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Well, it's 09:00 pm on Sunday, and I'm drinking the first of a few beers to hopefully help me wind down from the incredible high I've been on for the last 48 hours. To be quite honest, I didn't sleep Friday or Satuday night, because I was going over in my mind the million and one details that are part of the an event the scale of the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach - Who was sleeping where? Did we have enough food? Where was Elvis going to park his RV? Did I pump up my tires to 120? Where was my other glove???
There are so many things I'll never forget for so many reasons -
- Alissa singing the National Anthem for us on Saturday morning, with a voice so pure and so powerful, and then the pigeons being released into the clear South Texas sky
- Jacque blowing into her whistle at the starting line along with the song "That's What I Like About You", reminding me when I needed it most that this event was above all about having a good time
- Seeing the fear and the energy in first year riders like Megan, Hal, Ben, and Kerry at the Day 1 starting line as we waited for the ride to begin
- Being part of high speed, precision pace lines with friends and teammates John, Chuck, Pat, Lori, etc., for most of Day 1, and then after being dropped due to some mechanical problems, having to ride the last 15 miles by myself into that ferocious head wind
- That unbelievable Saturday night Team Tent that my good friend, Board Member, and miracle worker Lucy assembled for us on a $300 budget.
- Watching the 2007 Velo Valero Pink Ladies squeal like school girls as Elvis crooned sweet love songs to them
- Sharing a good cigar and a little Crown Royal with my Board of Directors Saturday night at the Cobb Ranch, as the coyotes howled in the distance
- Seeing my 69 year old father-in-law Stan complete 50 miles on Day 1 and 22 miles on Day 2 in his first ever cycling event - he had such a hoot, he's already planning on doing it again next year! I'm sure he's going to start a fad with his unorthodox Hill Country training regimen of Bag Balm and dried deer sausage...
- And on Sunday, after roaring across the causeway like a cruise missle, crossing the finish line at the head of 20 Velo Valero friends and teammates, finishing strong and definitely feeling like the Team Captain I've worked so hard all year to be - not just a guy who can order a team tent or write a few blogs, but a guy who can actually do a little cycling....
There's so many people I need to thank. First of all, Velo Valero would not exist without the hundreds of hours of work performed by the Valero Volunteers, and the people who coordinate them - folks like Jana who ran the Massage Tent, Joey who coordinated 7 SAG vehicles, Nerissa who managed the food servers, Fausto for riding herd on the cooks, Sammy who held it all together like he does every year, Effie and Maria for handling the Corpus Christi finish line, Deborah and the Three River folks for doing the Kennedy rest stop, Darian who organized our first ever Team Sleeping Tent , and of course Lucy and the team she assembled to provide our Saturday Night Team Experience. (Did I tell you she did the whole thing for $300????) I'm sure there are people I left out, and for that I apologize - I'm really tired, and I'm sure I'll remember them tomorrow...
I need to thank the Board of Directors, and the unbelivable work they do for me - Chuck, John, and Carl for leading training rides, PJ for counting our beans and managing our jersey sales, Zora for all the incredible artwork and signage she does for us, David for making us all better fundraisers, Andrea for having the energy and enthuiasm of 10 people, Donna for making you and I the healthiest we've ever been, Stan for doing all the little things, and so on. I'm truly blessed to have the support of these folks.
Finally, I'd like to thank Laura for giving me to the confidence to try and do a job she did so well. For the last 7 years I was just a rider in this event - I had no clue how much work went into this. Now I know. Laura, I'll never cease to be amazed at the ways you grew this event, and the magnitude of the heart and soul you put into it. I've said it over and over - you gave me big stilettos to fill, and I'm working hard as hell to fill them.
Well, there'll be more later, but that's all that's in the tank tonight. I will be asleep soon, and I guarantee, it will be the sleep of the dead. Please let me know what you thought about Velo Valero and the support we provided you as team members this year in the MS 150. So many of the things we did this year - the sleeping tent, pasta for dinner, the team wrist bands, the Saturday Night Team experience - were in response to a survey of team members we did at the the end of the 2006 MS 150. You spoke, and I like to think the Board and I listened. If you have any comments or concerns - good or bad - please send them to cycling@valero.com. We'll look at all of them, and do everything we can to make the 2008 Valero MS 150 the best ever!
There will be lots more photos soon, but I put a few out there already. To see some of my favorites, click here. If you have photos you took during the event, send me your five favorites with captions, and I'll post 'em to the site.
Oh, by the way, there's still a little fundraising work to do between now and the Awards Banquet on December 5th. If you rode with us this weekend, and you haven't raised your minimum yet, what are you waiting for?? If you have money you've collected and haven't turned it in yet, there's no time like the present. We all had a great weekend with great friends, but don't forget the real reason we ride.
- Peter
Team Member Alissa Lomas belting out the National Anthem while wearing our team colors
Dancing with my friend of so many years, Lucy Hernandez. She did everything I asked of her and more with our Team Tent. Hopefully we've added a new dimension to the Bike to the Beach that other teams will follow in the years to come.
Celebrating at the finish line in Corpus Christi. It felt so good to ride at the head of so many strong riders and good friends - it was one of those times when the job of being Team Captain didn't feel like work....
Team Member, Top Fundraiser, and Valero CEO Bill Klesse on the road on Day 1