I'm still here in San Diego, but wanted to get out a quick blog with the weekend updates for Velo Valero -
Oklahoma City Tour de Cure
As mentioned ealier this week, the final Tour de Cure event this season is the Oklahoma City TDC, which is being held tomorrow, June 28th. Steve Evans is the Captain from our Ardmore Refinery, and Team Vice President David Sloan (on his brand new bike) has already departed with his merry band of San Antonio riders to join Steve and his team. Good luck, and I can't wait to see the pictures and hear the stories!
Weekend Rides
We have a trifecta of rides for you this weeknd -
John "the Punisher" Tenison has a medium distance ride schedule from the Starbucks parking lot at Leon Springs with wheels up at 07:30 am.
For those that want to start a little earlier on Saturday, Andrea "Too Tall" Shull will lead a group from Leon Springs with a 7:00 am start.
Finally, Pat O'Brien has a ride scheduled on the Northeast side of town on Sunday morning. He will leave from Comal Elementary with wheels up at 08:30 am.
As always, please check our Event Schedule for all the details. If you plan on riding, as a courtesy please send an e-mail to the ride coordinator letting him or her know you will be participating. Also, I know I sound like a broken record on this, but PLEASE BRING PLENTY OF WATER - hydrate before, after, and during the ride.
Bike Rack Installed in the North Garage of Valero HQ
Received a note from Randy Mellinger on Thursday that the bike racks for the Valero HQ garage have been installed and are ready for use. They are located in the parking space next to the Security Golf Cart parking area. For those of you who commute to work, this should be a lot more convenient, because this is closer to the locker rooms. The bikes are also in the shade, which is great during the Texas summer. Hats off to Randy for turning around this request so quickly!
Close Encounters of the Gorilla Kind
Finally, I will conclude with a photo from the front lines of my never ending quest to recruit riders to participate with us on the Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach. I encountered this prospect at the world renowned San Diego Zoo. I thought the guy was a natural for our team and this event, because he aleady lives near a beach, and frankly, he could lose a few pounds. Unfortunately, I was unable to persuade him to join us - there was this huge language barrier I couldn't overcome, plus - well, to be quite honest, he lives in a cage, and would have trouble escaping... But hey - I tried!
El Hefe and El Gorilla - the sloped forward and vacant stare these two creatures share is uncanny...
See ya' on the road!
- Peter