Good morning and happy Monday!
This will be a relatively short blog, because I'm running on fumes. Riding 138 miles over two days after staying up 3 nights last week until midnight and beyond watching that incredible series between the Spurs and the Suns has left me totally wasted. As soon as I'm through with this, I'm going to settle into my couch and watch two hours of glorious television - the 400th episode of the Simpsons, followed by new episodes of the Sopranos and Entourage. If I don't nod off first...
What can I say - the Texas Tour de Cure was our best ever! The weather and the routes were incredible, and the rest stops were really special (my personal favorite was the Mardi Gras theme, complete with beads). Approximately 30 team members went toobin' along the San Marcos River on Saturday afternoon, then we enjoyed the Saturday night celebration arranged by ADA. It was a Hawaiian theme, and I was dragged to the stage to prove once and for all that not only can white men not jump, many of them can't dance either. During the awards ceremony, Velo Valero put the smack down. We won awards for the Largest Overall Team, Top Overall Fundraising Team, Presenting Sponsor, Top Fundraiser - Third Place (Seth), and Top Fundraiser - Second Place (David). We continue to set the standard for fundraising cycling teams in Texas - over the years we accumulated more hardware than Home Depot. And we're not through yet!
I don't know where to start when thanking people. I'll keep it short and focused now, and provide more details later. Firstly, all of us who rode this weekend need to thank Event Chair Laura Vaccaro, her committee, and all the volunteers for organizing and orchestrating the event. All we had to was ride 100 or so miles over two days and drink a few beers on the river. She and the volunteers had to make sure 1000 riders had a good safe ride, a place to sleep, three meals, and some world class entertainment Satuday night. Sounds easy? It wasn't. I will never cease to be amazed by Laura's heart and her energy, and that of all the volunteers who helped with the event.
I'd also like to thank the Velo Board of Directors for all the hard work and long hours conducting our training programs, managing our team store, running our fundraisers and packet pick-ups, and helping me proof all these e-mails I send out (among countless other things). All of them are unpaid volunteers who love cycling and love this team - they make my job so easy (except for the hula dancing part).
I'd like to thank all the folks on the team who worked tirelessly to help us raise a record amount of dollars this year - $56,000 and counting. I'd particularly like to thank the folks who raised more than $1000 - David Sloan, Seth McConnel, Ken Mayfield, Amanda Burden, Ricardo Divala, Lee Morris, Jeff Richetson, and Deanna Durham. Ricardo and Jeff are first-year riders who made an immediate impact on Velo Valero with their fundraising efforts.
Finally, I'd like to show my respect and admiration for all the first-year riders, folks like Ben Cantu, Ricardo, Jeff, and Pat Harrington. Each of them climbed a personal mountain in participating in this event. I've been cycling and fundraising for 8 years now, and I know the exact moment when I got hooked. This was in 2000 when I was on mile 145 of the Bike to the Beach, and I saw the ocean for the first time. My legs were cramping and my bike weighed a ton, but my heart (and legs) never pumped that fast before (or since)! ...I was reminded of this when I was riding with rookie Pat Harrington during the last 5 miles or so on Day 2. I had told him that there were a few fast rollers before I-35, then it was a straight blast for 2 miles to the finish line. As I saw him disappear over the last hill, riding faster and faster, all the pain and exhaustion drowning in a sea of adrenalin, I knew exactly what he was feeling. Pat had become a cyclist, and he would never forget that moment. Congratulations to all the first time riders - we're glad to have you!!
...That's it for now - the tank is empty and the couch is calling. I can't wait to get the updates on the SoCal and Philadelphia tours from Team Captains Alan, Stephanie and Mark. Plus - the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure is only two weeks away!
If you want to share a short Tour de Cure rider testimonial and favorite picture with the team, send it to cycling@valero.com. I'll post them all, like we did during the Bike to the Beach last year.
See ya' on the road!
- El "Hula" Hefe
P.S. Click here to see the first round of photos from the Texas Tour.