The Suitcase of Courage

Pedal for Paws 2011

Wow, it's been a busy couple of weeks since my last post.  But for good reason.  Pedal for Paws 2011 is now in the history books.  All of the last minute preparations kept us busy, and of course the actual day was crazy.  But it was all worth it.  Thanks to our wonderful riders & sponsors, we were able to raise a lot of much-needed funds for the shelter.

The day started out cloudy, with a few showers.  But those who braved the forecast were rewarded with dry Autumn weather later on.  And thanks to our wonderful volunteers (not to mention the riders themselves), it turned out to be a great day! 

We had great rest stops... 

 

We had an AWESOME band - The Sawtelles (not only is their music great, but they're huge cat lovers too!)...

 

We had distinctive signage (most rides just mark the road, but we think our Paw Pointers stand out!)...

 

Even Sylvester & Tweetie showed up!

And no well-organized ride would be without its SAG wagons.  Here's one of ours, all decorated for the day.  We had a few of these going along the routes, looking for anybody who needed a hand or a ride back.  I think only one person took them up on their offer.  They're like a first aid kit - good to have "just in case" but even better not to need them.

But what about that most-important feature of any large charity or group ride - FOOD?  It's one of our BIGGEST draws and the Forgotten Felines Baking Squad goes all out for this event.  Unfortunately, we were so busy eating we forgot to get a photo of the large spread.  But trust us - you don't leave hungry no matter HOW many miles you rode!

Here's one of our registration tables, with a board featuring some of our cats waiting for "forever homes."  Until that happy day, thanks to Forgotten Felines (and to the funds that this ride generates), all the cats are warm, safe, fed and well-cared for.

One new addition at the registration table this year was a huge map of all the routes.  We included smaller maps with the cue sheets too, but this large map had all road names and the routes color coded.  Definitely helpful in getting your bearings and seeing how the route(s) fits together.

Despite the forecast, it never really poured, but it was definitely wet at the start of the ride.  And I got a new-found appreciation for fenders.  Not that I had them on MY bike - I hardly ever ride in the rain - but they're definitely in my future.  Nothing's worse than riding behind a guy without fenders when it's wet out.  It doesn't even have to be raining, and you still get soaked.  Unfortunately, I was "that guy" - but I wasn't the only one!

Fortunately, the weather didn't dampen any spirits, just the roads.  One of the best things about Pedal for Paws, and one of the things that sets it apart from many charity rides, is that we get a lot of families - many of them doing their first "big ride" together.  The short beach loop ride is ideal - flat, wide shoulders, and just over 7 miles long (a little over 11 miles with an "unofficial" extension).

And speaking of families, you don't even need to go out on the road.  At Pedal for Paws, kids ride for free and these two little guys wanted to ride, but their parents didn't think they were quite ready to ride on the road.  So they struck a deal: The kids would ride laps around the parking lot and the parents would give them $2 per lap so that they could participate.  How cute & cool is that?

So despite the weather, the day was a great success.  We got to ride our bikes on some beautiful roads, and raised much-needed funds for a great cause at the same time.  After last year's absolutely perfect weather, we were due for a few showers this year.  But now that we got those out of the way, we're due again for some great weather in 2012.  Hope you make plans now to join us! 

Rent' Race 4 Rainy

Given all that's gone on the past few days, I didn't know whether I'd feel like racing Tuesday night.  But as I've mentioned many times before, the Rentschler Field races are a much-anticipated regular staple of our summer schedule.  So, once things started to settle Monday night, talk turned to what to do about Tuesday night.  We figured we'd at least want to go to see our friends, whether or not I raced or the race itself was canceled due to, um, Rain.  So I packed up the car - better to have my stuff and not need it than vice versa.

It's true that time heals and I didn't feel as bad on Tuesday as Monday ('course, that wouldn't take much).  I figured I'd at least go to the race, suit up and sit in.  Especially since the temperatures soared into the 90s - it'd be the hottest race so far this season.

Friends were great and supportive, a real comfort to us, and as I got ready I told them - and myself - that this race, given my diminished motivation and the high temps, would be a perfect one for just sitting in and getting a good workout.  Mrs. SOC and I didn't mention much about Rainy, neither of us wanting or needing to put any pressure on me to perform.

