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May 2008 - Posts
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Good morning and happy Thursday. A handful of us are leaving for Louisiana tomorrow morning for this weekend's Baton Rouge Tour de Cure, so you're getting a (not so) rare treat - the Friday blog on Thursday!
Baton Rouge Tour de Cure
As mentioned earlier, a group of Velo Valerians are loading into one of the company vans and my truck and heading east to join the Krotz Springs, St. Charles, and Memphis refinery teams for the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure. We'll be joining Team Captains Monika Harper and Dennis Ross, along with Troy Green and Jeff Peterson from Memphis, for a gorgeous ride through the lush rolling Louisiana countryside, including numerous plantations and horse farms. And of course, we'll be raising money and awareness for the American Diabetes Association to help the 20 million people inflicted with this terrible disease - what more could you ask for? I'll have plenty of pictures and stories for you when we get back Sunday.
Velo riders at one of the early rest stops during the 2007 Baton Rouge Tour de Cure
Weekend Rides
Two San Antonio area rides are on tap (pun intended) for this weekend. It will be hot, damn hot, this weekend, so make sure you stay hydrated before, after, and during whatever ride(s) you do.
 A number of team members are planning on doing the first annual Real Ale ride, which is the only ride in Central Texas that starts and ends at a brewery, in this case, the Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco. There are 5 routes, ranging in distance from 15 to 80 miles, many of which include those incredible hills west of Blanco we love so much (including Crabappple - click here for video). If you go, wear your team jersey and look for other team members. (If I wasn't heading to LA, this is where I'd be this weekend...)
 San Antonio Team Captain John Tenison has an alternative ride scheduled for folks who don't want to make the drive to Blanco. Here's the details -
For those of us who won't be making the trip either to Baton Rouge or Blanco but would still like to get in a Saturday ride, I'll be leaving from Starbucks in Leon Springs at 7:30 AM (to beat the heat, of course). We'll do a 30 mile cruise through Fair Oaks Ranch to Boerne via Amman Rd. with a stop at our brand new Valero store at IH-10 and Scenic Loop. Chuck and I stopped by today and visited with the folks working on the final touches. The store is scheduled to open Friday at noon - and is a serious improvement over the old Citgo. Send an e-mail to john.tenison@valero.com if you plan on joining me. Hope to see ya' there!
- John
Early Discount for Bike to the Beach Registration
 Well, in this era of rising gas and food prices, I need to help each of you when I can to save a buck or two. If you are planning on riding the Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach this year, you have the opportunity to save a little coin by registering before June 1. If you do, the registration is only a mere $25 - afterwards, it goes up to $40. To register for Velo Valero's flagship ride, click here. (Remember to register with team Velo Valero.) We'd love to have each and every one of you join us for one of the most challenging and exhilarating rides we do as a team - one that starts in historic San Antonio, home of Valero's headquarters, and ends in Corpus Christi, home of the Valero Corpus Christi Refinery, and (of course) the beach with those warm waters and cool breezes of the Gulf of Mexico.
To see videos from last year's ride, click here. For rider testimonials, click here. To watch a video documenting 20 years of Velo's involvement with this incredible event, click here.
Feeling the love at the Day 2 Finish Line during the 2007 BTTB
See ya' on the road!
- El "le patron" Hefe
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Good morning and happy Tuesday!
Recovery Weekend
 Well, for the first time in what feels like forever, I didn't ride over the weekend. Or, to be honest, over the entire week. As Team Member and Nurse Donna Escobar has taught me so well over the years, there's a time to ride and there's a time to recover. After hammering 160 miles over two days during the San Antonio Tour de Cure, then dealing with mom's surgery on Monday, then racing back to San Antonio to deal with the stress of a new job at Valero and a new boss - well, after all that, I was ready to take a break. During the week I did do some yoga, and two sessions on the treadmill, but that was it. On Saturday morning, I had my bike loaded in the truck and my cycling gear laid out like I do every weekend, but when that alarm clock rang at 6:30, I turned it off and went right back to sleep. No, I didn't join folks like Carl, Andrea, Grace, Chuck, Luis, and Kyle that braved the hills (including Crabapple) outside of Blanco beginning at 08:30, and yes, I needed the break.
 At 11:00, I did join team members and their families at Blanco State Park for our end of Tour picnic - something Board Member Andrea Shull spearheaded and hopefully will become an annual tradition for the team. We rented the pavilion for the day which overlooks the river, just like we did during our Board Retreat earlier this year, but this time it wasn't raining. I brought my two Pelican kayaks, my son Alex, and of course our dog Hannah (who never misses an opportunity to leap headlong into a Texas river). We had a great time on the water, hanging out in the pavilion, and enjoying the incredible array of meats - shrimp, ribs, chicken wings, and sausage - grilled to perfection by John "Ladies Man" Holt. Team Vice President David Sloan passed out some Tour de Cure goodies from the ADA, and Andrea actually borrowed the snow cone machine from the Valero Volunteers which allowed us to feast on those icy treats whenever the Texas heat became too much. This was a much needed calm in the endless storm of cycling events we do, and I enjoyed every second of it. Hell, we all deserved it - both for what we've accomplished this spring, and what lies ahead. Thanks, Andrea.
...After running errands all day Sunday, my son, the two dogs and I packed up for my place on the Llano River, 90 miles north of San Antonio in the Texas Hill country. My father-in-law and I bought this place ten years ago, and it's the place I return to year after year to recharge my batteries when things get too hectic and I need to, as they say, "hug the Buddha". There's something about the wide and slow moving river, the stately granite outcroppings, and the way the sun reflects off the water at certain times of the day that never fails to cast a spell on me. There's an amazing wicker chair in the corner of the screened in porch that I can sit in and watch the birds, the clouds, and Alex and Hannah frolicking on the river - well, it doesn't get much better than that, friends. Twenty-four hours of that kind of therapy, and I'm ready for action again - the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure next weekend, the Long Beach in three weeks, Oklahoma City at the end of June, and in a little more than 4 months, the Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach, which I guarantee you will be the biggest, the boldest, the best, and the most bodacious bike ride you will ever do! (Have you signed up yet?? - almost 40 of us have done so far, and the number grows every week!)
Later in the week, I'll give you all the exciting details about these events (and more!), but for now, it's Buddha time...
Eight Ball and Berta enjoying the Llano River
- Peter
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Greetings and happy Thursday! (Not as happy as it could be since the Spurs blew a 20 point lead on the road against the evil Lakers...)
Greater Philadelphia Tour de Cure
In my weakened state last Sunday, I failed to mention anything about the Greater Philadelphia Tour de Cure that took place last weekend, and the Velo Valero teams from Delaware City and Paulsboro that participated. The two teams had 37 riders in total do the event, and together they raised over $11,000 for the cause. Hats off to team captains Stephanie Corcoran and Mark Schneeweis for leading the charge again this year. To see pictures from the event (including some truly amazing and historic scenery), click here.
Team Captain Stephanie and some of the Delaware City riders
Baton Rouge Tour de Cure
The Baton Rouge Tour de Cure is less than two weeks away on May 31. Velo Valero will once again have two teams participating this year. Monika Harper will lead the folks from Krotz Springs, and Dennis Ross will lead the riders from St. Charles. We'll also have a few folks coming down from our Memphis Refinery. In addition, we'll have a group of folks driving up from San Antonio to participate in the event and support the cause just like we did last year. If you're interested in participating, let me, Monika, or Dennis know - we'd love to have you join us!
San Antonio riders with Angie's mom and Darrel Plants from the St. Charles plant at last year's BRTDC
Monika's Account of the San Antonio Tour de Cure
 As many of you know, Monika Harper is the Captain of our team in Krotz Springs, LA. She drove up Friday night to do one day of the the San Antonio TDC with us Saturday, then drove home that night. A bunch of us will be traveling next weekend to join her and the rest of the Krotz Springs and St. Charles folks for the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure. Here's Monika's account of her whirlwind Tour de Cure experience in Texas (which included a side trip to Gruene Hall during the ride!) -
I had such a great time. The ride is nice, but the people make the ride. The Velo Valero group are totally crazy fun. I had such a blast. Two weekends ago I became a grandmother, last weekend I acted like an 18 year old. From one extreme to another.
