RSVP Day 2

Lynden

After gulped down a few hard boiled eggs, filled up on ice water, and tossed the backpacks into the event truck, we bolted for Lynden. I invited the gang to have breakfast with Mike Martin, my former boss and Lynden’s current City Administrator. Breakfast was at 8am, so we flew to make it in time. This was the first time in my life that I bicycled 20 miles (about the distance of Seattle to Tacoma) for a breakfast meeting! 

In city government, a City Administrator or Manager is akin to a corporation’s CEO, while the Mayor is like President of the Board of Trustees. The Mayor (and Council) set policies, approve budget, and hire the Administrator to run the day to day operation of the city. Small city government really is a microcosm of democracy. Anyone can run to be Mayor. If you really think about it, that is pretty awesome. This right isn’t available in many parts of the world. However, a baker, who is well-liked thus elected Mayor, wouldn’t necessarily know how to direct the works of the police, public works, planning and permitting, economic development, etc. Therefore, a town would hire an Administrator, a professional to do all that within a budget, a timeframe, and the City vision. Being a city administrator is an extremely rewarding job as you have the most direct impact on the city’s survival and prosperity. However, you serve at the pleasure of the Council. An average tenure for an administrator is 5-6 years. Anyway, I told the gang that we should thank him in advance because if some old farmers in tractors were pissed off at cyclists holding up traffic, he would probably be the guy to hear it and deal with it. Sorry, Mike :).

Lynden is small 5-square mile city about 5 miles south from the US-Canadian border with 12,000 people. This town is awesome in many ways. The town is noted for its manicured lawns, Dutch/European architecture, and abundance of churches. At one time, Lynden held the world record for most churches per square mile and per capita, though unsubstantiated. However, they are more well-known for agricultural products.  Rich soil, mild temperatures and enough rainfall combine to make Lynden and Whatcom County a great place for farming. The Lynden area is well known for its berry production. According to the Lynden Chamber of Commerce, around 58 million pounds or 65% of the nation’s red raspberries are produced on 6,400 acres in Whatcom County, the largest per capita crop of red raspberries in the world. The County harvests about 4.8 million pounds of blueberries and ranked second in strawberry production in the state with about 4.4 million pounds. They also freeze and preserve the berries, which then are used in juices, syrups, yogurt, ice cream and such. Being an ice cream lover, Hai would probably appreciate that. Riding through these picturesque farms just gladdens your heart and refreshes your soul. Oh, do you know Lynden’s Darigold plant is the 4th largest producer of powdered milk in the United States? Cows love to live there. I do too, but probably am not as useful as those cows. 

The breakfast buffet at Dutch Mother's Restaurant in Lynden was great. I felt like the bacon was tastier and fresher after having ridden through the farmlands. It was great catching up with Mike. After breakfast, he took us through town and to his home for a brief visit. The town is just beautiful – not a single piece of litter or graffiti to be found. Mike showed off the new paint of Dakar yellow on his beamer motorcycle. Well, the truth comes out. Besides being a bureaucrat, Mike is also a carpenter, motorcycle track-racer and paraglider! After quick visit with Mike, his wife Julie, and other members of the Martin family, we were back on the road.

Blood, flow!

The line at the US-Canadian border is long for motorists, but short for bicyclists, on this special event day. We got through right away and took a group picture to celebrate our accomplishment.

The same scenery unfolded right after the border. Beautiful vineyards and fields of fruit trees. 

Following a steep hill climb, we arrived at an elementary school for a quick food stop. Right before we started, we saw an older rider who hopped on his bike and yelled, “Blood, flow!” That just made me LMAO. Isn’t there usually a blue pill that would fix the usual type of blood flow problem? Joking aside, I guess if blood doesn’t get to the limps, a muscle cramp would end any ride very quickly. Anyway, after the bellowing command, the old man took off for the distance. So I guess Pfizer doesn’t get it quite right – blood flow isn’t a physical problem. It’s all mental. It’s all in your head :).

