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September 2007 - Posts
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Good morning and happy Monday!
Charles Dickens began his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities with the sentence, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." This has become the perfect way to express something that is simultaneously good and bad - kind of like what happened to Velo Valero this weekend. As you read today's blog and encounter tales of pelting rain, cancelled rides, vicious dogs, constant flats, and riders wandering wildly of course, ask yourself, "Is the team glass half full, or half empty?" I'll argue that the glass is half full and getting fuller, because despite all the hardships we encounter on the road , it is the comraderie, support, and friendship of your fellow Velo Valerians that makes this team so special and even the bad times so good.
Conquered by the Coast
We drove two Team Trucks down to Corpus Christi for the Conquer the Coast this weekend. I was really looking forward to this ride - I've always wanted to pedal across the Harbor Bridge in Corpus, after having stopped just at the foot of it for seven years while doing the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach. The journey started badly, as Trey, John, Grant and I got stranded in traffic on 1604 and did not leave the city limits as early as we had planned. We also had to stop to visit Lucy and Sammy in Beeville to review arrangements for the Saturday team tent during the BTTB. (The two have some great things planned for us!). So, by the time we got to Corpus, it was pushing 08:00 pm, and we got stuck in a massive traffic jam around Bayfest that prevented us from seeing Henry participate in the first ever CTC Criterium. (I'll give you an update on how he did later in the week.) We got to our hotel after about an hour of bumper to bumper inaction, checked in, then walked over to Bayfest. We all bought tickets for libations and food, and Trey hit the motherlode - he caught a worker who was just about to get off his shift, and was in too much of a a hurry to count out the tickets for him. Instead, he gave Trey a big stack of tickets and said, "Here, have a good time!" Trey got $80 worth of tickets for a fraction of the cost, which we proceeded to ride like a fine horse for the rest of the evening. Moreover, the headliner for Friday night's entertainment was an Americana artist named Roger Creager which (I hate to admit this because he's an Aggie) I am actually starting to like. And, John and I found a generous old geezer who gave us two cigars since we forgot to bring any for the trip. We got back to our room at about 1:00 am thinking, "This is going to be a great weekend! I can't wait for that bridge..."
Unfortunately, I woke up at 06:00 am to the sound of thunder. I looked out the balcony of our hotel and saw the flash of lightning across the bay, and the rain pelting the streets. A few quick calls to PJ and Eddie confirmed the awful truth - because of the weather, there was a good chance the ride would be cancelled. Always the optimist, I put on my Velo Valero kit, including the team socks, jersey, shorts, and a little butt butter, and went down to breakfast. Lots of event participants were there (including teammates Rod and Isabel) and all looked grim. At 07:00 it was announced the ride start would be delayed an hour. At 08:00 they announced the 65 miler was cancelled. The rain, thunder, and lightning continued unabated, so I went up the room, took off my kit, and took a shower. At around 09:00, I looked out the window and saw...a line of cyclists buzzing down Shoreline drive. PJ called me and said, "Hey, they are letting the riders do the 25 miler - we'll meet you at your hotel in 10 minutes!" So, I quickly redonned the Valero colors, and raced down to street level. I hooked up with PJ, Andrea, Chase, Donna, Grant, and Jacque, and proceeded to pedal the 25 mile out and back along Shoreline to the Naval Base. For most of the ride, we were blasted by wind and rain, but you know what - it didn't matter - we were on our bikes, and we were doing what we love the most. It was good to see Grant back on the bike, and even when Donna called and reported she had a flat, it didn't matter - it gave me an excuse to spend even more time being soaked by that glorious rain. We paused to take a few photos at the Selena momument along the bay (see photo below), and then got to spend time at the finish line with some of our good friends from the Corpus Christi chapter of the team - folks like Wayne, Eddie, and John.
So, to summarize: Traffic jam and late arrival bad, bonus tickets and concert by chick magnet Roger Creager good. Tropical storm punishing the city and preventing us from pedaling the Harbor bridge bad, rain-soaked 25-miler with friends and teammates good.
The women of Velo Valero pose at the momument to another beautiful lady
El Hefe takes time from his busy schedule to thank hard working volunteers for their efforts during the ride.
To see more Conquer the Coast photos, click here.
Flatzilla
 On Sunday, I joined Carl for his medium-paced, no drop ride. This ride will forever be known as Flatzilla, because even though we had a small group (9 riders), we managed to experience a total of six flats - and I had three of them! I don't know what it is about the Northeast side of town, but we all seem to get a heck of a lot of flats when we ride up there. I've been riding in and around the city fo San Antonio for eight years now, and it's interesting how each part of town has it's own unique riding challenge. The Northwest has the hills, but more and more congestion. The Southside has the dogs that leap out of nowhere to keep you on your toes. And, the Northeast has all the railroad tracks which seem to be the source of lots of the flats people get. Rule of thumb: Take them slow, and try to cross the tracks at a perpendicular angle. Bill, Leah, and I (who accounted for the 6 flats) are all really grateful to Bill's friend and new team member Matt who changed all the flats for us with the precision and grace of a fine surgeon. He used to work for Bicycle Heaven back in the day, so he had lots of practice doing this when he was at the shop. And we needed every bit of that experience (plus plenty of tires and air catridges). Once again: six flats bad, having Matt on the ride good.
The ride itself was gorgeous. Carl had us ride through the scenic city of Gruene (see photo below), plus Lamda Park in downtown New Braunfels (which will be the site of one of El Hefe's favorite events, Wurstfest, in a few weeks). In addition to the flats, the only other real drama we had was dog related. After Matt had changed one of my flats yet again, he, Bill, and I were racing to catch up with the group. Bill had unfortunately left the zipper to his tool bag open, and many of his items flew out the back of his bag. He and Matt went back to retrieve the items, and I pulled into a driveway to wait for them. Unfortunately, the home had a guard dog on the premises - I think it was a German Shepard, all I remember is the teeth - and he leaped (out of nowhere!) at me. I had to use my bike as a shield to keep the dog away from me. Since I was holding my bike with both hands, I couldn't reach for my water bottle and squirt the dog between the eyes, a skill I learned on the Southwide the last few weeks. Eventually, Matt and Bill showed up and disctracted the dog long enough for me to get on my bike, clip in, and start pedaling... Once again: vicious, ill-tempered dog bad, having your teammates ride up and disctract him good.