But any such pressure there might have been would have been totally deflated by seeing somebody with a Stars & Stripes jersey headed to registration.  Of course, we all wondered who he was and whether he was in fact a National Champion of some sort, or just a lowly Cat5 who didn't have any other kit.  If we'd been closer, we'd have seen the shape he was in and known right away this was no Cat5, but current amateur Elite National Champ Dave Wenger.

Heh - No need to worry about performing.  My goal now was just to be able to hang on.

 

So we lined up, EXPO teammates dotting the pack at the start, ToddB getting proper props from the promoter for his win on Sunday (Congrats to our own State Masters Crit Champ!).  TimU launched from the gate, and the race was on.

After a few inevitable attacks and counter-attacks, DW and RonL/CCNS got away and held the high pace we were all expecting.  At first, given the strength in the break and the hot weather, it didn't seem like the pack was all that motivated to chase.  The break got 3/4 of a lap on us and some of us (well, I) was just waiting for the inevitable lashing lapping.  It didn't help matters that the increase in pace spit a lot of guys out the back and there weren't many of us left to chase.

 

But, for whatever reason, whether due to the yelling out of timegaps each time we passed the start/finish, or Max's urging, we finally got organized and started chasing.  To the credit of all the guys left in the chase group (15 maybe?), we kept things very smooth and steady, each doing our turn at the front.

 

And gradually, slowly but surely, the gap actually started to go down.  Even two strongmen will find it hard to stay away from an organized and motivated pack.  And since I was still around and part of this group, my plan to "sit in" - while not totally going to plan (I was hurting a lot more than I'd planned to) - was succeeding.  I did my turns at the front, but by just hanging on, I - along with the rest of the chase group - were gaining on the break.

 

Besides the time gap coming down, there were something like five field primes that kept us motivated.  Thinking of Rainy and how much she was a part of my racing & training, I decided to try and go for a couple of primes.  I knew given the horsepower in the race, not to mention how I was feeling, that I didn't really have a chance for the overall win, but I figured I'd be able to contend a couple of "stages" - primes are the "crit equivalent" of stage wins in my mind.

 

And I won two of them, back to back.  At first - and both times - I thought I'd screwed up, that somebody else won them and I was sprinting for nothing, because it seemed like the rest of the group wasn't contesting them.  So I crossed the line each time with a pretty large gap.  Only afterwards did I confirm that I did in fact win.

After each time though, I had to go into survival mode to make sure I didn't get dropped.  The pace of the chase remained high and each time I pulled off the front, I found it more difficult to catch back on.  But SDC doused me with some ice water a few times and that helped HUGE.  But while I felt much better with each dousing, the time left on my legs was running out.  And as the lap cards started counting down from 5 to 1, I just about gave up.  In fact, I think it was about 3 to go, I just sat up and let the group go by, cooked.

But I heard someone - dunno whether it was Laura, Mrs. SOC, or Ann - yelling at me to hang in there, so I dug just a little bit deeper.  Fortunately, for whatever reason, the chase group slowed just enough so I was able to catch back on.  In an extraordinary stroke of luck, they'd caught DW and eased slightly.  But that allowed Ron to attack and come in for the win:

 

I hung in there and, at least according to the video, came in 5th or 6th.  Awesome, I thought, all things considered.

 

At the end of the day, I couldn't just sit in at a Tuesday Night race - not this night's race especially.  There will be - and are - times when I'm just not in it, got no legs.  But if I can, I'll race and do the best I can with what I've got.  And last night, I had just a little extra motivation.  All due to a little Tortie cat who I loved dearly and who's collar adorned one of the two little prizes I won in her memory.

Corny?  Yeah, a little I admit.  But sometimes we find our sources of motivation in the unlikeliest of places.  And when you're feeling less than your best, you'll accept that motivation no matter what its source.  I, for one, can't think of a better way to show how much a part of my racing Rainy was - and, in her own way, will continue to be.