Vancouver dreaming

Since I was a student in urban planning school, I have heard that Vancouver BC was a great city planned right. How they build their downtown and plan for urban growth. How they promote their non-motorized transportation modes. How they seem to manage wonderfully the balance of nurturing their cultural identity while bringing in foreign investment and promoting tourism. My friend Jonathan Warren, a professor at the UW, raved about their beautiful downtown, architecture, and skyscrapers that were built with style and grace. Hai said all along that he appreciated the laid-back Canadian attitude and that they were genuinely nice. It seemed that this trip enforced both Jonathan’s and Hai’s love affairs with this coastal Canadian city. When we stopped at a bike shop, there were two employees who greeted us enthusiastically, offered to give our bike a thorough rinse, and pointed to a place where we could refill water. We were very impressed. 

Along the way, a couple runners asked about our ride and wished us well. Absent from this was the obscene gestures and condescending remarks hurled toward bikers back in the US. I must say that this is a gross generalization. I’m sure plenty of Canadians are jerks. And Canada does have jails. All I’m saying is that I want to give a big shout-out to our friends across the border. They made us feel very welcomed. 

About building architecture, I noticed the skyscrapers are tastefully designed with trimmings and accentuation like balconies, ledges, and windows. Buildings aren’t stacked (or in planning terms, "massed") so high and tight that they would take away each other’s view and space. The good building code really protects Vancouver well from developers making a quick profit and leaving the City with ugly cookie-cutter buildings like in some other cities. Recently, Vancouver added a bicycle path that would connect the Chinatown/Stadium Area to North Vancouver along the waterfront and through Stanley Park. This pedestrian/bike path is absolutely beautiful with view and access to the marinas, restaurants, beaches, and parks. 

After finishing the ride in downtown Vancouver, we biked an extra 5 miles to get to our hostel on Jericho beach. Most of the ride was on separate bicycle lanes and through some streets that allow only bikes through.  The Vancouver urban planners definitely were way ahead of us planners in the States in terms of planning for safe and comprehensive bicycle infrastructure. Other cyclists that I met there agreed.

Yup, crossing bridges was a breeze with wide bicycle lanes!

Cua rang toi (Dungeness crab sauteed with garlic)

After a quick shower at the hostel, Howie’s sister and her family (who actually live in Vancouver) took us to eat at a famous local Chinese restaurant. We waited about 30 minutes for a table. Our patience was rewarded as we stuffed ourselves silly on bird nest soup, garlic beef, sweet & sour pork, steamed chicken, cua rang toi and other deliciousness. 

 

It was the best dinner I’ve ever eaten in Vancouver. A perfect way to cap off a successful tour! Sorry, Howie wanted to keep it a secret so I can’t tell you the name of the restaurant…unless you take me :).

RSVP Day 1: Ride from Seattle to Vancouver & Party!

The Feisty Five

What's the big deal about riding a bike from one state to the next? Pshaw, that's so last year! Nhan and I already did STP two years in a row. This year, we're not stopping until we cross the border into another country! Canada would just have to brace itself for our arrival, because the Feisty Five planned to migrate there en masse like a flock of Canadian geese. This was our first go at RSVP. Nhan and I dared not attempt both rides last year since we were still newbies then. RSVP takes place only one month after STP-- two major rides scheduled too close together for our legs and butt cheeks to be altogether too comfortable with the idea. But this year we were ready to fly north! This time, Nhan and I would be joined by our fearless friends for some international intrigue.

Nhan and I sure do love our destination rides. There's something adventuresome about riding an unfamiliar route to a faraway location with your bike buddies. The promise of discovering new scenery gets us excited about ditching the car and pedaling there instead! None of us had ever biked to Canada before, and it was about to get real........