Some of Carl's Crew posing in front of legendary dance hall in Gruene
SAG wagon during Carl's ride (NOT!). But it was sighted during the ride, and made many of us very thirsty...
San Antonio Saturday Training Ride
 Since I was at the coast Saturday, I didn't do the Saturday training ride coordinated by John "the Punisher" Tenison. I did speak with Cindy and Stan on Sunday, and got some anecdotal information about what transpired. Since this blog is not about rabid gossip mongering, I won't mention anything about John and David taking a spill in the rain, or Laura veering wildly of course, or Lindsey Lohan being back on drugs. Ask any of the 25 or so riders who participated to get the real story...
Sooners Stumble, Longhorns Bumble, El Hefe Humble
 ...I couldn't finish the theme of good and bad without discussing the brutal weekend of college football that occurred. My beloved Longhorns lost at home to Kansas State (bad), but on the bright side, the evil Sooners from Oklahoma also lost (good). This means when they meet for the annual Red River Shootout next weekend, both teams will have the same record (good). But, as my good friend, hard-working Board Member, strong rider (good) and Sooner alum (bad) Patricia "the Funky Pirate" Jones pointed out to me at the Party in the Pasture Sunday afternoon, the Sooners were beat on a last second field goal while on the road, while the Horns got spanked at home in front of the stunned Burnt Orange faithful to a team they were expected to beat by three touchtowns (bad, very bad).
Yes, it was indeed a tale of two weekends...
Pancake and Toyota Rides
Check the Training Schedule - this weekend is the last ever Pancake Ride, and Mark, Donna, and David have been gracious enough to invite the entire team. Moreover, Sunday we will do our first ever joint ride with Team Toyota that will start and end at the Toyota plant on the Southside of town. I'll have more details later in the week...
Keep training, and keep fundraising - the Valero MS 150 is less then 3 weeks away!
- El Hefe
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Good morning! I'll be busy preparing for the Conquer the Coast tomorrow, so you're getting the usual Friday blog on Thursday...
Lunch and Learn
 Just a quick reminder about our Lunch and Learn today. All new and nearly new riders are encouraged to attend, but the rest of you can come, too. The event will be held in the North Private Dining room by the cafeteria at Valero HQ from 11:30 to 1:00 pm. The speaker will be Matt Hamlin from Bicycle Heaven (my favorite bike shop), and the subject will be Cycling Technique and Maintenance. We'll follow with a Q&A session on the MS 150. If you don't work at Valero HQ, park in the Visitors parking, go to the main entrance, and let the guard know you are there for the Velo Valero event. Zora and Carl will direct you to the dining dining room where the event will be held. For more details, click here.
Weekend Rides
Check our training schedule if you plan on doing any of the weekend rides (which you should be doing if you plan on riding the Bike to the Beach - there are only three training weekends left!). There's been a change - both the Saturday and Sunday rides will start from Comal Elementary School in New Braunfels.
Fundraising - Creeping Up, Still a Long Way to Go
Our fundraising is creeping up - we are at now at almost $83,000, which is 33% of our target of $250,000. To see the latest team roster and individual fundraising totals, click here. If you haven't started your personal fundraising campaign yet, what are you waiting for?? Click here for some fundraising tips to help you get started.
MS 150 News You Can Use
I'm starting to put together all the information you need to help you have a successfull MS 150 Bike to the Beach. Command Central for Velo Valero riders in this event is on our web site at the MS 150 Home Page. I recently added a Participant Guide and a Packing List, based on the excellent documents that 2005-2006 Team Captain Laura Vaccaro put together. Take the time to peruse these when you get a chance, and as always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. The Board and I are committed to making this the best cycling experience you have ever had!
Tony! Tony! Tony!
This picture below speaks for itself. Tony Ralf, VP, South Texas Chapter of the MS Society, is a force of nature, and is one of the reasons the MS 150 is such a fun event to participate in. I often talk about the energy and commitment of the riders and the volunteers in this event, but we can't overlook the work that the MS staff performs - people like Tony, Deanna, Lisa, etc. Next time you see Tony or any of his high octane team in action, thank them for putting together such an incredible cycling experience for us!
Tony Ralf sportin' those Join the Movement colors...
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Since Monday's blog was so short, you're getting a special treat - a Tuesday edition of the Team News!
Velo Valero Around the World
...Last week we sent two ambassadors from the team out into the world to spread the gospel of Velo Valero, and to do a little recreational cycling while they were at it.
Board Member and Starbucks aficionado Carl Crawford was in Tennessee participating in the BRAT, the Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee. He rode 400+ miles over 7 days with lots of elevation. To see his pictures, click here.
 On the other side of the globe, Board Member and wine connoisseur Patricia Jones was riding across the French countryside with Backroads. Click here to see the pictures. Here's her account of the trip -
...My trip started and ended with some personal time in Paris. I have been to Paris a few times but I have never taken the time to go see Versailles, which I did this trip. The cycling portion of the trip was all in the Burgundy region of France (which is the central part of Eastern France), and the tour company I used is Backroads (based in Berkeley, CA). The history of the Burgundy region is colorful. We cycled to Vezelay on the first day, which is where the Pope launched the 2nd Crusade and Richard, the Lionheart, launched the 3rd crusade. The Basilica there is rumored to have Mary Magdalene's relics.
The terrain was very hilly and beautiful. Each hill was very long by our standards, 3-5 miles. The up hills seemed to last an eternity, but the down hills were awesome!! Of course, the main reason you go to Burgundy is for the wine and food...outstanding I will add!! It was fun cycling into a village and stopping to have a fresh quiche, for instance, as a snack at a local boulangerie. The other amazing thing about cycling in France is that it is against French law for drivers to crowd a cyclist, so cars are very patient and leave plenty of room when passing cyclists. All in all, it was a great trip!!
Au Revoir, PJ
Next time you are on a ride with either Carl or PJ, ask them about their experiences - they have some great stories to share!
Riders of the Week
We have such a large team now - almost 200 folks have signed up so far to ride the Valero MS 150 with us - that it seems criminal to have only one New Rider of the Week. So, for the first time ever, we're serving up three new riders all in a single blog - and we're not going to charge you extra!
 Grace Batres works at Valero HQ with our Schedulers and Traders. She did the MS 150 way back in 2002, and is training hard to do it again in 2007. To read more, click here.
 Stan Sultemeier is a retired Lutheran Minister who lives and trains in Fredericksburg, TX. He's doing his first MS 150 at age 69. To read more, click here.
