No Place I'd Rather Be

It's Sunday and it definitely lived up to it's name. What a beautiful day!

Here are some highlights from the trip to Lake Tahoe. If you haven't been there we highly recommend it. It is as beautiful as you've heard. Or, if you haven't heard, it's really beautiful there. You should check it out. There, now you know.

It all started early Friday morning as we all met at the MSP airport around 5 AM. Some of us were crazier and got there about 4:30, I guess just because we don't like to sleep. Everyone was excited and eager to go, anxious to start the "event weekend" that they've heard about since January.

The way out was rather uneventful, with the exception of a belly-flop landing in Salt Lake City where we had a layover on our way to Reno. Nothing major mind you, it just seemed as if we were bouncing like Tigger when we hit the runway. Upon arriving in Reno the team was loaded onto a shuttle for the hour-long ride to South Lake Tahoe while Julie and I (plus a few others) got rental cars. Advice - don't rent from Dollar Rental. Slow as molasses! (Which reminds me of a great joke I'll have to tell you later.)

Friday night we had dinner at Cabo Wabo's, Sammy Hagar's joint. The food was ok but it was balanced wonderfully by the great company and cold beer to make for a fun evening. Saturday we took a boat cruise on Lake Tahoe and learned more about the wonder that it is. We admired the amazingly clear blue water and enjoyed Emerald Bay, one of the most photographed places in North America.

Saturday night was the pasta party, and it lived up to the hype as it always does. We had about 500 cyclists plus guests, mentors, staff and coaches in attendance. (There were 4 pasta parties throughout the day.) We learned that there were 2,000 TNT riders there from across the country, who raised a total of $8.5 million! We shared some laughs, learned about the course, got some advice, cheered each other on, and were reminded about why we were there as the mission speaker told of his daughter's fight with cancer. She was a precocious 6-year old girl, cute as a button, and she stood next to the podium while her dad spoke of her struggles and her ongoing battle with this terrible disease. He was going to be doing the ride the next day as well, and he had been training with his local chapter just like the rest of us. He spoke about how this made him feel like he was doing something to help his daughter fight since he couldn't take her place as much as he'd want to. He recalled heading out the door one Saturday morning for a team ride and his daughter asked him to stay, asking why he had to leave her. He explained that he needed to practice for his bike ride but promised that they would ride it together in 10 years. It was a promise that she is going to hold him to, and one that he made to everyone in the room. If you come to ride in Tahoe in 2017 he promises they will both be there to ride with you. It ended with the girl being held by her father, who was fighting back tears, as she yelled "GO TEAM!", at which point everyone in attendance gave them both a standing ovation. A truly moving evening.

Sunday morning was the ride, and we all met in the hotel lobby at 5 AM for a team picture before riding over to the starting area. Everyone was nervous and excited, and they couldn't wait to get going. Julie had certain places on the course that she needed to be (she was assigned to a moving cheer station with staff from other chapters) so throughout the day we made our way from the beginning of the course to the finish line.

Our first stop was at Inspiration Point overlooking Emerald Bay, a truly picturesque location to be as we watched the sun rise over the lake. This was around mile 13 and after the cyclists had made their first big climb of the day through a series of switchbacks. By this time the morning chill was starting to go away so most of the team ditched jackets and leg and arm warmers. I had on my SPAM hat (pictures to come) so they could spot us on the side of the road. My initial intention was only to wear the hat for this first stop, but due to the vast number of smiles and comments I quickly decided that the hat would remain for the duration of the ride.

After the last TNT rider passed us we picked up and moved to our next spot which was around mile 42. The drive there was a little nerve-racking as we had to be sure to not hit a rider while also avoiding oncoming traffic. These were windy two-lane roads that often had mountains on your left and a drop-off on your right - no shoulder, no guardrail. It was at this point that Julie and I looked at each other and agreed this is a ride we would most likely never do - neither of us are particularly fond of hill riding but we're especially not fond of heights. As the song goes "I have no fear of falling but I hate hitting the ground."

Mile 42 was a great location as it was during the out-and-back to Truckee, so we were seeing the riders as they were on their way to Truckee at 42 and on their way back from Truckee around mile 50. We got to see most of the team at multiple stops throughout the day which was nice. The SPAM hat was still a hit and I would get comments like "So you're the one who keeps sending me those e-mails" or "It's the SPAM-inator" or "the SPAMman". Anything to take their mind off the ride, even for a few seconds, is worth it.

By the way, not only did we see about every type of bike there is but we also saw quite a few people riding UNICYCLES!! They're nuts!! Riding 100 miles is a tough ride, plus the big climbs of Tahoe, but to do it on a unicycle when you can't coast down the hills to get some rest is amazing. They are pedaling against gravity for the entire ride with nothing more than a small brake underneath their seat. I also learned that 3 of the top unicyclists in the country are from Minnesota. Who knew?!

Anywho, back to the ride. After leaving stop #2 we moved to the lunch stop around mile 70. It was there that we caught up with a few riders from the team who were getting ready to head back out and finish the last 30 miles, knowing the biggest climb of the day was still ahead of them. They were sore, tired, and mentally fatigued. They had dealt with bike issues earlier in the ride (flat tires, broken spokes, etc) and they needed to be pumped up for the final push. They were told how proud everyone was of them and how they had worked hard for this day. All they had left was a "Wednesday ride" - or the equivalent of what they would ride during training. Leslie, our chiropractic angel (and absolute sweetheart) and teammate helped get the troops ready for the last 30 miles. She cracked backs and necks and worked over sore muscles. Did I say she was an angel? Oh, she was and still is.

The group headed out and began the long ascent up to Spooner Junction, a roughly 800 foot climb from where they were now. The determination and perseverance they showed (and all the riders showed) was enough to make any person's heart swell with pride. Spooner Junction was the last rest stop and the summit of the ride. When you're here you know you're going to finish, even though you're still 12 miles from the finish line. It's all down hill from here (well, there are three smaller climbs, but who's counting) and if you've never had that feeling before - the feeling that you KNOW you're going to finish - it's hard to explain. The emotional flood you experience is overwhelming. All the pain and frustration, the joy and laughter, the energy expelled throughout the ride all comes crashing on you at once, and the sense of accomplishment and pride in yourself is all you can handle. You are now an endurance athlete.

The last spot that Julie and I were at was around mile 93, at the bottom of the long descent from Spooner Junction. It was great to see the smiles on all the riders and they flew past us at speeds between 20 and 35 miles per hour. From there we moved to the finish line and cheered until the last TNT participant crossed that finish line, roughly 13 hours after the start. The last participants were from Long Island and Greater LA, but they were all part of the TNT family. You don't leave until you know everyone is back and safe and given the resounding cheers and congratulations they deserve. For every event we've gone to we've been there when the last one crosses the line, whether it's a century ride or a marathon, and the emotions they feel are real and overpowering. We know those feelings. We were the last one's to cross the finish line when we did our first marathon in 2002. We know how if feels to be the last one in, and we make sure they feel like they were the first one in. That's the family of TNT.

After heading back to the room for a quick shower we went to the Victory Party, where we met up with the proud finishers from Minnesota and South Dakota (Yeah Valerie!) , ate some great food, had a few cold beers, and danced and celebrated with our heroes. This is what it's all about. Being together to share in the joy of our accomplishments and remember why we do this. It's for people like our honored teammate Lucy, probably the cutest and bravest 5-year old you'll ever meet, and for the little girl from the pasta party. Both of them, along with all the other patient heroes, are why we do what we do. And at that point you realize there is no place you'd rather be.