I spent the night Friday with Patricia Jones (PJ). She offered her home and I accepted. She was such a nice host. She grilled steak and pretty much waited on me hand and foot. It was better than any 5 star hotel/restaurant. Just that alone was worth the trip.
In the morning we met the other Velo Valero riders for breakfast. I parked under a "Grackle tree" and learned a very important lesson - when in Texas, if you hear loud annoying birds, don't park under the tree. My car was blessed (if you catch my drift). After breakfast, we went to the ride start. I rode with the 52 milers. There were several Velo Valero riders and they made me go to the front of the line to ride with them and pose for pictures. I was treated like a celebrity (or like Jacque - ha ha). Note - if you want to be in a picture, hang around Jacque, she seems to always be the center of attention!!! And no wonder - she is crazy fun!
The course is nice. We rode through some very nice areas. One of my favorite on the 52 mile course was the wood bridge. We actually saw a water rescue team practicing their skills ( at least I hope it was practice - we cheered them on!). At about the 30 mile rest stop, Carl Crawford suggested detouring to Gruene and going to Gruene Hall. David Gross invited me to tag along. Since I was a tourist anyway I thought, why not, so I followed them in. So by 10:30 and half way through the ride, beer was being consumed and the party was started. In spite of the fact that I don't drink, somehow I ended up being talked into posing on the bar and my picture was taken but so was Sylvia and Jacque, . Might as well admit it since I'm sure the pictures will eventually surface. I'm telling you these guys are crazy! We didn't spend a lot of time there since we did have to complete the ride.
Once done, and after we had lunch everyone met again for toobing on the San Marcos River. That was so fun and so relaxing. We must have had 50 tubers. Carl was the first to end up head first in the river. The river is beautiful but the time spent with friends was the icing on the cake. We decided to go twice so on the second run, Jacque, Grace and Alan talked me into going down the rapids. They all went and didn't come off their toob so there I went. Of course, I got stuck at the bottom of the fall in the turbulent water. For some reason the water kept sucking me down and would not spit me out. I thought I was going to drown, finally the river spit me out and guess what, I stayed on my tube. It was so much fun.
Nothing I could write could express just how much fun I had. Everyone in San Antonio was so sweet, and kind and considerate. These are the finest people I have every met. I look forward to seeing all of them again.
Thanks so much for such a great time.
- Monika
Monika enjoying the river (at least until she went down the rapids!)
Fundraising Update
Well, our National Team fundraising continues to rise as the team participates in events around the country, and off-line donations and monies submitted at packet pick-ups are counted. We are currently at $62,000 and rising, with almost 200 Velo Valero riders participating all across this great country. To see our current totals, click here.
Official San Antonio TDC Event Photos
Click here to access the official event photos for the San Antonio Tour de Cure. Click here to access our team Photo Gallery - I've added more pictures since Sunday.
Blanco State Park Picnic
As mentioned earlier, Board Member Andrea "Too Tall" Shull has arranged an end of season picnic at Blanco State Park for all the Velo Valero riders and volunteers that participated in this year's San Antonio Tour de Cure. The day will begin with an easy 25-mile bike ride led by Carl "Karaoke" Crawford that will begin at 08:30 am in the Blanco City Square. We have the pavilion rented from 10:00 am to 09:00 pm, and once again John "Ladies Man" Holt will man the grill with his usual artistry and flair. Guests are asked to bring a side dish and/or drinks, and to pay the park day use fee; Velo Valero will cover the cost of the pavilion rental and the meat. If you are interested in attending, please contact Andrea at Andrea.Shull@valero.com. Come join us and celebrate what we've accomplished as a team so far this year!
Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach
The Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach is only 135 days away on October 4-5. If you haven't registered yet, what are you waiting for? This is our flagship event as a team, and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever! To download a 12 week training journal to help you prepare physically for the challenge of this event, click here. A 12 week program (which we always recommend) begins the weekend of July 14th.
Velo Valero roaring across the finish line at the Bike to the Beach in 2007 - I can smell the ocean already!
Upcoming Cruiser Bike Event
Former Velo Team Captain and current USAA Team Captain Rusty "Back flip" Ferguson is organizing another Cruiser Bike ride on June 6th, which just happens to be First Friday.. Here's the scoop. (NOTE: Rusty for some inexplicable reason on Saturday rode a fixed gear, extremely heavy bike with 29" wheels that looked like he stole them from a motorcycle. I guess he wanted to show us that gears and lightweight materials like carbon fiber are for sissies.)
Hooray! We’re doing another cruiser ride. We’re shooting for Friday, June 6th and we’ll start at the usual location, Sam’s Burger Joint (corner of 281 and Grayson). We’ll meet at 8:00 pm and head down to SouthTown for First Friday. Because we’ll possibly be leaving the bikes out in the open while we go into an establishment you might want to bring a lock. I’ll have one that can lock up to three or four bikes but I’m hoping we’ll have much more than that. That night at Beethoven Hall the band is ZION (reggae) and there’s probably a cover, so bring some extra funds. If the crowds are too intense, we can go to Acapulco Drive-In for nachos or hang out at Blue Star restaurant.
Cadre of Cruisers in front of the Alamo last November
See you on the road!
- Peter Ray
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Good morning and happy Monday! My legs are still a little wobbly from the 160 miles I rode this weekend, and the rest of my body is crying out for some sleep, but I wanted to get a quick blog in before heading to College Station for a few days.
Well, the 2008 San Antonio Tour de Cure is over, and what a glorious 48 hours it was. We had unbelievable weather - mid 80s, no wind - and the route was mile after rolling mile of cycling bliss. Friends, I really have to give props to Event Chair Ken Mayfield, along with Erica, Lori, and the entire ADA staff - this was one of the best organized, most biker-friendly events I have ever been part of during the 9 years I've done these charity rides. (Not bad for their rookie year...)
On Day 1, I was part of a four-person pace line that included Chuck, Kirstin, and John that averaged almost 20 mph for the entire 80 miles. It was amazing to be part of such an efficient cycling machine, and along the way I learned the secret of Kirstin's high performance riding (hint: it involves bread, pickles and peanut butter). PJ was unable to ride, but it was great to see her at some of the rest stops, since she had volunteered to supervise a number of them.
PJ joins us for some laughs along the way - and yes, I have no clue what I'm doing to the sore knee that kept her off the road this weekend
Andrea having way too much fun at El Hefe's expense
When we got to Blanco Hall at Texas State University, over 50 folks gathered to join us toobin' on the San Marcos River. It was a little chaotic to get all those bodies, toobs, and adult beverages on the water, but once it was all sorted out, we had a wonderful time. The water is spring-fed, so it's always the same temperature (cold), but the day was just warm enough to make things comfortable (but not too hot). And we had a blast! At the end of our aquatic journey, some of us opted for a second float down the river, because sometimes once is just not enough.
John airs out his armpit in a sea of toobers
Krotz Springs Captain Monika Harper enjoying the river
At 5:00 pm, we headed to the Saturday Night celebration arranged by ADA. During the awards ceremony, Velo Valero once again put the wood down as the Largest Team and the Top Fundraising Team. But the award that was most special was the Top Individual Fundraiser award that David Sloan received. He was so close the last few years to winning this award, and nobody I know cares more about the cause or works as hard fundraising for it the way he does. This was a roller coaster year for David, as many of you know. Right at the start of our spring training season, he was involved in a car wreck. He only started to ride again a few weeks ago. Seeing him ride both Saturday and Sunday after the rehab he had to go through, and then watching him receive the Top Fundraiser award - these my friends are some of the proudest moments during my time at the helm of this unbelievable organization, and more than makes up for all the hard work and anxiety getting ready for an event like this. David is a special guy, and this was his moment.
Mr. Sloan inspires the crowd at the Day 1 Start
Saturday night some of us went out for a team strategy session at a local establishment that just coincidentally had some amazing happy hour specials. It was so great to see everyone laughing and getting to know one another - it's nights like this that really build team chemistry. However we have all decided that Carl is banned from any future forays into karaoke after what he did at the Saturday Night Celebration (jus' kiddin' Carl...maybe).
