Thanks to all of you who stepped up during the weekend to make sure our team received a little extra attention. It was nice to have the team tent for riders when they had questions. As there were plenty.

A special thanks to Phoebe. She is going to school and has been extremely busy. Earlier in the year she asked if she could step down because of her busy schedule. I talked her into staying on and help when her schedule allowed.  Without her, I would not have had the opportunity to ride on Saturday. I can't thank her enough for all that she did for us over the weekend.

Also, Grace for taking on the toobers and making all of the arrangements so everyone was able to find their way. She also helped get the team tent and tables from ADA, the VIP parking passes, and provided assistance to two riders who went down on day 1. She made sure their bikes were transported to San Marcos and were able to find the way back to them. One of the riders was on the Velo team. I spoke with her at the hospital on Saturday afternoon. She is doing well and was able to come to San Marcos later that evening to get her luggage and bike. She was hoping to ride on Sunday but was not cleared by the doctor.

Seymour Battle, David Gross, Meagan Lehnhoff, Phoebe McCallum, Patricia Jones, Carl Crawford, John Tenison, and Kirstin Silberschlag, and I stayed after on Friday and where able to get all of the team supplies loaded in the van in just over 1 hour. Without your help, I'm sure Phoebe and I would have been there a lot longer. I was able to get home early and was able to get in a few extra hours of sleep.

Kirstin Silberschlag and Patricia Jones: Even though they were not riding on Saturday, they most likely worked harder as volunteers at the rest stops than us as riders. I know they had early morning duties and worked feverishly during their shift. I'm sure most of us were done way before they were.

I can't forget about John and Chuck. Between the two of you we have been able to provide rides almost every weekend since February. I can't remember a training ride on a Saturday when you were not available to lead the ride. You make sure our wheels keep moving.

Nerissa and Seymour who organized the volunteers. We all know without volunteers this ride would not be possible. It sure was nice to see them out of the route helping riders and being at the rest stop. The baked goods were a big hit. Phoebe even took the opportunity for a little extra fundraising and had a make shift bake sale on Saturday after dinner. I do have one complaint. Not a single motorcycle sag driver took me up on my offer to switch rides. I can't imagine why.

Sylvia, donated a few VTO hats to Bill Miller's for opening early so we could stop by for breakfast. They were extremely thankful and a few of the cooks put them on during their shift. She also picked up the left over milk and donated it to a charitable organization on Monday so it would go to waste.

It really hit home leading the riders out on Saturday morning and having Peter by my side. This was the true moment that the torch was passed to me. I have to say my eyes became a little watery and I felt such pride in all that we have done together to get to this point. I must give most of the credit for the accomplishments of our team to those captains before me. As Peter likes to say "we are a fundraising machine" I simply put in a little fuel to keep it moving. You should be proud of the Velo Valero Cycling team in which you all helped create. Your legacy continues each time we ride and every dollar that we raise.

The past and the present Velo Valero team captains. Monica, Rusty, Terry, Laura, Peter and Andrea

Next on the agenda is the Oklahoma City TdC on Saturday June 27^th.

Thanks

Andrea

After Action Report on the San Antonio Tour de Cure by El Hefe

Received this account of this weekend's Tour de Cure from Peter "El Hefe" Ray, the 2007-2008 Team Captain. 

Well, I am sitting at home on a Sunday afternoon after two incredible days participating in the 2009 San Antonio Tour de Cure.  This was my 8th TDC, and the one I was the least physically prepared for since I've done no long rides this year, and no back to backs. The 52 miles I rode on Saturday was the longest ride I did all year, and I followed that Sunday with 58 miles.   I did a respectable 18.5 mph on Saturday, and dropped to 16.9 mph on Sunday, which officially disqualifies me from the Hammerhead Club.  (In fact, some folks - who shall remain nameless - had the audacity to ask where my training wheels were when I announced Saturday morning that I was only doing the 52...)   And you know what, I don't care.  This was the most enjoyable cycling event I've done in a long time, for a number of reasons -