 Phillip Williams from Krotz Springs is our first ever Rider of the Week from a Valero Refinery. To read more, click here.
Upcoming Rides
- Because of a last minute scheduling conflict, this week we'll do our Wednesday Hump Day ride on Tuesday. We'll be leaving from the North Garage of Valero HQ, with wheels up at 05:30 pm. Send an e-mail to john.tenison@valero.com if you are interested in riding. This is a fast paced ride with lots of challenging hills.
- Andrea's family friendly Thursday night ride will leave from Specht's Store at 06:30 pm.
- Our Saturday ride will once again be led by John Tenison. We'll be riding the Northeast side of town leaving from Comal Elementary School with wheel's up at 7:30 am! There will be multiple distances, including a long ride of 80+ miles.
- A couple of us are doing the Conquer the Coast in Corpus Christi on Saturday. We're planning on going down Friday night, so we can see Henry Martinez ride the criterium in our team colors at 08:15 pm. The 65-mile ride starts at 07:30 am on Saturday with a glorious sunrise climb over the Harbor Bridge. Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you are interesting in joining us.
- Since Carl just got back into town, we are still working out details of the Sunday ride. This will once again be a no-drop, medium-paced ride - come back soon for more details. Wheels up at 08:00 am.
Finally, here are some dates for future training rides you need to circle on your calendar -
- The Legendary Pancake Ride will be held on Saturday, 10/06. Pancakes are served at 06:30 am, the ride starts at 07:30 am, and there will be a pool party afterwards. Click here for more details.
- I'm still working on the last minute details, but it looks like we will be doing a joint ride with the new team from Toyota on Sunday, 10/07, with wheels up at 07:30 am. We will be leaving from the new Toyota plant on the Southside of town. This will be a medium distance (50 miles) ride.
As always, check our training calendar for the latest information!
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Monday! ...For those of you that are counting, there are only 4 Mondays left until the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach.
Whirling Weekend Dervish
...This was one of those weekends that packed in so many activities, I can't believe it was only 48 hours long. There was the Jazz Alive Gala Friday night, the MS 150 Invitational Top 100 ride on Saturday morning, Churchull vs. Judson at 09:30 am, the Valero Family Fun day at Fiesta Texas, two quarters of Texas vs. Rice, dinner with my always intriguing daughter, the Sunday morning training ride, etc. After all this, I'm ready to plop on the couch and watch a mindless comedy on the big screen for two hours. Last week, I watched a copy of Blades of Glory, and I have to admit I enjoyed it so much that my face literally hurt from laughing so much. As a result, I'm in the mood for more of the same - cheap yuks that don't tax brain - and will partake of either Talladega Nights (Will Ferrel does NASCAR!) or Borat (one more time! - I love Sacha Cohen...). As a result, this will be the shortest blog ever...
Peter. Sylvia, David, and Zora at the start of the Top 100 Ride. Tony Ralf from MS had the audacity to call me out for only doing 10 miles...he will pay!
That Peanut Again
On Sunday, I led a group of ten riders on another medium-paced, no drop ride on the Southside of town. We did the Elemendorf to Floresville ride again, and added another 10+ miles to give us 62 for the day. I managed not to get lost this week, and learned a number of interesting facts about this part of our city from Southsiders Ben and Deanna - including, for example, the bird I will now always know as "the cowbird", and (thanks to Ben) the location of every bar along the way. (If you see Ben, ask him about the vicious Mastiff that chased him for part of the ride...he's lucky he survived!) We had lots of first year riders on the route, including folks like Grace, Leah, and Jim, and I was so proud that they finished and finished strong. And of course, we couldn't resist the opportunity to pose with the legendary Floresville Peanut (see photo below). Carl will be back this week from his Tennessee cycling odyssey, and he and I will get together and plan out the rest of our Sunday rides between now and the MS 150...
Team members basking in the ambience of that Floresville Peanut. The resolution is low to protect the innocent.
Lunch and Learn this Thursday
Here's one more reminder about the Lunch and Learn Thursday - hope you can make it!
This year we're doing a series of Lunch and Learns at Valero HQ to teach team members cycling skills, and to answer any questions about the MS 150. These events will be in the North Private Dining room by the cafeteria from 11:30 to 1:00 pm. Mark these dates on your calendar -
- Thursday, 09/27 - The speaker will be Matt Hamlin from Bicycle Heaven, and the subject will be Cycling Technique and Maintenance. We'll follow with a Q&A session on the MS 150. All riders are encouraged to attend. If you don't work at Valero HQ, park in the Visitors parking, go to the main entrance, and let the guard know you are there for the Velo Valero event. We'll have escorts to take you to the dining room where the event will be held. For more details, click here.
- Thursday, 10/11 - The speaker will be Presten Tyree, Director of Education, League of American Cyclists. and the topic will be (surprise!) Cycling Safety. For more details, click here.
See ya' on the road!
- El " I could have ridden more miles, but I had to go to the football game!" Hefe
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The hits just keep coming - here's a a special Friday Edition of the Team News!
Other MS 150 Events for Velo Valero
...It so easy for me to get wrapped up in planning for our Texas event, the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach, that I can find myself overlooking other events Velo Valero is participating in across the country. For example...
Steve Evans, Contract/Procurement manager from the Ardmore Refinery, is part of a team of seven riders that will be participating in the two-day Oklahoma MS 150 this weekend. Since our team jerseys won't be in until early October, a number of you donated jerseys for Steve and his folks to wear during the ride. Thanks so much for helping out - this is what being a team is all about! Steve sent me this today -
The Oklahoma MS150 starts in Tulsa. We will ride 78 miles to Muskogee, southeast of Tulsa, on day 1. Day 2 will return us to Tulsa via a 68 mile course. We collected money as a team this year, raising $6,000 for the MS Society through contributions from local vendors and Valero employees. I’d like to mention that John Shriver, Director of HSE, and his wife were responsible for raising money for the ride. John could not ride due to scheduling conflicts. I’ll hopefully can get someone to take a few pictures to send along to you. Thanks for helping with the loaner jerseys.
- Steve
In addition, Dennis Ross, Chief Reliability Inspector at the St. Charles Refinery, will be our lone Velo Valero rider in the Louisiana MS 150 that will be held the weekend of October 6th. Here's an update from Dennis -
Our ride is on October 6th and 7th. We ride from South Eastern Louisiana University (where my son is a senior) in Hammond, LA to Percy Quinn State Park in McComb, MS. The MS Society has put together a training schedule, with sponsored rides. The only competition I've noticed at the training rides has been the 30 or so Motiva (High Octane Cycling Club) riders. I overheard them admiring our shirt at a rest stop. Donations have been better than I expected. I've been able to up my goal twice.