Hanging out on Satruday night
Stop before this man sings again!
Speaking of chemistry, mine was slightly askew Sunday morning when I woke up. I planned on riding again with Kirstin and John in another well-paced hammerfest, but alas, I was not sufficiently hydrated during that first hour, and as a result, I couldn't keep up the pace and was dropped like a lead balloon. (The lack of hydration was self imposed - see above). When that happened, I slowed my pace and proceeded to have one of the greatest days in the saddle I have ever had. I met a bunch of good people along the way - many of whom upon seeing my Valero jersey had to vent about gas prices, but I'm getting used to that. I got to enjoy the scenery on that incredible route. And at hour three, I got to meet some injured war vets at a rest stop that were doing the ride. These guys were incredible - the effort they had to exert with their arms to peddle up some of those rolling hills was absolutely heroic. When I saw what they were doing, it energized me so much that I turned on the jets for the rest of the ride and finished the 80 miles just before 1 pm.
These guys were so inspiring
I'll write more about this event later, but I have hit the road for a totally different cause now. There's so many good stories, and I want to tell them all. If you have any photos from the event you want to share, pick your top 5 and send them to cycling@valero.com. If you have a story you want to share, or a suggestion to improve the ride, send them also to this address.
Congratulations to all the riders, especially first timers in the event like Nicole, Nerissa, Tanya, and Megan, and thanks to all the volunteers. And once again, hats off to you, Mr. Sloan - you are the man!
To see all the photos from the weekend, click here.
Baton Rouge in two weeks, and I can't wait. See ya' on the road!
- El Hefe
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Spoiler alert - you have to read all the way to the end of this blog to see a really cool picture!
Well, friends - it's time for Velo Valero to write the next glorious chapter in the incredible saga of our support of the American Diabetes Association. This weekend we have three teams, one hundred riders, and countless volunteers participating in two Tour de Cure events, and together we've raised almost $60,000 (so far) to fight this terrible disease. I'm so proud of each and every one of you that is participating this Tour de Cure season - those of you riding or volunteering this weekend, those of you that did Napa two weeks ago, and those of you that will be doing Baton Rouge, Long Beach, and Oklahoma City in the weeks to come. Words can't express my gratitude and my respect for the sacrifice you continue to make for this team and this cause - together we are making a difference.
Without any further fanfare, here's the line-up for this weekend -
 On Saturday, Captain Mark Schneeweis is leading a group of riders from the Valero Paulsboro Refinery in the Greater Philadelphia Tour de Cure.
 Also on Saturday, Stephanie Corcoran and her team from the Valero Delaware City Refinery will join Mark and the Paulsboro riders on the Greater Philly TDC.
 Finally, on Saturday and Sunday, John Tenison and I will lead over 60 riders from Valero HQ and beyond in the San Antonio Tour de Cure, both on the road and on the water.
I get chills down my spine just thinking about what a great weekend we are going to have! If you are riding, please ride safe, obey the rules of the road, and be courteous to the other riders, particularly those new to our sport. Remember that lady in Napa who told me she was so impressed by how polite our team was that she would only but gas from Valero stations from now on? Let's not do anything this weekend to undermine her faith in our team and our company!
Status of Fundraising
Nationally our numbers are creeping up. As of now, we are almost at $60,000, with more money being added daily as people attend packet pick-ups and turn in funds, or record off-line contributions on the ADA web site. Just a gentle reminder - we don't ask for much from you to be on this team, but we do expect you to raise at least the minimum required by the charitable events we participate in like the Tour de Cure and the MS rides. This is the real reason we ride.
To see our current National Team totals, click here.
Cruiser Bike Raffle
 Here's one last not so gentle reminder on this - To help boost our team fundraising for the TDC, we are once again raffling off tickets for a chance to win a swank new cruiser bike to compliment that sleek road bike you have. This year we're doing it with a twist - we're actually auctioning off two bikes, one male and one female. You can purchase your raffle tickets conveniently on-line at our team store using a credit card or PayPal. Tickets are only $5 apiece - what are you waiting for? Click here to buy those tickets and get a chance to win that cruiser bike of your dreams. The winner will be announced May 17th at the Saturday night celebration during the San Antonio Tour de Cure - but you need not be present to win. Don't be bashful - send this link to friends and family - everyone is eligible to participate in the raffle, and all monies raised goes towards our goal of raising $100,000 as a National Team for the American Diabetes Association. We'll be selling tickets all the way until the 17th (or until we sell them all).
End of Season Ride and Picnic at Blanco State Park on Saturday, May 24th
Andrea Shull is organizing an end of season ride and picnic at Blanco State Park for all the riders and volunteers (and their families) participating in the San Antonio Tour de Cure. The ride will start at 07:30 am to beat the heat, and will include (for those that want 'em) those incredible hills on Crabapple Road. We have the pavillion rented from 10 am until 9 pm. To cover the rental costs, each family will be asked to contribute $10 - anything above and beyond the cost to rent the pavillion will go towards our TDC fundraising. We'll also ask folks to bring a covered dish. I'll have the sign-up set up for this soon - for now, send an e-mail to Andrea.Shull@valero.com if you are interested in attending. Hope to see you there!
San Antonio Woman Magazine Article on Women Who Cycle the Tour de Cure
OK, the cat's out of the bag - the Women of Velo Valero featured in the latest San Antonio Woman magazine are Lupe, Patricia, and Zora. (If you know who's leg is in the photo with the TDC tattoo on it, let me know!) There's also some great quotes from our friends Tammy "Jelly Bean" Friddle and Paige Wright from Team Faaster, plus a great photo of Della from the Cool Cats. Click here to see the current issue. Way to go, ladies!
NOTE: NuStar Captain and Tour de Cure Event Chair Ken Mayfield pointed out to me that the leg with the TDC tat belongs to none other than Monika Harper, Captain of the Krotz Springs team. She will be in town this weekend to ride the San Antonio Tour with us, and we're be joining her in two weeks during the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure!
Ok, Here's the Photo You've Been Waiting For
Click here to see Pebbles and Carmen giving T-Ralph the bidness at last weekend's MS Camp Can Do. Everyone I've talked to who participated in this event tell me what an incredible experience it was - this is definitely something you need to consider for 2009!
See ya' on the road (and the water!)!
- El "Take me to the River" Hefe
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If you are riding in the San Antonio Tour de Cure on May 17-18, please read the following:
The San Antonio Tour de Cure is only days away, and I don't know about you, but I'm getting really pumped! Event Chair Ken Mayfield and our good friends at ADA are working ferverishly on the last minute logistics of what promises to be another glorious weekend of cycling in Texas. The weather (at the moment) promises to be very biker friendly - mid 80s, partly cloudy, marginal winds. I can already feel those rolling hills between San Antonio and Austin and smell that cool, clear water on the San Marcos River! Here's some last minute info you need to know to have your greatest Tour de Cure experience ever -
Be Loud and Proud!
As President and National Captain of this fine institution, I can't contain this any longer because I'm so damn proud of what the San Antonio team has accomplished. Valero is once again the largest team with 63 riders and, more importantly, we are the top fundraiser at this point with over $33,000 and lots of off-line dollars still being accounted for. (Click here for latest totals.) For this reason, I want each and every one of you to be loud and proud this weekend. We are going to have a great time with great friends for a truly great cause - it doesn't get any better than this!
Saturday Start
- Please wear a current team jersey each day you ride in this event. Please bring your whistle and paste a few tattoos on to show your pride (they are in your goodie bag)!
- Some folks are meeting at the Jim's at 1604 and Blanco for breakfast at 5:45 am
- The ride starts at the Pearson building (19500 Bulverde Road).
- From 6:00 - 7:30 there will be a light continental breakfast and Starbucks coffee
- Registration begins at 6:30 am, if you haven't been by a packet pickup yet
- All riders must turn in a signed waiver and emergency contact sheet (it's in your packet)
- There are 3 start times based on distance -
- 80 miles - 07:40 am
- 52 miles - 07:50 am
- 14 mile family fun ride - 08:00 am
Luggage
- Each rider is limited to two pieces of luggage. Mark them with the tags in your packet - they are linked to your rider number.