RSVP Start Line, L to R: Howie, Di, Hai, Chinh, Nhan

Flying Wheels 2013, L to R: Hai, Howie, Di & Nhan

The same happy group that did our first Flying Wheels ride in 2013 came together again for this year's RSVP, making up The Feisty Five: Me, Nhan, Howie, Hai, and Chinh. 

Hai was the one who made the introduction for me to join the Viet Velo Northwest Team back in 2013, so I have to thank him for that! 

As he also pointed out, "You guys all got new bikes since last year, except me!"

On ride day, we pulled ourselves out of bed at an ungodly hour to be down at the start line at UW by 5am-- still pitch dark out. Nhan warned everyone ahead of time not to bitch about our early start time. 

He wanted to roll out early enough to cover the 106 miles to Bellingham with time to spare for dinner and ride recovery. We would not stand for a repeat of the unfortunate circumstances of STP Day 1 when the group rolled in hours late in the dark.

Out of 1,400 registered riders gearing up and readying for the trip, I managed to run into my friend, Stephanie, who was riding RSVP with her husband and a friend. She was the one who originally encouraged me to ride RSVP, and she gave us invaluable advice about what to expect on the ride, which hill climbs to watch for, and where to stop for the best food along the route. 

Stephanie's husband took a quick pic of us together in the dark as a slight drizzle started falling. No one foresaw rain, and we all groaned at the prospect of a wet ride. After we put our overnight luggage in the event trucks, we were ready to roll out under uncertain skies.

Me & Stephanie at the UW parking lot

As we started on the Burke-Gilman Trail, the steady drizzle became more of an alarming downpour. The trail was slick and riddled with puddles. Without fenders, the water splashed up from our rear tires and soiled the back of our jerseys with water and dirt. My jersey was soaked, my arms glistening, water kept dripping over the lip of my helmet, and I had a hard time holding onto my slippery brake handles-- yet, I exulted in the freshness of the rain. 

Chinh, on the other hand, was alarmed by the torrential amounts of water. He kept yelling back at me from his bike, asking if we should stop somewhere until the rain lets up a little. I yelled back asking him exactly where we would stop, if not to stand idly in the rain instead of just biking through it? Since the trail was mostly flat, there were no hill hazards on descents, so we pedaled on as water splashed wildly around us. 

I razzed Chinh, asking him, "What are you? Made of sugar? Why are you so worried about melting in the rain?" I made my point. He laughed and said he'll suck it up. At least that's what his wife, Hong, would tell him to do if she were here with us.

By now, our socks were soaked through, but our spirits weren't dampened. It finally stopped raining, our legs were warmed up, our spirits were fired up, and we basked in the palpable excitement of the surrounding crowd. The day proved to be cloudy and cool overall, but it warmed up just enough for us to start drying ourselves off in the breeze as we biked along. I said to Hai, "We went through the rinse cycle, now we're going through the dry cycle!" ....see what I did there?

Lush greenery and surrounding pastureland signaled our exit out of the suburban neighborhoods and into rural territory. We took a quick water and bio break in the quaint town of Snohomish, situated right next to the river, its streets lined with boutiques and mom-and-pop type restaurants.

Machias Food Stop, L to R: Chinh, Howie, Di, Nhan, Hai

L to R: Hai, Nhan, Howie, Chinh

One thing I noticed about this ride is that it is definitely more intimate in the sense that there are fewer riders, so you don't have the crowded chaos of STP. You meet and greet the same riders again and again at different points along the trail. In fact, we pleasantly ran into Stephanie's riding party several times throughout the day.

At this point, we had conquered the hills in Woodinville, passed the smaller cities of Lake Stevens and Marysville, and found ourselves on the famous Centennial Trail in Snohomish County. We made it to the first Cascade food stop in Machias! 

Alpaca Selfie

It was at this stop that Nhan learned a valuable lesson in not messing with an alpaca. These creatures are South American camelids that resemble a smaller version of a llama. Unlike llamas, alpacas are raised for their fibers to be used in textiles, and not as beasts of burden. 

