The Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's is underway!
My friend Lisa picked me up on schedule and we made it to the airport in record time. Air Canada generously waived the $50 fee to fly my bike when I explained the tour as I checked in.
Trying to get some sleep before my 7:30 flight. Happy to report my host family in Halifax and Truro have both checked in.
Below: Neighbor Peachie Keehn photo-bombs my departure photo.
My friend who is driving me to the airport called and asked, “So are you ready? Are you excited?”
The answer is I’m focused – – which, makes me look too serious for someone about to embark on a fabulous three week bicycling tour from Halifax, through the east coast and back to Wisconsin.
Behind the scenes – – you get the idea of how things are going. I’m still packing, cleaning, and throwing things into the pile of ‘now don’t forget this.’
When I’m nervous I multitask and tend to lean hard into food. In this case, that’s a good thing because I have to empty my fridge before going. I just finished my tenth Popsicle of the day.
With lips red and fingers sticky I’m fighting off the temptation to over pack. I’m holding strong – – still at two bags and my carry on…. and then the bike box. It’s normally cumbersome and heavy – – like a sleeping 8 year old that needs to be carried to the car after a hot day at the zoo.
I have to be methodical in my packing just in case this ends up being like my New Zealand tour where the bike arrived and my luggage did not. Luckily I just finished my 10,000 push up – so I’m feeling strong and accomplished as that’s one more promise kept to a sponsor.
I just passed the mirror and in a quick glance I’m shiny with sweat, some hair has escaped my ponytail, and I have dense, black shark eyes. I’m thinking about another Popsicle to try and relieve some of the self-imposed tension.
Another friend calls, “So are you ready? Are you excited?” This is the friend who no longer drives me to the airport. I’m not the best when flying – – I can be five hours ahead of departure and still have zero sense of humor because I’m concentrating on everything that can possibly go wrong.
My driver normally takes the brunt of my angst. This one tried to add levity by suggesting we “stop for ice cream” on the way. After that, there was some unnecessary urgency to pull off the expressway to wash the van.
I think I’m good to go now. My Plan B – – if I forget something, I can always buy it and I have a pretty solid team of friends back home to hold down the fort or call in an emergency while I’m away.
Before I forget – – a big THANK YOU to all the sponsors and advertisers that are supporting this year’s Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s.
Just a reminder of why I tour. This photo is from 4 a.m. when I was getting on my way in California in 2010.
GREEN BAY – Before taking off this week I had the opportunity to speak to the class at KinderCare Learning Centers in Green Bay. The group was FANTASTIC! Very bright students that were not shy about asking questions like “how many miles from Nova Scotia to Wisconsin?” and “Did I ever run into any alligators or sharks?”
Every student helped identify some of my gear including a bike lock that looked like a walkie talkie, there was laughter about my half a toothbrush and a lot of ooooohs and ahhhhhs over the mini keyboard with which I write my stories.
There was only one small distraction when a 6-and-a-half year old boy noticed a chipmunk running through our make-shift outdoor classroom …. otherwise we managed to stay on task.
All students were given color photos of some of my animal encounters including a big brown bear from Montana, a baby spider monkey from Minnesota, and an intimidating Tyrannosaurus Rex I saw during a behind-the-scenes tour at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck, ND.
Since we were focusing on fitness all the KinderCare students, including a tiny 5-and-a-half year old girl, took a shot at dead lifting my steel-frame bike. The little girls was tiny, quiet and did a complete clean-and-jerk dead lift. No sweat. It was very Mighty Mouse. Then a line formed (see photo below). I had to remind the students I normally rode my bike on tour…. I didn’t carry it…. but it was fun nonetheless.
Flight leaves Friday for Nova Scotia. Signed, Judy Steffes (age 50 and a half).
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| My friend and primary-tour sponsor Helen Reinke is presented with a 2014 tour jersey! |
She’s game to try it on for size…
…. and it’s a fit!
Helen’s name is on the front of the jersey along with other sponsors including USCCA, Kettle Moraine Detachment 1203, Thrivent Financial, and Wiedmeyer Trucking.
Major thanks to Husar’s House of Fine Diamonds which printed and donated the jerseys. All money raised during the upcoming bicycle tour from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Wisconsin will be donated to Alzheimer’s exercise and activities at Cedar Community.
Behind the scenes: Helen is the one who kicked off the tour this year with a generous $10,000 donation. After she decided she liked the jersey she said, “How much do I owe you for this?”