- Dennis
Results of the Bake Sale
 Our bake sale generated a whoppin' $1,620 for our team fundraising. This is the most we've ever raised at one of these sales, and it was also the first time we ever sold every single baked good that was donated to us. Thanks to Board Member Laura Vaccaro for organizing this, and those high-octane Valero Vanguards for running the event for us. Thanks also to the 100+ volunteers who slaved away over a hot oven baking the most incredible assortment of goodies for us to sell. Finally, thanks to Sean Murphy at the Credit Union for donating $350 to our cause and bidding $50 on one of the cakes. We have a few more fundraisers planned between now and the Valero MS 150 - stay tuned!
Rider of the Week
 Our new rider of the week is - drumroll, please! - Megan Lehnhoff. Megan is a recent graduate of the San Antonio Wheelmen Rider Education Series, and is training for both the Valero MS 150 and the Houston Marathon in January. To read more, click here. Glad to have you on board, Megan!
Weekend Rides
Our Saturday ride will once again be led by John "the Punisher" Tenison. We'll be leaving from Roger Soler's in Old Town Helotes, so we'll be close to Fiesta Texas for folks who want to attend the Valero Family Fun Day later in the day. We'll be doing the Castroville route, with the hills of 211 thrown in for a little challenge. There will also be shorter options for folks who want to get to the Fun Day sooner. NOTE: Try to park across from Flores Country store, so we don't fill up the Soler's parking lot. Wheel's up at 7:30 am!
 By popular demand, our Sunday medium-paced, no-drop ride will once again travel the gently rolling hills between Elmendorf and Floresville on the Southside. This week we changed the route slightly to add another 10 miles. I'll lead the ride, and promise not to get lost or post any embarrassing photos of anyone posing with the Floresville Peanut in the blog. We'll meet at the Park and Ride at 181 and 1604, with wheels up at 08:00 am (note the slightly earlier start).
As always, check our training calendar for the latest information!
See ya' on the road!
- El Hefe
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Ahoy team-maties! Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day - did you send out your cards? This is a holiday I can really get behind, because to be quite frank, there's just not enough pirate talk going on in the world today, and if there was, we'd all get along so much better...
...Lots of team news, so let's get right into it!
Bake Sale
Today at Valero HQ we're be holding our annual Bake Sale to raise money for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach. As always, I'm just amazed at the energy and commitment of everyone that is involved with this team as either a rider or a voluntneer. We've had almost 100 (!!) people volunteer to bake homemade goodies of all types, and those incredible Valero Vanguards will once again be assisting us in selling these items. The Bake Sale will be held until 1:00 pm in both the North and South foyers. If you work at HQ, let your co-workers know this event is going on, and encourage them to come on down and buy a few items - in fact, buy a few yourself! I'll be there with some of the Board Members, shaking hands, kissing babies, and preaching the gospel of Velo Valero to the masses. All the money we collect goes into our shared team fundraising bucket - which we're going to need as we try to become the first team in the history of this event to raise over $250,000.
This Weeks Rides
Lots of cycling planned for this week -
- We'll once again do our Wednesday Hump Day ride from the North Garage of Valero HQ, with wheels up at 05:45 pm. Send an e-mail to john.tenison@valero.com if you are interested in riding. This is a fast paced ride with lots of challenging hills.
- Andrea's family friendly Thursday night ride will leave from Specht's Store at 06:30 pm.
- Our Saturday ride will once again be led by John Tenison. We'll be leaving from Roger Soler's in Helotes, so we'll be close to Fiesta Texas for folks who want to attend the Valero Family Fun Day later in the day. We'll be doing the Castroville route, with the hills of 211 thrown in for a little challenge. There will also be shorter options for folks who want to get to the Fun Day sooner. NOTE: Try to park across from Flores Country store, so we don't fill up the Soler's parking lot. Wheel's up at 7:30 am!
- Since Carl is out of town, I'll be leading the Sunday ride again this week - and this time, I promise not to get lost. This will once again be a no-drop, medium-paced ride with gently rolling hills - come back soon to see the route. Wheels up at 08:00 am (note the slightly earlier start ).
- Finally, a couple of us are planning on doing the Conquer the Coast in Corpus Christi on 09/29. Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you are interesting in joining us.
As always, check our training calendar for the latest information!
Fundraising Tip
 David Sloan, our Fundraising Board Member, has this tip for you this week:
Many e-mail packages give you the ability to create a standard signature that is automatically appended to the bottom of every mail message you send out. Don't be bashful about advertising the fact you are riding in the MS 150 and fundraising for it - put this in your signature! Include your E-Donate link in the signature, and you are putting folks one click away from donating to you with every e-mail you send. Here's an example of what I use:
David Sloan
Please go to this link to learn more about the Valero MS-150 and how you can join the fight against MS.
http://www.ms150.org/edon.cfm?id=204407
...You'll be amazed at the folks who see this and decide to make a donation on your behalf - folks you would never have asked directly.
For more fundraising tips, click here.
Lunch and Learns
This year we're doing a series of Lunch and Learns at Valero HQ to teach team members cycling skills, and to answer any questions about the MS 150. These events will be in the North Private Dining room by the cafeteria from 11:30 to 1:00 pm. Mark these dates on your calendar -
- Thursday, 09/27 - The speaker will be Matt Hamlin from Bicycle Heaven, and the subject will be Cycling Technique and Maintenance. We'll follow with a Q&A session on the MS 150. All riders are encouraged to attend. If you don't work at Valero HQ, park in the Visitors parking, go to the main entrance, and let the guard know you are there for the Velo Valero event. We'll have escorts to take you to the dining room where the event will be held. For more details, click here.
- Thursday, 10/11 - The speaker will be Lloyd Hensley, MS 150 Safety Co-Chair, and the topic will be (surprise!) Cycling Safety. For more details, click here.
To see a calendar of all our upcoming events, click here.