- Bags will be delivered to the Blanco Hall dorm at the Day 1 finish line. Look for the luggage truck as soon as you get to the starting line and get these dropped off.
- Click here for the official Velo Valero packing list for this event to insure you bring everything you need to have a great ride and a great weekend.
Team Photo
 Team photo from 2007
- The official Velo Valero team photo will be taken at 07:15 am by the stage.
- Try to have your bags dropped off before then, along with registering and/or turning in your waiver. That way afterwards you can head straight to the starting line.
- We want everyone to wear a current team jersey for this photo.
Route Maps
- Click here for Day 1 Maps and Click here for Day 2 Maps.
- It's always a good idea to print these ahead of time and study them, and to decide on a distance, pace, and at least one riding partner before the ride.
Day 1 Finish Line
Dorms
- Keys to your dorm room will be issued at the finish line. There's a fine if you lose these.
- The beds in the dorm are just bare mattresses - you'll need to bring your own sheets, pillows, blankets, and/or sleeping bags.
- You must bring your own towels and toiletries!
Toobin'
 Toobers in 2007
- Many Velo Valero team members go toobin' on the San Marcos river Saturday afternoon.
- We'll gather at the finish line and walk to the Lion's Club rental facility in the park. NOTE: Plan on walking, although we may be able to arrange transport.
- To accommodate the 80 milers, we'll gather at the finish line at 1:30 pm and then head to the Lion's Club on the river to pick up our toobs.
- The cost is $6/person.
- If you want to toob and can't locate the team, call my cell at 210-862-3644.
- If you plan on toobin', click here to let me know the distance you are riding Saturday and your cell phone number. Let me know by end of day Thursday so I can try and reserve the toobs from the Lion's Club.
- If you want to go toobin, be realistic about the pace you will ride. If you plan on a slow to medium pace, please consider doing one of the shorter distances to insure you are on the water at 2:00 pm with the rest of us. You can always do the longer distance on Sunday.
More Saturday Hijinx
- Please wear the black team t-shirt from your goodie bag Saturday night, and the hat from last year's Bike to the beach - we want to look like a team during this event!
- The ADA has an official Saturday Celebration and dinner from 05:00 pm to 07:00 pm. Dinner will be provided, along with live entertainment and awards. This will be held in a outdoor area by the Blanco Hall dorms.
- Afterwards, there are lots of other entertainment options - karaoke, downtown San Marcos, etc. Two important things to consider -
- Absolutely no alcohol can be consumed on the Texas State University grounds, including in your dorm rooms at Blanco Hall. I'm 50% Irish and 50% German - if I can make this sacrifice, you can, too. This does not apply while we are toobin' and when we are off the campus grounds.
- Make sure you get some solid sleep Saturday night, because there's a big day of cycling on Sunday, and the 80 milers start at 07:30 am sharp!
Sunday Start
- Breakfast is served beginning at 06:00 am
- There are 3 start times based on distance -
- 77 miles - 07:30 am
- 55 miles - 07:40 am
- 25 miles - 07:50 am
Sunday Finish Line
- Finish line is at Akins High School in south Austin
- Lunch will be served beginning at 10:30 am
- Massages and live entertainment will be available
- Shuttle service to San Marcos and San Antonio begins at 11:00 am
- Event concludes at 03:00 pm
Miscellaneous and Sundry
- If you are a Valero employee, I will forward your name to the Volunteer Council after the event to insure you get volutneer credit for riding!
- If you are registering the day of the ride, make sure you have your fundraising with you - no one can pick up a packet without raising at least the minimum ($150)
- Don't forget to thank the Volunteers during the event - they are the ones who really make all this possible. Look for two of our Board Members who aren't riding this year but will be volunteering - Laura "Queen of the Hills" Vaccaro at the Day 1 Finish Line, and Patricia "the Funky" Pirate at rest stops 3, 4, and 5 along the 80 mile route on Day 1.
- Finally, if you have any off-line contributions to your fundraising, please enter them on your personal web site. If you need help with this, please contact Team Vice President and Fundraising Czar David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com). If you haven't done this yet, your funds aren't reflected in our team total.
More Information
Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you have any other questions or concerns. Otherwise, I'll see ya' on the road!
- El "Take me to the River" Hefe
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 ...Well it seems like hardly a year has gone by and I’m back at one of my favorite rides, the Napa Tour De Cure. As always it starts out from the Veterans Home, Yountville, CA. I’m early again this year as always, not wanting to park anywhere different from where I normally park, and that’s adjacent to the registration area.
This year I had a different form of transport for the bike, my Honda Element; if ever there was a vehicle manufactured for the cyclist, this is it. I had removed the rear seats, leaving me the space in which to store my bike, firmly anchored to the inside and secured by the forks on a hand made mounting frame, the front wheel in a carrier alongside it, and we’re good to go.
The highly functional Honda Element
Having spent the night in a motel in Vallejo, CA, I rose early, I had set my cell phone and the radio alarm clock, and also arranged for a wake up call via the hotel phone for 04:00; okay so I had this fear of oversleeping, but knowing that I’m going to be woken up to something gets me to sleep that much faster, I’m in a secure and snug feeling.
Having woken to an array of alarms, I get out of bed, get my coffee going in the Hotel provided coffee maker, yes I did bring my own coffee and filter; and jump into the shower. After drying off, poured a cup of coffee and prepared breakfast. This consisted of a home made type of granola, raw, Vanilla Soy Milk, egg, whey protein powder, frozen berries, banana and yogurt. This is my power breakfast.
After eating I downed another cup of coffee, and donned my cycling togs. I had an inkling of an idea at that point that it was going to be a long and uncomfortable ride. The undershirt and the jersey was fine, a corn plaster on the outside of my left foot little toe was still in position after I rolled my sock on; I always wear a corn plaster on that toe, after a painful ride a few years back. Now my bib shorts didn’t feel too good. The problem is that when they are new the chamois padding is quite thick, and I haven’t used them that much, but today the padding felt awfully thin and I just let it go thinking that it’s just a little different from my normal riding shorts.
So I check out; it’s just after 05:00, load my bags into the car and notice that it is a little breezy, hopefully it will die down by the time I reach the start area.
When I arrive at the start area there are a few cars and riders ahead of me, unloading and getting their bikes ready. I do the same; it’s chilly because there is no breeze, but there is marine layer hanging over the area. I get my bike ready, oil the chain, and pump up the tires, 130 psi, front and rear. I then fill my water bottles, and an electrolyte tablet, and place them in the cages on the frame. I’m all set, with the exception of getting checked in and getting my ride number.
As I am standing by my bike, I’m approached by another rider, I recognized his face, and he recognized me from last year, we get into a general conversation, exchange briefly how we have been doing, and some other technical chit chat about the bikes. He informs me that he would like to try the “hundred” this year, and I gave him some encouragement and told him he could do it. Anyway we broke off the conversation, as some of his team members had arrived; I on the other hand spotted a mobile coffee truck, and quickly made my way over there and ordered a double espresso.
It is now getting close to check in time and a line of riders in an assortment of colorful riding gear is beginning to form, I get my registration package and join the line. I’m now looking around the crowd to see if I can spot the one other rider from our team that was going to do the Century ride with me. All the time I’m shuffling forward to where a volunteer reaches for the envelope with all the disclaimers and other legal stuff in it and marks the envelope and I’m good to go and get my number. At a long table, behind which sit numerous volunteers, I hand my information over and they give me my number, its 251 this year, and I also receive one safety pin to which I have to secure the number to my jersey.
“Do you think I could have one more please, so that I can pin it on properly?” The lady hesitates, then smiles and says “Of course.” I’m not sure what time she got up this morning but I think she was still in the land of slumber.
I place my number on my jersey, and secure my car then ride around the area. I see some Valero jerseys, and meet Peter and Laura and a group of other riders from our San Antonio office, all taking advantage of the breakfast bar the organizers had set up. After some brief introductions and “good to see you” I hear the call for the Century Riders to the Start Line.
At the Start line one of the organizers gives us instruction on the rules and regulations for the ride. The appear to be a bit more strict this year, and I think that all stems from some of the antics of the riders from last years event that had some of the locals up in arms. I also receive some special instruction.