Tour leaves June 27.
Took a break from the bike and spent the weekend leapfrogging 196.1 miles running with a team from Madison, WI to Chicago, IL. It was the Ragnar Run: an overnight relay race that makes testing your limits a team sport. I was with team “Dude, Where’s my van?” which was organized by captain Amanda DeRuyter.
Behind the scenes: Exhilarating Friday and Saturday, traveling with six people in a van, chasing between 3-and-9 miles down the road until the next transition point when we finally reached Chicago. We ran in (what felt like) 90-degree heat. We ran at 2:30 a.m. in the dark – which felt very Sunday-morning paper route. We cheered everyone’s success – including our competition.
– Awesome view of the back roads, trails, communities, and small-town businesses including a stop at Franks Diner in Kenosha. A regional institution that mixes a flamboyant staff, with a cozy elbow-to-elbow crowd, topped off with a hearty menu that features an item called The Garbage Plate: start with five eggs and use your imagination along with anything you find in the refrigerator drawer.
Franks was a step back in time. The diner was the size of an old railroad car – with a couple additions. It dripped heavy with butter, personality, and an ‘order-what-you-want-eat-what-you-get’ sassiness. Franks Diner has hosted many celebrities since 1926 including The Three Stooges, Lawrence Welk, Bela Lugosi, Duke Ellington, Liberace – – and now the Ragnar team ‘Dude, Where’s my van?”
I’ll be joining WRJN afternoon radio host Ted Ehlen live on Monday, June 2 to talk about the upcoming Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s. We’ll be chatting just after 3:35 p.m. on AM 1400. You can listen in live by logging onto wrjn.com
Had the privilege to drive a local WWII veteran, Carl Kircher, in the West Bend Memorial Day Parade. Kircher enlisted in the Navy in 1946 when he was 19 years old. He went to San Diego for training and then served for two years at the Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois.
Less than a month before the tour leaves. Behind the scenes:
– I’ve topped 8,000 push ups. Only 2,000 left to go!
– The only credit card with zero transaction fee and no annual fee outside the U.S. is the Capital One card. Sign me up!
– I’ve successfully secured eight sponsors for radio updates on AM-1470 WBKV in West Bend. I’ll be calling in live updates on Monday’s and Friday’s. Sponsors include: Goeden’s Auto Body, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County, Common Sense Citizens, Shorewest Realty – Paula Becker agent, Wisconsin Lift Truck, Salberg Law Office, Swede’s St. Kilian Inn, and Shop My Closet.
– Next Monday afternoon I will be on Ted Ehlen’s afternoon show on WRJN in Racine talking about the upcoming Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s.
– Word is the new jerseys have arrived at Husar’s House of Fine Diamonds. Set to pick up on Friday – stay tuned!
Spidermen (a.k.a. Stone and Crosby) with an impromptu flexing contest at the annual Thrivent Fish Fry at the Washington County Fair Park. Thrivent Financial is a primary sponsor for this year’s Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s.
On a side note: Just 35 days left before the tour gets underway. Tonight I’m searching bicycle shops in Halifax trying to find a place to stay the day I land. I’ll be getting in to the airport around 1 a.m.; I’ll sack out there for a couple hours and then spend the day touring Halifax.
I found Halifax Cycle Gallery and contacted the owners to see if someone from their shop would be willing to host me for an evening – give me a safe place to stay, maybe some mapping tips and a nice bit of hometown Nova Scotia hospitality.
I’ll keep you posted!
Back in December 2013 when I started rallying sponsors for the 2014 tour I made a promise I’d finish 10,000 military push ups in exchange for a $10,000 donation. USCCA stepped up with a generous donation and now I’m close to meeting my end of the bargain. I’ve been knocking out push ups since December – starting on my knees and building my repetitions from 15 to 20 to 25. Behind the scenes – I struggled during the winter months when the weather was miserable and I lost focus – but I’m back on track. Up to five sets of 30 military push ups each day – – or more!
I reached the 7,000 mark today. Feels like I’ve accomplishing something. I know it has definitely helped with my running and my confidence.
The tour leaves in a little over a month. Stay tuned…..
TheBiKeWriTer is a travel-by-the-seat-of-your-pants website. Few plans, lots of spontaneous adventure, great people, with a little bit of history and humor thrown in. Follow along.
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