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What's this about?

A Ride To End AIDS,
June 1-7, 2008

AIDS/LifeCycle is a 7-day, 545-mile bike trek from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The event raises funds for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, co-producers of the event. This will be my third AIDS/LifeCycle ride.

History Department

Thank you again to the scores of colleagues, friends, and family who contributed to my ALC 5 ride in 2006. I continue to be amazed by and grateful for your generosity.

Here's what I wrote last year.

Questions? Comments?

Drop a line to me at
bike at markobrien dot com

What's the latest?

Daily updates during the ride here: graphic | text only

Marshall Wall

May 18, 2008 • 105 miles - Today's ride featured Marshall Wall, a 2-mile climb and a 12% grade at the start. Here's a shot from the base of the hill:

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That doesn't really do it justice; perhaps this will- it's an elevation of the entire day's ride. (Marshall Wall Summit is marked with a "5".)

I felt amazing today. It was a great ride that just flew by. We did 60 miles before lunch and it was over in a flash, quite a relief after last Sunday's challenges. After lunch we had an extra surprise. One of our riders who was in the middle of the pack missed a turn. Her friend noticed that she was gone, so the friend tried to call her cell phone, but it was an hour before we reached her. Her friend and I backtracked, and waited for her to catch up to us, and then the three of us rode the last 20 miles together. We left at 8 am and got back at 7:30 pm. I'm so glad it's summer and the light is good.

That pretty much concludes my training. We are supposed to taper next week so I will be doing a short ride or two, and then it's time to begin the journey to Los Angeles. I'm really happy with how today went, and I'm itching to get out on the road to LA!

Tiburon Loop

May 17, 2008 • 21.5 miles - I am leading an unfamiliar ride tomorrow so I scouted parts of the route in a car this morning. Then I did a short Tiburon Loop ride starting in Sausalito. Being by myself, I felt at liberty to stop and take pictures, enjoy the scenery, that sort of thing. The fog has returned, so summer must be here. The Golden Gate Bridge had this layer of fog just sitting on it, and I got a great picture of it.

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RRR Ride

May 9-11, 2008 • 178 miles over 3 days - Now that's more like it. Last weekend we rode up to the Russian River and camped. This weekend we rode up and stayed in a hotel. It's easy to take the little things for granted: a bed, indoor plumbing, electricity. We rode up Friday, did a short ride to Healdsburg and back on Saturday, and then rode home Sunday. Saturday's ride was mostly flat, and we really had a good pace going, averaging about 16 mph. Even the ride home on Sunday went at a brisk pace- 14 mph, with some significant climbs. Having a three-day weekend devoted to riding was a real treat. With some lounging-by-the-pool time on Saturday afternoon it felt lime a mini-vacation. This was also the first time this season that I have ridden three days in a row. I am a little concerned because my lower back started giving me grief on Sunday- so I am trying to be very conscious of my posture, keeping my core engaged, etc., etc. I see more ab workouts in my immediate future.

Here I am at the top of Wilson Hill, on the way up to Guerneville- just one of the many picturesque vistas you encounter when riding in Marin. I love California!

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Jon Pon Memorial Ride

May 3-4, 2008 • 75 miles times 2 - So much to say about this ride, especially since it was actually two rides with camping in between. About 100 people rode 75 miles up to the Russian River, camped out, and rode back the next day. Here's the group looking all bright and shiny at 7:30 am:

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Julie Brown and I swept the second quarter of Saturday's ride. When I showed up at the start, Julie had a present for me- a cowbell. Our sweep duty began at the top of White's Hill, so I rode fast from the start to that point, and then the two of us stood at the top, ringing the cowbells and cheering the other riders along. Of course, there were a number of non-ALC riders climbing that hill as well, wondering why the hell these crazy people had brought their cowbells. I didn't get any pictures of us with the cowbells but other people did- hopefully I can get my hands on one. But here are some riders approaching us:

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This is what's called a supported ride, and among other things there are cars and motorcycles riding along with us, helping out where needed. As the sweeps, Julie and I brought up the rear from White's Hill to lunch in Pasadena, playing leapfrog with the sweep vehicle- so I got to hang out with some actual roadies. (It is rare to find them outside of their natural habitat: the ride in June.) In the afternoon, we rode through the tiny town of Valley Ford and stopped at its General Store, where Julie has a ritual of buying their homemade beef jerkey. It's very dense stuff that will give your jaw a workout. We also spotted some smoked salmon in their deli case. I bought a pound of it and some crackers. We gave that to one of the sweep vehicles who put it in their cooler (another benefit of being on a supported ride), to bring it to camp for an appetizer. It was very popular. Here's the group at dinner- you'll notice it's pretty sunny, and that's because we ate around 6. I was asleep by 8:30.

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This ride was great training not only because it was two long rides in a row (a first this season for me) but also because we camped. I dusted off my AeroBed sleeping bag, camp towel, etc., and got a taste of the nights of camping that lie ahead in June. I'm so excited. It also reminded me that I need a hat and mittens for those cold mornings at camp.