“Your number is supposed to be on the back of your jersey, Sir”
“Oh, I’m sorry” I say, and look around a little sheepishly. A rider next to me offers to pin it on the back of my jersey, after I had removed it. I’m thinking to myself why have the number on the back, how will they know who the rider is when you get your photo taken. I found that answer out within the first mile and a half of the ride.
After the briefing we start the ride, a few volunteers also at the line clap and whoop as we leave. We make our way out of the Veterans Home and down to Yountville Town Center. At the first Stop sign there are two volunteers, with STOP signs.
“You must come to a complete stop” they shout. We comply and come to a stop, unclip from our pedals, put our foot to the ground, then push off again and start pedaling to the next Stop sign. Its all clear now, the reason the number is on the back is because they can take the number down easier than if you had it on the front. Hmm, tough bunch this year!
Well I think this went on for the next mile or so, each stop sign with a complement of bodies, only too eager to wave that sign at you. There must have been at least 6 of the intersections we stopped at.
This is not warming me up, the stop and starts, nullifies any body heat that you’re trying to generate. The marine layer is chillier than you think, fingers are cold, toes the same and I’m just wishing I can get out of this town and onto the open road, I know Highway 29 is just around the corner, and basically an open road.
I’m riding with two others, both from the Sacramento area, the guy; Wes was keeping me company, while his girlfriend was ahead of us. There are no more intersections now until we reach Highway 29; and we decide to step up the pace. I lead out and keep to a steady 20 mph, and increase it just a bit more prior to arriving at the intersection. Looking back, I see that the pair of them have dropped off a bit, so when I get to the intersection I stop and see that there is no effort on their part to try and catch up, so I start out on the highway. It’s still quite early, and there is little traffic. I’m in the low twenties, the only headwind is what I’m creating, the marine layer is still down low over the hills and as I’m wearing dark glasses, it makes it even gloomier. So rolling along on my own and glancing at the little vineyards, with their rows of grapevines in some of the straightest rows I ever seen, that stretches from the side of the road back to the tasting rooms. It is really impressive how they keep them like that.
So I’m heading north and the next little town is Oakville, on the way there is another stop, at the railroad crossing. Here we have to stop and dismount and walk our bikes across, then get on again and away we go. There is a small bunch of riders, which I tag along with, they are moving at a fair pace and I accept the draft from the last of their group. We had only gone a couple of miles when the first rest stop appears. At this stage I’m in no mood for resting, I’m getting everything loosened up, and feeling really good. The small group of riders I was with decide to pull into the stop and I just carry on.
I’m at a brisk pace, and minding my own business, just focused on what I have to do: when the group I was riding with earlier that had pulled off into the rest stop is now on my rear wheel, taking advantage of my draft. I pull them along for a few more miles and the rider behind me decides to go. He leads his group of three riders past me and picks up the pace even more. We are at around 25 mph, the rear most rider starts to drop off so I get in front of him and keep with the other two. I look in my mirror, the one attached to my helmet, looks real geeky, and I see that he has had enough and dropped right back.
At this point I decide that I’m going to ease up a bit, we’re in Calistoga, on Highway 128 now and only 20 miles into the ride, I need to conserve some energy, as I have a small climb ahead of me and still 80 miles to go.
I’m am now riding a little slower, I have a slight incline towards the climb and gradually ease it back to just around the 20 mph mark. It is still cool but I’m at a decent temperature, I’m not sweating, and I’m really comfortable, with the exception of what I feared the most. The lack of padding in the shorts, I knew there wasn’t enough of it there, and should have been riding in the shorts I normally ride in. Oh well, to late now, nothing more I can do but just grin and bear it.
Just before I take the climb I reach for my water bottle and take a few swigs of the electrolyte enhanced water: I’m chewing gum also which I find keeps my mouth from drying up and helps me out a lot. I see 4 other riders ahead of me, 2 of them are from New York, and wear their local club colors, there’s another rider from the Charles Schwab team and one other with no affiliation to any club, and he’s just out there for the ride. We start the climb, and manage to get up and over with just little effort, dropping through the gears to keep the legs spinning and the whole line moving. I think I struggled a little last year if I remember correctly, but my bike was not in the best shape. This year I had taken the precaution of having it serviced a few weeks earlier. It paid off.
Having crested the hill we then get the pay off, yes, the down hill part, the speed increases into the high 20, to low 30’s, leaning into the bends, coming up and back into the next turn. This section of road is under a canopy of trees, this is only a 2 lane highway, but very scenic all the same. All you can hear is the rush of the wind, the singing of the cassettes on the rear wheels as we free wheel at speed down the rest of the hill.
As we come out from under the tree covered section, the marine layer begins to dissipate and the blue sky makes an appearance, this is what the ride is all about. We have a 10 mile gradual descent and a speed in the mid to high 20’s. There is only one rider with me and that’s the Charles Schwab guy. The vineyards begin to reappear on either side of the road, and along with the weather conditions; it’s just a gorgeous ride.
On the left hand side of the road is another rest stop, it’s situated in the Fieldstone Winery, again I decide to ride on, I’m only 34 miles into the ride, but I know that this will be the first stop I’ll take on the return section of the ride. I look into my geeky mirror and see the rider I was with take a left into the rest stop, I press on I’m at a comfortable pace and my computer is telling me I have an average speed of 19.4 mph. I shall be really pleased if I can keep it at that for the rest of the ride. I’m pushing onto Healdsburg, and it’s quite lonely now, there are very few riders on this section. I obey the traffic signs and stop and push off again as fast as I can, I am now approaching the bridge that spans the Russian River, a gentle ascent and a quick glance over the side to see the river, but it’s not as big as it can be, maybe the lack of rain in the area has caused it to dry up some.
After crossing the bridge I see a shadow following my shadow and I know I have a rider on my rear wheel. I look in my mirror and see this guy keeping pace, after a while he decides to pass me and I take advantage of his draft as he takes the pull. We have to come to a stop at the junction of Alexander Valley Road and Healdsburg Avenue. This is about as dangerous as it can get on this section of the ride. We start again and strike up a conversation, as best you can riding in a single file. As we ride through the town of Healdsburg we make a right on Dry Creek Road and begin the loop back again. We alternate it so we each take a turn at the front, only he is taking a longer turn than me. Which is fair, this guy or Jim as I later found out his name was much younger and considerably stronger; so I took advantage of his lead and tucked in on his rear wheel.
We are now on Lytton Station Road, which has a few rollers, and we keep a good pace, I notice the speed began to drop a bit so I took a turn up front and brought the pace back up, and gave Jim a rest in my draft. To the uninitiated this drafting thing is very helpful when you’re riding with a group; it helps take the wind off of you and gives your legs a well earned rest.
Speaking of the wind, we begin to notice that there is a headwind picking up and the more of a southerly direction we take the stronger it appears to be getting. After going under the 101 Freeway we make a sharp left followed by an equally sharp right, and begin to head back to Highway 128. When we arrive back at Alexander Valley Road, we make a left and head to the rest stop. On our way there we see a lot more riders still on their way out, but not too many riding in our direction. We are just over the half way mark or 50 miles into the ride, and ahead is the rest stop, I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to get out of the saddle for a few minutes and take some food and liquids.
We come up to the rest stop, we’re at the 54 mile mark. Both of my water bottles are empty. I fill them up, and take a couple more bottles to drink. I eat a couple of pieces of bagel with peanut butter and jelly on top of it, and really enjoy. Jim and I have a chat about the ride and other cycling issues. He informs me that he has only been riding for a couple of years, after taking a few years off and found that his health had begun to suffer, so he got back into it again. This ride appeared to be a family thing for him as his Mother and Father were both doing volunteer work back at the start/finish line.
It’s time to get back on the road again. As we leave the rest area and get back onto the Highway; the head wind is making it hard work, added to which, that nice descent after the climb on the outbound section of the road, has now turned into a 10 mile gradual ascent, and our speed begins to drop off somewhat.
Jim and I eventually complete the gradient and begin the climb back up the hill, at this point I’m beginning to feel my legs burning a bit, and Jim gradually begins to widen the gap between us. We overtake a couple of riders, one of which was on a comfort bike; good luck on that, the other was a younger rider, but I think he was having a few problems too.
