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September 2008 - Posts
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Well, the big ride is only 4 days away. The weather report at this point is absolutely amazing - mid 60s to mid 80s, with marginal winds. Friends, it doesn't get any better than this!
This e-mail should help answer any and all of the questions you may have. If you have more, please send them to cycling@valero.com and we'll answer them as quickly as possible.
Lunch at Valero HQ on Friday
On Friday, I have the private dining room next to the Valero HQ cafeteria reserved for team members. You can pick up lunch at the cafeteria, then join your friends and team mates in the private dining room for a little gemutlichkeit before the big weekend. I'll play the videos from previous Bike to the Beach rides to get everyone in the mood for a great 165 miles in the saddle! Please wear your team jersey on that day, because I'll try and get a group photograph taken. NOTE: If you work at Valero HQ, and you are a team member and wear your team jersey to work, you can wear it with jeans (woo hoo!)
Participant Guide
Check out our official Participant Guide for all the dirty details of the event. I just updated this yesterday, so it is the latest and greatest information.
Goodie Bags
If you haven't picked up your goodie bag yet, you have two chances left.
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Wednesday, October 1st, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm in the foyer outside the cafeteria at Valero HQ.
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Friday Night, October 3rd, from 05:00 pm to 08:00 pm at the MS Expo at the El Tropicana Hotel
Why do you need the goodie bag? We have lots of cool swag in there, but here's what's most important -
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White wrist band with Teal "Velo Valero" on it is required for you to get into the team tent Saturday night. If you have friends and family who need to get into the tent also, you'll need to get a wrist band for them also
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White T-shirt with "Back to the Beach with Velo Valero" on the back - wear this Saturday night in Beeville
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2008 Team Socks with the red band above the ankle
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Laminated card with cell phone numbers for Velo Valero Board Members and key Valero volunteers
What and When to Pack
Click here to access our packing list. Please try and pack early in the week, so you're not doing it in a last minute frenzy on Friday night when you should be relaxing. Make sure you take the tags from your MS Packet and put them on your luggage - that's how we'll identity and sort them for you.
  Our luggage truck will be at Valero HQ Friday afternoon. You can drop off your luggage between 3:00 and 4:00 pm at the main entrance. Board Members Andrea and Pheobe will be there to assist. Otherwise, drop them off Saturday morning at the AT&T Center. Look for the Yellow Penske Truck with the flashing yellow light and the Valero sign on it!
Safety Video from the Lunch and Learn
 As promised, I've posted the most important video from the Lunch and Learn last Wednesday to the web site. Click here to access a short but very useful discussion of safe cycling during a big organized event like the Bike to the Beach that was presented by Board Member and Team Safety Officer Chuck "the Rock" Divelbiss. If you are riding in the Bike to the Beach for the First Time this year, I highly recommend you watch this video in its entirety. For even more great information on cycling safety, check out this great set of resources from the MS Official Site.
How to Turn In Fundraising That Consists of Checks or Cash
Lots of people have asked me how to turn in fundraising that was made on your behalf in the form of a check. To handle this, download the the Pledge Form, print it off, fill it in, and send it to the address of the Houston MS office that is on the form.
Get Those Bikes Inspected!
One key to a successful ride this weekend is no mechanical problems. We'll have bike mechanics for you at the ride start and in Beeville for any last minute tweaks, but you need to get your bike inspected before Saturday. Click here for a list of shops that will inspect your bike for free. Finding a problem with your bike before the ride is a hell of a lot better than finding a problem when you are on the road somewhere in South Texas and a looooong way from a rest stop.
...I'll have more information for you later in the week, plus my annual pre-ride pep talk/blog.
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Monday! The Bike to the Beach is next weekend, so this was your last weekend to train if you are participating in this event. Your base conditioning is established, so this week you just need to get plenty of sleep, eat three solid meals a day (this is no time to diet), and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate (i.e., drink as much water as you can stand). I'll have a more detailed blog later in this week with all the last minute details you need to prepare for the ride, so for now, I'll keep it short and sweet with a just few pictures and embarrassing anecdotes about the weekend rides...
NOTE: There is one more packet pick-up scheduled for San Antonio. It will be Monday night from 5:30 to 8 pm at the new Arby's at 11043 Culebra on the West Side. (Arby's is our lunch sponsor again this year). And, if you didn't pick up your jersey or your Velo Valero goodie bag yet, you have two more chances - between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm on Wednesday, October 1st, at Valero HQ, and Friday night, October 3rd, between 5 and 8 pm at the Expo.
Saturday Ride
Our Saturday ride was a hard and hilly 65 miles, including the short but painful Hansel Rd. in Fair Oaks. The group that I rode with was an an all-male, Frat House version of Velo Valero and we had a fast, solid ride.
John and Luis pose with Model T enthusiasts at a C-Store in Bergheim
Rider has a wardrobe malfunction while an incredulous Jim looks on
The Frat House version of V2 pauses for a photo after the ride, just before heading off for the kegger
Sunday Ride
 I had to leave for Fredericksburg Saturday afternoon to attend the birthday party for my father-in-law (and your teammate) Stan, who was celebrating his 70th. (Stan is not only riding the BTTB again this year, he'll be delivering the prayer to start us off Saturday morning!) As a result, I missed the Sunday ride. I did get a call from a very excited Andrea Shull Sunday afternoon who relayed to me the story of a a rider (who shall remain nameless) who was going too fast on River Road and ended up in the Guadalupe River. The good news is the rider did not suffer any major injuries to his body or his bike, and actually joined folks for lunch in Gruene afterwards. I'll have more stories about the Sunday ride and (hopefully) photos in the next blog.
...Sunday morning, I got up early and did a solo 20 mile out and back on Crabapple Road outside of Fredericksburg. The sun was just rising as I hit the road, and the air had a hint of Fall in it - so cool, in fact, I had to wear a jacket. And friends, it was wonderful! I've been visiting the Texas Hill Country for over a quarter century, ever since I met the wonderful woman who became my wife so many years ago, and we began celebrating holidays with her family there. We've spent so many Easters amid a sea of dazzling bluebonnets, so many Thanksgivings and Christmases enjoying the cool, crisp weather, and the wild turkeys, the deer, the goats, the sheep, and (most recently) one headstrong llama. The Hill Country is a special, spiritual place for me, and the ride Sunday was one of the most enjoyable I've ever done, complete with lots of deer, incredible hills and endless vistas, and a few hulking, angry bulls loitering next to the road that made me feel just a little bit uncomfortable as I passed 'em as quickly as I could. ...I was so pumped after doing the ride that I decided to do something I've always wanted to do, and to be quite honest, something I don't think is completely legal. As I returned to the city, I saw Cross Mountain in the distance, and I thought to myself, "Hmmm...I'm on my mountain bike, I've been training for months, I have 24 gears - hey, I think I can climb that thang!" Well, I pedaled into the park, paused for a second to study the winding gravel road that led to the top, tossed my bike over the fence and then passed through the narrow gate to join it, and then clipped in and started grinding away. I didn't set any world records for my speed, but I did get to the top. I used the self-timer on my camera to take a few celebratory photos, then descended at a rate that was fraction of what it took me to get to the top (duh!). It was absolutely exhilarating, and a great way to end an incredible training season for the Bike to the Beach....
Cattle seen along Crabapple road - the guy on the left obviously has a bad attitude...
One of the gnarly hills that takes you to the top of Cross Mountain
El Hefe at the top
Posing with the historical marker for Cross Mountain, in a photo that will NOT make the cover of GQ magazine
...See you on the road!!!!!!!!!!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Friday!