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The weather was beautiful all weekend, and with sweep duty out of the way on Saturday, I was free to ride as fast as I wanted on Sunday. I rode most of the day with my friend Shawn, and his friend (mine now too) Chuck. Here are the three of us at the end in Sausalito.

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Alpine Dam and Mt. Tam

April 27, 2008 • 48 miles - Today's ride was a little shorter than recent ones, but with much more climbing- about 7,600 feet. Here's a rough picture of what we did today:

Here's a much better picture:

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And here's San Francisco:

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And here's a few of us, half way through all that climbing:

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This is one of my favorite rides. The climbing is very challenging but the reward is the incredible views, followed by a 10-mile downhill that you go through like a bag of chips. All of a sudden you're done, and it's like, "that's it, already? Mmmm, that was satisfying."

Presidio to Lucas Valley via China Camp

April 20, 2008 • 69 miles - The word for today was adventure. Oh, and headwinds. Early on, there was a minor bike-on-bike fender bender. Fortunately no one was injured, and our rider who was involved was able to walk to a nearby bike shop, get his bike fixed, and meet up with us in the afternoon. Then there was a missed turn and a flat, all before the first rest stop. There's the "adventure" part. Nonetheless, the route was beautiful- I have never ridden through China Camp or Lucas Valley before (hence the missed turn). Today's route had 6200 feet of vertical climbing, and when you combine that with significant headwinds, it made for quite a workout. Somehow I only manage to notice the headwinds and never the tailwinds. I'm sure there's a metaphor in there somewhere.

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At mile 43, we stopped in Nicasio (pictured above), which is a familiar stop on the way to Northern destinations like Point Reyes. I was sweeping again today, so about half of our group had already come and gone by the time I arrived. It's neat to be in unfamiliar territory and then come upon recognizable surroundings, from a completely different direction. Along the route we also passed the Marin Civic Center, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is super-cool. Here's a map of the route:

Today's route

The ride is now six weeks away, and I will be picking up the pace in terms of training. I have a couple of multi-day rides coming up in May, and the big ride is going to be here before you know it.

Golden Gate Bridge to Point Reyes

April 6, 2008 • 62 miles - Julie Brown put together a series of CAT3 rides which ended two weeks ago, and a fellow named Geoff Schneider picked up the reins and continued the series. I will be joining him for four more of these rides in the coming Sundays. With Julie gone, it had a "parents are out of town, kids are running the show" vibe, but overall the ride went well. Geoff and I swept, which means we were the caboose, hanging out with and supporting the riders in back. Because of a "fun run" on the bridge this morning, the pedestrian lanes of the Golden Gate Bridge were closed, so we started at the other side, and rode up to Point Reyes and then over through Nicasio and back. It's funny how your priorities change in different contexts- the big news when we stopped in Point Reyes for lunch was that the city had built some new bathrooms, as part of a small park just off the main street where we stop to have lunch (pictured below). Everyone was very excited. We are an odd bunch.

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Expo-licious

March 30, 2008 • 0 miles - I had to be near a computer all weekend because of some work stuff, so I didn't ride, but I did attend the Cyclist and Roadie Expo in Golden Gate Park. I ran into several ALC friends whom I hadn't seen since the last ride, and picked up some gear. Next weekend I am back on the bike, with a ride up to Point Reyes.

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Sausalito to Petaluma

March 23, 2008 • 75.6 miles - I switched over to the lighter bike today- the Eddy Merckx that my brother gave me. The bike I've been riding, a Bianchi, has a trunk on it, which allows me to carry tons of miscellany while I'm riding, but in order to switch bikes, I dusted off the Camelback (a backpack with a bladder that allows me to carry 3 liters of water on my back, along with my wallet, camera, spare tubes, energy bars, etc.) This bike also has a better seat, which is critical as I start spending more and more time on the bike- 8.25 hours on the road today, about 5.5 hours in motion. Again, I lingered a bit long at the stops but we still kept a solid pace. The stops are the place to socialize, and to check in with the newer riders to see how they're doing. Before lunch we were really cranking, averaging 14.5 mph. I think we were going about 10 mph up White's Hill, which is pretty intense for me. After lunch we slacked a bit, and the average for the day was 13.4. I rode much of the day with a gentleman, Jeff, who had done a couple of ALC rides in the past, but who has been serving on the road crew in recent years. Man, those roadies work hard. Jeff actually rode all the way from home instead of driving to Sausalito, so he did 97 miles today. We took more and more breaks as the day wore on, but we made it back to Sausalito in good shape. (p.s. Jeff posted a detailed description of his ride on his blog and also left me a message of support, calling me an "awesome ride leader". Woo hoo!)

Nicasio Loop

March 16, 2008 • 70.9 miles - Now we're talking. I was sore enough after today's ride to know that I had done some distance. After taking last week off to celebrate birthdays with some friends in San Diego, I was out on the road today for about 7.5 hours. My energy was up and down at different parts during the ride, but there was a definite high when I got out near Nicasio, to an area I hadn't ridden in roughly two years, remote and quiet, that reminded me of some of the terrain we cover in central California. Great weather, too. I am so looking forward to June! Pictured below is our group getting ready to go at Sports Basement, 7:45 am.

