San Francisco to Santa Cruz – 79.3 Miles
Over the years, I have recorded my Annual AIDSLifeCycle Experience. And, during each year’s 7 day journey, I dwell in the retention /or/ kumbaka of the breath – and bring awareness to everything within & around me.
Stay tuned (and check back) to get a taste of this year’s, 545 mile, 7 day, San Francisco to Los Angeles adventure.
Here’s a glimpse of AIDS LifeCycle Day Route 1 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz.
Don Colnago – AKA – Barry Elliot –
At 4:00am. on 03 June 2007 (in accordance with tradition), 6th Year California AIDS Rider / AIDS LifeCycle Cyclist, “Don Colnago” telephones to state “Tony, I’ll pick you up at 5:00am.” At 5:30am, Don Colnago and I arrived at the Cow Palace for the opening ceremonies of AIDS LifeCycle 2007.
And although, each ride has brought me a new experience – some things remain the same. As I looked around the Cow Palace, I saw a bunch of bulls waiting to be set free. And although the key to “surviving” such a journey is to pace oneself, as they opened the gates, I and 2,500 other cyclist, jetted out like the running of the bulls in Pamplona
However, like human beings, even a bull can only run so far. . . So as I embarked on an approximate 9 mile hill climb up Skyline Blvd, I turned down my testosterone and put myself in low gear. And as I made my decent down the hill. I witness a “rock star!”
Cycling 8 feet in front of me , moving at about 32 miles per hour, intertwined in a pace line of 15 cyclists, wearing a pair of cut off jeans & Vans, cycling with toe clips – this guy was cooking.
In all my years of endurance cycling, I’ve pushed wearing the spandex shorts, the cleats, and having the “so called – appropriate gear.” However, with each day we have the opportunity to learn something new. So now, I would say “if you can ride a bike – you can ride a bike wearing anything.”
A San Francisco Local Cyclist – “ROCK STAR!”
Name: Alexei
Education: Stanford Graduate Student, Philosophy
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 155 lbs.
Age: 31
Birth Place/Origin: Santa Cruz, CA.
Occupation: Graduate Student
Present Location /Where do you live? San Francisco, CA 94103
Favorite Book: “As I Lay Dying“–Faulkner/”The Sun Also Rises“–Hemingway
Q. – If you had any advise and/or words of encouragement for the AIDS Lifecycle 2008 Cyclist – what would they be?
A. – “My advice would be to make sure that you keep your eyes on the ground ahead and your legs on the pedals below, chug like a train, and most importantly, concentrate through breathing. Like that, seven days is a breeze.”
Over the past 6th months, each and every cyclist has built a tight community /or/ sangha of individuals with whom we have gone on training rides with, met yoga classes, met in a bar, or even met at Sports Basement.
Upon my arrival to the lunch stop – I was reunited with my “posse.”
- Mr. Rio
- Don Colnago
- Sports Basement – Brandy Olesen
- Sonya Prybutok
- Christopher Matthew Altman
- Leslie – “Shanghai Thunder” –
- Ramon – “The Slacker”
And after a 2 hour lunch, some Paschimotanasana, and conversation, I rode the remaining 45 miles – non stop to the finish line in Santa Cruz.
The Slacker –
Greeting me at the finish line was Ramon – “the slacker.” He informed me, “in past years, you’ve come across the finish line 15 to 45 minutes after me . . .Yet today, you came in 3 hours late. Are you feeling okay?”
(And the challenge was on!)
Team Google –
At 4:00pm. Ramon – “the slacker” and I proceeded to the dining tent. Yet unknown to me, I was seated next to a 6 man cycling team, Google sponsored – “Team Google.” And while sharing in conversation & eatting dinner, Team Google presented me with the google seal of approval for my outstanding AIDSLifeCycle Packing List. Team Google says, “it was exactly what they were searching for .. . “
And a wonderful day it way – stay tuned for Day 2 – AIDSLifeCycle 2007.
AIDSLifecycle Links:
- Fat Tire Beer Bust Fundraising Party – 2005
- Fat Tire Beer Bust Charity Fundraising Party – 2006
- Fat Tire Beer Bust Charity Fundraising Party – 2007
- Fat Tire Beer Bust Charity Fundraising Party – 2008
- Fat Tire Beer Bust – 2009
- Tour De Fat – San Francisco – 2007
- New – San Francisco speaks about AIDSLifecycle
- An Invitation to Oprah Winfrey
- Iyengar yoga Teacher cycles 575 miles – AIDSLifecycle 2009
- Ivengar Yoga Teacher cycles 575 miles – AIDSLifecycle 2008
- Ivengar Yoga Teacher cycles 575 miles – AIDSLifecycle 2007
- Ivengar Yoga Teacher cycles 575 miles – AIDSLifecycle 2006
- Ivengar Yoga Teacher cycles 575 miles – AIDSLifecycle 2005