...WOW! - New Riders Make Up Almost Half our Team This Year
 The data from the Rider Profile we're doing shows an amazing statistic - almost half (44%) of registered Velo Valero riders this year are participating in the Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach for the very first time. I think this is a testament to the work that folks like Andrea, Carl, Megan, and Tanya have done with our new rider progams and all those rides on Wednesday night from Bullis County Park and all those early Sunday mornings starting from Cibolo City Hall. I tip my hat to all the ride leaders, and to all you riders who are taking on this 165-mile challenge for the first time. To each of you, I promise that when you ascend that Harbor Bridge in Corpus, and you see the city and the sea spread all around you and feel that amazing breeze blowing across your weary body, your heart will beat like it never has and you will experience a sense of pride and accomplishment unlike almost anything you have ever felt before. This will be my ninth year doing this ride, and I'll confess, I feel it every time - it's what keeps me coming back year after year. I almost envy you folks who get to feel it for the first time!
View from atop the Harbor bridge, looking East. Many of you will be able to experience this personally in a week!
Rides This Weekend
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On Saturday, The Punisher has a 65 miler scheduled on the Northwest side of town. We'll start and end at Mays Elementary on Chase Hill, so folks going to the Valero Family Fun Day at Fiesta Texas can go to Valero HQ and shower after the ride. We'll be leaving at 07:30 am sharp (and that means you need to show up on time, El Hefe!).
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On Sunday, the newVcrew will leave from Gruene Hall at 08:30. The ride will end at Gruene Hall around noon, where folks can then have lunch at the Grist Mill and enjoy a little live music at Texas' oldest and coolest Dance Hall that afternoon.
As always, please check our Event Schedule for all the details.
Bike to the Beach Packet Pick-Ups and Goodie Bags
 There are only two more opportunities for your to pick up your MS Packets. There is one more packet pick-up tonight from 5 to 8 pm at Alamo Toyota on 410. If you can't make that, your next and final opportunity is to come by the El Tropicana Hotel during the Friday Expo between 4 and 10 pm on October 3rd. The MS Packet has your bib number and your luggage tags, among all sorts of other things you need to participate in the event, so you definitely need to get this puppy before the big day.
You also have two more chances to pick up your Velo Valero goodie bag. In the bag is the white wristband you need to get into our team tent Saturday in Beeville, so you need to get this bag. We also have the team t-shirt in there that I want everyone to wear on Saturday after you shower. You'll be able to pick up the bag next Wednesday between 11:30 am and 1 pm at Valero HQ while we are doing our final t-shirt sale. Finally, we'll have a Casual Meet and Greet room at the Friday Expo from 5 to 8 pm, and you'll be able to get your goodie bag then. (I'm told we'll be next to the pool.) We are going to shut this down promptly at 8, since my volunteers want to go home and get some sleep before the ride, so please try to get there before 8 if you can.
As we've been saying all along, we'll only distributing the goodie bag to folks who have raised the minimum ($300) in the event. We really want to be a pacesetter in this event, and lead the other riders and teams by our example. If you are close to the minimum, talk to me - if you're making real progress, we'll accommodate you. It's the folks who have made no effort with their fundraising that I'm concerned about, because it's not really fair to the rest of you who are making an effort.
Fundraising Status
...The numbers continue to blow me away! As of this morning, we are officially the largest Velo Valero team in the history of the Bike to the Beach. The previous largest team was in 2005, when we had 274 registered riders in the event. As of this morning, we are at 277 and counting. I feel a great deal of pride in this but there are two things that I'm focusing on to keep this in perspective. First of all, this is a huge team, and we are going to do everything possible to give you the best cycling weekend you have ever experienced. But, given the size of the team and the logistics involved, a few things won't go right - someone may not get fed, or some luggage may get misplaced for a few hours. If something like this happens to you, I ask in advance that you remain calm and civil when dealing with the hundreds of unpaid volunteers who are working long days and nights to support the team this year. Instead of yelling at someone, step back, take a breath, and remind yourself of the real reason we are pedaling to Corpus. If you still need to yell at someone, track me down and yell at me. As Captain of this cruise ship, it is ultimately my responsibility to insure you have a positive and safe ride - as I've said for years, the Board and the volunteers deserve all the credit for the good things, but I willingly take the blame for the things that go wrong.
The second thing is a matter of priorities. After 2005, we made a concious decision to focus more on what really matters in the event - the money we raise for MS. So, while I got the puffed up rooster thing going in regards to the team size, I'm even more pumped about the amount of money we are raising. As of this morning, we are at $189,502, and this doesn't even include any of the team fundraising we've done from things like the bake sale, the t-shirt sale, and the raffle (which we are extending until the Awards Banquet in December - more to come on this!). We are almost at our goal of $200,000 more than a week before the ride, and the money keeps pouring in. If everyone who has registered in this event raises at least the minimum ($300), we'll be at $235,622, which is 118% of our target, and will also make us the top fundraising team in the history of this event (breaking the record of $222,234 we set last year). To see the current individual fundraising totals, click here.
Bike to the Beach Ride Profile
If you registered to ride the Bike to the Beach with Velo Valero this year, I need you to fill out our updated Rider Profile form by Monday, September 29th, at noon. Knowing the exact number of folks I need to feed, transport, massage, and so on, can save us a some money we can then donate to MS, and that' what this is all about! Also - I'm going to try and group riders based on planned distance and pace, and to appoint some paceline Captains, so that everyone who wants to has a chance to start and finish the ride with a group, which believe me, is a lot easier on your body and a lot more fun!
Lunch and Learn Slide Deck and Video
Apparently, our Lunch and Learn on Wednesday was a big hit - everyone I talked to told me it was the best one we've ever done. As mentioned ealier, LEAD filmed the event for us, and I should be able to get the video posted early next week on our web site for those of you who couldn't attend. If you want to view the slide deck, click here. The deck includes a number of useful pieces of information, including maps of the AT&T Center, Coastal Bend College in Beeville, and the finish line complex in Corpus Christi.
Upcoming Article in the Express News - Let Your Voice Be Heard
Got this from Team Member Diane Moore, who works in the Valero Corporate Communications department.
San Antonio Express-News Reporter Lauri Gray Eaton is working on an article about the Bike to the Beach for the Monday edition of the paper. She is interested in quotes from Velo Valero members and needs them by this Sunday at noon. She’d like to know why you are riding in the Bike to the Beach, and in particular, is there someone you know with MS that inspires you to ride in this event. If you are interested in responding, send her an e-mail at leaton@primetimenewspapers.com.
...that's it for now! Have a great weekend - get a ride or two in if you can, but more importantly, spend time with your friends and family, and get out and enjoy this (finally) cool weather!
- Peter
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Well, it's Thursday morning and I'm still recovering from an incredible day for Velo Valero yesterday. We scheduled three big events on the same day, and miraculously, we got them all done. I'd like to thank all the folks who helped to make this happen - all my Board Members, longtime riders like Jacque, Dora, Stella, and Steve who helped out, and of course Tony, Cindy, Lisa, Deanna, et al, from MS who do such a great job on this event for us and with us. It takes a village to run a bike team the size of Velo Valero and an event the magnitude of the Bike to the Beach, and I have one hell of a village helping me out!
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We had the first of our two t-shirt sales events during lunch, where we sell t-shirts to Valero HQ employees, who can then wear them on the Friday before the Bike to the Beach with jeans. We sold almost $2500 worth of shirts with little or no advertising, and expect to sell at least that much (and probably more!) next week. (All proceeds go towards MS, of course!)