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Lagunitas

March 2, 2008 • 53.5 miles - Gradually the rides are getting longer, and today we went over White's Hill into Lagunitas. There used to be a cute restaurant called the Yellow Door which was a nice place to stop in that tiny town. With that gone, there remains a deli/general store which is still a great option. The picture below was taken just before I left, having lingered with the back of the pack. I averaged 12.7 mph, but dawdled enough at the stops to come in among the last of the riders.

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Fairfax / Mini-Tib Loop

February 17, 2008 • 44.1 miles - How exciting- Julie had another committment this morning, so I served as facilitator of the ride (head ride leader, basically). I even did my duty and drove the course on my scooter the day before, both to check on the condition of the route but also because there were some parts that I had not ridden in a couple of years, if ever. The ride went smoothly, and the group was small enough that we were able to look out for each other to make sure we made that right turn in Tiburon. (Missing that turn would've added another 8-ish miles to the trip.) On this, my first ride as facilitator, I met a woman, Rachelle, who was doing her first group training ride. Having done triathlons in the past, she was ready for a faster ride like this. We rode much of the way together, and she did great.

Riding the trip on my scooter gave me the opportunity to stop at one of the places we always ride by but never go into: Bubba's Diner in San Anselmo. And the beauty of training is that I don't have to feel guilty for ordering a burger, fries, and a shake.

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Tiberon Loop CAT 3 Series

February 10, 2008 • 39.2 miles - Today was the first in a series of CAT 3 rides hosted by Julie Brown, where I was one of the leaders. Whereas I ended up averaging 10.4 mph yesterday, today I averaged 14.5 mph. Today's route was fairly straightforward, starting at Chrissy Field, heading over the bridge through Sausalito, and then over into Tiburon and back. Tiburon has the most amazing views; it is so cool to ride through there. We started the ride off with one of the riders getting a flat; I helped him change it and then over the course of several miles we managed to catch up to the group.

The picture below is our lunch stop in Tiburon. These rides parallel another series that starts an hour earlier, with a slower pace- so by the end of the day we are all jumbled together. Riders from the earlier ride are leaving as we are arriving.

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Mill Valley Beginner Ride

February 9, 2008 • 28.4 miles - This is the fourth in a series of beginner rides hosted by Kurt Schade (pictured, left), a man who has truly channeled his inner cheerleader to become a poster child for what a training ride leader should be. I can only hope to be as outgoing, supportive, and patient as he is. The lingering image from this ride is that of riding with Kurt very slowly up the Sausalito grade at the end of the day, trailing a new rider who had decided to walk the final portion of the hill. It's very impressive how Kurt is able to sing Patsy Cline while managing to stay upright on his bike at only 2 mph.

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Oakland Hills Ride

January 20, 2008 • 55 miles - Okay, I really don't know what I was thinking with this one. I volunteered to be a ride leader on this CAT 3 ride (average 12-15 mph). Fair enough. The thing is, you know how when you drive through the Caldecott Tunnel into Walnut Creek, you drive through a mountain? We rode over that. And then over these three hills called the Three Bears, into Orinda, and then back up and over Skyline. Part of the way these training rides work is that there is always a sweep, the caboose that makes sure everyone's OK. Often, this means keeping the slowest rider company, and helping them get through the ride. Today, it was just me sweeping myself. This was a pack of very strong, experienced riders out for a very challenging ride, early in the season. I'm proud to say I accomplished it, but relieved that I was by myself for most of it, because it wasn't pretty!

Pulgas Water Temple Ride

January 12, 2008 • 46.1 miles - One of the things I really enjoy about training is seeing the area in which I live from a different perspective. There are all these cool places in the Bay Area that I never knew existed, like the Pulgas Water Temple, in Woodside, at the end of the Hetch Hechy aqueduct. We left Mountain View at 10 am and rode 45 miles around the peninsula. Shawn and I did the ride together, and we averaged about 15 mph. It was nice to just get out there and ride, fast!



I'm certified! (Certifiable?)

December 16, 2007 - Today I completed two days of certification to become a training ride leader. This is going to bring a whole new dimension to the ALC experience, as I will get to help new and returning riders train. The sense of community is a big part of what draws me (and many others) to the ride, and I'm excited to be able to give back a litle by being a TRL.

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Getting Underway

December 8, 2007 - I did my first organized training ride today. It was a 23 mile ride from Sausalito through Mill Valley and over to Tiburon. I was so excited to be back amongst my ALC bretheren (and sisteren?). Still getting my web presence together for this year's ride, so look for big changes soon.

What's Next?

Participate!

Make a donation and help provide vital services to the HIV/AIDS community in San Francisco. Donations are tax-deductible and go directly to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. You can even use a credit card. Last year I raised more than $7,000, and this year I am hoping to do the same. I'm shooting for $15 per mile. Your contribution in any amount will help me reach my goal.

Fundraising goal: $8,175

ALC7 donation total: $9,500

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