Origin of the Nickname El Hefe
I've had a number of people say to me recently, "Hef, how long have you lived in Texas? Don't you know that El Hefe, which you're telling people means "The Boss" in Spanish, is spelled El Jefe??" Well, believe it or not - I actually know this, and the spelling is intentional. When we were in a frenzy of giving each other nicknames last year, I gave myself the name of El Jefe, because to be honest, I've just always wanted to be called "The Boss". Well, immediately Patricia "The Funky Pirate" Jones pointed out that because of my weight, it should really be El Hefty. (I tend to exercise a lot less during the winter, and typically put on a few pounds as a result...) So, very quickly El Jefe became El Hefty, which eventually shortened back to El Hefe, and it has been that way ever since. I apologize to all the kids out there who are being adversely affected by this poor spelling example...
 El Hefe sportin' his off season poundage...
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Monday! Once again, I'm going to try to make this short and sweet - because once again the hot tub is heating up, and I'm looking forward to settling into it and reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, the sequel to the incredible The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (highly recommended!). The fall is such a busy time for me, I never get to read as much as I'd like - but I'm hell bent to finish this book, because the first one was so good...
Weekend Rides
By design, our rides this weekend were on the east and south sides of San Antonio to give folks a break from the hills we've been doing all summer and to prepare us for the terrain we'll see on the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach. I had to miss the Saturday Judson High School ride because my son is playing freshmen football at Churchill, and his games are on Saturday morning. I talked to ride leader John Tenison, who said we had a great turnout (20+) and folks had a great ride. Once again, team members got to enjoy the down home cusine at Bretzke's Store - it's rumored we had someone who ate both a breakfast taco and a slice of chocolate pie, but I'm not going to drop any names. We had a handful of riders who did the full 70 miles, which means they are gearing up for the full century (aka, 100 miles) we can do the first day of the MS 150 - way to go!
...On Sunday we had a group do a new route for the team on the far south side of town. This was 52 miles through gorgeous rolling farm country between Elmendorf and Floresville based on a map from our friends at the Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club. Since Carl was out of town, I offered to lead this ride, even though I have a terrible sense of directions and always get lost. To try and prevent this, I studied the map the night before, and even marked a bunch of them them up in a shocking shade of pink for the other riders. Despite all this, I still was unable to locate the Mobil station in Floresville. And even after I made repeated calls to the other ride leader for directions, I still couldn't find it. (This only provides further evidence of Laura's theory that there is a portion of a man's brain that stops functioning when he is listenting to directions from a woman... ) Eventually we stumbled upon it. On the way out of town, we pedaled through the quaint town square of Floresville, and even stopped to pose with the freakishly big peanut (see photo below). All in all, a great ride with great friends. Thanks so much to Southsider Deanna Durham for leading a group of riders, because even though I promised we'd all stay together as one large group, we very quickly split up into two groups each riding at a different pace. (I'll admit it - I have no impulse control!) Finally, hats off to Board Member Stan Lear, who was not content to ride a mere 52 miles on Sunday - he insisted on riding another 28 miles to his house. Way to go Stan!
Kirstin poses with the Floresville freaknut
...Continue to check the training schedule for upcoming rides! I'll be in College Station on a work-related recruiting trip Tuesday and Wednesday, but hope to be back home in time for our usual Wednesday night ride. I'll send out an update then on the weekend rides!
Get Those Bikes Inspected
If you are riding the MS 150 this year, you need to get your bike inspected. The inspections are free at participating bike shops - you can't beat the price! There are two reasons you need to get your bike inspected. First, you want to make sure your bike is entirely safe before you embark on a two-day 165 mile journey to Corpus Christi with 3500 other riders. Secondly, if you have the inspection sticker on your bike during the ride, you eligible for free support if you have any mechanical problems. NOTE: Most labor will be free - most parts will cost you extra. Get this done as soon as possible! Also - since hopefully you are putting in lots of training miles to get ready for the MS 150, you should also be in the habit of wiping your bike down after each ride, and keeping the chain clean and lubricated.
Best Name for Tour de Valero Team
...I'm going to end with something so funny and so perfect I just can't keep it to myself any longer. I was doing a spin class last week, and we were in the cool down phase doing some stretching. I suddenly hear this uncontrolled laughter behind me. I turn around, and it's Board Member and 2005-2006 Team Captain Laura Vaccaro laughing her posterior off. I ask her what's so funny, and she's laughing so hard so she can't get the words out to tell me. Now, last year we gave Laura the nickname "Queen of the Hills" for two reasons. One, she is really good at hill climbing, and two, she ran the team with such a regal demeanor that we actually felt compelled to have a coronation for her at last year's Friday night team get together (see photo below). ...Well, when she finally gained enough composure to tell me what was so funny, she said she had come up with the perfect name for her Tour de Valero team. It was going to be her and four guys, and she was going to name the team...All the Queen's Men.
Damn, that's funny.
Laura at last year's Friday Night team dinner. I'm starting a rumor that she plans on wearing that tiara at upcoming spin classes...
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Friday!
Weekend Rides
There are only five training weekends between now and the MS 150 Bike to the Beach. We have two rides scheduled this weekend to help you get in shape, plus enjoy the great outdoors with your fellow Velo Valerians. As promised, we're doing routes that have fewer hills this weekend, and to accomplish this, we're going to the southside of San Antonio.
On Saturday, John "The Punisher" Tenison will lead riders on routes that leave from Judson High School with wheels up at 07:30 am. Distances will be 31, 55, or 75 miles. If you are planning on doing all 165 miles of the MS 150, you should really plan on doing one of the longer routes on this ride. As during all our training rides, find at least one other rider who will be doing the same distance you are doing at the same pace, and stay with him or her during the whole ride. (In Boy Scouts, we refer to this as the "buddy system".) Our Saturday rides tend to have a lot of riders at many different skill and experience levels, so we tend not to ride as a single group. At the beginning of the ride, John will ask folks what distances they are doing, and try to pair riders together. To see Saturday's routes, click here.
On Sunday, I'll be leading riders on a 50 mile route from Elemendorf to Floresville and back with wheels up at 08:30 am. This will be a medium paced, no drop ride, where we'll try to stay together as a group the whole time. (Carl has been doing this on his Sunday rides, and I'll keep up the tradition while he's out for two weekends in Tennessee.) Since this is a new route for me and the team, Southsider Deanna Durham will be on the ride to act as our guide and to keep us from getting too lost - she may even recommend a good place for us to eat lunch. (I've been promising her all year that we'd do more southside rides...) Cick here to see the map of the route we'll be following.
To see our complete training schedule, click here. If you've never been on a Velo Valero training ride before, click here to see the rules of the road we try and follow.