This local farmer clearly had a "No Trespassing" sign up on his fence. But Nhan just could not resist a photo op with these three curious creatures. As he snuck up along the fence to surreptitiously snap a selfie, the alpacas eyeballed him something fierce and mean-mugged him the entire time. 

Suddenly, the alpacas made a nasty grunting sound and SPAT on him!!! 

The rest of us were in hysterics as Nhan yelled and ran, flailing wildly, trying to fling the stinky, phlegmy gobs of alpaca spit off his head and arms. Good thing he shaved his head to be more aero. Otherwise, we'd be combing nasty alpaca spit out of his hair too. Honestly, there was very little empathy for Nhan, "The Alpaca Stalkerazzi". That's what you get for messing with his pet! 

After that oddball show, we hopped back on our bikes and rolled on for many miles more, through hill and dale, scenic rural landscapes, pretty tree-lined trail ways, past streams, quaint "rurban" neighborhoods, and across wooden bridges.

L to R: Hai, Di, Howie, Chinh

We stopped in Arlington, the halfway point to Bellingham, where we snapped some fun photos. 
We made crazy faces and flashed the ever popular "Viet V".

Chinh was not feeling very well on this trip, but he was a real trooper! We didn't find out until later that he had developed food poisoning before the ride. Yeah, not so glamorous when you're riding a bike, and it's not as if he could turn around and go home. But he had his game face on the entire time despite his total discomfort. I have a lot of respect for a guy who can finish a 106-mile bike ride under those conditions. I felt bad for Chinh, so I stopped calling him "Sugar"....for now.

Chinh & Hai representing

Howie, as usual, is totally chill. He's the quietest one in our group, but he's got a big booming laugh if you can get him joking. We still don't know where this guy gets his power reserves from. I'm not sure I've ever seen him sweat, and I'm certain I've never even heard heavy breathing from him. He's almost always way ahead of us. One time, he napped at a food stop for 20 minutes before we all finally caught up to him. If he didn't have to wait for us slowpokes in Canada, he might have biked all the way up to Alaska and back just for the hell of it.

Hai is our social butterfly. He's the kind of guy who walks up to total strangers, introduces himself, asks people's names (and actually remembers them later), and offers to be the best man at their weddings. Hai and I did stretches at the stop to keep our muscles loose, and to prevent lactic acid from building up. Nhan laughed at our odd little gyrations, so Hai and I busted a little Riverdance routine to keep our friends entertained. 

It never looks weird when two Viet people break out into Irish folk dancing in bike gear, right?

Riverdance, yo!

As we biked through some hilly roads in Skagit County, we noticed a longboarder along for the ride event, bib number on helmet, water bottle and snacks in hand! WTH?! Several times, we passed him, pushing along the route using a longboard (a large, long version of a skateboard with wide wheels), and thought, this guy can't be for real!! 


We were completely amazed that he was able to get up and down some of these very strenuous hill climbs and descents since we were having a hard enough time on our bikes! We've seen recumbent bikes, tandem bikes, elliptical bikes, even unicycles-- but I've never seen anyone with the cojones to actually try a 200-mile ride into a foreign country on a longboard! 

The Showboater and The Longboarder

Hai, who is never shy, asked for a photo with this guy, who willingly obliged. By the end of the ride in Canada, everyone was talking about that crazy longboarder!

By now, we had pedaled about 80 miles or so and reached Whatcom County, I think. Some small, one-bar town called Big Lake. There was literally one bar/restaurant. All I know is that the guys smelled cheeseburgers and beers! They veered into this parking lot as if they were on auto-pilot. It was a crusty old bar with the local drunks bellying-up to the bar before noon, drinking beers and watching sports on a tiny TV. Walls adorned with classic car memorabilia and Americana artifacts, tables with pastel vinyl tablecloths. They had probably never seen so many Asian people walk in at the same time. 