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Also during lunch, we had our final Lunch and Learn for the Bike to the Beach, and we had almost 40 new and nearly new riders attend. Cindy and Lisa from MS kicked things off, then John "the Punisher" Tenison described the route to Corpus for us mile by mile, stop by stop, elevation profile by elevation profile. Finally, in the 15 minutes he had left, Chuck "the Rock" Divelbiss did a very effective safety briefing for the team, focusing on the safety issues of a large event like the Bike to the Beach, in particular, the very congested starting lines and rest stops. We filmed the event and will post to the web within the week; for now, click here to download the presentation.
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Finally, from 4:00 pm until around 8:00 we held the Valero Packet Pick-up in the Cafeteria. We passed out jerseys and goodie bags to team members, which gave the volunteers and I an opportunity to meet and greet folks which is always wonderful. I had to leave at 6:30 (my son had a rank advancement at a Boy Scout Court of Honor I could not miss) but folks like David "Show me the Money" Sloan and David "Guido" Gross did a great job shutting things down for us.
Weekend Rides
This is the last weekend to train for the Bike to the Beach. We have two rides planned to help you get ready. In addition, there is always the Conquer the Coast in Corpus Christi for those of you that want to actually try the Harbor Bridge out one week early!
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On Saturday, The Punisher has a 65 miler scheduled on the Northwest side of town. We'll start and end at Mays Elementary on Chase Hill, so folks going to the Valero Family Fun Day at Fiesta Texas can go to Valero HQ and shower after the ride. We'll be leaving at 07:30 am sharp (and that means you need to show up on time, El Hefe!).
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On Sunday, the newVcrew will leave from Gruene Hall at 08:30. The ride will end at Gruene Hall around noon, where folks can then have lunch at the Grist Mill and enjoy a little live music at Texas' oldest and coolest Dance Hall that afternoon.
As always, please check our Event Schedule for all the details.
Article in the Express News
Got this from Team Member Diane Moore, who works in the Valero Corporate Communications department. San Antonio Express-News Reporter Lauri Gray Eaton is working on an article about the Bike to the Beach for the Monday edition of the paper. She is interested in quotes from Velo Valero members and needs them by this Sunday at noon. She’d like to know why you are riding in the Bike to the Beach, and in particular, is there someone you know with MS that inspires you to ride in this event. If you are interested in responding, send her an e-mail at leaton@primetimenewspapers.com.
I'll keep this short and sweet for now - see ya' on the road!!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Monday! Hopefully all is well with each of you, and those of you who are riding the Bike MS: Valero BIke to the Beach in two weeks got the opportunity to get out on the road this weekend. I'm a huge sports fan, and this was a wonderful weekend for sports of all kinds - the Americans won the Ryder Cup, the Yankees played the last game ever in the House that Ruth Built (and didn't make the playoffs??!!), those pompous Patriots got blasted by the Dolphins, the San Antonio Silver Stars are battling for the WNBA crown, and I got to see the Horns pummel another non-conference opponent in Austin (details below). Plus, I got two good rides in. Friends, it doesn't get any better than that!
Weekend Rides
 On Saturday, I joined John "The Punisher" Tenison (back from his two week sabbatical from cycling) and over 20 folks for a ride from the city square in Castroville. I opted for the 77 mile route, which was the longest ride I've done since the San Antonio Tour de Cure in May. I was part of an amazing line that was paced by hammerheads Scott, Luis, Tony, and Henry "Flash" Martinez. We averaged around 22 mph for the first 50 miles or so, and it took all I had to hang on for the ride. Once we got to Quihi, we hit the chip seal John had promised us, and he and I slowed down to a more human pace. We stopped for a long break (and a 16 oz Dr. Pepper) at Rio Medina, and then coasted the last 7 miles back to Castroville. Hats off to Board Member Andrea Shull who drove SAG for us and rescued a few folks in trouble on the route (it was a BIG day for flats). (NOTE: Andrea made her television debut on KENS Saturday morning - I'll post the video as soon as the station sends it over!. From all the reports I've heard, she did a fabulous job representing the team and the event...)
The only thing that slowed our furious pace line Saturday was a train
The Yancey General store, where the cash price of gas is a very reasonable 25 cents and everyone drives a Hummer (NOT!)
Tony "The Animal" Gonzalez poses with the team truck
On Sunday, I opted for my personal training route in Hill Country Village, since my mom was in town, and I had promised to take her downtown for Jazz Alive, etc., that afternoon. I did 30 fast miles on my own, and managed to avoid hitting any of the copious deer (or cops) that roam the village. I checked with Tanya Carrasco later in the day, and she said 16 people showed up for the newVcrew ride, which is once again a great turnout for 7:00 am on a Sunday morning.
I'm still discussing this week's ride options our ride leaders. Our usual Wednesday rides will be impacted by the Packet Pick-Up (see below), and the Saturday ride will be impacted by the Valero Family Fun Day at Fiesta Texas. (Lori "Smooth Stroke" Francis suggested we start and end the Saturday ride from Valero HQ, so that folks who are going to the Fun Day can shower in the Fitness Center, which is a great idea...) Also, Carl "Teddy Bear" Crawford will be back from his ride in Tennessee this week, and has planned a luncheon for the newVcrew riders in Gruene on Sunday...
As always, check our Event Schedule for all the details!
Lunch and Learn and Packet Pick-up
Our next and final Lunch and Learn is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24th, from 11:45 to 1:00 pm. This event will be in the private dining room at Valero HQ. I'd like all first year riders to attend this event, because it will be a Final Briefing for the Bike to the Beach. I'll have all the Board Members not selling t-shirts (see below) present to answer questions, plus we'll have Cindy "C Rod" Rodriguez, Development Director for the Bike to the Beach, present to give us the inside scoop on the ride.
Also on Wednesday, September 24th, from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm, we'll have a special packet pick-up in the cafeteria of Valero HQ. At this event you'll be able to turn in any money you have collected to MS, pick up your event packet, and if you've raised the minimum for the event ($300), pick up your awesome Velo Valero goodie bag. We'll also have team jerseys to distribute fro the folks who ordered them.
Bike to the Beach Rider Profile
 Yes, I'm repeating myself, but only 45 of you have filled this out so far, and 269 people have signed up for the event!!! - If you registered to ride the Bike to the Beach with Velo Valero this year, I need you to fill out our updated Rider Profile form. Velo Valero is a high tech operation, and we use this data to plan all aspects of the weekend for you - from how much food to prepare, to how to pair up riders who are riding similar distances at a similar pace. Some of you may have already filled out an earlier version of this, and for that I apologize - this is the one you need to fill out, because it has some additional information we need to plan and execute the best Bike to the Beach ever. NOTE: If you registered for the Bike to the Beach and for some reason will not be riding, please fill out this form and let me know you are unable to participate. Things happen at the last moment for riders all the time, so I expect a certain percentage of you to bail. Knowing the exact number of folks I need to feed, transport, massage, and so on, can save us some money we can then donate to MS, and that's what this is all about!
Bike to the Beach Numbers
I continue to be overwhelmed by our numbers for the Bike to the Beach. We are up to 270 registered riders, which means we are within 5 riders of being the largest Velo Valero team ever (274 riders in 2005, the first year of the Queen's reign). More importantly, we are at almost $178,000 in funds raised, which is 89% of our target of 200 large. To see our current numbers, click here.