Fundraising Tips and Tricks
By popular demand, I've created a place on our team web site where I'm going to put all the tips and techniques for fundraising that I've been sprinkling in the Captain's Blog for the last month or so. Click here to see what we have so far. I'll be adding to this as the weeks go by - there are lots of people who are doing some pretty amazing things to raise money for this cause, and I can't wait to share their stories with all of you.
Finally, A Shout Out to Henry Martinez
 During our Wednesday night Valero HQ ride, we were joined by longtime Velo Valero team member and hammerhead extraordinaire, Henry Martinez. Henry really takes this cycling thing to a whole other level. During our 31 mile route, we did ever steep hill we could find, and it was amazing (and humbling) to see how effortlessly Henry glided up the hills, and how unbeliveably fast he roared down them - Henry is definitely a brother from another cycling planet... Another reason to consider doing the Conquer the Coast in two weeks is to come down and support Henry as he participates in the first Inaugural Friday Night Criterium. Henry tells me he'll be representing us by wearing the Velo Valero kit during the Cat 4/5 at 08:15 pm, and we need to show him some love if we're in the neighborhood by cheering him on. I know I'll be there!
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy hump day!
Reaching for the Stars
The Velo Valero Board of Directors gathered on Tuesday morning for our monthly meeting. The next 38 days between now and the Bike to the Beach are going to be very busy for us and the Valero Volunteer Council (VVC), which coordinates the BTTB volunteer effort on behalf of Valero. As usual, we discussed a wide range of topics; to see the agenda and minutes click here. I'm so very grateful to have these folks helping me run this organization - I don't know what I'd do without them!
The big decision we made at the meeting was what our team fundraising target should be. I'm proud to say that, after some discussion, the Board members present unamimously agreed to reach for the stars this year by setting $250,000 as our goal. This is truly an amazing number, but its one I'm fully confident we can achieve. Our bike team has always been a pacesetter for fundraising in this event, just as Valero is in so many of our charitable endeavors. In 2005 we were the first team in this event to raise over $100,000, and last year we were the first to raise over $200,000 - so why can't we be the team that is the first to crank it up to a cool quarter million? As of this morning, we were almost at $30,000, with the number climbing each day (click here to see the current totals). I want each of you to look inside yourself and ask what you can do to help us achieve this goal. As always, if you need some assistance or motivation, contact David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com), who is our Board Member in charge of Fundraising.
Fundraising Tip of the Week
It's always a good idea to recognize folks for the money they donate to your campaign. One great way to do it is with individual donor cards you hang outside your office or cubicle. On these cards you put the name of the person who donated, and (if you think it's appropriate) the amount. This gives props to the folks who are giving you money, and also raises awareness of your participation in the event among your co-workers. If you work at Valero HQ, check out Zora's or Carl's cubicle to see how this is done. I have a big box of these donor cards if you want to try this. We'll also have these available for distribution at upcoming training rides for folks who don't work at Valero. You'll be amazed at how effective this simple technique is!
NOTE: Please check with your supervisor before doing this!
Bake Sale Next Week
On Wednesday, September 19th, the team will be holding a bake sale at Valero HQ as fundraiser for the MS 150. If you are a Valero HQ employee, you can help by both donating home-baked goods to sell, and by buying some of the goods and encouraging your co-workers to do so. (NOTE: You actually get volunteer credit for baking the goods if you sign up using the Intranet SignUp facility.) If you don't work at HQ, you can still help by donating items. Contact Laura Vaccaro (laura.vaccaro@valero.com) and let her know what you are donating, and get the items to her by 08:00 am on Wednesday. Thanks as always to the Valero Vanguards for assisting with running the Bake Sale!
Upcoming Rides
- We'll once again do our Wednesday Hump Day ride from the North Garage of Valero HQ, with wheels up at 05:45 pm. Send an e-mail to john.tenison@valero.com if you are interested in riding. Distance and pace to be determined based on who shows up, but count on a few good hills.
- The family friendly Thursday night ride will leave from Specht's Store at 06:30 pm.
- Our Saturday ride will once again be the rolling hills on the southeast of town (New Berlin, St. Hedwig, etc.). We'll be leaving from Judson High School with wheels up at 07:30 am.
- Since Carl will be out of town, we're still looking at options for our Sunday ride. Come back soon for an update! Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you have a route suggestion, or would like to lead the ride.
- Finally, a couple of us are planning on doing the Conquer the Coast in Corpus Christi on 09/29. Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you are interesting in joining us.
To see our complete training schedule, click here.
Rider of the Week
Our new rider of the weeks is - drum roll, please! - Darren Dodson, the 14-year-old son of Glenn Dodson. Darren will be riding his first MS 150 this year, and will be one of the youngest riders on our team. To read about him, click here.
Velo Valero Around the World
Don't know if all the new riders on the team know about this... We started something in 2006 that is really a lot of fun. It's called "Velo Valero Around the World", and it works like this: If you travel on vacation or for work, bring your team jersey, and get photographed with it in front of notable tourist sites. Then send them to me, and I'll post them to our Velo Valero Around the World photo gallery. We already have some great stuff in there - Janet and Stephen in Tennesse, Diane in Alaska and DC, Darrel in Belize while on Guard duty, Ken all over the Caribbean for NuStar, Kirstin atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, and so on. PJ just left for a 10 day cycling excursion of France, and Carl will be leaving this weekend for a ride across Tennessee, and both promise to take some pictures we can add to our gallery. What are you waiting for?
NOTE: I got this idea when I was in Anchorage in 2006, and I saw a show at the legendary Fly by Night Club, which unfortunately had its last show on September 8th. The nut who ran the place, Professor Whitekeys, encouraged people to travel with cans of Spam and be photographed with them in front of famous tourist destinations, then send them back to the club to post in his gallery. He had some great stuff in there...
One Final Personal Note
Thanks to everyone who sent me words of encouragement for what my father is doing in Iraq - it was totally unexpected, and so very much appreciated by my family and I.
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Monday!
Weekend Rides
Lots of cycling went on this last week, which is all good since we need to be gearing up for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach, which is only 40 days away.