This was a biker bar alright, but not our kind of biker. We ordered ice-cold beers and split three grill-hot cheeseburgers and fries. Why split, you ask? No one wants to bike another 20-30 miles with a gut full of ground beef, that's why. But we wanted to eat something besides shotbloks, so we shared a hot meal and cold beers like good biking buddies do! That first frosty sip of Blue Moon was just heavenly.....

Big Lake Bar & Grill, L to R: Nhan, Howie, Di, Chinh, Hai

We had The Longboarder take photos of our biker gang. Looking at this photo now, I realize just how much fun we had on that trip and how happy we were to do this major ride together. The smiles on our faces say it all. Five is the perfect number. We all kept track of each other during the ride, we talked and laughed as we biked, our riding skills and speeds were fairly matched. Big groups are fun too, but much harder to ride together cohesively over long distances, especially when there are different skill levels. None of us have ever biked to Canada before, and we were having the time of our lives!!

L to R: Hai, Chinh, Di, Nhan, Howie

Exhibit A

We had one more official Cascade food stop before eventually reaching the dreaded hill climbs of Chuckanut Drive and our Day 1 destination of Bellingham. 

By now, we were starting to feel a bit pooped. Most of our training rides are about 50 miles at the most, so we were really feeling it as we approached the century mark. We only had one square meal today that wasn't sugary or involved opening a wrapper. 

At this grassy stop, Nhan ate THREE fresh plums and then passed out, (See Exhibit A). I love plums too, but wasn't about to invite any fiber issues upon myself for the rest of the ride. Nhan was taking his own chances.

Exhibit Di

Howie napped intermittently, Chinh's illness was catching up to him, and even the ever exuberant Hai seemed a bit deflated. Nhan and I napped on our bellies in the grass, unmindful of the dry stalks poking us in the face and the insects buzzing around our heads. Then it was time to wake up and work out!

We eventually climbed Chuckanut Drive that afternoon. I've never even done it in a car. Stephanie warned me about this. It's the last climb at the end of a long day, there is no shoulder on the road, and the elevation gain is merciless for miles. The payoff is a beautiful vista at the top. This is the point where our gang got slightly separated. 

Hai and I were ahead for quite some time, leading the pack. Howie could have blown us away, but he was just spinning and doing his thing. Nhan had managed to lose a gear somehow, and had to grind up a little more slowly using not much more than his freakish calves to get up. Chinh was hurting by now, mostly because of dehydration. Hai kind of filled the role of Captain on this ride due to his experience with Viet Velo. In a very classy move, he circled back to help pull the exhausted Chinh and motivate him for the last few arduous miles to Bellingham. 

When we finally got past Chuckanut Drive and saw the Bellingham city limits, our power reserves kicked in. We were almost there! We finally cruised into the college town, eagerly looking for our hotel. The Feisty Five managed to re-group as we were rolling, and we had big smiles on our faces at being re-united again. As we pulled into our hotel parking lot, we could see the rows and rows of luggage that were dropped off earlier in the day by the event trucks. The prospect of a clean shower, a change of clothes, and a hot meal won the day. 

Chinh's wife, Hong, showed up with their two little girls to pick him up. They had booked their own hotel in Canada. They planned to spend a family weekend up in Vancouver, so Chinh would not be biking Day 2 with us to the border. Hopefully, we would meet him there instead once we crossed on our bikes. 

So, our Feisty Five became a Fatigued Four that evening. But it worked out well. There was a short line for the shower and the bathroom, we had a spacious hotel room where we could keep our bikes safe, and we all had a soft bed to sleep in at the end of a long day. No one had to sleep on the hard floor this time like at STP, when 6 of us crowded into an even smaller motel room and waited uncomfortably long for a chance to use the bathroom.

We had dinner together at the swanky Thai restaurant next door to the hotel. The guys were in good spirits and teased the wait staff about free re-fills on their alcohol. After dinner, we walked to a gas station and bought a 6-pack of Modelo beer for the "party" in the hotel room. So much for the party-- the guys drank their beers in bed while watching the show "Cops", then passed out with the TV, and their faces, still glowing. Everyone was too tired to care. 

