Seattle – my fair city

Here is a video of my Courage Classic 2010 ride for the Kids. I bicycled with my friends Steve, Erik, Tony, Jen, and Kevin. It was an excellent 3 days of riding, although it rained on our way to Snoqualmie pass. I did better on all counts. Thanks to all of you we raised over $2,000, 100% of it went to the children in need of help. Also, with all of the love and encouragement from you, I did better on this my 4th year. My overall average was just shy of 16 mph and felt better at the end of each day compared to previous years. The total elevation gain for the 3 mountain passes, Snoqualmie, Blewett, and Stevens was over 11,000 feet, and we bicycled a total of 190 miles. I also plan to post the ride gps data with statistics and maps very soon. Check back here for a more detailed description of the ride.

Saturday August, 8th 2010

Incredible news for this year’s ride, for the first time in all the 19 years of the Courage Classic the ride is completely sold out, at full capacity, there are 700 riders!

Breakfast at 7:00 am of cheese blintzes and potatoes at Suncadia.

At 9:00 am Chandru was at the last stop before the summit of Blewett Pass.

10:00 am Happy at the summit of Blewett Pass with Eric and happy Steve.

Still eating, now with Tony.

Fed and happy, it is mostly down hill from here.  Chandru thinks he will come home heavier this year, he is definitely eating more than he is burning up!  I think everyone will be glad to hear this!!  I told Chandru after his second 100 mile training ride last weekend (partly with Tony), that I was afraid I would wake up and find that he had evaporated during the night, that I would just find his empty sleep clothes next to me.  Chandru always drops weight before the weekend of the ride, and it scares me out of my wits.  Eat man, eat.

Noon at a picturesque lookout near Leavenworth.  Chandru stopped for 20 minutes before this point to help another rider who had an accident.  The rider is fine.

1:00 pm Setting up the tent at Leavenworth.

1:30 pm Cleaned up and ready to walk into town.  At the end of Day 2 Chandru is feeling fine.  He was concerned about riding this bike – it has more difficult gearing than the bike he has ridden previously.  The only other riders who pass him are Steve and Eric and the professional riding team.  He estimates he is in the top 20% of the riders, up from the 50% pack from previous years.  He has officially turned into a lycra butt!

Saturday August 7, 2010

In the elevator at the condo, we left at 6:30 am.

In the parking garage at the condo.

All packed up and ready to go.

Waiting in line for registration at Snoqualamie Ridge.

Meeting up with Eric and Tony amongst the other 700 riders.

Chandru and Tony at registration.

Number 488 – assigned alphabetically by last name.

10:00 am – Chandru is at first stop for the day.  He is doing fine and riding faster than last year.

11:30 am – Chandru is at the Summit of Snoqualamie Pass.  Doug and Lisa drove up to meet him and made a lot of noise as he rode into view.  He feels better than last year and is averaging 15 mph.

After lunch at the summit – it always many kinds of pasta, Caesar salad and fruit – all the riders and their bikes have to be transported to a point just before the next stop – The Ice Cream & Hula Hoop Stop, because of rode construction.  They then ride to Cle Elum and beyond Suncadia, to make up for the miles they didn’t ride in the detour and end up back at Suncadia to camp.  Chandru got very cold waiting for the shuttle, he was shivering.  It wasn’t until later that the support crew remembered they had blankets and brought them for those that arrived after the first trips were made.

UPDATE:

3:00 pm from email with subject “A little coffee before dinner” – I arrived at Suncadia 40 mins ago. I am on my extra bit now, I got lost and did 10 miles extra instead of 5! I am at Roslyn now. But I went to cle elum first by mistake.  61 miles so far.

Photos sent via email 4:40 pm “In my cozy tent” Dinner was Spanish rice, tofu, potatoes, salad and fruit.

5:00 pm “Fresh as a daisy”

While the riders were waiting in line for dinner it began to rain.  What was intended to be a picnic turned into everyone taking their plates and seeking shelter – mostly in their tents.  There was a covered play area that they used to store their bikes out of the rain.  It rained well into the night.

I did another century mile ride this weekend. Part of the ride was done with my friend Tony. This century included 2 good climbs (max at 20%!) grade, Novelty Hill and Cougar Mountain. The ride went through Lynnwood, Duvall, Novelty Hill, Redmond, Lk. Sammamish, Cougar Mt, Newcastle, Renton, Beacon Hill, Golden Garden Pk and back home in Seattle. It was much tougher than my Urban Century ride 2 weeks ago which went on the mostly flat BG and Sam. bike trails. This was also a beautiful ride through the country side with relaxing stops for breakfast in Duvall and snacks at other points. I am using Ride with GPS to embed the details of the ride along with pictures. Also, check out the scrolling playback and 3D view, it is quite amazing. Please let me know if you like this entry. Of course, this is the last big ride in preparation for the Courage Classic next weekend. As I write this, next weekend at this time, we will be scaling Blewett Pass!. Thanks for all my friends who donated, if you have not done so, you can click on the fundraising widget on the right. There is still time!