On Saturday morning, we had our Kickoff Training Ride, which over 50 riders participated in. It was great to see all the riders in Velo Valero colors, ready to hit the road again. We tried to organize a team picture, but I'm sorry to report that we are better cyclists then we are supermodels - the best picture we took completely obscures the team truck, and 50% of us are looking away from the camera. But, hey - there will be other chances. (To see all the photos from the kickoff ride, click here.) The important thing is that we got on our bikes, and we got to spend time with each other on the road. Hats off to the HQ chapter of the Valero Motorcycle Club and their fearless leader, Anthony Jackson, for riding alongside us this weekend. And a special thanks to Ashwin and Chaitra for riding SAG for us in the team truck. Because of the heat and the hills, this was a weekend when we needed all the help we could get! Everyone who rode is special, but I want to give a shout out to two folks in particular - Hal, for finishing a very grueling 50 miles on only his third ride with us, and to Darren, son of Glenn, who will be riding in his first MS 150 this year, and who did the 30 mile route.
Where's the truck? And why is nobody looking at the camera???
Board Member Lucy Hernandez poses by the Team Truck on the cruiser bike. Lucy has big things planned for our team tent during the overnight in Beeville!
On Sunday, a handful of riders joined Carl for a ride on the Northeast side of town. Here's his report -
We had a great ride this morning from Longs Creek Elementary. Riding with me were Derrick Austin, Pat Harrington(NuStar jersey looks great!), David Gross, Bill Krupa, Leah Flores and Dave Shorr. We had a couple of flats on the route, but everyone stuck together to make sure that everybody had a safe and fun ride. Our rest stop on the ride was the Starbucks on I-35 and FM 3009. We stayed at the Starbucks for about 15-20 minutes talking about the ride and life in general. For me cycling is a great workout, but it is also a social event where bonds between friends grow and gives us a chance to make new friends.
Fundraising Idea
 Ken Mayfield, former Velo Valero Board Member, and now captain of the NuStar team, gave me this idea.
As I mentioned last week, our team size is growing, and more importantly, our fundraising is starting to creep up. (Click here to see the latest totals.) Fundraising doesn't have to be a hard. For example: All of us have loose change around the house and in our cars - why not put this to good use? Sometime before the MS 150, go through your house and your cars, collect all that change, and take it to a bank and turn it into cold, hard cash you can donate to the MS Society. It may not be much per person, but multiply it by the size of our team, and we're talking some pretty big numbers. Let's say our team size this year is 250, and we each scrape together $30 worth of change - well, my friends, we'll suddenly talking about $7500, which is nothing to sneeze at. Think about it...
The Rich are Different...
On Sunday afternoon, I went to the annual San Antonio Parade of Homes, which this year focused on multi-million dollar homes in the Dominion, the most expensive private real estate in all of San Antonio and home to high rollers like George Strait and David Robinson. To paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald, the rich are different than you and me - they have a lot more money, and they live in much bigger houses. Most of the homes we looked at were 8000 feet or larger. In these homes, typically 2000 feet was devoted to the master suite, which included lavish exercise rooms, massive his and her closets, and bathrooms that had more toilets, tubs, and showers than the fitness center at Valero HQ. In addition, most had a wing of the house devoted to the predominantly male pursuits of guzzling spirits, smoking cigars, grilling red meat, and watching high definition television. The fashionable term for these spaces is "media room", but I like the term "mancave" better, because it just sums up the purpose of the room much better. Most men, if given the choice, would probably never leave this room...
What is a Hero?
The term hero means different things to different people. I personally think everyone who organizes, volunteers, fundraises, or rides in an event like the MS 150 is a hero - I am so amazed by the energy and the commitment of each of you. But, I want to take a little time to talk about another type of hero, one that snuck up on me Saturday after our ride, and one that is suddenly real close and personal.... On the way home from the ride on Saturday, I got a call from my dad. He was at Dulles airport in DC, waiting on a connecting flight to Kuwait City, the first stage of a journey that will take him to Iraq. This in itself is nothing special - hundreds of thousands of military personal and contractors are over there, and many of you have a personal connection to one or more of them. What makes this different is that my father is 69 years old, and he volunteered for this mission. He will be over there as a contractor, training troops in the field at forward operating bases (FOBs), participating in sweeps with 18-year-olds to look for improvised explosive devices (IEDs), wearing a steel pot to protect his head along with 50 pounds of body armor. His decision to volunteer for this mission was a lively topic of discussion at our family reunion in Michigan this summer. He said he was doing this to serve his country - it would be his "last hurrah" as a soldier before he retired. Dad served in the army for 31 years, and did tours of duty in Germany, Korea, Vietnam (twice), and Panama. We told him he had done his time for his country, but he felt otherwise, and nobody could change his mind. ...When I got the call, I had to stop the car - I ended up parking under the I-10/1604 overpass, and we talked for almost 30 minutes. It hit me with the force of a sledgehammer - he was really going, and it was in God's hands whether he would return to us. And at an age when most people were fishing or golfing all day, basking in the warm glow of retirement, he was risking his life in a war zone...
...This Tuesday is the sixth anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Center towers. The forces that led to that tragedy have not subsided, and there are folks making sacrifices every day - often the ultimate sacrifice - to try and change things. Whether you agree with the politics or the strategy of what's going on over there, it is what it is. My dad is over there now, and I hope and pray he comes home in one piece before his 70th birthday. And when he does, he and I will retreat to a mancave somewhere, and we'll drink a few beers, smoke a fine cigar or two, complain about our wives/mothers/daughters/sisters/girlfriends, and maybe we'll watch an episode of Entourage on HBO HD. And life will be good again.
Be safe, Dad. I'm so proud of you.
My brother Bob, Dad (during his JR Ewing from Dallas phase), and me, sometime during the late 80s
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Because there's so much going on, here's a special Thursday edition of the Team News...
Kickoff Ride
Just a quick reminder on Saturday's ride. We want as many team members as possible to join us for a Kickoff ride from Valero HQ with wheels up at 08:00 am. We'll have a choice of rides to meet your training needs. Please wear a current or prior year jersey if you have one. Try to get there early (7:30 am) so we can take some team photos by our Team Truck in the Vistor parking lot. A Golf San Antonio (GSA) event will also be going on Saturday morning, so we need everyone to park on the first level of the North Garage parking lot, gear up, then pedal your bikes to the Visitor parking lot for the photos and the ride start. Click here to see a map of the campus and the location of the North Garage.
Hint: Bring a pair of dark glasses if you plan on being in the pictures. If you don't have any, I'll have a bunch I can loan to folks...