We had another 90 or so miles to do in the morning before reaching Canada. We planned to have breakfast with Nhan's old boss, the current City Administrator in Lynden, another 20 miles from Bellingham. So we had our bike legs cut out for us just to get to breakfast. RSVP Day 1 came to a close when our eyes did.....

STP Day 2: A Wedding, The Weary, and Wanderlust...a Tale of STP Virgins

A Wedding...

Just how did a wedding invitation save the day? Well, you all heard from Nhan how agonizing it was to ride Day 1 of STP in 95 degree heat!! I guess I dodged a bullet on the infernal (or rather, inferno) ride because I happened to be attending a wedding on Saturday. Little did we know that the timing of this wedding made a dramatic rescue operation possible! Read on.....

The beautiful couple

No bike shorts!

At first I agonized over having to miss out on STP, but there is no doubt that the wedding of my friends Hoc & Liz takes precedence. It's not everyday that you're invited to a wedding of a cool couple who met in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class!

This year's STP was different in that Nhan and I were joined by 4 friends who were STP virgins: Howie, Carmen, Chinh & Hong. They needed a bit of coaxing and sweet talking to get them to ride, and we promised them a honeymoon if they would only join us! I'll probably be accused of being crass here, but it should be duly noted that these 4 innocents wanted to lose their STP virginity, badly. What they lacked was the courage to do it without the guidance of more experienced riders to show them how. Now, Nhan and I can hardly be called seasoned veterans since we have only done STP once ourselves-- we're more like amateur night at the comedy club. But we've come a long way and put in many miles together since last year, so the newbies were looking to us to be the ride leaders and organizers. When we originally planned the ride, Nhan and I wanted to challenge ourselves this year by attempting to ride to the 130-mile mark in Castle Rock instead of stopping at the mid-point in Centralia like we did last year. The early logic was that we would push hard on Day 1 and make it a leisurely ride on Day 2. 

The road to STP is paved with good intentions, but even well-laid plans can end up being a bumpy ride. After having registered for STP back in January, I later found out that my semi-annual business trip to San Diego was scheduled for the week immediately following STP weekend. That put a slight kink in our plans because that meant a very early flight for me on Monday morning, instead of my usual Sunday flight to prepare for work the next day. This flight, immediately following a 200+ mile bike ride! To further complicate matters, I received the wedding invitation for the same Saturday as STP. Sure-- I'm free all of July, but let's cram every conceivable social obligation into one single weekend! 

Before the STP virgins were even a twinkle in our eye, Nhan and I faced a major dilemma at the moment of conception. I didn't want to skip my friends' wedding since I knew both the bride and groom. But I also didn't want to leave Nhan to ride by himself, since I had effectively registered and committed to this major ride with him months ago. And I was already cutting my business trip short. But now that our friends were joining us, I no longer had to worry about Nhan riding by himself. Everything happens for a reason, and to gain something you must sacrifice something else. My plan was to attend the wedding ceremony on Saturday morning, which meant I would have to skip out on Day 1 of STP. And by missing out on the wedding reception party, I would at least be able to ride Day 2, which is better than nothing. My business trip would then cap off the wildest weekend ever. 

The Weary...

So, it was decided that Nhan would be responsible for seeing our 4 friends through Day 1, then they would ride to meet me at the motel I booked in Castle Rock, so we could all ride out together on Sunday morning. I effectively became our SAG (support and gear) vehicle, since attending the wedding enabled me to drive everyone's overnight gear down to Castle Rock. I asked Nhan to be punctual, if he could, so that I would not be sitting idly too long, in an empty motel room, at night, by myself, in a strange town. I got spooked again by how many prepositions I had to use just now! 

