Blast off! Literally! In a moment of drama, at Calf Pasture Beach my back tire BLEW UP moments before leaving. Tubeless tires can do this if over-pumped, so I guess my adrenaline got the better of me. It was loud, like REALLY loud and it sprayed tire sealant everywhere. News12 was there along with dozen CRI family and friends. The look on everyone’s faces was priceless. Some might ask, is it an omen (gulp!). However, Lisa Finn, the wife of board member Mike Finn, quietly pulled me aside and said there is a good reason in all of this that will benefit you. Most definitely! I changed my tires last week to a skinnier version without fully testing them, so better now than in the middle of nowhere!
Other’s said big bro Chris is absolutely pranking me from above…absolutely! Straight from our childhood! My mother, who was very humble, would have called all the fanfare this morning “the grand gesture”…that was her Minnesota speak for being a bit “over the top”…and she was right. Instead, just to do the job humbly and let good things come of it. Thank you mom.
So instead of delaying another day, my co-pilot AJ Conley suggested we swap out with my other bike to get on the road. Margot got the original tires mounted at the bike shop and delivered to us at the end of the day…mission accomplished! Day 1 complete. AJ and I completed 76+ miles during fabulous ride, especially going over the Bear Mtn Bridge to West Point for lunch and landing near Goshen NY.
My blogs will be more brief but to close, I must say how grateful I am for others that helped get me and my body here:
• AJ - you got me to trade in my “Huffy” I was riding solo for a real bike and for the the joy of cycling with others. Only fitting you served as the “tugboat” to launch me on Day 1. More meaningfully, you have been a surrogate big brother to me in the most meaningful of ways…Chris thanks you too.
• Nola Physical Therapy - Jason, Chana, Marivic and the team are the best, helping me rebound from injuries/surgeries since 2006…I’ve told Jason I’m his annuity!
• HotHatha and Beyond Yoga - Whitney introduced me to the joy of hot yoga but it’s her community of love and friendship that stands out.
• Evolver Fitness - Jenser and Jake are hardworking entrepreneurs who bring an infectious motivation to their gym
• YogaSol - Dan, Jeanne, Lauren are pros at what they do with a personal touch.
Lastly, THANK YOU for all for the kind words of support and generous donations! Let’s get’er done for CRI!