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Garmin data here: 23.4 miles, avg speed 26.4-27.2 mph

RIP Coach Rainy

 
"A grand lady"

I made a passing reference to Rainy in my last post, but unfortunately since then, she went down hill pretty quickly.  We got her from Forgotten Felines in November 2007, shortly after Charlie died and she's always had health issues, mostly minor, but a couple major.  Thankfully, due to the wonders of modern veterinary medicine (and with special thanks to Dr. Tracy LaMorte of Fairfield Veterinary Hospital), we were able to give her the best life possible.

 
We enjoyed her for almost four wonderful years.  For whatever reason, she "adopted" me and we became very attached.  She not only kept me company during winter's long indoor training hours, but she became the unofficial mascot of our Thursday Night New Haven Railroad Photo Library Archive working group.  She clearly preferred guys, though I know she loved Mrs. SOC despite her unenviable role of "pill giver."

 
Her most lasting legacy, other than the place she'll forever hold in our hearts, is the annual Pedal for Paws charity ride that benefits the shelter that rescued her on that dark and rainy night in October 2007.  Forgotten Felines gave her her name and it suited her to a T (and not just because she was a Tortie).

I'm sure these kind of posts are just as much fun to read as they are to write, which is to say "not very."  But she's been a regular presence on this blog and many of you, if you weren't able to meet her in person, know her through here.  So I thought you'd like to know.

Chapeau to the best coach I ever had.

 

I wish my kisses were sponges so that with each one I could soak up just a little more of your essence.

Why Cycle Wednesday:Pedal for Paws, Oct. 2

 Kathleen Goodwin School

80 Old Boston Post Road

Old Saybrook, CT

8 am

It's been a while since I posted a "Why Cycle Wednesday" but I can't think of a better reason to ride than to help raise money for a good cause.

Charity bike rides are popular fundraisers.  Name the cause, illness, or need and there's likely a way to use riding your bike as a means of support.  Like many cyclists, Mrs. SOC and I have participated in a number of these events.

But this is the first time we've CREATED one!

Actually, it was Mrs. SOC's brainchild.  She volunteers at Forgotten Felines, a no-kill cat shelter in Westbrook, CT.  They're in desperate need of funds and receive no public funds, so a charity bike ride seemed like the perfect solution to a serious problem.  For more background, click here.  Mrs. SOC did a guest post here a little while ago.  If you missed it, you really should check it out.  She described, in better detail than I could have (including LOTS of kitty photos!), how important this ride is.

So with tons of help from lots of hard-working folks and generous sponsors, it's finally here!  The response has been great and the weather forecast looks BEAUTIFUL.

If you haven't signed up yet, it's not too late!  Just show up at the Kathleen Goodwin School this Saturday morning and head over to the "Day Of" registration line.

We promise beautiful fall scenery to delight you, good food to feed you, a band(!) to entertain you, and even Sylvester the Cat to make you smile.

And you'll feel good knowing that you're able to ride your bike for such a great cause.

Hope to see you Saturday!

Tour de Forgotten Felines:Why We Ride

As many of you know, I'm helping Mrs. SOC with Pedal for Paws, a charity bike ride benefitting the Forgotten Felines cat shelter where she volunteers.  The ride will be on Saturday, October 2nd in Old Saybrook, CT and the surrounding towns along the CT River and Shoreline.

But to get a better understanding of why're we're doing all this, I couldn't think of anyone better to tell you than Mrs. SOC herself.  So, without further ado, I give you Mrs. SOC . . .

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About three years ago, Mr. SOC and I adopted this girl from Forgotten Felines...

Give me ten more...

and our lives have never been the same. She's the first feline coach we've ever had.

Blowing off your ride again today?

I started volunteering at the shelter shortly after she and Rosie came to live with us (Tim is still not quite sure about his sisters), and it was always my dream to do a charity ride to benefit all the cats that came after Rainy. Last August, with much counsel from the SDCs, Pedal for Paws was born.

With less than a month to go, the planning gets overwhelming. All the details make me crazy. But then I go to the shelter, and see all those faces, and I realize all over again there's nothing I'd rather do.