I arrived at 8:30pm and wistfully scanned the road and looked out the window many times, hoping to see my friends safely roll in. The hot sky exhibited a spectacular sunset, then faded steadily to dark. Inside the motel room, the A/C unit ran noisily as my own disquiet grew. I started to be concerned that I hadn't heard from Nhan at all, other than a few ride photos he texted me throughout the day. I jumped when my phone finally rang at 9:30pm, well past the time I expected them to arrive. Nhan said that the gang was dead tired, and they just couldn't bike another mile. They had already biked 120+ miles in 95 degree temps all day-- drinking up all their water, haplessly re-applying sunblock, trying desperately to avoid heat stroke. He asked me to come pick them all up at the local high school.

I jumped in the minivan and headed straight to the school, which was one of the official STP food stops. By now the roads were inky dark, the food stop was closed, and there were only a few stragglers biking through those last painful miles until they reached their destination for the night. I scanned the parking lot for any sign of my friends. At that moment, Nhan called me to say that they were not there at all, that they were still on the road, and not quite sure how far away they were from the stop. I decided I would just drive along the road and see if I could find them first. 

Sure enough, I found the bedraggled bunch along the side of the road-- weary, sweaty, hungry, maybe even a bit delirious. Only 2 of them had any kind of lights on their bikes for visibility, so it was a miracle I found them at all. Despite their protests of being too stinky, I hugged them all, each and every one. I was so happy to know that everyone was safe! We managed to cram 6 adults and 5 bikes into my van, human Tetris-style. On the drive back to the motel, it was evident that there were no shoulders to ride on the side of the road, no street lights for visibility, and still many more rolling hills that would have done them in since we were a good 7-8 miles away from the motel. I secretly wondered how things would have turned out if I never went to the wedding. We all would have ended up on the side of the road with no prospect of rescue.

And that is precisely how a wedding saves the day!

While they all took turns showering, I drove down to the McDonald's to buy food for them. So much for our plan to have a nice dinner out together to cap off Day 1. As wretchedly hungry as they were, they all ate halfheartedly while almost dozing off, much like a toddler does sitting in a high chair around nap time. Within the hour, I was surrounded by 5 snoring, sneezing, coughing, and farting friends who were just relieved to finally lay their weary bodies down for a rest after the rough day they had. Like Nhan said, we're not naming names (otherwise Nhan would be blushing)

The honeymoon we promised them turned out to be nothing more than falling asleep together in a cheap motel...

Wanderlust!!!

Day 2 held all the promise of a happy riding day! Sunday was about 20 degrees cooler than the day before; everyone woke up refreshed and ready to conquer the day. After sitting through a Catholic wedding service, doing a 108-mile drive to Castle Rock, and hanging out for hours in the motel, I was so ready to get out and ride! Since I didn't have to experience the hellish heat from the day before, I had fresh legs and couldn't wait to get on the open road and start the adventure! My friend Tri made fun of me since I was only doing half of STP. He said he would make me a special finisher's badge for CTP (Castle Rock to Portland)....womp, womp, sad trombone. But I was too excited to care! 

I have a thing for cute calves now...and I don't mean baby cows. It's a very underrated body feature. My friend Stephanie joked that I would have my pick from 9,999 pairs of calves at STP. Judging from all the hot legs on the road, it was an embarrassment of riches!

From L to R: Chinh, Hong, Nhan, Me, Carmen, Howie

Our group in front of "The Rocket" at Castle Rock High School on Sunday morning. 

From here on out, it was good times! No mechanical problems, no flat tires, cooler weather, and all our friends re-united for the ride of their lives!

Look at that exuberant, happy smile on Chinh's face behind me (in the bright yellow jersey). 

Nhan seemed relieved that they all survived Day 1, so he appeared really relaxed and enjoyed himself on Day 2. All day, he extolled the virtues of generous amounts of Butt Butter, liberally applied to prevent chafing. I think he learned his lesson from last year's ride. Ouchie!