Order that Jersey Now
 I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record on this, but... All riders participating in the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach as part of Velo Valero must wear a current team jersey (see photo to the left). The deadline for ordering a team jersey for the MS 150 has been moved up to noon on Friday, September 7th. You can order the jersey on-line at our Team Store. We'll get the jerseys in early October and distribute them at our on-site packet pickup (tentatively scheduled for October 10th). If you need a jersey, please order it this week - I would hate for you to miss this deadline. We always order a few spares for folks who register after the deadline, but these go pretty quick!
Looking for a Tour de Valero Team?
If you are a Valero HQ employee who would like to participate in this year's Tour de Valero fitness challenge and haven't hooked up with a team yet, don't dispair - we are here to help! Send an e-mail as soon as possible to cycling@valero.com with the subject Tour de Valero, and list your average miles per week cycling plus the number of times you work out in the gym doing the things that earn points for the TDV (Spin class, individual spinning, recumbant or upright bikes, running, or using the elliptical machine). Don't be bashful - the Tour de Valero is a great way to get in shape for the MS 150, and also to bond with your fellow Velo Valerians before the ride.
Volunteers Needed for the MS 150
Even though the MS 150 is over a month away, we need volunteers to begin signing up for various roles now. If you know folks that can't ride, but want to participate, they can always be a volunteer. Here are some current opportunities:
Laura Vaccaro is coordinating the Valero volunteers for the event; send her an e-mail at laura.vaccaro@valero.com if you are interested. If you are a Valero employee, check the Intranet SignUp facility for the jobs that are available. Some of the positions are currently posted (for example, the Bake Sale and Training ride SAG support); others will be posted in the coming weeks.
Tony Ralph with the MS Society needs Notary Publics to help during the various packet pick-ups around town. He also needs folks who are willing to be Ride Marshalls during the event. Send an e-mail to TRALF@NMSSLONESTAR.org if you are interested.
Finally, we need folks who own current team jerseys to loan them for a week to our team members at the Ardmore Refinery who are riding in the Tulsa MS 150 the weekend of September 22. We need the following jersey sizes:
- Male, With Sleeves, Large - 4
- Male, With Sleeves, Extra Large - 1
- Male, With Sleeves, 4XL - 1
- Male, Sleeveless, Medium - 1
- Male, Sleeveless, Extra Large - 1
If you're willing to help out, send an e-mail to Laura Vaccaro at laura.vaccaro@valero.com.
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Lots of news on the team front...
This Week's Rides
Here's our ride schedule this week -
- We'll once again do our Wednesday Hump Day ride from the North Garage of Valero HQ, with wheels up at 05:45 pm. Send an e-mail to john.tenison@valero.com if you are interested in riding. Distance and pace to be determined based on who shows up, but count on a few good hills. NOTE: If we get rained out, we'll move this to Thursday.
- The family friendly Thursday night ride will leave from Specht's Store at 06:30 pm.
- Our Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach Training Ride kick-off will be on Saturday leaving from Valero HQ with wheels up at 08:00 am. All team members are encouraged to come early so we can take some photos with the Team Truck. Make sure to wear a team jersey if you have one!
- On Sunday, the ride leaves from Long's Creek Elementary at 08:00 am.
Too see our entire training schedule, click here. NOTE: Hats off to all the HQ employees doing the Tour de Valero. This year's event promises to be the most hotly contested ever.
Order that Jersey Now!
I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record on this, but... All riders participating in the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach as part of Velo Valero must wear a current team jersey (see photo to the left). The deadline for ordering a team jersey for the MS 150 has been moved up to noon on Friday, September 7th. You can order the jersey on-line at our Team Store. We'll get the jerseys in early October and distribute them at our on-site packet pickup (tentatively scheduled for October 10th). If you need a jersey, please order it this week - I would hate for you to miss this deadline. We always order a few spares for folks who register after the deadline, but these go pretty quick!
Rider of the Week
Our New Rider of the Week is (drum roll, please!) Jim Kuhl, VP of External Reporting, Valero Energy. To read Jim's story, click here. Hats off to Board Member Carl Crawford for coaching Jim this year, and getting him ready to ride the MS 150! Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you have someone you want to nominate as a future Rider of the Week.
Check our Calendar of Events
Things will get pretty busy in the 45 days between now and the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach. We have all sorts of things planned - our Training Ride Kick-Off, two Lunch and Learns on Safety and Cycling technique, an on-site Packet Pick-up, a joint ride with Toyota (tentative), etc. To see the schedule and plan ahead, check our Calendar of Events.
Velo Valero is a Raw, Elemental Force of Nature for the MS 150
Our team size is growing, and more importantly, our fundraising is starting to add up also. To date we have 175 riders signed up and we've raised almost $25,000 - to see our latest roster and fundraising totals, click here. Friends, we are once again a raw, elemental force of nature doing amazing things - I'm so proud to be part of this! People often ask me what my goals for the team are this year. Well, here's a few -
- I want us to be the top fundraising team again. End of story.
- I want us to be the team that has the most fun. More importantly, I want people to feel they are not just another rider on another cycling team, but part of an extended family that works and plays together while doing good for the communities we live in.
- I want all our first year riders to cross that Day 2 finish line strong, confident, and experiencing such an unbelievable adrenalin rush. I want their friends, family members, and team mates to greet them at the finish line and marvel at what they've accomplished - I want it to be an experience they never forget, and one that inspires them to ride with us year after year.
- Finally, through cycling, I want us all to improve our physical conditioning so we can live richer, healthier, and longer lives...
Not too much, huh? I know we can do it.
Rolling on the River
Last weekend, I invited the Velo Board Members to my place on the Llano River for our First Annual Fall Board Retreat. I also invited folks that went on the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure road trip so we could wax nostalgic about that incredible experience. We had a great time, and even managed to squeeze in a medium length bike ride to the Fall Creek Vineyards, although I don't think any of the riders will forgive me for taking them down one of the bumpiest roads in Texas (CR 202)... We had a great group of friends and family, but somehow we were all outnumbered by our dogs - I was joking that what actually happened was that a bunch a dogs got together for the weekend, and brought a few humans with them to insure they got fed. Hats off to first year rider Stan Sultemeier (aka, my father-in-law) for once again working his barbeque magic for everyone. To see pictures from this weekend, click here. I'm including a photo from Zora at the winery, just because she looks so hot in it (unfortunately, I couldn't crop out the loser on her left...)
Peter and Zora at the Fall Creek Vineyards
...See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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