I can give you lots of statistics (but, alas, no Garmin): as a no-kill shelter, we have over 125 cats at any given time; we've taken in 167 so far this year, and adopted out 100. There are over 30 kittens placed in foster families, and as fast as we adopt them to new families, they keep on coming. We're an all-volunteer organization: 115 volunteers, and of those, 56 of us work a weekly shelter shift. As my mom used to tell my sister and I growing up, cats have to eat and have their boxes cleaned every day. And so we do, twice a day, seven days a week, holidays included. Our other volunteers help with the website, the phone calls, the vet runs, the supply runs, the building maintenance and lawn mowing. We rescue cats from 10 towns along the CT River and shoreline, and the shocking thing is that we don't receive a dime from any of them, nor the state. Our funds are all donated through generous people, through our fundraisers or otherwise.

But when I am there, I forget all of this. It's a special place where every cat has a name and is loved and spoiled and played with and treasured, til his or her forever family comes along. I'd like to give you a Tour...wait til you see the catscape!

Please check out the photo album in the column at the left, or click here.

And if you haven't already signed up for Pedal for Paws, I hope you'll do it soon. Coach Rainy is counting on you!

Coach Rainy:Watchin' the Giro

Dunno if she's coming up with new & painful workout routines, but she's gotta get me back on the trainer first!

Given my lack of riding lately, she's probably given up on me.  'course, the fact that we're watching the Giro in bed may be an indication of my lack of commitment.

Sorry if you were looking for some motivation - you ain't gonna find it here today!  Cuz it's much more comfy watching racing than training for racing. 

A kitty and flannel pants makes it even better.

Motivation Monday:Coach Rainy

 

Every serious cyclist needs a coach.  Here's mine.  Meet Rainy.

We have three cats, but for some reason this demure little torty becomes a tyrant when it comes to training time in the basement.  If I'm at the kitchen table eating what she thinks is one too many brownies, she'll go over to the basement door, get up on her hind legs, and start banging on it.  I kid you not.  And since the door doesn't latch very tight, she can make quite a racket.

When I finally open the door, she runs right down into the cycling room and will sit there and wait for me to get ready.  She'll even start hollering if I'm taking too long.  You can't make this stuff up.  It's weird.

But *very* motivational.  She's kept me company through the long winter of basement training.  And as long as I keep her little bottle caps filled with water from my bottle(!), she's content to let me do my intervals without too much distraction...

 

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Had quite a weekend.  Didn't end up racing since the Ronde de Bethel was cancelled.  But I was able to get out on the new wheels for a nice 50 mile ride.  Well, actually, not too nice since the roads were full of sand and we did a lot of hills.  And I had my racing cassette on.  I'd never tried climbing so much with a 23 cog and by the end of the ride my legs were toast and my right hip is still sore for some reason.  May need to refine my fit.  Or maybe I should just do a better job of ramping up my miles, instead of doing very little riding and then expecting to go right out and hammer 50 miles of hills.

Strangely, despite not working out as often as this time last year, my YTD miles are only about 50 miles short (see left column).  Must be because, while I'm not getting out as often, when I do get out it's for long distances.

Remains to be seen how that will translate into race fitness.  Fortunately, I'll get another chance to find out at the Ris van Bethel this coming Sunday.  Hopefully it won't get snowed out.

Speaking of snow, we got about 12" last night.  The guv actually delayed us 2hrs, but I was already on my way in.  Happiness despite the weather is an attached garage and 4WD.  But I'll have lots of shoveling to do when I get home.  Good thing it's a "rest" day . . .

 

(No, this isn't my driveway.  It's here)

Cat 3 Upgrade!A New Year's Goal Accomplished

Well, after two full seasons of fits and starts (and crashes and moves), I finally got my upgrade as a Category 3 bike racer!

Here's the proof - copied from the USAC website:

Type	Status	Exp Date
Road Racer  Categories   Road Cat 3	Active	12/31/2009

Diane Fortini, from our local racing association, approved my upgrade this morning.  She was actually ready to upgrade me last fall, but we figured it best to wait until I renewed my license for 2009.

So, with apologies to Hobgoblin, MY Cat(s) 3:

I can check one thing off my "2009 Goals" list.

But now it looks like I have to change the subtitle of my blog . . .

A Christmas Miracle

 

Rainy and Timmy usually can't stand each other.

But this is proof that even little miracles can happen this time of year.

Merry Christmas!!