So we get to the top of the hill, Jim arrived a minute or so ahead of me and waited while I came up and over. I wave him on and then begin the bonus ride down the hill, leaning into the bends and then gradually coming upright again, the trees and the bushes aren’t exactly a blur, but I know we are moving at a rate of speed. We are heading back into Calistoga, the road has evened out a bit now, and the descent has leveled off. As we get to the Stop sign in Calistoga I unclip my left foot and sort of stamp it to the ground. Then I feel it, my left leg just goes solid with cramp. My leg muscles are just solid. I pull away from the light pedaling with my right leg only and Jim and I regroup on the other side of the intersection. He has some electrolyte tablets, which he gives me; I wash them down with some of the water in one of my bottles, also containing electrolyte. We pull away, I have both feet firmly in the pedals and start drinking as much fluid as I can, that I have in my bottles, and spin my legs to work out the cramp. Ahead is another rest stop.
We make a left turn off Highway 29 onto Dunweal Lane; the rest stop is in the Sterling Vineyard. Here I know there is something that will take the thought and the pain of the cramp away, but we’re not allowed to sample that on the ride, we have to stick to the sports drinks. I eat a couple of nutrition bars, a piece of banana and wash it down with a couple of large bottles of sports drinks. I stretch my legs and we decide to set off to the next and final rest stop before the finish.
At the top of Dunweal Lane we turn right onto the Silverado Trail. This road in comparison to the last section of the ride is the difference between night and day, it’s like riding on a pool table, and something that I feel more comfortable with given the padding situation in my shorts. The ride at this stage has numerous riders on it, for this is the section the 50 milers take, so needless to say we still keep a fairly brisk pace, and overtake quite a few riders. Some of the riders are families and some are just club members from different companies, all wanting to do their bit, it really is good to see.
After 16 miles we reach the last support stop this is located at the Fish and Game Office, and yes its right beside a vineyard. This rest stop didn’t appear to be to well supported, there wasn’t too much left, still plenty of liquid which we downed effortlessly, so without much further ado, we made off and headed back to the finish line.
As we left the rest stop we immediately get reminded of the head wind, this keeps our pace down to the 18mph mark, but still brisk enough to pass a lot of other riders. For all of our pacing I’m surprised we didn’t pick up a few more riders that could have kept a healthy peloton rolling along.
Turning right on Oak Knoll Avenue you can know sense the finish line we’re about 8 miles out and 2 miles from the photo shoot. As we approach the photo location we come upon a rider that has to be the biggest man I have ever seen on a bike, he is huge, I don’t mean overweight, but he is not exactly skinny. He is on an upright, comfort bike the frame size I wouldn’t even want to guess, and he is way up there. Jim and I pass him; we must have looked like toddlers on training trikes in comparison. We go through the photo shoot and come to a stop at the junction at Highway 29. We stop for the longest time, obviously the sensors in the road weren’t picking up the bikes to trip the signal. We are now surrounded by other riders all wondering when the lights were going to change. I chirp in with “Okay, who’s got the remote, press the button let’s get rolling.”
There is another rider there from the San Francisco Fire Department, I ask him if he can rustle up a Fire Tuck and get these lights to change. He replied that he would do anything to get them to change at the moment; he was already there when we got there. Traffic appeared to be building up on the other side of road where we were heading for and eventually the lights changed, a huge cheer went up and off we rode.
There were 3 of us, the Firefighter rider, Jim and me. We now have the wind on our backs, and gradually up the pace. We are moving along at a respectable 26 to 28 mph, we have 6 miles to go. The firefighter eventually drops off, Jim and I take it turns to set a rotating mini pace line, all the way back to the final stop sign back at the Veterans Home.
We stop allow the cross traffic to go then continue on I to the finish line. Signs on the side of the road are telling us “Well done” and “Way to go” and “½ a mile to go.” The speed limit on this road is 20 mph so we obey the law, then Jim turns to me and say’s “Care to sprint to the finish.” Yeah right, even thinking about it at this stage, wasn’t on my books.
We cross the finish line, lots of volunteers cheer us through, clapping and whooping, it really is a nice touch for the end of an exhausting ride.
When Jim and I pull up, he introduces me to his Mother, I tell her she ought to be proud of her son, and he really is a great person. She said she thought she had brought him up right, I told her and then some. That was the last I saw of Jim, I went back to my vehicle and on the way there met Dan our Team Captain and Peter the Corporate Captain from San Antonio. After a few photos’ I packed my bike away, went and got some lunch and then thought about the journey home.
David, Bill, Dan, Alan, and Peter
This has been another one of those pleasurable rides, and I want to thank you for all your kind donations to a worthy cause, there is so much more to be done to find a cure for this dreadful disease. For those of you who missed the opportunity to make a small donation for this ride, I shall be doing another that will be the Long Beach Tour De Cure, a Metric Century this time, so become part of my team and let’s help make a difference.
Ride Facts: (According to my Garmin Computer)
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Miles |
99.75 |
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Total Time |
5 hrs 29 mins |
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Average Speed |
18.2 mph |
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Total Calories |
6,930 |
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Total Ascent |
3,889 feet |
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Total Descent |
3,865 feet | - Alan 
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Good morning and happy Monday! This blog will be short and sweet - I'll do my typical rambling and verbose odyssey later in the week. It's late on Sunday night and I've had a wonderful weekend. I celebrated Mother's Day with various moms, wives and sisters on Saturday and Sunday, snuck in a short ride on Saturday morning, delivered Meals on Wheels with Mom Sunday morning, and I just watched the Spurs demolish the Hornets to even the series at 2 games to 2 - what more could you ask for??
Joint TDC Training Ride
 I joined over 100 riders (wow!) for the joint Tour de Cure training ride and packet pickup this weekend on Saturday morning. This ride was hosted by NuStar Energy and their team captain Ken Mayfield (who is, coincidentally, the event Chair for the San Antonio Tour de Cure). I had to do the shorter route, unfortunately, because I needed to be in Fredericksburg at noon for a family function, but I really enjoyed the 30 miles I got in. It was great to see David Sloan back on the road, in addition to Cindy and Stan Lear. This ride got me soooooo pumped up for the San Antonio Tour de Cure next weekend!!! (More on this later...)
Here's Ken's account of the ride -
We had a tremendous ride Saturday. Over 100+ riders, both TDC and non-TDC, were out in force to ride. I am not sure what the packet pick-up count was but a few hundred at least. The hills were long and the temperature was hot, particularly if you were riding at a slower pace. I SAGed a total of 5 riders back to the start. One rider got lost. She turned left at Babcock and 1604 instead of right. She called me from Babcock and De Zavala. She got back to the start with some gentle coaching. It was great to see so many of my friends from Velo Valero before the start and on the road. You helped so many of our new riders. You coached them in route, helped them gear and air up before the start, and cheered them on when they got tired. You are leading the way, again, in the Tour de Cure.
- Ken
Velo Valero Vice President David Sloan back on the road, along with long time team members Cindy and Stan Lear
The Rightous Reverend Ken Mayfield energizes his flock at the start of the training ride
Status of Fundraising
 Here's an update from fundraising meistro, David Sloan -
I want to thank all of the team and many others for all of the encouragement that I have received during these past several weeks when I could not ride. It really felt great to be back on Saturday, and I really appreciate everyone's concern and encouraging words before, during and after the ride. I will definitely be out there this weekend for Tour De Cure. Now that the apprehension is behind me, I am really looking forward to the weekend! Special thanks to Stan and Cindy Lear, and a group of the Cool Cats, including Della, for a very enjoyable group ride on Saturday. Thanks also to Ken Mayfield and the Nustar Novas for hosting on Saturday.
- David
This weekend we crashed through the $50,000 barrier for our 2008 National Team fundraising - way to go! This number should creep up as folks turn in funds during the packet pick-ups for our various Tour events. To see our current National Team totals, click here. To see our San Antonio individual fundraising totals, click here. If you haven't raised the minimum yet, what are you waiting for? If you've raised the minium already, congratulations - but why stop there??