 

Here we are, a "peaceful" bunch, queuing up for our turn to climb The Willamette River Bridge!
















Last year, I remember Nhan and I trembling in the shadow of this bridge. At the time, it looked like a steep and scary climb, right next to car traffic going in the opposite direction. They sent us in waves the way they send soldiers into battle. This year, I climbed the bridge with ease and coasted down with exhilaration. What a difference a year makes!

Shame on me for taking bike selfies while riding! But I wanted to convey the sense of riding up this bridge. You can see a battalion of bikers in front of you and behind you. The sheer number of riders going up at the same time is breathtaking, and this photo doesn't do it justice. If you look closely behind me, you can see Nhan talking to Chinh, coaching him up the bridge.

Here we are at one of the mini food stops. Nhan always gets a hot dog here. He offered me a bite of it, but no food sounded good to me at the time. I was eating Clif Shot Bloks like it was nobody's business. Each gel shot is the equivalent of a cup of coffee. It had me pretty wired at this point, so I didn't want any real food. We all stood in line to use the Honey Buckets, but Nhan's a rebel and he went in the woods behind them instead. He's too cool for lines.

The pic below was taken by a fellow rider that I had struck up a conversation with at the food stop. He just turned 70 years old and was doing his 10th STP! He said it had been 9 years since his last ride, and he wanted to do it just one more time. I wish I had taken a picture of him instead, because the old guy was rocking his lycra-spandex bike shorts.

From L to R: Chinh, Howie, Hong, Carmen, Me, Nhan

We took this pic shortly after Nhan hallucinated that he was smelling Mongolian beef on the road. After 2 days of peanut butter sandwiches and bananas, I think he was ready for some real grub. Nhan and I outpaced our friends for most of Day 2. Again, I had fresh legs and was exhilarated by the ride, so I can't credit myself too much. 

I think Nhan felt a little less worried about the newbies, so he could feel free to fly today. It's really amazing to think how inexperienced and ill-equipped we were last year, and yet we managed to survive and ride again. 

We waited here for our friends to catch up before our last major food stop. 

Carmen and I 

 

Chinh, Hong, and Howie chillaxing at the Mt. St. Helens stretch

Smiley faces after the juiciest damn watermelon ever!

Another bridge to cross, steady rain and lightening strikes by now

Can't tell if Howie is kissing or cursing Nhan....

And the Cutest Couple Award goes to.....Hong & Chinh!

I took a spill and put a pretty good dent in my helmet. No concussion though!

At the finish line party, we ran into our friend Phal who is six degrees of separation from everyone else I know in the biking community. He and his brother, Lum, did STP in one day. They biked all 200+ miles in less than 12 hours on the hottest day of the year.....in a full-body black Spiderman biking jersey! Here he is, trading ride stories with Howie.






We all finished the ride with all our limbs and our lives intact. Memorable rides aren't always the perfect rides. Some things are bound to go wrong, but you can't put a price on these kind of memories. Nhan and I were so lucky to be joined this year by our plucky friends. None of them had ridden STP before, but they were just as determined as we were last year. All it takes is a dash of courage, a sprinkle of spunk, a reliable bike, and a happy heart to get you through. 

We want to give a special shout out to our friend Ly, seen here with Nhan. Two years in a row, she came all the way from Bainbridge Island to pick us up in Portland and take us home. She's a loyal and reliable friend, and STP would not be possible without her! Thanks, Ly!!!

After all the fun and adventure, I still had an early morning plane to catch to San Diego for work. Within hours of STP, I was on the beach playing with the sea lions. The wedding, STP, and San Diego all within a span of 3 days-- all to satisfy my wanderlust and love of life. All I know is that when I got back home from my trip, I had a car full of dirty laundry from 3 different events. It was a hectic weekend with many costume changes-- but I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Nhan and I do crazy stuff together, but now we are dragging our friends along for the ride!

Sea lions in San Diego!