2009 San Antonio Tour de Cure Committee Members Needed
The 2009 San Antonio Tour de Cure is looking for Committee members! If you are interested, there will be a Recruitment Dinner Kick-off from 06:00 pm to 08:00 pm on Tuesday, September 23rd. Dinner will be catered by The Smokehouse (yum!). If you've ever wanted to help with the planning and logistics of a big ride for a great cause, this is your chance. To RSVP, send an e-mail to Erica Rogeau at ERogeau@diabetes.org.
NOTE: The San Antonio Tour de Cure is Velo Valero's flagship spring ride, and as I mentioned earlier, Valero is now the title sponsor of this event. The date's been moved to May 30-31, and it will have the same wonderful format - two days of cycling with an overnight in the dorms of Texas State University, with a little toobin' on the river for those so inclined. I created our team for the event last week, and we've already had a few people sign up for the low, low early registration fee of $15. To register with team Velo Valero in this event, click here.
Toobin' down the San Marcos River during after the Day 1 Ride of the Tour de Cure
Real Cyclists at Work
...As mentioned earlier, I went to Austin this weekend with my niece Michelle to watch the Longhorns play Rice at what is now the largest football stadium in Texas (seating capacity is 98,000). Since there was no real drama in this game which featured mismatched teams (UT demolished the Owls 52-10), there were two non-football things which were memorable about the trip:
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The massive UT band played the thunderous music of one of El Hefe's favorite bands, Led Zeppelin, during halftime. Yes, I'm a closet head banger - I was a child of the 70s and spent endless hours in my bedroom practicing those complex chords to "Stairway to Heaven", and it was amazing to hear the band crank it out while forming the Zoso symbol with 100s of bodies on that field amid a sea of burnt orange.
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We parked on 9th street to avoid all the congestion around the stadium, and used Pedi-Cabbers to get us to the stadium and then back to 6th Street after the game so we could enjoy a little of the annual Pecan Street Festival. As a cyclist, I'm utterly amazed at these guys. They can work up to 12 hours a day pedaling up to four people at at time up and down those huge hills in downtown Austin. And they do this year round, including the summers when temperatures are regularly in the 100s. I was tempted to get out and push when the guy was grunting his way up one of the hills with us, but he insisted he could do it (and he did). Next time you are in Austin, give these guys a shot - they provide an amazing service, and are really the best way to get around downtown...
El Hefe enjoys the thunderous strains of his favorite band
Posing with the cabbie who huffed and puffed us across town after the game - this dude had some real cycling mojo going on!
..see you on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Friday! The weather in South Texas has finally cooled down a bit, and it promises to be a glorious weekend of cycling.
Woo-hoo - The Jerseys are In!
 I received two large boxes late yesterday afternoon from our friends at Vomax, a day earlier than expected. They order was verified and sorted this morning. If you are located at Valero HQ, you can come by and pick up the jerseys between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm from Kim Griffith, who is located on the first floor of the A Wing at cubicle A1A-110P (follow the signs). NOTE: You'll need to show her a photo id when you are picking up your jersey(s). The rest of you can pick them up during the packet pick-up on Wednesday, 09/24, from 04:30 to 07:30. We'll mail the jerseys to everyone else on Thursday, 09/25, so they will arrive prior to the Bike to the Beach (or the Bay to Bay for you folks in SoCal).
Thanks to everyone who helped with the jersey order - Kim "KG" Griffith, David "Guido" Gross, and Patricia "the Funky Pirate" Jones!
Status of Fundraising
 As Little Richard wailed so eloquently, GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY! We are now really starting to cook from a fundraising perspective. Our total is growing by 1000s of dollars each day, and we of course had that huge $100K bump from Bill Klesse's contribution on Monday. We are just over $170,000 this morning, and I am more confident than ever that we will blast through our $200,000 goal and soar far beyond it. If you haven't started your fundraiser yet, what are you waiting for? Remember: You can't pick up your team goodie bag at the Packet Pick-Up on Wednesday, 09/24, if you haven't raised the minimum by then.
To see our current totals, click here.
Raffle
Board Member Andrea "Too Tall" Shull has put together an amazing raffle for us this year. The tickets are being printed as we speak, but you can start buying your tickets now using a credit card or Pay Pal using our convenient on-line site - click here to access. Share this link with your friends, family, and co-workers - the more the merrier. We're only selling a finite number of tickets and the number of prizes is huge, so your chances of winning something is off the charts. As with our other fundraisers, 100% of the proceeds goes to our team fundraising for the event.
Bike to the Beach Rider Profile
If you registered to ride the Bike to the Beach with Velo Valero this year, I need you to fill out our updated Rider Profile form. Velo Valero is a high tech operation, and we use this data to plan all aspects of the weekend for you - from how much food to prepare, to how to pair up riders who are riding similar distances at a similar pace. Some of you may have already filled out an earlier version of this, and for that I apologize - this is the one you need to fill out, because it has some additional information we need to plan and execute the best Bike to the Beach ever. NOTE: If you registered for the Bike to the Beach and for some reason will not be riding, please fill out this form and let me know you are unable to participate. Things happen at the last moment for riders all the time, so I expect a certain percentage of you to bail. Knowing the exact number of folks I need to feed, transport, massage, and so on, can save us a some money we can then donate to MS, and that' what this is all about!
Rides this Weekend
As mentioned Wednesday, we have a couple of rides for you to choose from this weekend to help tune you up for the Bike to the Beach - which is only 15 days away! If you can't make either of the rides, please so some sort of cardio exercise. As Tony "The Animal" Gonzalez has told me on a number of occasions, this time of year just do something every day, regardless of how small. (Tony is a triathlete and is the only person challenging Luis "The Rocket" Rocha these days, so he knows a little bit about the subject of personal fitness...)
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On Saturday, we are leaving from the City Square in Castroville for distances of 42, 65, or 77 miles of the rolling farmland on the Southwest side of town. Wheels up at 07:30 am.
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On Sunday, the newVcrew will be doing their usual hijinx on the Northeast side of town - 52 miles, starting from Cibolo City Hall at 07:00 am.
(I'm going to try and do both rides, even though my mom is visiting this weekend and will give me grief for being gone so many hours.) Too see all the ride details, check out our Event Schedule.
...Well that's it for now. This promises to be yet another whirlwind weekend for El Hefe. Gala Boy will be in action at the Jazz Alive reception tonight, we have the Castroville ride in the morning, then I'm heading to Austin to watch UT play RIce, then another ride Sunday morning, then a little outdoor jazz at Travis park in the afternoon, then a little Entourage and True Blood on HBO Sunday night...
See you on the road!
- Peter
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Happy Hump Day! Sorry this did not get sent out in the morning as I usually try and do, but it's been crazy busy lately...
WOW! El Hefe Grande Donates 100 Large to MS
...It's the only word I can use to describe the news we received at the Club 100 and Team Captain event at Pappasitos on Monday, September 15th. Valero CEO and Velo Valero team member Bill Klesse announced that he was donating $100,000 to the MS Society on behalf of the Bike to the Beach. This is the single largest single donation in the history of the event, and is yet more overwhelming evidence of his commitment to the cause. Bill has shown this kind of commitment the last few years by donating generously and training and riding in the event, but this takes it to a whole new level. (To be quite honest, it was one of the few times I have ever seen Tony Ralf, VP of the MS Lone Star Chapter, speechless - although it didn't last too long). Afterwards a bunch of us shared a meal of fine Mexican cuisine at the restaurant, and I was just blown away by the energy gathered around that table - I just can't wait until the Bike to the Beach, my friends!
I have a few of the pictures from this historic event below...to see them all, click here.