Cruiser Bike Raffle
To help boost our team fundraising for the TDC, we are once again raffling off tickets for a chance to win a swank new cruiser bike to compliment that sleek road bike you have. This year we're doing it with a twist - we're actually auctioning off two bikes, one male and one female. You can purchase your raffle tickets conveniently on-line at our team store using a credit card or PayPal. Tickets are only $5 apiece - what are you waiting for? Click here to buy those tickets and get a chance to win that cruiser bike of your dreams. The winner will be announced May 17th at the Saturday night celebration during the San Antonio Tour de Cure - but you need not be present to win. Don't be bashful - send this link to friends and family - everyone is eligible to participate in the raffle, and all monies raised goes towards our goal of raising $100,000 as a National Team for the American Diabetes Association. We'll be selling tickets all the way until the 17th (or until we sell them all). We'll also be selling tickets at the packet pickup today, so you'll get a chance there to buy a few then.
End of Season Ride and Picnic at Blanco State Park on Saturday, May 24th
Andrea Shull is organizing an end of season ride and picnic at Blanco State Park for all the riders and volunteers (and their families) participating in the San Antonio Tour de Cure. The ride will start at 07:30 am to beat the heat. We have the pavillion rented from 10 am until 09 pm. To cover the rental costs, each family will be asked to contribute $10 - anything above and beyond the cost to rent the pavillion will go towards our TDC fundraising. I'll have the sign-up set up for this later this week - just wanted to get it on your radar for now!
San Antonio Woman Magazine Article on Women Who Cycle the Tour de Cure
One last San Antonio Tour de Cure related item - Erica from ADA informed me that the latest issue of San Antonio Woman magazine has an article about the Tour de Cure, and includes a number of photos of women from our team. Since the women of Velo Valero are some of the strongest riders and best fundraisers on the road, I'm not surprised we were selected to be included in this article. Click here to see the current issue. Way to go, ladies!
Alan Dedman's Account of the 2008 Napa Tour de Cure
As promised last week, Wilmington Refinery hammerhead Alan Dedman has once again prepared a detailed narrative of his century ride during the 2008 Napa Tour de Cure - click here to read it and enjoy the ride! Click here for more pictures from Napa.
MS Camp Can Do This Weekend
Board Andrea Shull organized volunteers for the annual MS Camp Can Do this weekend again. This is such an incredible sacrifice she and all her volunteers make, because the camp is always held during Mother's Day weekend. She was joined by Board Members Laura Vaccaro and Carl Crawford - here's Carl's account of the weekend. I'll have some photos later in the week for you.
This weekend I volunteered at the MS Camp Can Do with several Valero employees including Andrea and Laura. This was my first experience volunteering with the MS society outside of the fund raising that I do for the Bike MS Valero Bike to the Beach. I had a great time with the campers and learned a lot about MS and how it affects individuals living with MS. I could only work on Saturday and did not have a camper assigned to me so they had me assigned to the Ropes Course. I really enjoyed working in this area and seeing the campers smiling and laughing was great. Some of the campers climbed up the rock wall to the top of the platform using only their upper body before they took a zip line down to the bottom where I helped get them back on solid ground. Other campers took a lift to the top of the platform and then zipped back down. There was one lady that enjoyed it so much that she did it twice!!! In the evening, there was a big party and many of the campers and volunteers dressed up for the safari theme. The MS Society brought in a group from Houston that provided the live entertainment and everyone had a great time listening to the music, clapping and dancing. Volunteering at this event has reminds me how blessed I am in life and I am looking forward to being there again next year.
 Carl
Funny Fotos
People are always sending me photos, most of them of the amusing variety. In case you didn't know, I post these to a Pete's Funny Photos gallery. Here's one Andrea Shull sent me recently.
Radical, dude!
Wow at the Pow Wow
...On Saturday night I attended the 2008 Hill Country Intertribal Pow Wow in Fredericksburg in the beautiful Texas Hill County. I did this because I actually had nieces and nephews competing in the event. This was the first Pow Wow I've ever attended, and I have to admit it was pretty cool. I'm posting the photo below because it allows you to see the groovy Under Armor-style shirt all Velo Valero riders are going to be wearing in Tour de Cure events this spring, courtesy of our friends at HP.
I encountered these fierce and humorless warriors at the Pow Wow. They were going to scalp me until they realized I already had no hair.
...see ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Friday. And what a good Friday it is - the San Antonio and Philadelphia Tour de Cures are only a week away, the Spurs finally won a game against those pesky Hornets, and (more on this later) I found my missing camera bag. Today's blog will be all about good things, so clip in and enjoy the ride!
San Antonio Weekend Ride
The joint TDC packet pick-up and ride this weekend is being hosted by Ken Mayfield and our friends at NuStar. The packet pick-up will run from 07:30 to 09:30 am, and the ride begins at 09:00 am. There will be two routes - a 30 miler and a 50 miler. If you missed the Valero packet pick-up on Tuesday, this is your chance to get your packet and also pick up the Velo goodie bag - I'll have a bunch in my truck before the ride. As usual, check our Event Schedule for all the details.
San Antonio Tour de Cures News
As mentioned earlier, the San Antonio Tour de Cure is next weekend. If you plan on riding, please review our checklist on the Event Information page to make sure you are ready to roll. Next week I'll publish a packing list for you so you'll know exactly what to pack to insure you have the best weekend ever. If you are riding, make sure you pick up one of the Velo goodie bags from me so you'll have the shirt we want everyone to wear at the Saturday night celebration - I really want us to look like a team at this event!
Regarding the San Antonio Tour de Cure, I received this quick note from Event Chair and Chief Warrior Against Diabetes, Ken Mayfield, on Thursday - Good afternoon Warriors against Diabetes, The first thing I want to say is GO SPURS GO! I saw Bruce Bowen in HEB at 11:30 AM this morning. I told him that I was really looking forward to watching a strong defense tonight. He said “We’ll do our best.”
We are going to have a great event this year. We have already passed the ADA’s goal of 1200 registered riders. They should have listened to me months ago when I said that I want 1500 registered this year. It looks like we are going to get there and maybe beyond. I want 1,750 next year and 2,000 in 2010.
- Ken
Calling All Volunteers for the San Antonio Tour de Cure
Attention all Valero San Antonio employees - The Inside Valero SignUp application has been updated with the volunteer jobs needed for the San Antonio Tour de Cure, plus there's a place for you to SignUp to record your volunteer hours if you are a rider. Lots of volunteers are still needed. If you have friends and family that aren't riding, try to talk them into volunteering - it's a great way to see what an organized bike ride is all about, and who knows - next year they may decide to ride with you!
Philadelphia Tour de Cure is Coming up!
The Philadelphia Tour de Cure is also occurring next weekend - we sent the jerseys out last week for the Paulsboro and Delaware City teams, and will be shipping the goodie boxes for the Team Captains tomorrow. I look forward to getting the reports on the ride from Team Captains Mark and Stephanie. If they ever schedule the San Antonio and Philadelphia rides on different weekends, I'll definitely do Philly - I had such a great time when I there a few weeks ago and the route looks so scenic!
Delaware City riders at last year's Philadelphia Tour de Cure. For more photos from the ride, click here.
Napa Tour de Cure
As I mentioned ealier this week, the Napa Tour de Cure was a delight as always. Team Captain Dan Rubio was once again a gracious host, and the route through the wine country was gorgeous, especially those winding hills on the Silverardo Trail when the sun came out and the vineyards blazed a bright green. The sixteen of us that traveled up from San Antonio to enjoy the ride also got to do some sightseeing, including a winery tour by limo on Saturday and an afternoon trip to San Francisco after the ride. I'll be providing more Napa news in the next few blogs, including the photos and videos I took, now that I found my missing camera bag. In addition, Alan Dedman is working on a another of his amazingly detailed narratives of the Century ride; I'll post it as soon as I get it. But, for now I just have to share this one anecdote because it's just so good. While at one of the rest stops, I had a lady come up to me and give our team one of the greatest compliments I've ever heard. She said that she was so impressed by the Velo Valero team that she was only going to buy gas from Valero stations from now on. She said that we were all such polite and well behaved riders, calling out as we passed, allowing others to join our pace lines, and so on. She was also impressed that we stopped to help a rider who crashed instead of racing to the finish line. I was so proud to hear this - it's one of those things that makes my job as National Captain one of the best jobs on the planet. Think about this as you ride in events this spring, and try to keep the Napa mojo going!