• Being at the front of the line with Andrea at the Day 1 start, and beginning the ride with her at my side.   She said she got a little misty, and I have to admit I got a little verklempt also - it was really a passing of the proverbial torch.
• Stopping at the legendary Gruene Hall on Saturday for a beer (!!) during the ride Saturday with Teddy Bear, The Hammer, etc.  - something I would never have done the last few years when I was in Hammerhead mode.
• Climbing that last massive set of hills towards the Blanco Hall dorms at the end of the Day 1 ride, and still feeling strong (largely due to many long hours in spin class with Donna, Stephanie, etc.)  I was so worried about bonking or needing SAG because of the lack of training, so it felt really good to finish with a kick.
• Watching Jennifer Owns (aka, J-O) and Valero's very own High Octane band kick out the jams at the Day 1 Lunch tent.   Many of the folks in High Octane are people that I hired, have worked for me, or I've worked with for many years, and it's so great to see them doing something they love - i.e., music - and getting better at it each performance.
• Toobin' down the river Saturday afternoon after the ride, a tradition that started years ago when Rusty "Broken Spoke" Ferguson was Captain, and something that has become a touchstone in my life - I told a number of people that it doesn't really feel like summer until I've toobed down the river during the TDC.  Well friends, I can safely say that summer is officially in da' house!
• Watching at a distance the awards ceremony Saturday, seeing folks like the two Davids - Sloan and Pappal - win the top individual fundraising awards, and then Team Captain Andrea "Too Tall" Shull accept the top team awards on behalf of Velo Valero.   I knew I would have mixed emotions about this since this was the first big team event since I stepped down, but all I felt was pride.   I pushed the rock uphill for two years and built a good foundation on top of what Laura did, and now Andrea, along with new Board Members Grace, Nerissa, Seymour, etc., are bringing new energy and new ideas to the team that will take it into uncharted directions and dizzying heights I never imagined - how can I feel bad about this??   Some of the new things that were done this year - such as separating team member luggage based on color coded tags and having the dorm keys at a special VIP tent - were wonderful, and, to be quite honest, were things I never thought of during my time  (and should have!!)  Way to go Shull - the team is in very good hands!
• Finally, feeling that overwhelming exhiliration and adrenalin as the miles melted away on Day 2, and I approached the finish line at Atkins.  It doesn't matter how many years I cycle, that feeling never gets old.   The first half of 2009 was a tough 6 months for me - incredible pressure at work, a scary surgery for  subdermal skin cancer far too close to my brain for comfort, and a teenage daughter who somehow discovered boys and graduated from high school in the same year.   For a few hours on Satuday and Sunday, I was able to forget all about those things and enjoy the open road and clear Texas skies (and rivers) with the best of friends. 

And, because no bike ride I do is complete without some sort of story, I give you the following.   Well, we had just consumed massive amounts of pizza Saturday night at Valentinos, and I was walking back to the dorm with Veronica, D2, and Guido.  We were in the San Marcos square, which is home to a number of bars and other student haunts.   I was wearing my favorite Hawaiian shirt, a shirt so loud and electrifying it supplies power to the CPS grid when I'm not wearing it.  Well, we're walking down the square, when a slightly tipsy, heavily perfumed, and very blonde co-ed walks by in a more muted Hawaiian shirt.  She says to me, "That is a great shirt!"  Without missing a beat, I reply, "Do you want to trade?"  To my surprise, she answers, "Yes!"  Well, we swap shirts,  She disappears into one of the countless bars, and we continue walking back to the dorm.  (I'm sure a slightly hungover co-ed woke up Sunday morning with that shirt on, looked in the mirror, and started screaming, "OH-MI-GOD!!")   Somehow, these sorts of things always happen to me when I'm doing a ride.  Whether it's catching Angie's baby or nearly getting pecked to death by vultures, something always seems to happen when I get on my bike and do a ride with this team.  And you know what, that's not a bad thing.   One of my favorite songs is Bonnie Raitt's "Angel From Montgomery", where in one verse she sings -

But how the hell can a person
Go on to work in the morning
To come home in the evening
And have nothing to say

The great thing about Velo Valero is you get to ride with good people for truly great causes, and I guarantee you that you will always have something to say when the ride is over.  Hope to see many of you on the road in the second half of this year, as we all work hard to prepare for the first ever Valero Ride to the River on October 3rd and 4th.

- El Hefe

P.S.  For the record, I did not use training wheels on this ride!

Pausing on the bridge in New Braunfels on Day 1, a long way from work and posing in my legendary Floresville Peanut pose

Rehydraing on Day 1 at the legendary Gruene Hall

J-O (aka, Jennifer Owens) belting out a tune with Valero's very own High Octane band during the Day 1 Lunch

El Hefe last summer in the Hawaiian shirt he no longer owns