Billboard announcing the event
Bill at the podium with Tony, Sylvia, and Andrea
A very happy Tony shows off the check
Bill and Tony share a laugh before the cameras
Jacque scrambles to get into the team photo
Training Rides this Week
There are 17 days left until the Bike to the Beach, so hopefully everyone riding is in a good training groove. We have 4 training options for you -
- This Wednesday we have both the Hillfest and the Family Friendly ride scheduled.
- On Saturday, John Tenison will lead riders from downtown Castroville for a 62 miler (with optional miles for those who need it - i.e., all of us). Wheels up at 7:30 am.
- On Sunday, the newVcrew ride is once again scheduled for a 50+ rolling miles on the East side with a 7 am start from Cibolo City Hall.
As always, check our Event Schedule for all the details.
Jerseys Have Shipped
Patricia Jones informed me today that the jerseys have shipped (woo-hoo!). They went out two-day ground this morning, so hopefully we will get 'em on Friday. We'll then need to validate then sort the shipment as soon as it comes in. I'll have more news on this later in the week.
Lunch and Learn and Packet Pick-up
Our next and final Lunch and Learn is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24th, from 11:45 to 1:00 pm. This event will be in the private dining room at Valero HQ. I'd like all first year riders to attend this event, because it will be a Final Briefing for the Bike to the Beach. I'll have all the Board Members not selling t-shirts (see below) present to answer questions, plus we'll have Cindy "C Rod" Rodriguez, Development Director for the Bike to the Beach, present to give us the inside scoop on the ride.
Also on Wednesday, September 24th, from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm, we'll have a special packet pick-up in the cafeteria of Valero HQ. At this event you'll be able to turn in any money you have collected to MS, pick up your event packet, and if you've raised the minimum for the event ($300), pick up your awesome Velo Valero goodie bag. We'll also have team jerseys to distribute fro the folks who ordered them.
Fundraisers
The Velo Valero fundraising machine cranks on!
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On Wednesday, September 17th, we held our bake sale at Valero HQ and raised over $1600! Hats off to all the Board Members who volunteered to help, especially Andrea Shull who coordinated the event. Also thanks to the 150 (!!) volunteers who baked items for us to sell, and Bob Amos and the Valero Vanguards who helped out once again. Finally, thanks to Sean at the Credit Union for kicking in $250, even though there was nothing left to buy!
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We'll begin selling tickets for this year's raffle next week, also. Matt from Bicycle Heaven has donated a some great items, plus (I think) there's a Karaoke machine for you budding American Idolists. Stay tuned! -
We'll begin selling our team t-shirts to folks who aren't riding or volunteering for the event the week of September 22nd. Our friends in Graphic Design have once again done a bang up job on the design - I guarantee when it makes its world debut in a week or so, you will be impressed. Once again, the deal for Valero HQ employees is that if you buy the shirt, you can wear it with jeans on the Friday before the ride (October 3rd). (NOTE: All riders and volunteers get the shirt for free, and can wear jeans on Friday also if they wear the shirt!). So, encourage your co-workers to buy one of these incredible t-shirts to support you and the event!
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Finally, we have a handful of team jerseys left to sell. The extra jerseys we sell contribute to our team fundraising, so the more we sell, the more we can donate to MS. Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you are interested in purchasing one of the remaining jerseys.
More of Velo Valero Around the World
Hammerhead Alan Dedman from the Wilmington Refinery sent me a few photos from his recent vacation to the Great American West. Here's one of him at Mt. Rushmore -
Too see more of the 2008 photos from our Velo Valero Around the World Gallery, click here.
...that's it for now! Hillfest is coming up quick, and I have to get ready! See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Greetings. I'm going to dispense with my usual Monday morning tag line ("Good morning and happy Monday!") because, well, for many folks along the Texas and Louisiana coasts, this is not a happy Monday. The destruction and dislocation caused by Hurricane Ike is widespread and will take weeks - and in some cases, months - to remediate. For once I really can't wax humorous and poetic about things in the biking world, because I'm so overwhelmed by what people are facing, and the heroic efforts of so many good and strong folks who are assisting in the recovery. So many people are affected and are contributing, but I want to pause for a minute to share my admiration for the brave folks at Valero who volunteered to be on the "ride out" crews at our facilities that stood in the path of Ike, and then to the deployment teams from San Antonio that immediately caravanned to places like Houston, Texas City, and Port Arthur as soon as the storm passed through these areas. These folks, along with the staff at our plants, will be working around the clock, often without power, sometimes without clean water, for the foreseeable future until things return to normal. To each of you, I tip my bike helmet and wish you well. I ride a bike and raise a little money for ADA and MS (in addition to my day job), but what you guys are doing, along with all the other first responders, is truly heroic.
Amazing Site Spotted in Kendalia
...Well, I read over what I just wrote, and I don't really want to end there, because I'm a glass half full kind of guy. More than ever, because of Ike, we all need to start the week with a smile on our face, so here's a photo I snapped during our 50-miler Sunday morning on those amazing roads north of Bulverde, including Edge Falls and Sattler. We stopped at the General Store in Kendalia, where I took this picture of Chuck "The Rock" Divelbiss next to this incredible tree they have that grows chain saws (you heard me right). Because, as the sassy lady behind the counter told me, "It's cheaper to grown 'em than to buy 'em!"
The Chuckster and the Legendary Kendalia Chain Saw Tree
...see ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning! Hurricane Ike continues to lumber towards the Texas Coast, and I know many of you are involved in preparations for the storm. Let's hope it's not as bad as it appears, and all the evacuees can return home as quickly as possible. In the meantime, let's talk a little about fundraising...
Fundraising Superstar of the Week
 Our Fundraising Superstar of the week is (drum roll, please!), Nerissa Muniz, a Tax Specialist at Valero HQ who is also riding in her first Bike to the Beach this year. To read how she has managed to get donations from all manner of friends and family (including her mom's hairdresser), click here.
To see all our Fundraising Superstars from this year, click here.
This Week's Winner of Valero Swag
This week's winner is (another drum roll, please!), Geraldine Smythe. Geraldine lives in Austin and is riding in her first Bike to the Beach this year. To date, she has raised just over $1,300. She is the proud winner of a Valero backpack full of fine Valero swag. Way to go! (NOTE: You must raise at least the minimum - $300 - to be eligible for the drawing.)
Upcoming Fundraisng Events
 As mentioned yesterday, Board Members Andrea "The Crane" Shull and David "Show Me the Money" Sloan have a number of fundraisers planned to boost our team fundraising totals.
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On Wednesday, September 17th, we'll hold a bake sale at Valero HQ. We've had almost 150 people volunteer to bake goods for us for this sale, and 100% of the proceeds go to our team total. If you work at Valero HQ, come on down and buy something. Even better, encourage your co-workers to do the same!
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We'll begin selling tickets for this year's raffle next week, also. Matt from Bicycle Heaven has donated a some great items, plus (I think) there's a Karaoke machine for you budding American Idolists. Stay tuned!
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We'll begin selling our team t-shirts to folks who aren't riding or volunteering for the event the week of September 22nd. Our friends in Graphic Design have once again done a bang up job on the design - I guarantee when it makes its world debut in a week or so, you will be impressed. Once again, the deal for Valero HQ employees is that if you buy the shirt, you can wear it with jeans on the Friday before the ride (October 3rd). (NOTE: All riders and volunteers get the shirt for free, and can wear jeans on Friday also if they wear the shirt!). So, encourage your co-workers to buy one of these incredible t-shirts to support you and the event!