Group shot at the Fish and Game rest stop. For more pictures, click here.
Happy Mother's Day!
For all you Mothers out there, enjoy your special day on Sunday. You earned it, because each of you is doing one of the hardest jobs on the planet. We'll be doing Momstock at my house like we do every year, and I look for to treating my mom, my sister, and my wife - all hardworking mothers I respect immensely - to a wonderful afternoon. Also on the mom front, I got the following awesome news from Monika Harper, Team Captain from Krotz Springs, that she is now a Grandma - she sent me this yesterday.
I have a good announcement....My grandbaby came into the world yesterday at 4:09 pm. His name is Hunter James, he weighs 7 lbs 5 oz and is 21 inches long. He's beautiful. Really. That's not just a grandma talking. I think he has a bike riders build too !!! Ha Ha... I will be leaving work in just a minute to go see him again. I think he misses me. Good news is, since Jessi's due date was May 14th I wasn't sure about the San Antonio TDC. I had signed up but was playing by ear. Since he's a week early, I'll be there.
- Monika
Congrats, Monika - and all look forward to seeing you on the road with us in Texas and then again at the end of the month when we join you, your team and the folks from St. Charles for the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure!
BBQ Benefit for Injured Cyclist
New team member Nerissa Muniz sent me this. For those of you San Antonio folks not doing the Tour de Cure next Sunday, you may want to consider this. One of my friends from AT&T has a son, Joshua Charles, who is an avid cyclist. He and another cyclist, Leroy Mendoza, were hurt in a cycling accident a couple of months ago in Castroville. Josh has organized a BBQ plate fundraiser to help with medical expenses. See the email below that I received from Josh's mom. I also called Soler's just now and Lindsay confirmed the time, price, and benefit. I know that alot of us will be doing TDC, but maybe some others can swing by Soler's in Helotes and support this fundraiser.
Josh has organized a fundraiser for himself and another cyclist. They were involved in a crash while racing in Castroville a couple of months ago. Josh did not have health insurance at the time and the other guy had head trauma and his bills are huge. The brisket and sausage plates will be offered for $7 on Sunday, May 18th at 11am behind Solers in Helotes. Hope to see you there. Bring friends and family.
Thanks,
Nerissa
More Velo Valero Around the World
Finally, I got this e-mail from Greg Thompson, one of the hammerheads from the McKee refinery, who recently posted the photo below to our Velo Valero Around the World gallery -
We did the 30th Anniversary Enchanted Circle ride the weekend following Labor Day. 100 beautiful miles with lots of hills and one mountain to climb. The thin air wasn’t too noticeable (accept on Bobcat pass), since we are half way there with an elevation of 3600-ft at Dumas. Being a flat-lander, I just haven’t developed the legs yet to push myself up a 5-mile climb at more than 3 to 4 mph. About 1000 riders participate. Starts out pretty chilly in the morning with temperatures in the high 30’s low 40’s and afternoon reaching the high 70’s to mid 80’s. The weather has been perfect both years I participated. We are planning to go again this year. You should come join us. This ride and the Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred are still my favorites.
Doug and Greg posing at almost 10,000 feet at Bobcat pass in New Mexico. For more Velo Valero Around the World photos, click here.
See ya' on the road!
- El "Mama's Boy" Hefe
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Good morning and happy Tuesday! Yesterday a group of us that did the Napa Tour de Cure were in transit between the wine country and San Antonio (with a few microbreweries along the way), so I was unable to do a blog posting. To make it up to you, you're getting a Tuesday edition focused specifically on the Tour de Cure!
Napa Tour
The Napa Tour de Cure was held this weekend in the gorgeous California wine country. Sixteen folks from San Antonio joined with Dan's team from Benicia to constitute 50 total riders representing Velo Valero in the event. I'll be posting photos and narratives from the ride later in the week after I catch up on things, but I can assure you it was a great ride and a great weekend. I'm so excited about all the Tour de Cure events Velo Valero will be participating in this spring - Napa is just the first of 6 over the next two months! - can't you jus' feel the energy in the air??? We are making a difference, each and every one of us that rides, volunteers, and donates for this incredible cause.
San Antonio Tour de Cure Checklist
If you're participating in the San Antonio Tour de Cure, click here for a checklist of everything you need to do to get ready for the ride.
Packet Pickup
Today is the day, my friends, for those of you riding in the San Antonio Tour de Cure! Mark your calendars for May 6th, from 04:30 to 07:30 pm, when Velo Valero will host a Tour de Cure packet pickup at Valero HQ. At the pick-up, you'll be able to pick-up your ride materials from ADA, drop off any fundraising monies you have raised, pick up a team jersey (if you ordered one this spring), obtain your team "goodie bag" (which is just oozing with goodness this year), and meet your fellow Velo Valerians before the big ride. Hope to see you there!
Raffle
To help boost our team fundraising for the TDC, we are once again raffling off tickets for a chance to win a swank new cruiser bike to compliment that sleek road bike you have. This year we're doing it with a twist - we're actually auctioning off two bikes, one male and one female. You can purchase your raffle tickets conveniently on-line at our team store using a credit card or PayPal. Tickets are only $5 apiece - what are you waiting for? Click here to buy those tickets and get a chance to win that cruiser bike of your dreams. The winner will be announced May 17th at the Saturday night celebration during the San Antonio Tour de Cure - but you need not be present to win. Don't be bashful - send this link to friends and family - everyone is eligible to participate in the raffle, and all monies raised goes towards our goal of raising $100,000 as a National Team for the American Diabetes Association. We'll be selling tickets all the way until the 17th (or until we sell them all). We'll also be selling tickets at the packet pickup today, so you'll get a chance there to buy a few then.
Fundraising Update
As of today, we are at $45,413, just barely over 45% of our goal of $100,000 as a National team this year. We have 187 riders registered on 8 teams in 6 events (including the recently completed Napa ride). We are making great progress, but still have a long way to go. If you haven't registered for a Tour ride this spring, what are you waiting for?? To see a list of events and team captains, click here. If you are registered and you haven't raised the minimum yet, now's a great time to start. To see our current fundraising totals, click here.
As always, if you need assistance with your fundraising, please contact our fundraising Wizard, David Sloan.
Upcoming Rides
Looking for a ride or two this week?? If you're planning on doing the San Antonio Tour de Cure int wo weeks, you need to get some time int he saddle. As always, we at Velo Valero are all about choice, and so we have plenty of options.
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John and I will lead the HillFest on for Wednesday at 5:45 pm from Mays Elementary
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Ken Mayfield will lead his Wednesday night from Bullis County Park with wheels up at 06:30 pm
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The Family Friendly ride is scheduled for Thursday at 06:15 pm from Bullis Country Park
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Ken Mayfield and our friends from NuStar will lead the joint TDC training ride and packet pick-up on Saturday (more details to come!)
As always, check our Event Schedule for all the ride details.
Weekend Rides
Here's an update from John Tenison on the Saturday ride -
...Looking forward to hearing about the Napa trip. We had a light but enthusiastic turnout for Saturday's ride from Bicycle Heaven. Velo Valero was represented by Donna Escobar, Andrea Shull on her Superbike, and yours truly. Dave Shorr and Ken Mayfield were there for NuStar, as well as a few other folks. The shop was open and Matt gave our bikes official Tour de Cure inspections while we waited. We started out up Blanco Road into a headwind that intensified as the ride progressed - it was howling by the time we got to Specht's Store. I opted for the 40 miler, and turned south on Stahl from Rt. 46 - with the wind behind me I was clocking 35-40 mi/hr on the downhills! I got lost trying to follow the route through Stone Oak and added on a few more miles (and hills). Oh well - I never could read maps and ride at the same time. After crossing 281 at Bulverde Rd., Andrea decided she hadn't had enough headwind and headed back up to Specht's, returning on Blanco (oh, the things a Superbike will convince you to do!) Everyone made it in safely, though I think Andrea has had enough headwinds for a while.
- John
...see ya' on the road!
- Peter
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