I completed my first century ride this weekend. It felt particularly good that I did it by myself, I do wish I had some company though. My last record for a long ride was almost 12 years ago done with Cam! We went across the Puget Sound for that one.


For this ride I went around Green Lake, Lake Ballinger, Lake Sammamish, Lake Washington and Lake Union. Some of my big hills came at the very end. One was particularly important to me. I went up from Golden Garden Park to Sunset Point. I walked up those steps with my Dad when he visited me in Seattle. He was almost 90 years old then. It was hard for him, but persevered and I was very proud of him that he did it. I did it on my bike when I already ridden 90 miles. It was hard, especially with the uncontrollable tears streaming down my face. This ride is dedicated to the memory of my Dad.


I also do it for the abandoned Kids in the State of WA where I ride the Courage Classic to raise funds for the Mary Bridge Children;s Foundation. Please donate whatever you can in support of our Children by clicking the donate widget on your right.

Here are pictures of Oxy Gene the Superhero of the Community Transit in Washington State. I am not sure what came first, The real Oxy Gene made up to look like the bobble head or the doll made up to look like the real Oxy Gene?

The likeness is amazing !

6:30 am Motion – X way point and photo for Breakfast at Leavenworth.
7:00 am Ready to go!

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9:30 am way point at Hula Hoop stop, with photo.
Chandru labeled this photo ‘Rootbeer’.

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11:30 am Chandru was at Steven’s Pass
1:00 pm Chandru was finished and ready for me to pick him up.
4:00 pm Back home, fresh as a sunflower.

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This is Cam signing off for another year. I was very happy to contribute to this blog as a guest on Chandru’s behalf. See you next year for Courage Classic 2010!!

I now return you to your normally scheduled author who will dazzle you with more photos, plus videos and anecdotes!

I just got a Motion – X way point for breakfast at 7:00 am.
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10:00 am Chandru just called to say they are eating lunch at Blewett Pass. He isn’t very hungry since it is so early, but he feels good and he slept OK. It is downhill from here to Leavenworth.
Motion – X way point for Blewett Pass with photo.

3:30 pm Motion-X way point at Leavenworth.

Having a latte and charging the phone at Starbuck’s in the air conditioning.

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After Starbuck’s they all went swimming in the Wenatchee River. Chandru said it was very clean, shallow and cool and fun. Hula hooping tomorrow at the stop before they climb to Steven’s Pass. Chandru has been telling everyone about the movie “The Triplets of Belleville” and now they all want to see it.

Here is the cover of today’s book. I started making the books about a month ago and worked on them a little every day.

Saturday August 1, 2009

6:00 am, the car is loaded and ready to go.

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6:30 am arrive at Snoqualamie Ridge for check in and luggage drop off. We met up with Steve, Erik and Kevin already in line.

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Then drop off the bags with UPS.

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Getting ready.

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At 8:00 am the Crane team began their ride one half hour earlier than last year.

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At 9:00 am they arrived at Olallie State Park for the first rest stop.

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Our friends Doug and Lisa have driven to the summit at Snoqualamie to cheer the team on and took these next 6 photos!
There goes Erik.

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Here comes Chandru and possibly Steve?

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Doug waiting for Chandru.

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Fresh as a daisy!

10:30 am, Doug just called to let me know that Chandru has arrived at Snoqualamie Pass! Lunch of spaghetti, carrots, olives and grapes.
Chandru and Steve.

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Erik and Kevin.

12:30 pm Motion – X way point at Lake Easton.

1:30 pm, arrived at Suncadia, finished for the day. They are setting up their tents.

6:30 pm, Chandru is in his tent after dinner, which was very good. Earlier, after pitching their tents, Steve, Steve’s sister and Chandru went to Roslyn. He got a latte while the others had beer. There is a nice breeze at Suncadia, even though it is sunny. They rode 64 miles so far with about 3000 ft of climbing at 16 mph. He feels good.
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Here is a page from one of the three books I made for Chandru to open after each day of the ride.

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It isn’t too late to donate! Click on the link in the side bar to the left. Any donation will be greatly appreciated by the kids and Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation.

If you would like to cheer Chandru on, please leave a comment on this blog post!!!