is to raise money for diabetes research. Thanks to those of you who have supported us in the past. Ride On!

This week's ride totals:
4/19 - 13.4 miles; WPT north
4/22 - 28.7 miles; Cascade to Lowell and back
Total: 42.1 miles