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Finally, we have a handful of team jerseys left to sell. The extra jerseys we sell contribute to our team fundraising, so the more we sell, the more we can donate to MS. Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you are interested in purchasing one of the remaining jerseys.
...There's more to share, but I have to hit the road for a trip to Beeville to begin planning the layout of our team tents for the overnight. Have a safe weekend, and let's all pray for the folks along the Coast. Once again, check our Schedule of Events or call 210-345-BIKE to check the status of our rides this weekend. Saturday is definitely out, but it may be dry enough to ride Sunday.
- Peter
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Good morning and Happy Thursday! I was fortunate to get a 30 mile Hillfest in last night, because it looks like Hurricane Ike is going to make things interesting for Texas riders this weekend. Let's all pray for the health and safety of people who live and work along the Texas Coast, and hope the storm is not as bad as it appears to be at the moment. Also, if you aren't directly in the path of Ike, consider volunteering at one of the shelters for a few hours this weekend if you can. In times like this, we are all one country, one state, and one team.
La Vernia Hammerfest Hammered by Ike
 ...It's official: The Hammerfest has been cancelled due to Hurricane Ike. I went by the packet pick-up last night after the Hillfest and spoke with the event organizers, and although I really wanted to do this ride, they made the right decision. Highway 87 (which is one of the roads on the Hammerfest route) is being used as an evacuation route, and the police, firemen, EMS, etc., that were scheduled to work the ride need to be available for hurricane relief. The ride will not be rescheduled, and there will be no refund of your registration fee. But, you can still get your packet, which has the event t-shirt, plus a $5 coupon for some yummy barbecue at Witte's. You can pick it up any Sunday from noon until 3:00 from now until October at the La Vernia Heritage Museum at the intersection of 87 and 775. You can also pick it up at the Friday Night Expo on October 3rd for the Bike to the Beach. If you don't pick it up, they will mail it to you - but, to insure most of the registration fee goes to the Museum, try and pick it up to save the postage for them...
Wet and Windy Weekend in Store
For most of the riders in the Bike to the Beach, this is probably going to be a wet and windy weekend not very conducive to riding outdoors. We'll monitor the weather closely, and schedule something on Sunday only if the weather permits it. Please check our Calendar of Events over the next few days to see what we have planned, or you can always call our Training Hotline at 210-345-BIKE (2453). If you can't get a ride in, try to get some form of exercise in - go to the gym, or spend some time on your trainer if you have one.
Status of Team Jerseys
Well, we tried like hell to get our jerseys this week in time for the Hammerfest, but it looks like our vendor Vomax is backed up so much with other orders that we won't get our jerseys in until late next week at the earliest. For this I apologize - they've been good to us in the past, and after the jerseys come in and the dust settles, we'll have a long talk with them to see if we still want to do business with them. I'll keep you posted in the next few days to let you know what's going on. My goal now is to get them in next week, so those of you that ordered them can wear 'em during our last two training rides. If not, then the goal is to have by the Packet Pick-Up on September 24th.
Status of Fundraising
Friends, I'm really proud of what we are doing with our BTTB fundraising. As of today, we are up to 256 regiestered riders, which makes us the second largest Velo Valero team in the history of the Bike to the Beach. (The largest team every was 274 in 2005 - see graphs below). More importantly, we are up to $60,337 in our fundraising, with 23 days to go until the ride. As in years past, the deadline for raising funds for the team and individual awards will be the end-of-year Awards Banquet, but since I really want us to be a pacesetter and drive the other teams and individuals, I'd like all of you to be at the minimum (at least) by the time of our packet pick-up on the 24th. Currently, we have 212 riders (58%) below the minimum, and 157 riders (61%) who haven't raised anything yet - but I'm sure this will change in the next few weeks! To see our current totals, click here. As always, if you aren't on the list, or you have a question about the amount being displayed for you, please send an e-mail to Cindy Rodriguez from MS to get it straightened out. And, you can always shoot an e-mail to Team Vice President and Fundraising Prodigal Son, David Sloan, if you have a question about the fundraising process, or just need a little encouragement.
Finally, I'll have a special blog tomorrow that will focus exclusively on fundraising - we'll showcase a few more Fundraising Superstars, announce this week's winner of Valero swag (you must raise at least the minium to be eligible to win), and provide the details of the way-cool team fundraising activities we have planned such as the Bake Sale on September 17th and our annual raffle of items no cyclist can live without!
History of Velo Valero - Team Size
History of Velo Valero - What really counts, our contribution to MS!
Video from Lunch and Learn on Cycling Technique Posted to the Web Site
 I posted the videos from the Lunch and Learn on Cycling Technique and Maintenance on the web site late last night - click here to access. Thanks again to Matt Hamlin from Bicycle Heaven for doing such a great job, and to the valero LEAD department for filming it for us. Our next Learn and Learn is on Wednesday, September 24th, and will be a Final Briefing for Bike to the Beach Riders (more details to come).
...see you on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Monday! I'm going to keep this short and sweet because in an hour or so the first episode in what promises to be a glorious a new season of my current favorite show Entourage is on, and I ain't missin' it!!
Weekend Rides and Pool Party
On Saturday I did 30 miles of the hills on the Northwest part of town as part of the annual Bike MS Club 100 ride. This is a social ride that Bike MS does every year for the top 100 fundraisers and the Team Captains in the event. Afterwards we all went to Pappasito's Legendary Tex-Mex Cantino for more schmoozing and great food, courtesy of Manager Chris Shaw who is a great supporter of MS, in addition to being one bodacious cyclist. Tony Ralf was there, but he did not do the ride; he said he was "saving himself" for the Tour de Pink on Sunday in Houston. All I know is I saw him during the ride getting very cozy with a very pink bike...
T Ralf caught red handed with one very pink bike at the Club 100
On Saturday, John Tenison led folks for routes of various distances from Judson High School. This flat to rolling ride is one we typically do this time of year, as we transition from the hills and thrills of the Hill Country to the farmland and endless miles on the East side that prepares us for the terrain of the Bike to the Beach. Afterwards, a subset of the riders headed over to David Gross' newly renovated "Club Guido" for good times, a dip in the pool, and a peek at his incredible new, hi-tech toilet.
2005-2006 Team Captain Laura, Emma, and Andrea
Guests enjoying the tropical ambience of Club Guido
 On Sunday, I joined over 20 members of the newVcrew on a 50 miler on the East side of town. I am very impressed with what Megan, Carl, and Tanya have put together with these rides. With the NVC, along with Andrea's Family Friendly rides on Wednesday, we have managed to provide a pretty good new rider program for folks new to the sport and our team. This may sound simple, but it is one of the hardest things we do each year, and I'm so proud of what we've accomplished in 2008. The first couple of long, group rides for a new rider is a make or break time. If we can provide a positive experience, we might turn them into a lifelong participant in our sport. If we mess it up, then maybe the one or two rides they do is all they will ever do. Hats off to all the leaders who have worked to make these rides successful this year. And, of course - hats off to all the new additions to the team that are gearing up for their first big ride to the beach in October!
NVC riders on the road
Potential recruit spotted in McQueeny...
