Brian Rides Bikes

10-25-09 – CAF SD Triathlon Challenge

Good evening friends!

Today was a great day.  To be honest, I didn’t think my body would be up to the challenge, but I’m glad I did.  Before the QMDC, we were told at the end of the very last training ride that we had an optional 8th day to ride the bike leg of the SD Triathlon Challenge to support the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

What a great sight, all of the Challenged Athletes were in attendance to compete in the SD Triathlon Challenge.  On stage, the CAF spokesman called up a number of the great athletes onto the stage and listening to their great stories.  Then, Samuel, another Challenged Athlete who sang the national anthem for the Qualcomm riders in San Francisco sang his heart out for the crowd this morning!

A number of the Qualcomm riders were in attendance, and we all had our cameras out to see the triathletes take on the swim portion of the challenge.  All of the swimmers had their color coordinated caps to let each swimmer know which heat they were in.  As an avid cyclist and rookie runner, I know first-hand how hard these two separate disciplines are, but to add in a grueling, cold and rough swim portion for 2.1 miles is just amazing.

The spectators were roaring as the crowd buzzed, cheering for their loved ones and flashing cameras at every turn.  To see the look on families faces as their brother, sister, husband, wife or parent charged for the water was something I was proud to experience.

As we were getting ready to take on the bike portion to support our fellow riders and challenged athletes, we ran into a familiar face that we played shuffleboard with back in Newport Beach — our bud Floyd Landis.  Me, Chin and Adam had a chance to snap a quick photo before taking to our saddles for the 56 mile ride!

Me and Adam took to the streets, hammering our way up the hills of La Jolla, through La Jolla Shores and up the nasty hill up Scripps Beach, around the Stephen Birch Aquarium and up to the University of California – San Diego to head to Torrey Pines.

While on the way, we got to ride alongside our buddy Fred, who we had a chance to ride with for every ride from June through October.  Just as we were getting into a rhythm and getting our legs back, Fred’s bike started having some issues with his strap that keeps him locked into the bike!

Me, Kip, Adam, Richard Whittington and Mark VD stopped to give him a hand, and Kip and Adam used their Macguyver skills to ziptie the strap back into place so that Fred could continue on with the ride!  Then, I took hold of bars that are attached to Fred’s handcycle and bobsled pushed him to give him a running start!  He yelled, “Whoa, is that me?” and when he realized I was giving him a ‘turbo-boost’ he yelled “THANKS BRIAN!”

Then, we all got out of Fred’s way as Fred absolutely flew down Torrey Pines as his handcycle got crazy speed plowing downhill!  As Adam and I made our way up through Torrey Pines and towards Del Mar, our buddy Floyd pulled up to us and we made our way towards San Dieguito.

Riding 50 miles with Floyd Landis was hilarious.  While we as cycling fans have followed his career from his time on the Phonak team all the way to his recent Ouch team at this year’s recent Tour de California, we’ve gotten to know Floyd as the dude who got pulled over by a cop for running a red light in Long Beach, getting lectured about citation numbers for running red lights while he carried Mari Holden’s Yorkie Mr. B in a backpack, a funny dude who talked smack over 6 straight games of shuffleboard in Newport Beach, and a guy who’s watched tons of movies and can almost (yes I said it) almost quote as many key movie lines as yours truly.  While a guy like that could’ve easily raced ahead and dropped us average joes behind in a heartbeat, he told us he wanted to hang out because we were “cool as sh*t”.

We arrived back at La Jolla Cove for the finish line and had an awesome time seeing all of therunners make it in from their 13.1 mile running leg that completed today’s triathlon.  To see the look of amazement and joy when each runner, able-bodied or challenged, passed that finish line was something I’ll always remember.

I’m glad to have had this experience and will continue to be in attendance for future SD Triathlon Challenges for years to come.

-BB