Received the "package"

I received the "rider package" in mail from ALC (Aids LifeCycle) today. It has the participant guide full of information about the ride, a DVD filmed during ALC 3, two wrist bands (orange and blue) and a t-shirt. The DVD is very touchy... and inspiring for any rider or rider-to-be(s).

First ride: Los Gatos Creek trail

18 miles - avg 11.2 mph

My first bike ride since I signed up for ALC... also my first ride for over a year! Los Gatos Creek trail is very close to my house. I didn't have to drive, I hopped on my bike and rode for 0.8 miles to reach the start of the trail. I rode all the way from start to Los Gatos, which is 9 miles. I got so tired that I had to rest for 30 minutes. Ok I need to train more! Another 9 miles back home and I'm done! 18 miles for my first ride, not bad at all :-)

I'm in!

I attended the informational meeting of ALC today. I was there right on time but to my surprise the room was empty. Well not totally empty... The presenter (Tilmin) was there of course, a very sweet lady that did the ALC ride a few times before. She showed me a 20 minute video taken during ALC 3 (in 2004). Some more people showed up during the video. It was an inspiring and encouraging short film; parts of it were really fun and some parts were quite emotional. When the movie was over I already made up my mind: "I'm going to do it, I'm going to ride my bike 585 miles to LA!"

Tilmin talked about the ride, the route, the camps set up every night, etc. The most fun story was about Tracy Chapman. She was a participant in ALC 3. Yes, she did the whole ride for 7 days and she stayed at the camp just like other participants (well except the ones that opt for the "princess tour" - people that choose to stay at hotels instead of camp). Apparently other African American ladies at the ride were mistaken as Tracy Chapman. They must have gotten tired of this so they started wearing t-shirts that said "I'm not Tracy". Soon enough this new fashion took a hike and not just African American ladies but most people started to wear similar t-shirts, including guys :-)