...Carl wastes no time in making his recruiting pitch
Poth Ride to Remember
 Also on Satuday, Carl "Teddy Bear" Crawford joined Board Member Eddie Gamez in the city of Poth for the first annual RIde to Remember. Here's his update:
This was the first year for the Ride to Remember in the city of Poth, which is just south of San Antonio and is one of the cities we pass through on the Bike to the Beach. The ride was very well organized with plenty of rest stops. There were plenty of rolling hills along the route. There were six Velo Valero Riders at the ride including Eddie from Corpus, Bernie, and Gracie and her husband from Three Rivers. Also, Annette Gorzell in Valero's Corporate Accounting department was there volunteering with her husband and all 3 of her kids did the ride. This is a great tune-up for the Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach. - Carl
Carl and Eddie pose with team members and volunteers in front of the Team Truck in Poth
Hammerfest
 The 2nd Annual La Vernia Hammerfest is coming next Saturday on September 13. This is a great one-day ride close to San Antonio that has distances of 34, 53, and 65 miles. The terrain is rolling countryside similar to what we encounter on Day 1 of the BTTB. There is no fundraising required, but there is a $30 pre-registration fee ($40 on the day of the event). If you are a new or nearly new rider, the Hammerfest is a great way to get used to the logistics of starting lines, rest stops, etc, on a smaller scale before the Bike to the Beach. (NOTE: It won't be that much smaller. I talked to one of the organizers and they are expecting almost 2000 riders!!!) As I've been saying for weeks, I'd like a sea of Velo Valero colors at the ride start! Note: The Hammerfest will be our team Training Ride that weekend. For more information, click here.
Entourage is Back, Baby!
OK, that's it for tonight. The first episode of the new season of HBO's Entourage is only minutes away, and I need to make my way to the couch and settle in for the ride. I've always been a huge cinephile, and I love this show because it gives you a bird's eye view of how the movie biz works with some really amazing characters, particularly the highly combustible and unscrupulous talent agent Ari Gold played (by the incredible Jeremy Piven).
...see you on the road!
- El "Yeah, I Tried the Toilet and It Was Pretty Cool" Hefe
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Good morning and Happy Wednesday!
Weekend Rides
The Bike to the Beach is only 31 days away - this means you only have four training weekends left. As always, we have a plethora of ride options for you, so you can adequately prepare for the event. As I've said repeatedly the last few weeks, it's not just about distance now - it's about riding, recovering, and riding again on back to back days. The rains have gone for now, and we've returned to a typical late summer weather pattern for San Antonio - hot, hot, hot. So, please hydrate before, during, and after the ride. Keep an eye on your body when you ride - if you stop sweating, it's a bad sign, and you need to find some shade, get off the bike, and get some fluids into you as quick as possible. This time of year, you can't drink enough water if you are cycling outdoors (although you can drink too much of a sports drink like Gatorade, which is why I like to mix it half and half with water...).
Tomorrow is the first Thursday of the month, so we'll be combining the Hillfest and the Family Friendly into one night, and including a meet and greet with eats at Specht's store afterwards. Here's Andrea's announcement -
Don’t forget the family friendly ride is on Thursday this week. Ride leaves from Specht’s restaurant at 6:30pm. After the ride plan on staying to enjoy a little food, beverage, and music at Specht’s.
A word of caution: We are losing our daylight a lot earlier and a few of you have been getting back to the park later than expected. It’s a good idea to have a light or two on your bike. You should have at the least a rear light and a headlight is recommended. There are plenty of affordable lights and reflectors to choose from. If you are not sure what you need any of the area bike shops will be able to point you in the right direction. A flat tire, a wrong turn, or leaving late will get us back to the park too late to ride safely without lights. - Andrea
 Our Saturday ride will leave from Judson High School at 7:30 am. We'll have various routes that explore the East Side of San Antonio, including quaint little towns such as La Vernia and New Berlin. Afterwards, Board Member David "Guido" Gross is hosting a pool party at his house until 6:00 pm. Send him an e-mail at David.Gross@valero.com if you plan on attending.
 We have another newVcrew ride planned for Sunday. This is our no-drop ride for new and nearly new riders. Last week we had almost 40 people do the ride. Here's Megan's announcement -
If you plan to attend this Sunday’s newVcrew ride, please be on time and ready to go at 7am which means that you have to get there early (~6:40am) to air up tires, etc. We will not wait for people who are late and you will have to ride on your own. Remember how hot it got towards the end of our ride this past week. The later we start, the longer we are out there in the heat.
Maps will be provided at the start of the ride but it is also attached (we’ll be going clock-wise again to put most of the hills towards the beginning of the ride). Also, our phone numbers are on the map in case you need them either ahead of or during the ride. There will be a rest stop in McQueeny and New Berlin (as well as a possible quick stop at the Double Ringer in Zuehl if it is after 12 noon). Click here to download the map.
As you have seen in past weeks on the east side of I-35, a lot of these country roads are not marked so it is important to stick with the group so as not to make wrong turns. - Megan
As always, check our Event Schedule for all the details.
Fundraising Superstar and This Week's Winner of Team Swag
 This week's fundraising superstar is (drum roll please!) Tanya Carrasco. Tanya works at Valero HQ, and is doing her first Bike to the Beach this year. To read more about why she rides, and how she is conducting her fundraising campaign, click here.
And, as I mentioned last week, we are going to randomly draw the name of a rider each week that has raised above the minimum in this event ($300). This week's winner is (another drum roll please!), Mae Sattam, who has raised a whoppin' $1,280 so far. She is the proud winner of a Valero backpack with some team swag in it. Click here to see her personal web page - I love the photo of her laughing with the caption, "Please donate so I can be this happy!" Sometimes it's a simple thing that helps you fundraise.
The fundraising news is all good - we cracked the $50,000 mark this morning, and show no signs of slowing down. We are also up to 247 registered riders, which means we are on track to break the record for the largest Velo team ever in this event (274, set in 2005 when my good friend and mentor Laura "Queen of the Hills" Vaccaro was the Captain.) We are a force of nature getting bigger and stronger every day, my friends!
Lunch and Learns
Our Lunch and Learn yesterday went very well. We had over 40 people attend, and Matt Hamlin from Bicycle Heaven did his usual great job explaining the intricacies of pace lines, drafting, hill climbing, etc. (Someday I want to be as cool as Matt is...) We videotaped it, and I hope to have the video on the web within the week. Our next and final Lunch and Learn will be on September 24th, when we have a Final Bike to the Beach Briefing, to give you all the details you need about what to pack, what to eat, where to sleep, and so on. Stay tuned - I'll have more details for you soon.
...see ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Happy Labor Day! I hope that each of you is enjoying a restful respite from the bump and grind of work.
Weekend Rides
Also, I hope that each of you riding the Bike to the Beach on October 4th and 5th had an opportunity to do one, two, or three rides this weekend. Just as important as riding longer distances is the need to ride on back to back days, to begin training your body to ride, recover, and ride again on consectutive days.
On Saturday, I joined John Tenison and over 25 other Velo Valerians in Old Town Helotes for a 60 miler to Castroville and back, including those delightful seven deadly hills on 211 and 16. John told me during the ride that he planned this route to give people the experience of riding the second day of the Bike to the Beach, where it's flat and windy for much of the route, until you get on the causeway and you have those last two bridges (aka, man made hills) to climb before reaching the finish. Getting to Castroville was easy; it's the ride back where the work began, as we turned into a fierce headwind on 471, and really had to execute a tight pace line to conserve eneregy for the hills (hats off to JT and Luis for pulling the rest of us for much of this section). Once we got on 211, the real work began - hill after hill after hill - the hits kept coming and coming. By the time I got to the last hill outside of Helotes, I was ready for the ride to end. And (this is hard for me, but I gotta do it) - I have to give Andrea some props for finishing beside me. Over the last two years, she has become quite the cyclist. I was ready to slow down a bit at the end, until she pedaled up next to me with that big grin of hers and I just knew that if I let her beat me, I would never hear the end of it. So, I had to turn on the jets, and I still couldn't shake her. Way to go Andrea!
Andrea showing El Hefe much love during the San Antonio Tour de Cure
Sunday was family day. The only cycling I did was a disasterous ride with my dog Hannah around the block (the lurid details are below) and a short ride with my daughter to the Brook Hollow Library (where I ended up carrying a backpack full of books back for her). I did get a call from an excited Carl at around 2:00 pm, saying we had almost 40 people at the weekly newVcrew ride And, I got a wonderful testimonial from a first time rider with the NVC that I'll save for the end of the blog...
I spent the morning of Labor Day doing a leisurely 27 miles on the Northeast side of town with Carl's crew, complete with a stop at Starbucks. Carl started the ride at a very user-friendly 08:30 am, giving me the opportunity to sleep a little later (thanks Carl!).
Carl enjoying a shot of caffiene with his crew at Starbucks.
Rao, Carl, and Alice roaring down Green Mountain Rd.
Rides this Week
This week we have a number of rides to get ready for the Bike to the Beach. We have the Hillfest on Wednesday, the Family Friendly on Thursday (with a meet and greet at Spechts afterwards), the Judson ride on Saturday (with a Pool Party at David Gross' afterwards), and another edition of the newVcrew on Sunday. For all the details, click here.
Lunch and Learns
The video from the very informative Lunch and Learn on Nutrition has been posted to the web site. Click here to view it. Thanks again to Laurel Tierney, R.D., L.D., from Nutrition for Heart and Sole for presenting this topic for us. I know I learned at lot, and hopefully by following her recommendations, I can finish the Bike to Beach stronger than I ever have this year.
 Out next Lunch and Learn is tomorrow, Tuesday, September 2nd. The topic is Cycling Technique and it is being hosted by our good friend Matt from Bicycle Heaven. This will be in FB-128 at Valero HQ from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm. We'll cover the topics of pace lines and drafting that are key to success on the second day of the BTTB. All new riders are encouraged to attend! NOTE: If you can't make it, the Valero LEAD department will film the presentation for us, and we'll have on the web site in a week or so.
Jerseys
A number of people have asked me, "Hef, what kind of racket are you running? I paid my hard earned green weeks ago for a team jersey, and I still haven't got it. What gives? Do I have to get my cousin Guido to break your knuckles?" Well, we submitted the order two weeks ago, and I've been promised by the vendor Vomax that the jerseys will be in next week. My goal is to get them distributed to first-year team members who are riding the Lavernia Hammerfest on Saturday, September 13th, so they can wear the Velo teal in an organized event for the first time. For other folks, we'll distribute at the packet pick-up on September 24th. For everyone else, we'll mail them to you. NOTE: For those of you without a jersey, we ordered a few extra. Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you are interested in one of these. Hammerfest
As mentioned, the 2nd Annual La Vernia Hammerfest is coming up quick on Saturday, September 13 - less than 2 weeks away! This is a great one-day ride close to San Antonio that has distances of 34, 53, and 65 miles. The terrain is rolling countryside similar to what we encounter on Day 1 of the BTTB. There is no fundraising required, but there is a $40 registration fee. If you are a new or nearly new rider, the Hammerfest is a great way to get used to the logistics of starting lines, rest stops, etc, on a smaller scale before the Bike to the Beach. As mentioned, I'd like a sea of Velo Valero colors at the ride start! Note: The Hammerfest will be our team Training Ride that weekend. For more information, click here.
Fundraising
Our team size and (more importantly) our fundraising continues to rise. We are now up to 242 riders, which is one more than we had registered in 2007 - and the Bike ot the Beach is still over a month away!! More importantly, we are over $46,000, which is 23% of our target of $200,000. If you need some help with your fundraising, take the time to read the descriptions of our Fundraising Superstars - these guys have plenty of great tips and tricks they are sharing with us. As always, contact Team Vice President and Fundraising Jedi Knight David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com) if you need some advice or encouragement. Click here to see our current fundraising totals.
Great Testimonial
As mentioned above, the team received an amazing compliment from a rider who joined Megan, Carl, and the rest of the folks on our Sunday newVcrew ride. It's long, but I'm going to include it in it's entirety, because it sums up so well what I've tried to create with this team. Hats off to the folks who lead all our rides - Andrea, John, Carl, Megan, Chuck, PJ, et al. It means so much to new and nearly new riders that we are there to help with directions, flats, motivation, and so on. It's been so long since I started this (9 years ago) that I sometimes forget what it's like to be a complete newbie and being scared of getting lost or getting dropped. Or, just wanting some encouragement to get over the next big hill. I talk often about the Team being ambassadors for Valero culture, and this, my friends, is what's it's ALL about.
A friend of mine was invited to the newVcrew ride on 8/31 and when she asked if she could bring a couple of her friends along, she was encouraged to do so. So the three of us, members of another team, joined the ride, along with five members of yet another team. It was the best experience I've had on a bike so far. We did the 50 mile route. A few miles into the ride, we were towards the back and I passed a rider with a flat tire. I stopped to help and was surprised when about six other people stopped to help, too. That never happens! As we continued on, we encountered another rider with a flat but were told to keep riding because four people were already there to help.
Because of the flats, we ended up in two groups at the first rest stop: a group that was already well-rested and a group that was a little bit behind because of the problems. We stayed in those two groups for the rest of the ride. There were a few experienced riders in our group and I was worried that they would get tired of us and leave us behind and even though I had a map, I didn't really know where I was going. But those riders didn't leave us. They stayed with us and rode ahead and stopped at turns to make sure that we didn't get lost. They were so friendly about it, too. They never got frustrated that they had to hang back and check up on us.
This was the best ride I've ever had. I've done three previous 50 mile rides that were unbearable and I really wanted to work on some issues during this ride: my form, conquering the hills, etc. I was able to do so because I didn't have to stress out about being left behind or getting lost. I just concentrated on what I needed to do to have the best ride possible.
Everyone was so nice and it was such a great experience, definitely not what I expected from people who are on a different team and a huge team at that. We were even invited to next weekend's ride. I was only able to thank two people in person so I thought I'd write you this email so that you could get the word out to everyone on that ride and let them know how much the three girls in the Gold's Gym jerseys appreciate everything about yesterday's ride. You all are awesome! - Amanda
Thanks for the compliment, Amanda. And yes, you and your buds are welcome to ride with us anytime!
The NVC at Gruene Hall last weekend
Rethinking Hannahfest
 I'll end with a cautionary tale. A few weeks ago I was tooting my horn about how I had trained my young dog Hannah to run beside me as I rode my bike around the neighborhood. It was one of those win-win deals - I got some needed seat time in, and the ever energetic Hannah got some exercise. Well, Sunday morning I got up early, put the leash on Hannah, and we took off for a little mutt strut around the block. Everything was uneventful for the first few miles. That was until until that damn squirrel appeared. Hannah saw the squirrel, and I guess her instincts took over, because she took off like a heat-seeking missile for that nut eater and pulled me so hard I did a complete endo and ended up on the pavement with the bike crashing into me. The biggest impact was on my right knee, which swelled up and hurt like hell for a few hours. I whined like a little baby, much to the annoyance of my wife, but eventually the swelling went down. So, the moral of the story is: be careful! From now on, I'm going to only take Hannah without a leash, and hopefully I can train her to stay beside me most of the time.
...see ya' on the road!
- El "End Over End" Hefe
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